WEBVTT 00:00:01.219 --> 00:00:06.660 Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.919 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:24.440 right in. Turn to your left and right and welcome 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:26.100 your brothers and sisters. We take your seats. 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:32.039 Smile. Your brother in the Lord is not responsible 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:37.299 for how hectic your day is. So, when you come 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:41.439 in the house of God, be full of joy. Hallelujah. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:47.359 Be full of joy. It's an opportunity for us to 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:52.579 enjoy the word of God. Amen. And I trust that 00:00:52.579 --> 00:00:54.700 God will keep speaking to us in Jesus' name. 00:00:55.399 --> 00:01:00.460 Matthew 16. Matthew chapter 16. I'm reading from 00:01:00.460 --> 00:01:11.159 verse 17. Matthew 16, from verse 17. 17 down 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:14.420 to 19. And Jesus answered and said unto him, 00:01:15.379 --> 00:01:20.599 Bless thou, Simon Bar -Jonah, for flesh and blood 00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:24.920 hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:30.400 which is in heaven. And I say also unto you, 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:34.879 unto thee, that thou art Peter. And upon this 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:39.359 rock I will build my church, and the gates of 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:43.200 hell shall not prevail against it. And I will 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:48.019 give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. 00:01:48.700 --> 00:01:52.379 And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall 00:01:52.379 --> 00:01:57.519 be bound in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt... 00:01:58.080 --> 00:02:00.599 bound shall lose on earth shall be loose in heaven. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:04.760 Give me verse 17 again. Look at verse 17. In 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:11.199 verse 17 he said that for flesh and blood hath 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:14.939 not revealed it unto you but my Father which 00:02:14.939 --> 00:02:19.639 in heaven. My Father who is where? Who is in 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:24.020 heaven. And what he is saying in essence is that 00:02:24.020 --> 00:02:28.000 God lives in heaven. Or rather, God dwells in 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:32.479 heaven. Hallelujah. So God, who is spirit, John 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:38.580 chapter 4, verse 24. God, who is spirit, John 00:02:38.580 --> 00:02:45.319 chapter 4, verse 24. It says, God is a spirit, 00:02:45.419 --> 00:02:48.240 and they that worship him must worship him in 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:51.400 spirit, which is what? Which is truth. So God 00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:55.280 is spirit, meaning that the physical eyes cannot 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:57.360 see him. We can't see God with the physical eye. 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:01.240 John 1, verse 18. John 1, 18 talks about, you 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:04.699 know, no one had seen God. No one had seen God. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:07.620 He says, no man had seen God at any time. The 00:03:07.620 --> 00:03:12.020 only begotten son, which is in the... Okay, no 00:03:12.020 --> 00:03:14.719 one has seen God at any time. The only begotten 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.539 son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared 00:03:17.539 --> 00:03:20.639 him unto us. So, the vehicle by which we have 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.319 an understanding of who God is, is through the 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:26.449 son. And the son obviously is talking about Jesus 00:03:26.449 --> 00:03:29.129 Christ. So how we come to know the father is 00:03:29.129 --> 00:03:31.949 through the son. And this God who is spiritual 00:03:31.949 --> 00:03:34.849 or who is spirit rather, this God who is spirit 00:03:34.849 --> 00:03:39.949 exists or lives in the heaven. Hallelujah. And 00:03:39.949 --> 00:03:42.930 then we said heaven means the invisible, right? 00:03:43.270 --> 00:03:45.770 We said heaven means what the unseen, which means 00:03:45.770 --> 00:03:48.990 he dwells in the unseen. He dwells in the immaterial. 00:03:49.870 --> 00:03:52.449 God dwells in the immaterial. It means the realm 00:03:52.449 --> 00:03:57.460 of the spirit. You know, it means for us to have 00:03:57.460 --> 00:04:01.439 access to God, we must have a relationship with 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:04.560 the immaterial world to have access to God. So, 00:04:04.659 --> 00:04:07.879 there are different beings or there are different 00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:11.120 characters, we can call characters, beings or 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:16.199 realities in the unseen or in heaven. We've talked 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:19.000 this in the seven meetings about, you know, the 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:23.459 realities of heaven. What is the composition 00:04:23.459 --> 00:04:27.339 of heaven? We said heaven is unseen, right? The 00:04:27.339 --> 00:04:30.779 unseen realm, meaning that it cannot be accessed 00:04:30.779 --> 00:04:33.399 with the physical eyes, but then it is real, 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:38.019 it is true, it exists. And then there are different 00:04:38.019 --> 00:04:39.980 components, there are different realities in 00:04:39.980 --> 00:04:42.519 this unseen realm. And one of the things that 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:46.620 we saw in the course of our studies is that the 00:04:46.620 --> 00:04:49.959 rulers of darkness dwells in heaven. Hallelujah. 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:53.319 We saw that the rulers of darkness, rulers of 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:55.879 darkness, one of the realities we saw in heaven 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:58.420 is that the ruler of darkness lives in heaven. 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:01.180 This is what we call the kingdom of darkness. 00:05:01.699 --> 00:05:04.899 Okay, Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12. Ephesians 00:05:04.899 --> 00:05:08.439 chapter 6, verse 12. The rulers of darkness lives 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:13.199 in the heavenly, in the unseen. Ephesians chapter 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.079 6, verse 12. It says, for we do not wrestle against 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:20.049 flesh and blood, but against who? Principalities 00:05:20.049 --> 00:05:23.470 against powers, against the rulers of darkness. 00:05:23.709 --> 00:05:28.470 Those who rule darkness of this age against spiritual 00:05:28.470 --> 00:05:34.089 hosts of wickedness. Where? Where are they? They 00:05:34.089 --> 00:05:37.189 are in the heavenly. That place is not in the 00:05:37.189 --> 00:05:38.750 original. They are in the heavenly. Hallelujah. 00:05:39.810 --> 00:05:42.810 So it means that the workers of darkness also 00:05:42.810 --> 00:05:46.870 live in heaven. Amen? They live where? They live 00:05:46.870 --> 00:05:51.160 in heaven. Ephesians 3 verse 10, the same Ephesians 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:53.680 3 verse 10, we'll see also, and other scriptures 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:57.959 we can see, giving us a hint of some of the characters 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:01.339 we have in heaven. To the intent that now the 00:06:01.339 --> 00:06:04.019 manifold wisdom of God may be made known by the 00:06:04.019 --> 00:06:08.579 church. To who? To the principalities and powers 00:06:08.579 --> 00:06:11.860 where? In the heavenly. So these principalities 00:06:11.860 --> 00:06:14.660 and powers, same as we saw in chapter 6 verse 00:06:14.660 --> 00:06:18.579 12, they dwell where? They dwell in the heaven, 00:06:18.699 --> 00:06:23.180 heavenly, in heaven. So if you ask you, what 00:06:23.180 --> 00:06:25.980 are the realities of heaven? What are the characters 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:29.720 or what are the composition of heaven? The rulers 00:06:29.720 --> 00:06:34.279 of darkness, right? Wickedness, wicked spirit, 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:36.860 they live where? They live in the unseen because 00:06:36.860 --> 00:06:39.379 we can't see them with our physical eyes. Amen? 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:42.360 So the realm at which they operate is where? 00:06:42.699 --> 00:06:46.339 It's in the heavenly realm. Hallelujah. And also, 00:06:47.980 --> 00:06:51.439 The kingdom of God, that is the household of 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:54.860 God, or the family of God, made up of Christ. 00:06:54.980 --> 00:06:57.600 Of course, Christ is the head of this family. 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:01.660 And believers, you and I, who are born again, 00:07:01.819 --> 00:07:06.959 and even those who are asleep, we also make up 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.959 heaven. Are we together? So we have those evil 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:14.379 spirit, wickedness in the heavenly realm. We 00:07:14.379 --> 00:07:17.800 also have the kingdom of God also where in this 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:21.660 same heaven. In the unseen. 1 Peter 3, verse 00:07:21.660 --> 00:07:29.920 21. 1 Peter 3, 21 and 22. 1 Peter, yes. It says 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:34.680 there is also, yes, there is also an antitype 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:37.920 which now saves us. Baptism. Not the rumour of 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:39.839 the field of the flesh, but the answers of good 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:42.180 conscience towards God through the resurrection 00:07:42.180 --> 00:07:46.839 of Jesus Christ. Verse 22. Who has gone into 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:49.540 heaven? Jesus Christ has gone where? Into heaven 00:07:49.540 --> 00:07:52.420 at the right hand of God. Angels and authorities 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:54.399 and powers haven't been made subject to him. 00:07:54.660 --> 00:07:58.519 Jesus has gone into where? Into heaven. Hallelujah. 00:07:59.139 --> 00:08:03.720 Jesus has gone into heaven. Colossians 3 verse 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:10.199 1 to 2. Colossians 3 verse 1 to 2. If then you 00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:12.319 were raised with Christ. Talking about who? Talking 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.170 about the believer. The believer has been raised 00:08:15.170 --> 00:08:17.850 with Christ. Seek those things which were what? 00:08:17.930 --> 00:08:20.589 Which were above. Where Christ is. Christ is 00:08:20.589 --> 00:08:24.470 where? Christ is in heaven. Alright? Sitting 00:08:24.470 --> 00:08:26.529 at the right hand of God. Right hand does not 00:08:26.529 --> 00:08:27.769 mean that there is a left hand. We've always 00:08:27.769 --> 00:08:30.509 taught this. It means a place of authority. A 00:08:30.509 --> 00:08:34.769 place of authority in God. Alright? Verse 2. 00:08:36.629 --> 00:08:39.009 Set your mind on things above, not on things 00:08:39.009 --> 00:08:42.080 on earth. Set your mind on things above. Are 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:45.240 not things on earth. Ephesians 1 verse 20. Ephesians 00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:48.200 1 verse 20. So we are seeing that Christ is in 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:54.580 heaven. Alright. 1 verse 20. Verse 19. Give me 00:08:54.580 --> 00:08:57.519 verse 19 then verse 20. It says, And what is 00:08:57.519 --> 00:08:59.320 the exceeding greatness of his power towards 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:01.080 us who believe according to the working of his 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:04.820 mighty power, which he worked in Christ when 00:09:04.820 --> 00:09:06.820 he raised him from the dead and seated him at 00:09:06.820 --> 00:09:09.899 the right hand in the heavenly. So Jesus is where? 00:09:10.539 --> 00:09:14.379 is in the heavenly. Alright? Ephesians 2, verse 00:09:14.379 --> 00:09:17.960 5 to 6. Ephesians 2, verse 5 to 6. Ephesians 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:21.320 2, 5 to 6. Everywhere we were dead in trespasses 00:09:21.320 --> 00:09:24.899 made us alive together with Christ. So Christ, 00:09:25.019 --> 00:09:28.100 where is Christ? Christ is in heaven, isn't it? 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:32.440 And we are what? Have been made, even when we 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:34.840 were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:37.960 with Christ. So we are alive together with Christ. 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:41.480 By grace you've been, yes, verse 6 says, and 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:44.139 he raised us up together and made us sit together 00:09:44.139 --> 00:09:47.980 in the heavenly. So the believer is where? The 00:09:47.980 --> 00:09:50.879 believer is in Christ, but where? In the heavenly. 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:56.620 Hallelujah. Ephesians 3, verse 14 and 16. Ephesians 00:09:56.620 --> 00:10:00.639 3, 14 and 16. For this reason, I bow my knees 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:06.879 to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The father 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:08.720 of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.879 family, which family are we talking about? The 00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:15.259 kingdom of God, the family of God. Everyone that 00:10:15.259 --> 00:10:17.440 believes in Jesus Christ, from whom the whole 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:21.620 family in where? Whole family in where? In heaven 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:24.600 and earth is named. Who are those that are made 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:27.379 of the family of God? Believers. Hallelujah. 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:31.000 Who have gone to sleep? Oh, say they have died. 00:10:31.220 --> 00:10:33.759 All right. And we that are still alive, where 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:37.500 are we? We are. In Christ. And he will grant 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:39.500 you the according to riches of glory to be strengthened. 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:43.179 Yes. And then we see, yes, verse 15. Hebrews 00:10:43.179 --> 00:10:50.179 12, verse 23. Hebrews 12, verse 23. Hebrews 12, 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:53.960 verse 23. To the dear assembly. Okay. What is 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:57.639 the dear assembly? It is a church of God. The 00:10:57.639 --> 00:11:00.879 firstborn who are registered in heaven to God, 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:04.129 a judge registered way in heaven. That is the 00:11:04.129 --> 00:11:06.649 residence of the church. That is the residence 00:11:06.649 --> 00:11:09.610 of a family of God. You are born. Where are you 00:11:09.610 --> 00:11:13.029 born? You are born into heaven. Hallelujah. Your 00:11:13.029 --> 00:11:17.929 place of birth is heaven. Amen. You are not trying 00:11:17.929 --> 00:11:20.509 to go to heaven, but you are born in heaven. 00:11:20.789 --> 00:11:23.470 That is what happened at salvation. You became 00:11:23.470 --> 00:11:27.490 born from heaven. When you believe the salvation 00:11:27.490 --> 00:11:30.850 message, you are born in heaven. Hallelujah. 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.340 Amen. So, rulers of darkness and heaven, there 00:11:36.340 --> 00:11:39.779 are other things that we've looked at that are 00:11:39.779 --> 00:11:43.080 the realities of heaven. So, we've seen that 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:46.059 the heavenly realm is the unseen realm. Okay? 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:49.179 But then, there is what we call the kingdom of 00:11:49.179 --> 00:11:53.840 God. The kingdom of God. Alright? The kingdom 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:58.100 of God in heaven. So, we are not in the same 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:00.500 family with demons and satans and all the wicked 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:03.639 spirits. Are we together? What distings us is 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:06.059 that we are where? We are in the family of God. 00:12:06.179 --> 00:12:07.940 So there's a distinction between the kingdom 00:12:07.940 --> 00:12:11.080 of darkness, which is in the unseen, and the 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:14.960 kingdom of God, which is still in heavenly. Are 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:19.519 we together? So we define that kingdom, that 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:22.460 we define kingdom as meaning dominion. Okay? 00:12:22.539 --> 00:12:25.080 So we are under the word, the dominion of God. 00:12:25.529 --> 00:12:27.570 in the heavenly realm. We are under the royal 00:12:27.570 --> 00:12:30.710 power of God. We are under the rule, the rulership 00:12:30.710 --> 00:12:33.750 of God in the heavenly. Therefore, the kingdom 00:12:33.750 --> 00:12:36.129 of God in heaven refers to the sphere of God's 00:12:36.129 --> 00:12:40.330 dominion. Are we together? The sphere where God 00:12:40.330 --> 00:12:43.370 has dominion, where God has power and exercises 00:12:43.370 --> 00:12:48.570 rule and his dominion over. God's dominion, God's 00:12:48.570 --> 00:12:51.350 royalty, God's power, God's authority indicating 00:12:51.350 --> 00:12:55.340 that in this sphere of of heaven, God is king, 00:12:55.460 --> 00:12:58.139 is supreme. And all of us that are part of this 00:12:58.139 --> 00:13:01.740 family are part of God's word, God's rule, God's 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:04.240 kingdom, God's family, God's household, which 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:08.220 is spiritual. But we have been delivered from 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:09.759 where? Where have we been delivered from? Colossians 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:12.299 1 verse 13 says that we've been delivered from 00:13:12.299 --> 00:13:15.639 the kingdom of darkness. Where were we before? 00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:18.840 We're in the kingdom of darkness, alright? And 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:20.580 we've been delivered from the power of darkness 00:13:20.580 --> 00:13:23.480 and conveyed us into where? into the kingdom 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:26.279 of the son in his love, which means that salvation 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:28.879 happens where? Where does it happen? It happens 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:32.519 in the unseen. Hallelujah. That is why today, 00:13:32.600 --> 00:13:37.179 if you are born again, very short, like me, if 00:13:37.179 --> 00:13:38.980 you are born again, you will not change your 00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:42.620 height because salvation did not happen in the 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:45.059 physical. It happens where? It happens in the 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:49.240 spiritual. How are we together? So, it's a translation. 00:13:50.090 --> 00:13:51.669 From the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom 00:13:51.669 --> 00:13:55.169 of light, we become part and parcel of God's 00:13:55.169 --> 00:14:00.990 kingdom, of God's family. How did we have access 00:14:00.990 --> 00:14:03.690 to the kingdom of heaven? Meaning the kingdom 00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:06.870 of God. How did we have access to the kingdom 00:14:06.870 --> 00:14:09.730 of God, which is in heaven? How did we have access 00:14:09.730 --> 00:14:12.049 to the kingdom of God? Or what we call, yes, 00:14:12.169 --> 00:14:15.289 the household of God, the family of God. Matthew 00:14:15.289 --> 00:14:20.059 16, 19. Matthew 16, 19 says, and I will give 00:14:20.059 --> 00:14:23.460 you the keys of the kingdom. Matthew 16, 19 talks 00:14:23.460 --> 00:14:27.080 about what? It talks about keys. And I will give 00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:29.659 you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever 00:14:29.659 --> 00:14:32.100 you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. And 00:14:32.100 --> 00:14:34.039 whatever you lose on the earth will be lost where? 00:14:34.299 --> 00:14:40.440 In heaven. And we saw that Jesus has these keys. 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:43.259 These keys is what we call, we call it the access, 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:46.610 isn't it? Jesus is the one that has this access 00:14:46.610 --> 00:14:50.110 to this kingdom. It is through Jesus that we 00:14:50.110 --> 00:14:53.269 have access to the kingdom of God, to the family 00:14:53.269 --> 00:14:57.929 of God. And to us is given this access. And we 00:14:57.929 --> 00:15:01.830 establish that this key or this access is given 00:15:01.830 --> 00:15:05.549 when? At the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen? 00:15:05.789 --> 00:15:09.190 When he died and he rose again, he gave us access 00:15:09.190 --> 00:15:12.139 through Jesus. the kingdom. He gave us access 00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:15.460 to the kingdom, the kingdom of God. And we say 00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:17.240 that this access is what? It's the spirit of 00:15:17.240 --> 00:15:21.720 God in us. Hallelujah. So categorically, we concluded 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:26.320 that these keys, this access to the kingdom or 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:30.639 access, you know, to the unseen rather, is the 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:34.559 spirit indwelling man. Every man has the spirit 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:37.000 of God in him when he's born again. That gives 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:40.789 him the ability to have access. to the kingdom 00:15:40.789 --> 00:15:44.850 of God, to become part of God's family. John 00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:48.490 chapter 3, verse 1 to 9, we see Jesus explaining 00:15:48.490 --> 00:15:53.549 this concept to Nicodemus. John chapter 3, from 00:15:53.549 --> 00:15:56.129 verse 1 to 9. There was a man of the Pharisees 00:15:56.129 --> 00:15:59.110 named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man 00:15:59.110 --> 00:16:01.529 came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, 00:16:01.769 --> 00:16:04.870 we know that you are a teacher, come from God, 00:16:05.029 --> 00:16:09.509 for no one can do these signs that you do. unless 00:16:09.509 --> 00:16:12.629 God is with him. Which means that the teacher 00:16:12.629 --> 00:16:18.269 have seen Jesus did signs, okay? Signs that is 00:16:18.269 --> 00:16:21.830 pointing to something that is eternal. Something 00:16:21.830 --> 00:16:24.169 that is spiritual. And he concluded that God 00:16:24.169 --> 00:16:26.789 is with him. For no one can do this thing except 00:16:26.789 --> 00:16:28.629 God is with him. Now look at the response of 00:16:28.629 --> 00:16:31.370 Jesus. You said to him, most assuredly I say 00:16:31.370 --> 00:16:35.029 to you, unless one is what? Unless one is born 00:16:35.029 --> 00:16:39.820 again, he cannot have access. The kingdom of 00:16:39.820 --> 00:16:43.440 God. Unless one is born again, he cannot have 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:45.720 access to the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:48.320 to him, how can a man be born when he is old? 00:16:48.460 --> 00:16:51.740 His focus was on something physical. His attention 00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:55.379 was on something natural. Can he enter a second 00:16:55.379 --> 00:16:58.899 time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus 00:16:58.899 --> 00:17:00.899 answered, most assuredly I say to you. Now he 00:17:00.899 --> 00:17:03.799 explained to him what that born again means. 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:07.200 All right? Which is the activity of the spirit 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:10.039 of God. when the Spirit of the world comes into 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:12.039 man. This is the explanation of it. It says, 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:14.880 unless one is born of water, we've explained 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:18.299 that this water refers to what? It's an explanation 00:17:18.299 --> 00:17:21.180 of the Spirit because in the Old Testament Scriptures, 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:25.059 the activity of the Spirit is explained with 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:28.759 a symbol of water. And it's expected that a man, 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:32.440 as Nicodemus should understand by the book, that 00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:34.140 when we speak of water, we are talking of the 00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:37.390 Spirit. Okay? So Jesus answered and said to him, 00:17:37.470 --> 00:17:40.190 Most surely I say to you, unless one is born 00:17:40.190 --> 00:17:44.009 of water, this and means what? Which is the spirit. 00:17:44.589 --> 00:17:47.789 Which is what the spirit does. He cannot have 00:17:47.789 --> 00:17:51.130 access to the kingdom of God. Which means to 00:17:51.130 --> 00:17:54.250 be in God's kingdom, there must be what? The 00:17:54.250 --> 00:17:56.569 activity of the spirit of God in a man. When 00:17:56.569 --> 00:17:59.210 the spirit of God comes into a man, that is when 00:17:59.210 --> 00:18:01.670 he has access to what? To the kingdom of God. 00:18:01.730 --> 00:18:05.190 Verse 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:07.680 And that which is born of the Spirit, Spirit. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.339 Do not marvel that I say to you, unless that 00:18:11.339 --> 00:18:14.200 you must be born again. The wind blows where 00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:16.359 it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:19.039 cannot tell where it comes from and where it 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:22.220 goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. 00:18:22.700 --> 00:18:25.000 Verse 9. Nicodemus answered and said to him, 00:18:25.099 --> 00:18:27.680 How can these things be? And when we read further, 00:18:27.740 --> 00:18:30.839 we'll see Jesus continuing the explanation, explaining 00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:35.430 to him how a man... can be part of God's family 00:18:35.430 --> 00:18:39.730 by the activity of the Spirit, what we call the 00:18:39.730 --> 00:18:43.369 new birth. Amen? And in chapter 3, verse 16, 00:18:43.410 --> 00:18:48.089 you see, he presents to him the message, okay? 00:18:48.250 --> 00:18:51.710 For God so loved the world, right? And he gave 00:18:51.710 --> 00:18:54.369 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed 00:18:54.369 --> 00:18:57.849 in him would not perish, but have everlasting 00:18:57.849 --> 00:19:00.630 life. Which means that when you put your trust 00:19:00.630 --> 00:19:06.589 in what Christ has done, The spirit, the spiritual 00:19:06.589 --> 00:19:09.750 birth occurs in a man. So Jesus explains that 00:19:09.750 --> 00:19:11.930 the only way to have access to the kingdom is 00:19:11.930 --> 00:19:19.390 by what? Help me, by what? By the spirit. Hallelujah. 00:19:20.150 --> 00:19:22.730 So the believer is born. Where is the believer 00:19:22.730 --> 00:19:25.970 born when he believes the gospel? He is born 00:19:25.970 --> 00:19:30.490 in the kingdom of God. He becomes alive in the 00:19:30.490 --> 00:19:33.920 kingdom of God. He is. In the kingdom of heaven, 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:38.819 in Christ. The kingdom of heaven where? In Christ. 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:43.740 Hallelujah. He becomes born in the kingdom of 00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:47.420 heaven, in Christ. The believer, through the 00:19:47.420 --> 00:19:52.059 one spirit, has access to the Father who is in 00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:57.500 heaven by what Christ has done. Okay? The believer, 00:19:57.539 --> 00:20:01.019 through one spirit, Okay, not another spirit. 00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:04.740 All of us through one spirit. Ephesians 2 verse 00:20:04.740 --> 00:20:07.779 18 talks about that one spirit. The spirit by 00:20:07.779 --> 00:20:10.339 which you access God is essentially by which 00:20:10.339 --> 00:20:14.559 I access God. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 18. For 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:17.900 through him, who is that? The spirit. Through 00:20:17.900 --> 00:20:22.180 him, we both have access. Through him, we both 00:20:22.180 --> 00:20:25.279 have access. This him is talking about Christ 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:28.779 by the spirit. Okay, through him. We both have 00:20:28.779 --> 00:20:33.099 access to one Spirit. To where? To the Father. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:36.079 So where is the Father? We began by saying the 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.000 Father is in heaven. Okay? How do we access the 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:43.640 Father? By the Spirit. By the Spirit. Through 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:46.279 what Christ has done. Then the Spirit comes into 00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:48.700 us and we have access to the family of God. We 00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:52.039 have access to God. So how did we have access 00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:54.319 to the kingdom of heaven? By the Spirit of God. 00:20:54.859 --> 00:20:57.759 through believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:20:59.220 --> 00:21:02.900 How can we bring others into the kingdom of God? 00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:07.200 By preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. 00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:10.279 The same way with which you receive the spirit 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:12.980 of God and become part of God's family. Equally, 00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:16.579 it is the same way. Okay? You didn't become a 00:21:16.579 --> 00:21:20.279 believer by hearing fairy tales. Alright? You 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:22.240 didn't become a believer by hearing the story 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:26.460 of my life. You didn't become born again by hearing 00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:30.000 the story of your pastor's life. But you become 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.200 a believer, a member of God's family, by putting 00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:38.720 your trust in the gospel preached to you. So 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:41.740 also for us to bring others equally into God's 00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:45.619 family, we must also preach the gospel of Jesus 00:21:45.619 --> 00:21:49.299 Christ. So Jesus says in Matthew 16, verse 19, 00:21:49.500 --> 00:21:53.299 And whatever you bind on earth, well, Lord, will 00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:55.640 be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth 00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:59.019 will be loosed in heaven. Having the keys will 00:21:59.019 --> 00:22:03.619 enable the believer to bind and what? And loose. 00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:07.660 Okay? Having the keys, what is the keys? The 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:11.339 spirit will enable the believer to act on behalf 00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:16.579 of God. This access grants the believer the authority. 00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:20.559 Alright? Having the spirit of God in you grants 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:23.259 you the authority. It gives you The ability, 00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:28.279 authority, that key is authority. Amen? That 00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:32.019 key in you, the spirit in you is authority. It 00:22:32.019 --> 00:22:34.160 gives you the authority to represent the kingdom 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:36.700 of God. Where? Where are you representing the 00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:41.559 kingdom of God? On earth. Hallelujah. So by the 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:44.839 spirit in you, you become a representative of 00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:48.660 God on the earth. So you have the ability now 00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:51.920 to do what? to preach the gospel and bring others 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.819 into the kingdom. Acts chapter 1 verse 4 to 8, 00:22:54.839 --> 00:22:56.900 you see, Jesus Christ will tell them to wait. 00:22:57.779 --> 00:23:01.039 Acts chapter 4 verse 8, Acts 1 verse 4 to 8. 00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:05.279 Acts chapter 4, chapter 1 rather, Acts 1 verse 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:07.779 4, yes. And being assembled together with them, 00:23:08.099 --> 00:23:12.119 he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:16.539 But wait for what? Wait for the promise. Without 00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:19.910 the promise, they cannot represent him. Amen? 00:23:20.490 --> 00:23:23.490 Without a promise. What is a promise? And I'll 00:23:23.490 --> 00:23:27.410 give you the keys. Right? Of the kingdom. And 00:23:27.410 --> 00:23:29.990 I'll give you the keys of the kingdom. So without 00:23:29.990 --> 00:23:32.589 this promise, and this is what has been promised 00:23:32.589 --> 00:23:36.349 from the ancient times. Without this key, without 00:23:36.349 --> 00:23:39.309 this promise, we cannot represent God. So he 00:23:39.309 --> 00:23:40.990 told them, he says, but wait for the promise 00:23:40.990 --> 00:23:44.029 of the father, which said, you have had from 00:23:44.029 --> 00:23:47.029 me. Verse five. For John truly baptized with 00:23:47.029 --> 00:23:49.940 water, but you shall be baptized. ties with the 00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:54.039 Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:57.380 when they had come together, they asked him, 00:23:57.420 --> 00:24:01.079 saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the 00:24:01.079 --> 00:24:03.920 kingdom of Israel? Because their mind is focused 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:08.579 on what? On an earthly kingdom. Okay? Their mind 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:10.400 is focused on an earthly kingdom, but Jesus is 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:12.839 talking about a spiritual kingdom. They're thinking 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:14.940 maybe God will take away the Romans and then 00:24:14.940 --> 00:24:17.799 give them the kingdom on earth. Because they 00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:19.539 were under Roman occupation. They were under 00:24:19.539 --> 00:24:24.279 Roman colonial rule. They asked Jesus, will you 00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:27.200 at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Look 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:31.140 at what Jesus told them. He said to them, it 00:24:31.140 --> 00:24:33.140 is not for you to know times or seasons which 00:24:33.140 --> 00:24:36.799 the father has put in his own authority. Which 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:39.839 means that, forget about this issue of earthly 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:42.740 kingdom. But you shall receive, what will you 00:24:42.740 --> 00:24:45.539 receive? You will receive power. So it's a key 00:24:45.539 --> 00:24:50.920 power. Is the Spirit power? Yes. Is it authority? 00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:55.000 Yes. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.680 has what? Has come upon you and you shall be 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:03.380 what? Shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:08.380 in all Judea. You know, Samaria, is it a Jewish 00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:12.640 place? Hmm? I think it's for the Gentiles, right? 00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:15.019 The Samaritan. The good Samaritan is a Gentile. 00:25:15.549 --> 00:25:17.769 meaning that it includes other nations that are 00:25:17.769 --> 00:25:21.390 not Israel. So the apostles will be what? Will 00:25:21.390 --> 00:25:25.769 be witnesses where? From Jerusalem, okay? Judea, 00:25:25.769 --> 00:25:28.329 which is a Jewish nation. Then Samaria, which 00:25:28.329 --> 00:25:31.029 is the Gentile nation, including everyone. And 00:25:31.029 --> 00:25:34.769 where? And to the ends of the earth. Hallelujah. 00:25:35.349 --> 00:25:37.650 So the gospel, please pay attention, don't be 00:25:37.650 --> 00:25:40.529 distracted. Pay attention. So the gospel we preach 00:25:40.529 --> 00:25:45.400 in Jerusalem, in Judea, And we're in Samaria 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:49.339 and to the ends of the earth when the spirit 00:25:49.339 --> 00:25:52.900 come to them. Hallelujah. So the binding and 00:25:52.900 --> 00:25:55.839 loosing is related to what we said is related 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:59.599 to the forgiveness and reconciliation of men. 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:03.099 Isn't it? We saw it last on Sunday that is related 00:26:03.099 --> 00:26:06.019 to the forgiveness of sins. In verse 21 or in 00:26:06.019 --> 00:26:12.700 John, let's go to John 20 verse 19. John 20 verse. 00:26:14.899 --> 00:26:22.119 19 to 23. Then the same day at evening, being 00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:24.259 the first day of the week, when the doors were 00:26:24.259 --> 00:26:29.299 shut, where the disciples were assembled for 00:26:29.299 --> 00:26:31.299 faith of the Jews. This was after the resurrection. 00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:35.519 Jesus came and stood in their midst and said 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:39.000 to them, Peace be with you. Verse 20. When he 00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:41.640 had said this, he showed them his hands and his 00:26:41.640 --> 00:26:45.400 side. when the disciples were, then the disciples 00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:48.940 were glad. This glad day is they rejoiced. Hallelujah. 00:26:49.960 --> 00:26:52.980 When they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them, 00:26:53.079 --> 00:26:56.240 peace to you as the Father has sent me, as the 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:59.259 Father has what? Has sent me. As the Father has 00:26:59.259 --> 00:27:03.440 what? Has sent me. So also I do what? I sent 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.279 you. The Father has sent him. Then he do what? 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:11.960 And he sent you and I. In our own context. All 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:16.279 right. Then how did he do it? Verse 22. And when 00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:19.039 he had said this, he breathed on them and said 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:22.460 to them, receive the Holy Spirit. Now we've done 00:27:22.460 --> 00:27:25.000 a teaching here. And then we said that this spirit 00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:27.799 will receive a Pentecost. Are we together? So 00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:30.880 if you haven't received the spirit, when the 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:33.059 spirit has come and they have received the spirit, 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:35.980 if you forgive the sins of any, what will happen? 00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:40.559 They are forgiving them. All right? But how can 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:42.819 they do this? Because they have received what? 00:27:42.900 --> 00:27:45.900 The Spirit in them. It's a function of the indwelling 00:27:45.900 --> 00:27:47.720 of the Spirit that you can forgive the sins of 00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:50.920 others and they are forgiven. If you retain the 00:27:50.920 --> 00:27:52.799 sins of any, they are what? They are retained. 00:27:53.380 --> 00:27:57.099 And how do we explain giving of forgiveness and 00:27:57.099 --> 00:27:59.259 retaining of forgiveness? We say that it's what? 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:03.359 It's in preaching. Are we together? Don't say 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:05.140 that if I offend you and you refuse to forgive 00:28:05.140 --> 00:28:06.500 me, God will not forgive me. God has forgiven 00:28:06.500 --> 00:28:11.089 me. Okay? So forgiving me is for your own good. 00:28:12.150 --> 00:28:14.829 We will fellowship together. This is talking 00:28:14.829 --> 00:28:17.309 about the preaching of the gospel. Are we together? 00:28:17.690 --> 00:28:20.890 The preaching of the gospel. Because we have 00:28:20.890 --> 00:28:23.970 a spirit in us, we can preach and people will 00:28:23.970 --> 00:28:27.269 receive forgiveness. In verse 21, he gave authority 00:28:27.269 --> 00:28:32.009 to men to act as representative of the kingdom 00:28:32.009 --> 00:28:36.410 of God. Of the kingdom of God. The agency by 00:28:36.410 --> 00:28:39.519 which we have access to the kingdom of God. is 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:42.099 the Holy Spirit within us. That is the access 00:28:42.099 --> 00:28:44.279 we have. That is the authority we have. That 00:28:44.279 --> 00:28:47.500 is what makes us able to represent God on earth. 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:50.839 That is what qualifies you to represent God on 00:28:50.839 --> 00:28:54.000 your campus. That is what qualifies you to preach 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:56.140 the gospel. Listen, what qualifies you to preach 00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:58.079 the gospel is not because your conduct has been 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:02.960 good. Okay? It's not because your life has been 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:06.500 good all along. No. It's because God has saved 00:29:06.500 --> 00:29:09.559 you. And he has put his spirit in you. So that 00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:12.099 automatically qualifies you to talk about what 00:29:12.099 --> 00:29:15.900 Christ has done. So you are with no excuse. When 00:29:15.900 --> 00:29:18.380 you say, I cannot talk. My words are, I don't 00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:20.720 know how to. No. Because there is an ability 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:23.220 in you. You can speak. You can talk about the 00:29:23.220 --> 00:29:25.599 gospel. You can speak about what Jesus has done. 00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:28.680 Hallelujah. You can speak about what Jesus has 00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:33.220 done to others. Amen. So we see God sharing with 00:29:33.220 --> 00:29:38.519 us the access by which men. will come into his 00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:42.579 house, into the family. God has given us, he 00:29:42.579 --> 00:29:45.299 has shared with us the access by which we can 00:29:45.299 --> 00:29:49.339 bring others into the family. Verse 23 means 00:29:49.339 --> 00:29:52.420 that the believer says, if you forgive the sins 00:29:52.420 --> 00:29:55.279 of any, they are forgiven. It means that the 00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:59.599 believer is the determinant by which men are 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:04.539 saved or not. Okay? It means that you are the 00:30:04.539 --> 00:30:07.730 determinant. by which men are saved or not. If 00:30:07.730 --> 00:30:10.329 you close your mouth from preaching, what you 00:30:10.329 --> 00:30:13.809 are saying is, men will not be forgiven. What 00:30:13.809 --> 00:30:15.829 you are saying is, the gospel will not reach 00:30:15.829 --> 00:30:20.609 men. Okay? You can pray, we prayed here, that 00:30:20.609 --> 00:30:22.710 let the word of God prevail in this land of Cyprus. 00:30:23.650 --> 00:30:25.670 But the gospel will not prevail if men don't 00:30:25.670 --> 00:30:28.710 go out to preach. So as you are praying that 00:30:28.710 --> 00:30:30.549 the gospel should prevail, what you are saying 00:30:30.549 --> 00:30:32.269 is, Lord, I am going to preach, and as I preach, 00:30:32.329 --> 00:30:35.490 the gospel is prevailing. Because if you don't 00:30:35.490 --> 00:30:38.789 preach, that prayer will not work. God is not 00:30:38.789 --> 00:30:40.450 going to send angels from heaven to come and 00:30:40.450 --> 00:30:43.670 preach. You are the angel that God has sent to 00:30:43.670 --> 00:30:46.950 preach. Angel means what? A messenger. Are we 00:30:46.950 --> 00:30:49.269 together? You are the messenger that God has 00:30:49.269 --> 00:30:52.690 sent to preach the gospel. So the answer to the 00:30:52.690 --> 00:30:54.609 prayer we prayed earlier on, when they led us, 00:30:54.650 --> 00:30:56.130 all of them, they were praying the same thing. 00:30:56.289 --> 00:31:00.230 You are the answer to that prayer. Are we together? 00:31:00.789 --> 00:31:04.740 God has counted you worthy. of being part of 00:31:04.740 --> 00:31:07.039 this plan, of being part of this assignment. 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:10.720 You're not too young for it. You're not too old 00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:14.279 for it. Are we together? All of us are partakers 00:31:14.279 --> 00:31:17.640 in this assignment because we have the ability 00:31:17.640 --> 00:31:20.220 in us. The Spirit of God lives in us. Therefore, 00:31:20.339 --> 00:31:23.839 we can represent God on our campuses, in our 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:27.440 homes, in our families, wherever we are. We must 00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:30.339 preach the gospel because that is our identity. 00:31:31.779 --> 00:31:35.410 In fact, I call it a family trade. That is a 00:31:35.410 --> 00:31:39.369 family business. That is a family business. We 00:31:39.369 --> 00:31:41.569 preach the gospel. We tell people about the family 00:31:41.569 --> 00:31:43.950 of God. And we tell people how they can be part 00:31:43.950 --> 00:31:46.809 of this family by showing to them what Christ 00:31:46.809 --> 00:31:49.589 has done, that Christ has forgiven sins. Are 00:31:49.589 --> 00:31:51.990 we together? So let's go to Mark, Mark chapter 00:31:51.990 --> 00:31:55.710 16. Let's see something very important with the 00:31:55.710 --> 00:32:02.190 time we have. Mark chapter 16, verse 15. Mark 00:32:02.190 --> 00:32:10.349 16, 15 and 16. And he said to them, go into all 00:32:10.349 --> 00:32:16.630 the world and preach what? Preach what? The gospel, 00:32:16.750 --> 00:32:19.930 right? To who? To every creature. This every 00:32:19.930 --> 00:32:23.650 creature means men. Okay? You don't preach the 00:32:23.650 --> 00:32:27.289 gospel to your cat. You don't preach the gospel 00:32:27.289 --> 00:32:32.299 to your dog. Because your dog. cannot receive 00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:37.019 salvation. Every creature here means men, male 00:32:37.019 --> 00:32:40.920 and female, of all nations, of all nationalities. 00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:45.279 Alright? He who believes and is baptized, this 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:47.980 baptized simply means that he who believes is, 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:53.220 what is the word baptized here? Eh? To be immersed 00:32:53.220 --> 00:32:57.700 in this truth, right? He who believes, this belief 00:32:57.700 --> 00:33:02.450 is what we call baptized. will be saved. Okay? 00:33:04.289 --> 00:33:07.349 But he who does not believe will be what? Will 00:33:07.349 --> 00:33:10.829 be condemned. So when you don't preach, later 00:33:10.829 --> 00:33:14.230 on we see in Romans, it says that if men are 00:33:14.230 --> 00:33:18.470 not sent, how will they hear? Alright? But we 00:33:18.470 --> 00:33:21.089 have a calling upon our lives and our calling 00:33:21.089 --> 00:33:24.609 is to do what? Is to preach the gospel. Is to 00:33:24.609 --> 00:33:29.099 preach the gospel. So what is the gospel? What 00:33:29.099 --> 00:33:33.460 is the gospel? What is the gospel? Someone should 00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:40.759 call us for it. What is the gospel? Huh? We don't 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:48.180 know the gospel? Okay. It's a dead and burial 00:33:48.180 --> 00:33:50.200 of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, right? 00:33:50.460 --> 00:33:55.039 Do we call it good news? Is it something sweet 00:33:55.039 --> 00:34:01.390 to hear? Right? Oftentimes, you know, the word 00:34:01.390 --> 00:34:05.410 gospel is referred to as good news, typically 00:34:05.410 --> 00:34:08.050 associated with something sweet and pleasant. 00:34:09.030 --> 00:34:12.409 Okay? However, however, we're going to study 00:34:12.409 --> 00:34:15.670 this right now. However, in its original context, 00:34:15.869 --> 00:34:22.170 the word gospel is associated with warfare. Okay? 00:34:23.250 --> 00:34:28.300 It's associated with what? With warfare. A king, 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:34.820 war and claiming territories. The word gospel 00:34:34.820 --> 00:34:38.360 in its original context, that word gospel is 00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:42.960 associated with warfare. A king waging a war 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:47.880 and then claiming a territory. And when he claims 00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:53.159 a territory, that territory becomes his territory. 00:34:53.880 --> 00:34:57.909 Hallelujah. So that is a context, original context 00:34:57.909 --> 00:35:02.489 of that word. The word gospel is translated from 00:35:02.489 --> 00:35:06.429 a Greek word. The Greek word, let me spell it 00:35:06.429 --> 00:35:13.849 for us. E -U -A -N -G -E -L -I -O -N. Let me 00:35:13.849 --> 00:35:20.809 spell it again. E -U -A -N -G -E -L -I -O -N. 00:35:22.570 --> 00:35:26.199 Euangelion. Or Galeon. Yes, it's Galeon. Which 00:35:26.199 --> 00:35:29.440 means good tidings. It means good tidings in 00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:34.239 the Greek. Alright? Now, the first time this 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:37.400 word is used in the Bible is actually in the 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:43.420 book of Samuel. 2 Samuel. It's used in the book 00:35:43.420 --> 00:35:47.820 of 2 Samuel 1 verse 20. 2 Samuel 1 verse 20. 00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:52.530 2 Samuel 1 verse 20. We are seeing the origin 00:35:52.530 --> 00:35:57.469 of that word, okay? 2 Samuel 1, verse 20. He 00:35:57.469 --> 00:36:01.289 said, tell it not in Gath. Proclaim it not in 00:36:01.289 --> 00:36:04.150 the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of 00:36:04.150 --> 00:36:06.849 the Philistine rejoice, lest the daughters of 00:36:06.849 --> 00:36:09.690 the uncircumcised triumph. Now, the word proclaim 00:36:09.690 --> 00:36:18.690 here is the word gospel or good tidings. It's 00:36:18.690 --> 00:36:24.030 a Hebrew word, basah. Okay? B -A -S -A -R. The 00:36:24.030 --> 00:36:29.230 Hebrew word basar as seen in 2 Samuel, which 00:36:29.230 --> 00:36:34.590 means to bear news, to carry news. All right? 00:36:35.989 --> 00:36:38.590 Move to 2 Samuel 4, verse 10. Let's see another 00:36:38.590 --> 00:36:40.929 place where it's used. 2 Samuel 4, verse 10. 00:36:41.889 --> 00:36:47.610 2 Samuel 4, verse 10. When someone told me, say, 00:36:47.690 --> 00:36:53.139 look, Saul is dead. Who is Saul? Huh? Saul was 00:36:53.139 --> 00:36:56.940 a king, right? Saul is dead. Thinking to have 00:36:56.940 --> 00:36:59.800 brought good news. Thinking to have brought what? 00:36:59.900 --> 00:37:04.159 A bazaar. Okay? Who is talking here? David is 00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:06.019 the one talking here. David is also what? He's 00:37:06.019 --> 00:37:11.079 also a king. Alright? I arrested him and executed 00:37:11.079 --> 00:37:14.360 him and executed Ezekiel. The one who thought 00:37:14.360 --> 00:37:17.030 I will give him a reward for his news. Because 00:37:17.030 --> 00:37:19.389 he was thinking that the death of Saul was a 00:37:19.389 --> 00:37:25.150 good news to David. Right? Good news. Good tidings. 00:37:26.349 --> 00:37:32.769 2 Samuel 18, verse 19. 2 Samuel 18, verse 19 00:37:32.769 --> 00:37:38.530 to 20. Yes. Then Ahimaz, the son of Zadok, said, 00:37:38.670 --> 00:37:42.989 let me run now and take the word. This news is 00:37:42.989 --> 00:37:45.949 what is the gospel. This news is the word Basar. 00:37:46.360 --> 00:37:48.980 To the king, you see, any way you see the word 00:37:48.980 --> 00:37:52.820 basar, you will see a king is involved in the 00:37:52.820 --> 00:37:55.599 conversation. A kingdom is involved in the conversation. 00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:58.679 Are we together? Oftentimes you see this word 00:37:58.679 --> 00:38:01.699 basar, you see that a kingdom is involved. A 00:38:01.699 --> 00:38:04.960 king is involved in the conversation. Let me 00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:08.360 run now and take the news to the king, how the 00:38:08.360 --> 00:38:13.039 Lord has avenged him of his enemies. Verse 20. 00:38:14.070 --> 00:38:16.329 And Joab said to him, You shall not take the 00:38:16.329 --> 00:38:19.949 news this day, for you shall take the news another 00:38:19.949 --> 00:38:22.610 day. The news day is the word basar, which is 00:38:22.610 --> 00:38:26.090 referring to what? The good news, what we call 00:38:26.090 --> 00:38:28.690 the good tidings. But today you shall take no 00:38:28.690 --> 00:38:32.230 news because the king's son is dead. It was an 00:38:32.230 --> 00:38:34.389 announcement of the death of Absalom. Absalom 00:38:34.389 --> 00:38:37.610 was a man that rose in opposition to King David. 00:38:38.329 --> 00:38:43.550 All right? So, The word good news here is associated 00:38:43.550 --> 00:38:47.530 to the kingship of David. Turn to verse 31. You 00:38:47.530 --> 00:38:56.269 see verse 31? Verse 31. Verse 31. Yes. Just then 00:38:56.269 --> 00:38:59.269 the Cushite came and the Cushite said, There 00:38:59.269 --> 00:39:01.929 is good news, my lord the king, for the Lord 00:39:01.929 --> 00:39:05.050 has avenged you this day of all those who rose 00:39:05.050 --> 00:39:07.730 against you. Similarly, he's talking about David. 00:39:08.010 --> 00:39:11.710 Alright? David and his rulership of his case 00:39:11.710 --> 00:39:14.090 ship. So the word is always used in the context 00:39:14.090 --> 00:39:18.610 of war reports. We've said this before. The word 00:39:18.610 --> 00:39:22.969 is associated to what? With war. Case ship. Rulership. 00:39:23.130 --> 00:39:28.809 The throne. And oftentimes with death of someone. 00:39:29.550 --> 00:39:34.110 So it is always used in the context of war reports 00:39:34.110 --> 00:39:37.130 or royal news. You know what the royal news is? 00:39:37.469 --> 00:39:41.690 News that has to do with a kingship. Okay? Sometimes 00:39:41.690 --> 00:39:44.769 the news could be good, which means victory. 00:39:45.750 --> 00:39:49.309 Sometimes bad. For example, now we saw the death 00:39:49.309 --> 00:39:52.750 of Saul was a good news. Why is it a good news? 00:39:52.989 --> 00:39:55.409 It's supposed to be a good news to David because 00:39:55.409 --> 00:39:58.389 Saul is dead. And when Saul is dead, who becomes 00:39:58.389 --> 00:40:01.369 a king? David is legitimized as king, right? 00:40:01.929 --> 00:40:04.929 So it is supposed to be a good news. And the 00:40:04.929 --> 00:40:07.530 person bringing the news, was seeing himself 00:40:07.530 --> 00:40:10.210 bringing a good tithing to David. Saul is dead. 00:40:10.409 --> 00:40:14.969 But in the end, David translated it as a bad 00:40:14.969 --> 00:40:17.349 news because he was celebrating. We'll look at 00:40:17.349 --> 00:40:21.389 the story where we discover that he killed the 00:40:21.389 --> 00:40:26.289 what? God's servant. Hallelujah. So he was executed 00:40:26.289 --> 00:40:32.869 for that. Amen. So sometimes it's bad news. Death 00:40:32.869 --> 00:40:34.869 of Saul, for example, and Absalom as we see. 00:40:35.690 --> 00:40:40.349 But a verb itself means to announce news, okay? 00:40:40.710 --> 00:40:45.469 It means tidings, to announce news or good tidings. 00:40:45.670 --> 00:40:48.750 So how does the word relate to the kingdom and 00:40:48.750 --> 00:40:52.210 kingship? How does this word really relate to 00:40:52.210 --> 00:40:55.750 kingdom and kingship? Let's go further. Now, 00:40:55.789 --> 00:40:58.230 in the ancient Near East world, in this region, 00:40:58.449 --> 00:41:00.630 we're talking about this region, okay? When we 00:41:00.630 --> 00:41:03.360 talk about the ancient Eastern region, We're 00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:05.000 talking about where we are to the Middle East, 00:41:05.039 --> 00:41:13.480 right? News. The verb is bizarre. B -I -S -S 00:41:13.480 --> 00:41:16.659 -E -R. The verb is bizarre. Was often tied to 00:41:16.659 --> 00:41:20.639 the faith of the king and the kingdom. Okay? 00:41:21.659 --> 00:41:25.440 It was often tied to the faith of the king and 00:41:25.440 --> 00:41:29.210 the kingdom. A kingdom affairs. So when Saul 00:41:29.210 --> 00:41:31.650 died in 2 Samuel 1 verse 20, which we read, David 00:41:31.650 --> 00:41:35.349 said, tell it not in gath, publish it not. This 00:41:35.349 --> 00:41:37.590 word publish, the word proclaim or publish is 00:41:37.590 --> 00:41:42.449 what it means to proclaim this news. Why? Because 00:41:42.449 --> 00:41:46.230 the death of a king was news, all right, that 00:41:46.230 --> 00:41:49.789 affects the honor and the security of the kingdom. 00:41:50.530 --> 00:41:53.510 Are we together? So when David received this 00:41:53.510 --> 00:41:56.940 news about Saul, The messenger thought the king 00:41:56.940 --> 00:41:59.880 would reward him for this news. Unfortunately, 00:42:00.239 --> 00:42:04.980 he was executed. So in that culture, in the near 00:42:04.980 --> 00:42:09.699 eastern world, in that culture, reporting news 00:42:09.699 --> 00:42:14.400 about a king's reign or victory or death was 00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:18.980 the highest form of titans. And where it come 00:42:18.980 --> 00:42:21.420 from? You know, they used to say a word, which 00:42:21.420 --> 00:42:23.480 now I begin to relate to me. They said that it's 00:42:23.480 --> 00:42:26.880 not in the mouth of a slave that you will hear 00:42:26.880 --> 00:42:30.320 the announcement of the passing away of a king. 00:42:31.880 --> 00:42:33.559 I just translated, I don't know whether it's, 00:42:33.579 --> 00:42:36.579 Pastor Victor, did I just say that word? It's 00:42:36.579 --> 00:42:39.099 a saying that is not in the mouth of a slave, 00:42:39.300 --> 00:42:41.840 all right, okay, that you hear the announcement 00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:45.519 of the death of a king, which means that it is 00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:49.710 an important news that not everybody, can dispel 00:42:49.710 --> 00:42:53.389 that news. Okay? When Queen Elizabeth died in 00:42:53.389 --> 00:42:59.269 the UK, you didn't see it on a block. Was it 00:42:59.269 --> 00:43:02.409 like a leaked news in the block that the queen 00:43:02.409 --> 00:43:08.329 died? No. Okay? It was announced by what? By 00:43:08.329 --> 00:43:12.329 the palace. What did you call it? The palace 00:43:12.329 --> 00:43:14.889 has to announce the passing away of the queen 00:43:14.889 --> 00:43:17.070 because this is a news that can only come from 00:43:17.070 --> 00:43:20.769 what? from an official channel communicating 00:43:20.769 --> 00:43:24.829 the affairs of the kingdom. The queen has passed 00:43:24.829 --> 00:43:32.989 away. Are we together? So, Bisa or Basa, as we 00:43:32.989 --> 00:43:36.130 call it, is not just general news. It's not gossip 00:43:36.130 --> 00:43:41.010 on gossip news or on Sahara news or I don't know, 00:43:41.030 --> 00:43:43.110 whatever blogs you have. It's not just any kind 00:43:43.110 --> 00:43:48.329 of news, but specifically royal. political news 00:43:48.329 --> 00:43:52.849 about the king's life. Okay? It's about the king's 00:43:52.849 --> 00:43:58.530 life, about his enemies. And the stability of 00:43:58.530 --> 00:44:02.170 the kingdom is around the king and their affairs 00:44:02.170 --> 00:44:04.909 of the kingdom, about his life, and about whatever 00:44:04.909 --> 00:44:10.789 revolves around the royal house. In 2 Samuel 00:44:10.789 --> 00:44:14.369 18 -19, we saw Ahima wanted to run and bring 00:44:14.369 --> 00:44:18.099 good tidings. that the Lord has avenged the king. 00:44:18.340 --> 00:44:23.500 That is, his enemy has died. Here, the title 00:44:23.500 --> 00:44:28.139 confirms what this Ahima was to bring, right? 00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:31.199 Brought, rather. Confirms, what does it confirm? 00:44:31.500 --> 00:44:36.360 It confirms that David's kingship is divinely 00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:42.679 backed by God. Okay? That God has given him victory 00:44:42.679 --> 00:44:45.420 over Absalom's rebellion because Absalom was 00:44:45.420 --> 00:44:51.320 rebelling against King David. Alright? So, in 00:44:51.320 --> 00:44:55.300 this sense, the gospel in Samuel is what? Is 00:44:55.300 --> 00:45:01.139 a news of the king's triumph. Is the news of 00:45:01.139 --> 00:45:05.460 the king's triumph. The king has triumphed. Showing 00:45:05.460 --> 00:45:11.030 that his rule is secure and legitimate. Are we 00:45:11.030 --> 00:45:14.489 together? So it shows the legitimacy of the king's 00:45:14.489 --> 00:45:18.469 rulership. He has no longer anyone fighting for 00:45:18.469 --> 00:45:22.769 the throne with him. His rulership is legitimized 00:45:22.769 --> 00:45:25.949 and then he stands as the king, the only king. 00:45:26.070 --> 00:45:30.489 There are no other kings. Okay? So this is the 00:45:30.489 --> 00:45:33.230 context of the use of the word basa in the altar 00:45:33.230 --> 00:45:35.670 setting. Then later on we will see the prophets. 00:45:36.219 --> 00:45:38.920 They employ the usage of this word with the context 00:45:38.920 --> 00:45:41.340 we have concerning rulership, concerning royalty, 00:45:41.679 --> 00:45:44.340 concerning political news that revolves around 00:45:44.340 --> 00:45:48.599 the kingship. Later on, we see prophets use the 00:45:48.599 --> 00:45:52.380 word as proclaiming good news of God's reign. 00:45:52.980 --> 00:45:57.199 Alright? Prophets later on will utilize this 00:45:57.199 --> 00:46:04.280 word as proclaiming good news of God's reign. 00:46:05.699 --> 00:46:08.340 Isaiah 40, verse 9. Let's look at how they utilize 00:46:08.340 --> 00:46:15.820 it. Isaiah 40, verse 9. Isaiah 40, verse 9. Isaiah 00:46:15.820 --> 00:46:23.360 40, verse 9. Okay. O Zion, who bring good, what? 00:46:23.980 --> 00:46:26.559 Good tidings. You see the use of the word? Who 00:46:26.559 --> 00:46:30.260 bring good tidings? Get up into the high mountain, 00:46:30.340 --> 00:46:34.150 O Jerusalem. You who bring good tidings, lift 00:46:34.150 --> 00:46:38.250 up your voice with strength. Lift up. Be not 00:46:38.250 --> 00:46:41.710 afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, behold, what? 00:46:41.909 --> 00:46:47.250 Your God. Hallelujah. So the prophet here is 00:46:47.250 --> 00:46:53.190 using that word to describe what? Proclaiming 00:46:53.190 --> 00:46:56.949 the goodness of God's reign. Remember, this is 00:46:56.949 --> 00:47:02.360 a prophecy, right? 57. chapter 57 verse 7. Another 00:47:02.360 --> 00:47:04.699 way where the prophet uses, very popular, Isaiah 00:47:04.699 --> 00:47:13.239 57 verse 7. Am I correct here? Is it 57? 52. 00:47:14.179 --> 00:47:22.579 52 verse 7. 52 verse 7. How beautiful upon the 00:47:22.579 --> 00:47:26.500 mountains are the feet of him who brought good 00:47:26.500 --> 00:47:30.150 news. What is the good news? Who proclaims peace? 00:47:30.630 --> 00:47:34.429 Who brings glad tidings of good things? You see? 00:47:34.550 --> 00:47:36.869 Good, good, good, good news. The news is good. 00:47:36.909 --> 00:47:40.289 It's glad tidings. Who proclaims what? You see? 00:47:40.369 --> 00:47:45.429 It's now salvation. Okay? Who says to Zion, your 00:47:45.429 --> 00:47:50.510 God what? Your God reigns. Hallelujah. Your God 00:47:50.510 --> 00:48:00.300 reigns. Nahum 115. Nahum 115. Now, home 115. 00:48:03.920 --> 00:48:07.440 Behold, on the mountains. He's always on the 00:48:07.440 --> 00:48:11.940 mountain. Hallelujah. He's always on the mountains. 00:48:12.400 --> 00:48:14.739 I think mountain is a motif. You know what motif 00:48:14.739 --> 00:48:18.960 is, right? It speaks of something. Okay? Behold, 00:48:18.960 --> 00:48:21.280 on the mountains, the feet of him who brings 00:48:21.280 --> 00:48:25.360 what? Good tidings. Who proclaims peace. Oh, 00:48:25.480 --> 00:48:29.309 Judah, keep your appointed feast. Perform your 00:48:29.309 --> 00:48:33.309 vows, for the wicked one shall no more pass through 00:48:33.309 --> 00:48:38.130 you. He is utterly cut off. Okay? And when we 00:48:38.130 --> 00:48:39.610 read further, we discover that he's speaking 00:48:39.610 --> 00:48:45.570 about what God has established. His reign. Hallelujah. 00:48:45.989 --> 00:48:50.469 So in Samuel, the verb is tied to earthly kings. 00:48:50.809 --> 00:48:54.889 Okay? We see that the word basah is used to describe 00:48:54.889 --> 00:48:57.010 the activity with earthly kings, human kings. 00:48:58.480 --> 00:49:02.619 Is that what we saw? Right? Then in Isaiah and 00:49:02.619 --> 00:49:06.539 other prophets, we see in Isaiah and other prophets, 00:49:06.719 --> 00:49:11.900 we see that the same word or the same verb is 00:49:11.900 --> 00:49:14.480 lifted to a higher level, announcing the reign 00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:18.440 of Yahweh as king. Okay? Announcing the reign 00:49:18.440 --> 00:49:26.239 of God, our God, Yahweh, as king. Alright? This 00:49:26.239 --> 00:49:30.300 lays the groundwork for the New Testament gospel, 00:49:30.460 --> 00:49:32.900 because the gospel was written with the context 00:49:32.900 --> 00:49:38.480 of the Old Testament. So the gospel, as we see 00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:42.739 in Matthew, in Mark 16, 15 and 16, that we are 00:49:42.739 --> 00:49:49.639 to preach, okay, is the announcement that Jesus, 00:49:49.780 --> 00:49:56.659 the son of David, is a true king. All right? 00:49:56.739 --> 00:50:00.800 His enthronement. And his reign is established 00:50:00.800 --> 00:50:05.400 by victory. Hallelujah. His reign is established 00:50:05.400 --> 00:50:11.159 by what? By victory. That means the gospel in 00:50:11.159 --> 00:50:13.760 the New Testament, as we see in the gospels, 00:50:13.760 --> 00:50:18.239 the gospel as written in the, what we call the 00:50:18.239 --> 00:50:21.840 New Testament scriptures, is not simply an encouragement. 00:50:23.179 --> 00:50:27.010 Okay? It's not simply an encouragement or a moral 00:50:27.010 --> 00:50:34.849 teaching. It is the royal proclamation. It is 00:50:34.849 --> 00:50:39.110 a royal proclamation of what? Of God's victory, 00:50:39.409 --> 00:50:46.309 of a king's victory and reign. So the word gospel 00:50:46.309 --> 00:50:50.909 in a New Testament context is what? Is a proclamation. 00:50:52.559 --> 00:50:56.780 is a royal proclamation of a king's victory and 00:50:56.780 --> 00:51:01.639 his reign. The gospel is the public announcement. 00:51:02.440 --> 00:51:05.639 What is the public announcement? That Jesus is 00:51:05.639 --> 00:51:10.340 what? Is Lord. Son of David, the risen king. 00:51:10.500 --> 00:51:13.679 That Jesus is Lord. So when we go to preach, 00:51:13.840 --> 00:51:16.679 what you are going to do is that you are declaring, 00:51:16.840 --> 00:51:21.449 okay? You are declaring the enthronement of Jesus 00:51:21.449 --> 00:51:25.349 as king. You're not just telling people something 00:51:25.349 --> 00:51:28.750 sweet to get them excited. Of course, it should 00:51:28.750 --> 00:51:30.829 get people excited that their sins are forgiven. 00:51:31.110 --> 00:51:34.030 But beyond that, what you're saying is that you 00:51:34.030 --> 00:51:37.250 are declaring that God in Christ has become king 00:51:37.250 --> 00:51:41.170 and he reigns. Are we together? You are declaring 00:51:41.170 --> 00:51:44.550 a royal news concerning the enthronement of God, 00:51:44.630 --> 00:51:55.400 God's kingdom among men. Okay? So in Samuel, 00:51:55.619 --> 00:51:59.460 the good tidings were often about victory in 00:51:59.460 --> 00:52:03.599 battle. Victory in battle. We're trying to compare 00:52:03.599 --> 00:52:05.360 and contrast and see the context in the gospel. 00:52:05.579 --> 00:52:08.579 It's about victory in battle. For example, in 00:52:08.579 --> 00:52:11.539 the case of Absalom, defeated in 2 Samuel 18. 00:52:13.300 --> 00:52:16.159 In the New Testament, the gospel proclaims that 00:52:16.159 --> 00:52:21.579 Christ has conquered sin. Are we together? The 00:52:21.579 --> 00:52:24.579 gospel proclaims that Christ has what? He has 00:52:24.579 --> 00:52:34.280 conquered sin. He has conquered death. And he 00:52:34.280 --> 00:52:38.219 has conquered Satan. So when you go to preach, 00:52:38.420 --> 00:52:41.739 what you are declaring to people is that Christ 00:52:41.739 --> 00:52:48.420 has conquered sin. Okay? Sin is no longer in 00:52:48.420 --> 00:52:54.429 reign. In power. You are declaring that death 00:52:54.429 --> 00:52:58.449 has lost its power. You are declaring that Satan 00:52:58.449 --> 00:53:01.710 has lost its power. That is what you do at preaching 00:53:01.710 --> 00:53:04.829 the gospel. And you are announcing the rulership 00:53:04.829 --> 00:53:07.989 of God. The rulership of the kingdom of God. 00:53:08.550 --> 00:53:15.150 In whose God is the king. Are we together? That 00:53:15.150 --> 00:53:23.719 is what we do by preaching the gospel. You are 00:53:23.719 --> 00:53:27.500 announcing that he has disarmed the rulers and 00:53:27.500 --> 00:53:29.679 the authorities. You remember what we read? Let's 00:53:29.679 --> 00:53:31.880 go back to that Colossians 2 verse 15. Colossians 00:53:31.880 --> 00:53:34.519 2 verse 15. You are announcing that Christ has 00:53:34.519 --> 00:53:38.579 disarmed principalities. That is conquering. 00:53:39.019 --> 00:53:43.480 That is conquest. Having disarmed what? Principalities. 00:53:43.699 --> 00:53:45.960 Where are these principalities located? We read 00:53:45.960 --> 00:53:48.360 it earlier. Where are they? They are in the heavenly, 00:53:48.539 --> 00:53:50.480 right? So when you preach the gospel, what you 00:53:50.480 --> 00:53:55.800 are declaring is that Christ has what? Has disarmed 00:53:55.800 --> 00:53:59.519 principalities and what? And powers. And he has 00:53:59.519 --> 00:54:03.960 made them a public spectacle of them. How? Triumphing 00:54:03.960 --> 00:54:06.699 over them in his death and his burial and his 00:54:06.699 --> 00:54:08.880 resurrection. So when you go to preach, when 00:54:08.880 --> 00:54:10.340 you see someone possessed with demons, what do 00:54:10.340 --> 00:54:15.559 you do? You demonstrate. Are we together? What 00:54:15.559 --> 00:54:17.219 are you demonstrating? You are demonstrating 00:54:17.219 --> 00:54:22.519 the triumph of God in Christ. Okay? You're not 00:54:22.519 --> 00:54:24.539 just preaching for people to feel that people 00:54:24.539 --> 00:54:26.219 are forgiven of their sins. Of course, this is 00:54:26.219 --> 00:54:28.880 true, isn't it? Fundamentally. But what you are 00:54:28.880 --> 00:54:32.159 declaring is that God has the victory. All right? 00:54:32.340 --> 00:54:34.539 All you're declaring is that God has conquered 00:54:34.539 --> 00:54:37.159 Satan. He has conquered the principalities and 00:54:37.159 --> 00:54:41.099 rulers of the kingdom of darkness. Are we together? 00:54:42.239 --> 00:54:44.840 So, this is the implication of preaching the 00:54:44.840 --> 00:54:48.199 gospel. This is what we are preaching. This is 00:54:48.199 --> 00:54:50.579 what we are declaring. We are declaring his works. 00:54:51.440 --> 00:54:54.079 that he has disarmed the rulers and the authorities, 00:54:54.300 --> 00:54:58.719 triumphed over them by the cross. Just as David's 00:54:58.719 --> 00:55:03.539 messengers shouted, the king has prevailed. We 00:55:03.539 --> 00:55:07.340 who are apostles today, what do we shout? Christ 00:55:07.340 --> 00:55:09.639 is risen, death is defeated. That is our message. 00:55:10.199 --> 00:55:15.099 We are declaring the triumphant of Satan by Christ, 00:55:15.139 --> 00:55:19.000 by what he has done. So the gospel is a war report. 00:55:20.239 --> 00:55:24.480 Are we together? It's a war report. That is why 00:55:24.480 --> 00:55:26.019 I said earlier on that the gospel, preaching 00:55:26.019 --> 00:55:31.900 of the gospel is warfare. The gospel is war report 00:55:31.900 --> 00:55:35.619 of God's final victory. When you go to preach, 00:55:35.780 --> 00:55:38.559 have this understanding that you are going to 00:55:38.559 --> 00:55:42.480 do it to declare the victory of God, the conquest 00:55:42.480 --> 00:55:47.239 of God in Christ Jesus. It's a victory report 00:55:47.239 --> 00:55:52.329 you are declaring. That God in Christ has become 00:55:52.329 --> 00:55:56.010 victorious over sin, over Satan, over the rulers 00:55:56.010 --> 00:55:59.889 of darkness, over all the authority of Satan. 00:56:02.030 --> 00:56:07.829 Hallelujah. So in Isaiah 52 verse 7, Bazaar, 00:56:07.829 --> 00:56:11.690 it raised Bazaar higher. It says, your God reigns. 00:56:12.489 --> 00:56:15.150 This is the essence of the prophetic good news. 00:56:16.650 --> 00:56:19.269 Jesus will let us say in Mark 1, verse 14 to 00:56:19.269 --> 00:56:25.070 15, the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God 00:56:25.070 --> 00:56:27.010 is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. 00:56:28.409 --> 00:56:37.710 So, the good news we preach is not just. It is 00:56:37.710 --> 00:56:40.650 that God in Christ has forgiven sin. Are we together? 00:56:41.110 --> 00:56:45.059 But it's not just that God forgives. but that 00:56:45.059 --> 00:56:48.800 God has taken the throne as king through Jesus 00:56:48.800 --> 00:56:53.440 Christ. All right? So if you have received the 00:56:53.440 --> 00:56:55.619 gospel, what it means is that you are not just 00:56:55.619 --> 00:56:58.099 forgiving your sins. What it means is that God 00:56:58.099 --> 00:57:02.679 has become king in your life. It means that he 00:57:02.679 --> 00:57:06.019 has conquered sin in you. He has conquered every 00:57:06.019 --> 00:57:08.920 activity of Satan in you. And God has become 00:57:08.920 --> 00:57:13.079 what? God has become king in you. So in this, 00:57:13.570 --> 00:57:16.809 environment we are, in this sphere, in the family 00:57:16.809 --> 00:57:22.969 of God, is where God reigns. Amen? Therefore, 00:57:23.070 --> 00:57:26.449 you are no longer a slave to what? To sin. Are 00:57:26.449 --> 00:57:28.409 we together? Therefore, we are no longer a slave 00:57:28.409 --> 00:57:31.530 to principalities and rulers of darkness because 00:57:31.530 --> 00:57:33.929 we are under the rulership of a superior power. 00:57:36.230 --> 00:57:39.489 Hallelujah. Even though we are in heaven, okay, 00:57:39.730 --> 00:57:42.809 but those spiritual forces are under our feet. 00:57:43.210 --> 00:57:47.409 In Christ Jesus. Are we together? Because God 00:57:47.409 --> 00:57:54.570 in Christ has triumphed over Satan. So the gospel 00:57:54.570 --> 00:57:58.030 is the enthronement announcement of God's rule 00:57:58.030 --> 00:58:01.909 over all creation. When you go to preach, you 00:58:01.909 --> 00:58:07.650 are announcing the enthronement of God. Alright? 00:58:07.769 --> 00:58:12.400 You are announcing the defeat of a ruler. and 00:58:12.400 --> 00:58:25.219 the victory of another ruler. Hallelujah. Now, 00:58:25.280 --> 00:58:29.000 in the New Testament, the gospel is not optional 00:58:29.000 --> 00:58:33.860 information. It's not an optional information. 00:58:34.159 --> 00:58:38.119 It is a king's proclamation demanding a response. 00:58:40.969 --> 00:58:43.730 It is a king's proclamation demanding what? A 00:58:43.730 --> 00:58:48.489 response. And what is a response? Believe it. 00:58:48.849 --> 00:58:51.170 And when you believe it, what happens? You enter 00:58:51.170 --> 00:58:53.869 the kingdom. And when you reject it, what do 00:58:53.869 --> 00:58:58.250 you do? You remain in rebellion. Are you together? 00:58:59.170 --> 00:59:02.710 You remain in rebellion. So to receive the gospel 00:59:02.710 --> 00:59:07.800 is to bow to the king's reign. That is what it 00:59:07.800 --> 00:59:10.260 means. To receive the gospel simply means that 00:59:10.260 --> 00:59:12.699 you are bowing to the reign of who? Of the kings 00:59:12.699 --> 00:59:16.639 of kings and the ruler of all. You're under the 00:59:16.639 --> 00:59:20.559 authority of a king. And in this kingdom, we're 00:59:20.559 --> 00:59:22.300 going to look at it subsequently. There's a culture. 00:59:22.599 --> 00:59:25.260 There's a governance rule. There's a principle 00:59:25.260 --> 00:59:28.239 that operates this kingdom. All right? We're 00:59:28.239 --> 00:59:31.539 under a king that governs with rules. And I mean 00:59:31.539 --> 00:59:33.539 rules. I mean principles that guide our living 00:59:33.539 --> 00:59:38.119 in the kingdom. Fundamentally, it's love. Hallelujah. 00:59:38.119 --> 00:59:41.119 Amen? Fundamentally, it's love. So when pastor 00:59:41.119 --> 00:59:44.300 begins to teach us about the things of the Spirit, 00:59:44.400 --> 00:59:46.360 he's telling us our culture in the kingdom. That 00:59:46.360 --> 00:59:50.000 is what we do. Hallelujah. When they begin to 00:59:50.000 --> 00:59:52.079 say, you lay hand, that is what we do in this 00:59:52.079 --> 00:59:55.239 kingdom. It is our culture. That is why Paul 00:59:55.239 --> 00:59:58.539 would say, do not be ignorant of the spirituals. 01:00:00.219 --> 01:00:01.719 Because that is where you are. That is where 01:00:01.719 --> 01:00:07.599 you operate from. Hallelujah. So what is the 01:00:07.599 --> 01:00:09.320 preaching of the gospel? What is the preaching 01:00:09.320 --> 01:00:12.539 of the gospel? The preaching of this gospel is 01:00:12.539 --> 01:00:14.860 like sending messengers to announce a king's 01:00:14.860 --> 01:00:19.139 victory to those who are still under the enemy 01:00:19.139 --> 01:00:25.000 occupation. Do you understand? It's like you 01:00:25.000 --> 01:00:26.800 are sent to go out and announce. For example, 01:00:26.800 --> 01:00:33.059 now, in this territory, okay, in Lefkosha, okay, 01:00:33.659 --> 01:00:36.139 For example, now, the Britain have conquered 01:00:36.139 --> 01:00:40.000 the presidents, but then there are some officers 01:00:40.000 --> 01:00:44.840 here holding us captive. Okay? So, an announcer 01:00:44.840 --> 01:00:46.619 will come from left culture to this hole and 01:00:46.619 --> 01:00:50.800 say, don't you know, have you not heard that 01:00:50.800 --> 01:00:54.219 there's a victory that has been announced? All 01:00:54.219 --> 01:00:56.400 these people standing no longer have legitimacy 01:00:56.400 --> 01:00:58.960 over you because there's a change of government. 01:01:00.500 --> 01:01:03.300 Amen? So when we believe that news that came, 01:01:03.400 --> 01:01:05.739 which is the gospel, what does the news do to 01:01:05.739 --> 01:01:09.260 you? It liberates you, right? If you choose not 01:01:09.260 --> 01:01:11.079 to believe and you continue to serve those tax 01:01:11.079 --> 01:01:13.320 masters, what will happen? You remain captive, 01:01:13.440 --> 01:01:16.679 even though there's news of deliverance, of a 01:01:16.679 --> 01:01:20.360 conquest that has happened. So what we do is 01:01:20.360 --> 01:01:28.199 that we go to occupied territories under the 01:01:28.199 --> 01:01:32.599 enemy's occupation. Ephesians 6 verse 12 talks 01:01:32.599 --> 01:01:35.320 about the occupation. We go to these territories. 01:01:35.579 --> 01:01:37.519 And when you go to these territories, it's warfare. 01:01:38.460 --> 01:01:41.179 Are we together? That is why the preaching of 01:01:41.179 --> 01:01:45.360 the gospel cannot be done carnally. Because the 01:01:45.360 --> 01:01:47.280 preaching of the gospel is a spiritual activity. 01:01:48.480 --> 01:01:52.539 Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 talks about the 01:01:52.539 --> 01:01:54.800 preaching of the gospel. What is it? Ephesians 01:01:54.800 --> 01:02:03.940 chapter 6 verse 12. For we do not wrestle against 01:02:03.940 --> 01:02:07.000 flesh and blood, but against what? What do we 01:02:07.000 --> 01:02:10.920 wrestle against? Against spiritual what? Against 01:02:10.920 --> 01:02:14.980 principalities, against powers, against the rulers 01:02:14.980 --> 01:02:18.159 of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts 01:02:18.159 --> 01:02:21.079 of wickedness in the heavenly places. Give me 01:02:21.079 --> 01:02:30.559 verse 11. So put on the whole armor of God that 01:02:30.559 --> 01:02:33.360 you may be able to stand against the wiles of 01:02:33.360 --> 01:02:35.940 the devil. All right? Because when the preaching 01:02:35.940 --> 01:02:38.039 of the gospel is equally for you to announce 01:02:38.039 --> 01:02:43.539 and go to this occupied territory, okay, it's 01:02:43.539 --> 01:02:47.519 a war. It's warfare. Are we together? But it's 01:02:47.519 --> 01:02:51.599 a warfare that has been won by Christ. Hallelujah. 01:02:52.380 --> 01:02:56.079 It's a warfare that has been won by Christ. So 01:02:56.079 --> 01:03:00.559 the preaching, of the gospel is therefore not 01:03:00.559 --> 01:03:05.079 neutral. It is active warfare against spiritual 01:03:05.079 --> 01:03:09.739 darkness. It is active warfare against what? 01:03:10.079 --> 01:03:13.039 Spiritual darkness. So what we are telling you, 01:03:13.079 --> 01:03:14.340 preach the gospel, preach the gospel, preach 01:03:14.340 --> 01:03:16.380 the gospel. We are telling you that engage in 01:03:16.380 --> 01:03:19.019 war, engage in war. And you don't go into it 01:03:19.019 --> 01:03:24.380 casually. Hallelujah. You don't go into it casually. 01:03:25.519 --> 01:03:29.239 You don't go into this casually. It is spiritual 01:03:29.239 --> 01:03:35.360 warfare. Active warfare against spiritual darkness. 01:03:36.440 --> 01:03:39.920 Breaking strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10 verse 01:03:39.920 --> 01:03:56.039 3 to 5. For though we walk In the flesh. Now 01:03:56.039 --> 01:03:57.860 this flesh is talking about in our human body. 01:03:58.280 --> 01:04:04.099 Right? We do know against what? Against physical 01:04:04.099 --> 01:04:17.679 people. Alright? Verse 4. For the weapons of 01:04:17.679 --> 01:04:24.829 our warfare are not physical. but mighty in what? 01:04:25.170 --> 01:04:30.130 In God. Okay? For pulling down what? Strongholds. 01:04:30.150 --> 01:04:34.650 Where is this stronghold? Hmm? In people's what? 01:04:35.389 --> 01:04:39.369 In people's mind. Casting down what? Arguments. 01:04:39.389 --> 01:04:41.909 Have you ever gone to preach the gospel and somebody 01:04:41.909 --> 01:04:44.309 begins to bring one latest argument for you that 01:04:44.309 --> 01:04:49.079 you've never had before? Alright? That is what 01:04:49.079 --> 01:04:52.079 you go against as a messenger of the goodness 01:04:52.079 --> 01:04:55.420 of the victory that God has done in Christ. Casting 01:04:55.420 --> 01:04:59.260 down arguments and every high thing that does 01:04:59.260 --> 01:05:02.860 what? That exalts itself against the knowledge 01:05:02.860 --> 01:05:08.199 of God and bringing every thought that does not 01:05:08.199 --> 01:05:10.639 align with the truth of the gospel. Bringing 01:05:10.639 --> 01:05:14.800 every thought into captivity to what? To the 01:05:14.800 --> 01:05:19.860 obedience of Christ. Because God is in rule. 01:05:20.360 --> 01:05:23.659 He's in charge. He has conquered sin. He has 01:05:23.659 --> 01:05:25.900 conquered Satan. And he has conquered whatever 01:05:25.900 --> 01:05:32.340 the enemy is. Hallelujah. So I want to encourage 01:05:32.340 --> 01:05:36.380 you, right, to be intentional about this activity. 01:05:37.380 --> 01:05:42.440 Please, as a believer, heaven, or let me use 01:05:42.440 --> 01:05:44.920 the word, the kingdom of God, is counting on 01:05:44.920 --> 01:05:49.150 you. To do what? To declare what Christ has done. 01:05:50.849 --> 01:05:53.269 You must be intentional. That is your primary 01:05:53.269 --> 01:05:58.150 purpose in life. This semester, make it a duty 01:05:58.150 --> 01:06:02.550 with this understanding that this week I'm going 01:06:02.550 --> 01:06:05.550 to wage the spiritual warfare. Are we together? 01:06:06.070 --> 01:06:10.030 I'm going to bind and loose. Now, I'm not binding 01:06:10.030 --> 01:06:13.110 and loosing somebody in your village. When they 01:06:13.110 --> 01:06:15.650 say pray for ancestral cause, you see the tone 01:06:15.650 --> 01:06:20.429 of the prayer will change. You pray for souls, 01:06:20.650 --> 01:06:23.550 all right? And when you pray for souls, you're 01:06:23.550 --> 01:06:27.530 depending on what? On the help of heaven to execute 01:06:27.530 --> 01:06:34.610 that tax. As a believer, take time to pray as 01:06:34.610 --> 01:06:36.650 you go into the week because you're looking forward 01:06:36.650 --> 01:06:40.010 to an opportunity where you find an occupied 01:06:40.010 --> 01:06:45.880 life. Okay? And what do you do? You declare the 01:06:45.880 --> 01:06:49.840 victory of God, thereby expelling what? That 01:06:49.840 --> 01:06:54.559 reign of Satan and declaring the enthronement 01:06:54.559 --> 01:06:59.500 of God in that life. Hallelujah. Because this 01:06:59.500 --> 01:07:02.739 territory we are talking about is men, is people. 01:07:04.380 --> 01:07:07.619 Are we together? And we convert these people 01:07:07.619 --> 01:07:12.579 into what? Into the dwelling place of God. We 01:07:12.579 --> 01:07:16.300 make them into the house of God, where God inhabits 01:07:16.300 --> 01:07:19.079 and where God dwells. And that is your assignment 01:07:19.079 --> 01:07:22.360 and that is my assignment. So we must be intentional. 01:07:22.480 --> 01:07:26.900 That is how we manifest this kingdom. Are we 01:07:26.900 --> 01:07:29.480 together? The Bible will say that it's not in 01:07:29.480 --> 01:07:34.800 meat. It's not in eating and drinking. It's joy 01:07:34.800 --> 01:07:39.139 in the activities of the Holy Ghost. So what 01:07:39.139 --> 01:07:42.360 is the implication of this? The implication is 01:07:42.360 --> 01:07:47.280 this, as I round up. Every gospel sermon, teaching, 01:07:47.480 --> 01:07:53.699 or proclamation is what? It's a spiritual warfare. 01:07:55.280 --> 01:07:59.519 Because we confront sin and darkness. Colossians 01:07:59.519 --> 01:08:02.539 1 verse 13. That is what we confront, sin and 01:08:02.539 --> 01:08:07.980 darkness. Colossians 1 verse 13. We confront 01:08:07.980 --> 01:08:13.900 sin and darkness. He has delivered us from the 01:08:13.900 --> 01:08:17.300 power of darkness, right? Darkness has power, 01:08:17.579 --> 01:08:23.439 okay? That's what we confront. Darkness has power. 01:08:25.119 --> 01:08:28.699 And then we convey men into what? Into the kingdom 01:08:28.699 --> 01:08:33.979 of the son of his love. We establish God's rule 01:08:33.979 --> 01:08:39.539 in human heart. We enthrone God in people's heart. 01:08:40.530 --> 01:08:45.109 By the preaching of the gospel. What it means 01:08:45.109 --> 01:08:47.770 is that preachers are like the modern day messengers 01:08:47.770 --> 01:08:51.949 that goes to announce the news concerning the 01:08:51.949 --> 01:08:54.949 activity of a king. And in this context, who 01:08:54.949 --> 01:08:59.329 is a king? God is our king. Alright? It's an 01:08:59.329 --> 01:09:04.010 honorable news. It's a privileged news that you 01:09:04.010 --> 01:09:07.369 have to go and announce. And if you don't do 01:09:07.369 --> 01:09:09.090 that responsibility, it means that you are failing. 01:09:11.560 --> 01:09:13.399 It means that we are failing. It means that I 01:09:13.399 --> 01:09:18.159 am failing. You don't do that by accident. You 01:09:18.159 --> 01:09:22.119 do that with every level of intentionality. Set 01:09:22.119 --> 01:09:27.699 a day in the course of the week. On Thursdays, 01:09:27.699 --> 01:09:31.319 I don't have classes, but I'll pray for Thursday 01:09:31.319 --> 01:09:35.859 on Sunday. God, as I prepare for Thursday, help 01:09:35.859 --> 01:09:38.899 me, lead me. On Tuesday, you are praying for 01:09:38.899 --> 01:09:41.720 Thursday. Send me to someone. On Wednesday, you 01:09:41.720 --> 01:09:45.899 are praying for Thursday? Then on Thursday, you 01:09:45.899 --> 01:09:48.399 do what? You go into the day with intention. 01:09:49.220 --> 01:09:51.880 I'm going out today. You're not just going to 01:09:51.880 --> 01:09:54.060 just throw. You know, I want to see my lecturer. 01:09:54.079 --> 01:09:56.739 I want to see my course advisor. Then I will 01:09:56.739 --> 01:09:58.779 just see if I see somebody in case I see somebody. 01:09:59.079 --> 01:10:00.579 No, no, no, no, no. That's not how you watch 01:10:00.579 --> 01:10:03.520 this warfare. You go with intentionality. Today, 01:10:03.659 --> 01:10:06.000 as I woke up from morning, this is what I'm going 01:10:06.000 --> 01:10:09.729 to do today. Looking for opportunity. That I 01:10:09.729 --> 01:10:15.029 will share this news with someone. And then doing 01:10:15.029 --> 01:10:17.850 the course that God has put before you. So you 01:10:17.850 --> 01:10:21.430 are announcing victory to territories yet unconquered. 01:10:22.170 --> 01:10:26.050 That is what you are doing. Because the heart 01:10:26.050 --> 01:10:28.989 of a man that is not in Christ is an unconquered 01:10:28.989 --> 01:10:31.670 territory. And what you do is that you declare 01:10:31.670 --> 01:10:36.289 the rulership of God. The conquest that he did 01:10:36.289 --> 01:10:40.470 on the cross of Calvary. The response of the 01:10:40.470 --> 01:10:44.149 herald decides whether the territory joins God's 01:10:44.149 --> 01:10:48.069 kingdom or remains under enemy control. These 01:10:48.069 --> 01:10:51.829 are familiar words. Enemy control and God's control. 01:10:53.710 --> 01:10:57.109 Hallelujah. So the response of a man to the gospel 01:10:57.109 --> 01:11:00.770 is depending whether he will be part of God's 01:11:00.770 --> 01:11:06.329 family or he will be under enemy control. Conclusively, 01:11:06.449 --> 01:11:11.630 Mark 16. From verse 14 to 20 that we read earlier 01:11:11.630 --> 01:11:16.489 on, portrays his preaching the gospel as continuing 01:11:16.489 --> 01:11:19.229 role of a biblical messenger. And that is who 01:11:19.229 --> 01:11:22.729 we are. Continuously. That is our responsibility. 01:11:23.149 --> 01:11:27.710 That is what we do. Announcing the king's victory. 01:11:28.930 --> 01:11:32.149 And later on we will see. Give me that text as 01:11:32.149 --> 01:11:36.449 we close. Mark 16. And he said to them, go into 01:11:36.449 --> 01:11:37.989 all the world and preach the gospel to every 01:11:37.989 --> 01:11:41.989 creature. Okay? He who believes and is baptized 01:11:41.989 --> 01:11:43.569 will be saved, but he who does not believe will 01:11:43.569 --> 01:11:47.029 be condemned. Okay? And these signs will follow 01:11:47.029 --> 01:11:49.149 those who believe. In my name they will do what? 01:11:49.449 --> 01:11:53.250 They will cast out devils. Alright? They will 01:11:53.250 --> 01:11:56.310 speak with new tongues. So what are you doing? 01:11:56.909 --> 01:11:59.710 You are announcing the king's victory. You are 01:11:59.710 --> 01:12:03.550 confronting spiritual enemies. Not physical enemies. 01:12:04.199 --> 01:12:06.979 And what are those spiritual enemies? Devils. 01:12:07.319 --> 01:12:11.039 Alright? And establishing God's reign on the 01:12:11.039 --> 01:12:13.060 earth. Do you know that unbelief is demonic? 01:12:14.640 --> 01:12:16.479 Oh, you don't know? You think it's just intellectual? 01:12:17.460 --> 01:12:22.279 It's a grip of the enemy. You think it's just, 01:12:22.399 --> 01:12:25.460 people are just, are just okay. Life is, no. 01:12:25.560 --> 01:12:31.100 It's a grip of the enemy. They are slaves. Unbelief 01:12:31.100 --> 01:12:34.890 is a demonic activity. And the only way a man 01:12:34.890 --> 01:12:36.569 can be free from that is by the preaching of 01:12:36.569 --> 01:12:39.689 the gospel. So what we're doing is that we're 01:12:39.689 --> 01:12:42.529 establishing God's reign on earth. Every sermon 01:12:42.529 --> 01:12:45.310 we preach, every act of the gospel proclamation 01:12:45.310 --> 01:12:48.609 is a spiritual battle report. What do we do? 01:12:48.890 --> 01:12:52.850 We declare that Jesus is Lord and is victorious. 01:12:53.149 --> 01:12:55.750 It's a victorious scheme. Hallelujah. I just 01:12:55.750 --> 01:12:57.090 want you to close your eyes and pray for yourself 01:12:57.090 --> 01:13:02.939 and say, Lord, with this understanding, about 01:13:02.939 --> 01:13:07.579 this kingdom business. I do it with all seriousness. 01:13:08.520 --> 01:13:13.720 Please pray for yourself. Pray for yourself that 01:13:13.720 --> 01:13:32.680 you do this work with all of your heart. or follow 01:13:32.680 --> 01:13:36.500 us on social media. If you are encouraged, share 01:13:36.500 --> 01:13:39.500 this message with someone you care about. Until 01:13:39.500 --> 01:13:41.119 next time, stay blessed.