Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. Verse 13 from the NLT says, Be on guard.
Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.
Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous. Be strong.
1 Corinthians 16 13. 1 Corinthians 16 13 says,
Be on guard. Be alert. Be attentive. Stand firm
in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous.
Be strong. I want to thank the pastorate, to
thank God for the opportunity to be able to present
God's Word to us. I think one thing that actually
got me giving thanks to God this week, I think
it was the course of the week when I had a conversation
with someone that used to be here, that is back
in Nigeria. We were just talking and I was like,
so where you are now, how much time do you have
for the teaching of God's Word? And to my horror,
he says they have like 20 minutes. I said 20
minutes is a charge. There are some certain charges
that will not even happen. Like you need more
than that to have that. And it just goes to show
that I think in the Church of NEC, if we give
attention to God's Word, we spend an hour. And
I size that in the, if you're part of the training
center, there's a lot that goes into like if
you're the stretch and the training that happens
is all that we really are grounded in the truth,
in what we know, in what we believe. We're grounded.
Remember what we were saying on Sunday? Learning
is not easy. Learning is not something you don't
learn in your sleep. There are some things that
you can't do. It requires attention, which brings
us back to that whole key thing of giving attention
to what we are hearing, giving attention to what
we are listening to. And the core of our faith
work is learning. It's going to be difficult.
There's a lot of struggle. We'll highlight a
couple of things in the course of this teaching
again. And it's sad that we tend to give attention
to the things that will not help us to stand
fast in faith. We tend to give attention to the
things that we feel will excite us physically,
because I can imagine that they have several
other activities and then the teaching of God's
Word is just 20 minutes. I can imagine. And I
thank God because we were discussing with Him
and He had an opportunity to have a lengthy teaching
over in the weekends. They said they gave Him
three hours. I said, that is an answered prayer.
They gave Him three hours to teach on a particular
subject. And I really thank God for the fact
that we have individuals that when they leave
from this place, the training and the building,
you don't push it aside and say, let me focus
on my future, let me focus on my career. You
take it on. So, I really thank God for what God
is doing in the church and I appreciate the pastorate
for the time and just the fact that we are given
this much opportunity to learn. the Word of God
to grow in the truths that we have in Christ
Jesus, praise God. As I said, there's no other
way, right? There's no other way. If we have
to grow, what should make the most of what we
do is teaching and training, right? It's teaching
of God's Word and training. There's no other
way that we can grow aside from that. So if You
know, some people will say, well, it gets boring.
Like we need to spice it up. We need to add some
things we need to like we need to do. And many
times you notice that those things don't even
help. If you're honest with yourself, you know,
those things, they don't help. I think I was
speaking to someone and they were like, you know,
you know, God's word is not enough for my mental
health. Like I need to like there's more that
like we need to do. And I said, I have listened
to, I've heard people in that space. It's just
therapy, as the name implies. It's therapy you'll
be receiving. But I know that there's something
that happens when a person stays with God's Word.
The person stays with God's Word and continues
to put it in. It might not make sense now, but
there's something that happens when you stay
in something, which is what we're going to look
at very shortly, but we continue with the Word.
Remember what we talked about on Sunday where
we said there was something about the disciples,
right? That wasn't there at the beginning. It
wasn't there at the beginning. But there was
something about the disciples that was seen in
the disciples in the Acts 4. That these people
say these people were with Jesus. So it means
that no matter what it is that you want to do,
right? There is no change that happens except
the change. There is no permanent fix. that can
happen except the one that is grounded and anchored
on God's Word. Those things give you some benefits,
but on the long run, what holds a believer, what
ensures that a believer is grounded, is the Word
of God. That is the faithful. That is what ensures
that a believer grows. Knowledge is very important.
The more we learn, the more we grow. And if we're
saying we're going to do greater, it's to the
degree of our knowledge that we're able to do
greater. Because what you don't know, you're
bound, right? You're bound by what you don't
know. There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.
There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.
That's why we give ourselves. That's why the
Apostle Paul would be encouraging Timothy. In
2 Timothy 3, 14, it says, you must continue,
continue. That's the word. No, you must continue
in the things which you have learned and be assured
of knowing from whom you have learned them. Knowing
from whom you have learned them and you see the
word lend. We will come to that word shortly.
Knowing from whom you have learned them. We had
established that what we are learning and the
teachings is all anchored on the person of Christ,
right? It's the things concerning Christ. I want
us to see something in John. John 1 .1. I would
like us to look at it on the NLT, John 1 .1.
It says, In the beginning, the Word already existed.
The Word was with God and the Word was God. I
will jump to verse 14. It says, So the Word became
human and made His home among us. He was full
of unfailing love and faithfulness. We have seen
His glory, the glory of the Father's love. 18
now. John 1, 1, 14, and then 18. No one has ever
seen God, but the unique one, who is God Himself,
is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed
God to us. He has revealed God to us. Sometimes
we can look at this passage and just walk away
and not see the so many implications of the passage
of what we just read, meaning that our introduction
to God is the person of Christ. Meaning that
our introduction to God is the person of Christ.
What I saw, because we read the book of Hebrews,
right? We read the book of Hebrews and what I
want us to see is something that the book of
Hebrews 1 .1 -4 I want us to read it from the
NLT again. Hebrews 1, 1 to 4, I want us to see
something similar. It says, long ago, God spoke
many times and in many ways to our ancestors.
And we, all of us that were there, we say that
the ancestors were referring to the fathers,
right? When you say fathers, you can say fathers,
that is the Jews, the ones of the past, the ancestors
through the prophet. And now, In these final
days, He has spoken to us through His Son. That's
Jesus Christ. That's been mentioned in John as
well. So, God promised everything to His Son
as an inheritance and through the Son, He created
the universe. I want us to look at three. It
says, the Son radiates God's own glory and expresses
the very character of God. and He sustains everything
by the mighty power of His command. When He had
cleansed us from all our sins, He sat down at
the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic
God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far
greater than angels, just as the name God gave
Him is far greater than their names. Praise God.
And I want you to notice something that the book
of Hebrews places Jesus Christ as superior. Places
Him in a place that nobody can contest. Places
Him in a place and that is what he starts in
contrast. He starts that and he says in verse
3 that the sun radiates God's own glory and expresses
the very character of God. It radiates God's
own glory and expresses the very character of
God. And I want you to see the faithfulness of
that. And that's what John now says. He says
he's full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
And then we see in Hebrews, he says, the sun
radiates God's own glory and expresses the very
character of God. And he says he sustains everything
and he goes on and on and then he shows us the
other things. It means that which is what I will
present to us, which is what I want us to look
at. Because anytime we talk about fate, we have
a tendency to focus on like doctrine and all
of that. But what we see primarily as what fate
speaks loudly of is character. Is character what
we see I speak slowly of is character is a is
a matter of character if it is mostly you see
that it's mostly a matter of character and you
see it in even in the Old Testament when use
uses in it uses the word it always will speak
of character and you see words like faithfulness
because even The the word of a person is the
like it comes from the character, right? What
a person comes from the character and you see
that That word because even the Greek and Hebrew
you see that the word actually will mean you
see faithfulness loyalty commitment and You see
even the word of the person the person is committed
to that word because it's it's characterized
as thick praise God It's characterized as thick
so you see that that word and I will want to
I want you to follow because you will see that
our faithfulness is Anchored on the faithfulness
of God even just staying with Hebrews. You see
that even in the chapters 3 It compares and contrasts
the faithfulness of God as against Moses, right?
You see that there's no other way, because we
as humans can't even, we can't stay faithful.
In fact, there are many things that we can't.
We can, but on the basis of our trust, that's
why we place our trust in God to enable us to
be faithful. Scattered through Scripture, you
see that God is faithful. God is faithful. He
is faithful and Jesus Christ will be speaking
to His disciples and He will tell them to continue
with Him, right? Continue with Him and that continuing
with Him is being faithful to His teachings.
Being faithful to His teachings. That's simply
faithfulness to His teachings. Continuing with
Him is simply being faithful to His teachings.
So, the faithfulness of God speaks of His character
and that character is seen in the person of Jesus
Christ. Praise God! The faithfulness of God is
seen in the person of Jesus Christ. The faithfulness
of God's faithfulness is seen in the person of
Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 3 to 4,
and I know we often go to that passage, but I
want us to see something. It says, But the Lord
is faithful. But the Lord is faithful. He will
strengthen you and encourage you. He will strengthen
you and guide you from the evil one. He says,
and we are confident in the Lord that you are
doing and will continue to do the things we commanded
you. Notice that he is saying that the Lord is
faithful, right? Apostle Paul says the Lord is
faithful and He will strengthen you and guide
you from the evil one. Meaning that God is faithful
to strengthen you. not just strengthening you,
He will also protect you from the evil one. He
will also deliver you from the evil one. And
still on the faithfulness of God, He says He
is confident, right? That He will continue to
do, and that's that word that you are doing,
and will continue to do the things that He has
commanded you. Meaning that there is no chance
for you to fail. Praise God! There is no chance
and opportunity for you to fail. because your
faith is anchored on the one who is faithful.
The strength that you need to do the work will
come from Him. Praise God! He didn't leave us
without strength. He didn't leave us without
encouragement. He even solidifies it by placing
you in a family where if you think you're down,
there's somebody that is there to pick you up.
And that's why the writer of Hebrews will tell
you not to neglect the garden of God's people
because in the garden of God's people, there
is encouragement, right? He says, stay one another
up, right? Stay one another up means that God
has placed people around us that are faithful
to Him to encourage us to stay faithful to Him.
Praise God! That is very important and that is
what notes him because you will see that we are
not left to ourselves. If you feel that you're
left to yourself, it's because you think that
you're left to yourself, right? Because you think
that you're left to yourself. We were left without
any sort of strength and any sort of hope because
God has placed everything that we need within
our reach. Everything that we need within our
reach. And the writer of Hebrews, with our studies
and everything, we see that He also shows the
faithfulness of God and God's ability to save
to the autumn autumus He shows we see we see
that in hebrew 7 25 that is able to save to the
autumus It's able to save to the autumus that
in itself and cause or that is the self should
stir up confidence in the god that you serve
Because sometimes we are faced with circumstances
and challenges that will want to shake And make
us doubt But our confidence will always come
back to God's word, right? Our confidence will
always bring us back to God's word because God's
word is true. We are in a world now where people
talk down on the word. Somebody will tell you,
just push the Bible aside. I used to marvel at
people that call themselves Christian and then
you're having a conversation and you say, but
in God's word, you say, no, no, no, stop. Let's
be real. Let's be real. Let's be... And I'm like,
this is my reality. Like, where else do you want
me to go? This is me being real. Remember what
we said on Sunday? You want to be careful because
people can do anything to hide the truth. And
some people are doing out of ignorance, right?
You're doing that because they don't know any
better. But you have to stand your ground because
you know that what you're saying is the truth.
You know, we're in a day and an age where somebody
is talking and then when you say the word of
God and the person says, someone shut up, then
you keep quiet. Because the person's voice is
louder. Praise God. We want to be, you know,
you know, you know, sometimes I ask people questions
and then they answer me and I know that they
are not sure, right? I think it happened yesterday.
And you know, there's a way somebody answers
your question or replies you, you know that they
are not certain. And then when you ask to check,
the person is looking at you and the person is
still saying, I'm sure, but they are not sure.
Because there's a way you sound when you're sure
of something, right? And there's a way you sound
when you're not sure of something. There's a
way you sound when you're still in doubt of what
is being said. And what ensures that you are
sure of what you're saying is because you know
very clearly, right? And you are sure beyond
all reasonable doubt that what you're saying
is the truth. And what you're saying is not something
that you were just taught. It's something that
you have seen. Right? You have experience or
something that you know for a fact. And that
is what makes you bold. Right? You know, when
you say, I believe God heals, you know, you say
it and then if you have not seen God heal, you'll
be like, and maybe sometimes there's a part of
your mind, you might just, you might not verbalize
it, but in your head, you know, there are many
things that we have going on in our head. When
somebody says something, just say, a counter
and if some people right now be saying the counter
in the head I don't like I know it's not true
it does I've seen him do it around but I maybe
my case is just different and that's because
there's something that you're holding on to that
is inconsistent with his word and it's not God's
problem right because you have a learning to
do and in and in your learning you you will experience
something very different and it's not like he
it happened then it's because as we said, when
there can be light in a place, the moment you
turn the light on is when you see light. And
it doesn't undermine the fact that there was
always light in a place. But you needed to do
something to see the light come, right? And for
some of us, we probably have been hanging around
it and it has not yet clicked until the day that
somebody says it or the day that it really grips
you or the day that you pay close attention like
you've never done before. And we get to that.
We get to that part shortly. And I believe that
God is going to help us to see. I want us to
see Hebrews. Hebrews 3, 1 to 3. Hebrews 3, 1
to 3, just to establish the fact that it was
true. I want to read it from my book. OK, let
me just go to amplify classic. It's open here.
Amplify classic. Sometimes when you read and
read, it will come, it will hit slightly different
from when you just read it. You want to read
something that... I want us to see 1 -3. You
see, so then, brethren, concentrate, call it
and set apart for God. We share in the heavenly
calling thoughtfully and attentively. considering
Jesus the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess
as ours when we embrace the Christian faith.
2. See how faithful he was to him who appointed
him, Apostle and High Priest, as Moses was also
faithful in the whole house of God. Yet, Jesus
has been considered worthy of even greater honor
and glory than Moses just as the builder of the
house has more glory and honor than the house
itself. Praise God. I want to see that it uses,
it does, it's like, well, that's what the writer
of Hebrews does. And if you're reading the book,
you want to see that you have a contrast. He
will present to you something and then he will
compare and contrast it. We see him do that in
the first chapter, where he says, this is Jesus,
angels, Jesus is more than. And then he comes
and he says, this is Jesus, this is Moses. See,
Jesus is greater than Moses. And if you read
the book of Hebrews, you don't leave that place
thinking of anyone greater than Jesus. Because
in almost every place where you go, any place
when he's talking, he makes sure there is a clear
distinction between Christ and whoever it is.
To solidify in your mind the superiority of the
man or the person of Christ. And that is what
should ring true, because he says, he was faithful
whom appointed him. Like he was faithful, Jesus
was faithful, and then Moses also, right, in
all the house. But it says that to Him be considered
no greater glory than that of Moses. Praise God!
It means that if there's anything you want to
pay keen attention to or close attention to,
it's because this person, as we have looked at
earlier, this person of Christ is the Son and
He redeems the glory of God and is an expression
of the very character of God. Praise God! expression
of the very character of God and we said that
the faith that idea is a matter of character,
is a matter of character, is a matter of character
and the moment you many of us what typically
happens is that your understanding of the character
of God is what is flawed and that is that in
the first in itself affects your faith right
because you it's like what I talked about healing
it's like when you Have an understanding that
oh he can skip you right? That in itself will
affect your ability to receive that which you
are designed of which he's able to do But you
are saying no, I don't think my case is very
different So I could be asked because you don't
believe in his character Towards you. You don't
believe that his character will be the same towards
you. Praise God and every believer has to have
their faith anchored on the truth that we find
in God's Word, not the truth that you think of
or the assumption or the understanding that you
have of God. That's why we learn. That is why
we learn and that's why we grow and that's why
we continue. Take us back to 2 Timothy 3 verse
14. 2 Timothy 3 verse 14 says, you have learned
them. And we say that word there, continue, means
to, it's meno, that is m -e -n -o, means to abide
or to dwell, right? To abide or to dwell. And
it means that learning is something that happens
consistently. It's not something that happens
occasionally, it's something that happens consistently.
Praise God! I know that consistent for some people
is Sunday. is on a Sunday or midweek services
but consistently is what ensures and the more
consistent the more evident the growth in the
life of the individual praise God the more consistent
the more and and what are you consistent in the
passage there says consistent in the things which
you have learned consistent in the things which
you have learned or you can say learning praise
God you're concerned things which are learning
another word is Marthano And the word actually
implies education, understanding, and full of
awareness. The word, it's a Greek word that implies
that Matano, M -A -Man, M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O,
M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O. So, and the word implies
education, understanding, and full awareness,
full awareness. And it comes from... Being taught.
This comes from being taught. This comes from
being taught and it's not from experience because
you can have long years of experience, but you
are not taught or you're not educated. Right?
You're not educated. Remember what we said about
the disciples? The disciples, they said these
men were untrained and educated, but it was something
that made them come across as though they were
educated, right? Because of their being with
Jesus. Because of their being with Jesus. I want
you to see, scattered around scripture, you see
that word, that learn. Lend. And you see that
in Ephesians 4 .20, it says, but you have not
so lent Christ. Meaning that there is a lending
that when you see somebody, you say, no, that
is not what you have lent. In Philippians 4 verse
9, it says, the things which you have lent, and
received and heard and saw in me this do and
the god of peace be with you the things which
you have learned and received and saw in me this
the things you have learned received and saw
in me you see that whole element of learning
learning learning so the individuals would have
seen something would have received something
and would have learned something praise god and
then in romans 16 17 romance 16 17. It says,
Now I urge you brethren, not those who cause
division and offense contrary to the doctrine
which you have learned and avoid them. So, there's
also the learning that ensures that you, because
if you have not learned, you will not even know
who are the people that you do not know. So,
there's a learning that ensures that you are
able to avoid those that cause division offences
and others. So, there's learning in that respect.
So, in John 6 .45, it says, it is written in
the prophets, and they shall all be taught by
God. Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned
from the Father comes to me. So, the result of
learning is that disciples are made, right? The
result of learning is disciples or discipleship.
Where there's learning, there's discipleship.
Where there's learning, there is discipleship
because the individuals and the disciple is a
student. Where there's learning, there's discipleship.
And I think this is something that is very like
we understand this because we're in a student
environment. We're in a student environment and
you know that your classes don't happen in 20
minutes, right? Most of us, your classes and
depends on the credit units, the classes will
be longer. And even if you don't like it, you
paid for it so you don't have a choice. So, you
have to sit down there and take it because that
is the making of you into the career that you
chose for yourself. Praise God! So, the same
way for us, there is a learning that happens
consistently because that is what refers to you
because I said it's there. A student has to give
themselves to study. There is no other way around
it. If a student will be successful... It has
to be studied and it's there in the name. Sometimes
those things are very, it's just there. If you
remove ENT and put Y, study. It's not far away.
So it means that there is that commitment to
learning that will result in good success. What
truly defines a student is not just showing up
to class. What truly defines a student is not
like the What ensures that your student is successful
is not just showing up to class, it's not just
dressing well to the class, it's not just answering
presents, signing attendance. What truly shows
that this person, what truly is the learning?
Because if a student is not learning, the student
is not going to know and the student will invariably
fail, right? They will fail. So it means that
the same thing applies to us as believers. If
we're learning, it means that our faith will
stand no matter the situation or no matter the
challenge. because our faith is anchored on what
we have learned, the truths that we have learned,
the things that we have received, and we continue
in this. We continue in them. We continue in
them. Jesus Christ, in Matthew 28, 19 -20, says,
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
all the things I have commanded you. I am with
you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."
So it means that there is a teaching because
the making of disciples will involve teaching.
And when there is teaching, there is learning.
Praise God. When there is teaching and there
is learning. And the end goal of that is that
people come to an understanding, right? And when
people come to understanding, there is the actions
and the activities that they do consistent with
the teaching that they have received. That's
why you can be able to tell somebody that this
person is not in class. This person is not here
with us. Praise God. There are certain things
that you have been hearing in NECF. When you
do it, we know that you have not been here with
us. Praise God. Or when you say it, we know that
you have not been here with us. Because we know
that if you have been paying attention, this
one, you should have gotten it by now. Praise
God. So that is what teaching does. And there's
always a result for neglecting teaching. There's
always the results that you get when you are
not paying attention. There's always a result
you get when you're not listening. There's always
a result when you're not taking heed, when you
don't continue. There's always a result for that.
I was looking. I think typically nowadays, I
think what happens is that people do that a lot
now because I think social media also contributes
to it where somebody is looking at you, looking
at you, but they are not looking at you. They're
not hearing anything. It's like audios are out.
Audio is out. They're probably just, it's video.
No audio. It's just, they're just, audio is out,
video. And how you do, and you can tell because
the person is looking at you very keenly. You
think that they're paying attention, but they're
actually not. And the way to find out the simple,
just ask them a question. So what was the last
thing I said? And then that was the last thing
I said, bring them back into the room. And then
they will arrive from where they are coming from.
And then they now say, what's the question again?
And then you ask them the question. And then
they look at you with a blank stare. And then
you know this person has no... And just imagine
you spend all... It's better you're not in class,
right? Because at least we know that we didn't
see you. We don't have any expectation of you
because we didn't see you. But when you are there,
seated, and they're looking, and sometimes they
can even be mindlessly taking notes. They are
sketching. Some of them can be drawing. I had
one student like that. He takes his time. He's
drawing, but he's listening to you. And he says
that's the only way he can listen, because he's
always like, he has to be doing something. And
I have tested it, because he can be drawing,
drawing, drawing. Because before you know it,
he has an artwork at the end of the class. He
has an artwork. And I'll ask him, OK. From time
to time, I ask him questions and he answers me.
So, I've got to learn that this particular student
has a unique... And they are very rare. They
are very rare. So, it's not everybody that has
that. It's not everybody that has that. First
of all, people say, Sir, I'm keenly paying attention
to you. Just believe that I'm listening to you,
but you're not actually listening because you're
somewhere. But that particular student was very...
I was learning. I'm the one teaching about, I
was learning because I was like, I've never seen
this one before. I've never seen this one before.
So, as we will see that there's always a result
or there's always a consequence on not paying
attention. And for some of us, it is little by
little, it starts off by you not understanding
what is being taught. And then when you are faced
with a, maybe a challenge that the solution had
already been presented, because you didn't pay
attention, it will be as though you were never
there in the class. I don't know about you. That
will be painful, especially when you realize
that the teacher had already given everything
for it, but you'll be like... And for some of
us, it's when you're faced with a challenging
situation and then you now say, oh, I couldn't
take it or this happened. And it's very sad because
you end up being unstable, right? You end up
being unstable. You end up being prone to deception
because you are not listening. You end up being
prone to deception. You just buy every lie that
is sold to you and we'll be wondering, why? Why
are you even listening? Like, didn't we tell
you? Didn't we warn you? Why are you even listening?
But because you thought that was the truth and
nothing but the truth. Praise God! In Ephesians
4, verse 14, it says, They say that you should
no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the
trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of
deceitful plotting. The challenge is when you're
not rooted or grounded in the Word, what will
happen is that anything that blows will blow
you in the direction that it goes and you will
end up yeah you end up being you find yourself
and then when you now later on discover you will
now be filled with like anger you know that's
what typically happens you say why how did he
lie to me like I can't I can't believe that I
bought but it was there from the beginning it's
not like the moment you realized was the moment
you realize what everyone that is watching show
and they knew and they knew that this is what
will take you and it's it's subtle it happens
slowly when individuals are buying and most most
of the times is because you had an idol you had
something that was the anchor to what because
when when people pull people out of something
is because there's something that appealed to
them you know if something doesn't appeal to
you you will never be interested in it somebody
trying to tempt you with what you don't like
like you can't tempt somebody what they don't
like but because there's an there's something
about that thing you that would be the means
by which you'll be pulled out and pulled away
so That instability happens as a result of you
not being grounded in truth. And that's why you
hear the disciples say, let's continue in what
we have learned. Continue in what we have learned.
That's very, very important. And we also will
see something in Galatians. Galatians 3. Galatians
3 .1. Galatians 3 .1 says, Oh foolish Galatians,
who has bewitched you that you should not obey
the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was
clearly portrayed among you as crucified. So,
you see that it says you should not obey the
truth and you had seen it. Like this has to be
some form of like you saw it, you know it and
then now you are not obeying it. Why is that?
That's because you had not paid attention. That's
because you're not paid attention and you give
yourself to something that was attractive to
you, something that pulled you in. And in this
case, they were drawn to the regalism or drawn
to error because they were not paying attention
to the truth and You you haven't you you have
a lot to deal with because now you are pulling
yourself You're pulling it you're allowing what
shouldn't have even pulled you in the first place
pull you in because you are You are not paid
attention. You're not paid attention. You are
not paid attention and You you see that also
you can have a situation where? The your your
stagnant you are in one place because you are
not Making any progress because you're just coming
in going out coming in going out Spiritually,
you're just stagnant. There's no anything not
no progress. No progress in first Timothy first
Timothy 4 15 First Timothy 4 15 It says meditate
on these things give yourself entirely to them
that your progress may be evident to all that
your progress may be evident to all. He says,
take heed. We know that this is a possible thing.
He says, in fact, speaking to someone, you will
say that this person is not just a minister,
right? This is a minister. He says, you want
to stay there. You want to stay there. You want
to meditate. We will come and see the word meditate.
He says, give yourself entirely to them, meaning
that every part of you is involved. Praise God!
every part of you is involved. When we come and
we say, okay, serve, commit yourself, that is
you putting everything into it. And it says that
your progress may be evident to all. You know,
when somebody is making progress, you can see,
right? When somebody is making like progress,
even if it's little, right? You can see because
just being around people, they will know where
you started and they will know where you're at,
right? Because you're making progress, you are
putting in the effort. And sometimes, We just
fall into that trap of feeling like, because
this person is making tremendous progress, I
feel like I'm a failure because, uh -uh, how
now? We came together to this short. Just imagine
where this person is at and see where I'm at.
Well, your own progress is not seen by you. You
know, it's very easy for you to see what other
people look like. And sometimes you need an honest
evaluation of where you are so that you can be
able to... at least be encouraged, right? That's
why we don't discourage. There's no way you will
be around. There's some amount of progress you're
making if you are really paying attention. And
if you desire progress so much, you want to do
all the things that are required for you to actually
see a lot more. And sometimes, you see that thing
I just said now? That is what leads many of us
into that place of anxiety, where we are now
putting so much weight on ourselves because we
sense a need that we need to make this much progress
at this time because we feel that we have to
get there very quickly. We have to get there
very quickly and sometimes you can have challenges
that are beyond your control. I'm saying this
now to say that sometimes you are in a system
where there are certain things you can't control
but what you want to do is be faithful to the
things that you have the ability to control,
right? Be faithful to the things and trust that
you are making the required progress per time,
right? Making the required progress per time,
not overburdening or putting a lot on yourself.
In Philippians 4, there's six. Philippians 4,
there's six. I read from the New King James,
it says, be anxious for nothing. I want you to
listen to that. Be anxious forward. I want us
to say it together. Be anxious forward. Be anxious
for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and
supplication, we can be. Sometimes we say, I'm
not worried. I'm just concerned about my spiritual
growth. You can make it look like it's a thing
of concern, but you know we can know when the
concern is getting out of line. The concern now
is putting you in that place of depression, frustration.
That's when we know that now you are now because
you want to understand that in everything it
says, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known to God. And I want us to see something
in the verse 1 of that particular chapter. The
verse 1 of that particular chapter says, So stand
fast in faith, stand fast, sorry, in the Lord
below. He says, stand fast. He says, so stand
fast in the Lord. He says, so stand fast in the
Lord. Okay, yeah. So stand fast in the Lord below.
Notice it starts off, that particular chapter
starts off with the encouragement for the brethren
to stand fast in the Lord. Stand fast in the
Lord will mean that you are trusting, because
your uncle, your faith, everything is in him.
You're trusting that every step you're making,
every effort you're putting in, because it's
the effort that you can, is bringing you closer
and closer to what God wants. In verse 7, I want
us to read verse 7. It says, And the peace of
God, of that same verse, and the peace of God
which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And
the peace of God will guide your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. And when you allow your
situation to put you in that place of anxiety,
put you in that place of worry, what brings you
back is reminding yourself of the fact that God's
work in you stays consistent. Praise God! God's
work in you stays consistent and you're not the
one that will worry yourself out of the work.
Yeah, you can if you let it, but you want to
be reminded and that's why when you feel a certain
kind of way, you have brothers and sisters to
help you bring yourself back on track. I want
you to challenge yourself that little window
period of when you feel anxious, Become shorter
and shorter because every time you sense that
because many of times is how you feel Is how
you feel and that's why one of the time I always
say this I say when people feel a certain kind
of way I said I've just spent time listening
to other people tell you about the challenges
They're going through you do you want you you
don't you do you notice how that can help you?
Put in perspective what you think you're going
through because all of a sudden now even He said,
he's going through also. And then you now see,
and she's still smiling. And then you'll be like,
I've never even gotten into quarter of where
she's going through and I'm here crying. And
you, you, it's not like you're, but some, you
know, sometimes that's why I said, sometimes
hanging out, that is basically what happens because
where you are at, you are looking at your problem,
right? As Pastor Fai was teaching us, you're
looking at the mountain. And even, admiring the
mountain and saying, this is my mountain. You're
not saying, it must be removed. You're saying,
this is my mountain. It's my mountain. You know,
there's something about when you are in something
and you've been there for too long. It's now
your own. You personalize it. You say, this is
our problem. It's our family. It's what comes
with us. And then I'm wondering, what family
are you now in Him? What family do you belong
to? Right? What family do you belong to? And
then you take it, but now when you hear somebody
else talk about theirs, you are now challenged,
right? Because what that person does to you is
that the person stares you up to, like, why am
I allowing this to get the best of me? And then
you now are reminded, right, that the same God
that is working in that person is the same God
that is working in you. You just need to come
to that. consciousness and that's why hearing
other people share or hearing other people talk
about it sometimes gets you to come back and
like kind of recalibrate what exactly it is you
think difficulty or hardship is and that's why
I was sharing with somebody I said nowadays people
we train ourselves to just back down as the slightest
form of like some level of difficulty just back
down and then you're like life has not just started
Like you just experience one or two and we're
not undermining what you're going through because
it's where you're at, right? But know that the
moment you come and interact with other people,
because sometimes you feel that what you're going
through is a lot. And we're not saying that we
know what you're going through or we understand
it. But what we're saying is that we have seen
God take us out of difficult situations. not
even up to what you're going through. We have
seen God take us out of difficulties. We have
even seen God take other people, even if we can't
compare ourselves. And that is what ankles are
filled, because we know that there is no other
way. We have seen the miraculous happen, and
we know it's not wishful thinking. We know it's
not by chance. We know it's not... We have seen
God heal people, and we're not saying that we
have not seen situations where we say, ah, and
we're still seeing situations where we're praying
and believing, but that doesn't shake our trust
in God. That doesn't move us to the left. Yeah,
sometimes you feel like, oh, I wish this was
like this, I wish this was like that, but that
shouldn't move your trust. Because the fact that
you have not seen the manifestation, that's what
the customer is talking about on Sunday. The
fact that you've not seen... I will not want
to be the one that will lose my sleep or not
be excited or not be joyful or be moody because
of what I've not seen. and then I see it later
and then I'm like all the sleepless nights I
don't know I don't know I don't I really don't
you want to be that you want to be the one that
will go through all of that but what what makes
the journey what the while is when you are at
it like nothing has happened like nothing is
going wrong like everything is going well because
you know you don't need to see it right You don't
need to see it to believe, right? Because you
know that this God is doing everything He needs
to do and you have to trust that He is on your
case and what He demands of you is for you to
be faithful. Praise God! What He demands of you
is for you to be faithful. He says that in 1
Corinthians 4. He says that faithfulness is what
He requires of you, right? Faithfulness is what
He requires for you. And your faithfulness, as
I've said again and again, is anchored on His
faithfulness. And He's true to His Word. He's
true to His character. It is not in His character
to back down. There is no case that you present
to Him and say, huh, this is beyond my pay grade.
Praise God. There is no case you present to Him.
It's you that is thinking. And sometimes we get
to a place where we are overthinking it for God.
We are like, God, this is my case is really bad.
I don't think you can manage... Hey, God! Can
you? Hey! You just... You start customizing and
doing all of those things... You... You... Praise
God! I want you to be reminded that God is faithful
and you don't want to allow... You know, sometimes
when you're not getting understanding, you now
go online and start finding people that are going
to help you. I'll say, you know, it's a mystery.
I want to launch you into. Then you start hearing
things and you'll be like, ah, this person is
making sense. I think I understand, like this
is what I need. Like all this trying to understand,
no, I'm not understanding anything. My situation
is making things complicated. Then the person
asks you, you know, there's a mystery that you
have to tap into. When you enter that realm like
this, everything will just open and just be clear
to you. And then you'll be like, can I read for
you? The person will say a lot of things, but
they will use words. They will unsettle you,
and settle you, and resettle you with words,
and then when you finish, you'll be like, I'm
stirred up. And then they ask you, stirred up
with what? What is stirring you up right now?
You say, no, there's something about the word
that he said. I was just hearing him, and my
faith was just going up and down, up and down.
I feel like I can take down a mountain. But...
But there is no understanding because it's not
anchored on the Word of God. Praise God. Because
there is no understanding. See, you can go a
lot... we see it now. There's a lot of things
you can do when you understand what you're...
like you have an understanding of something.
Because with that you can think, you can process,
you can... in fact, you don't need to make too
much noise. Right? You make progress. But when
somebody comes and vibrates, do like... hit you
left, right, and center, and then they put the
whole sound and everything. Your emotions are
all stirred up. You feel that you got something,
but when they actually articulate what you have
gotten, you say, it was a blessing. That's a
summary of all that you have received. It was
a blessing. It was a great blessing. It was powerful.
Yes, it was, but notice that you don't live with
something solid, something that will help you
to stand the challenges that you're going to
meet once you end the life or believe the service
or whatever it is because you're going to be
faced with a real situation and you want to know
God's Word for real. Praise God! You want to
know God's Word for real and you want to rest
your strength or rest your understanding in the
Word of God. Rest your understanding in the Word
of God. I want us to see something. When Apostle
Paul was talking about that whole idea of Everything
that we need is revealed to us. It's not a mystery.
Like everything that we need is revealed to us.
Apostle Paul speaking in Ephesians 3 verse 3
to 4, he says, how that by revelation, our brother
was leading us in prayer, he says, how that by
revelation, he had made known to me the mystery,
as I have briefly written already, by which when
you read You may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ. By which when you read, you
may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ. I think I just remembered something when
I was reading Hebrews 13. When the writer of
Hebrews was ending in 13, He mentioned something
about it being brief. You can imagine how he
had explained and explained and explained. He
says in Hebrews 13 22, He says, I appeal to you,
brethren, bear with the word of exaltation, for
which I have written to you in few words. Praise
God! In a few words, you know? I know that you
understand that it's not chapters, right? It's
a whole letter. And then Judah is reading. Some
of us, they say, read the book of Hebrews. Was
the whole 13 chapters a few words? Yeah, it is!
Because the writer is saying it's a few words.
We have to take his word for it. We have to take
his word for it. And just imagine you have, and
this is why when Apostle Paul is writing this
and he's telling you revelation, note that the
person has, the person knows that look, there's
a lot more, right? For somebody to scale and
tell you a few words, it means that there's a
lot more. They just give you a particular section
for you to just use and as they were saying,
enter your whole body. So you just use that one
and just understand something. And as I said,
When you look at that book of Hebrews, you just
see that every now and then, every part will,
if there's anything, it will encourage, it will
make you know, yeah, there's some parts that
will look like it's a threat, but it will make
you know that what you have is permanent, right?
What you have can be lost because of the person
who has given. That's the faithfulness of God,
right? Because there's no way you read there
and then you can doubt the potency of what Christ
has done or how the the eternal nature of what
He has done. I'm looking for adjectives to qualify
all the things that He says about what Christ
has done in the book of Hebrews. And you shouldn't
walk out of that place saying that, oh, I feel
that my own version that was given to me or the
version that I have can be lost in one or two
ways. Praise God! Because what God has done,
and that's why when Apostle Paul is writing,
he says, how that by revelation He made known
to me the mystery, right? He made known to me
the mystery and as given I say, and when you
read, you may understand. Meaning that reading
is important for understanding. Reading is important
for understanding. And when someone says, when
they say read, you know, for some of us who think
reading is just glancing or just open the passage,
reading it, you want to stay there and capture
the details. Praise God. You want to stay there,
capture the details of what is written. I want
us to come to this place where we close. I'll
just take us to Acts 17, 11 to 13. Let's just
stay there. Just give me an LLT. In 11, it says,
and the people of Berea were more open -minded
than those of Thessalonica. Notice that he's
comparing and contrasting these people as against
these people. And it says, They listened eagerly
to Paul's message, meaning that these people
paid close attention to what Paul was saying.
In the next line, it says, they searched the
scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas
were teaching the truth. And I want you to note
something, which is sometimes we miss it. These
people were not yet saved though. They were not
yet saved though, because you will see it in
subsequent verse. were taking their time to and
that word search that was said the scripture
it would look like you're just searching for
a particular verse right but that word search
is not to investigate it's to examine meaning
that they put on their thinking caps carry their
mind look put inside and it was not that they
were searching to see if they lied maybe the
person said open to ask their team verse what
is this right scripture they're not certain to
find if the scripture was correct they were searching
to see to understand what exactly it is that
was communicated to them. And they did this for
several days as unbelievers. And you are a believer.
Praise God. I just want to challenge you. They
did it for several days as people that are unbelievers
trying to find the truth, right? And then we
see that it is in verse 12. It says, in verse
12 now, it says, as a result, the result of all
of their investigation now brings them to that
place where they believed, right? They believed
and it says, and as many of the prominent Greek
women and men, so we have them now believing
and this is when we see them become believers.
And then I want you to see something in 13. Let's
do 13. It says, but when some of the Jews in
Thessalonica, those people that did not listen,
learned that Paul was preaching the word of God
in Berea, they went there to stir up trouble.
So, you do not listen. But what you want to do
now is to cause confusion for the people that
are trying to listen and you always have people
like that. But our attention or Paul's work,
and by the way, you notice that as we will see
in even the 14th, we see that the people actually
took him out and there was a way of escape for
him. Praise God! God will always deliver us.
Remember, he's faithful and he will always deliver
us from wicked and reasonable men. Just keep
doing the work that we're doing. So the challenge
here to us is to see that we are able to stay
We are able to investigate. We are not just casually
reading the Word of God. We are paying attention
to what the Word of God says. We are internalizing
it because we know that it will help our faith
to be grounded in the truth. It will help us
to be solid in the truth. It will help us to
grow even more and it will help that others through
our growth will experience the same. knowledgeable
and that's one thing that blessed me with the
brother that I was speaking with because he has
learned now he's able to organize a three -hour
teaching right on the basis of what he has been
taught and he's able to now give to others and
and and that is the joy that is the joy that
we have as pastors that we it doesn't die like
we it doesn't die it doesn't stop here right
it doesn't stop here that even when people come
and then they go We hear great things about what
God has done because we are taking our time to
internalize the truths that we receive. We are
passionate about learning. We are passionate
about growing and understanding. We are passionate
about doing all of this. We know that our growth
requires participation. Our growth requires reading,
listening, investigating, remunerating on things.
I loved what happened in our cell on Friday where
people were laughing. People get to the point,
you know, you can be discussing football. Hours,
hours, hours. You can be discussing movies, discussing
this. But you know, when you are able to stay
and discuss, then time has passed, and you are
still, you know, but this time I will say, we
are a Finnish show. Please don't say it's about
the city that's holding you behind. But you see
that people want to stay and learn, right? People
want to stay and learn. People want to stay and
participate. And that is basically how you know.
that we're not just the one keeping you, right?
We're not just the one keeping you. You have
a desire to grow, you have a desire to learn,
you have a desire to understand and that's what
keeps us in a place. Praise God! Not the activities,
not the different things, not saying that you
must come. You're coming because you know that
there's learning that happens and that learning
will result in your growth. Praise God! I want
us to rise up to our feet and just... We appreciate
you being here today. We hope you carry this
word with you throughout your week. Don't forget
to check the show notes for additional insights.
Stay connected with us through our website or
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Until next time, stay blessed.