WEBVTT

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Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is

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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your

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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until

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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive

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right in. Verse 13 from the NLT says, Be on guard.

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Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

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Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous. Be strong.

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1 Corinthians 16 13. 1 Corinthians 16 13 says,

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Be on guard. Be alert. Be attentive. Stand firm

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in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous.

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Be strong. I want to thank the pastorate, to

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thank God for the opportunity to be able to present

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God's Word to us. I think one thing that actually

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got me giving thanks to God this week, I think

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it was the course of the week when I had a conversation

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with someone that used to be here, that is back

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in Nigeria. We were just talking and I was like,

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so where you are now, how much time do you have

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for the teaching of God's Word? And to my horror,

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he says they have like 20 minutes. I said 20

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minutes is a charge. There are some certain charges

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that will not even happen. Like you need more

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than that to have that. And it just goes to show

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that I think in the Church of NEC, if we give

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attention to God's Word, we spend an hour. And

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I size that in the, if you're part of the training

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center, there's a lot that goes into like if

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you're the stretch and the training that happens

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is all that we really are grounded in the truth,

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in what we know, in what we believe. We're grounded.

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Remember what we were saying on Sunday? Learning

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is not easy. Learning is not something you don't

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learn in your sleep. There are some things that

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you can't do. It requires attention, which brings

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us back to that whole key thing of giving attention

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to what we are hearing, giving attention to what

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we are listening to. And the core of our faith

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work is learning. It's going to be difficult.

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There's a lot of struggle. We'll highlight a

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couple of things in the course of this teaching

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again. And it's sad that we tend to give attention

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to the things that will not help us to stand

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fast in faith. We tend to give attention to the

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things that we feel will excite us physically,

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because I can imagine that they have several

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other activities and then the teaching of God's

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Word is just 20 minutes. I can imagine. And I

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thank God because we were discussing with Him

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and He had an opportunity to have a lengthy teaching

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over in the weekends. They said they gave Him

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three hours. I said, that is an answered prayer.

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They gave Him three hours to teach on a particular

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subject. And I really thank God for the fact

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that we have individuals that when they leave

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from this place, the training and the building,

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you don't push it aside and say, let me focus

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on my future, let me focus on my career. You

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take it on. So, I really thank God for what God

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is doing in the church and I appreciate the pastorate

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for the time and just the fact that we are given

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this much opportunity to learn. the Word of God

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to grow in the truths that we have in Christ

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Jesus, praise God. As I said, there's no other

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way, right? There's no other way. If we have

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to grow, what should make the most of what we

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do is teaching and training, right? It's teaching

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of God's Word and training. There's no other

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way that we can grow aside from that. So if You

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know, some people will say, well, it gets boring.

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Like we need to spice it up. We need to add some

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things we need to like we need to do. And many

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times you notice that those things don't even

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help. If you're honest with yourself, you know,

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those things, they don't help. I think I was

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speaking to someone and they were like, you know,

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you know, God's word is not enough for my mental

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health. Like I need to like there's more that

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like we need to do. And I said, I have listened

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to, I've heard people in that space. It's just

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therapy, as the name implies. It's therapy you'll

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be receiving. But I know that there's something

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that happens when a person stays with God's Word.

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The person stays with God's Word and continues

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to put it in. It might not make sense now, but

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there's something that happens when you stay

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in something, which is what we're going to look

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at very shortly, but we continue with the Word.

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Remember what we talked about on Sunday where

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we said there was something about the disciples,

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right? That wasn't there at the beginning. It

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wasn't there at the beginning. But there was

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something about the disciples that was seen in

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the disciples in the Acts 4. That these people

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say these people were with Jesus. So it means

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that no matter what it is that you want to do,

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right? There is no change that happens except

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the change. There is no permanent fix. that can

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happen except the one that is grounded and anchored

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on God's Word. Those things give you some benefits,

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but on the long run, what holds a believer, what

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ensures that a believer is grounded, is the Word

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of God. That is the faithful. That is what ensures

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that a believer grows. Knowledge is very important.

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The more we learn, the more we grow. And if we're

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saying we're going to do greater, it's to the

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degree of our knowledge that we're able to do

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greater. Because what you don't know, you're

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bound, right? You're bound by what you don't

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know. There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.

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There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.

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That's why we give ourselves. That's why the

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Apostle Paul would be encouraging Timothy. In

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2 Timothy 3, 14, it says, you must continue,

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continue. That's the word. No, you must continue

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in the things which you have learned and be assured

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of knowing from whom you have learned them. Knowing

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from whom you have learned them and you see the

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word lend. We will come to that word shortly.

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Knowing from whom you have learned them. We had

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established that what we are learning and the

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teachings is all anchored on the person of Christ,

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right? It's the things concerning Christ. I want

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us to see something in John. John 1 .1. I would

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like us to look at it on the NLT, John 1 .1.

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It says, In the beginning, the Word already existed.

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The Word was with God and the Word was God. I

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will jump to verse 14. It says, So the Word became

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human and made His home among us. He was full

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of unfailing love and faithfulness. We have seen

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His glory, the glory of the Father's love. 18

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now. John 1, 1, 14, and then 18. No one has ever

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seen God, but the unique one, who is God Himself,

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is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed

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God to us. He has revealed God to us. Sometimes

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we can look at this passage and just walk away

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and not see the so many implications of the passage

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of what we just read, meaning that our introduction

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to God is the person of Christ. Meaning that

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our introduction to God is the person of Christ.

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What I saw, because we read the book of Hebrews,

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right? We read the book of Hebrews and what I

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want us to see is something that the book of

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Hebrews 1 .1 -4 I want us to read it from the

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NLT again. Hebrews 1, 1 to 4, I want us to see

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something similar. It says, long ago, God spoke

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many times and in many ways to our ancestors.

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And we, all of us that were there, we say that

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the ancestors were referring to the fathers,

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right? When you say fathers, you can say fathers,

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that is the Jews, the ones of the past, the ancestors

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through the prophet. And now, In these final

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days, He has spoken to us through His Son. That's

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Jesus Christ. That's been mentioned in John as

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well. So, God promised everything to His Son

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as an inheritance and through the Son, He created

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the universe. I want us to look at three. It

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says, the Son radiates God's own glory and expresses

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the very character of God. and He sustains everything

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by the mighty power of His command. When He had

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cleansed us from all our sins, He sat down at

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the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic

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God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far

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greater than angels, just as the name God gave

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Him is far greater than their names. Praise God.

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And I want you to notice something that the book

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of Hebrews places Jesus Christ as superior. Places

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Him in a place that nobody can contest. Places

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Him in a place and that is what he starts in

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contrast. He starts that and he says in verse

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3 that the sun radiates God's own glory and expresses

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the very character of God. It radiates God's

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own glory and expresses the very character of

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God. And I want you to see the faithfulness of

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that. And that's what John now says. He says

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he's full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

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And then we see in Hebrews, he says, the sun

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radiates God's own glory and expresses the very

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character of God. And he says he sustains everything

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and he goes on and on and then he shows us the

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other things. It means that which is what I will

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present to us, which is what I want us to look

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at. Because anytime we talk about fate, we have

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a tendency to focus on like doctrine and all

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of that. But what we see primarily as what fate

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speaks loudly of is character. Is character what

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we see I speak slowly of is character is a is

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a matter of character if it is mostly you see

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that it's mostly a matter of character and you

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see it in even in the Old Testament when use

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uses in it uses the word it always will speak

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of character and you see words like faithfulness

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because even The the word of a person is the

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like it comes from the character, right? What

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a person comes from the character and you see

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that That word because even the Greek and Hebrew

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you see that the word actually will mean you

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see faithfulness loyalty commitment and You see

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even the word of the person the person is committed

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to that word because it's it's characterized

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as thick praise God It's characterized as thick

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so you see that that word and I will want to

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I want you to follow because you will see that

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our faithfulness is Anchored on the faithfulness

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of God even just staying with Hebrews. You see

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that even in the chapters 3 It compares and contrasts

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the faithfulness of God as against Moses, right?

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You see that there's no other way, because we

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as humans can't even, we can't stay faithful.

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In fact, there are many things that we can't.

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We can, but on the basis of our trust, that's

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why we place our trust in God to enable us to

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be faithful. Scattered through Scripture, you

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see that God is faithful. God is faithful. He

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is faithful and Jesus Christ will be speaking

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to His disciples and He will tell them to continue

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with Him, right? Continue with Him and that continuing

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with Him is being faithful to His teachings.

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Being faithful to His teachings. That's simply

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faithfulness to His teachings. Continuing with

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Him is simply being faithful to His teachings.

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So, the faithfulness of God speaks of His character

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and that character is seen in the person of Jesus

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Christ. Praise God! The faithfulness of God is

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seen in the person of Jesus Christ. The faithfulness

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of God's faithfulness is seen in the person of

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Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 3 to 4,

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and I know we often go to that passage, but I

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want us to see something. It says, But the Lord

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is faithful. But the Lord is faithful. He will

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strengthen you and encourage you. He will strengthen

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you and guide you from the evil one. He says,

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and we are confident in the Lord that you are

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doing and will continue to do the things we commanded

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you. Notice that he is saying that the Lord is

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faithful, right? Apostle Paul says the Lord is

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faithful and He will strengthen you and guide

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you from the evil one. Meaning that God is faithful

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to strengthen you. not just strengthening you,

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He will also protect you from the evil one. He

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will also deliver you from the evil one. And

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still on the faithfulness of God, He says He

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is confident, right? That He will continue to

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do, and that's that word that you are doing,

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and will continue to do the things that He has

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commanded you. Meaning that there is no chance

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for you to fail. Praise God! There is no chance

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and opportunity for you to fail. because your

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faith is anchored on the one who is faithful.

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The strength that you need to do the work will

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come from Him. Praise God! He didn't leave us

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without strength. He didn't leave us without

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encouragement. He even solidifies it by placing

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you in a family where if you think you're down,

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there's somebody that is there to pick you up.

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And that's why the writer of Hebrews will tell

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you not to neglect the garden of God's people

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because in the garden of God's people, there

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is encouragement, right? He says, stay one another

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up, right? Stay one another up means that God

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has placed people around us that are faithful

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to Him to encourage us to stay faithful to Him.

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Praise God! That is very important and that is

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what notes him because you will see that we are

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not left to ourselves. If you feel that you're

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left to yourself, it's because you think that

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you're left to yourself, right? Because you think

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that you're left to yourself. We were left without

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any sort of strength and any sort of hope because

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God has placed everything that we need within

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our reach. Everything that we need within our

00:15:54.000 --> 00:16:00.379
reach. And the writer of Hebrews, with our studies

00:16:00.379 --> 00:16:02.700
and everything, we see that He also shows the

00:16:02.700 --> 00:16:05.179
faithfulness of God and God's ability to save

00:16:05.179 --> 00:16:08.500
to the autumn autumus He shows we see we see

00:16:08.500 --> 00:16:12.240
that in hebrew 7 25 that is able to save to the

00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:15.500
autumus It's able to save to the autumus that

00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:18.039
in itself and cause or that is the self should

00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:21.399
stir up confidence in the god that you serve

00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:24.460
Because sometimes we are faced with circumstances

00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:29.220
and challenges that will want to shake And make

00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:31.860
us doubt But our confidence will always come

00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:34.700
back to God's word, right? Our confidence will

00:16:34.700 --> 00:16:36.960
always bring us back to God's word because God's

00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:39.639
word is true. We are in a world now where people

00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:41.460
talk down on the word. Somebody will tell you,

00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:44.779
just push the Bible aside. I used to marvel at

00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:46.240
people that call themselves Christian and then

00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:47.960
you're having a conversation and you say, but

00:16:47.960 --> 00:16:49.879
in God's word, you say, no, no, no, stop. Let's

00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:54.059
be real. Let's be real. Let's be... And I'm like,

00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:57.240
this is my reality. Like, where else do you want

00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:01.080
me to go? This is me being real. Remember what

00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:04.619
we said on Sunday? You want to be careful because

00:17:04.619 --> 00:17:08.759
people can do anything to hide the truth. And

00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:10.940
some people are doing out of ignorance, right?

00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:12.720
You're doing that because they don't know any

00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:15.799
better. But you have to stand your ground because

00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:17.319
you know that what you're saying is the truth.

00:17:18.539 --> 00:17:20.799
You know, we're in a day and an age where somebody

00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.720
is talking and then when you say the word of

00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:26.099
God and the person says, someone shut up, then

00:17:26.099 --> 00:17:29.279
you keep quiet. Because the person's voice is

00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:33.990
louder. Praise God. We want to be, you know,

00:17:33.990 --> 00:17:36.269
you know, you know, sometimes I ask people questions

00:17:36.269 --> 00:17:39.049
and then they answer me and I know that they

00:17:39.049 --> 00:17:41.029
are not sure, right? I think it happened yesterday.

00:17:41.630 --> 00:17:44.069
And you know, there's a way somebody answers

00:17:44.069 --> 00:17:46.710
your question or replies you, you know that they

00:17:46.710 --> 00:17:50.069
are not certain. And then when you ask to check,

00:17:50.470 --> 00:17:52.009
the person is looking at you and the person is

00:17:52.009 --> 00:17:53.789
still saying, I'm sure, but they are not sure.

00:17:54.970 --> 00:17:57.069
Because there's a way you sound when you're sure

00:17:57.069 --> 00:17:59.410
of something, right? And there's a way you sound

00:17:59.410 --> 00:18:00.609
when you're not sure of something. There's a

00:18:00.609 --> 00:18:04.329
way you sound when you're still in doubt of what

00:18:04.329 --> 00:18:09.950
is being said. And what ensures that you are

00:18:09.950 --> 00:18:12.170
sure of what you're saying is because you know

00:18:12.170 --> 00:18:16.430
very clearly, right? And you are sure beyond

00:18:16.430 --> 00:18:18.890
all reasonable doubt that what you're saying

00:18:18.890 --> 00:18:21.589
is the truth. And what you're saying is not something

00:18:21.589 --> 00:18:24.630
that you were just taught. It's something that

00:18:24.630 --> 00:18:27.460
you have seen. Right? You have experience or

00:18:27.460 --> 00:18:29.900
something that you know for a fact. And that

00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:32.440
is what makes you bold. Right? You know, when

00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:38.299
you say, I believe God heals, you know, you say

00:18:38.299 --> 00:18:41.380
it and then if you have not seen God heal, you'll

00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:44.819
be like, and maybe sometimes there's a part of

00:18:44.819 --> 00:18:46.640
your mind, you might just, you might not verbalize

00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:48.160
it, but in your head, you know, there are many

00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:49.599
things that we have going on in our head. When

00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:51.789
somebody says something, just say, a counter

00:18:51.789 --> 00:18:53.589
and if some people right now be saying the counter

00:18:53.589 --> 00:18:56.630
in the head I don't like I know it's not true

00:18:56.630 --> 00:18:59.910
it does I've seen him do it around but I maybe

00:18:59.910 --> 00:19:04.390
my case is just different and that's because

00:19:04.390 --> 00:19:06.269
there's something that you're holding on to that

00:19:06.269 --> 00:19:09.009
is inconsistent with his word and it's not God's

00:19:09.009 --> 00:19:11.930
problem right because you have a learning to

00:19:11.930 --> 00:19:16.009
do and in and in your learning you you will experience

00:19:16.009 --> 00:19:18.529
something very different and it's not like he

00:19:18.529 --> 00:19:22.289
it happened then it's because as we said, when

00:19:22.289 --> 00:19:25.829
there can be light in a place, the moment you

00:19:25.829 --> 00:19:29.309
turn the light on is when you see light. And

00:19:29.309 --> 00:19:30.930
it doesn't undermine the fact that there was

00:19:30.930 --> 00:19:34.769
always light in a place. But you needed to do

00:19:34.769 --> 00:19:37.859
something to see the light come, right? And for

00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:40.460
some of us, we probably have been hanging around

00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:43.099
it and it has not yet clicked until the day that

00:19:43.099 --> 00:19:45.700
somebody says it or the day that it really grips

00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:48.220
you or the day that you pay close attention like

00:19:48.220 --> 00:19:50.279
you've never done before. And we get to that.

00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:52.839
We get to that part shortly. And I believe that

00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:54.960
God is going to help us to see. I want us to

00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:59.980
see Hebrews. Hebrews 3, 1 to 3. Hebrews 3, 1

00:19:59.980 --> 00:20:02.279
to 3, just to establish the fact that it was

00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:04.599
true. I want to read it from my book. OK, let

00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:06.720
me just go to amplify classic. It's open here.

00:20:07.779 --> 00:20:11.099
Amplify classic. Sometimes when you read and

00:20:11.099 --> 00:20:15.700
read, it will come, it will hit slightly different

00:20:15.700 --> 00:20:17.799
from when you just read it. You want to read

00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:20.059
something that... I want us to see 1 -3. You

00:20:20.059 --> 00:20:22.519
see, so then, brethren, concentrate, call it

00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:31.480
and set apart for God. We share in the heavenly

00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:37.789
calling thoughtfully and attentively. considering

00:20:37.789 --> 00:20:41.690
Jesus the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess

00:20:41.690 --> 00:20:45.670
as ours when we embrace the Christian faith.

00:20:46.970 --> 00:20:53.009
2. See how faithful he was to him who appointed

00:20:53.009 --> 00:20:58.849
him, Apostle and High Priest, as Moses was also

00:20:58.849 --> 00:21:03.309
faithful in the whole house of God. Yet, Jesus

00:21:03.309 --> 00:21:07.470
has been considered worthy of even greater honor

00:21:07.470 --> 00:21:12.230
and glory than Moses just as the builder of the

00:21:12.230 --> 00:21:17.069
house has more glory and honor than the house

00:21:17.069 --> 00:21:21.029
itself. Praise God. I want to see that it uses,

00:21:22.569 --> 00:21:24.910
it does, it's like, well, that's what the writer

00:21:24.910 --> 00:21:27.869
of Hebrews does. And if you're reading the book,

00:21:28.029 --> 00:21:33.789
you want to see that you have a contrast. He

00:21:33.789 --> 00:21:36.589
will present to you something and then he will

00:21:36.589 --> 00:21:39.490
compare and contrast it. We see him do that in

00:21:39.490 --> 00:21:43.089
the first chapter, where he says, this is Jesus,

00:21:43.789 --> 00:21:46.269
angels, Jesus is more than. And then he comes

00:21:46.269 --> 00:21:49.849
and he says, this is Jesus, this is Moses. See,

00:21:50.250 --> 00:21:54.150
Jesus is greater than Moses. And if you read

00:21:54.150 --> 00:21:56.329
the book of Hebrews, you don't leave that place

00:21:56.329 --> 00:22:00.569
thinking of anyone greater than Jesus. Because

00:22:00.569 --> 00:22:03.230
in almost every place where you go, any place

00:22:03.230 --> 00:22:06.369
when he's talking, he makes sure there is a clear

00:22:06.369 --> 00:22:10.289
distinction between Christ and whoever it is.

00:22:10.710 --> 00:22:15.789
To solidify in your mind the superiority of the

00:22:15.789 --> 00:22:19.569
man or the person of Christ. And that is what

00:22:19.569 --> 00:22:22.710
should ring true, because he says, he was faithful

00:22:22.710 --> 00:22:27.089
whom appointed him. Like he was faithful, Jesus

00:22:27.089 --> 00:22:30.029
was faithful, and then Moses also, right, in

00:22:30.029 --> 00:22:34.900
all the house. But it says that to Him be considered

00:22:34.900 --> 00:22:38.079
no greater glory than that of Moses. Praise God!

00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:41.880
It means that if there's anything you want to

00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:44.920
pay keen attention to or close attention to,

00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:48.960
it's because this person, as we have looked at

00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:53.960
earlier, this person of Christ is the Son and

00:22:53.960 --> 00:22:57.299
He redeems the glory of God and is an expression

00:22:57.299 --> 00:23:00.359
of the very character of God. Praise God! expression

00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:03.079
of the very character of God and we said that

00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:06.640
the faith that idea is a matter of character,

00:23:07.099 --> 00:23:09.380
is a matter of character, is a matter of character

00:23:09.380 --> 00:23:14.019
and the moment you many of us what typically

00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:16.920
happens is that your understanding of the character

00:23:16.920 --> 00:23:19.799
of God is what is flawed and that is that in

00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:22.799
the first in itself affects your faith right

00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:25.819
because you it's like what I talked about healing

00:23:25.819 --> 00:23:29.480
it's like when you Have an understanding that

00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:34.279
oh he can skip you right? That in itself will

00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:36.900
affect your ability to receive that which you

00:23:36.900 --> 00:23:40.180
are designed of which he's able to do But you

00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:43.900
are saying no, I don't think my case is very

00:23:43.900 --> 00:23:47.259
different So I could be asked because you don't

00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:50.440
believe in his character Towards you. You don't

00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:53.140
believe that his character will be the same towards

00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:57.200
you. Praise God and every believer has to have

00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:00.180
their faith anchored on the truth that we find

00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:02.200
in God's Word, not the truth that you think of

00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:04.500
or the assumption or the understanding that you

00:24:04.500 --> 00:24:06.759
have of God. That's why we learn. That is why

00:24:06.759 --> 00:24:08.599
we learn and that's why we grow and that's why

00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:15.539
we continue. Take us back to 2 Timothy 3 verse

00:24:15.539 --> 00:24:26.630
14. 2 Timothy 3 verse 14 says, you have learned

00:24:26.630 --> 00:24:29.869
them. And we say that word there, continue, means

00:24:29.869 --> 00:24:34.970
to, it's meno, that is m -e -n -o, means to abide

00:24:34.970 --> 00:24:37.849
or to dwell, right? To abide or to dwell. And

00:24:37.849 --> 00:24:40.250
it means that learning is something that happens

00:24:40.250 --> 00:24:42.430
consistently. It's not something that happens

00:24:42.430 --> 00:24:44.869
occasionally, it's something that happens consistently.

00:24:45.210 --> 00:24:47.809
Praise God! I know that consistent for some people

00:24:47.809 --> 00:24:52.019
is Sunday. is on a Sunday or midweek services

00:24:52.019 --> 00:24:55.140
but consistently is what ensures and the more

00:24:55.140 --> 00:24:57.759
consistent the more evident the growth in the

00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:00.200
life of the individual praise God the more consistent

00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:03.099
the more and and what are you consistent in the

00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:06.420
passage there says consistent in the things which

00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:09.660
you have learned consistent in the things which

00:25:09.660 --> 00:25:11.859
you have learned or you can say learning praise

00:25:11.859 --> 00:25:13.680
God you're concerned things which are learning

00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:17.269
another word is Marthano And the word actually

00:25:17.269 --> 00:25:20.690
implies education, understanding, and full of

00:25:20.690 --> 00:25:24.650
awareness. The word, it's a Greek word that implies

00:25:24.650 --> 00:25:31.670
that Matano, M -A -Man, M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O,

00:25:32.230 --> 00:25:36.769
M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O. So, and the word implies

00:25:36.769 --> 00:25:41.049
education, understanding, and full awareness,

00:25:41.210 --> 00:25:44.890
full awareness. And it comes from... Being taught.

00:25:45.089 --> 00:25:47.410
This comes from being taught. This comes from

00:25:47.410 --> 00:25:50.190
being taught and it's not from experience because

00:25:50.190 --> 00:25:53.269
you can have long years of experience, but you

00:25:53.269 --> 00:25:56.410
are not taught or you're not educated. Right?

00:25:56.450 --> 00:25:58.089
You're not educated. Remember what we said about

00:25:58.089 --> 00:26:00.069
the disciples? The disciples, they said these

00:26:00.069 --> 00:26:02.150
men were untrained and educated, but it was something

00:26:02.150 --> 00:26:04.710
that made them come across as though they were

00:26:04.710 --> 00:26:07.450
educated, right? Because of their being with

00:26:07.450 --> 00:26:09.410
Jesus. Because of their being with Jesus. I want

00:26:09.410 --> 00:26:11.730
you to see, scattered around scripture, you see

00:26:11.730 --> 00:26:18.819
that word, that learn. Lend. And you see that

00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:23.160
in Ephesians 4 .20, it says, but you have not

00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:27.400
so lent Christ. Meaning that there is a lending

00:26:27.400 --> 00:26:29.259
that when you see somebody, you say, no, that

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:35.259
is not what you have lent. In Philippians 4 verse

00:26:35.259 --> 00:26:43.099
9, it says, the things which you have lent, and

00:26:43.099 --> 00:26:48.240
received and heard and saw in me this do and

00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:50.960
the god of peace be with you the things which

00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:55.240
you have learned and received and saw in me this

00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:56.819
the things you have learned received and saw

00:26:56.819 --> 00:26:59.579
in me you see that whole element of learning

00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:02.480
learning learning so the individuals would have

00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:04.859
seen something would have received something

00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:07.180
and would have learned something praise god and

00:27:07.180 --> 00:27:12.190
then in romans 16 17 romance 16 17. It says,

00:27:12.690 --> 00:27:17.009
Now I urge you brethren, not those who cause

00:27:17.009 --> 00:27:19.869
division and offense contrary to the doctrine

00:27:19.869 --> 00:27:23.329
which you have learned and avoid them. So, there's

00:27:23.329 --> 00:27:26.410
also the learning that ensures that you, because

00:27:26.410 --> 00:27:29.650
if you have not learned, you will not even know

00:27:29.650 --> 00:27:32.650
who are the people that you do not know. So,

00:27:32.769 --> 00:27:34.650
there's a learning that ensures that you are

00:27:34.650 --> 00:27:41.279
able to avoid those that cause division offences

00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:43.519
and others. So, there's learning in that respect.

00:27:44.140 --> 00:27:49.920
So, in John 6 .45, it says, it is written in

00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:54.180
the prophets, and they shall all be taught by

00:27:54.180 --> 00:27:58.759
God. Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned

00:27:58.759 --> 00:28:02.480
from the Father comes to me. So, the result of

00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:07.000
learning is that disciples are made, right? The

00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:09.990
result of learning is disciples or discipleship.

00:28:10.029 --> 00:28:12.349
Where there's learning, there's discipleship.

00:28:12.809 --> 00:28:14.890
Where there's learning, there is discipleship

00:28:14.890 --> 00:28:17.309
because the individuals and the disciple is a

00:28:17.309 --> 00:28:19.230
student. Where there's learning, there's discipleship.

00:28:20.509 --> 00:28:23.109
And I think this is something that is very like

00:28:23.109 --> 00:28:25.329
we understand this because we're in a student

00:28:25.329 --> 00:28:27.589
environment. We're in a student environment and

00:28:27.589 --> 00:28:31.150
you know that your classes don't happen in 20

00:28:31.150 --> 00:28:34.509
minutes, right? Most of us, your classes and

00:28:34.509 --> 00:28:36.589
depends on the credit units, the classes will

00:28:36.589 --> 00:28:39.339
be longer. And even if you don't like it, you

00:28:39.339 --> 00:28:41.660
paid for it so you don't have a choice. So, you

00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:43.960
have to sit down there and take it because that

00:28:43.960 --> 00:28:47.700
is the making of you into the career that you

00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:49.940
chose for yourself. Praise God! So, the same

00:28:49.940 --> 00:28:52.720
way for us, there is a learning that happens

00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:56.119
consistently because that is what refers to you

00:28:56.119 --> 00:29:00.019
because I said it's there. A student has to give

00:29:00.019 --> 00:29:02.579
themselves to study. There is no other way around

00:29:02.579 --> 00:29:04.920
it. If a student will be successful... It has

00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:08.079
to be studied and it's there in the name. Sometimes

00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:10.119
those things are very, it's just there. If you

00:29:10.119 --> 00:29:14.920
remove ENT and put Y, study. It's not far away.

00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:18.420
So it means that there is that commitment to

00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:23.220
learning that will result in good success. What

00:29:23.220 --> 00:29:28.079
truly defines a student is not just showing up

00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:31.400
to class. What truly defines a student is not

00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:34.380
like the What ensures that your student is successful

00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:36.299
is not just showing up to class, it's not just

00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:39.119
dressing well to the class, it's not just answering

00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:42.019
presents, signing attendance. What truly shows

00:29:42.019 --> 00:29:45.000
that this person, what truly is the learning?

00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:48.240
Because if a student is not learning, the student

00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:50.460
is not going to know and the student will invariably

00:29:50.460 --> 00:29:53.619
fail, right? They will fail. So it means that

00:29:53.619 --> 00:29:56.359
the same thing applies to us as believers. If

00:29:56.359 --> 00:29:59.059
we're learning, it means that our faith will

00:29:59.059 --> 00:30:01.579
stand no matter the situation or no matter the

00:30:01.579 --> 00:30:04.730
challenge. because our faith is anchored on what

00:30:04.730 --> 00:30:06.309
we have learned, the truths that we have learned,

00:30:06.470 --> 00:30:08.250
the things that we have received, and we continue

00:30:08.250 --> 00:30:10.369
in this. We continue in them. We continue in

00:30:10.369 --> 00:30:14.890
them. Jesus Christ, in Matthew 28, 19 -20, says,

00:30:15.230 --> 00:30:17.849
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.

00:30:18.029 --> 00:30:20.569
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

00:30:20.789 --> 00:30:23.349
baptizing them in the name of the Father, the

00:30:23.349 --> 00:30:26.769
Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe

00:30:26.769 --> 00:30:29.900
all the things I have commanded you. I am with

00:30:29.900 --> 00:30:33.880
you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."

00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:36.599
So it means that there is a teaching because

00:30:36.599 --> 00:30:39.039
the making of disciples will involve teaching.

00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:41.619
And when there is teaching, there is learning.

00:30:42.420 --> 00:30:44.420
Praise God. When there is teaching and there

00:30:44.420 --> 00:30:46.960
is learning. And the end goal of that is that

00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:50.779
people come to an understanding, right? And when

00:30:50.779 --> 00:30:53.240
people come to understanding, there is the actions

00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:55.420
and the activities that they do consistent with

00:30:55.420 --> 00:30:57.269
the teaching that they have received. That's

00:30:57.269 --> 00:31:00.009
why you can be able to tell somebody that this

00:31:00.009 --> 00:31:01.869
person is not in class. This person is not here

00:31:01.869 --> 00:31:03.750
with us. Praise God. There are certain things

00:31:03.750 --> 00:31:07.170
that you have been hearing in NECF. When you

00:31:07.170 --> 00:31:09.430
do it, we know that you have not been here with

00:31:09.430 --> 00:31:12.609
us. Praise God. Or when you say it, we know that

00:31:12.609 --> 00:31:14.529
you have not been here with us. Because we know

00:31:14.529 --> 00:31:16.410
that if you have been paying attention, this

00:31:16.410 --> 00:31:18.309
one, you should have gotten it by now. Praise

00:31:18.309 --> 00:31:22.549
God. So that is what teaching does. And there's

00:31:22.549 --> 00:31:25.839
always a result for neglecting teaching. There's

00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:28.160
always the results that you get when you are

00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:30.599
not paying attention. There's always a result

00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:32.480
you get when you're not listening. There's always

00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:35.279
a result when you're not taking heed, when you

00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:37.759
don't continue. There's always a result for that.

00:31:37.940 --> 00:31:41.599
I was looking. I think typically nowadays, I

00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:44.920
think what happens is that people do that a lot

00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:47.059
now because I think social media also contributes

00:31:47.059 --> 00:31:50.539
to it where somebody is looking at you, looking

00:31:50.539 --> 00:31:54.619
at you, but they are not looking at you. They're

00:31:54.619 --> 00:31:57.400
not hearing anything. It's like audios are out.

00:31:57.839 --> 00:31:59.779
Audio is out. They're probably just, it's video.

00:32:00.740 --> 00:32:03.440
No audio. It's just, they're just, audio is out,

00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:06.259
video. And how you do, and you can tell because

00:32:06.259 --> 00:32:08.380
the person is looking at you very keenly. You

00:32:08.380 --> 00:32:11.160
think that they're paying attention, but they're

00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:14.539
actually not. And the way to find out the simple,

00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:17.180
just ask them a question. So what was the last

00:32:17.180 --> 00:32:21.240
thing I said? And then that was the last thing

00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:23.829
I said, bring them back into the room. And then

00:32:23.829 --> 00:32:27.509
they will arrive from where they are coming from.

00:32:28.910 --> 00:32:32.369
And then they now say, what's the question again?

00:32:33.049 --> 00:32:35.569
And then you ask them the question. And then

00:32:35.569 --> 00:32:38.410
they look at you with a blank stare. And then

00:32:38.410 --> 00:32:42.609
you know this person has no... And just imagine

00:32:42.609 --> 00:32:44.970
you spend all... It's better you're not in class,

00:32:45.029 --> 00:32:47.490
right? Because at least we know that we didn't

00:32:47.490 --> 00:32:50.690
see you. We don't have any expectation of you

00:32:50.690 --> 00:32:53.319
because we didn't see you. But when you are there,

00:32:53.460 --> 00:32:55.680
seated, and they're looking, and sometimes they

00:32:55.680 --> 00:33:00.559
can even be mindlessly taking notes. They are

00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:02.839
sketching. Some of them can be drawing. I had

00:33:02.839 --> 00:33:05.180
one student like that. He takes his time. He's

00:33:05.180 --> 00:33:07.539
drawing, but he's listening to you. And he says

00:33:07.539 --> 00:33:09.440
that's the only way he can listen, because he's

00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:11.720
always like, he has to be doing something. And

00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:14.480
I have tested it, because he can be drawing,

00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:16.180
drawing, drawing. Because before you know it,

00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:18.799
he has an artwork at the end of the class. He

00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:20.559
has an artwork. And I'll ask him, OK. From time

00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:22.400
to time, I ask him questions and he answers me.

00:33:22.779 --> 00:33:24.859
So, I've got to learn that this particular student

00:33:24.859 --> 00:33:28.420
has a unique... And they are very rare. They

00:33:28.420 --> 00:33:29.880
are very rare. So, it's not everybody that has

00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:32.460
that. It's not everybody that has that. First

00:33:32.460 --> 00:33:35.160
of all, people say, Sir, I'm keenly paying attention

00:33:35.160 --> 00:33:37.519
to you. Just believe that I'm listening to you,

00:33:38.140 --> 00:33:41.420
but you're not actually listening because you're

00:33:41.420 --> 00:33:43.559
somewhere. But that particular student was very...

00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:47.970
I was learning. I'm the one teaching about, I

00:33:47.970 --> 00:33:49.309
was learning because I was like, I've never seen

00:33:49.309 --> 00:33:51.490
this one before. I've never seen this one before.

00:33:51.809 --> 00:33:55.549
So, as we will see that there's always a result

00:33:55.549 --> 00:33:57.470
or there's always a consequence on not paying

00:33:57.470 --> 00:34:01.190
attention. And for some of us, it is little by

00:34:01.190 --> 00:34:04.049
little, it starts off by you not understanding

00:34:04.049 --> 00:34:06.369
what is being taught. And then when you are faced

00:34:06.369 --> 00:34:10.750
with a, maybe a challenge that the solution had

00:34:10.750 --> 00:34:12.349
already been presented, because you didn't pay

00:34:12.349 --> 00:34:14.170
attention, it will be as though you were never

00:34:14.170 --> 00:34:17.880
there in the class. I don't know about you. That

00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:20.019
will be painful, especially when you realize

00:34:20.019 --> 00:34:21.719
that the teacher had already given everything

00:34:21.719 --> 00:34:27.000
for it, but you'll be like... And for some of

00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:29.639
us, it's when you're faced with a challenging

00:34:29.639 --> 00:34:33.820
situation and then you now say, oh, I couldn't

00:34:33.820 --> 00:34:38.699
take it or this happened. And it's very sad because

00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:42.940
you end up being unstable, right? You end up

00:34:42.940 --> 00:34:45.980
being unstable. You end up being prone to deception

00:34:45.980 --> 00:34:49.480
because you are not listening. You end up being

00:34:49.480 --> 00:34:51.739
prone to deception. You just buy every lie that

00:34:51.739 --> 00:34:55.260
is sold to you and we'll be wondering, why? Why

00:34:55.260 --> 00:34:58.599
are you even listening? Like, didn't we tell

00:34:58.599 --> 00:35:01.800
you? Didn't we warn you? Why are you even listening?

00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:07.139
But because you thought that was the truth and

00:35:07.139 --> 00:35:09.840
nothing but the truth. Praise God! In Ephesians

00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:14.360
4, verse 14, it says, They say that you should

00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:18.340
no longer be children, tossed to and fro and

00:35:18.340 --> 00:35:21.820
carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the

00:35:21.820 --> 00:35:27.300
trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of

00:35:27.300 --> 00:35:34.000
deceitful plotting. The challenge is when you're

00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:37.039
not rooted or grounded in the Word, what will

00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:39.460
happen is that anything that blows will blow

00:35:39.460 --> 00:35:42.340
you in the direction that it goes and you will

00:35:42.340 --> 00:35:45.829
end up yeah you end up being you find yourself

00:35:45.829 --> 00:35:48.389
and then when you now later on discover you will

00:35:48.389 --> 00:35:50.670
now be filled with like anger you know that's

00:35:50.670 --> 00:35:53.230
what typically happens you say why how did he

00:35:53.230 --> 00:35:56.269
lie to me like I can't I can't believe that I

00:35:56.269 --> 00:35:58.829
bought but it was there from the beginning it's

00:35:58.829 --> 00:36:01.269
not like the moment you realized was the moment

00:36:01.269 --> 00:36:03.369
you realize what everyone that is watching show

00:36:03.369 --> 00:36:05.090
and they knew and they knew that this is what

00:36:05.090 --> 00:36:07.289
will take you and it's it's subtle it happens

00:36:07.289 --> 00:36:10.489
slowly when individuals are buying and most most

00:36:10.489 --> 00:36:13.550
of the times is because you had an idol you had

00:36:13.550 --> 00:36:17.150
something that was the anchor to what because

00:36:17.150 --> 00:36:19.329
when when people pull people out of something

00:36:19.329 --> 00:36:21.269
is because there's something that appealed to

00:36:21.269 --> 00:36:22.889
them you know if something doesn't appeal to

00:36:22.889 --> 00:36:25.550
you you will never be interested in it somebody

00:36:25.550 --> 00:36:28.469
trying to tempt you with what you don't like

00:36:28.469 --> 00:36:30.110
like you can't tempt somebody what they don't

00:36:30.110 --> 00:36:32.409
like but because there's an there's something

00:36:32.409 --> 00:36:34.610
about that thing you that would be the means

00:36:34.610 --> 00:36:37.769
by which you'll be pulled out and pulled away

00:36:37.769 --> 00:36:41.719
so That instability happens as a result of you

00:36:41.719 --> 00:36:44.099
not being grounded in truth. And that's why you

00:36:44.099 --> 00:36:47.760
hear the disciples say, let's continue in what

00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:49.719
we have learned. Continue in what we have learned.

00:36:49.860 --> 00:36:53.900
That's very, very important. And we also will

00:36:53.900 --> 00:37:00.039
see something in Galatians. Galatians 3. Galatians

00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:09.719
3 .1. Galatians 3 .1 says, Oh foolish Galatians,

00:37:10.320 --> 00:37:14.340
who has bewitched you that you should not obey

00:37:14.340 --> 00:37:23.940
the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was

00:37:23.940 --> 00:37:28.079
clearly portrayed among you as crucified. So,

00:37:28.099 --> 00:37:31.699
you see that it says you should not obey the

00:37:31.699 --> 00:37:36.280
truth and you had seen it. Like this has to be

00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:39.360
some form of like you saw it, you know it and

00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:43.460
then now you are not obeying it. Why is that?

00:37:44.119 --> 00:37:47.860
That's because you had not paid attention. That's

00:37:47.860 --> 00:37:49.320
because you're not paid attention and you give

00:37:49.320 --> 00:37:54.559
yourself to something that was attractive to

00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:57.880
you, something that pulled you in. And in this

00:37:57.880 --> 00:38:00.599
case, they were drawn to the regalism or drawn

00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:04.079
to error because they were not paying attention

00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:08.400
to the truth and You you haven't you you have

00:38:08.400 --> 00:38:10.760
a lot to deal with because now you are pulling

00:38:10.760 --> 00:38:13.300
yourself You're pulling it you're allowing what

00:38:13.300 --> 00:38:15.019
shouldn't have even pulled you in the first place

00:38:15.019 --> 00:38:17.880
pull you in because you are You are not paid

00:38:17.880 --> 00:38:20.119
attention. You're not paid attention. You are

00:38:20.119 --> 00:38:23.880
not paid attention and You you see that also

00:38:23.880 --> 00:38:28.480
you can have a situation where? The your your

00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:31.900
stagnant you are in one place because you are

00:38:31.900 --> 00:38:35.500
not Making any progress because you're just coming

00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:38.940
in going out coming in going out Spiritually,

00:38:38.940 --> 00:38:42.400
you're just stagnant. There's no anything not

00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:47.039
no progress. No progress in first Timothy first

00:38:47.039 --> 00:38:54.340
Timothy 4 15 First Timothy 4 15 It says meditate

00:38:54.340 --> 00:38:56.980
on these things give yourself entirely to them

00:38:56.980 --> 00:39:01.090
that your progress may be evident to all that

00:39:01.090 --> 00:39:03.670
your progress may be evident to all. He says,

00:39:03.809 --> 00:39:06.769
take heed. We know that this is a possible thing.

00:39:07.110 --> 00:39:11.710
He says, in fact, speaking to someone, you will

00:39:11.710 --> 00:39:14.469
say that this person is not just a minister,

00:39:14.909 --> 00:39:16.869
right? This is a minister. He says, you want

00:39:16.869 --> 00:39:19.690
to stay there. You want to stay there. You want

00:39:19.690 --> 00:39:22.250
to meditate. We will come and see the word meditate.

00:39:22.730 --> 00:39:25.409
He says, give yourself entirely to them, meaning

00:39:25.409 --> 00:39:29.030
that every part of you is involved. Praise God!

00:39:29.179 --> 00:39:32.119
every part of you is involved. When we come and

00:39:32.119 --> 00:39:35.800
we say, okay, serve, commit yourself, that is

00:39:35.800 --> 00:39:38.920
you putting everything into it. And it says that

00:39:38.920 --> 00:39:41.699
your progress may be evident to all. You know,

00:39:41.699 --> 00:39:44.119
when somebody is making progress, you can see,

00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:47.239
right? When somebody is making like progress,

00:39:47.260 --> 00:39:50.719
even if it's little, right? You can see because

00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:52.800
just being around people, they will know where

00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:54.500
you started and they will know where you're at,

00:39:54.639 --> 00:39:56.880
right? Because you're making progress, you are

00:39:56.880 --> 00:39:59.619
putting in the effort. And sometimes, We just

00:39:59.619 --> 00:40:02.179
fall into that trap of feeling like, because

00:40:02.179 --> 00:40:04.400
this person is making tremendous progress, I

00:40:04.400 --> 00:40:07.519
feel like I'm a failure because, uh -uh, how

00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:09.760
now? We came together to this short. Just imagine

00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:11.840
where this person is at and see where I'm at.

00:40:13.179 --> 00:40:15.860
Well, your own progress is not seen by you. You

00:40:15.860 --> 00:40:18.440
know, it's very easy for you to see what other

00:40:18.440 --> 00:40:21.380
people look like. And sometimes you need an honest

00:40:21.380 --> 00:40:23.900
evaluation of where you are so that you can be

00:40:23.900 --> 00:40:25.980
able to... at least be encouraged, right? That's

00:40:25.980 --> 00:40:29.139
why we don't discourage. There's no way you will

00:40:29.139 --> 00:40:31.260
be around. There's some amount of progress you're

00:40:31.260 --> 00:40:33.880
making if you are really paying attention. And

00:40:33.880 --> 00:40:37.000
if you desire progress so much, you want to do

00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:39.880
all the things that are required for you to actually

00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:43.239
see a lot more. And sometimes, you see that thing

00:40:43.239 --> 00:40:46.300
I just said now? That is what leads many of us

00:40:46.300 --> 00:40:50.500
into that place of anxiety, where we are now

00:40:50.500 --> 00:40:53.119
putting so much weight on ourselves because we

00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:55.949
sense a need that we need to make this much progress

00:40:55.949 --> 00:40:59.510
at this time because we feel that we have to

00:40:59.510 --> 00:41:01.250
get there very quickly. We have to get there

00:41:01.250 --> 00:41:03.570
very quickly and sometimes you can have challenges

00:41:03.570 --> 00:41:07.510
that are beyond your control. I'm saying this

00:41:07.510 --> 00:41:10.469
now to say that sometimes you are in a system

00:41:10.469 --> 00:41:12.949
where there are certain things you can't control

00:41:12.949 --> 00:41:15.389
but what you want to do is be faithful to the

00:41:15.389 --> 00:41:17.090
things that you have the ability to control,

00:41:17.409 --> 00:41:20.050
right? Be faithful to the things and trust that

00:41:20.050 --> 00:41:23.969
you are making the required progress per time,

00:41:24.429 --> 00:41:26.369
right? Making the required progress per time,

00:41:26.550 --> 00:41:29.650
not overburdening or putting a lot on yourself.

00:41:30.610 --> 00:41:34.570
In Philippians 4, there's six. Philippians 4,

00:41:34.670 --> 00:41:37.110
there's six. I read from the New King James,

00:41:37.170 --> 00:41:43.630
it says, be anxious for nothing. I want you to

00:41:43.630 --> 00:41:48.130
listen to that. Be anxious forward. I want us

00:41:48.130 --> 00:41:51.719
to say it together. Be anxious forward. Be anxious

00:41:51.719 --> 00:41:56.579
for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and

00:41:56.579 --> 00:42:03.699
supplication, we can be. Sometimes we say, I'm

00:42:03.699 --> 00:42:06.079
not worried. I'm just concerned about my spiritual

00:42:06.079 --> 00:42:11.059
growth. You can make it look like it's a thing

00:42:11.059 --> 00:42:12.860
of concern, but you know we can know when the

00:42:12.860 --> 00:42:16.519
concern is getting out of line. The concern now

00:42:16.519 --> 00:42:19.000
is putting you in that place of depression, frustration.

00:42:19.210 --> 00:42:22.230
That's when we know that now you are now because

00:42:22.230 --> 00:42:24.949
you want to understand that in everything it

00:42:24.949 --> 00:42:27.789
says, but in everything by prayer and supplication

00:42:27.789 --> 00:42:29.489
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made

00:42:29.489 --> 00:42:31.750
known to God. And I want us to see something

00:42:31.750 --> 00:42:35.929
in the verse 1 of that particular chapter. The

00:42:35.929 --> 00:42:48.960
verse 1 of that particular chapter says, So stand

00:42:48.960 --> 00:42:53.019
fast in faith, stand fast, sorry, in the Lord

00:42:53.019 --> 00:42:56.159
below. He says, stand fast. He says, so stand

00:42:56.159 --> 00:42:59.480
fast in the Lord. He says, so stand fast in the

00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:02.559
Lord. Okay, yeah. So stand fast in the Lord below.

00:43:02.860 --> 00:43:05.699
Notice it starts off, that particular chapter

00:43:05.699 --> 00:43:10.219
starts off with the encouragement for the brethren

00:43:10.219 --> 00:43:14.139
to stand fast in the Lord. Stand fast in the

00:43:14.139 --> 00:43:16.179
Lord will mean that you are trusting, because

00:43:16.179 --> 00:43:19.239
your uncle, your faith, everything is in him.

00:43:19.460 --> 00:43:21.760
You're trusting that every step you're making,

00:43:22.679 --> 00:43:26.139
every effort you're putting in, because it's

00:43:26.139 --> 00:43:28.880
the effort that you can, is bringing you closer

00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:32.239
and closer to what God wants. In verse 7, I want

00:43:32.239 --> 00:43:34.159
us to read verse 7. It says, And the peace of

00:43:34.159 --> 00:43:37.059
God, of that same verse, and the peace of God

00:43:37.059 --> 00:43:40.139
which surpasses all understanding, will guard

00:43:40.139 --> 00:43:43.400
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And

00:43:43.400 --> 00:43:45.239
the peace of God will guide your hearts and minds

00:43:45.239 --> 00:43:51.500
through Christ Jesus. And when you allow your

00:43:51.500 --> 00:43:55.260
situation to put you in that place of anxiety,

00:43:55.360 --> 00:43:59.420
put you in that place of worry, what brings you

00:43:59.420 --> 00:44:06.400
back is reminding yourself of the fact that God's

00:44:06.400 --> 00:44:11.559
work in you stays consistent. Praise God! God's

00:44:11.559 --> 00:44:14.079
work in you stays consistent and you're not the

00:44:14.079 --> 00:44:16.340
one that will worry yourself out of the work.

00:44:16.980 --> 00:44:20.559
Yeah, you can if you let it, but you want to

00:44:20.559 --> 00:44:24.079
be reminded and that's why when you feel a certain

00:44:24.079 --> 00:44:26.239
kind of way, you have brothers and sisters to

00:44:26.239 --> 00:44:31.699
help you bring yourself back on track. I want

00:44:31.699 --> 00:44:33.940
you to challenge yourself that little window

00:44:33.940 --> 00:44:39.369
period of when you feel anxious, Become shorter

00:44:39.369 --> 00:44:42.110
and shorter because every time you sense that

00:44:42.110 --> 00:44:46.090
because many of times is how you feel Is how

00:44:46.090 --> 00:44:48.110
you feel and that's why one of the time I always

00:44:48.110 --> 00:44:49.989
say this I say when people feel a certain kind

00:44:49.989 --> 00:44:52.750
of way I said I've just spent time listening

00:44:52.750 --> 00:44:54.610
to other people tell you about the challenges

00:44:54.610 --> 00:44:57.409
They're going through you do you want you you

00:44:57.409 --> 00:45:00.989
don't you do you notice how that can help you?

00:45:01.110 --> 00:45:03.130
Put in perspective what you think you're going

00:45:03.130 --> 00:45:06.760
through because all of a sudden now even He said,

00:45:06.820 --> 00:45:10.840
he's going through also. And then you now see,

00:45:11.239 --> 00:45:14.679
and she's still smiling. And then you'll be like,

00:45:15.039 --> 00:45:16.699
I've never even gotten into quarter of where

00:45:16.699 --> 00:45:20.260
she's going through and I'm here crying. And

00:45:20.260 --> 00:45:23.420
you, you, it's not like you're, but some, you

00:45:23.420 --> 00:45:25.019
know, sometimes that's why I said, sometimes

00:45:25.019 --> 00:45:27.219
hanging out, that is basically what happens because

00:45:27.219 --> 00:45:29.360
where you are at, you are looking at your problem,

00:45:30.219 --> 00:45:32.320
right? As Pastor Fai was teaching us, you're

00:45:32.320 --> 00:45:36.880
looking at the mountain. And even, admiring the

00:45:36.880 --> 00:45:41.300
mountain and saying, this is my mountain. You're

00:45:41.300 --> 00:45:43.300
not saying, it must be removed. You're saying,

00:45:43.500 --> 00:45:47.380
this is my mountain. It's my mountain. You know,

00:45:47.480 --> 00:45:49.039
there's something about when you are in something

00:45:49.039 --> 00:45:50.579
and you've been there for too long. It's now

00:45:50.579 --> 00:45:53.619
your own. You personalize it. You say, this is

00:45:53.619 --> 00:45:56.000
our problem. It's our family. It's what comes

00:45:56.000 --> 00:45:59.480
with us. And then I'm wondering, what family

00:45:59.480 --> 00:46:02.920
are you now in Him? What family do you belong

00:46:02.920 --> 00:46:05.880
to? Right? What family do you belong to? And

00:46:05.880 --> 00:46:08.500
then you take it, but now when you hear somebody

00:46:08.500 --> 00:46:11.260
else talk about theirs, you are now challenged,

00:46:11.559 --> 00:46:13.260
right? Because what that person does to you is

00:46:13.260 --> 00:46:15.639
that the person stares you up to, like, why am

00:46:15.639 --> 00:46:18.800
I allowing this to get the best of me? And then

00:46:18.800 --> 00:46:23.340
you now are reminded, right, that the same God

00:46:23.340 --> 00:46:25.219
that is working in that person is the same God

00:46:25.219 --> 00:46:29.360
that is working in you. You just need to come

00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:31.750
to that. consciousness and that's why hearing

00:46:31.750 --> 00:46:33.849
other people share or hearing other people talk

00:46:33.849 --> 00:46:36.269
about it sometimes gets you to come back and

00:46:36.269 --> 00:46:40.130
like kind of recalibrate what exactly it is you

00:46:40.130 --> 00:46:42.730
think difficulty or hardship is and that's why

00:46:42.730 --> 00:46:45.389
I was sharing with somebody I said nowadays people

00:46:45.389 --> 00:46:49.349
we train ourselves to just back down as the slightest

00:46:49.349 --> 00:46:54.369
form of like some level of difficulty just back

00:46:54.369 --> 00:46:59.210
down and then you're like life has not just started

00:46:59.420 --> 00:47:04.579
Like you just experience one or two and we're

00:47:04.579 --> 00:47:06.260
not undermining what you're going through because

00:47:06.260 --> 00:47:09.079
it's where you're at, right? But know that the

00:47:09.079 --> 00:47:11.000
moment you come and interact with other people,

00:47:11.179 --> 00:47:12.719
because sometimes you feel that what you're going

00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:16.619
through is a lot. And we're not saying that we

00:47:16.619 --> 00:47:18.320
know what you're going through or we understand

00:47:18.320 --> 00:47:20.539
it. But what we're saying is that we have seen

00:47:20.539 --> 00:47:24.960
God take us out of difficult situations. not

00:47:24.960 --> 00:47:26.820
even up to what you're going through. We have

00:47:26.820 --> 00:47:28.719
seen God take us out of difficulties. We have

00:47:28.719 --> 00:47:30.960
even seen God take other people, even if we can't

00:47:30.960 --> 00:47:33.320
compare ourselves. And that is what ankles are

00:47:33.320 --> 00:47:35.019
filled, because we know that there is no other

00:47:35.019 --> 00:47:37.679
way. We have seen the miraculous happen, and

00:47:37.679 --> 00:47:40.800
we know it's not wishful thinking. We know it's

00:47:40.800 --> 00:47:43.460
not by chance. We know it's not... We have seen

00:47:43.460 --> 00:47:46.340
God heal people, and we're not saying that we

00:47:46.340 --> 00:47:49.619
have not seen situations where we say, ah, and

00:47:49.619 --> 00:47:51.260
we're still seeing situations where we're praying

00:47:51.260 --> 00:47:55.099
and believing, but that doesn't shake our trust

00:47:55.099 --> 00:47:58.579
in God. That doesn't move us to the left. Yeah,

00:47:58.760 --> 00:48:00.860
sometimes you feel like, oh, I wish this was

00:48:00.860 --> 00:48:02.980
like this, I wish this was like that, but that

00:48:02.980 --> 00:48:06.980
shouldn't move your trust. Because the fact that

00:48:06.980 --> 00:48:09.139
you have not seen the manifestation, that's what

00:48:09.139 --> 00:48:10.780
the customer is talking about on Sunday. The

00:48:10.780 --> 00:48:13.980
fact that you've not seen... I will not want

00:48:13.980 --> 00:48:17.500
to be the one that will lose my sleep or not

00:48:17.500 --> 00:48:20.500
be excited or not be joyful or be moody because

00:48:20.500 --> 00:48:23.079
of what I've not seen. and then I see it later

00:48:23.079 --> 00:48:27.940
and then I'm like all the sleepless nights I

00:48:27.940 --> 00:48:31.039
don't know I don't know I don't I really don't

00:48:31.039 --> 00:48:33.400
you want to be that you want to be the one that

00:48:33.400 --> 00:48:37.719
will go through all of that but what what makes

00:48:37.719 --> 00:48:40.480
the journey what the while is when you are at

00:48:40.480 --> 00:48:44.139
it like nothing has happened like nothing is

00:48:44.139 --> 00:48:47.199
going wrong like everything is going well because

00:48:47.199 --> 00:48:51.260
you know you don't need to see it right You don't

00:48:51.260 --> 00:48:54.039
need to see it to believe, right? Because you

00:48:54.039 --> 00:48:58.500
know that this God is doing everything He needs

00:48:58.500 --> 00:49:02.099
to do and you have to trust that He is on your

00:49:02.099 --> 00:49:04.980
case and what He demands of you is for you to

00:49:04.980 --> 00:49:07.679
be faithful. Praise God! What He demands of you

00:49:07.679 --> 00:49:10.139
is for you to be faithful. He says that in 1

00:49:10.139 --> 00:49:13.659
Corinthians 4. He says that faithfulness is what

00:49:13.659 --> 00:49:16.530
He requires of you, right? Faithfulness is what

00:49:16.530 --> 00:49:18.190
He requires for you. And your faithfulness, as

00:49:18.190 --> 00:49:20.510
I've said again and again, is anchored on His

00:49:20.510 --> 00:49:22.730
faithfulness. And He's true to His Word. He's

00:49:22.730 --> 00:49:26.590
true to His character. It is not in His character

00:49:26.590 --> 00:49:29.590
to back down. There is no case that you present

00:49:29.590 --> 00:49:31.670
to Him and say, huh, this is beyond my pay grade.

00:49:34.150 --> 00:49:36.809
Praise God. There is no case you present to Him.

00:49:37.030 --> 00:49:39.289
It's you that is thinking. And sometimes we get

00:49:39.289 --> 00:49:41.530
to a place where we are overthinking it for God.

00:49:41.730 --> 00:49:44.750
We are like, God, this is my case is really bad.

00:49:46.000 --> 00:49:50.059
I don't think you can manage... Hey, God! Can

00:49:50.059 --> 00:49:57.119
you? Hey! You just... You start customizing and

00:49:57.119 --> 00:50:01.980
doing all of those things... You... You... Praise

00:50:01.980 --> 00:50:06.179
God! I want you to be reminded that God is faithful

00:50:06.179 --> 00:50:09.539
and you don't want to allow... You know, sometimes

00:50:09.539 --> 00:50:12.199
when you're not getting understanding, you now

00:50:12.199 --> 00:50:14.039
go online and start finding people that are going

00:50:14.039 --> 00:50:16.960
to help you. I'll say, you know, it's a mystery.

00:50:17.099 --> 00:50:20.280
I want to launch you into. Then you start hearing

00:50:20.280 --> 00:50:22.340
things and you'll be like, ah, this person is

00:50:22.340 --> 00:50:24.739
making sense. I think I understand, like this

00:50:24.739 --> 00:50:27.699
is what I need. Like all this trying to understand,

00:50:27.780 --> 00:50:30.219
no, I'm not understanding anything. My situation

00:50:30.219 --> 00:50:31.840
is making things complicated. Then the person

00:50:31.840 --> 00:50:34.000
asks you, you know, there's a mystery that you

00:50:34.000 --> 00:50:37.260
have to tap into. When you enter that realm like

00:50:37.260 --> 00:50:39.840
this, everything will just open and just be clear

00:50:39.840 --> 00:50:42.239
to you. And then you'll be like, can I read for

00:50:42.239 --> 00:50:44.199
you? The person will say a lot of things, but

00:50:44.199 --> 00:50:47.400
they will use words. They will unsettle you,

00:50:47.420 --> 00:50:49.059
and settle you, and resettle you with words,

00:50:49.079 --> 00:50:51.179
and then when you finish, you'll be like, I'm

00:50:51.179 --> 00:50:53.760
stirred up. And then they ask you, stirred up

00:50:53.760 --> 00:50:56.099
with what? What is stirring you up right now?

00:50:56.400 --> 00:50:58.079
You say, no, there's something about the word

00:50:58.079 --> 00:51:00.639
that he said. I was just hearing him, and my

00:51:00.639 --> 00:51:02.960
faith was just going up and down, up and down.

00:51:03.000 --> 00:51:07.199
I feel like I can take down a mountain. But...

00:51:09.099 --> 00:51:11.159
But there is no understanding because it's not

00:51:11.159 --> 00:51:14.079
anchored on the Word of God. Praise God. Because

00:51:14.079 --> 00:51:19.460
there is no understanding. See, you can go a

00:51:19.460 --> 00:51:23.619
lot... we see it now. There's a lot of things

00:51:23.619 --> 00:51:25.579
you can do when you understand what you're...

00:51:25.579 --> 00:51:27.159
like you have an understanding of something.

00:51:27.599 --> 00:51:30.280
Because with that you can think, you can process,

00:51:30.480 --> 00:51:32.280
you can... in fact, you don't need to make too

00:51:32.280 --> 00:51:36.380
much noise. Right? You make progress. But when

00:51:36.380 --> 00:51:39.900
somebody comes and vibrates, do like... hit you

00:51:39.900 --> 00:51:41.679
left, right, and center, and then they put the

00:51:41.679 --> 00:51:43.460
whole sound and everything. Your emotions are

00:51:43.460 --> 00:51:45.539
all stirred up. You feel that you got something,

00:51:45.559 --> 00:51:47.659
but when they actually articulate what you have

00:51:47.659 --> 00:51:54.280
gotten, you say, it was a blessing. That's a

00:51:54.280 --> 00:51:57.119
summary of all that you have received. It was

00:51:57.119 --> 00:52:00.800
a blessing. It was a great blessing. It was powerful.

00:52:01.739 --> 00:52:05.539
Yes, it was, but notice that you don't live with

00:52:05.539 --> 00:52:07.619
something solid, something that will help you

00:52:07.619 --> 00:52:10.449
to stand the challenges that you're going to

00:52:10.449 --> 00:52:14.869
meet once you end the life or believe the service

00:52:14.869 --> 00:52:16.889
or whatever it is because you're going to be

00:52:16.889 --> 00:52:19.469
faced with a real situation and you want to know

00:52:19.469 --> 00:52:22.929
God's Word for real. Praise God! You want to

00:52:22.929 --> 00:52:25.329
know God's Word for real and you want to rest

00:52:25.329 --> 00:52:28.670
your strength or rest your understanding in the

00:52:28.670 --> 00:52:30.250
Word of God. Rest your understanding in the Word

00:52:30.250 --> 00:52:33.570
of God. I want us to see something. When Apostle

00:52:33.570 --> 00:52:36.869
Paul was talking about that whole idea of Everything

00:52:36.869 --> 00:52:39.510
that we need is revealed to us. It's not a mystery.

00:52:40.449 --> 00:52:42.530
Like everything that we need is revealed to us.

00:52:42.710 --> 00:52:45.190
Apostle Paul speaking in Ephesians 3 verse 3

00:52:45.190 --> 00:52:49.949
to 4, he says, how that by revelation, our brother

00:52:49.949 --> 00:52:52.250
was leading us in prayer, he says, how that by

00:52:52.250 --> 00:52:56.210
revelation, he had made known to me the mystery,

00:52:56.690 --> 00:53:03.690
as I have briefly written already, by which when

00:53:03.690 --> 00:53:07.719
you read You may understand my knowledge in the

00:53:07.719 --> 00:53:11.820
mystery of Christ. By which when you read, you

00:53:11.820 --> 00:53:14.360
may understand my knowledge in the mystery of

00:53:14.360 --> 00:53:20.820
Christ. I think I just remembered something when

00:53:20.820 --> 00:53:27.179
I was reading Hebrews 13. When the writer of

00:53:27.179 --> 00:53:34.039
Hebrews was ending in 13, He mentioned something

00:53:34.039 --> 00:53:41.599
about it being brief. You can imagine how he

00:53:41.599 --> 00:53:46.780
had explained and explained and explained. He

00:53:46.780 --> 00:53:53.940
says in Hebrews 13 22, He says, I appeal to you,

00:53:54.159 --> 00:53:58.599
brethren, bear with the word of exaltation, for

00:53:58.599 --> 00:54:02.480
which I have written to you in few words. Praise

00:54:02.480 --> 00:54:06.760
God! In a few words, you know? I know that you

00:54:06.760 --> 00:54:09.840
understand that it's not chapters, right? It's

00:54:09.840 --> 00:54:12.519
a whole letter. And then Judah is reading. Some

00:54:12.519 --> 00:54:16.360
of us, they say, read the book of Hebrews. Was

00:54:16.360 --> 00:54:20.800
the whole 13 chapters a few words? Yeah, it is!

00:54:21.519 --> 00:54:23.980
Because the writer is saying it's a few words.

00:54:24.000 --> 00:54:27.559
We have to take his word for it. We have to take

00:54:27.559 --> 00:54:33.050
his word for it. And just imagine you have, and

00:54:33.050 --> 00:54:35.369
this is why when Apostle Paul is writing this

00:54:35.369 --> 00:54:38.590
and he's telling you revelation, note that the

00:54:38.590 --> 00:54:41.650
person has, the person knows that look, there's

00:54:41.650 --> 00:54:45.250
a lot more, right? For somebody to scale and

00:54:45.250 --> 00:54:47.309
tell you a few words, it means that there's a

00:54:47.309 --> 00:54:50.489
lot more. They just give you a particular section

00:54:50.489 --> 00:54:52.789
for you to just use and as they were saying,

00:54:52.909 --> 00:54:55.769
enter your whole body. So you just use that one

00:54:55.769 --> 00:54:58.769
and just understand something. And as I said,

00:54:58.889 --> 00:55:01.110
When you look at that book of Hebrews, you just

00:55:01.110 --> 00:55:04.090
see that every now and then, every part will,

00:55:04.349 --> 00:55:06.710
if there's anything, it will encourage, it will

00:55:06.710 --> 00:55:08.349
make you know, yeah, there's some parts that

00:55:08.349 --> 00:55:10.210
will look like it's a threat, but it will make

00:55:10.210 --> 00:55:14.489
you know that what you have is permanent, right?

00:55:14.949 --> 00:55:17.190
What you have can be lost because of the person

00:55:17.190 --> 00:55:18.949
who has given. That's the faithfulness of God,

00:55:19.030 --> 00:55:22.829
right? Because there's no way you read there

00:55:22.829 --> 00:55:25.909
and then you can doubt the potency of what Christ

00:55:25.909 --> 00:55:30.380
has done or how the the eternal nature of what

00:55:30.380 --> 00:55:33.079
He has done. I'm looking for adjectives to qualify

00:55:33.079 --> 00:55:36.179
all the things that He says about what Christ

00:55:36.179 --> 00:55:39.519
has done in the book of Hebrews. And you shouldn't

00:55:39.519 --> 00:55:43.119
walk out of that place saying that, oh, I feel

00:55:43.119 --> 00:55:46.480
that my own version that was given to me or the

00:55:46.480 --> 00:55:49.880
version that I have can be lost in one or two

00:55:49.880 --> 00:55:54.679
ways. Praise God! Because what God has done,

00:55:54.820 --> 00:55:56.340
and that's why when Apostle Paul is writing,

00:55:56.519 --> 00:56:00.960
he says, how that by revelation He made known

00:56:00.960 --> 00:56:03.440
to me the mystery, right? He made known to me

00:56:03.440 --> 00:56:06.219
the mystery and as given I say, and when you

00:56:06.219 --> 00:56:08.820
read, you may understand. Meaning that reading

00:56:08.820 --> 00:56:12.679
is important for understanding. Reading is important

00:56:12.679 --> 00:56:15.260
for understanding. And when someone says, when

00:56:15.260 --> 00:56:17.800
they say read, you know, for some of us who think

00:56:17.800 --> 00:56:21.699
reading is just glancing or just open the passage,

00:56:22.019 --> 00:56:25.219
reading it, you want to stay there and capture

00:56:25.219 --> 00:56:28.000
the details. Praise God. You want to stay there,

00:56:28.119 --> 00:56:30.099
capture the details of what is written. I want

00:56:30.099 --> 00:56:31.860
us to come to this place where we close. I'll

00:56:31.860 --> 00:56:40.460
just take us to Acts 17, 11 to 13. Let's just

00:56:40.460 --> 00:56:43.900
stay there. Just give me an LLT. In 11, it says,

00:56:44.239 --> 00:56:49.400
and the people of Berea were more open -minded

00:56:49.400 --> 00:56:52.320
than those of Thessalonica. Notice that he's

00:56:52.320 --> 00:56:54.900
comparing and contrasting these people as against

00:56:54.900 --> 00:56:58.530
these people. And it says, They listened eagerly

00:56:58.530 --> 00:57:01.809
to Paul's message, meaning that these people

00:57:01.809 --> 00:57:04.929
paid close attention to what Paul was saying.

00:57:05.869 --> 00:57:09.630
In the next line, it says, they searched the

00:57:09.630 --> 00:57:14.650
scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas

00:57:14.650 --> 00:57:16.670
were teaching the truth. And I want you to note

00:57:16.670 --> 00:57:18.769
something, which is sometimes we miss it. These

00:57:18.769 --> 00:57:22.030
people were not yet saved though. They were not

00:57:22.030 --> 00:57:24.510
yet saved though, because you will see it in

00:57:24.510 --> 00:57:27.590
subsequent verse. were taking their time to and

00:57:27.590 --> 00:57:30.869
that word search that was said the scripture

00:57:30.869 --> 00:57:32.349
it would look like you're just searching for

00:57:32.349 --> 00:57:34.969
a particular verse right but that word search

00:57:34.969 --> 00:57:39.869
is not to investigate it's to examine meaning

00:57:39.869 --> 00:57:41.789
that they put on their thinking caps carry their

00:57:41.789 --> 00:57:44.070
mind look put inside and it was not that they

00:57:44.070 --> 00:57:45.889
were searching to see if they lied maybe the

00:57:45.889 --> 00:57:48.349
person said open to ask their team verse what

00:57:48.349 --> 00:57:50.489
is this right scripture they're not certain to

00:57:50.489 --> 00:57:53.170
find if the scripture was correct they were searching

00:57:53.170 --> 00:57:56.119
to see to understand what exactly it is that

00:57:56.119 --> 00:57:58.039
was communicated to them. And they did this for

00:57:58.039 --> 00:58:00.920
several days as unbelievers. And you are a believer.

00:58:01.619 --> 00:58:04.099
Praise God. I just want to challenge you. They

00:58:04.099 --> 00:58:06.559
did it for several days as people that are unbelievers

00:58:06.559 --> 00:58:09.320
trying to find the truth, right? And then we

00:58:09.320 --> 00:58:14.780
see that it is in verse 12. It says, in verse

00:58:14.780 --> 00:58:18.219
12 now, it says, as a result, the result of all

00:58:18.219 --> 00:58:20.639
of their investigation now brings them to that

00:58:20.639 --> 00:58:22.789
place where they believed, right? They believed

00:58:22.789 --> 00:58:25.969
and it says, and as many of the prominent Greek

00:58:25.969 --> 00:58:31.130
women and men, so we have them now believing

00:58:31.130 --> 00:58:33.969
and this is when we see them become believers.

00:58:34.409 --> 00:58:36.789
And then I want you to see something in 13. Let's

00:58:36.789 --> 00:58:39.110
do 13. It says, but when some of the Jews in

00:58:39.110 --> 00:58:42.489
Thessalonica, those people that did not listen,

00:58:42.909 --> 00:58:45.550
learned that Paul was preaching the word of God

00:58:45.550 --> 00:58:49.210
in Berea, they went there to stir up trouble.

00:58:49.929 --> 00:58:52.349
So, you do not listen. But what you want to do

00:58:52.349 --> 00:58:54.449
now is to cause confusion for the people that

00:58:54.449 --> 00:58:56.610
are trying to listen and you always have people

00:58:56.610 --> 00:58:59.090
like that. But our attention or Paul's work,

00:58:59.510 --> 00:59:01.869
and by the way, you notice that as we will see

00:59:01.869 --> 00:59:04.590
in even the 14th, we see that the people actually

00:59:04.590 --> 00:59:06.449
took him out and there was a way of escape for

00:59:06.449 --> 00:59:08.090
him. Praise God! God will always deliver us.

00:59:08.150 --> 00:59:10.409
Remember, he's faithful and he will always deliver

00:59:10.409 --> 00:59:12.769
us from wicked and reasonable men. Just keep

00:59:12.769 --> 00:59:17.929
doing the work that we're doing. So the challenge

00:59:17.929 --> 00:59:20.989
here to us is to see that we are able to stay

00:59:21.679 --> 00:59:25.139
We are able to investigate. We are not just casually

00:59:25.139 --> 00:59:28.119
reading the Word of God. We are paying attention

00:59:28.119 --> 00:59:30.420
to what the Word of God says. We are internalizing

00:59:30.420 --> 00:59:32.880
it because we know that it will help our faith

00:59:32.880 --> 00:59:35.619
to be grounded in the truth. It will help us

00:59:35.619 --> 00:59:37.719
to be grounded in the truth. It will help us

00:59:37.719 --> 00:59:41.019
to be solid in the truth. It will help us to

00:59:41.019 --> 00:59:44.599
grow even more and it will help that others through

00:59:44.599 --> 00:59:50.349
our growth will experience the same. knowledgeable

00:59:50.349 --> 00:59:52.070
and that's one thing that blessed me with the

00:59:52.070 --> 00:59:54.150
brother that I was speaking with because he has

00:59:54.150 --> 00:59:57.670
learned now he's able to organize a three -hour

00:59:57.670 --> 01:00:01.110
teaching right on the basis of what he has been

01:00:01.110 --> 01:00:04.050
taught and he's able to now give to others and

01:00:04.050 --> 01:00:06.929
and and that is the joy that is the joy that

01:00:06.929 --> 01:00:11.730
we have as pastors that we it doesn't die like

01:00:11.730 --> 01:00:15.809
we it doesn't die it doesn't stop here right

01:00:15.809 --> 01:00:18.309
it doesn't stop here that even when people come

01:00:18.309 --> 01:00:21.650
and then they go We hear great things about what

01:00:21.650 --> 01:00:24.929
God has done because we are taking our time to

01:00:24.929 --> 01:00:27.369
internalize the truths that we receive. We are

01:00:27.369 --> 01:00:29.530
passionate about learning. We are passionate

01:00:29.530 --> 01:00:34.250
about growing and understanding. We are passionate

01:00:34.250 --> 01:00:37.489
about doing all of this. We know that our growth

01:00:37.489 --> 01:00:40.349
requires participation. Our growth requires reading,

01:00:40.570 --> 01:00:43.050
listening, investigating, remunerating on things.

01:00:43.389 --> 01:00:45.989
I loved what happened in our cell on Friday where

01:00:45.989 --> 01:00:49.940
people were laughing. People get to the point,

01:00:49.980 --> 01:00:52.780
you know, you can be discussing football. Hours,

01:00:53.059 --> 01:00:56.440
hours, hours. You can be discussing movies, discussing

01:00:56.440 --> 01:01:01.239
this. But you know, when you are able to stay

01:01:01.239 --> 01:01:03.500
and discuss, then time has passed, and you are

01:01:03.500 --> 01:01:06.059
still, you know, but this time I will say, we

01:01:06.059 --> 01:01:08.260
are a Finnish show. Please don't say it's about

01:01:08.260 --> 01:01:10.179
the city that's holding you behind. But you see

01:01:10.179 --> 01:01:13.119
that people want to stay and learn, right? People

01:01:13.119 --> 01:01:15.460
want to stay and learn. People want to stay and

01:01:15.460 --> 01:01:17.599
participate. And that is basically how you know.

01:01:17.719 --> 01:01:20.900
that we're not just the one keeping you, right?

01:01:21.579 --> 01:01:23.360
We're not just the one keeping you. You have

01:01:23.360 --> 01:01:26.179
a desire to grow, you have a desire to learn,

01:01:26.260 --> 01:01:28.079
you have a desire to understand and that's what

01:01:28.079 --> 01:01:30.440
keeps us in a place. Praise God! Not the activities,

01:01:30.599 --> 01:01:32.960
not the different things, not saying that you

01:01:32.960 --> 01:01:35.340
must come. You're coming because you know that

01:01:35.340 --> 01:01:37.300
there's learning that happens and that learning

01:01:37.300 --> 01:01:39.079
will result in your growth. Praise God! I want

01:01:39.079 --> 01:01:43.619
us to rise up to our feet and just... We appreciate

01:01:43.619 --> 01:01:46.230
you being here today. We hope you carry this

01:01:46.230 --> 01:01:49.230
word with you throughout your week. Don't forget

01:01:49.230 --> 01:01:51.429
to check the show notes for additional insights.

01:01:52.110 --> 01:01:54.650
Stay connected with us through our website or

01:01:54.650 --> 01:01:58.150
follow us on social media. If you were encouraged,

01:01:58.690 --> 01:02:00.670
share this message with someone you care about.

01:02:01.489 --> 01:02:03.409
Until next time, stay blessed.