WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.939 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:32.380 right in. Acts chapter 1. It says, but you. shall 00:00:32.380 --> 00:00:38.700 receive power, chapter 1, verse 8, when the Holy 00:00:38.700 --> 00:00:46.679 Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:56.000 to me in Jerusalem. Hallelujah. And in all Judea 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:05.670 and unto the ends of the earth. Hallelujah. This 00:01:05.670 --> 00:01:12.469 is our reality, that we have access to the fullness 00:01:12.469 --> 00:01:16.530 of the Spirit of God and we move and live our 00:01:16.530 --> 00:01:20.370 life by the influence of this Spirit. Matthew 00:01:20.370 --> 00:01:26.209 16, verse 19, Jesus was speaking particularly 00:01:26.209 --> 00:01:28.670 to Peter. He says, I will give you the access. 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:31.859 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of 00:01:31.859 --> 00:01:36.439 heaven. And these keys refer to access. And we 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:39.420 concluded that this access is what? It's the 00:01:39.420 --> 00:01:42.420 spirit of God. Hallelujah. And I will give you 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:46.939 the access into the kingdom of heaven. And this 00:01:46.939 --> 00:01:49.700 access comes with authority. And the authority 00:01:49.700 --> 00:01:54.780 enables the believer to bind and to lose. And 00:01:54.780 --> 00:01:58.680 whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.439 And whatever you lose on earth will be lost in 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:06.319 heaven. Hallelujah. And then from the previous 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:09.560 teaching, we saw and examined some practical 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:14.539 examples from the book of Acts of men who leave 00:02:14.539 --> 00:02:19.139 the earth and exemplify these realities. We saw 00:02:19.139 --> 00:02:23.500 the life of Stephen. Stephen was a man of like 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:26.900 passion as ours. He was a man full of the spirit. 00:02:27.689 --> 00:02:30.969 We saw the story of Philip and also Ananias, 00:02:31.090 --> 00:02:34.370 who by the power of the Holy Spirit manifested 00:02:34.370 --> 00:02:37.449 this reality. They manifested the kingdom of 00:02:37.449 --> 00:02:40.069 God by the preaching of the gospel accompanied 00:02:40.069 --> 00:02:44.030 by signs and wonders. Hallelujah. And we say 00:02:44.030 --> 00:02:48.009 that this is also our own reality. Amen. In our 00:02:48.009 --> 00:02:51.050 own day, in our own time, there is a demand of 00:02:51.050 --> 00:02:54.750 heaven upon us that we also demonstrate same 00:02:54.750 --> 00:02:57.810 power. As we see in scriptures, these are not 00:02:57.810 --> 00:03:01.550 just fairy tales. Hallelujah. These are not just 00:03:01.550 --> 00:03:03.810 stories for men that have lived and have died. 00:03:03.909 --> 00:03:06.770 But it is your reality. It is my reality. It 00:03:06.770 --> 00:03:09.870 is our reality that will bring heaven on earth. 00:03:10.129 --> 00:03:12.789 That will bring about the realities of the kingdom 00:03:12.789 --> 00:03:15.270 of heaven on earth. That by the preaching of 00:03:15.270 --> 00:03:19.889 the gospel, healing takes place. By the preaching 00:03:19.889 --> 00:03:23.030 of the gospel, chains are broken. By the preaching 00:03:23.030 --> 00:03:26.750 of the gospel, We perform miraculous signs and 00:03:26.750 --> 00:03:30.810 wonders. And this is not for some specific set 00:03:30.810 --> 00:03:36.289 of people. But it is the reality of every believer. 00:03:36.810 --> 00:03:40.210 Hallelujah. So long as you believe. The Bible 00:03:40.210 --> 00:03:48.030 says in Mark chapter 16. Mark chapter 16. Mark 00:03:48.030 --> 00:03:50.830 chapter 16. Says he who believes and is baptized 00:03:50.830 --> 00:03:54.039 will be saved. But he who does not believe will 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:57.300 be condemned. Verse 17. And these signs, what 00:03:57.300 --> 00:03:59.599 signs? The signs of all the things we see. So 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:01.919 these signs will follow him that believe. In 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:05.319 my name, they will cast out devils. They will 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:11.259 speak with new tongues. And they will take up 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:14.560 servants. And they drink anything deadly. It 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:18.220 will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands 00:04:18.220 --> 00:04:19.660 on the sick. And what will happen to the sick? 00:04:20.089 --> 00:04:24.069 the sick will recover. Hallelujah. Now let's 00:04:24.069 --> 00:04:29.189 see another example. In Acts chapter 9. Acts 00:04:29.189 --> 00:04:33.310 chapter 9, verse 31. Example of a man of like 00:04:33.310 --> 00:04:37.310 passion as ours. This is not an angel, but it's 00:04:37.310 --> 00:04:43.610 for men. Acts chapter 9, verse 31 to 35. When 00:04:43.610 --> 00:04:47.709 the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and 00:04:47.709 --> 00:04:53.459 Samaria, had peace and were edified. And walking 00:04:53.459 --> 00:04:55.680 in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:00.579 Holy Spirit, they multiplied. Now it came to 00:05:00.579 --> 00:05:03.120 pass, as Peter went through all the parts of 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.560 the country, that he also came down to the saints 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:10.600 who dwelt in Lydda, where he found a certain 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:14.040 man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight 00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:19.290 years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, 00:05:19.430 --> 00:05:26.170 Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and 00:05:26.170 --> 00:05:28.550 make your bed. Then what happened immediately? 00:05:29.589 --> 00:05:33.589 The Bible says he arose, right? Arise and make 00:05:33.589 --> 00:05:40.629 your bed. Then he arose immediately. So all who 00:05:40.629 --> 00:05:44.230 dwell at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned 00:05:44.230 --> 00:05:47.040 to the Lord. This is the effect of what? was 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:51.519 done. Hallelujah. The pointer to this sign is 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:56.240 the redemption of the souls of men. Amen? Further 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.279 on. At Joppa, there was a certain disciple named 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:03.639 Thabitha, which is translated Dokas. This woman 00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:06.420 was full of good works and charitable deeds which 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:09.860 she did. But it happened in those days that she 00:06:09.860 --> 00:06:14.540 became sick and died. When they had washed her, 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.920 They laid her in an upper room, and since Leda 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:24.040 was near Joppa, and the disciples heard, hallelujah, 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.819 they heard that Peter was there, they sent two 00:06:27.819 --> 00:06:31.720 men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:35.420 to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:37.980 And when he had come, they brought him to the 00:06:37.980 --> 00:06:41.560 upper room, and all the widows stood by him, 00:06:41.620 --> 00:06:44.500 weeping, showing the tonics. and the garments 00:06:44.500 --> 00:06:46.839 which Doca has made while she was with them. 00:06:48.019 --> 00:06:50.740 But Peter put them all down and knelt down and 00:06:50.740 --> 00:06:54.060 prayed, and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, 00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:59.100 arise. He spoke a word. He said, arise. And she 00:06:59.100 --> 00:07:01.860 opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she 00:07:01.860 --> 00:07:05.220 sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted 00:07:05.220 --> 00:07:07.620 her up, and when he had called the saints and 00:07:07.620 --> 00:07:12.180 widows, he presented her alive. Verse 42. And 00:07:12.180 --> 00:07:15.699 it became known throughout all Joppa. And many 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:19.379 what? And many believed. Hallelujah. That is 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:22.000 the essence of the signs and wonders. That men 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:25.199 will believe. And many believed on the Lord. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:28.420 So it was that he stayed. It was that he stayed 00:07:28.420 --> 00:07:32.540 many days in Joppa with Simon Etana. Hallelujah. 00:07:33.480 --> 00:07:37.079 So Peter here is another example of God walking 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:41.930 through ordinary men. Hallelujah. God walking 00:07:41.930 --> 00:07:46.610 through ordinary men, men like you and I, God 00:07:46.610 --> 00:07:49.529 walking through ordinary men to do extraordinary, 00:07:49.709 --> 00:07:54.069 supernatural work on the face of the earth. And 00:07:54.069 --> 00:07:55.889 I want to bring to our remembrance as well as 00:07:55.889 --> 00:07:58.829 we've sung and we've prayed that this is your 00:07:58.829 --> 00:08:02.350 heritage. Hallelujah. This is your heritage. 00:08:03.310 --> 00:08:06.529 This is your heritage. This is all that you have 00:08:06.529 --> 00:08:10.649 received by the Spirit when you believed. The 00:08:10.649 --> 00:08:16.009 same Peter. A man of, a frail man. If you look 00:08:16.009 --> 00:08:17.569 through the story of Peter, you will see that 00:08:17.569 --> 00:08:23.930 Peter was a weak man. Amen? But at the receiving 00:08:23.930 --> 00:08:27.430 of the Holy Spirit, there was a new man. Let's 00:08:27.430 --> 00:08:32.230 look at instances. Luke 22, verse 54. Where he 00:08:32.230 --> 00:08:41.279 denied Jesus. Luke 22. Yes. Having arrested him 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:43.899 when Jesus was arrested, they laid him and brought 00:08:43.899 --> 00:08:46.519 him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:51.720 at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:53.700 in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, 00:08:54.100 --> 00:08:59.919 Peter sat among them. And a certain girl, seeing 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:02.419 him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at 00:09:02.419 --> 00:09:09.779 him and said, This man was also with him. But 00:09:09.779 --> 00:09:13.960 he denied, saying, Woman, I do not know him. 00:09:14.519 --> 00:09:20.100 He denied knowing Jesus. And after a little while, 00:09:20.179 --> 00:09:22.620 another saw him and said, You also are of them. 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:28.419 But Peter saw, Man, I am not. Then after about 00:09:28.419 --> 00:09:32.200 an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, 00:09:32.220 --> 00:09:36.360 saying, Surely this fellow was with him, for 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:41.759 he is a Galilean. But Peter said, man, I do not 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:43.919 know what you are saying. Immediately while he 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:46.460 was still speaking, the rooster crowed. Hallelujah. 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:52.539 Not only after that, Jesus died and Jesus rose 00:09:52.539 --> 00:09:54.299 again. And we see another instance where Peter 00:09:54.299 --> 00:09:59.139 gave up. In John chapter 21, verse 1 to 5. After 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:01.299 the resurrection, Peter said, I go out fishing. 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:08.259 John chapter... Chapter 21 from verse 1 to 5. 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:13.279 I'm just trying to show you a level of inconsistency 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:18.740 in a man. After these things, Jesus showed himself 00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:22.019 again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. 00:10:22.259 --> 00:10:26.399 And in this way, he showed himself. Simon Peter, 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:30.080 Thomas, Carl the Twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, 00:10:30.340 --> 00:10:32.799 the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:36.679 were together. Simon Peter said to them, I am 00:10:36.679 --> 00:10:40.960 going fishing. They said to him, we are going 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:43.740 with you also. They went out and immediately 00:10:43.740 --> 00:10:47.360 got into the boat. That night they caught nothing. 00:10:48.340 --> 00:10:50.860 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood 00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:53.600 on the shore, yet the disciples did not know 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.960 that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, children, 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:00.480 have you any food? They answered him, no. And 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:02.299 then we read on, we read on, we see where Jesus, 00:11:02.580 --> 00:11:07.419 you know, correcting Peter and bringing him back 00:11:07.419 --> 00:11:12.639 to his senses and reintroducing to him the purpose 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:16.159 to which he has called him out. Hallelujah. Now, 00:11:16.179 --> 00:11:19.379 I want you to understand that this is a Peter 00:11:19.379 --> 00:11:24.679 that was weak, frail, all right? When we look 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:27.960 through history in scriptures, we discover that 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:31.159 all the men that did extraordinary things on 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:35.970 the earth are ordinary men ordinary lives. Hallelujah. 00:11:36.529 --> 00:11:39.269 But when the Spirit of God had come upon Peter, 00:11:39.409 --> 00:11:42.269 when we read Acts chapter 2, after the Pentecost, 00:11:42.509 --> 00:11:46.549 we see the power that began to operate in Peter. 00:11:46.629 --> 00:11:49.309 Hallelujah. The Bible says in Acts that we read 00:11:49.309 --> 00:11:52.629 verse 1, verse 8 talks about power, alright? 00:11:53.090 --> 00:11:56.710 Power coming into a man when the Holy Ghost arrives. 00:11:56.990 --> 00:12:00.649 Amen? And this is the same Peter that we see 00:12:00.649 --> 00:12:04.240 moving from place to place. operating in the 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.559 supernatural because the Holy Spirit has induced 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:11.820 such a man. Hallelujah. So also is the reality 00:12:11.820 --> 00:12:15.340 of a man, regardless of your experience in life, 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:18.039 regardless of your shortcoming, the moment you 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:21.080 believe in the Word of God, the moment you come 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:24.139 into relationship with God and His Spirit indwells 00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:29.379 you, it comes with power. Hallelujah. And that 00:12:29.379 --> 00:12:33.960 power is not only for you to live, above sin, 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:37.700 but it's also to manifest the power of the Holy 00:12:37.700 --> 00:12:42.620 Spirit in signs and wonders. Hallelujah. So in 00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:45.080 Acts chapter 9, we see the essence of the miraculous 00:12:45.080 --> 00:12:48.179 signs. It's not only to meet the needs of the 00:12:48.179 --> 00:12:51.559 saints, but most importantly, to lead men to 00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:55.419 Christ. Most importantly, to lead men to Christ. 00:12:56.659 --> 00:13:00.039 And for us to effectively do that in our generation, 00:13:00.100 --> 00:13:04.700 we cannot neglect The supernatural. Hallelujah. 00:13:05.059 --> 00:13:07.940 We cannot attempt to neglect the supernatural. 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:11.600 We cannot deny the operations of the supernatural. 00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:14.419 I said this the last time. I said you're born 00:13:14.419 --> 00:13:18.500 again is a supernatural experience. You didn't 00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:22.379 become born again by any human calculation. But 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:24.899 it is the will of the spirit. It is the workings 00:13:24.899 --> 00:13:27.320 of the spirit in the man that regenerates him 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:30.169 into who he is. Then we'll begin to see the power 00:13:30.169 --> 00:13:32.450 afloat in your life, the transformation of your 00:13:32.450 --> 00:13:34.450 character, the transformation of your ways. We 00:13:34.450 --> 00:13:38.570 begin to see boldness in you. This is a supernatural 00:13:38.570 --> 00:13:44.230 experience. And for you to deny the supernatural 00:13:44.230 --> 00:13:48.830 in signs and wonders is equally to deny the salvation 00:13:48.830 --> 00:13:52.070 that is a supernatural activity. Hallelujah. 00:13:52.730 --> 00:13:55.450 So to attest to the supernatural work in you, 00:13:55.820 --> 00:14:00.500 We expect, God expects upon us that we go out 00:14:00.500 --> 00:14:04.059 there and manifest the fullness of His Spirit 00:14:04.059 --> 00:14:06.519 as we go about preaching the gospel in our daily 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:10.139 lives. Hallelujah. So, several scriptures will 00:14:10.139 --> 00:14:12.600 see records. And why do we have these records? 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:16.179 Romans chapter 15, verse 4. Romans chapter 15, 00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:21.259 verse 4. I'll read from the Amplified. It says, 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:23.960 for whatever was written in the earlier times, 00:14:25.070 --> 00:14:29.429 was written for what? For our instructions. Instructions 00:14:29.429 --> 00:14:32.950 here means for our teaching, for teaching. So 00:14:32.950 --> 00:14:36.230 that through endurance and the encouragement 00:14:36.230 --> 00:14:40.389 of scripture, we might have hope and do what? 00:14:40.669 --> 00:14:43.929 And overflow with confidence in his promises. 00:14:44.350 --> 00:14:47.389 Hallelujah. So all the records of the things 00:14:47.389 --> 00:14:51.610 we see in scriptures is not just to give us a 00:14:51.610 --> 00:14:55.220 theological knowledge in our head. But the essence 00:14:55.220 --> 00:14:58.460 is for our instructions. The essence of the practicals 00:14:58.460 --> 00:15:02.220 we see in scriptures is that we will believe 00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:05.259 in the gospel message, is that we also will be 00:15:05.259 --> 00:15:08.019 empowered with faith to do equally the same. 00:15:11.580 --> 00:15:14.259 So that through endurance and encouragement of 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:18.419 scripture, we might have hope and overflow with 00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:22.720 confidence in his promise. It therefore means 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:27.139 that those historical facts recorded for us in 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:32.679 the Bible are not just for fun. Hallelujah. They 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:35.460 are not just for fun. They are for us to learn 00:15:35.460 --> 00:15:38.159 from them. They are for us to see what God is 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:40.940 doing and also partake in what God has been doing. 00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:45.000 Hallelujah. It's for us to learn. It's for us 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:49.149 to believe. And it is for us to practice. Because 00:15:49.149 --> 00:15:51.690 God has not changed his ways. He has not changed 00:15:51.690 --> 00:15:55.730 his plan. God is the same yesterday. He is the 00:15:55.730 --> 00:15:59.110 same today. And forever he will be. Hebrews 13 00:15:59.110 --> 00:16:02.370 verse 8 talks about the consistency of who God 00:16:02.370 --> 00:16:07.370 is. In Jesus Christ, he is the same. Yesterday, 00:16:07.470 --> 00:16:11.629 today, and forever. So since we equally have 00:16:11.629 --> 00:16:14.549 the same access. Because these men we read in 00:16:14.549 --> 00:16:17.789 scriptures are men that have access to the authority 00:16:17.789 --> 00:16:20.490 that is in God. These are men that have access 00:16:20.490 --> 00:16:24.370 to all the resources that is in Christ. So since 00:16:24.370 --> 00:16:27.389 we equally have the access to the kingdom of 00:16:27.389 --> 00:16:29.389 God and all the resources that has been made 00:16:29.389 --> 00:16:32.169 available to believers, as seen in the examples 00:16:32.169 --> 00:16:36.190 we've read, why don't we also experience these 00:16:36.190 --> 00:16:39.049 tremendous manifestations in our daily lives? 00:16:40.690 --> 00:16:45.120 Why don't you, the believer, manifest tremendously 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:49.480 the works of the Spirit in our individual lives. 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:53.840 We've looked at the life of Peter or the life 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.980 of Stephen and we say that Stephen was not among 00:16:57.980 --> 00:17:02.659 the apostles. Stephen was what we call a church 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:07.799 member. And then we see tremendously how he was 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:12.480 full of the Spirit and then he operated in the 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:15.960 fullness of the Spirit. We saw the life of Philip 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:19.720 as well, who was not part of the apostles. He 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:22.079 was what we would call a church member, but we 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:24.180 see tremendously the walkings of the Spirit of 00:17:24.180 --> 00:17:29.000 God in him. We see Ananias, who was not even 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:34.279 part of the apostles, but we see how powerfully 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:40.359 he walked in the dimension of the Spirit. And 00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:42.920 all the promises of God in Christ are yes and 00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:46.140 they are amen. That is 2 Corinthians 1 verse 00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:49.240 20. That is they find their fulfillment in Christ. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.000 All the promises are encapsulated in Christ. 00:17:56.380 --> 00:18:00.319 For all the promises of God in him are yes and 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.019 in him amen to the glory of God through who? 00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:07.160 Through us. Meaning that we find the fulfillment 00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:11.880 of all of God's promises in Christ. And we have 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:17.099 Christ in us. Hallelujah. We have the totality 00:18:17.099 --> 00:18:20.579 of God in us. The same God that was in them is 00:18:20.579 --> 00:18:22.480 the same God that lives in you, the believer, 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:29.299 today. So what do we expect? We expect to see 00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:32.259 the fulfillment of all that the scripture has 00:18:32.259 --> 00:18:35.279 said about the believer. In Mark chapter 16, 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:38.559 verse 15 to 20, that we read earlier on, it says 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:43.500 that signs are to follow those who believe. As 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:47.160 they go about preaching the gospel, signs and 00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:49.940 wonders will follow. All these signs will follow 00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:52.420 those who believe in my name. They will cast 00:18:52.420 --> 00:18:54.779 out devils. They will speak with new tongues. 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:59.700 Verse 18, they will take up serpents and if they 00:18:59.700 --> 00:19:01.779 think any deadly thing, it will by no means hurt 00:19:01.779 --> 00:19:05.470 them. They will lay their hands on the sick and 00:19:05.470 --> 00:19:11.769 they will recover. Verse 19. So then after the 00:19:11.769 --> 00:19:14.589 Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into 00:19:14.589 --> 00:19:17.990 heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 00:19:19.029 --> 00:19:22.450 Verse 20. And they went out. Hallelujah. They 00:19:22.450 --> 00:19:25.509 went out what? They went out to preach. And we 00:19:25.509 --> 00:19:27.970 see that they went out to preach everywhere as 00:19:27.970 --> 00:19:33.150 instructed. And the Lord walking with them. Confirming 00:19:33.150 --> 00:19:37.829 the word. They spoke. Through what? Accompanying 00:19:37.829 --> 00:19:42.549 signs. Hallelujah. Do we experience this supernatural 00:19:42.549 --> 00:19:46.190 in our daily lives? Probably we are living. Contrary 00:19:46.190 --> 00:19:50.150 to the instruction of going out. Therefore it 00:19:50.150 --> 00:19:53.049 is difficult. To live and experience this in 00:19:53.049 --> 00:19:55.910 our daily lives. Because this is an empowerment. 00:19:56.150 --> 00:20:00.410 In Acts chapter 1 verse 86. You shall do witnesses. 00:20:03.230 --> 00:20:05.529 Hallelujah. So if you are not a man and a woman 00:20:05.529 --> 00:20:08.630 that is going out at all times, looking for opportunities 00:20:08.630 --> 00:20:12.710 to preach the gospel, it means that you're going 00:20:12.710 --> 00:20:15.789 to limit the flow of this power that is resident 00:20:15.789 --> 00:20:21.650 in you. So we ask ourselves, why do we often 00:20:21.650 --> 00:20:23.829 not see much of this manifestation in our lives? 00:20:24.210 --> 00:20:27.349 And on Wednesday, we say that because there is 00:20:27.349 --> 00:20:32.940 what we call the flesh. Hallelujah. Often are 00:20:32.940 --> 00:20:37.240 carnally minded and do not walk in our nature. 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:42.180 Because we are often carnally minded and not 00:20:42.180 --> 00:20:44.180 walking in our nature. That is walking in the 00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:49.960 spirit. Galatians chapter 5 verse 16 to 18. Galatians 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:59.059 chapter 5 verse 16 to 18. I say then walk in 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:03.220 the spirit. And you shall not fulfill the lust 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:08.759 of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:12.500 Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And 00:21:12.500 --> 00:21:16.299 these are contrary to one another, so that you 00:21:16.299 --> 00:21:19.319 do not do the things that you wish. Verse 18. 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:22.460 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not 00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:27.680 under the law. Hallelujah. So verse 16 and 17, 00:21:27.859 --> 00:21:32.579 we will see, two contradicting influences over 00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:36.440 a man's life. Now, we're not saying that the 00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:40.859 spirit and the flesh coexist. Amen? The spirit 00:21:40.859 --> 00:21:44.940 and the flesh cannot coexist in a man. But there 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:49.119 is two, there are rather two contradicting influences 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:55.839 in a man. Hallelujah. We established last time 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.819 that all of us are a product of influences. No 00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:04.039 man is neutral on earth. All of us are a product 00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:07.859 of influence. And we choose what influences us. 00:22:10.019 --> 00:22:13.380 So what did we see was the flesh. We said in 00:22:13.380 --> 00:22:16.480 the Greek, the word is translated from a Greek 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:19.440 word, I don't know whether I pronounced it correctly. 00:22:21.140 --> 00:22:24.720 And in our study, we saw that this word could 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:29.180 mean two things. First of all, It means, it can 00:22:29.180 --> 00:22:31.359 mean the physical body, the physical flesh, the 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:36.059 physical body, flesh, flesh and blood, flesh. 00:22:37.299 --> 00:22:40.880 And it could also mean a nature, a spiritual 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:44.519 nature. And the context of his usage in this 00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:48.480 passage, the flesh does not mean physical body. 00:22:49.619 --> 00:22:54.230 Hallelujah. So what the Galatians... 5 verse 00:22:54.230 --> 00:22:56.809 16 is talking about is not a struggle between 00:22:56.809 --> 00:23:00.230 the physical body and the spirit. Your physical 00:23:00.230 --> 00:23:03.369 body is not in struggle with the spirit of God. 00:23:05.410 --> 00:23:08.250 Because your physical body is actually the temple 00:23:08.250 --> 00:23:13.769 of the spirit of God. It is God's desire to dwell 00:23:13.769 --> 00:23:16.589 in your physical body. So your physical body 00:23:16.589 --> 00:23:22.900 is not a crime. Hallelujah. It's not anti -God. 00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:28.440 So sometimes we want to mutilate our bodies because 00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:30.339 we think that the body is not behaving the way 00:23:30.339 --> 00:23:32.880 it ought to behave. No. There is an influence 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:38.299 that influences the body. Hallelujah. So when 00:23:38.299 --> 00:23:41.319 we don't see the things we ought to see, it means 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:44.339 that there is an influence. And that influence 00:23:44.339 --> 00:23:49.299 is what we call the flesh. A spiritual nature. 00:23:50.059 --> 00:23:54.059 It is that nature without the influence of God. 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:57.900 It is also called what? The world or worldliness. 00:23:59.339 --> 00:24:02.799 It is also called in our translation, the carnal 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:11.119 nature, the sinful nature, the old nature, the 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:16.019 sinful mind. It is also called the evil nature 00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:18.539 and many other words used in describing this 00:24:18.539 --> 00:24:26.200 nature. We say that flesh refers to a thinking 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:31.740 pattern. It influences the thinking pattern of 00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:35.380 a man. A thinking pattern that is different from 00:24:35.380 --> 00:24:41.039 what is of God. It is actually independent of 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:48.180 God. And this nature is against God. This flesh, 00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:53.210 or what we call the carnal nature, is against 00:24:53.210 --> 00:24:56.890 God, is in opposition to God and all the things 00:24:56.890 --> 00:25:01.569 of God. This nature will not prompt you to pray. 00:25:02.930 --> 00:25:07.150 Hallelujah. This nature will not influence you 00:25:07.150 --> 00:25:11.069 to do the works of evangelism, to go to preach 00:25:11.069 --> 00:25:16.009 the gospel. Even if we attempt to preach the 00:25:16.009 --> 00:25:21.539 gospel, this nature will corrupt it. The focus 00:25:21.539 --> 00:25:26.039 of flesh itself, it doesn't bring glory to God. 00:25:27.059 --> 00:25:31.160 And sometimes the flesh can parrot itself in 00:25:31.160 --> 00:25:37.920 seemingly, you know, godly way. Hallelujah. It 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:42.900 can be in form of pride. It can be in silent 00:25:42.900 --> 00:25:48.920 activities of men that can easily be contradicted. 00:25:49.390 --> 00:25:54.190 to the workings of the spirit. Flesh can actually 00:25:54.190 --> 00:25:57.589 preach, but the ends is not for the glory of 00:25:57.589 --> 00:26:01.289 God, but is for self -aggrandizement. Hallelujah. 00:26:02.430 --> 00:26:07.750 So flesh is an influence that operate in men. 00:26:09.349 --> 00:26:11.890 And we saw the manifestation of this flesh. We 00:26:11.890 --> 00:26:14.950 saw that it is obvious in verse 19 of that Galatians. 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:20.200 He says the manifestation of the flesh are obvious. 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:23.220 Now the works of the flesh are what? Are evident. 00:26:23.940 --> 00:26:27.319 Which are what? Sexual immorality, adultery, 00:26:27.460 --> 00:26:33.579 fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:38.519 sorcery, hatred, contentious, jealousies, outbursts 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:42.619 of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 00:26:42.859 --> 00:26:51.200 envy, murders, drunkenness, rivalries, and the 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:54.380 like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as 00:26:54.380 --> 00:27:01.779 I told you also, that those who practice such 00:27:01.779 --> 00:27:05.700 things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Hallelujah. 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:12.539 So the believer has no sinful nature in him. 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:15.319 That's one thing that we need to establish. That 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:18.980 in the believer, alright, in the believer, the 00:27:18.980 --> 00:27:23.859 carnal nature does not exist. In the believer, 00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:30.140 the sinful nature does not exist. The flesh cannot 00:27:30.140 --> 00:27:34.279 be found in the believer. Because at salvation, 00:27:34.539 --> 00:27:40.490 the believer has crucified the flesh. It is not 00:27:40.490 --> 00:27:44.109 your nature. The believer does not carry in him 00:27:44.109 --> 00:27:48.490 the nature of the flesh. Because the flesh and 00:27:48.490 --> 00:27:56.890 the spirit cannot coexist in a body. Amen. 2 00:27:56.890 --> 00:28:02.109 Corinthians 5 verse 17 in the Amplified. 2 Corinthians 00:28:02.109 --> 00:28:15.230 5 verse 17. He says, therefore, if any man is 00:28:15.230 --> 00:28:19.150 in Christ, that is, he is grafted, he has come 00:28:19.150 --> 00:28:24.309 into union with Christ. He is joined to him by 00:28:24.309 --> 00:28:30.690 faith and in him as Savior. He is what? He is 00:28:30.690 --> 00:28:35.450 a new creature. He is reborn, renewed by the 00:28:35.450 --> 00:28:39.829 Holy Spirit. The all things, now these all things, 00:28:40.539 --> 00:28:43.819 It's referring to that nature. It's referring 00:28:43.819 --> 00:28:46.119 to that carnal nature. It's referring to that 00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:53.759 sinful nature. Old things. Not A -L -L, but O 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:59.900 -L -D. Old things, right? Old things. The previous 00:28:59.900 --> 00:29:04.059 moral and spiritual condition. Any man that is 00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:07.680 not born again is in that moral and spiritual 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:12.500 condition. But a man that is born again, the 00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:17.599 old things have what? Have passed away. The old 00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:21.200 things or the old man or the old nature has died. 00:29:22.700 --> 00:29:27.180 He has passed away. Behold, new things have what? 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:32.319 Have come. Why? Because the spiritual awakening 00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:36.619 brings in what? A new life in the man. Hallelujah. 00:29:38.670 --> 00:29:44.130 So the believer has a new man in him. All things 00:29:44.130 --> 00:29:46.490 and their manifestations, as we see listed in 00:29:46.490 --> 00:29:51.349 Galatians 5, that nature, the nature that produces 00:29:51.349 --> 00:29:54.210 these activities that is obvious to the eyes 00:29:54.210 --> 00:29:59.289 to see, have what? Have passed away. So what 00:29:59.289 --> 00:30:02.609 does it mean to a believer? If you see this manifestation 00:30:02.609 --> 00:30:08.940 happening in your life, it is illegitimate. It 00:30:08.940 --> 00:30:12.319 means that you are acting beyond yourself. It 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:17.019 means that you are not living commensurately 00:30:17.019 --> 00:30:22.700 to your nature as the new creature. Galatians 00:30:22.700 --> 00:30:28.140 5 verse 24 further emphasizes the reality of 00:30:28.140 --> 00:30:31.039 a man in Christ. It says, and those who belong 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:34.359 to Christ Jesus have what? They have crucified 00:30:34.359 --> 00:30:37.759 what? Is it that they were crucified or they 00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:44.140 have crucified? It's a past tense. It is a reality 00:30:44.140 --> 00:30:49.240 of the believer now that a man in Christ has 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:53.660 crucified that sinful nature, that nature we 00:30:53.660 --> 00:30:57.759 refer to as flesh, that source of influence that 00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:02.220 is anti -God has been crucified together with 00:31:02.220 --> 00:31:08.009 their passions and their appetites. So the desires 00:31:08.009 --> 00:31:10.549 of that nature has been crucified to the cross 00:31:10.549 --> 00:31:15.690 of Christ. And there's a new nature in the believer. 00:31:17.170 --> 00:31:23.130 So it becomes unnatural for man that is in Christ 00:31:23.130 --> 00:31:29.910 to behave beyond his nature that is a new creature. 00:31:31.509 --> 00:31:35.990 Romans chapter 6, verse 1. Father emphasizes 00:31:35.990 --> 00:31:39.329 the reality, your reality and my reality in Christ. 00:31:41.910 --> 00:31:46.950 What shall we say to all this? Should we continue 00:31:46.950 --> 00:31:51.750 in sin and practice sin as a habit so that God's 00:31:51.750 --> 00:31:56.450 gift of grace may increase and overflow? Certainly 00:31:56.450 --> 00:32:02.069 not. How can we, the very ones who die to sin, 00:32:02.430 --> 00:32:05.289 who died to that nature, that sin nature, how 00:32:05.289 --> 00:32:08.710 can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue 00:32:08.710 --> 00:32:14.730 to live in it any longer? Oh, are you ignorant 00:32:14.730 --> 00:32:18.690 of the fact that all of us who have been baptized 00:32:18.690 --> 00:32:22.410 into Christ Jesus, now this baptized into Christ 00:32:22.410 --> 00:32:26.309 Jesus is not referring to water baptism. It refers 00:32:26.309 --> 00:32:29.190 to all of us who have believed in Jesus Christ. 00:32:30.670 --> 00:32:34.829 who have participated in his death. Verse 4. 00:32:35.789 --> 00:32:39.049 We have therefore been what? Been buried with 00:32:39.049 --> 00:32:41.950 him through baptism into his death, so that just 00:32:41.950 --> 00:32:45.089 as Christ was raised from the dead through the 00:32:45.089 --> 00:32:48.029 glory and the power of the Father, we too might 00:32:48.029 --> 00:32:51.029 walk how? What should be our habit? That we might 00:32:51.029 --> 00:32:56.750 habitually walk in a newness of life, abounding 00:32:56.750 --> 00:33:00.799 in what? The old man and his practices and his 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:08.180 ways. For if we have become one with him and 00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:13.140 this union is a permanent union. Hallelujah. 00:33:14.059 --> 00:33:17.559 If we have become one with him, permanently united 00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:22.579 in the likeness of his death, we also certainly 00:33:22.579 --> 00:33:27.000 be. One with him and share fully in his likeness. 00:33:27.019 --> 00:33:29.960 We share fully in the likeness of his resurrection. 00:33:30.019 --> 00:33:35.900 Verse 6. We know by knowledge that our old self. 00:33:36.019 --> 00:33:37.819 Which old self are we talking about? The carnal 00:33:37.819 --> 00:33:41.000 nature. The old nature. The sinful nature. The 00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:44.880 carnal mind. The sinful evil nature. Our human 00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:48.619 nature. That nature. Without the spirit of God. 00:33:49.299 --> 00:33:53.309 Was what? Was nailed to the cross with him. In 00:33:53.309 --> 00:33:56.269 order that our body of sin might be done away. 00:33:56.470 --> 00:34:01.309 So that we will no longer be slaves to sin. So 00:34:01.309 --> 00:34:04.230 our influence, our source of influence is not 00:34:04.230 --> 00:34:08.590 to that old nature any longer. This information 00:34:08.590 --> 00:34:12.030 is important for the believer. If you will walk 00:34:12.030 --> 00:34:14.170 in the fullness of the dimension of the spirit 00:34:14.170 --> 00:34:18.449 of God. We know that our old nature has what? 00:34:18.570 --> 00:34:21.369 Has been nailed to the cross with him. In order 00:34:21.369 --> 00:34:25.000 that our body. of sin might be done away with 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:27.920 so that we will no longer be slaves to sin, verse 00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:33.420 7. For the person who has died with Christ has 00:34:33.420 --> 00:34:37.119 been freed from the power of sin. We have been 00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:40.179 freed from this nature, from this rebellious 00:34:40.179 --> 00:34:45.619 nature. Now, if we have died with Christ, we 00:34:45.619 --> 00:34:48.099 believe that we will also live together with 00:34:48.099 --> 00:34:50.780 him. If we've died with him, It means that we 00:34:50.780 --> 00:34:53.179 are alive with him because Jesus is alive. Hallelujah. 00:34:53.820 --> 00:34:57.039 Because we know the self -evident truth that 00:34:57.039 --> 00:35:00.519 Christ, having been raised from the dead, will 00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:05.340 never die again. Death no longer has power over 00:35:05.340 --> 00:35:10.900 him. For the death that he died, he died to walk 00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:16.340 to sin. Ending is power. That is why when you 00:35:16.340 --> 00:35:19.230 receive the Spirit, you receive power. Because 00:35:19.230 --> 00:35:24.289 Jesus has died to sin, ending his power and paying 00:35:24.289 --> 00:35:29.030 the sinner's debt once and for all. Hallelujah. 00:35:29.590 --> 00:35:34.570 And the life that he lives, he lives, that is 00:35:34.570 --> 00:35:38.329 Jesus, to glorify God in unbroken fellowship 00:35:38.329 --> 00:35:42.989 with him. Verse 11. Even so, because Jesus lives 00:35:42.989 --> 00:35:46.690 in you, even so, consider yourself to be dead 00:35:46.690 --> 00:35:49.969 to sin. and your relationship to the all nature 00:35:49.969 --> 00:35:54.289 broken. Consider yourself disassociated and disconnected 00:35:54.289 --> 00:35:57.469 to that all nature that is a limitation to the 00:35:57.469 --> 00:36:01.429 flow of the power of God in your life. But alive 00:36:01.429 --> 00:36:04.730 to God in unbroken fellowship with him in Christ 00:36:04.730 --> 00:36:07.369 Jesus, because we've come into union with him. 00:36:09.050 --> 00:36:12.409 Therefore do not let sin, this comes with the 00:36:12.409 --> 00:36:15.010 will of a man, by the power of the Spirit of 00:36:15.010 --> 00:36:17.170 God, in relationship with the Spirit of God. 00:36:17.329 --> 00:36:21.409 Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal 00:36:21.409 --> 00:36:23.449 body. Now, this body now is a physical body. 00:36:24.349 --> 00:36:28.070 We don't give room for our physical body to conduct 00:36:28.070 --> 00:36:35.530 itself, to obey the passions of its lust. Do 00:36:35.530 --> 00:36:39.710 not go on offering the members of your body to 00:36:39.710 --> 00:36:44.980 sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves 00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:48.739 to God in a decisive act, as those alive who 00:36:48.739 --> 00:36:52.199 have been raised from the dead to a new life. 00:36:52.440 --> 00:36:56.239 And your members, all of your abilities, sanctified 00:36:56.239 --> 00:36:59.619 and set apart as instruments of righteousness, 00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:06.639 yielded to God. Verse 14. For sin, hallelujah, 00:37:06.860 --> 00:37:11.619 this is your reality. Amen? This is the truth 00:37:11.619 --> 00:37:16.380 that concerns you. It says, for sin will no longer 00:37:16.380 --> 00:37:20.880 be a master over you, since you are not under 00:37:20.880 --> 00:37:25.739 law as slaves, but under what? The unmerited 00:37:25.739 --> 00:37:31.019 grace as recipients of God's mercy, favor and 00:37:31.019 --> 00:37:35.179 mercy. Hallelujah. We are not under the flesh. 00:37:35.380 --> 00:37:38.820 We are not under the control of the nature of 00:37:38.820 --> 00:37:41.269 sin. But we are under the control of the Spirit 00:37:41.269 --> 00:37:45.570 of God. Therefore, it is illegal for sin to have 00:37:45.570 --> 00:37:52.030 power and control over us. Romans 8, verse 1. 00:37:59.809 --> 00:38:09.460 Therefore, there is now no condemnation. No guilty 00:38:09.460 --> 00:38:12.320 verdict to punishment, no punishment for those 00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:17.079 who are in Christ Jesus, who believe in him as 00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:23.260 a personal Lord and Savior. Well, Jesus is a 00:38:23.260 --> 00:38:25.480 Savior of the world. I don't know how personal 00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:30.219 the salvation is anyway. For the law of sin of 00:38:30.219 --> 00:38:33.260 life, which is in Christ Jesus, the law of a 00:38:33.260 --> 00:38:37.179 new being has set you free from the law of sin 00:38:37.179 --> 00:38:40.230 and death. That is, you are no longer under the 00:38:40.230 --> 00:38:45.590 influence of sin, the nature of sin. Hallelujah. 00:38:47.349 --> 00:38:51.409 For what the law could not do, that is, overcome 00:38:51.409 --> 00:38:54.789 sin and remove its penalty, its power, being 00:38:54.789 --> 00:38:59.369 weakened by the flesh. What is the flesh? Man's 00:38:59.369 --> 00:39:03.989 nature without Holy Spirit. God did. He sent 00:39:03.989 --> 00:39:07.980 his son in the likeness of sinful man. As an 00:39:07.980 --> 00:39:11.000 offering for sin. And he condemned sin in the 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:14.059 flesh. He subdued and overcome it in the person 00:39:14.059 --> 00:39:19.780 of his own son. So that the righteousness. So 00:39:19.780 --> 00:39:22.460 that the righteous and just requirement of the 00:39:22.460 --> 00:39:25.800 law might be fulfilled in us. Who do not live 00:39:25.800 --> 00:39:29.099 our lives in the ways of the flesh. Guided by 00:39:29.099 --> 00:39:33.900 holiness. And our sinful nature. I prefer that 00:39:33.900 --> 00:39:36.360 it should be the sinful nature. Because the sinful 00:39:36.360 --> 00:39:38.300 nature is no longer the reality of the believer. 00:39:38.840 --> 00:39:42.659 Hallelujah. So we are no longer guided by worldliness 00:39:42.659 --> 00:39:46.980 and the sinful nature, but live our lives in 00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:49.960 the ways of the Spirit, guided by His power. 00:39:51.099 --> 00:39:54.539 For those who are living according to the flesh, 00:39:54.679 --> 00:39:58.539 what do they do? They set their thinking pattern, 00:39:58.780 --> 00:40:02.480 their mind on the things of the flesh, which 00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:05.949 gratify the physical body. But those who are 00:40:05.949 --> 00:40:07.929 living according to the Spirit, what do they 00:40:07.929 --> 00:40:11.489 do? They set their mind on the things of the 00:40:11.489 --> 00:40:18.550 Spirit, His will and His purpose. Now the mind 00:40:18.550 --> 00:40:23.030 of the flesh is death, now and forever, because 00:40:23.030 --> 00:40:26.190 it pursues sin. But the mind of the Spirit, which 00:40:26.190 --> 00:40:30.369 is in you, which is in me, is a life and peace 00:40:30.369 --> 00:40:32.309 of God, the spiritual well -being that comes 00:40:32.309 --> 00:40:35.699 from working with God, both now and forever. 00:40:37.360 --> 00:40:41.639 The man of the flesh is actively hostile to God. 00:40:42.599 --> 00:40:45.340 It is not in agreement to the things of God. 00:40:45.679 --> 00:40:49.260 It is not in agreement to everything that the 00:40:49.260 --> 00:40:52.360 Spirit of God will do. It does not submit itself 00:40:52.360 --> 00:40:55.219 to the instructions of God. It does not submit 00:40:55.219 --> 00:40:57.719 itself to the guiding principles of God's love, 00:40:57.840 --> 00:41:00.840 of God's word, since it doesn't have the ability 00:41:00.840 --> 00:41:05.900 to do that. Verse 8. And those who are in the 00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:09.699 flesh, those who are not born again, those who 00:41:09.699 --> 00:41:13.239 are in the flesh, living a life that caters to 00:41:13.239 --> 00:41:16.659 sinful appetites and impulses, they cannot please 00:41:16.659 --> 00:41:19.699 God. Hallelujah. They don't have the ability 00:41:19.699 --> 00:41:22.320 to bring glory to God. They don't have the ability 00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:28.179 to bring honor to God. Verse 9. However, you 00:41:28.179 --> 00:41:32.579 and I are what? Are not living in the flesh. 00:41:34.250 --> 00:41:37.170 Hallelujah. The believer is what? He's not in 00:41:37.170 --> 00:41:40.070 the flesh. He's not controlled by the sinful 00:41:40.070 --> 00:41:44.170 nature. But by what? By the Spirit. If in fact 00:41:44.170 --> 00:41:46.530 the Spirit of God lives in you, though the Spirit 00:41:46.530 --> 00:41:49.269 of God lives in you, He lives in the believer, 00:41:49.389 --> 00:41:52.929 directing and guiding him. But if anyone does 00:41:52.929 --> 00:41:55.530 not have the Spirit of Christ in him, he does 00:41:55.530 --> 00:41:59.730 not belong to Christ. He's not a child of God. 00:42:00.940 --> 00:42:04.840 Verse 11, verse 10. In Christ, if Christ lives 00:42:04.840 --> 00:42:08.219 in you, though your natural body is dead because 00:42:08.219 --> 00:42:11.639 of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness, 00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:14.260 which he provides. Verse 11, the last verse here. 00:42:14.440 --> 00:42:17.320 And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from 00:42:17.320 --> 00:42:20.179 the dead lives in you, he who raised Jesus Christ 00:42:20.179 --> 00:42:22.659 from the dead will also give life to your mortal 00:42:22.659 --> 00:42:26.579 bodies through his spirit. Who what? Who lives 00:42:26.579 --> 00:42:30.280 outside you? Where does he live? He lives where? 00:42:30.860 --> 00:42:37.699 In you, how? Permanently. Hallelujah. So, your 00:42:37.699 --> 00:42:41.719 nature is a new creature. Your nature is the 00:42:41.719 --> 00:42:44.360 nature of the Spirit of God. You have the ability 00:42:44.360 --> 00:42:48.659 to live in accordance to the Spirit of God. You 00:42:48.659 --> 00:42:51.980 have the capacity in you to obey God. You have 00:42:51.980 --> 00:42:54.880 the ability in you to live above the activities 00:42:54.880 --> 00:42:59.219 of a nature that is not yours. Because there 00:42:59.219 --> 00:43:02.329 is An ability in you, the Spirit of God, to live 00:43:02.329 --> 00:43:10.750 that out. Nevertheless, nevertheless, this is 00:43:10.750 --> 00:43:14.949 our nature. Nevertheless, the believer can be 00:43:14.949 --> 00:43:17.849 influenced externally to act beyond himself. 00:43:20.349 --> 00:43:24.230 The believer can be influenced externally to 00:43:24.230 --> 00:43:29.489 live a life that is not his nature. When your 00:43:29.489 --> 00:43:31.989 focus and your meditation is not in the spirit, 00:43:32.230 --> 00:43:38.570 you will act in nature that is not you. And this 00:43:38.570 --> 00:43:41.750 is the foundation. This is the cause of the problem 00:43:41.750 --> 00:43:46.769 of the believer of today. It is possible for 00:43:46.769 --> 00:43:49.789 you, a believer, to see the manifestation of 00:43:49.789 --> 00:43:54.949 the self -life in your conduct. This way, You 00:43:54.949 --> 00:43:57.710 cannot effectively manifest the kingdom of God 00:43:57.710 --> 00:44:01.309 while under the influence of the flesh. I said 00:44:01.309 --> 00:44:04.170 it last time. I said it is impossible. It is 00:44:04.170 --> 00:44:07.989 impossible to manifest under the influence of 00:44:07.989 --> 00:44:11.269 the flesh. And we saw the example of the Corinthian 00:44:11.269 --> 00:44:16.570 church that are full of the spirit. They lack 00:44:16.570 --> 00:44:19.869 no good thing. They lack no manifestation. But 00:44:19.869 --> 00:44:22.949 we had horrendous activities happening in the 00:44:22.949 --> 00:44:26.139 church. That a man sleeps with his father's wife. 00:44:27.400 --> 00:44:31.760 They take each other to court arbitrarily. They 00:44:31.760 --> 00:44:35.860 are not living in love. This church is alive. 00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:41.639 Paul called them carnal. He called them carnal 00:44:41.639 --> 00:44:44.639 men. Are they not living as carnal men? Even 00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:47.079 though they are not carnal, but he used the word 00:44:47.079 --> 00:44:52.650 carnal. This flesh that is their natural men. 00:44:52.730 --> 00:44:55.090 They're living as natural men. Even though they 00:44:55.090 --> 00:45:00.170 are supernatural men. Because they allow an influence 00:45:00.170 --> 00:45:02.909 that is not them, their nature, to guide and 00:45:02.909 --> 00:45:07.829 conduct their lives. So the believer can be influenced 00:45:07.829 --> 00:45:13.769 by the world. The believer can be influenced 00:45:13.769 --> 00:45:19.070 by the world and the men of the world. When we 00:45:19.070 --> 00:45:20.730 talk about the world, we talk about a system 00:45:20.730 --> 00:45:22.769 of the world. And this system of the world is 00:45:22.769 --> 00:45:29.130 made up of men. Nobody is above influence. All 00:45:29.130 --> 00:45:34.190 of us are a product of influence. And the believer 00:45:34.190 --> 00:45:36.690 can be influenced by the world and the men of 00:45:36.690 --> 00:45:40.050 the world. Through his association with them. 00:45:42.309 --> 00:45:45.190 Through your association with the world, you 00:45:45.190 --> 00:45:53.349 can be influenced by the world. By what they 00:45:53.349 --> 00:45:57.369 say, they can influence you by what they say. 00:45:58.289 --> 00:46:01.449 By what they do, they can influence you by what 00:46:01.449 --> 00:46:06.010 they do. How do we have access and associate 00:46:06.010 --> 00:46:08.130 with ourselves in the world? Through the media. 00:46:11.489 --> 00:46:16.630 And in our direct relationships. 1 John 2 verse 00:46:16.630 --> 00:46:26.840 15 talks about Loving the world. 1 John 2, verse 00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:40.880 15. Do not love the world of sin that opposes 00:46:40.880 --> 00:46:45.119 God and his precepts, nor the things that are 00:46:45.119 --> 00:46:49.159 in the world. If anyone loves the world, the 00:46:49.159 --> 00:46:58.619 love of the Father, It's not in him. For all 00:46:58.619 --> 00:47:01.079 that is in the world, the lust and essential 00:47:01.079 --> 00:47:05.039 cravings of the flesh and the lust and the longings 00:47:05.039 --> 00:47:09.800 of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, pretentious 00:47:09.800 --> 00:47:12.800 confidence in one's resources or in his stability 00:47:12.800 --> 00:47:17.960 of earthly things. The Bible says that these 00:47:17.960 --> 00:47:20.429 do not come from the Father. But they are from 00:47:20.429 --> 00:47:25.630 where? They are from the world. Verse 17. The 00:47:25.630 --> 00:47:29.429 world is passing away and with its lust, the 00:47:29.429 --> 00:47:33.530 shameful pursuit and ungodly longings, but the 00:47:33.530 --> 00:47:35.949 one who does the will of God and carries out 00:47:35.949 --> 00:47:41.849 his purpose, he lives forever. Hallelujah. So 00:47:41.849 --> 00:47:44.809 we must examine our relationship with the world. 00:47:45.789 --> 00:47:49.349 We must examine Our contact with the world. Because 00:47:49.349 --> 00:47:53.150 we are in the world. Amen. But we are not of 00:47:53.150 --> 00:47:58.289 the world. And our contact with the world can 00:47:58.289 --> 00:48:02.710 determine the level of influence we have. And 00:48:02.710 --> 00:48:06.650 the world system has a way of meeting us at every 00:48:06.650 --> 00:48:10.730 point in time. Through the things we see. Through 00:48:10.730 --> 00:48:14.050 the things we hear. Through the things we take 00:48:14.050 --> 00:48:19.400 in. Through the desires that we can allow it 00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:25.940 rise up from our heart. Hallelujah. You see, 00:48:25.980 --> 00:48:30.000 Jesus was tempted because he was hungry, right? 00:48:31.460 --> 00:48:33.420 If Jesus was not hungry, do you think the temptation 00:48:33.420 --> 00:48:36.900 of hunger will be effective? Do you think the 00:48:36.900 --> 00:48:41.559 devil will have a place to tempt him? If you 00:48:41.559 --> 00:48:43.460 didn't eat rice, no matter how they press your 00:48:43.460 --> 00:48:51.170 stomach, We will not see our father rise. Amen. 00:48:52.130 --> 00:48:57.889 So, it means that the world can influence us 00:48:57.889 --> 00:49:02.309 and create desires even in our hearts. And these 00:49:02.309 --> 00:49:05.530 desires become the foundation by which we become 00:49:05.530 --> 00:49:10.130 receptive to the leading of the world. Hallelujah. 00:49:12.369 --> 00:49:27.409 Nobody is above influence. 1 Corinthians 15, 00:49:27.769 --> 00:49:57.980 verse 33. 1 Corinthians 15, 33, 34. He says what? 00:49:59.320 --> 00:50:04.340 Do not be deceived. Bad relationships. What does 00:50:04.340 --> 00:50:11.019 it do? It corrupts. It corrupts, right? Verse 00:50:11.019 --> 00:50:15.199 34. Be sober -minded, be sensitive, wake up from 00:50:15.199 --> 00:50:18.440 your spiritual stupor as you ought to and stop 00:50:18.440 --> 00:50:21.599 sinning. For some of you have no knowledge of 00:50:21.599 --> 00:50:24.679 God. You are disgracefully ignorant of Him and 00:50:24.679 --> 00:50:32.619 ignore His truth. I say it to your shame. Hallelujah. 00:50:34.119 --> 00:50:40.460 So we say that a believer It's walking in the 00:50:40.460 --> 00:50:43.699 flesh when we see him conducting himself in a 00:50:43.699 --> 00:50:47.519 nature that is not the nature of God. It means 00:50:47.519 --> 00:50:52.019 his imaginations. It means his thoughts. It means 00:50:52.019 --> 00:50:57.219 his words. And his philosophy are independent 00:50:57.219 --> 00:51:03.079 of the spirit of God that lives within him. We 00:51:03.079 --> 00:51:05.880 see in church, suddenly we begin to see that 00:51:05.880 --> 00:51:09.800 even your dressing changes. we begin to see that 00:51:09.800 --> 00:51:12.059 even the words you speak are no longer full of 00:51:12.059 --> 00:51:15.480 grace. We begin to see that even in your dealings 00:51:15.480 --> 00:51:19.239 with people around you has changed. It means 00:51:19.239 --> 00:51:22.380 that you have allowed an influence that is not 00:51:22.380 --> 00:51:28.840 your nature. Hallelujah. So to see the kingdom 00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:31.179 of God in full manifestation in our lives and 00:51:31.179 --> 00:51:35.239 ministry, we must allow the spirit of God to 00:51:35.239 --> 00:51:42.199 influence our lives and not the flesh. Galatians 00:51:42.199 --> 00:51:44.900 5 verse 16 says, but I say, I'm ready to amplify 00:51:44.900 --> 00:51:49.159 it. It says, I say, walk and live habitually. 00:51:49.880 --> 00:51:53.440 Walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit, 00:51:53.579 --> 00:51:59.900 responsive to and controlled and guided by the 00:51:59.900 --> 00:52:04.480 Spirit. I love this emphasis. Then what will 00:52:04.480 --> 00:52:08.019 happen to you? You will certainly not gratify 00:52:08.019 --> 00:52:12.769 the cravings and the desires. of the flesh, of 00:52:12.769 --> 00:52:15.949 that human nature without God. And this human 00:52:15.949 --> 00:52:18.530 nature without God lives in men of this world 00:52:18.530 --> 00:52:21.070 that are without God. And if you associate with 00:52:21.070 --> 00:52:23.150 these men that live in the world without God, 00:52:23.309 --> 00:52:26.170 they have the tendency of influencing your conduct 00:52:26.170 --> 00:52:29.610 in the natural. Therefore, we see you not doing 00:52:29.610 --> 00:52:38.369 the things that God wants you to do. Suddenly 00:52:38.369 --> 00:52:40.349 you cease to come to church because you have 00:52:40.349 --> 00:52:43.909 accompanied yourself with people that don't honor 00:52:43.909 --> 00:52:47.489 and dignify the things of God. Suddenly we see 00:52:47.489 --> 00:52:50.190 you, you no longer speak in tongues because you've 00:52:50.190 --> 00:52:54.090 been around people that they turn the things 00:52:54.090 --> 00:52:57.210 of the spirit into joke and comedy. Suddenly 00:52:57.210 --> 00:53:00.670 you begin to downgrade and devalue the people 00:53:00.670 --> 00:53:05.210 of God. Then we see you cease to be blessed by 00:53:05.210 --> 00:53:09.010 men of God. Suddenly we begin to see you running 00:53:09.010 --> 00:53:10.949 away from the men that used to be your company. 00:53:13.590 --> 00:53:16.570 Suddenly you cease to have desire for prayers. 00:53:16.829 --> 00:53:19.610 You no longer have passion for the world. We 00:53:19.610 --> 00:53:22.570 no longer have desire to see that men and lives 00:53:22.570 --> 00:53:28.489 are won for Christ. This in itself is a litmus 00:53:28.489 --> 00:53:31.050 test to the influence that you've exposed yourself 00:53:31.050 --> 00:53:35.409 to. And sometimes this influence is not far from 00:53:35.409 --> 00:53:38.019 you. This influence is in your hand and it's 00:53:38.019 --> 00:53:41.500 in your pocket. When you enter your blanket, 00:53:41.699 --> 00:53:44.780 it hawks you. Some of us, we sleep with our phones 00:53:44.780 --> 00:53:50.539 on our chest. Do you know that you can easily, 00:53:50.719 --> 00:53:55.820 you can easily be scrolling unnecessarily on 00:53:55.820 --> 00:54:00.400 statuses and on the media, social media, for 00:54:00.400 --> 00:54:01.940 hours. You don't know that you've done three 00:54:01.940 --> 00:54:05.340 hours. And the moment you just kneel down to 00:54:05.340 --> 00:54:14.539 pray, you go into the spirit. Listen, let me 00:54:14.539 --> 00:54:19.619 tell you, right? It's not natural. It's not natural. 00:54:20.440 --> 00:54:24.000 It means that you need a brother to lay hand 00:54:24.000 --> 00:54:31.710 on you. To hold you. To pray with you. to come 00:54:31.710 --> 00:54:33.530 out of that, that you will walk in your nature. 00:54:35.750 --> 00:54:37.869 That is why you need brethren around you to encourage 00:54:37.869 --> 00:54:41.010 you, to strengthen you, to encourage you. Hallelujah. 00:54:42.769 --> 00:54:46.929 We walk by the Spirit, by being obedient to the 00:54:46.929 --> 00:54:53.369 written word. 2 Timothy 3, verse 16. 2 Timothy 00:54:53.369 --> 00:54:57.349 3, verse 16. You see, the written word is inspired 00:54:57.349 --> 00:55:00.099 by the Spirit of God. The spirit of God will 00:55:00.099 --> 00:55:02.940 always lead us to the written word. All scripture 00:55:02.940 --> 00:55:05.820 is God breath. That is, it's given by divine 00:55:05.820 --> 00:55:09.019 inspiration. It's profitable for teaching, for 00:55:09.019 --> 00:55:12.940 instruction, for conviction, for correction of 00:55:12.940 --> 00:55:16.139 error and restoration to obedience, for training 00:55:16.139 --> 00:55:19.199 in righteousness, learning to live in conformity 00:55:19.199 --> 00:55:24.400 to God's will, both publicly and privately, behaving 00:55:24.400 --> 00:55:27.239 yourself how? Honorably with personal integrity. 00:55:28.239 --> 00:55:32.159 and moral courage. We get led by the Spirit of 00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:35.420 God when we exalt the written word, when we read 00:55:35.420 --> 00:55:39.539 the written word, when we study the written word, 00:55:39.679 --> 00:55:43.460 when we are taught the written word. We will 00:55:43.460 --> 00:55:47.639 become familiar with the mind of God and easily 00:55:47.639 --> 00:55:52.880 know when He gives us instructions. We become 00:55:52.880 --> 00:55:56.179 familiar with the leading of the Spirit of God 00:55:56.179 --> 00:56:00.340 when we give ourselves to the Word of God. We 00:56:00.340 --> 00:56:03.679 cannot walk in the Spirit unconsciously. See, 00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:07.719 walking and being influenced by the Spirit does 00:56:07.719 --> 00:56:11.260 not happen. It's not magic. It's not witchcraft. 00:56:12.780 --> 00:56:17.320 We walk in the Spirit consciously by deliberately 00:56:17.320 --> 00:56:20.880 giving ourselves to the written word. The Spirit 00:56:20.880 --> 00:56:23.800 of God cannot walk in a man effectively that 00:56:23.800 --> 00:56:28.000 has not known the pattern of the mind of the 00:56:28.000 --> 00:56:31.380 Spirit of God, which is the written word. And 00:56:31.380 --> 00:56:33.320 sometimes we think that the habits we see in 00:56:33.320 --> 00:56:37.539 our lives, we can break off habits, bad habits, 00:56:38.139 --> 00:56:43.579 ungodly habits, by strong will and determination. 00:56:46.380 --> 00:56:50.579 It's not by strong will and determination. It 00:56:50.579 --> 00:56:53.800 is by the Spirit of God, by the Word of God and 00:56:53.800 --> 00:56:57.199 by prayer. Strong will and determination cannot 00:56:57.199 --> 00:57:01.900 deal with the activities of the flesh. It is 00:57:01.900 --> 00:57:06.659 only the spirit of God that does that work. The 00:57:06.659 --> 00:57:12.099 word and prayer. So the believer must prioritize 00:57:12.099 --> 00:57:14.320 his fellowship with God in the word and prayer. 00:57:16.179 --> 00:57:20.519 This is the foundation for manifesting or the 00:57:20.519 --> 00:57:24.579 foundation for the believer to manifest the spirit 00:57:24.579 --> 00:57:28.840 of God in his daily living. Hallelujah. This 00:57:28.840 --> 00:57:34.039 becomes The foundation to seeing in every single 00:57:34.039 --> 00:57:37.980 moment, in every single day. You are walking 00:57:37.980 --> 00:57:41.900 in the fullness of the Spirit of God. I want 00:57:41.900 --> 00:57:43.380 you to just close your eyes and speak to God 00:57:43.380 --> 00:57:48.900 at this moment. We appreciate you being here 00:57:48.900 --> 00:57:51.980 today. We hope you carry this word with you throughout 00:57:51.980 --> 00:57:54.840 your week. Don't forget to check the show notes 00:57:54.840 --> 00:57:57.619 for additional insights. Stay connected with 00:57:57.619 --> 00:58:00.320 us through our website. or follow us on social 00:58:00.320 --> 00:58:04.000 media. If you are encouraged, share this message 00:58:04.000 --> 00:58:07.000 with someone you care about. Until next time, 00:58:07.059 --> 00:58:08.000 stay blessed.