WEBVTT 00:00:01.379 --> 00:00:06.900 Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:09.900 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:14.140 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:14.140 --> 00:00:18.160 the end for our rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:25.940 right in. I want us to be expectant. I really 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:28.559 want us to pay attention. We're going to continue 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:30.850 with our teaching. We're going to be continuing 00:00:30.850 --> 00:00:34.350 our teaching. This will be the taught part of 00:00:34.350 --> 00:00:38.490 it. Standing fast in the faith. Standing fast 00:00:38.490 --> 00:00:44.789 in the faith. And I sense the relevance of this 00:00:44.789 --> 00:00:48.929 at this point in time because a lot of things 00:00:48.929 --> 00:00:51.090 have happened. A lot of things are happening. 00:00:52.670 --> 00:00:58.710 And every believer has to know what they are 00:00:58.710 --> 00:01:00.969 holding on to, or who they are holding on to. 00:01:01.409 --> 00:01:04.769 And not just know who they are holding on to, 00:01:05.010 --> 00:01:11.290 but why. And hold fast. And hold fast to God. 00:01:11.390 --> 00:01:14.609 Praise God. In the previous teaching, I think 00:01:14.609 --> 00:01:16.750 we started the teaching on paying attention, 00:01:17.230 --> 00:01:19.609 right? Paying attention. And you don't just pay 00:01:19.609 --> 00:01:22.290 attention, you pay faithful attention to every 00:01:22.290 --> 00:01:25.890 word or every teaching. And just to remind those 00:01:25.890 --> 00:01:28.290 of us, or if this is your first time in church, 00:01:28.670 --> 00:01:30.790 or if this is your first time joining us, the 00:01:30.790 --> 00:01:35.109 team of this year's Greater Works, and if we 00:01:35.109 --> 00:01:42.049 are going to work in greater, we have to pay 00:01:42.049 --> 00:01:46.390 attention. We have to pay not just passive attention, 00:01:46.569 --> 00:01:49.189 but close and active attention to God's Word. 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:53.640 As we continued in the teaching, I think I took 00:01:53.640 --> 00:02:06.799 us to the text in John 14 verse 12. I think in 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:10.419 the second part of the teaching, I walked us 00:02:10.419 --> 00:02:17.300 through the uniqueness of John's Gospel. phrase 00:02:17.300 --> 00:02:20.479 most assuredly was used several times and in 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:24.039 those several times there was a communication 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:27.840 that has been made and it highlights and focused 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.680 on learning, like wanting to understand what 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:34.080 the meaning is. And we established that trust 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:39.520 in God always leads us to action. It always leads 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:42.439 us to action. It always leads us to action. And 00:02:42.439 --> 00:03:06.139 I just want us to go to our text in I want to 00:03:06.139 --> 00:03:09.099 remind us as believers that our faith is not 00:03:09.099 --> 00:03:13.400 a blind faith. Our faith in God is not a blind 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:15.620 faith. There's a basis for our faith in God. 00:03:16.060 --> 00:03:21.599 You have people that can't or just believe blindly. 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:25.419 They feel that your belief in God has no basis. 00:03:25.939 --> 00:03:28.319 There's no basis for your belief in God. And 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:31.219 in case you don't know what blind faith is, blind 00:03:31.219 --> 00:03:33.960 faith is believing in something without any reason 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:37.419 or evidence. You are believing in something without 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:39.479 any reason or evidence. You don't know why you 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:41.340 believe what you believe in. It's almost like 00:03:41.340 --> 00:03:47.439 a passive ignorance. You know, but you don't 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:51.219 know. Kind of situation. And the cure for that 00:03:51.219 --> 00:03:56.740 is knowledge. The cure for blind ignorance is 00:03:56.740 --> 00:03:59.379 knowledge. And I will go back to that aspect 00:03:59.379 --> 00:04:01.620 of what's paying attention. Because if you don't 00:04:01.620 --> 00:04:05.479 pay attention, you will still be ignorant. Praise 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:08.439 God. It was tough that you are in the circle 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:10.500 of, you are in a place where they are teaching 00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:13.080 you and you're supposed to be learning, but you're 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:15.439 still ignorant. I think it's better you're not 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:18.699 even here than you are here. And this is me calling 00:04:18.699 --> 00:04:21.579 attention to the fact that you can be here and 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:24.060 you're not taking notes. You're just watching. 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:29.120 It means that you really don't understand or 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:30.720 you do not know why you're here or you just showed 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.779 up as a routine. Praise God. I want us to understand 00:04:34.779 --> 00:04:37.220 that our faith in God, you don't want to come 00:04:37.220 --> 00:04:40.560 into that space where you are going through the 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.019 motions and you don't even know why. And if you 00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:46.319 go out there and evangelize regularly, you will 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:49.740 notice that you will meet with a believer and 00:04:49.740 --> 00:04:53.279 the believer cannot articulate their belief in 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:56.759 God, why they believe in God. And you'll be wondering 00:04:56.759 --> 00:05:02.399 to yourself, do these persons actually know why 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:06.220 they do so? And it's sad enough that you are 00:05:06.220 --> 00:05:08.639 in a space where this is being brought to you 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:10.660 over and over again and you still can't articulate 00:05:10.660 --> 00:05:14.199 it. It means that you are guilty of not paying 00:05:14.199 --> 00:05:16.779 attention, praise God. Because every time we 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:20.600 come here, we bring us to that place where we 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:24.060 understand. And some people get this idea of 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:27.759 faith in God being blind from certain aspects 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:30.480 of the Word of God or certain areas of the Word 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:33.379 of God, which is you misinterpreting or mis - 00:05:34.660 --> 00:05:36.579 misrepresenting the text in a sense. Because 00:05:36.579 --> 00:05:38.740 when you look at Hebrews, I think what we read 00:05:38.740 --> 00:05:40.639 as a church, we had gone through the book of 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:45.120 Hebrews. And in Hebrews 11, it looks like it's 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:49.360 not sin, right? The idea of not sin, it not being 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:53.139 sin. So people can take this notion that you're 00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:54.699 anchoring your faith to something that you can't 00:05:54.699 --> 00:05:56.560 see or someone you can't see or you have not 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:01.819 seen. How is that valid? Or in fact, we don't 00:06:01.819 --> 00:06:06.680 see it. doesn't write it off. Your mobile phones 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:09.839 are the tools, the physical tools that help you 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:12.060 collect the signals of whether you're using a 00:06:12.060 --> 00:06:14.579 took cell or a Telosim. You don't see the network. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:18.100 You only can tell that the network is available 00:06:18.100 --> 00:06:20.480 because you have the hardware that is able to 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:23.879 interact with the network that is flying around. 00:06:23.980 --> 00:06:26.839 The same thing goes for the air we breathe. We 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.939 don't necessarily have seen or understand or 00:06:29.939 --> 00:06:33.180 even say hi to it, but we know that it's there 00:06:33.180 --> 00:06:36.060 and it's responsible for our living. Praise God! 00:06:36.500 --> 00:06:40.759 So, the fact that you don't see it doesn't mean 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:44.319 it's not there. Praise God! And I want you to 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:46.420 be encouraged that your faith is anchored on 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:49.959 something solid. Your faith is anchored on someone 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:56.259 solid. Praise God! And even if you cannot explain 00:06:56.259 --> 00:06:58.519 it, you know, I just explained something that 00:06:58.519 --> 00:07:00.360 some people have not even paid attention to. 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:03.199 You just probably realize it now. That is your 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:06.500 phone that helps you tell whether there's a network 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:09.660 or not. You don't see the network to know that 00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:12.480 the network is available. The same way, if you 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.199 cannot explain your faith, it doesn't mean that 00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:17.959 it can't be explained. Praise God. The fuck because 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:21.000 you cannot explain your faith doesn't mean that 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:25.560 your faith cannot be explained. What it only 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:29.139 means is that you need to learn, right? It only 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:31.899 just brings your attention to the need for learning, 00:07:32.100 --> 00:07:34.660 the need for knowledge, the need for understanding. 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:37.639 And when you are learning, you are learning with 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:41.139 the end goal of understanding. We don't learn 00:07:41.139 --> 00:07:44.980 with the end goal, with the plan of being ignorant. 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:48.439 We learn with the end goal that we can be able 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:52.220 to understand. And how we know you understand 00:07:52.220 --> 00:07:55.639 is in your ability to explain. Praise God! The 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:57.420 way we know that you understand something is 00:07:57.420 --> 00:08:00.839 when we ask you, you are able to explain what 00:08:00.839 --> 00:08:05.819 you understand. And as I said, what we have in 00:08:05.819 --> 00:08:09.860 God, we are not scared to be scrutinized. Praise 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:14.500 God! When you are not sure, you are scared of 00:08:14.500 --> 00:08:18.920 scrutiny. Many people, when they ask you, you 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:21.720 are scared because you don't know. Anybody that 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:24.120 understands or knows why they believe what they 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:26.399 believe, they are not scared. In fact, the Bible 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.939 has been scrutinized more than any book in the 00:08:28.939 --> 00:08:31.339 world. And it is not still afraid of scrutiny 00:08:31.339 --> 00:08:35.879 because it's solid. Right? The other people that 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:38.179 don't like... Because once you... You don't even 00:08:38.179 --> 00:08:40.480 need to go too far. In the first chapter, you 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:43.299 have already diagnosed the problem. But the Bible 00:08:43.299 --> 00:08:46.309 has gone through so much scrutiny... to get to 00:08:46.309 --> 00:08:48.250 arrive at this point where we can see for a fact 00:08:48.250 --> 00:08:50.429 that we know what we believe and we run with 00:08:50.429 --> 00:08:53.570 it. Praise God! And Scripture tells us that faith 00:08:53.570 --> 00:08:57.610 comes by in Romans 10 verse 17, that faith comes 00:08:57.610 --> 00:09:02.549 by hearing. And the NLT will say that is hearing 00:09:02.549 --> 00:09:06.789 the good news about Christ. That means our faith 00:09:06.789 --> 00:09:10.490 is anchored on what we hear and what we hear 00:09:10.490 --> 00:09:14.210 about the One who our faith is anchored on. Praise 00:09:14.210 --> 00:09:19.409 God! And it tells us that there's evidence to 00:09:19.409 --> 00:09:21.309 what our faith is, even though we cannot see, 00:09:21.309 --> 00:09:23.250 even though you have not met Jesus in person, 00:09:23.789 --> 00:09:27.809 or you know that you have met Him. Praise God! 00:09:27.970 --> 00:09:31.870 You have had an encounter with Him. And if you 00:09:31.870 --> 00:09:34.929 want to further argue the fact that, oh, this 00:09:34.929 --> 00:09:36.909 faith I think is still blind. And I'm saying 00:09:36.909 --> 00:09:39.730 this to help someone because I sense that there 00:09:39.730 --> 00:09:41.289 are people that are struggling with their faith. 00:09:41.850 --> 00:09:45.039 They have been brought into it. because they 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:47.879 had no choice and they are just here because 00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:50.440 they still have no choice. They have to report 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:53.259 to the person that brought them here, in a sense. 00:09:53.559 --> 00:09:57.639 But I want you to know that you have to come 00:09:57.639 --> 00:10:00.179 to a place where you understand and know why 00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:02.460 and you can be able to explain it. Remember, 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:05.039 last time we were teaching, I told you that the 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.539 reason why Apostle Paul could defend his faith 00:10:07.539 --> 00:10:12.200 is because he knew the encounter he had with 00:10:12.200 --> 00:10:16.139 God was undeniable. And you could see it anywhere, 00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:21.080 even if they call them crazy. There's also crazy 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:27.039 faith. Crazy faith, you cannot see it, but you 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:29.840 know it is there. And they will call you crazy. 00:10:29.899 --> 00:10:32.519 Abramos will be classified in that, because you 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:33.860 are going somewhere you don't know. There are 00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:37.830 many instances where you believe... is something 00:10:37.830 --> 00:10:39.769 solid. There's an evidence for what you believe 00:10:39.769 --> 00:10:42.750 in and in spite of the circumstance and the situation, 00:10:42.870 --> 00:10:46.009 you still will go on believing. Praise God. You 00:10:46.009 --> 00:10:47.990 still will go on believing and that is where 00:10:47.990 --> 00:10:51.250 as what knowing, that's what understanding helps 00:10:51.250 --> 00:10:55.169 us to do. That it might not seem like it, but 00:10:55.169 --> 00:10:58.389 you are willing to hold on because the one who 00:10:58.389 --> 00:11:01.190 holds you will never let you go. Praise God. 00:11:01.429 --> 00:11:04.210 The one who is holding you will never let you 00:11:04.210 --> 00:11:05.850 go. And you'd be wondering to yourself that, 00:11:06.330 --> 00:11:09.809 oh, Look at Jesus and His disciples. How many 00:11:09.809 --> 00:11:11.610 of you, when you read your Bible, there's a lot 00:11:11.610 --> 00:11:13.110 of explaining that was happening. In fact, the 00:11:13.110 --> 00:11:17.190 Bible doesn't give us all the explanation. But 00:11:17.190 --> 00:11:20.429 there was a lot of explaining that He had done 00:11:20.429 --> 00:11:29.009 and the Jews are not that easy to come to. Luke 00:11:29.009 --> 00:11:33.649 24 verse 27, it says, and beginning at Moses 00:11:33.649 --> 00:11:36.269 and all the prophets, He expanded. He, Jesus 00:11:36.269 --> 00:11:40.129 Christ, expanded to them as those coming with 00:11:40.129 --> 00:11:44.549 Him from the mouth, to them in all the scriptures, 00:11:44.570 --> 00:11:47.049 the things concerning Himself, that is, Himself, 00:11:47.210 --> 00:11:54.450 Christ. 45. It goes to 45. 45. 45 says, "...and 00:11:54.450 --> 00:11:56.029 He opened their understanding..." This is when 00:11:56.029 --> 00:11:59.129 Jesus Christ had gone to... He was with the disciples 00:11:59.129 --> 00:12:02.480 now. But all the disciples say, they open their 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:05.320 understanding that they might comprehend the 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:08.919 scripture. You can't be explaining when you don't 00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:11.580 have evidence. I don't know about you, but there's 00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:13.419 no explaining when there's no evidence, right? 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:15.779 Even if some people now can't explain without 00:12:15.779 --> 00:12:20.840 evidence, but you have to. And the length of 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:22.700 explanation will tell that you have a lot more 00:12:22.700 --> 00:12:25.139 evidence than, right? Because it's just a matter 00:12:25.139 --> 00:12:27.840 of time. You will see holes in your explanation, 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:30.710 right? Because the longer the person talks, the 00:12:30.710 --> 00:12:33.250 more lies you pick if the person is lying, if 00:12:33.250 --> 00:12:36.629 the evidence is false. I want us to go to Acts 00:12:36.629 --> 00:12:40.450 17. Well, St. Jesus will see. What's the Paul? 00:12:40.450 --> 00:12:49.029 Acts 17 verse 2 to 4. Yeah, 2. Then Paul, as 00:12:49.029 --> 00:12:55.549 his custom was, went into them and for three 00:12:55.549 --> 00:13:00.370 sabbaths reasoned. with them from the scriptures 00:13:00.370 --> 00:13:05.509 three explaining and demonstrating that christ 00:13:05.509 --> 00:13:11.450 had to suffer and rise again from the dead and 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:15.889 saying this jesus whom i preach to you is the 00:13:15.889 --> 00:13:19.509 christ for the last verse and some of them were 00:13:19.509 --> 00:13:23.669 persuaded and a great multitude of devout greeks 00:13:23.669 --> 00:13:28.320 and a few of the leading women joined Paul and 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:31.279 Silas. I want you to give me an NLT. Give me 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:35.399 an NLT. NLT makes it clear enough for us. Yeah. 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:40.419 So, as I told you, Ella, some of the Jews who 00:13:40.419 --> 00:13:43.059 listened were persuaded. Remember, I told you 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:45.860 that the Jews are not easy to convince. So, some 00:13:45.860 --> 00:13:48.779 of them were the ones that were... And they noticed 00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:51.960 that they listened, right? They had to have listened 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:54.620 to have been persuaded. Because if the person 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:57.500 you're talking to is not listening to you, You're 00:13:57.500 --> 00:14:00.879 not having a conversation or you're not communicating. 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:06.200 They joined Paul and Silas along with the many 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:09.659 God -fearing Greek men and a few of their prominent 00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:14.100 women. So, we see that a lot of the Jews, a lot 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:19.379 of the Greeks believed and they came, they believed 00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:23.100 and they happened to. The teaching hall was being 00:14:23.100 --> 00:14:26.669 communicated, but you see that the Jews... What 00:14:26.669 --> 00:14:30.409 it means is that you have to have evidence to 00:14:30.409 --> 00:14:32.490 be able to convince. You have to know what you're 00:14:32.490 --> 00:14:34.789 talking about to be able to convince. You have 00:14:34.789 --> 00:14:37.690 to keep at it. You have to keep communicating 00:14:37.690 --> 00:14:40.809 and keep talking and keep encouraging and keep 00:14:40.809 --> 00:14:43.049 showing them from scriptures. Keep communicating. 00:14:43.169 --> 00:14:46.470 It doesn't stop. You keep at it because the Word 00:14:46.470 --> 00:14:48.649 of God, you're sowing seeds of that Word and 00:14:48.649 --> 00:14:51.669 it's able to yield that increase. And I said 00:14:51.669 --> 00:14:53.269 to ourselves, and I repeat myself again, there's 00:14:53.269 --> 00:14:56.220 a basis for our faith in God. There's a basis 00:14:56.220 --> 00:14:58.539 for our faith in God. There's a basis for our 00:14:58.539 --> 00:15:02.100 faith in God. I want us to look at John 20 -31. 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:10.019 John 20 -31. John 20 -31. Not the NLT, the New 00:15:10.019 --> 00:15:13.940 King James. Thank you. It says, but this were 00:15:13.940 --> 00:15:18.080 written that you may believe that Jesus is the 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:23.039 Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:27.649 may have life in His name. and that believing 00:15:27.649 --> 00:15:31.610 you may have life in His name. Notice that in 00:15:31.610 --> 00:15:36.330 the earlier verses, you will notice that Thomas 00:15:36.330 --> 00:15:40.870 said that he will not believe until he sees. 00:15:41.230 --> 00:15:43.870 When he saw, Jesus Christ asked him to put his 00:15:43.870 --> 00:15:47.549 hands up, and because he saw, he believed. Then 00:15:47.549 --> 00:15:50.889 Jesus Christ says, Blessed are you who believe 00:15:50.889 --> 00:15:55.669 without seeing. And I want us to go to Matthew. 00:15:56.049 --> 00:15:58.370 I want us to see more, you know, when you don't 00:15:58.370 --> 00:16:04.830 have, if the evidence is real, right, when you 00:16:04.830 --> 00:16:08.230 have a false, when you see falsification of an 00:16:08.230 --> 00:16:10.389 evidence, let me read it the way I wrote it. 00:16:10.470 --> 00:16:13.330 It says, if there's some, if there is, if there 00:16:13.330 --> 00:16:16.509 wasn't any evidence, there wouldn't be any falsification 00:16:16.509 --> 00:16:20.769 of the evidence. So if you, if the evidence, 00:16:20.850 --> 00:16:23.769 if there wasn't a, If there wasn't truth, there 00:16:23.769 --> 00:16:26.210 wouldn't be a lie, right? About something. If 00:16:26.210 --> 00:16:27.129 there wasn't truth about something, there wouldn't 00:16:27.129 --> 00:16:28.710 be a lie. I want us to see something. I want 00:16:28.710 --> 00:16:30.830 us to examine, take our time and examine this. 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:37.730 In Matthew 28, 11 to 15. Matthew 28, 11 to 15. 00:16:38.690 --> 00:16:41.649 Matthew 28, 11 to 15. Yes, let's use the NLT. 00:16:42.110 --> 00:16:45.509 Let's use the NLT. Matthew 28, 11 to 15. See, 00:16:45.769 --> 00:16:49.350 as the women, we are... Jesus Christ has resurrected. 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:55.320 Some of the men went into the city and told the 00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:58.379 leading priest what had happened. Please pay 00:16:58.379 --> 00:17:01.240 close attention. A meeting with the elders was 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:04.160 called and they decided to give the soldiers 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:09.539 a large bribe. They told the soldiers, you must 00:17:09.539 --> 00:17:16.019 say, Jesus' disciples came during the night while 00:17:16.019 --> 00:17:24.500 the soldiers were sleeping. stole his body. If 00:17:24.500 --> 00:17:28.960 the governor hears about this, we will stand 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:34.960 for you so you won't get in trouble. So the guards 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:39.759 accepted the bribe and said what they were told 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:45.059 to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews 00:17:45.059 --> 00:17:50.460 and they still tell it today. Notice something. 00:17:50.829 --> 00:17:54.690 The first point we want to look at is the fact 00:17:54.690 --> 00:18:02.529 that what is the need for the elders and the 00:18:02.529 --> 00:18:03.990 leading priest? There's something that has to 00:18:03.990 --> 00:18:06.650 be needed for them because there has to be something 00:18:06.650 --> 00:18:08.950 that will result or amount in a covenant. And 00:18:08.950 --> 00:18:11.369 then the first question I want us to ask ourselves 00:18:11.369 --> 00:18:18.269 is, because you want to use what we have to make 00:18:18.269 --> 00:18:22.029 a case, right? And the question is, If the soldiers, 00:18:22.150 --> 00:18:24.710 because they were told to, if the soldiers were 00:18:24.710 --> 00:18:27.569 asleep, how would they have known who stole the 00:18:27.569 --> 00:18:32.910 body? Right? Because the thing is that they were 00:18:32.910 --> 00:18:35.710 told to say, and I will take us to what actually 00:18:35.710 --> 00:18:37.910 happened, but they were told to say that they 00:18:37.910 --> 00:18:41.869 were asleep. Because if you have, and by the 00:18:41.869 --> 00:18:43.869 way, these are Roman soldiers that if you have 00:18:43.869 --> 00:18:47.809 seen movies of they are armed, they are armed. 00:18:47.910 --> 00:18:51.579 So you are dealing with a bunch of armed soldiers 00:18:51.579 --> 00:18:57.039 as against a bunch of fishermen, people that 00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:01.259 are untrained against trained. Then if you add 00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:04.140 education to it, anyhow. But you have some bunch 00:19:04.140 --> 00:19:08.339 of untrained people against trained. And I don't 00:19:08.339 --> 00:19:10.940 know which one for me is embarrassing. It's the 00:19:10.940 --> 00:19:14.240 fact that you are a soldier sleeping on duty. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.599 And I don't know which one is more embarrassing 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:21.930 to admit. When I was thinking about you, there 00:19:21.930 --> 00:19:25.390 was a situation that happened when I was meant 00:19:25.390 --> 00:19:31.009 to talk to security and I felt it was evening, 00:19:31.049 --> 00:19:34.029 so the man was tired. The man was sleeping, but 00:19:34.029 --> 00:19:37.950 I don't know how to wake him without making him 00:19:37.950 --> 00:19:42.769 know that he was sleeping. So, I had to make 00:19:42.769 --> 00:19:46.789 sounds because it's embarrassing because you 00:19:46.789 --> 00:19:50.349 are not meant to be sleeping at your post. And 00:19:50.349 --> 00:19:52.589 you knowing that the person that is coming to 00:19:52.589 --> 00:19:55.490 check on you finds there's a bit of embarrassment 00:19:55.490 --> 00:19:59.710 about it. So, you can imagine the amount of embarrassment 00:19:59.710 --> 00:20:04.150 the soldiers were willing to take, right? To 00:20:04.150 --> 00:20:12.650 not say the truth. And if you think about it, 00:20:12.650 --> 00:20:14.869 they were incentivized because I'm giving you 00:20:14.869 --> 00:20:17.390 money to lie and then I'm going to protect you 00:20:17.390 --> 00:20:21.500 again to lie. So, I can only imagine the interview. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:24.140 If it's in this day and age, I'm guessing maybe 00:20:24.140 --> 00:20:29.380 one of the soldiers will do a YouTube video communicating 00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:33.240 the actual thing that happened because he has 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:35.859 collected the money. He probably will be arrested 00:20:35.859 --> 00:20:39.039 afterwards. But that's the thought that comes 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:43.079 to mind. I'm saying this for us to know the extent 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:46.859 to which people will lie to cover up the truth. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:53.000 It means that if you are not critical... Notice 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:56.079 that we just looked at the fact that they said 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:59.299 that they were sleeping and then the disciples 00:20:59.299 --> 00:21:04.380 came and stole this body. So, if you are fast 00:21:04.380 --> 00:21:08.440 asleep, I don't know about you, except if you 00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:10.259 are sleeping, because the story would make sense 00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:12.480 if you were sleeping and they made some noise 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:15.779 and then you woke up and you saw them. But you 00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:17.759 said you were sleeping, meaning that... you are 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:21.359 sleeping and then because if you woke up from 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:23.640 sleep you should be able to fight them and then 00:21:23.640 --> 00:21:26.339 preserve but because I don't know how that would 00:21:26.339 --> 00:21:28.819 even make sense but you want to just put that 00:21:28.819 --> 00:21:31.559 in mind and the fact that they were going to 00:21:31.559 --> 00:21:34.900 get into trouble and we understand that it is 00:21:34.900 --> 00:21:37.319 a very serious thing for them to have mount guard 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:40.420 at that place and in fact it was the same elders 00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:44.619 that insisted that they mount guard because in 00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:47.480 fact they believed And they knew, even the disciples 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:49.579 were not, but they believed that this man, he 00:21:49.579 --> 00:21:52.099 has said he will rise up on the third day. So, 00:21:52.099 --> 00:21:55.480 they had instructed for that to be done. And 00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:59.200 then, sleeping on duty was very serious because 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:04.240 if it wasn't in the verse 14, they wouldn't have 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:08.299 said, okay, we will protect you. When the governor, 00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:10.880 because in the verse 14 it says, if the governor 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:15.240 hears about it, we will stand up for you. so 00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:20.079 you wouldn't get in trouble. Because they had 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:22.059 given them the bribe and they were going to also 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:26.259 get protection when this happened. In the same 00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:30.200 Bible, I want us to go to Acts 16 -27, just to 00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:37.420 clarify that what they would have faced, if they 00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:40.680 were not protected, would be death. So, this 00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:43.759 is the jailer. The background story to this was 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:48.509 Paul. and Silas having praying, rejoicing in 00:22:48.509 --> 00:22:51.990 prison and then all of that happened. The jailer 00:22:51.990 --> 00:22:56.109 woke up to see the prison doors wide open. You 00:22:56.109 --> 00:22:59.650 can imagine you are in charge of the prison and 00:22:59.650 --> 00:23:05.150 then you know that the prisoners, it's not like 00:23:05.150 --> 00:23:08.890 they're having fun in prison. If prison opens, 00:23:09.109 --> 00:23:14.279 you run. But he said he assumed. that the prisoner 00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:18.660 works to see because his life was preserved and 00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:21.500 then he and his household, as we'll see in 34, 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:25.900 that's clever, I want us to go to 34, his household 00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:31.720 and himself was now saved to 34, it says he brought 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:34.559 them to his house and set a meal before them 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:37.720 and he and his entire household rejoiced because 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:43.079 they all believed. I want us to see 31. 31 just 00:23:43.079 --> 00:23:47.200 go to 31 Because they replied because the jailer 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:49.559 asked that what can he do to be saved they say 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:54.099 they replied believe in the Lord Jesus and You 00:23:54.099 --> 00:23:58.480 will be saved along with everyone in your household. 00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:01.480 Praise God That was what they are told him and 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:04.579 he responded took him to took them home and they 00:24:04.579 --> 00:24:07.380 were saved So you you would have thought that 00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:11.849 the prison situation will be end ugly But the 00:24:11.849 --> 00:24:14.690 prison situation was also an opportunity for 00:24:14.690 --> 00:24:18.609 the gospel to be preached, for the jailer and 00:24:18.609 --> 00:24:21.690 his household to be saved. So, you want to always 00:24:21.690 --> 00:24:23.990 think of difficult situations, challenging situations, 00:24:24.029 --> 00:24:26.390 and this is me still going back to the theme 00:24:26.390 --> 00:24:29.329 of standing fast in the faith. Know that no matter 00:24:29.329 --> 00:24:32.869 what elements or whatever challenges will be 00:24:32.869 --> 00:24:36.529 thrown at you, your consciousness should be in 00:24:36.529 --> 00:24:38.509 the one or you should be conscious of the one 00:24:38.509 --> 00:24:42.269 who holds you. and stand fast in it. Paul and 00:24:42.269 --> 00:24:44.809 Silas were rejoicing in that prison. They didn't 00:24:44.809 --> 00:24:48.890 look like they were led in prayers. Prison is 00:24:48.890 --> 00:24:51.390 not where you would be rejoicing in. Every normal 00:24:51.390 --> 00:24:55.269 person, because we walk by faith, not by sight, 00:24:55.710 --> 00:24:58.730 rejoices in spite of. Corinthians would say that 00:24:58.730 --> 00:25:01.329 there's a reason why we don't give up. There's 00:25:01.329 --> 00:25:06.190 a reason why we never give up. So, going back 00:25:06.190 --> 00:25:09.349 to... Matthew, I want us to go to Matthew in 00:25:09.349 --> 00:25:17.809 NLT. Matthew 28, 2 -4. Matthew 28, 2 -4. I read, 00:25:18.029 --> 00:25:20.970 Suddenly there was an earthquake. There was an 00:25:20.970 --> 00:25:23.930 earthquake. There was a great earthquake. For 00:25:23.930 --> 00:25:28.730 an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled 00:25:28.730 --> 00:25:33.509 aside the stone and sat on it, his face shone 00:25:33.509 --> 00:25:38.210 like lightning, and his cloth was as white as 00:25:38.210 --> 00:25:44.210 snow. The gods shook with fear when they saw 00:25:44.210 --> 00:25:50.529 him, and they fell into a dead feint." The NLTC 00:25:50.529 --> 00:25:52.769 says they fell into a dead feint. Go back to 00:25:52.769 --> 00:25:54.769 4. That's what we're saying. And they fell into 00:25:54.769 --> 00:25:57.150 a dead feint, and the other translation was that 00:25:57.150 --> 00:25:59.869 they were dead men. They were dead men, and you 00:25:59.869 --> 00:26:02.230 can imagine. because they saw what they never 00:26:02.230 --> 00:26:06.529 expected in all of the times of them standing 00:26:06.529 --> 00:26:10.230 guard. You can now imagine which of the stories 00:26:10.230 --> 00:26:13.369 would be better to tell. Which of them would 00:26:13.369 --> 00:26:15.869 be better to tell it to me, because I don't know 00:26:15.869 --> 00:26:17.990 how about explaining that kind of a situation. 00:26:18.809 --> 00:26:22.049 Now they had explained it to the elders and the 00:26:22.049 --> 00:26:23.670 Pharisees, and the Pharisees and the elders said, 00:26:23.869 --> 00:26:26.490 look, this one will not go down well for us. 00:26:26.829 --> 00:26:29.619 Just take money and we'll protect you. explain 00:26:29.619 --> 00:26:31.980 this one because it's easier to say, you don't 00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:35.259 have to explain all of these things and then 00:26:35.259 --> 00:26:36.880 the person will not be arguing with you. So, 00:26:37.299 --> 00:26:40.660 where did the angel come from? How do you start 00:26:40.660 --> 00:26:42.980 explaining all of that? But the good thing about 00:26:42.980 --> 00:26:44.380 it is that they were not the only ones that were 00:26:44.380 --> 00:26:48.440 there. So, the fact that the chief priests and 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:51.420 the elders were willing to pay a large bribe 00:26:51.420 --> 00:26:55.279 and protect the soldiers suggests a desire to 00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:59.119 cover up the truth at all costs. There's a desire 00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:02.700 to cover up the truth at all costs and I'm challenging 00:27:02.700 --> 00:27:07.420 you. We have the Word of God. You add a desire 00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:12.339 to know what is in it or you close it and invariably 00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:15.339 not know what is in the Word and deny yourself 00:27:15.339 --> 00:27:18.220 and walk in the ignorance we talked about. You 00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:20.880 have faith but it's blind. You don't even know 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:23.920 what you believe in. Praise God! You want to 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:26.279 challenge yourself. It's not the easiest because 00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:30.589 it takes work. to go and research, find, know 00:27:30.589 --> 00:27:32.829 what exactly it is that your faith is all about. 00:27:33.009 --> 00:27:40.630 Praise God. It's because you can't cover up the 00:27:40.630 --> 00:27:44.130 truth for long, right? And I want you to think 00:27:44.130 --> 00:27:49.569 with me the horror of the chief priests and the 00:27:49.569 --> 00:27:53.210 Pharisees and the elders, when the disciples 00:27:53.210 --> 00:27:55.690 now are healing people in the name of the same 00:27:55.690 --> 00:27:58.549 person that they tried. The same person that 00:27:58.549 --> 00:28:00.849 they tried to say that they were covering it 00:28:00.849 --> 00:28:03.390 was a color of story for. Because if they say 00:28:03.390 --> 00:28:07.789 they stole the body, how do you explain the fact 00:28:07.789 --> 00:28:10.710 that some people had met with the person that 00:28:10.710 --> 00:28:12.789 the body was stolen? Because the person was not... 00:28:12.789 --> 00:28:14.190 You know, when they say they stole the body, 00:28:14.329 --> 00:28:16.390 they mean that they stole the lifeless body, 00:28:16.410 --> 00:28:19.490 right? Because when they say stealing the body, 00:28:19.549 --> 00:28:21.950 stealing is the lifeless body. But now you have 00:28:21.950 --> 00:28:27.109 people that have seen the person alive. You know 00:28:27.109 --> 00:28:29.970 you cannot argue with that. You know you can't 00:28:29.970 --> 00:28:33.130 argue with that testimony. And that's why, as 00:28:33.130 --> 00:28:36.710 a believer, you want to know the truth. You want 00:28:36.710 --> 00:28:39.930 to know the truth so well that when somebody 00:28:39.930 --> 00:28:41.970 tells you it's like your name, that it gives 00:28:41.970 --> 00:28:43.849 you a different name, you know you will be... 00:28:43.849 --> 00:28:46.809 In fact, you will not stress yourself because 00:28:46.809 --> 00:28:49.809 you know what your name is. And you want to have 00:28:49.809 --> 00:28:52.210 faith in God like you know your name, right? 00:28:52.630 --> 00:28:55.450 You want to have that solid faith in God like 00:28:55.450 --> 00:28:57.529 you know your name. that when somebody tells 00:28:57.529 --> 00:29:00.869 you that this is who you are, you tell them, 00:29:01.190 --> 00:29:04.890 no, this is who I am. Praise God! And in this 00:29:04.890 --> 00:29:06.809 case, you'd be saying, I am the child of God, 00:29:06.809 --> 00:29:11.509 right? I know who my father is. I have the spirit 00:29:11.509 --> 00:29:16.930 of God. I'm not unsure of whether I do or I don't. 00:29:17.029 --> 00:29:20.630 In fact, God's Word confirms to me again and 00:29:20.630 --> 00:29:24.609 again and again who I am in Him. Praise God! 00:29:26.149 --> 00:29:28.789 That was it for the disciples. That was it for 00:29:28.789 --> 00:29:30.789 the disciples. I want us to look at the case 00:29:30.789 --> 00:29:34.369 of Peter and John. I want us to look at the case 00:29:34.369 --> 00:29:40.789 of Peter and John in Acts 4, 16 to 17. Acts 4, 00:29:40.809 --> 00:29:46.329 16 to 17. I'll read it to us. It says... No, 00:29:46.470 --> 00:29:51.309 KJV. Just go to KJV. It says, saying, what shall 00:29:51.309 --> 00:29:54.470 we do to these men? This was after they had healed 00:29:54.470 --> 00:30:01.599 the lame man. What shall we do to this man? For 00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:06.779 indeed, what a notable miracle has been done 00:30:06.779 --> 00:30:10.799 through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:17.980 and we cannot deny it. I want you to say it, 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:21.359 you can't deny the truth. Say it like you mean 00:30:21.359 --> 00:30:26.640 you can't deny the truth. 17 now says, but so 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:31.539 that it spreads no further among the people, 00:30:31.819 --> 00:30:37.019 let us severely threaten them that from now on 00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:42.819 they speak to no man in his name. They speak 00:30:42.819 --> 00:30:47.000 to no man in his name. What do you think Peter 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:50.269 and John's response will be to them? What do 00:30:50.269 --> 00:30:51.609 you think Peter and John's response would be 00:30:51.609 --> 00:30:54.009 to them? Let's look at their response in 19 and 00:30:54.009 --> 00:31:01.450 20. He says, but Peter, give me the NLT. I like 00:31:01.450 --> 00:31:04.269 to wait. What's it? He said, but Peter and John 00:31:04.269 --> 00:31:08.849 replied, do you think God wants us to obey you 00:31:08.849 --> 00:31:11.569 rather than him? You know, that's a very good 00:31:11.569 --> 00:31:14.630 question to ask. You know, when you put somebody, 00:31:14.690 --> 00:31:16.329 you know, that's what somebody would do to you. 00:31:17.180 --> 00:31:20.339 Say, I'm serving my God. You cannot tell me what 00:31:20.339 --> 00:31:24.000 my God has said and what you are saying. So, 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:30.619 we cannot stop telling about everything we have 00:31:30.619 --> 00:31:35.839 seen and heard. Praise God! They have seen and 00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:39.680 they have heard. The evidence they have is overwhelming 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:43.799 in comparison to the lies you are trying to or 00:31:43.799 --> 00:31:46.200 the instruction that you are giving. Praise God! 00:31:46.269 --> 00:31:48.450 And this is where you want to move to a place 00:31:48.450 --> 00:31:51.470 where you have overwhelming evidence about the 00:31:51.470 --> 00:31:54.589 God that you serve. An overwhelming evidence 00:31:54.589 --> 00:31:56.630 about the God that you serve that when somebody 00:31:56.630 --> 00:32:00.710 tells you contrary to it, you are able to stand, 00:32:00.869 --> 00:32:03.369 right? You are able to stand. You are not going 00:32:03.369 --> 00:32:08.029 to car. And these men are able to say that because 00:32:08.029 --> 00:32:13.509 they had been with Jesus. They, doing otherwise, 00:32:13.690 --> 00:32:17.619 were almost on... It would be that they are denying 00:32:17.619 --> 00:32:19.880 what they have seen and what they have heard. 00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:23.819 And for some of us, even the ones we have seen 00:32:23.819 --> 00:32:27.819 and heard, we still deny it at every given opportunity 00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:33.660 because we don't want to. We just deny it at 00:32:33.660 --> 00:32:39.059 every given opportunity. I want us to look at 00:32:39.059 --> 00:32:44.109 4 verse 13. That's the same Acts 4 verse 13. 00:32:44.250 --> 00:32:47.670 It says, Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter 00:32:47.670 --> 00:32:50.769 and John and perceived that they were uneducated 00:32:50.769 --> 00:32:54.369 and untrained, uneducated and untrained men, 00:32:54.950 --> 00:32:59.710 they marveled and they realized that they had 00:32:59.710 --> 00:33:02.970 been with Jesus. Praise God! They had been with 00:33:02.970 --> 00:33:10.549 Jesus. So, there is an education and a training. 00:33:10.890 --> 00:33:15.650 that you get being with Jesus. There is an education 00:33:15.650 --> 00:33:20.190 and a training that you get being with Jesus. 00:33:21.250 --> 00:33:23.450 And when they say being with Jesus, it's not 00:33:23.450 --> 00:33:26.190 just that they were in a community, right? They 00:33:26.190 --> 00:33:28.089 were not... You know, somebody would say, I'm 00:33:28.089 --> 00:33:32.170 in my house with Jesus. A ministry is a bedside 00:33:32.170 --> 00:33:36.990 ministry. In my house with Jesus. Wake up every 00:33:36.990 --> 00:33:41.799 morning and say, I'm with Jesus. But we know 00:33:41.799 --> 00:33:43.680 that they are with Jesus because of the way they 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:48.079 lived, right? The way they were able to defend, 00:33:48.319 --> 00:33:49.859 the way they were able to... The things that 00:33:49.859 --> 00:33:51.380 they did showed us that these people were... 00:33:51.380 --> 00:33:53.599 because they could see. In Marvel, you see, these 00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:55.920 people didn't have... they don't have the education. 00:33:56.279 --> 00:33:59.500 They are not scholars, but because of the time 00:33:59.500 --> 00:34:02.380 they had spent with Him. So, if by what they 00:34:02.380 --> 00:34:04.400 believed in, they would have just said, OK, fine. 00:34:05.890 --> 00:34:08.309 This is the first and last time. It's okay. We 00:34:08.309 --> 00:34:10.110 will not do it again. Is that what you want us 00:34:10.110 --> 00:34:12.710 to do? Because if we don't do it, you're going 00:34:12.710 --> 00:34:14.449 to lock us up because they threaten them. You 00:34:14.449 --> 00:34:17.170 know, when they actually say that they are not 00:34:17.170 --> 00:34:20.570 going to do what they have seen and heard, they 00:34:20.570 --> 00:34:23.389 threaten them again. So, it means that the threat 00:34:23.389 --> 00:34:25.530 will not stop until the person feels that you 00:34:25.530 --> 00:34:27.849 succumb to their instructions, right? Because 00:34:27.849 --> 00:34:29.789 just imagine, the soldiers had no choice. The 00:34:29.789 --> 00:34:31.289 soldiers could not do anything and it was more 00:34:31.289 --> 00:34:34.880 lucrative for them. I'm wondering, even if they 00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:36.780 gave them bride, they would not still call it, 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:39.840 right? Because they know what they believed. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:42.239 And I want you to pay attention to what they 00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:46.679 did afterwards because sometimes we undermine 00:34:46.679 --> 00:34:52.739 the value of the church community. Because after 00:34:52.739 --> 00:34:54.599 that incident, what they did was that they went 00:34:54.599 --> 00:34:58.239 back to the believers and told them of what had 00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:00.659 happened. And what had happened afterwards is 00:35:00.659 --> 00:35:03.530 that they prayed and they were strengthened and 00:35:03.530 --> 00:35:06.969 they went on preaching. We see it in 23. They 00:35:06.969 --> 00:35:12.409 went back and told the brethren about it, told 00:35:12.409 --> 00:35:15.449 the believers about it in 23. They went and said 00:35:15.449 --> 00:35:19.510 their own companions and then in 31, they prayed 00:35:19.510 --> 00:35:23.489 and then in 31, we see that they prayed and the 00:35:23.489 --> 00:35:25.809 place was shaking and they were filled with host 00:35:25.809 --> 00:35:28.469 and they went and spoke the word of God with 00:35:28.469 --> 00:35:31.199 boldness. Praise God! They went and they spoke 00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:33.699 the Word of God with boldness. I want you to 00:35:33.699 --> 00:35:37.300 know that standing fast in faith is not automatic, 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:39.960 right? It's not something that happens automatically 00:35:39.960 --> 00:35:43.719 when you just come in. It just happens. It happens 00:35:43.719 --> 00:35:48.179 as a result of you... as a result of you actively 00:35:48.179 --> 00:35:54.440 paying attention to what is being taught and 00:35:54.440 --> 00:35:57.239 learning the Word of God. It comes from all of 00:35:57.239 --> 00:36:06.139 that. The Word of God is... is food for our faith. 00:36:06.780 --> 00:36:09.780 The Word of God is what builds us up. The Word 00:36:09.780 --> 00:36:13.920 of God is what ensures that we are confident 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:16.199 in what we believe in. Praise God! That's what 00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:21.079 the Word of God does to us. And I want you to 00:36:21.079 --> 00:36:24.739 know that because your faith is anchored on His 00:36:24.739 --> 00:36:30.760 Word, you will see results that will blow your 00:36:30.760 --> 00:36:35.300 mind, right? You will see results of... I think 00:36:35.300 --> 00:36:36.619 I was having a conversation with someone and 00:36:36.619 --> 00:36:39.559 I was like, okay, that was probably on Friday 00:36:39.559 --> 00:36:45.320 when we were evangelizing. We asked the person, 00:36:45.380 --> 00:36:47.059 okay, why do you believe what you believe in? 00:36:47.179 --> 00:36:50.460 And the person was saying, Omar, you will know 00:36:50.460 --> 00:36:53.280 that there's no basis for the believer and they 00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:56.760 can only have... It was just going there. And 00:36:56.760 --> 00:37:00.320 then... I asked a couple of questions. Well, 00:37:00.400 --> 00:37:04.039 that aside, I will say that I have seen things 00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:06.360 that I know that it can only be good, right? 00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:10.119 It can only be good. I think we talked about 00:37:10.119 --> 00:37:13.179 it. I think it was last summer. I think I shared 00:37:13.179 --> 00:37:16.539 it with Pastor Fred as well. It was last summer. 00:37:16.579 --> 00:37:20.260 I think the first time Pastor Fred was the one 00:37:20.260 --> 00:37:23.179 that pointed to the lady and told me, Do you 00:37:23.179 --> 00:37:25.019 know this lady? I said, I see her around in church, 00:37:25.019 --> 00:37:30.889 but I don't know her. Some weeks later, I had 00:37:30.889 --> 00:37:34.389 woken up, I had a dream and in the dream, I was 00:37:34.389 --> 00:37:36.929 praying for the lady. She was crying and then 00:37:36.929 --> 00:37:39.909 I prayed for her. And then I woke up, I told 00:37:39.909 --> 00:37:42.869 my wife, I was like, this lady I saw. And then 00:37:42.869 --> 00:37:46.590 that week that happened, she was used as a flyer 00:37:46.590 --> 00:37:48.829 for the church, like a church flyer, that same 00:37:48.829 --> 00:37:51.369 week. And then I was like, this is interesting. 00:37:51.769 --> 00:37:55.369 And then the lady did not show to church from 00:37:55.369 --> 00:37:59.059 last summer. until like two Sundays ago. The 00:37:59.059 --> 00:38:01.900 moment she walked into church, I was like, I 00:38:01.900 --> 00:38:04.000 think I told Sister Easy to go and call the lady 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:07.900 for me. So, when the lady came to me, we started 00:38:07.900 --> 00:38:11.559 talking. She was... When I told her... I told 00:38:11.559 --> 00:38:13.679 her, I was like, the situation... I can't... 00:38:13.679 --> 00:38:15.579 We can't have that conversation here. So, but 00:38:15.579 --> 00:38:17.059 we talked over the phone because we couldn't 00:38:17.059 --> 00:38:19.340 meet. We talked over the phone. And over the 00:38:19.340 --> 00:38:23.000 phone, she opened up and said, that was... That 00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:25.820 particular period was the... was the darkest 00:38:25.820 --> 00:38:29.019 period of her life and not Cyprus. Meaning that 00:38:29.019 --> 00:38:31.420 she was probably praying for a solution to her 00:38:31.420 --> 00:38:34.300 problem and then she had other people praying 00:38:34.300 --> 00:38:36.980 because I was like, why did you disappear? Because 00:38:36.980 --> 00:38:40.360 I was looking. In fact, I told my wife that I 00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:43.000 should probably send the person... I think I 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:45.659 said, bro, Gabriel would know this person, but 00:38:45.659 --> 00:38:49.940 I forgot to ask him about it. Unfortunately, 00:38:50.059 --> 00:38:53.570 when I... was speaking with her. She said they 00:38:53.570 --> 00:38:58.570 live in the same building. My brain was like, 00:38:58.650 --> 00:39:01.489 how can you make this up? You cannot make it 00:39:01.489 --> 00:39:04.230 up. And we spent time, I think we spent close 00:39:04.230 --> 00:39:08.389 to an hour plus on the phone. We talked and she 00:39:08.389 --> 00:39:12.750 cried, laughed. There was all manner of emotions 00:39:12.750 --> 00:39:21.119 on the phone and I knew. I thought she had left, 00:39:21.179 --> 00:39:23.219 so she had mentioned that she was traveling on 00:39:23.219 --> 00:39:26.159 the Tuesday of that. So, we took time and prayed, 00:39:26.920 --> 00:39:31.760 and it was really a blessing. That aside, that 00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:34.460 had happened the previous Sunday. He started 00:39:34.460 --> 00:39:38.519 talking, and he was in tears. He was in tears, 00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:43.119 and the next words he says afterwards, I couldn't... 00:39:43.119 --> 00:39:45.840 But I've heard that before because... I've heard 00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:48.079 it before. I think there was an instance where 00:39:48.079 --> 00:39:51.800 a lady walked into my office. I just picked up 00:39:51.800 --> 00:39:53.559 that she was suicidal. When I told her, she was 00:39:53.559 --> 00:39:57.460 in shock. And the next words that she will say 00:39:57.460 --> 00:39:58.980 is similar to what the boy said. That's why I'm 00:39:58.980 --> 00:40:00.440 connecting the two stories together. Because 00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:03.679 the lady now tells me that she had planned that 00:40:03.679 --> 00:40:05.659 that particular summer she was going to go home, 00:40:06.579 --> 00:40:09.420 lock herself and kill herself in the house. Because 00:40:09.420 --> 00:40:13.019 she knew that dying... Because when she was talking 00:40:13.019 --> 00:40:15.510 about it, I said... I know how expensive it is 00:40:15.510 --> 00:40:18.469 for your dead body to be sent back to you because 00:40:18.469 --> 00:40:23.849 it's very expensive. It's $12 ,000 or $8 ,000. 00:40:23.869 --> 00:40:26.349 It depends on the country you're from because 00:40:26.349 --> 00:40:30.250 they have to move. When you're talking to some 00:40:30.250 --> 00:40:32.329 people, you have to reason so that they will 00:40:32.329 --> 00:40:35.389 reason with you. It's bad enough that you're 00:40:35.389 --> 00:40:36.690 killing yourself. You're not giving your family 00:40:36.690 --> 00:40:40.730 a death in the process. And most of the times, 00:40:40.889 --> 00:40:42.829 when people that feel that way go back home, 00:40:42.969 --> 00:40:46.969 they recover. They are huge. But you can be huge. 00:40:47.010 --> 00:40:49.030 You don't have to go back home because it's expensive. 00:40:49.170 --> 00:40:50.469 Because you go back and then you come back. You 00:40:50.469 --> 00:40:53.190 can go back and never come back. So, she had 00:40:53.190 --> 00:40:55.630 said all of that and then I said, no problem. 00:40:56.030 --> 00:40:58.650 She came, I gave my wife, I followed up with 00:40:58.650 --> 00:41:00.710 her and by first of all, because she has graduated, 00:41:00.869 --> 00:41:02.489 I think the last time I checked, she has graduated, 00:41:02.630 --> 00:41:04.329 she's back. She came here a couple of times and 00:41:04.329 --> 00:41:06.550 then she had left. And this particular young 00:41:06.550 --> 00:41:09.110 man too, said the same thing. He said, in fact, 00:41:09.210 --> 00:41:11.610 he said there's a seed he saw on Amazon. He's 00:41:11.610 --> 00:41:15.570 planning to order it. when it takes it to... 00:41:15.570 --> 00:41:19.010 What blows my mind is how people talk about death 00:41:19.010 --> 00:41:22.349 like they give themselves life. You know, if 00:41:22.349 --> 00:41:24.489 you're the one that gives yourself life, you 00:41:24.489 --> 00:41:27.210 know, it's almost like you can do and undo. But 00:41:27.210 --> 00:41:30.710 once you've done it, you can't undo it. And some 00:41:30.710 --> 00:41:33.909 people in the face of death, their life flashes 00:41:33.909 --> 00:41:36.190 before their eyes and they regret it. But it's 00:41:36.190 --> 00:41:38.489 late because you're not the one moving yourself 00:41:38.489 --> 00:41:40.630 to... Scripture tells us that the enemy comes 00:41:40.630 --> 00:41:43.329 to steal, kill, and destroy. It's the enemy that 00:41:43.329 --> 00:41:48.309 souls seize. Because what God does in the life 00:41:48.309 --> 00:41:53.889 of a believer, for suppose, is to see, to live. 00:41:54.670 --> 00:41:57.329 There's a game because the work of God will go 00:41:57.329 --> 00:41:59.369 forward, right? In fact, that should stop you 00:41:59.369 --> 00:42:02.389 from wanting to... because there's work that 00:42:02.389 --> 00:42:05.400 needs to be done. Praise God! So, we had a conversation 00:42:05.400 --> 00:42:07.440 with him. We talked. I said, let me pray for 00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:09.420 you, but I was praying already on the program. 00:42:09.480 --> 00:42:11.440 I was praying in the Spirit, but I said, no, 00:42:11.780 --> 00:42:13.639 he doesn't want to be prayed for. I said, no 00:42:13.639 --> 00:42:15.639 problem. If you don't want to be prayed for, 00:42:16.099 --> 00:42:19.380 I will pray for you. I had to send him a text. 00:42:19.500 --> 00:42:23.300 I said, you see, you will hate death. As much 00:42:23.300 --> 00:42:25.139 as you love death and you want to take your life, 00:42:25.400 --> 00:42:28.320 you will hate it and the other things that are 00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:30.940 tied to it. And I think last Sunday he came to 00:42:30.940 --> 00:42:32.880 church, at least he didn't kill himself. He came 00:42:32.880 --> 00:42:34.639 to church on Sunday and we were praying. And 00:42:34.639 --> 00:42:36.440 then I think the following, I think that was 00:42:36.440 --> 00:42:38.619 this week that just passed, I saw him on the 00:42:38.619 --> 00:42:41.159 road. We talked and then he told me about, okay, 00:42:41.199 --> 00:42:43.639 the situations are better now. He was very excited 00:42:43.639 --> 00:42:46.980 and he says it's going to be more. And that is, 00:42:47.260 --> 00:42:50.719 there are certain things and this is interaction 00:42:50.719 --> 00:42:52.420 with people and certain things that you have 00:42:52.420 --> 00:42:54.500 experienced that will make you know that God 00:42:54.500 --> 00:42:58.119 is real. I said all of that not to... I want 00:42:58.119 --> 00:43:01.000 you to know that in this season, the greater 00:43:01.000 --> 00:43:02.599 works will not just be the team of the church. 00:43:02.760 --> 00:43:04.860 The greater work will be something you can say 00:43:04.860 --> 00:43:07.780 for yourself in your life. That God is doing 00:43:07.780 --> 00:43:11.420 greater in and through you. Because God is able. 00:43:12.519 --> 00:43:16.360 We are the ones that put a limit to how God can 00:43:16.360 --> 00:43:19.199 minister through us to meet the needs of others. 00:43:19.800 --> 00:43:22.239 We are the ones that say, this is the only way 00:43:22.239 --> 00:43:25.920 God can do it. Because sometimes that's why it's 00:43:25.920 --> 00:43:28.980 almost like... But it can happen in any... You 00:43:28.980 --> 00:43:32.340 can be in your classroom and you get the word. 00:43:32.900 --> 00:43:35.860 You know, when I said what I said to the lady, 00:43:36.239 --> 00:43:38.599 my brain had to... You know, that was when logic 00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:41.059 came in, but I've said it already. I can't return. 00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:44.719 So, her response now gave me the confidence that, 00:43:44.820 --> 00:43:46.980 OK, you're on point, because how else can you 00:43:46.980 --> 00:43:48.599 tell? Because the lady was like, I didn't post 00:43:48.599 --> 00:43:51.170 it anywhere. I didn't write it. And you can't 00:43:51.170 --> 00:43:53.070 tell a person, you cannot tell, I don't think 00:43:53.070 --> 00:43:55.929 you can tell. You can probably deduce with some 00:43:55.929 --> 00:43:58.110 clues, but you can't tell a person that has that 00:43:58.110 --> 00:44:00.050 plans. Because if she had not opened her mouth 00:44:00.050 --> 00:44:02.309 and said this was the plan, the way she had it, 00:44:02.449 --> 00:44:04.090 you know, like somebody is telling about a business 00:44:04.090 --> 00:44:06.090 plan. That is basically how it sounded to me. 00:44:07.070 --> 00:44:08.889 But this one was going to end the person's life. 00:44:09.070 --> 00:44:13.409 And I don't know if you're here and you're contemplating 00:44:13.409 --> 00:44:15.369 taking your own life or you have had thoughts 00:44:15.369 --> 00:44:18.239 of that. I want you to know that the thoughts 00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:20.039 that you have had of that nature is not from 00:44:20.039 --> 00:44:24.239 God. First and foremost, it's not from God. It's 00:44:24.239 --> 00:44:31.679 not from God. It's not from God. And John 17 00:44:31.679 --> 00:44:34.820 .3 says that this is eternal life, that you may 00:44:34.820 --> 00:44:40.739 know that they may know you, the only true God, 00:44:41.420 --> 00:44:44.260 Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. This is Jesus 00:44:44.260 --> 00:44:46.139 speaking. And they might know the only true life 00:44:46.139 --> 00:44:50.480 news. And we know that basically this is what 00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:53.280 brings a believer into this world. You know that 00:44:53.280 --> 00:44:57.920 this is it and you know Him. You can't have it 00:44:57.920 --> 00:45:00.179 any other way. You have it in God. It's either 00:45:00.179 --> 00:45:03.340 you know you have it or you are just going through 00:45:03.340 --> 00:45:07.199 the motions. And you have to come to a place 00:45:07.199 --> 00:45:10.579 where you know that regardless of the difficulty 00:45:10.579 --> 00:45:14.110 you're going through, you know, If the young 00:45:14.110 --> 00:45:16.750 man had taken his life, he would not have shared 00:45:16.750 --> 00:45:18.610 the testimony later on. It would have been the 00:45:18.610 --> 00:45:23.389 end of him. Praise God! I want us to know that 00:45:23.389 --> 00:45:28.489 what God calls us to is to continue to learn, 00:45:29.250 --> 00:45:33.550 to continue to grow, to continue to learn, to 00:45:33.550 --> 00:45:36.449 continue to grow. The part that I struggle with 00:45:36.449 --> 00:45:40.510 or which blows my mind is when you see students 00:45:40.510 --> 00:45:46.190 that have a problem with studying, right? Because 00:45:46.190 --> 00:45:47.869 it's there in the name, student. If you just 00:45:47.869 --> 00:45:52.289 move the ENT and put a Y, it's literally the 00:45:52.289 --> 00:45:57.150 same. And the worst of it is they are shocked 00:45:57.150 --> 00:46:00.949 when they fail. Like you didn't study and then 00:46:00.949 --> 00:46:04.309 you are surprised that you failed. That's the 00:46:04.309 --> 00:46:09.429 part I like, you're like, you're like, oh. Like 00:46:09.429 --> 00:46:14.130 I said, how were you expecting the miracle to 00:46:14.130 --> 00:46:17.329 happen. And then the other part, the other group 00:46:17.329 --> 00:46:21.449 of people are engineers that hate maths. They 00:46:21.449 --> 00:46:23.289 are engineers, they are studying engineering, 00:46:23.789 --> 00:46:25.889 but they say that they hate maths and they are 00:46:25.889 --> 00:46:28.289 bragging. It's bad that you shouldn't even say 00:46:28.289 --> 00:46:29.949 that you hate maths and you're doing engineering 00:46:29.949 --> 00:46:33.349 and you are now bragging about it. I think a 00:46:33.349 --> 00:46:36.429 student told me that they hate maths, they hate 00:46:36.429 --> 00:46:38.690 numbers. In fact, they go specific. They say 00:46:38.690 --> 00:46:42.110 they hate numbers and I see Do you know your 00:46:42.110 --> 00:46:44.469 phone number? She said, that's different. I said, 00:46:44.710 --> 00:46:47.989 you have a problem. If you hate numbers, you 00:46:47.989 --> 00:46:50.849 should not know any number in your life. Somebody 00:46:50.849 --> 00:46:55.269 said, I showed them a picture of Abraham Lincoln. 00:46:55.269 --> 00:46:56.909 I said, do you know him? They said, we don't 00:46:56.909 --> 00:46:58.849 know his story. I said, but do you know Ataturk? 00:46:58.909 --> 00:47:04.590 They said, that's different. So, I said all that 00:47:04.590 --> 00:47:10.510 to say this because sometimes the logic... I 00:47:10.510 --> 00:47:14.750 can't understand. I had to even take it a step 00:47:14.750 --> 00:47:17.130 further. It's like someone says, I love to swim 00:47:17.130 --> 00:47:20.050 and I hate water. The question is, what do you 00:47:20.050 --> 00:47:24.289 intend to swim in? I start thinking of things. 00:47:24.449 --> 00:47:27.409 Maybe it's money, but money is not readily available. 00:47:28.409 --> 00:47:30.409 And then I say, maybe it has to be air, because 00:47:30.409 --> 00:47:35.030 that's the only thing, because if you can't swim, 00:47:35.849 --> 00:47:41.159 you'll fly. That's the thing, air. And the same 00:47:41.159 --> 00:47:42.940 thing goes for a believer that doesn't want to 00:47:42.940 --> 00:47:45.440 learn the Word of God, doesn't want to learn 00:47:45.440 --> 00:47:48.440 because it's the same thing that applies here. 00:47:49.420 --> 00:47:51.800 Because you're a believer, you believe, right? 00:47:52.340 --> 00:47:54.639 Because you're a Christian, you have a relationship 00:47:54.639 --> 00:47:57.059 with the One that has saved you and then you 00:47:57.059 --> 00:48:02.159 grow in that relationship. And I want this to 00:48:02.159 --> 00:48:05.760 challenge you to want to know God better than 00:48:05.760 --> 00:48:09.289 you did yesterday. to want to know God better 00:48:09.289 --> 00:48:12.289 than you did last year. Because if we're going 00:48:12.289 --> 00:48:15.289 to see God do the supernatural and mighty things 00:48:15.289 --> 00:48:19.230 He's already doing, because it's you that needs 00:48:19.230 --> 00:48:21.949 to participate in it, He's already doing it and 00:48:21.949 --> 00:48:25.210 through us, He will be limited by the amount 00:48:25.210 --> 00:48:28.869 of what you know of Him. Because it's what you 00:48:28.869 --> 00:48:32.730 know that you can work with. Because if you know 00:48:32.730 --> 00:48:36.570 Him to do... One that if you know him to save 00:48:36.570 --> 00:48:38.989 if you know you want to see that happen through 00:48:38.989 --> 00:48:41.309 you and in fact You're gonna be posturing yourself 00:48:41.309 --> 00:48:44.809 to see that happening to you. Praise God So I 00:48:44.809 --> 00:48:47.010 want us to just open our mouths and just thank 00:48:47.010 --> 00:48:51.710 God for his word We appreciate you being here 00:48:51.710 --> 00:48:54.789 today, we hope you carry this war with you throughout 00:48:54.789 --> 00:48:57.610 your week Don't forget to check the show notes 00:48:57.610 --> 00:49:00.710 for additional insights Stay connected with us 00:49:00.710 --> 00:49:03.610 through our website or follow us on social media 00:49:04.239 --> 00:49:06.880 If you were encouraged, share this message with 00:49:06.880 --> 00:49:10.460 someone you care about. Until next time, stay 00:49:10.460 --> 00:49:10.880 blessed.