Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. In the mighty name of Jesus, I want
us to pray just whilst we're preparing and setting
our minds. I want us to pray this one prayer.
that our faith is anchored on the word. Our faith
is not anchored on externals. Pray for yourself
and say, my faith is anchored on the word and
not on the things that's happening around me.
My faith is anchored on the word of God, on the
truths of God. My faith is anchored in God and
not in the externals and not on the externals
and not on the externals. and not on the externals.
The faith of everyone in this place is anchored
on the word of God. The faith of everyone in
this place is anchored on the truth, on the truth,
on the truth, on the eternal truth of God, not
on the externals, not on the externals, not on
what happens on the news, not on what happens
around me, not on my feeling, not on how I feel.
I want you to open your mouth and pray this prayer
for yourself and say, my faith is anchored on
the word of God. My faith is anchored on the
truth, on the truth that I find in scripture.
My faith is anchored and empowered by the spirit
of God to do. I do the things that the word of
God instructs me to do. I don't do the things
that I feel to do. I don't do the things that
appeals to me, but I do the things that the word
instructs me to do. My faith is anchored on the
word in the name of Jesus. My faith is anchored
on the word in the name of Jesus. In the mighty
name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. We
don't know how important this is until we look
around us. When we look around us, there are
a lot of things that are happening that can cause
you to waver, that can cause you to waver in
your faith. But once your faith is anchored on
the Word, regardless of whatever it is that's
happening, it is true. It stands true. It doesn't
shake. Praise God. It doesn't shake. And that's
why every now and then we come to the Word of
God. Every now and then we come to the word of
God because that's where we draw strength. That's
where we draw encouragement from. On Sunday,
before we started, I brought attention to the
situation in the church in Thessalonica. Apostle
Paul is writing to them in three. Notice that
they were going through the persecutions they
were going through, right? They were going through
the persecution and they were standing strong
because of the things. And in five, I will read
it to us again. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 5. It
says, May the Lord lead your heart into a full
understanding and expression of the love of God
and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
He prays this prayer in verse 3. He says, The
Lord is faithful. The Lord is faithful. And the
truth is that God is faithful regardless of what
exactly it is that's happened. The Lord is faithful.
He remains faithful. He's forever faithful. He
says, He will strengthen you. He will strengthen
you and guide you from the evil one. He said
he will strengthen you and guide you from the
evil one. He says we are confident, as Paul is
speaking, we're confident in the Lord that you
are doing and will continue to do the things
we commanded you. Regardless of what is happening,
your faith keeps you going in the things that
he has instructed you to do. Praise God. In the
things they instructed you to do. And that's
why when we are teaching and we're encouraging,
the disciples set that example. The different
things they were going through. We saw it in
Acts 4. They were persecuted. They flogged them.
When Pastor Fred was teaching us, they flogged
grown men. They flogged grown men. And after
the flogging, they went on doing what they were
instructed not to do because their faith is anchored
on the truth. And some of us have not even experienced.
Nobody has flogged. Okay. Some people. Everybody.
You have not been flogged for the gospel. Some
of us, there's a spanking that we received from
my parents and all of that. But know that you
have not been flogged, you have not been persecuted
for the gospel, and yet you are still wavering
in your faith. And the substance of your faith
is tested when you go through trials, when you
go through difficulties. Praise God. And Jesus
Christ himself said in John 16, he said you have
persecutions. You have tribulations, praise God.
You have tribulations, but he says something.
He says, be of good cheer. Let's read that. Matthew
and John 6, 33. Let's read that. Let's read that.
I want us to just pray a bit before we sit. I
want to charge us so that we pray and then maybe
the word comes. So John 16, sorry. John 16, 33.
John 16, 33. John 16, 33 says, These things I
have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulations, but
be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
It means that you should be cheerful, right?
You should be cheerful regardless of what exactly
is happening that he has overcome. So I have
overcome. He has overcome. So I walk in the victory
he has acquired for me in the name of Jesus.
I walk in the power of the spirit of God that
resides in me, that empowers me, that encourages
me regardless of what I go through to keep persevering,
to keep keeping on, to never give up, to always
pray. Even when I don't see the results, I am
praying in faith because I know that God has
promised and he's a faithful God. God has promised
and he keeps his promise. My faith is anchored
in the love of God. My faith is anchored in what
he has spoken and what he has done in Christ
Jesus for me. My faith is anchored on that. My
faith is not anchored on the fleeting things.
My faith is not anchored on what I have because
those things that I have can come and go. But
my faith is anchored. On the word of God, on
the things that he says to me, on the things
he has spoken concerning me, he says I am forgiven.
He says I'm forgiven and I believe it. I believe
it in spite of when times comes when I feel guilty
for some things. I know that he empowers me.
I know that he has done these things and I know
that I'm loved by him. I'm loved by him. I'm
loved by him. I'm loved by him. I'm loved by
him. My faith is anchored on the truth. that
he has spoken on the truth that he's speaking,
on the truth that he's ministering to me, even
in this hour. Even in this hour. And in spite
of what I go through, I will continue to preach.
I will continue to speak. I will continue to
speak. I will continue to preach the gospel.
I will not be afraid of persecution. I will not
be scared of what men will do to me. But rather,
I am confident in the fact that the word has
to be spoken. In the second Thessalonians, it
says, Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we
ask that you pray for us that God's message will
spread rapidly and be honored everywhere it goes.
That through me, the word will spread rapidly.
Through me, it will be honored everywhere. Everywhere
I go, the word of God will reach because I am
there. Because I am there in my classroom. The
word of God is there and I will speak to the
individuals that are around me. I will speak
to them with boldness. I will speak to them with
boldness. I will speak to them with boldness
in the name of Jesus. I will speak to them confident
because I know what I have. I know what I have,
so I give. I know what I have, so I give. I receive
freely, so I will give it freely in the name
of Jesus. Quran. Quran. In the mighty name of
Jesus. You know, when we pray this prayer in
Ephesians, that the eyes of our understanding
be enlightened, sometimes we fail to understand
what we're praying for. But I want to just help
us to see that what we have in Christ is full,
that the understanding that we have is full.
What catches up is our minds. What is doing the
catch up is our minds. What is doing the catch
up is our minds. So we say that is enlightening
is from the light that we have, our minds now
catches it. Our minds now catches it. And when
we are sitting in church and the word of God
is being preached to us, what is happening is
that our mind, we looked at that 12, our mind
is renewed, right? Our mind is renewed. We have
an understanding that, see, this thing is mine.
This thing is mine. It's not that I will... have
it is that I have it. What I do with what I have
is that I manifest it. We're looking at manifesting
the kingdom. We can't walk in something that
we are still in doubt that we have received.
We are still not sure. I think it's only for
some people. It doesn't affect me. I think, no,
no, no. There's what I have to do to walk in
it. Praise God. There's nothing you only do because
you have received. You don't now start walking
your way to it. We're going to see something
this morning, this evening, but I want us to
pray and say, my mind is enlightened. I understand.
I'm not confused as to what God's will, what
God has done in Christ Jesus for me. I walk in
it. I walk in it. I walk in our understanding.
I don't waver. You know, when you're not sure,
you are tossed to and fro. You're not sure. You're
just moving back. Am I sure? I'm not sure. It
will work today. It will not work tomorrow. We
don't work like that. We are sure and we work
in it every day. We are sure and we work in it
every day. I pray for you that is standing here.
You are sure, you are confident in what Christ
has done and you step into your every day with
that confidence. It's not up today, down tomorrow.
It's not down tomorrow, up to today. It's consistent.
It's consistent. It's consistent. It's consistent.
By the Spirit of God, every one of us here is
consistent. It's consistent. We are consistent
in our understanding of these truths. We see
it. We believe it. We walk in it. We see it.
We believe it. We have received it and we walk
in it in the name of Jesus. We walk in it in
the name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus,
we pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you because
the eyes of our understanding are truly enlightened.
We have the full, our minds are enlightened mightily
by your word. We're not in doubt of what it is
that we have received. We're sure of what we
have received. And we see ourselves manifest
that which we have received. In this season of
the church where we are seeing one thing after
the other, we're just pulling out layers and
layers of things, we ask that no one comes short
in all that it is that they are listening to.
Everyone that is complacent, we receive strength
to rise up and keep walking. We receive strength
to be strengthened to do the will of the Father.
We thank you because it's not about how well
we perform. It's about how Christ has done the
things that puts us in that place where we are
reconciled to you and we walk in that ministry
of reconciliation and we bring men into that
reality that you have brought us into. Heavenly
Father, we thank you. We thank you for this evening.
We don't undermine the opportunity that we have
to be gathered like this. And we thank you for
everyone here that has prioritized coming here
over the numbers of the many things that they
would have been doing. And we thank you because
it's going to be a time of blessing. It's going
to be a time of refreshing. In the mighty name
of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Let's have our seats.
So we're going to be continuing with our teaching
from Sunday and I would still encourage us to
keep at it. Let's keep taking notes and let's
keep singing and let's keep believing and let's
keep acting on the things that we've received.
Let's not just have notes. Let's have the notes
in our hearts and let's be ready to do all that
God is instructing us to do in this season. And
what I perceive for us as a church is that This
season, we'll have opportunities, we'll be having
so much opportunities, many opportunities will
be coming to us to be able to preach to people,
right? Opportunities will be coming to us to
preach to people, to share this love that we
have received, to encourage people, to be able
to bring them into the understanding that we
do have. And the reason why we're going to the
basics, we're going to the foundation, is that
we are grounded in the truths of God's word.
We're grounded in the truth of what we have received.
We will struggle to explain what we have received
when we don't understand what we have received.
And many times you meet people and they say,
oh, we are Christians and they can't explain
what makes them that. They can't explain what
makes them that. That's why we go to the foundation
of all of these things. So it's very crucial
that we understand what we have received because
what we have received is great. What we have
received is mighty and what we have received,
needs to be expressed. So I read to us that Apostle
Paul was praying that they might be led into
a full understanding, right? They might be led
to a full understanding and expression of the
love and the patient endurance that comes from
Christ, that we have in Christ. So the topic,
again, still remains understanding the Father's
love in Christ. Understanding the Father's love.
in Christ, understanding the Father's love in
Christ. And we stopped around what forgiveness
is. We had explained what forgiveness is. And
we said, what we have in Christ is, because we
said, we went to John 3, 16, right? Went to John
3, 16 and says, he gave. And we explained what
that he gave meant, right? We said, it's not
he gave us, it's he gave. And he gave means that.
He speaks of his debt, speaks of the sacrificial,
that sacrifice that was paid. And what was that
sacrifice for? We say the sacrifice is for the
forgiveness of sin. That's why we explain what
the forgiveness of sin, what forgiveness is.
And we went to Ephesians 1 verse 7, where it
says, in him we have redemption through his blood.
And we say it's through his blood, speaks of
that still the sacrifice. It says the forgiveness
of sins according. to the riches of his grace.
The forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of his grace. And we say that forgiveness there
is aphesis. A -P -H -E -S -I -S. And we say that
that forgiveness is not just a reluctant pardon.
The forgiveness is not just a reluctant pardon.
It is that it is wiped clean. It says it's a
removal or dismissal. It's like you, like someone.
It's like an idea of a debt being canceled and
cleared. Every record of it is removed. No record
of it is there. I think I was smiling after church
on Sunday. Some people were now using the opportunity
to say that what they are owing in their team
is cleared. I was like, what they are owing is
cleared. I said, no, that one is physical. You
have to clear it yourself. Because you are the
one that is your responsibility to do that. It's
your responsibility to do so. Praise God. So
we know that. So when we say that there's no
longer any record, so it means that our relationship
with God doesn't have the same, there's nothing
as, there's no, you don't have that as a challenge.
There's no longer that as a problem. And it means
that you should not walk in, you should not be
walking in guilt of what you have done, rather
walk in the, truth, that all of your debts are
cleared. Walk in that reality and that truth.
And what I want us to see, Simon Day and I, we
went to Psalms, right? We went to Psalms 103,
and we looked at David's prophecy. He says, he
has dealt, he has not dealt with us according
to our sins. Meaning that God has not dealt with
us according to our sins, nor punished us. according
to our iniquities. And he says something in the
verse 12. He says, as far as the east is from
the west. Know that when somebody says, as far
as the east is from the west, he's trying to
tell us that that is how far it is removed. Not
that you can catch up. You can't catch up. You
can't bring the two together. You can't catch
up. It's just telling you that it is done. You
can never have them close. That's how far, that's
how it's entirely, it's removed entirely. So
there's no record of it. So our posture towards,
Our posture in Christ is not based on our sins.
It's not based on our sins. It's based on what
Christ has done. It means that we don't have
a problem of sin. And I want us to see something.
It happened in Luke 18. Just to exemplify that.
It means that when we come to God, we're not
coming to God based on our works. We're not coming
to God based on the things we're able to do.
And even when we're in Christ, we don't come
to Him based on... the things that we're able
to do. We come to him based on what Christ has
done. That remains the same. That remains, it
doesn't change. Luke 18, I want us to see verse
9 to 14. Luke 18, 9 to 14. So, and this is a
parable Jesus Christ was speaking. It says, also
he spoke this parable to some who trusted in
themselves that they, that they are righteous
and despise others. Please look, let's go back
in the nine. It says these are individuals who
trusted in themselves that they were righteous.
Trusting in themselves that we are righteous
and they didn't just leave it at that. They now
decide to despise others. And you can't, you
can't know what you have received and then turn
to the other person and despise them. And sometimes
in our work, physical work, we tend to want to
look down on others because we feel that we're
in a high... What brings that is when you feel
that you're here and they're here. We have a
tendency to do so. You just look at a little
child and then you feel like, oh, I'm older than
you. And you feel that you... Or look at someone
because you've attained certain things. I know
that our work is not based on... I think when
we look at the situation with the apostles, when
they saw, they say, these men were uneducated.
Class, you know, that is humbling. When someone
is not educated and has what you don't have and
you are educated, it humbles you in certain respects.
But note that the reason why all of that was
seen in their lives is because they were with
Jesus Christ. There's a lot of things we gain
in our relationship with Christ. There's a lot
we gain. There's a lot we lose when we distance
ourselves from what Christ has done. Praise God.
I want to let that sink in because we can sometimes
say one thing, and do something else. We can
be saying one thing, and we'll be doing something
else. We can say, oh, I believe that Christ died
for me, but you are acting like you still owe
him for the sins that he has paid for. Praise
God. You can say, we say it, because what makes
this thing practical is when you say, there's
nothing that will separate me from the love of
God, and then when you are going through persecution,
you're already separated. In fact, just simple
exams. Just a simple week of exams, we don't
see you. So now, practical, exam has separated.
Exams, physically, we don't see you because of
exams. So you want to learn to know what you
are holding on to and stick with it. Praise God.
Know what you're holding on to and stick with
it. So it says, and don't despise others. So
it means that these individuals felt that because
of... They trusted in themselves, meaning that
they now decided, okay, this trust in themselves,
now push others out of sight. So, two men went
up to the temple to pray. Two men went up to
the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee, and the
other, a tax collector. The two individuals you
already know. You already know what is about
to happen because one is a Pharisee, the other
person is a tax collector. So the Pharisee stood
and prayed to us with himself. He prayed to us
with himself. Says, God, I thank you that I'm
not like the other man. An extortioner, unjust,
you see, adulterer, as even this tax collector.
I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that
I possess. And the tax collector standing, look
at his posture as against the posture of the
tax collector. The tax collector standing afar
off could not as much as raise his eyes to the
heaven, but beat his breast saying, God, be merciful
to me, a sinner. God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
And 14, he says, I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exhausted.
I want you to go back to 13, and let's see something.
He says, the cry of the tax collector is, Be
merciful to me, a sinner. I want us to focus
on that word. Know that the posture of this person,
as again, this person, the fact that this person
came trusting himself, prideful, and this other
person is, he says, God, be merciful to me. The
other person had his own manifesto. I did this,
I've done this. And for some of us, it would
be things like I fasted, I serve in church. I
have all of those things. And those are the things
that we put to our record. Those are the things
that we now put to our records. And then we use
that to victimize the other person. That we feel
that, oh, this guy is a tax collector. And we
know that the tax collectors in that time and
age, they were like the people that collect.
And sometimes they add money and all of that.
And say, this person is a person. You can qualify
them as such. And sometimes we can even have
that attitude when we go to preach the gospel.
You're looking at the person and you say, this
person is Jesus. But you're saying this person
is Jesus with a bit of... You are condescending
in your... Even the way you're talking to them.
Say, with that, you are not him. You are telling
the truth, but your action or your attitude towards
the individual is not of love. Praise God. So
the word, the being merciful there is a Greek
word, and I want you to... I want you to understand
that that mercy there is not of pity. It's not
pity. The mercy there isn't, you know, in the
Nigerian, they say, God, I beg, pity me. It's
not pity. It's not out of pity. And the word
is, is H -I -L -A -S -K -O -M -A -I. H -I. L
-A -S -K -O -M -A -I is hilaskomai. So the word
there is, we said it's not pity. The word there
is not pity. That word there means to render
oneself. That word there means to render oneself
and it has to do with the It's the sacrifice
of propitiation. It's an atoning sacrifice. It
has to do with an atoning sacrifice. It means
to render oneself. And I want you to, that's
why we take our time to, because if you see God
be merciful, you almost would think that, pity
me, please, my own situation. But to confirm
that, I want you to see another place where that
same word is used in Hebrews. In Hebrews, Hebrews
2 .17. Hebrews 2 .17. Hebrews 2 .17. We read
it from the New King James. Hebrews 2 .17. He
says, Therefore, in all things, he had to be
made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful
and faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God. to make propitiation for the sins of
the people. Just leave it there. I want you to
look at the passage that we have. You will think
that the word merciful should be the word there,
right? You should, you will be thinking that
that is the word. That is the word that, that
is the same, the same word. But that word merciful
is another word. This messable here is another
Greek word, which is elemon. It's E -L -E -E
-M -O -N. It's a different, it's not the same
word. The word over there is elemon. That's E
-L -E -E -M -O -N, elemon. The word that is the
helascomine. or the phrase that is the helascomine
is make propitiation for. Make propitiation for
is the word that is the helascomine. And it makes
perfect sense when you read it. It says to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. To make
propitiation for the sins of the people. And
just to take us back, remember we said that is
his debt. that makes that available to us. The
reason why we can come boldly is because of what
the price that he has paid in his debt. And the
reason why that tax collector can open his mouth
and plead is because of what Christ has done.
And when we come as believers and we're anchoring
our faith on the things that we've done, we are
actually, it's going to be hard for us to, our
faith. can shift. Because there are times when
you are not able to do those things. And you
will now have guilt. Praise God. I hope we're
listening. There are times where you struggle
and you now have guilt. But know that regardless
of what the tax collector, because the tax collector
had things on his record. And then he knows that
he just has to put himself at the mercy. of God
and basically that's what he did. And that's
why that word there is you're rendering yourself.
You're accepting what he has done. It's not a
pity thing. It's not a pity thing. God did not
just look and pity us and then sent his son.
It's not pity that made him do the things that
he did. It's the love that he has for us that
made him do the things that he did. Praise God.
The love he has for us is what motivates him
to always hold on to us even when We are letting
go of him. Praise God. Even when we're letting
go of him, that love is what keeps... See, the
reason why you will stay struggling is because
you are not sure of why does he keep holding
on to me even when sometimes you're wondering
why. Because God is faithful. Remember what we
read at the beginning. He says he's faithful.
He's faithful. So I am strengthened in his strength.
Not when we're taught about joy. Joy is not external.
It's the things that God works in us that is
sin. Meaning that everything of ours, anything
that we can produce, comes from him. Praise God.
Comes from him. So the mercy that we've received
is from him. And the same is what we extend to
others. That's what we're going to be building
on. That's what we're going to be seeing happen.
And I want to just, in this evening, clarify
to us how important it is that we should know
what we have received. We should know that what
we have received is what Christ has given. And
the same thing he received is what he had given.
It's the same thing. We just have that in the
back of our mind. And it's not based on performance.
I want to keep repeating that. That is not based
on performance. It's not like you do more, he
loves you more. If you're doing more, you are
helping yourself to grow. It's not by, okay,
because I did this and this and this, because
that's basically what the piracy was just. I've
done this, I've done this, I've done that on
the basis of that. It will be all work and no
show. Praise God. It's going to end up in all
work and no show. And we want to shift to a point
in the church where, and we'll see this, hopefully,
in subsequent teaching, where you know the love
of God and you are able to extend it to see someone
get healed, right? You're able to extend it to
see someone get saved. You're able to extend
it to see someone get delivered. You're able
to extend it. You look at the person and what
comes out of you is, oh, God, I want you to just
touch this person. I want you to heal this person.
And you're not doing it because the person you
are putting in the corner. You're doing it because
there is something that wells up from the inside
of you that makes you want to just go out and
do it. And you're doing it from the standpoint
of love. Because when we don't do things from
the standpoint of love, we will struggle. It's
just going to be off and on. We're doing it because
we know what we have received and then we're
acting in accordance to it. Praise God. We're
acting in accordance to it. And I want us to
see. Even further, because they're setting, let's
look at Hebrews. Since we're in Hebrews, Hebrews
8, verse 12. Hebrews 8, 12. Just before I retreat,
the fact that there is no, so it says, for I
will be merciful to their unrighteousness. And
this merciful here is under the, Another Greek
word. There's another Greek word which is hulios.
That's H -I -L -E -O -S. H -I -L -E -O -S. So
this word is another Greek word. It's hulios.
And it's an adjective that's similar to the helasco
mine. When it says, I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness. Meaning that the mercy of God
is towards what? Unrighteousness. Meaning that
it resolves that. So a person that has received
God's mercy is now no longer regarded as unrighteous,
is now in right standing with God. Praise God.
He's in right standing with God. He says, and
their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember
no more. Praise God. He says, their sins and
their lawless deeds, I will remember it no more.
When somebody tells you, or when someone, a human
being tells you, I will remember it no more.
You know, you have it, it's because the person...
When you do it again, it might come back. But
when God says, I will remember it no more, it
means he will remember it no more. Meaning that
if it comes up again, something like it has been
paid already, so it doesn't come back again.
It doesn't come back again. And it's not from
your own hand, right? It's not from your own
hand, it's from his own hand. Because he's remembering
no more. But now you are the one that will struggle
to, hence the thing we said about your mind,
right? You want to ensure that you remind yourself
that these things are no longer an issue in your
work with God. I'm saying it. I'm repeating myself
again because there are many of us that from
time to time, circumstance and situation brings
us to that place where we are in doubt because
we feel like things should be better, but they
are not. And then you want to find what the cause
of the problem is. And then you go to what you
feel is the problem. You don't fix the main thing,
which is you want to go back to God's word to
remind yourself the things he has said concerning
you and concerning that situation. Praise God.
That is where our faith should always be anchored.
That is where our faith should always be anchored
on the things that his word says concerning the
matter. Because he says here that he will remember
it no more. And how many of you believe that
he doesn't remember it anymore? How many of you
believe that? How many of you believe that? You
know, some of us don't believe it because sometimes
I think he remembers. That's why he's doing this.
That's why he's out to get me. Praise God. Expo
2 remembers. Praise God. So he says he remembers
it no more because that word, that Julius, it's
an adjective because it's describing because
it says be. And it still has merciful in it and
it still means the propitious. Propitious. It
means to be propitious. And it's used to mean
that it's averting calamities. It's like in averting
calamity. And it's like far be it. Or be it far.
Like it's far away. Remember what we said about
as far as the east from the west? So it used
to. So you're describing or you're saying it.
And even in the Jewish, they almost use it to
do like far be it from you, right? Like God forbid,
like it's far away from you. And we see that
same word in Matthew 16, 22. When the conversation
of Jesus Christ or the conversation of Jesus,
Peter speaking to Jesus Christ after he has spoken
of him, his death. In Matthew 16, 32, you see,
and then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke
him saying, far be it. That far be it is the
same word. That far be it is the same word. Far
be it from you. Far be it is that word. It says,
it shall not happen to you. It shall not happen
to you. And what Peter was saying is that you're
not dying. You're not dying. And remember when
you think of it and think of the fact that his
death is what brings us to that place where It
establishes the fact that we now are righteous
because after all the things we've been reading.
But that propitiation, that sacrificial, that
payment has to be made. So when you come and
then, and remember it's the same person that
was like, oh, that he will follow him anywhere
he's going. The same person. Remember on Sunday?
How many of us remember Sunday? Where he was
like, ah, that he's going to lay down his life
too. Right? See, you see the same person say
he's going to lay down his life too. It's the
same person now that say, ah, no, no, no, you
don't have to die. It's almost like, don't die.
I'm going to go ahead. Praise God. And it says,
because of what Christ has done, that is going
back to what we saw in the Psalms. Because of
what he has done, that's what sets the whole
thing, sets us apart. So there is no record now
and forever because of what he has done. Remember
what we said. And this ensures that you're not
tossed through, through and through, through
and through. This ensures that you're not tossed
from one end to another. When we read that in
Ephesians, let's go to Ephesians. You know, when
we read it, sometimes we think it's something,
it has to be something, it's as simple as the
core of it, as the foundation. 4 .14 It says
that we should, that we, should no longer be
children, that we should no longer be children
tossed through and through and carried about
by every wind of doctrine. Know that you are
tossed through and through once you're not anchored
or grounded on the truths, especially foundational
truths. Foundational truth as you're forgiven
and there's no record of it and then you are
still moving. You're going to say, I'm sure,
I'm not sure. You need to grow. in the knowledge
that you receive. That will cripple your ability.
And for some of us, they say, okay, you can heal
the sick, right? You can preach to people and
get them saved. And then you're like, are you
sure? I've not started. My Christian work has
not reached that level. And you're saying all
of these things to offset the fact that you know
that you can be saved today and get someone saved.
Praise God. You can be saved just because you
know what you have received. You pass it. And
in fact, most of the times we're very excited
at that point. In fact, if you've seen somebody,
the person's like, ah, you know what? I just,
I just, I just received. And they're very excited
to give it to the next person. Well, something
happens along the line. That's why we were praying
that we're never lacking in zeal. Because sometimes
you lose that excitement of the first time you,
because you have received it at first and you
know what you're excited about it. But over time,
because Jesus. And then you slow down. But what?
we're seeing here is that we want to stay grounded.
We're not given to things that are flying around,
right? We're not given to what is flying around,
but we're here that is sure. We're with the word
of God that is sure. And we're not, it says,
by the trickery of men, by the cunning craftiness
and the sinful plotting. We're not given to all
of those things. We're given to one single thing,
which is the word of God. Praise God. And when
he says that there is no condemnation, right?
When he says that there's no condemnation and
there's no judgment, he's all anchored on the
fact that he has paid it all. When he says there's
no condemnation, there's no judgment, the reason
why that is the reality of a believer is because
something has been done. And it's not anchored
on you. I'll keep drumming it. It's not anchored
on you. So it means that when you step into a
situation, you remember that the power of God
is available and it flows through you. What you
do is that you are just a vessel that is willing
to allow him to manifest himself. You're willing
to see his kingdom. You're willing to see his
kingdom manifest in and through yourself. And
when you say no, you are stopping that from happening.
The same way when we're praying and we're saying
that they give the things of the Spirit. You
know that through me, this person will be blessed.
And then I will yield myself to see that this
person gets blessed. That consciousness drives
whatever it is that God wants to do to make it
possible. But when you come and say you are undermining
or you're despising or you're looking down on
the person, what you're doing is inevitable.
You're stopping. The flow. Praise God. You're
stopping the flow. When you are in a situation
where you are in the classroom and you're talking
with someone and then the conversation is about
maybe random and then the Holy Spirit prompts
you and says like share the gospel and then you
you say no. Maybe some other time. Let me not
be that weirdo. That person that does like this
or this or so and that. But there are people
that are very happy to introduce anything to
you. Or you have something that is the real deal,
that is more than what they have, and you're
holding it back. You're not sharing that love
that is beyond, that doesn't go up and down.
Praise God. You want to ensure that at every
given point in time, you're allowing Him to find
expression through your life by the Spirit of
God. You're allowing him to find expression to
your life. And just to stay on the point of judgment,
I want us to see John 5. John 5, 24. John 5,
24. And Jesus is speaking. And I think we're
seeing it. He says, most assuredly, I say to
you. He said, he who hears my word and believes
in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall
not come into judgment. He says, he shall not
come into judgment, but has passed from death
into life. He shall not come into judgment, but
has passed from death into life. And the word
judgment there is crisis. And it's like crisis.
It's K -R -I. S -I -S. K -R -I -S -I -S. K -R
-I -S -I -S. And that crisis means justice. Right?
It says, it shall not come into justice because
God's justice system has covered, the system
has covered it. There's a price that has been
paid. The verdict has been done. There's no record
of it. So that doesn't concern the individual.
It says, but he has passed. From death into life.
Praise God. It's passed from death into life.
And every believer, it's not just a life, but
as Jesus Christ speaking, we say the life is
life abundant. The life is life abundant. The
life is life abundant. And what makes that life
abundant is the spirit of God, which you and
I carry. That is the seal of the relationship
that we have with him. That's the seal of the
relationship that we have with him. And he says,
the believer does not come into judgment and
the court case is over because of what the cross
has done. And it's permanent. It's permanent.
It doesn't change. I don't know. You know, when
somebody, when we are thinking that it goes up
and down, we put ourselves in a place where it's
like, it's here today. come tomorrow, here today,
come tomorrow. You wake up in the morning and
you're not sure whether it's there or it's not
there. But we know that in God, He's always sure.
It's permanent. It's true. And regardless of
how you feel, regardless of how you woke up that
day, it's true. You just keep going on with that,
going on with that. How many of you have experienced
a situation where you woke up and you don't feel
strong? But the moment you get up and then you
start walking, you just discover that the energy
that you... our exuding was always there. But
you needed to just move around and then it kicks
in. The same way when we say rejoice, sometimes
it's not, it doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't
get you. Or you don't, you feel like, oh, what
are those people doing? But because you know,
right? And then it comes to your mind, I have
a reason to rejoice. Because of what Christ has
done, because of what I now have, I rejoice.
Because of what I have received, I rejoice. Even
though I don't see the physical, remember we
said that it's not anchored on the physical thing.
Because if it's anchored on the physical thing,
there are a lot of things that you want, but
you don't have. There are a lot of things that
you're looking for. The situations are legitimate,
but you don't have it. But you're going on and
on. You're doing it. Remember what I said on
Sunday, it comes to mind again. Where you're
going through difficulty, but you're still happy.
You're still rejoicing. That in itself changes
everything when somebody knows what you're going
through. They see you going through what you're
going through, but you are always there. You
are always excited. You're always serving. You're
always willing to do anything for God. And then
it's like, what is wrong with you? People are
going through what you're going through and they
lock themselves up and they're crying and they're
mourning and they're doing all manner of things,
but you're still standing. What makes you stand?
It's because you're sure of what Christ has done.
Because you're not just somebody that says, I
believe, I believe, I believe. You are acting
out and we can tell because of your action. It's
not just in words. And it doesn't always have
to be you talk about it. What speaks louder or
the loudest is when you show. You show it. Praise
God. When you show it. And the love that we received.
was demonstrated to us. Praise God. It was demonstrated
to us and was clearly demonstrated. You know,
we read in 1 John. It's because it's his demonstration,
then we demonstrate. And it shows us how we demonstrate
it. By going out of our way to meet the needs
of others, right? And going out of our way to
do what has been done to us, to others. Praise
God. And it's very powerful when we... Think
about it. It's very powerful when made. Because
there's a security in doing. There's a security.
You know, when you know something is secured,
you sleep well at night, right? When you know
that your life is secured in Christ Jesus, you're
not scared that you'll be stolen, right? You're
not scared that something will happen and then
you'll lose it. You're not going back to it to
confirm. You know there's something confident
about when you know that you're typing something
and you have hit save. you're typing, you're
typing and typing. You know, I was speaking to
one of her. She said that, ah, that she saved
it, that thank God she hit send. And then her
system had a problem. I was like, ah, that would
be difficult to explain. It would be difficult
to explain to someone when you had not hit send
and send it. And then I had an experience like
that one time where I was like, hey, if I had
not copied and pasted it somewhere and then the
thing just went like this and then. You now have
stories to tell. And then you message your teacher
like you're lying. And then you knew that your
system just turned on you. Your PC turned on
you. You will need proof or you need backup or
you need cloud to save you. Praise God. But know
that when something is sure, when there's security,
you move on with... Peace, right? You move on
with joy because you know that regardless of
what happens, you are safe. And you're not safe
because Jesus Christ was saying, see, in the
world, it's not a safe place. You can just walk
out now and something happens. But what is guaranteed
to us is in Christ Jesus. Nothing can steal what
we have in Christ Jesus. Nothing can break into
what we have in Christ Jesus. Nothing can destroy
what we have in Christ Jesus. And you might doubt
it. You might say, oh, I don't think I see it.
But you will see it. Praise God. If you keep
looking into God's word, one day, even right
now, it will hit you. Praise God. Even right
now, it will hit you. And right now, it has taken
a grace. Your head is going around it and it's
beyond words. Praise God. It's beyond words.
It's beyond words. It's something that the Holy
Spirit, even in this moment, the Holy Spirit,
even in this moment, is causing your heart to
just open up and see it. You know, when Ephesians
says that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened,
you don't know how powerful that is. That once
you catch up to something and there's a light
bulb that lights up in your mind, and then you
say, this is it. Here is it. And then you run
with it. Because now you have an understanding.
And that is basically how our work is. The more
understanding we get, the more built we are,
the more we're able to withstand difficult situations,
the more we're able to run, the more we're able
to do more. Our doing more is for our own good.
Right? Our doing more is for our own good. You're
not doing... We're not doing more to be loved
more. Praise God. We're not doing more to be
loved more. And it's massive. John, I want us
to see something in John 17. John 17, 22 to 23.
Jesus Christ. Just quite speaking, praying and
says, and the glory which you gave me, I have
given them that they may be one just as we are.
One. 23. I in them and you in me, that they may
be made perfect in one that the world, may know
that you have sent me and have loved them as
you have loved me. I want you to stay there.
And love them as you have loved me. It says,
I in them and you in me that they may be made
perfect in one and that the world may know that
you have sent me and have loved them just as
you have loved me. Meaning that the love that
God has for his son is the same love that he
has for us. You want to allow that to soak into
your mind, that what we have, and we have the
same spirit of God, we have that union, we're
all united in that one. It says we share in that
sonship, we share in that relationship. We call
God our father because we have that union on
the basis of what Christ has done. We're brought
into divine fellowship with God because of what
Christ has done. And we're sharing that. And
by the spirit of God, we're able to flow continually
in that relationship, right? Because the proof
of it is that you have loved them just as I,
you have loved them as you have loved me. You
have loved them as you have loved me. And that
is the foundation of identity. That's the foundation
of identity. The love of God is the foundation
of identity, and it's not rooted in our performance.
It's not rooted in the things that we do, the
things that we will do, but it's in the unchanging
love and the perfect love of the Father. It's
in that unchanging love and perfect love for
the Father, and that love is directed towards
us and the Son, and we're able to stand, we can
be able to say, we stand forgiven. We are beloved
in Christ Jesus. We have the same quality, same
intensity, the same love. We experience that
same love from the Father. Every one of us here
partakers. In fact, we have that. That love is
channeled towards us. And you don't have any
less of it than the other person. You know, when
parents have several children, there's a tendency
to love one more than the other. You love the
one that does well, and then... You don't love
the one that does well. It's parents, early parents
can do that or have a tendency to do that. Right?
You have a tendency to do that. But with God,
as many as we are, he channels the same intensity.
It's not based on the performance. He channels
that same intensity towards you. He channels
that same intensity towards me. And every one
of us enjoys. that same intensity. And the moment
you understand it, you now have caught up to
it, right? The moment you understand it, your
work now is, you know, when you know that your
parents love you so much, you know, there's a
way you work in school, you know, little kids
saying, you carry your school badge, your mom's
around because, you know, daddy loves me, daddy
loves me. And that's the kind of excitement we
have because we know that regardless of it, the
love of the father is always there. towards us.
It's always there for us. And it's the foundation
and the basis of our love and our work. And because
of that love, we are brought into, there's an
understanding that comes with it. Because of
that relationship with our love, we come into
that understanding. I want us to see something
in John 15, 15. And by the Spirit of God, the
Word of God enlightens our minds. Enlightens
our minds to understand how solid that love is,
the dimensions of this love, as Ephesians would
say, Ephesians 3. But 15 .15, John 15 .15, it
says, No longer do I call you servants, for a
servant does not know what his master is doing.
But I call you friends, for all things that I
have heard from the Father, I made known to you.
For all things I've heard from the Father, I
made known to you. Just stay in the 15. All things
I've heard from the Father, I made known to you.
And by the Spirit of God, we have received all
things, right? We have received all things. We
have received all things. And note that when
we pray that their eyes will understand and be
enlightened, what happens is that all things
that were received is made known to our minds
and is made manifest. Because, you know, when
we talk about casting down every... I always
imagine it. You know, there are things that are
in your mind that needs to calm down, right?
There are things that needs to calm down. And
the moment those things calm down, you see what
God has made available unto you, manifest through
your life. Because it has always been there.
It has always been there. It has always been
there. In this passage, you see that there's
a servant, there's a, you know, That relationship,
when we read the book of, I think the book of
last two months or so, where it talks about the
Jesus Christ servant relationship and son relationship,
there's a synergy in that relationship because
the servant side of things is a service. There's
a son side of things that you know that no matter
what, all of those things work together. There's
a synergy in that relationship because there's
one part that... Seven, there's one part, there's
that. But in our work with him, the friend or
a friend is confident, right? A friend has a
confidence in the fact that the status of their
relationship gives them access, unlimited access,
right? It's friendship. When you have friends,
you have unlimited access. And know that even
when we have friends, you know, some of us, the
friendships, you know, some people, like everybody's
their friend. In fact, some people will claim
that they are friends when in reality it's not
mutual. And even with those friendships, you
have where you place this person at. I was explaining
to someone, I said, there are friends that will
stay in your living room. No matter how, that's
where they're at. There are friends that you
can bring them into your kitchen. They have that
access into your kitchen. There are friends that
can come into your bedroom. because they have
that access into your space. And know that with
physical relationship, the moment you promote
somebody that should be in your... In fact, there
are some friends that should be at the door.
They shouldn't even enter the house. And just
imagine when somebody that should be at the door
has access into your living room. You might be
wondering why you got robbed. Because the person
is like, ah, we don't always have this opportunity.
Let's make the most of this opportunity now that
we have it. And then you'll be like, ah, the
person ran away. My things got stolen. And you
can't be looking at the people that have always
been there because all the while they were there,
nothing got stolen. So it means that you let
someone that should be at the door inside or
you let someone that should be in the living
room inside. So know that even with a physical
relationship, we have cutters, right? And anytime
you... push somebody very quickly, they leave
very quickly because they came in very quickly.
Praise God. But in our relationship with God,
it doesn't apply, right? Because you can have
that mindset and there's no telling because you
can come into a relationship with God and feel
like I'm at the door. Lord, you know, you'll
be singing always, I come before you today because
you're always coming before him. You're always
going before him. No, it's a wonderful song.
You're always going before him. Because you are
always in that space with him. And some of us,
it's the mindset we have. And that's why when
we sing, we're very careful, conscious of the
kind of songs we sing. Because sometimes you're
singing the song, but it registers. It really
does register. You're singing it, but you don't
know how that applies to even how you're living
because it's what you know that you act, right?
And once you've sung it so much that even subconsciously
you have the song just coming on and that in
itself will interpret or translate to what your
relationship would be with him. And it's very
dangerous when we sing certain things that are
inconsistent with the word of God. That's why
we try to, as much as the melody sounds nice,
most times we, I think we'll discuss it in part
two. Reading the lyrics saves you the stress
of having to say, I love the song. You know,
when you read the lyrics, it's clear. But once
you hear everything together with the beats and
everything, you might just say, it's not that
bad. It's not bad. It's like, we can change it
a bit here and there. And sometimes you don't
want to change the parts that will mess with
the... And then you're... Because you... But
once you... But once you know that this thing
is in control, and that's why we say, you know,
many of us will say canonical, canonical, follow,
ensure that you are canonical, ensure that you
are, but we will be begging you, struggle with
you to get to it. And that's why when you hear
certain things, it doesn't register. Man of God
was talking about how, I think, I can't remember
the particular person that his daughter was like,
no, that's not, that's not, that's not right.
That's not, and you'd be like, how old is she?
And she could tell that this is not right. And
so it was the right thing. She was able to quote
the particular passage, the scripture. And know
that there's a benefit of knowing what is true,
right? So that once you approach with what is
false, you can spot it. In fact, your mind, that's
where the mind is very effective. Your mind will
just say, this is wrong. And you're able to come,
like you know that because it is. And then you're
able to stand against. That's how we're able
to withstand the wiles of the alien. Because
we know the truth and doesn't have to be, it's
subtle. Where you're able to know that this is
where I stand, this is. And then you act and
you walk in the light that you have received.
Praise God. And we are children of light. And
we know that that light is not, you know, when
we hear light, you think of. And in Ephesians
5, 8, it says, for we were once darkness, 5,
8, but now we are light and we walk as children.
We are light in the Lord and walk as children
of light. And walking as children of light, and
even the 1 Thessalonians 5, 4 to 5, let's write
this passage of scripture while we close, as
we close. 1 Thessalonians 5, 4 to 5 says, but
you, my brethren, are not in darkness. You, my
brethren, are not in darkness. So there's a day,
so we say, it comes as a thief. Then next, 5
verse 5 says, you are all sons of light and sons
of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness.
We are not of the night, nor of darkness. We
are children of light because we know the light
we have received and we walk in that light. And
walking in that light is walking in the truth,
is walking in the love that we receive. Walking
in that light is walking in the truth, walking
in the love we receive. And we do that because
we know. We do that because there's the precise
knowledge of God's word that spores up the precise
knowledge that by the spirit of God, our minds,
our thinking faculties are flooded with every
time we approach the word. that that light is
from the Spirit of God and it shines on our minds,
which is limited in knowledge, but in the Spirit
of God, it's unlimited. There's full, there's
a precise knowledge, there's accurate knowledge,
and then that in itself spurs us to do the things
that the Father instructs us to do, to flow in
the things that the Spirit of God causes and
spurs us to do. Praise God. I want us to just
close our eyes and just thank God for his love.
Thank God for understanding of that love. And
thank God for how we are empowered to not just
go through the motions of our walk with him,
but to really be into the walk and to understand.
and continue to understand, to grow in understanding
that our eyes will continue to be enlightened.
I want us to go to that passage. Ephesians 3,
I will read 3 .16. It says that He will grant
you, according to the riches of God, that we
be strengthened in our mind through His Spirit
and our inner mind. For Christ may dwell in your
hearts according to faith, that being rooted
and grounded in love, that you are able to comprehend
with all the saints what is the width, the length,
the depth, and the height. To know the love of
Christ, which passes knowledge. We'll correct
that. We'll discuss that on Sunday. That you
may be filled because we're filled with the fullness
of God. I want us to go to 1. It says that the
eyes of my understanding being enlightened, that
you may know what is the hope of his calling,
what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance
and the saints. That the eyes of my understanding.
that the eyes of my heart, that the eyes of my
understanding is enlightened in the name of Jesus,
that the eyes of my understanding is enlightened
in the name of Jesus, that the eyes of my understanding
is enlightened in the name of Jesus. or follow
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this message with someone you care about. Until
next time, stay blessed.