WEBVTT 00:00:01.259 --> 00:00:06.900 Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:09.900 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:14.140 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:14.140 --> 00:00:18.160 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:38.079 right in. Second Corinthians 13 verse 1, it says, 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:43.600 this will be the third time I'm coming to you 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:48.100 by the mouth of two or three witnesses. Every 00:00:48.100 --> 00:00:54.899 word shall be established. I've told you before, 00:00:55.719 --> 00:00:59.539 and foretell, as if I were present the second 00:00:59.539 --> 00:01:04.659 time. And now, being absent, I write to those 00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:08.840 who have sinned before, which means that in this 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.459 church, especially the Corinthian church, there 00:01:12.459 --> 00:01:17.400 are those who are living in sin or who have sinned. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:20.980 He says, I write to those who have sinned before 00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:26.040 and to all the rest, that if I come again, I 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:29.599 will not spare. Since you seek a proof of Christ 00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:33.840 speaking in me who is not weak towards he but 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:39.859 mighty in you verse 4 For though he was crucified 00:01:39.859 --> 00:01:44.799 in weakness Yet he lives by the power of God 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:49.280 For we also are weak in him, but we shall live 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:54.180 with him by the power of God Towards you now 00:01:54.180 --> 00:01:58.060 look up and look at verse 5 importantly it says 00:01:58.060 --> 00:02:03.659 examine yourselves examine yourself as to whether 00:02:03.659 --> 00:02:11.280 you are in the faith examine yourself some translation 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:15.780 will say test yourself examine yourself whether 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:21.259 you are in the faith this sentence or this first 00:02:21.259 --> 00:02:28.469 sentence in this verse you know Will imply that 00:02:28.469 --> 00:02:31.750 Because of course he's written to believe us 00:02:31.750 --> 00:02:34.050 Hallelujah is written to the church when we look 00:02:34.050 --> 00:02:36.610 at the context in from chapter one. Let's let's 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:39.810 respond to chapter one First second Corinthians 00:02:39.810 --> 00:02:44.569 up to one From verse one. He says Paul an apostle 00:02:44.569 --> 00:02:49.090 of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy 00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:52.430 our brother To the church, so he was writing 00:02:52.430 --> 00:02:55.650 to a church to believe us the Church of God which 00:02:55.650 --> 00:03:02.169 is at current with all the saints who are in 00:03:02.169 --> 00:03:07.669 all Achaia who are all in Achaia so he's writing 00:03:07.669 --> 00:03:12.189 to the Church of God which is at current all 00:03:12.189 --> 00:03:15.710 the saints who are in Achaia and when we go further 00:03:15.710 --> 00:03:20.789 in even from chapter 13 verse 11 further we see 00:03:20.789 --> 00:03:22.610 making comment to prove that he's writing to 00:03:22.610 --> 00:03:24.610 believers. Yes, finally, brethren, brethren means 00:03:24.610 --> 00:03:27.289 that he's writing to people that are of the faith, 00:03:27.289 --> 00:03:29.789 that are in the faith. Finally, brethren, farewell, 00:03:30.710 --> 00:03:34.810 be complete, be of good comfort, be of one mind, 00:03:35.330 --> 00:03:39.490 live in peace, and the God of love and peace 00:03:39.490 --> 00:03:42.090 will be with you. Greet one another with a holy 00:03:42.090 --> 00:03:45.949 kiss, verse 13, all the saints greet you, the 00:03:45.949 --> 00:03:49.409 grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, 00:03:49.659 --> 00:03:52.919 The communion, that means this would have fellowship 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:56.319 of the Holy Spirit. That means they have fellowship, 00:03:56.520 --> 00:03:59.500 the koinonia of the Holy Spirit with all, be 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:03.680 with you all. That is, it is with them. It's 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:06.659 not actually a prayer, but an affirmation of 00:04:06.659 --> 00:04:11.520 what their identity is. But then verse five is 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:15.099 looking like a contrast, right? It says, examine 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:19.389 yourself. as to whether you are in the faith 00:04:19.389 --> 00:04:26.410 which will will bring us to the possibility that 00:04:26.410 --> 00:04:30.670 a man can be born again okay a man can be born 00:04:30.670 --> 00:04:39.069 again but you know his life can be so that's 00:04:39.069 --> 00:04:43.089 what you say as one who is not in the faith because 00:04:43.089 --> 00:04:46.790 examine yourself as to whether you are in the 00:04:46.790 --> 00:04:52.610 faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourself 00:04:52.610 --> 00:04:56.290 that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you 00:04:56.290 --> 00:04:59.550 are disqualified? In the Amplified, these are 00:04:59.550 --> 00:05:03.370 the Amplified Classic, it says, examine and test 00:05:03.370 --> 00:05:09.170 and evaluate your own selves to see whether you 00:05:09.170 --> 00:05:15.139 are holding to your faith and showing the proper 00:05:15.139 --> 00:05:20.180 fruit of it. Hallelujah. So a man can be in faith, 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:23.519 a man can be born again, a man can have the Spirit 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:28.420 of God, you know, and then his life might be 00:05:28.420 --> 00:05:31.579 showing contrary, you know, to his identity. 00:05:33.379 --> 00:05:36.620 It says examine and test and evaluate your own 00:05:36.620 --> 00:05:39.579 selves to see whether you are holding to your 00:05:39.579 --> 00:05:44.920 faith and showing the proper fruits. Yes. and 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.360 showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:55.420 yourselves, not in Christ. Do you not yourselves 00:05:55.420 --> 00:05:59.519 realize and know thoroughly by an ever -increasing 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:02.800 experience that Jesus Christ is in you unless 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:06.980 you outwit your counterfeits, disapprove on trial, 00:06:07.959 --> 00:06:12.459 and reject it. Hallelujah. So it's possible for 00:06:12.459 --> 00:06:16.459 us who are in Christ Jesus, okay? That when we 00:06:16.459 --> 00:06:19.740 examine ourselves, by our conduct, by our actions, 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:23.300 by the expressions of our daily living, it's 00:06:23.300 --> 00:06:26.279 possible for us to see that there are elements 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:28.779 in our lives that we are not walking in faith. 00:06:29.980 --> 00:06:33.639 That we are not allowing our life to portray 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:37.680 the life that God has developed or created in 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:42.699 us, the life of faith. So, What I just want to 00:06:42.699 --> 00:06:44.379 do, maybe laying a foundation, maybe we will 00:06:44.379 --> 00:06:47.600 not go deeply into it because of time and the 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.259 planning of the teaching, is to try to bring 00:06:50.259 --> 00:06:52.680 to our notice some of the things that are hindrances, 00:06:53.420 --> 00:06:55.319 or some of the things we can say, some of the 00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:58.519 enemies, I will say, of our faith, of the faith. 00:06:59.139 --> 00:07:03.660 All right? What can enable a man, what can make 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:12.860 a man in Christ to begin in the faith, But, you 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:16.839 know, in his conduct, he ended up living in the 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:24.699 flesh. It's very possible. Hallelujah. James 00:07:24.699 --> 00:07:32.420 says something, James 1 verse 2. James 1 verse 00:07:32.420 --> 00:07:37.360 2. Now, I want to also make us know that, you 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:44.550 know, having faith, or being a man of faith does 00:07:44.550 --> 00:07:51.670 not immunize us from the possibility of living 00:07:51.670 --> 00:07:54.949 in doubt. Now I've mentioned two important things, 00:07:55.389 --> 00:08:01.269 you know, faith and doubt. James chapter one 00:08:01.269 --> 00:08:08.990 verse two. From verse two to verse eight. Just, 00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:13.350 my brethren, count it all joy. When you fall 00:08:13.350 --> 00:08:18.050 into various trials, when you fall into various 00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:22.170 trials, knowing that the testing of your faith, 00:08:22.629 --> 00:08:27.170 what does it produce? It produces patience, okay? 00:08:27.689 --> 00:08:31.870 But let patience have its perfect work, that 00:08:31.870 --> 00:08:36.870 you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:42.559 Even though of you lacks wisdom, let him ask 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:47.200 of God who gives to all liberally and without 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:52.000 reproach and it will be given to him, okay? But 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.460 let him ask in faith, this is how the man should 00:08:54.460 --> 00:08:59.139 ask in faith, with no doubting. For he who doubts 00:08:59.139 --> 00:09:04.580 is like a wave of the sea driven, tossed by the 00:09:04.580 --> 00:09:10.480 wind. For let not that man suppose that he will 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:16.500 receive anything from the Lord. He is a double 00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:22.299 -minded man, unstable in all his ways. And I 00:09:22.299 --> 00:09:25.460 also want to remind us that this text was written 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:28.720 to believers, all right? That is not written 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:31.559 to people that are not born again, but is an 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:34.960 epistle to who? To believers, which means that 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:43.679 a man that is born again can pray and not receive 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:46.159 the result for the things of which he prayed 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:51.580 for. And the problem is not often with God, all 00:09:51.580 --> 00:09:54.759 right? The problem is not with God, but the problem 00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:58.659 is coming from the person that is praying because 00:09:58.659 --> 00:10:02.940 his prayer, in his prayer, You know, he is not 00:10:02.940 --> 00:10:05.700 he has not equipped himself to receive of what 00:10:05.700 --> 00:10:11.720 God will give Because he has allowed doubt To 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:15.460 rule over his heart therefore being a hindrance 00:10:15.460 --> 00:10:21.299 to receiving that which God Will do in his life 00:10:21.299 --> 00:10:24.019 So he says counted all joy when you fall into 00:10:24.019 --> 00:10:27.120 various trials, you know, definitely trials will 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:29.159 come there are times in our lives the trial will 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:33.250 come And when trial comes, you know, that target 00:10:33.250 --> 00:10:37.870 is to test our faith, to test the authenticity 00:10:37.870 --> 00:10:41.649 of the work of God in our lives. Knowing that 00:10:41.649 --> 00:10:44.509 the testing of our faith, you know, will result 00:10:44.509 --> 00:10:48.129 to strengthening and we see patience manifested. 00:10:49.070 --> 00:10:53.590 Hallelujah. So it is important to understand 00:10:53.590 --> 00:10:58.480 that a believer, a man that has faith, Cannot 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:01.539 only walk and not only walk and there's a possibility 00:11:01.539 --> 00:11:04.240 for him not to only walk in the flesh That is 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:10.159 walking not in faith, but also doubt It's a possibility 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:15.200 in the believer I Wanted to see an example two 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:19.960 examples particularly in scriptures First of 00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:23.139 all, we've seen the story of our Peter. Let's 00:11:23.139 --> 00:11:25.299 let's go to that story again. Once again in Matthew 00:11:25.299 --> 00:11:40.659 chapter 14 Matthew chapter 14 Matthew 14 verse 00:11:40.659 --> 00:11:54.940 22 Now having doubt does not mean that the man 00:11:54.940 --> 00:11:57.860 does not have faith I want you to hold that thought 00:11:57.860 --> 00:12:01.580 very much in your heart. That having doubt does 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:05.740 not mean, okay, that you don't have faith. Hallelujah. 00:12:06.539 --> 00:12:08.919 Because sometimes we think that when we are doubting, 00:12:09.159 --> 00:12:11.700 you know, then it simply means that, you know, 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:15.340 there's no faith in us. Matthew chapter 14 verse 00:12:15.340 --> 00:12:24.379 22. Immediately, Jesus met his disciples to get 00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:28.860 into the board. and go before him to the other 00:12:28.860 --> 00:12:33.860 side, while he sent the multitude away. And when 00:12:33.860 --> 00:12:38.679 he had sent the multitudes away, he went up on 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.700 the mountain by himself to pray. Now when evening 00:12:41.700 --> 00:12:45.659 came, he was alone there, but the boat was now 00:12:45.659 --> 00:12:50.679 in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:57.980 for the wind was contrary. All right, Jesus has 00:12:57.980 --> 00:13:01.159 sent his disciples, all of them to go to the 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:03.659 other side, and he himself excluded himself to 00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:07.840 pray. And as they were in the middle of the sea, 00:13:08.740 --> 00:13:14.320 behold, there was a wave, a wind, waves, wind 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:20.080 that is contrary to the sailing of the boat. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:25.240 Now in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:31.879 to them and walking on the sea. And when the 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:36.179 disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were 00:13:36.179 --> 00:13:39.919 troubled saying, it is a ghost. And they cried 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.879 out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:49.700 them saying, be of good cheer. It is I do not 00:13:49.700 --> 00:13:55.970 be afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, 00:13:56.549 --> 00:14:02.610 if it is you, command me to what? To come on 00:14:02.610 --> 00:14:06.309 the water. Now, I want you to see clearly that 00:14:06.309 --> 00:14:10.289 Peter did not just jump into the water, right? 00:14:11.549 --> 00:14:14.230 Hoping that some miraculous activity will happen. 00:14:15.409 --> 00:14:17.870 You know, sometimes some of the challenges we 00:14:17.870 --> 00:14:19.710 face in this life are our own orchestrations. 00:14:21.220 --> 00:14:25.019 You know, we are so zealous and we make decisions. 00:14:25.019 --> 00:14:29.600 We don't we don't we don't wait on God When it 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:31.519 comes to making decisions, you know, we are praying 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.379 before that let every action we take All right, 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.039 let every step I take in my life Let every action 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:39.759 I take let every conduct let every decision I 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:43.200 take concerning my life Concerning my home concerning 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.159 every in fact every part of your life. God is 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:49.129 interested in every part of your life Sometimes 00:14:49.129 --> 00:14:51.090 we often think that God is just interested in 00:14:51.090 --> 00:14:55.049 you going to church and doing the work of ministry. 00:14:55.409 --> 00:14:58.149 When it comes to the decision of a way to live, 00:14:58.210 --> 00:14:59.950 then you know, this is my own personal decision. 00:14:59.990 --> 00:15:04.309 No! God is interested in every detail that has 00:15:04.309 --> 00:15:08.450 to do with our lives. So every decision we take 00:15:08.450 --> 00:15:13.529 must be a decision that is laid by God, by the 00:15:13.529 --> 00:15:16.769 Spirit of God. So Peter here did not just... 00:15:16.889 --> 00:15:19.889 think an idea within himself and say okay since 00:15:19.889 --> 00:15:21.649 Jesus is walking on the waters I can just jump 00:15:21.649 --> 00:15:25.309 into the water hoping that the water will float 00:15:25.309 --> 00:15:33.470 with him as Jesus was walking on water but he 00:15:33.470 --> 00:15:39.070 in his wisdom has to ask Jesus to command him 00:15:39.070 --> 00:15:43.370 to come on the water hallelujah now I want to 00:15:43.370 --> 00:15:45.350 just bring this to our notice once again that 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.399 our life can be like that boat that is on the 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:55.559 water, all right? Our life can be likened to 00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:59.039 that boat that is in the water. And at any point 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:02.399 in time, the waves can come upon the boat, okay? 00:16:03.139 --> 00:16:08.580 The waters can stare in the sea, and there could 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:10.960 be the possibility or fear to grip our hearts, 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:14.620 all right? But one thing that we must be sure, 00:16:14.990 --> 00:16:19.730 is that God is always with us at all times. Okay? 00:16:20.129 --> 00:16:23.169 We can be sure, because God is interested in 00:16:23.169 --> 00:16:25.690 our lives, is interested in everything that concerns 00:16:25.690 --> 00:16:28.850 us. We can be always sure that God will show 00:16:28.850 --> 00:16:31.809 up at every point. In fact, God is with us. And 00:16:31.809 --> 00:16:34.549 we'll see the manifestation of His presence in 00:16:34.549 --> 00:16:36.929 every time. And James says that we should count 00:16:36.929 --> 00:16:39.929 it all joy. When what? When we face trials, which 00:16:39.929 --> 00:16:43.940 means that trials are very definite. Okay? Trials 00:16:43.940 --> 00:16:47.639 are very definite. As we used to say, if you're 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:50.940 not experiencing one, maybe you're just coming 00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:54.080 out from one, you're on a break, or very soon 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:58.879 you enter one. But as a believer, trials and 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:02.500 temptations are certain, okay? And persecution 00:17:02.500 --> 00:17:04.940 also, because these are the realities of what 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:07.640 the Bible teaches us, right? We face trials, 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:11.779 we face temptations, we face persecutions. can 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.940 come in different forms in different sizes and 00:17:13.940 --> 00:17:17.099 different shapes and the goal of those trials 00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:22.819 those temptations and those persecutions is or 00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:25.680 is against what we believe against what we anchor 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:29.460 our life upon it is whether we are we are in 00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:35.299 the faith but that shouldn't make us afraid because 00:17:35.299 --> 00:17:38.519 we are sure of he who holds us to himself hallelujah 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:41.880 we are sure of the faithfulness of god God is 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:43.779 faithful to us and is able to keep us at all 00:17:43.779 --> 00:17:47.180 times. So we can rely on the faithfulness of 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:50.880 God. Imagine the middle of the sea if Jesus has 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:53.359 just maybe left them on their own and to their 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.380 feet. You know there was another instance where 00:17:56.380 --> 00:17:59.099 Jesus was sleeping in the boat and then something 00:17:59.099 --> 00:18:02.759 similar happened. And they run to Jesus, don't 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:07.880 you care that we perish? You know? And then we 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:13.950 see Jesus Jesus, you know reaching the The waves 00:18:13.950 --> 00:18:15.869 and they and whatever what happened the storm 00:18:15.869 --> 00:18:19.869 And then we see him speaking and then correcting 00:18:19.869 --> 00:18:24.269 their own belief hallelujah So we must be rest 00:18:24.269 --> 00:18:27.210 assured or we must always remind ourselves of 00:18:27.210 --> 00:18:29.490 the faithfulness of God in all times in all season 00:18:29.490 --> 00:18:31.769 And whatever we're going to face whatever we're 00:18:31.769 --> 00:18:36.710 facing. All right We are sure of the health of 00:18:36.710 --> 00:18:40.750 God at all times. Hallelujah But in the case 00:18:40.750 --> 00:18:45.269 of Peter, Peter was looking forward to, probably 00:18:45.269 --> 00:18:49.470 in his mind, we can see from the text, he was 00:18:49.470 --> 00:18:54.710 asking for a word from Jesus. All right? A word 00:18:54.710 --> 00:18:59.470 from Jesus. If it is you, ask me to come. Okay? 00:19:00.250 --> 00:19:03.990 If it is you, ask me to come. At every point 00:19:03.990 --> 00:19:07.670 in time, There is a word that God will definitely 00:19:07.670 --> 00:19:09.869 give us and will lead us in every point in time, 00:19:10.089 --> 00:19:13.230 in every single, you know, challenge and temptation 00:19:13.230 --> 00:19:15.069 and trial, whatever it is that we will face. 00:19:15.609 --> 00:19:17.430 And sometimes what God will tell us as a point 00:19:17.430 --> 00:19:19.589 in time, okay, may be different from what He 00:19:19.589 --> 00:19:22.009 will tell us in another time. So we must be very 00:19:22.009 --> 00:19:25.890 sure to know at all times, understand what God 00:19:25.890 --> 00:19:30.630 wants us to do at every point in time. There's 00:19:30.630 --> 00:19:32.470 a word that we will receive for every season 00:19:32.470 --> 00:19:34.910 of our lives. And that is what will enable us 00:19:34.910 --> 00:19:36.910 to navigate through all the challenges and the 00:19:36.910 --> 00:19:41.670 trials that we'll face in our lives. And Peter 00:19:41.670 --> 00:19:46.170 received an instruction to come, right? And we 00:19:46.170 --> 00:19:49.309 see from the verse, which verse is it? Yes, verse 00:19:49.309 --> 00:19:52.349 29. So he said, come, that is the word at that 00:19:52.349 --> 00:19:55.269 moment, come. And when Peter had come down out 00:19:55.269 --> 00:19:58.210 of the boat, what happened? He walked on the 00:19:58.210 --> 00:20:02.880 water to go to Jesus, right? So, He actually, 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:04.559 you know, oftentimes when we read this story, 00:20:04.819 --> 00:20:06.920 the first, the most glaring part of the story 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:09.640 for us was the fact that Peter was sinking. And 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.440 we don't really give, I will not say, we're not 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:14.180 really, we're not giving him credit, but we forget 00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:16.059 the fact that Peter actually walked on the water. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:23.160 All right? We see him walking on water at the 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.420 word of Jesus. So the word of Jesus that says 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:32.289 come, and in moving obedience to the word, enables 00:20:32.289 --> 00:20:36.349 him to begin to walk on the water. So he started 00:20:36.349 --> 00:20:41.470 by faith. By the word of God, he was able to 00:20:41.470 --> 00:20:44.069 walk on the water. The next verse, verse 30. 00:20:44.630 --> 00:20:48.230 But when he shifted his attention, but when he 00:20:48.230 --> 00:20:52.009 saw that the wind was by a stress, he was afraid. 00:20:53.369 --> 00:20:58.750 So what happened? When the focus shifted from 00:20:58.750 --> 00:21:02.200 what Jesus said, When his focus shifted from 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:06.299 Jesus to what? To the circumstance around him. 00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:13.519 When his focus shifted from Jesus Christ to the 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:16.859 wave, to the challenges, to the trials, to the 00:21:16.859 --> 00:21:22.559 temptations, something came into his mind. He 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:25.960 was afraid. Alright? Something happened to him. 00:21:26.059 --> 00:21:28.680 Fear came in. So instead of faith, what do we 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:32.450 see? We see fear. And the difference here is 00:21:32.450 --> 00:21:35.950 on the focus. What was his focus now? His focus 00:21:35.950 --> 00:21:37.990 was no longer on Jesus and what Jesus has said, 00:21:38.410 --> 00:21:42.430 but his focus shifted to what? To the circumstance, 00:21:43.009 --> 00:21:45.250 the environment, the trials, the temptations. 00:21:45.529 --> 00:21:50.490 And sometimes, you know, we do similar. All right? 00:21:51.670 --> 00:21:53.670 We shift our attention to what God has said, 00:21:54.009 --> 00:21:56.910 the promises of God, all the Word of God concerning 00:21:56.910 --> 00:21:59.960 our lives, the prophecies we've received. the 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:03.700 hands that have been laid upon us. From every 00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:05.759 catatismas we've heard prophecies, what have 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:07.940 been given to us almost every Sunday, every cell 00:22:07.940 --> 00:22:10.400 meeting. For the moment temptations and trial 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:13.200 comes, it seems as though we are not working 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:16.539 by prophecies, by promises, and by the word of 00:22:16.539 --> 00:22:21.539 God. Because we quickly shift our attention to 00:22:21.539 --> 00:22:24.880 what? To the challenges, the circumstances around 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:28.579 us. I'm beginning to think, what happened? He 00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:33.079 cried out saying, Lord, save me. And immediately 00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:36.559 Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:39.680 said to him, Oh, you of little faith, why did 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:43.680 you what? So why did he begin sinking? Because 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:47.259 there was doubt in his heart. All right. There 00:22:47.259 --> 00:22:49.680 was doubt in his heart. So the same person that 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:52.759 was able to walk by faith will see that doubt 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:57.700 did what? Doubt came into his heart. All right. 00:22:58.930 --> 00:23:04.470 So having faith or rather been made of faith 00:23:04.470 --> 00:23:07.509 does not immunize us from the possibility of 00:23:07.509 --> 00:23:10.750 doubt. Even though he received the word of faith 00:23:10.750 --> 00:23:14.089 that enables him to walk on water, he actually 00:23:14.089 --> 00:23:17.009 started in faith. We can see clearly that evidently 00:23:17.009 --> 00:23:18.869 that he started in faith, he walked on water, 00:23:19.230 --> 00:23:21.950 but later doubted because his attention shifted 00:23:21.950 --> 00:23:27.289 from Jesus to the water, to the storm, to the 00:23:27.259 --> 00:23:31.200 waves that is on the sea. Also there's another 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:35.859 example in scriptures example of Abraham Romans 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:40.019 chapter 4 verse 18 will give us a testimony about 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:47.279 Abraham. Here's a positive example Romans chapter 00:23:47.279 --> 00:24:01.930 4 verse 18 to 20 Alright, let me read from verse 00:24:01.930 --> 00:24:31.410 16 or verse 13. For where there is no law, there 00:24:31.410 --> 00:24:34.809 is no transgression. Verse 16. Therefore, it 00:24:34.809 --> 00:24:38.869 is of faith that it might be according to grace, 00:24:39.150 --> 00:24:42.250 so that the promise might be sure to all the 00:24:42.250 --> 00:24:45.109 seed, not only to those who are of the law, but 00:24:45.109 --> 00:24:47.190 also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, 00:24:47.809 --> 00:24:51.329 who is the father of us all. As it is written, 00:24:52.130 --> 00:24:55.609 I have made you father of many nations, in the 00:24:55.609 --> 00:24:59.609 presence of him whom He believed. That is Abraham 00:24:59.609 --> 00:25:03.230 believed, right? Believed God. Who gives life 00:25:03.230 --> 00:25:06.049 to the dead and call those things which do not 00:25:06.049 --> 00:25:10.329 exist as though they exist, they did. Verse 18. 00:25:10.890 --> 00:25:13.089 Who? Talking about Abraham now. Look at the example 00:25:13.089 --> 00:25:16.210 now. Who? Talking about Abraham. Contrary to 00:25:16.210 --> 00:25:23.089 hope. In hope, belief. Contrary to hope. In hope, 00:25:23.150 --> 00:25:28.589 belief. So that he became the father of many 00:25:28.589 --> 00:25:32.809 nations. According to what was spoken, there 00:25:32.809 --> 00:25:35.769 was a word that was spoken, all right? Just as 00:25:35.769 --> 00:25:38.990 in the case of, let's say, just as in the case 00:25:38.990 --> 00:25:41.549 of Peter, a word was spoken. So also to Abraham, 00:25:41.650 --> 00:25:43.970 a word was spoken. So shall your descendants 00:25:43.970 --> 00:25:49.089 be, all right? And not being weak in faith, Abraham 00:25:49.089 --> 00:25:53.170 was all weak in faith. How did we know that he 00:25:53.170 --> 00:25:56.529 was all weak in faith? He did not consider his 00:25:56.529 --> 00:26:01.210 own body. Okay? That means he didn't bring to 00:26:01.210 --> 00:26:04.690 remembrance. He didn't look at the frailty of 00:26:04.690 --> 00:26:09.990 his body. For example now, if you give me a word 00:26:09.990 --> 00:26:12.470 right now that I'm going to play on the 17 football 00:26:12.470 --> 00:26:16.990 for my country. I mean, I have every evidence 00:26:16.990 --> 00:26:20.390 to doubt your words. Because I'm over twice that 00:26:20.390 --> 00:26:24.059 age. So there's no possibility that I will make 00:26:24.059 --> 00:26:27.839 the under -17 squad of Nigeria, if by just looking 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:32.619 at me they will disqualify me. Right? Now, carry 00:26:32.619 --> 00:26:36.599 that context to the context of Abraham, who had 00:26:36.599 --> 00:26:38.859 not been weak in faith. He did not consider his 00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:43.359 own body already dead. Since he was about a hundred 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:46.599 years old, imagine he was about a hundred years 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:50.220 old, right? And there was a promise him that 00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:55.529 his own will have a son. And also what? The deadness 00:26:55.529 --> 00:27:00.910 of what? Of Sarah's womb. What himself? And the 00:27:00.910 --> 00:27:05.990 impossibility. How old was Sarah? Huh? Help me, 00:27:06.009 --> 00:27:09.109 how old was she? When the word came, yes, the 00:27:09.109 --> 00:27:17.430 promise. 80 what? 89? 90? Let's even say she's 00:27:17.430 --> 00:27:24.049 60. Miracles can happen. But somebody in the 00:27:24.049 --> 00:27:27.589 80s in this 70s 80s and then a promise came even 00:27:27.589 --> 00:27:30.890 how she loved when the angel said She was going 00:27:30.890 --> 00:27:35.509 to give her she loved But look at Abraham The 00:27:35.509 --> 00:27:38.410 Bible says he didn't consider the deadness of 00:27:38.410 --> 00:27:42.130 his body There's a possibility to doubt. There's 00:27:42.130 --> 00:27:45.809 every evidence, right? There's every logical 00:27:45.809 --> 00:27:51.059 evidence without the promise of God It's every 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:53.900 logical evidence to doubt what God have said 00:27:53.900 --> 00:27:59.559 The deadness of Sarah's womb was an issue Was 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:03.099 20 He did not waver. Look at what the Bible says. 00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:07.779 He did not waver at the promise of God through 00:28:07.779 --> 00:28:12.980 what? Through unbelief But was strengthened in 00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:19.809 faith giving glory to God hallelujah So We quickly 00:28:19.809 --> 00:28:22.809 just see our Abraham believe God as a scar but 00:28:22.809 --> 00:28:25.710 I can tell you that there's every possibility 00:28:25.710 --> 00:28:31.329 not to believe God's word Biologically is impossible 00:28:31.329 --> 00:28:36.630 for that to happen biologically speaking But 00:28:36.630 --> 00:28:40.250 God said it and what happened? He didn't allow 00:28:40.250 --> 00:28:43.789 the natural factors the evidence, you know, some 00:28:43.789 --> 00:28:47.490 people tell you let's speak facts right facts 00:28:47.789 --> 00:28:51.349 and faith, sometimes when you begin to consider 00:28:51.349 --> 00:28:54.869 facts, then you will not live by faith. Hallelujah. 00:28:55.769 --> 00:29:00.430 So there's every fact needed to prove, to make 00:29:00.430 --> 00:29:02.950 Abraham doubt the promise of the word of God. 00:29:03.549 --> 00:29:07.970 But the Bible says he didn't waver, right? Against 00:29:07.970 --> 00:29:12.230 all impossibilities. He did not doubt the promise 00:29:12.230 --> 00:29:15.109 of God, even though he was dead in his body. 00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:20.079 And also we see the issue of Sarah's womb. So 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:23.200 from these two examples we've seen, Peter, for 00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:26.700 example now, you know, he doubted because he 00:29:26.700 --> 00:29:29.140 shifted his attention toward the environment, 00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:31.920 to the situation. And we see an example of Abraham 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:36.180 who, against all odds, hold onto the word and 00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:40.900 the promise that came from God. So we can deduce 00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:45.319 that to act upon Doubt is a choice everyone must 00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:49.680 make. All right? It's a choice that everyone 00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:55.000 must make. Noun. I said it several times that 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:58.140 we came into Christ by the exercise of our will. 00:29:58.940 --> 00:30:01.680 All right? And even now that we're in Christ, 00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:06.119 our will have not been taken away. We still have 00:30:06.119 --> 00:30:09.359 the ability to do what? To exercise our will. 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:15.960 And every single time as we live, we are confronted 00:30:15.960 --> 00:30:20.720 with situations, with circumstances, with facts, 00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:25.859 with proofs, with evidence that will warrant 00:30:25.859 --> 00:30:31.480 us to doubt the promise of God. We are confronted 00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:35.220 with trials, with temptations, with difficulties 00:30:35.220 --> 00:30:40.160 that will warrant us to doubt the promises of 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:43.819 God, to doubt the Word of God, to doubt what 00:30:43.819 --> 00:30:48.259 God has said concerning us. But we have a choice 00:30:48.259 --> 00:30:52.119 to make. And the choice lies in the exercise 00:30:52.119 --> 00:30:57.180 of our will. Whether we are going to hold on 00:30:57.180 --> 00:31:00.339 to what God has said, regardless of what the 00:31:00.339 --> 00:31:03.619 noise is about, regardless of what the surrounding 00:31:03.619 --> 00:31:10.380 the facts are saying, or we succumb. So we can 00:31:10.380 --> 00:31:14.299 exercise our will by allowing doubt to control 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:20.160 our decision and actions or do the opposite and 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:23.099 allow faith to stand strong. For example now, 00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:25.720 we keep telling you every day you have the Spirit 00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:28.880 of God in you, you can lay your hand on the sick. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:32.279 Right? And sometimes when you look at the nature 00:31:32.279 --> 00:31:35.099 of the person's sickness, when you look at the 00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:37.039 nature, when you look at the person's age, how 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:39.769 long the person have been sick. Sometimes we 00:31:39.769 --> 00:31:41.730 don't need to even investigate and get facts 00:31:41.730 --> 00:31:45.829 for signing the sickness. Sometimes we want to 00:31:45.829 --> 00:31:50.250 know what kind of sickness is it? Is it HIV? 00:31:50.450 --> 00:31:55.089 Is it hepatitis? So we build an archive of facts 00:31:55.089 --> 00:31:58.910 and then we begin to work on those things. Things 00:31:58.910 --> 00:32:03.210 that can limit us from what? From acting in faith. 00:32:05.630 --> 00:32:09.490 So we can exercise our will, align doubt to control 00:32:09.490 --> 00:32:13.289 our decisions or actions or do the opposite and 00:32:13.289 --> 00:32:16.990 allow faith to sound strong. Peter in the case 00:32:16.990 --> 00:32:19.569 of the example we saw did not create, he didn't 00:32:19.569 --> 00:32:21.670 create the circumstance around him right. He 00:32:21.670 --> 00:32:24.990 was not responsible for the storm nor did he 00:32:24.990 --> 00:32:28.009 do anything to make the waters you know to increase 00:32:28.009 --> 00:32:31.650 the the the the bias trustness. But he had a 00:32:31.650 --> 00:32:35.109 choice and his choice was to fix his gaze on 00:32:35.109 --> 00:32:40.180 Jesus. What Jesus said come to fix his gaze on 00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:44.480 Jesus, come or turn away looking at the stormy 00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:49.259 waters and then begin to sink. In the case of 00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:58.779 Abraham, Abraham had a choice to do what? Abraham 00:32:58.779 --> 00:33:00.759 did not create the all -age for himself at that 00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:04.059 moment, right? Because sometimes, you know, we 00:33:04.059 --> 00:33:06.180 can begin to look at our situation and look at 00:33:06.180 --> 00:33:08.500 the situation as our own creation. Abraham did 00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:11.660 not create his circumstance nor the barrenness 00:33:11.660 --> 00:33:14.779 of his wife, but he had the choice to hold on 00:33:14.779 --> 00:33:18.039 to the promise of God or allow doubt to conquer. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:25.619 So, can a Christian doubt? Yes. Is the Christian 00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:30.859 a doubter? No. In the same way, a man can walk 00:33:30.859 --> 00:33:35.789 in the flesh and yet be born of the Spirit. The 00:33:35.789 --> 00:33:38.930 same way a man that is full of faith can also 00:33:38.930 --> 00:33:42.549 allow doubt to do what? To control his action. 00:33:42.829 --> 00:33:47.670 Hallelujah. Now, let me say this as we build 00:33:47.670 --> 00:33:51.390 on gradually on this. Doubt in itself is not 00:33:51.390 --> 00:33:56.990 sin. All right? Doubt in itself is what? Is not 00:33:56.990 --> 00:34:04.130 sin. But responding to doubting is what is self. 00:34:04.250 --> 00:34:08.590 That's when sin comes to be. Because to doubt 00:34:08.590 --> 00:34:11.349 and to act on the doubt is to go against the 00:34:11.349 --> 00:34:15.170 Word of God. And when we live against the Word 00:34:15.170 --> 00:34:21.289 of God, then we are living in sin. What does 00:34:21.289 --> 00:34:33.219 it mean to doubt? Matthew 21 verse 21. He says, 00:34:33.260 --> 00:34:35.900 so Jesus answered and said to them, I shortly 00:34:35.900 --> 00:34:40.079 I said to you, if you have faith, if you have 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:42.780 faith, right, and do not doubt, which means that 00:34:42.780 --> 00:34:46.820 you can have faith and doubt, okay? If you have 00:34:46.820 --> 00:34:51.519 faith and do not doubt, you will not only do 00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:54.900 what was done to the fig tree, but also if you 00:34:54.900 --> 00:34:56.639 say to this mountain, be removed and be cast 00:34:56.639 --> 00:35:00.820 into the sea, it will be done. And whatever things 00:35:00.820 --> 00:35:05.469 you ask in prayer, belief you will receive, okay? 00:35:06.230 --> 00:35:08.050 So what does doubt means? What does doubt, what 00:35:08.050 --> 00:35:11.190 does it mean to doubt? What does it mean to doubt? 00:35:14.429 --> 00:35:19.610 Of course, we see in the case of Abraham in Romans 00:35:19.610 --> 00:35:31.110 4, Romans 4 verse 19 talks about wavering, okay? 00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:39.260 Verse 20. Verse 20. Yes, he did not waver at 00:35:39.260 --> 00:35:42.500 the promise of God. He did not waver at the promise 00:35:42.500 --> 00:35:45.079 of God. So what does that word that? What does 00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:47.760 it mean? In the Greek it's called diachrino. 00:35:48.340 --> 00:35:55.460 Okay? It means to waver. It means to hesitate 00:35:55.460 --> 00:36:02.599 or be divided between two opinions. or be divided 00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:07.639 between two opinions. It means to have two opinions, 00:36:08.760 --> 00:36:15.579 to have another opinion, all right? To have another 00:36:15.579 --> 00:36:20.099 opinion on something or let's say a contrary 00:36:20.099 --> 00:36:27.619 opinion. Doubt is uncertainty. Doubt is uncertainty. 00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:34.849 It means, it means divided thinking all right 00:36:34.849 --> 00:36:40.030 it means having two opinions or being uncertain 00:36:40.030 --> 00:36:47.750 now doubt is not exactly the opposite of faith 00:36:47.750 --> 00:36:52.510 okay the opposite of faith is what is unbelief 00:36:52.510 --> 00:36:57.230 hallelujah and unbelief is a sin all right so 00:36:57.230 --> 00:37:02.230 we have doubt and doubt can lead to unbelief. 00:37:02.550 --> 00:37:06.329 Okay? Doubt can lead to unbelief. When it becomes 00:37:06.329 --> 00:37:08.130 unbelief, that's when we say that you are in 00:37:08.130 --> 00:37:11.750 sin because you are going into unbelief. You 00:37:11.750 --> 00:37:15.650 are walking in unbelief. Alright? You are living 00:37:15.650 --> 00:37:18.389 not in accordance to what the Word of God says. 00:37:18.429 --> 00:37:22.809 So you are in unbelief. You are in sin. Alright? 00:37:23.809 --> 00:37:27.289 So, doubt is to have double thinking, double 00:37:27.289 --> 00:37:30.059 opinion. concerning what has been said. For example, 00:37:30.179 --> 00:37:37.659 now in Hebrews 3 verse 18 to 19, Hebrews 3 verse 00:37:37.659 --> 00:37:44.179 18 to 19, and to whom did he sway that they will 00:37:44.179 --> 00:37:47.639 not enter his rest, but to those who did not 00:37:47.639 --> 00:37:51.599 obey. So we see that they could not enter in 00:37:51.599 --> 00:37:55.679 because of what? Because of unbelief. So here 00:37:55.679 --> 00:38:00.099 the problem was not about doubt But the refusal 00:38:00.099 --> 00:38:04.059 to believe in God, okay, the refusal to believe 00:38:04.059 --> 00:38:09.119 in God So unbelief goes further than doubt Just 00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:10.599 trying to differentiate between what unbelief 00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:13.780 is and what doubt is. Alright, so unbelief goes 00:38:13.780 --> 00:38:17.480 further than doubt Unbelief is a subtle rejection 00:38:17.480 --> 00:38:22.139 of God's Word God said this I said no I choose 00:38:22.139 --> 00:38:26.420 to do this And often times the reason why we 00:38:26.420 --> 00:38:30.360 move into unbelief is because we think or we 00:38:30.360 --> 00:38:34.860 allow the thought, another opinion, the uncertainty 00:38:34.860 --> 00:38:37.179 in our heart concerning what God has said. We 00:38:37.179 --> 00:38:39.440 begin to calculate what God has said. We begin 00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:41.780 to imagine the impossibility of what has been 00:38:41.780 --> 00:38:45.179 said. We begin to meditate on the opposite of 00:38:45.179 --> 00:38:48.139 what has been said. And then we find ourselves 00:38:48.139 --> 00:38:52.260 in unbelief, making a decision not to obey or 00:38:52.260 --> 00:38:55.039 not to believe. or not to act in accordance to 00:38:55.039 --> 00:39:02.739 what God has said. So where does doubt operates? 00:39:03.159 --> 00:39:06.260 Mark chapter 11 verse 21. Where does doubt operates? 00:39:07.019 --> 00:39:10.719 Where do we see doubt operates? Mark chapter 00:39:10.719 --> 00:39:18.579 11 verse 21 and 24. Mark 11 21 to 24. And Peter 00:39:18.579 --> 00:39:22.579 remembering said to him, Rabbi look, The victory 00:39:22.579 --> 00:39:27.039 which you curse has withered away. So Jesus answered 00:39:27.039 --> 00:39:30.219 and said to them, have faith in God. For I shall 00:39:30.219 --> 00:39:33.380 say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be 00:39:33.380 --> 00:39:36.679 removed and be cast into the sea, and does not 00:39:36.679 --> 00:39:41.780 doubt where, where, so where does doubt operates? 00:39:42.820 --> 00:39:46.800 In their heart. All right? Doubt operates where? 00:39:47.780 --> 00:39:50.320 In their hearts. But believe that those things 00:39:50.320 --> 00:39:53.599 he says will be done. He will have whatever He 00:39:53.599 --> 00:39:56.840 sees. Verse 24 Therefore I say to you whatever 00:39:56.840 --> 00:39:59.900 things you ask when you pray believe that you 00:39:59.900 --> 00:40:03.860 receive them and you will have them. So doubt 00:40:03.860 --> 00:40:08.300 operates in the heart of man. Alright? Doubt 00:40:08.300 --> 00:40:12.920 operates in the heart of man. In the heart of 00:40:12.920 --> 00:40:14.940 man. And when we talk about heart, we're not 00:40:14.940 --> 00:40:20.800 talking about the organ that pumps blood. Alright? 00:40:21.800 --> 00:40:24.039 We're not talking about that organ in you that 00:40:24.039 --> 00:40:26.639 they can change it, they can... Now these signs 00:40:26.639 --> 00:40:28.619 have made it possible for them to replace with 00:40:28.619 --> 00:40:32.400 something, right? Is it pacemaker, what do they 00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:36.840 call it? Or they can do transplant, carry somebody's 00:40:36.840 --> 00:40:38.880 heart and give somebody. That's not what we're 00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:43.639 talking about, right? So the heart is figurative 00:40:43.639 --> 00:40:48.420 here. It speaks of the thoughts or the feelings, 00:40:48.679 --> 00:40:52.670 the mind. where feelings is the mind. In scripture, 00:40:52.809 --> 00:40:56.489 the term heart is primarily a descriptive term, 00:40:56.489 --> 00:41:01.250 all right? It's a descriptive term for the inner 00:41:01.250 --> 00:41:07.730 life of a person, not a physical organ. When 00:41:07.730 --> 00:41:09.949 the Bible says the heart of man, like in Jeremiah 00:41:09.949 --> 00:41:13.230 17 verse 9, Jeremiah 17 verse 9 talks about the 00:41:13.230 --> 00:41:15.250 deceitfulness of a man's heart. He's not talking 00:41:15.250 --> 00:41:17.510 about that heart that palms blow, all right? 00:41:17.750 --> 00:41:21.070 Says the heart is deceitful. Above all things 00:41:21.070 --> 00:41:24.510 and desperately wicked who can know it? So it 00:41:24.510 --> 00:41:27.510 is referring to the inner core of the human personality 00:41:27.510 --> 00:41:32.489 The realm where motives and intentions and convictions 00:41:32.489 --> 00:41:39.610 are found That is where doubt operates All right 00:41:39.610 --> 00:41:42.949 The heart describes a seat it describes a seat 00:41:42.949 --> 00:41:45.829 of the belief and persuasion within a person 00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:51.260 where there's belief and where there's persuasion 00:41:51.260 --> 00:41:55.099 within a person. It is that inner center from 00:41:55.099 --> 00:41:59.920 which thoughts, where thoughts are made, where 00:41:59.920 --> 00:42:05.019 decisions are made, and it is from that place 00:42:05.019 --> 00:42:09.659 that action flows, okay, from the heart. From 00:42:09.659 --> 00:42:12.320 the abundance of the heart, the mother will speak, 00:42:12.460 --> 00:42:15.260 right? From the abundance of your heart, you 00:42:15.260 --> 00:42:18.809 will act. So we don't need to, we just need to 00:42:18.809 --> 00:42:21.630 stay with you for a while and we'll know the 00:42:21.630 --> 00:42:25.969 content of your heart. We'll know it by the words 00:42:25.969 --> 00:42:28.429 that comes out of your mouth. Do you know that 00:42:28.429 --> 00:42:30.130 by your words we'll know whether you have faith 00:42:30.130 --> 00:42:34.849 or you don't have faith? I mean, subsequently 00:42:34.849 --> 00:42:37.429 we will look at how, you know, we can locate, 00:42:37.650 --> 00:42:39.710 I've said this the last time, I said we can find 00:42:39.710 --> 00:42:42.690 faith way in the heart of a man and also on his 00:42:42.690 --> 00:42:45.349 mouth, in his lips, all right? Because from what 00:42:45.349 --> 00:42:46.889 is in your heart, we will see it manifest in 00:42:46.889 --> 00:42:52.610 what you say. So let there be alignment Okay, 00:42:52.710 --> 00:42:54.190 let there be alignment in what is in our heart 00:42:54.190 --> 00:42:56.929 and what is on our lips so that we will eat the 00:42:56.929 --> 00:43:02.690 fruit of The tongue. Hallelujah. The Bible will 00:43:02.690 --> 00:43:04.429 tell us that life and death lies in the power 00:43:04.429 --> 00:43:12.139 of the tongue. Okay? So It is important to understand 00:43:12.139 --> 00:43:14.579 what that heart is. In biblical anthropology, 00:43:15.460 --> 00:43:18.639 this inner conviction is formed through interaction 00:43:18.639 --> 00:43:25.440 of the spirit and the mind, which together can 00:43:25.440 --> 00:43:28.460 shape a person's understanding and how that person 00:43:28.460 --> 00:43:31.699 responds to God. Okay. We're talking about the 00:43:31.699 --> 00:43:34.920 heart. So when the scripture speaks about the 00:43:34.920 --> 00:43:37.860 heart, it is describing that unseen center of 00:43:37.860 --> 00:43:40.739 a person's conviction. and motives rather than 00:43:40.739 --> 00:43:44.579 a literal organ. And I want to also bring to 00:43:44.579 --> 00:43:48.900 your notice as well, okay? That as much as doubt 00:43:48.900 --> 00:43:52.179 operates in the core, the heart of a man, that 00:43:52.179 --> 00:43:55.119 is where faith also what? That is where also 00:43:55.119 --> 00:43:58.280 faith operates. Romans from the 10 verse five 00:43:58.280 --> 00:44:02.139 to 10 will talk about how faith operates in the 00:44:02.139 --> 00:44:04.440 heart of a man. Romans from the 10 verse five 00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:07.639 to 10. For Moses writes about the righteousness 00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:12.239 which is of the law. The man who does these those 00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:15.579 things shall live by them But the righteousness 00:44:15.579 --> 00:44:18.739 of faith speaks. So the righteousness of faith 00:44:18.739 --> 00:44:24.880 has speaks In this way do not say in way in your 00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:28.980 heart Who will ascend into the heaven that is 00:44:28.980 --> 00:44:32.420 to bring Christ out from there from above or 00:44:32.420 --> 00:44:35.380 who will descend into the abyss? That is to bring 00:44:35.380 --> 00:44:42.489 Christ up But what does this say? The word is 00:44:42.489 --> 00:44:46.210 near you, is in your mouth and in your heart. 00:44:46.250 --> 00:44:50.230 So what word? What word? That is the word of 00:44:50.230 --> 00:44:52.789 faith which we preach. It's found in the heart, 00:44:53.150 --> 00:44:56.889 it's found on the lips. But if you confess, confess 00:44:56.889 --> 00:45:01.789 simply means agree. If you agree with your mouth, 00:45:02.269 --> 00:45:07.150 right? The Lord Jesus, and believe where? And 00:45:07.150 --> 00:45:10.300 believe in your heart. that God has raised him 00:45:10.300 --> 00:45:14.579 from the dead, you will be saved. For with the 00:45:14.579 --> 00:45:18.440 heart, what happens? One believes unto righteousness, 00:45:18.519 --> 00:45:22.619 unto salvation. And with the mouth, agreement 00:45:22.619 --> 00:45:26.400 is made unto salvation, okay? Confession, profession, 00:45:26.679 --> 00:45:32.000 right? So we know that with the heart, man believes 00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:34.940 in unto righteousness. And also we saw earlier 00:45:34.940 --> 00:45:42.079 on that doubt also, you know, operates Doubt 00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:43.880 is found in the heart and faith is also found, 00:45:43.880 --> 00:45:48.500 it can also be operational in the heart. So we 00:45:48.500 --> 00:45:52.699 locate faith in two places, a heart and also 00:45:52.699 --> 00:45:57.420 in the mouth. Mark 11, 23 again, we say that, 00:46:08.280 --> 00:46:11.739 So where do we see doubt? Shall not doubt in 00:46:11.739 --> 00:46:20.860 the heart. So whether it is faith or doubt, they 00:46:20.860 --> 00:46:25.159 walk through the heart, all right? So if we have 00:46:25.159 --> 00:46:27.739 an understanding that doubt and faith will operate 00:46:27.739 --> 00:46:31.699 through the heart, it means that we need to guard 00:46:31.699 --> 00:46:35.320 our hearts with all diligence, for out of it 00:46:35.320 --> 00:46:39.039 flows what? The issues of life. It therefore 00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:41.639 means that we have a responsibility over our 00:46:41.639 --> 00:46:46.739 hearts. Alright? Faith comes by what? By hearing 00:46:46.739 --> 00:46:50.179 of the Word. So how do you think that will come? 00:46:51.719 --> 00:46:56.760 By hearing of what? Of what? Which word? Any 00:46:56.760 --> 00:47:05.800 word? Except the Word of God. Alright? See? Do 00:47:05.800 --> 00:47:09.980 you know that what spoke to Peter was the waves? 00:47:10.500 --> 00:47:12.059 Do you know that waves were speaking to his heart? 00:47:13.760 --> 00:47:16.219 Do you know that waves is a circumstance that 00:47:16.219 --> 00:47:20.000 is speaking to his heart? Probably in his heart, 00:47:20.099 --> 00:47:21.219 you're going to sing, you're going to sing, you're 00:47:21.219 --> 00:47:26.400 going to sing. You know, sometimes when we're 00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:29.880 in trouble, we quickly know what is in your heart. 00:47:30.219 --> 00:47:32.280 I'm going to die. I'm going to die. That's actually 00:47:32.280 --> 00:47:33.500 what is in your heart. That's what the circumstance 00:47:33.500 --> 00:47:37.460 is speaking to you. I'm in trouble, I'm in trouble. 00:47:39.380 --> 00:47:42.119 Repeatedly, the confession on your lips is actually 00:47:42.119 --> 00:47:45.039 what is dominating your heart, your core. And 00:47:45.039 --> 00:47:48.699 what creates fear is actually you listening to 00:47:48.699 --> 00:47:50.519 the circumstance, you listening to the trial, 00:47:50.579 --> 00:47:54.780 you listening to the situation around you. All 00:47:54.780 --> 00:47:59.139 right? So it simply means that we have a responsibility 00:47:59.139 --> 00:48:05.199 to do what? To be watchful to what we hear. And 00:48:05.199 --> 00:48:08.420 it can come, listen, it can come from a place 00:48:08.420 --> 00:48:12.820 of love in court. Doubt can come from a place 00:48:12.820 --> 00:48:16.800 of love. It can come in a seemingly, you know, 00:48:17.019 --> 00:48:19.860 righteous way. But when you look at it, it's 00:48:19.860 --> 00:48:22.760 not in alignment to God's work. It's not in alignment 00:48:22.760 --> 00:48:25.860 to what God is saying concerning you, concerning 00:48:25.860 --> 00:48:28.480 what you should do as a believer. So whether 00:48:28.480 --> 00:48:30.679 it is faith or doubt, they walk through their 00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:34.119 heart. And remember, we didn't say the spirit. 00:48:34.360 --> 00:48:38.199 right that's different conversation so at a point 00:48:38.199 --> 00:48:40.860 of regeneration we see that a man who is not 00:48:40.860 --> 00:48:43.679 born again is a child of wrath we've we've said 00:48:43.679 --> 00:48:45.659 this over and over again Ephesians chapter two 00:48:45.659 --> 00:48:48.280 verse one to three that man is not born again 00:48:48.280 --> 00:48:51.860 is disobedient child that is in his heart okay 00:48:51.860 --> 00:48:55.539 in his heart that is in his spirit and his soul 00:48:55.539 --> 00:48:58.739 because he's not born again but when a man is 00:48:58.739 --> 00:49:01.780 born again he has a spirit of faith in him He 00:49:01.780 --> 00:49:03.760 has the faith of God. Galatians 2 .20 speaks 00:49:03.760 --> 00:49:06.199 about this. We've read it previously. 2 Corinthians 00:49:06.199 --> 00:49:09.139 chapter 4 verse 13. You will see that that man 00:49:09.139 --> 00:49:12.619 has a spirit of faith in him. But his mind, his 00:49:12.619 --> 00:49:15.500 mind, his heart, his mind or that place of thinking 00:49:15.500 --> 00:49:18.400 needs transformation. It needs understanding. 00:49:18.900 --> 00:49:26.659 It needs renewal. Okay? Because when you're born 00:49:26.659 --> 00:49:29.780 again, your spirit is born again. Okay? But your 00:49:29.780 --> 00:49:33.010 heart needs transformation. It needs renewal. 00:49:34.349 --> 00:49:38.190 Hallelujah. So we say that faith comes from the 00:49:38.190 --> 00:49:42.210 word of God. Romans 10 verse 17. Faith is produced 00:49:42.210 --> 00:49:44.969 by the word of God. As scripture teaches, faith 00:49:44.969 --> 00:49:47.570 comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 00:49:50.710 --> 00:49:55.650 However, doubt may arise, okay, because listen, 00:49:56.250 --> 00:50:02.139 doubt will arise. because of the word that has 00:50:02.139 --> 00:50:06.960 come. All right? Doubt may arise after the word 00:50:06.960 --> 00:50:12.420 has been heard. Doubt is often communicated through 00:50:12.420 --> 00:50:18.440 circumstances. I gave an example with the circumstance 00:50:18.440 --> 00:50:23.840 of Peter, okay? And even to Abraham, doubt may 00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:26.239 have spoken to him through the circumstance of 00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:31.280 his age. and how Sarah is unfit to give birth. 00:50:32.039 --> 00:50:35.159 As a circumstance that can speak loudly than 00:50:35.159 --> 00:50:42.320 even words. Doubt can speak from our experiences, 00:50:43.159 --> 00:50:48.320 our past experiences. You know, some people have 00:50:48.320 --> 00:50:49.619 failed in life to the point that they believe 00:50:49.619 --> 00:50:54.380 that they cannot excel. So even when they they 00:50:54.380 --> 00:50:56.639 are encouraged to take a step of faith to act. 00:50:56.820 --> 00:51:01.119 They don't want to act because they've used the 00:51:01.119 --> 00:51:03.780 experience they've had in the past to formulate 00:51:03.780 --> 00:51:06.980 a theology that influences their life going forward. 00:51:07.639 --> 00:51:11.039 So experiences can be instruments by which doubt 00:51:11.039 --> 00:51:17.019 can speak. What we perceive through sense is 00:51:17.019 --> 00:51:20.079 sensory. You can say that all these things can 00:51:20.079 --> 00:51:24.090 come but from God. So any voice that comes apart 00:51:24.090 --> 00:51:30.110 from God will create doubt. Anything that speaks 00:51:30.110 --> 00:51:32.250 apart from the word of God will create doubt 00:51:32.250 --> 00:51:35.170 in the heart of man concerning that particular 00:51:35.170 --> 00:51:38.610 circumstance. For this reason, the apostle will 00:51:38.610 --> 00:51:43.389 say we work by faith and not by sight. We work 00:51:43.389 --> 00:51:48.909 by faith and not by our senses and not by what 00:51:48.909 --> 00:51:51.840 comes externally. Second Corinthians chapter 00:51:51.840 --> 00:51:55.019 5 verse 7. Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 00:51:55.019 --> 00:52:02.239 7. For we walk by faith, and not by what? By 00:52:02.239 --> 00:52:05.940 sight. That sight there, my reference to not 00:52:05.940 --> 00:52:09.559 only what we see with the physical eyes, but 00:52:09.559 --> 00:52:13.059 to everything we perceive through, we perceive 00:52:13.059 --> 00:52:16.340 through, I would say through our hearts, our 00:52:16.340 --> 00:52:18.639 perception of life, our perception of circumstances. 00:52:18.960 --> 00:52:20.960 and situation, not only on what we see with the 00:52:20.960 --> 00:52:24.940 physical eyes alone. So doubt is therefore an 00:52:24.940 --> 00:52:27.780 opinion, okay? Remember, when we're trying to 00:52:27.780 --> 00:52:31.719 explain what doubt is, we say it's a diverse, 00:52:32.159 --> 00:52:36.840 diverting opinion, right? Another thinking. So 00:52:36.840 --> 00:52:40.039 doubt is therefore an opinion communicated by 00:52:40.039 --> 00:52:43.360 circumstances, by perceptions, or by the words 00:52:43.360 --> 00:52:47.070 of other people around you, okay? Which challenges 00:52:47.070 --> 00:52:49.010 the faith that has been produced by the Word 00:52:49.010 --> 00:52:55.269 of God? It challenges the faith that has been 00:52:55.269 --> 00:53:00.690 produced by the Word of God in the believer If 00:53:00.690 --> 00:53:08.510 such doubt is entertained If such doubt is entertained 00:53:08.510 --> 00:53:12.610 and accepted because I told you that on its own 00:53:12.610 --> 00:53:17.619 is not seen right But if it is entertained and 00:53:17.619 --> 00:53:23.739 accepted it can develop into unbelief All right, 00:53:23.780 --> 00:53:29.239 it can develop into unbelief Which is the deliberate 00:53:29.239 --> 00:53:37.380 refusal to believe what God has said Okay So 00:53:37.380 --> 00:53:40.980 what we will see is that faith does not eliminate 00:53:40.980 --> 00:53:45.409 the possibility of doubt. All right Having faith 00:53:45.409 --> 00:53:49.050 does not eliminate the possibility of doubt. 00:53:51.230 --> 00:53:55.210 But it protects the believer against doubt, all 00:53:55.210 --> 00:53:59.110 right? But it does not eliminate the possibility 00:53:59.110 --> 00:54:04.110 of having doubt in our heart. Especially if we 00:54:04.110 --> 00:54:09.010 read Ephesians 6, we're standing there about 00:54:09.010 --> 00:54:15.760 where Paul was listing, you know, Yes, so finally 00:54:15.760 --> 00:54:18.000 bread and be strong in the Lord and power of 00:54:18.000 --> 00:54:22.159 his might Put on the whole armor of God and you 00:54:22.159 --> 00:54:24.340 may be able to stand against the wires of the 00:54:24.340 --> 00:54:28.219 devil and how does the devil comes By thoughts 00:54:28.219 --> 00:54:31.860 by imaginations by deceitful thinking right? 00:54:32.960 --> 00:54:35.079 Our mind for we do not wrestle against flesh 00:54:35.079 --> 00:54:37.239 and blood but against principalities against 00:54:37.239 --> 00:54:39.139 powers against the rulers of darkness of this 00:54:39.139 --> 00:54:43.099 each against spiritual course of wickedness in 00:54:43.099 --> 00:54:46.949 the heavenly places yes therefore take up the 00:54:46.949 --> 00:54:49.090 whole armor of God that you may be able to stand 00:54:49.090 --> 00:54:53.769 the evil day having done all to stand stand the 00:54:53.769 --> 00:54:56.170 evoke having gathered your waste with truth having 00:54:56.170 --> 00:54:58.909 put on the breastplate of righteousness and having 00:54:58.909 --> 00:55:01.309 shot your feet with the preparation of the gospel 00:55:01.309 --> 00:55:04.690 of peace above all taking the shield of what 00:55:04.690 --> 00:55:06.789 the shield of it so what do you do with the shield 00:55:06.789 --> 00:55:09.590 of faith which you will be able to quench the 00:55:09.590 --> 00:55:13.320 fairy darts of the wicked one Now all those things 00:55:13.320 --> 00:55:16.880 is describing actually fit. All right is able 00:55:16.880 --> 00:55:21.320 to withstand Or shield us from the influence 00:55:21.320 --> 00:55:25.780 of that. All right so faith grows all we say 00:55:25.780 --> 00:55:31.139 the believer goes in faith as He continually 00:55:31.139 --> 00:55:35.900 focus on Christ as he continually focus on what 00:55:35.900 --> 00:55:39.719 the Word of God It enabled him to be strong and 00:55:39.719 --> 00:55:42.599 to be established because we're praying for For 00:55:42.599 --> 00:55:45.420 us to be established in faith, to be strong in 00:55:45.420 --> 00:55:49.219 faith, and how that can come to be is by deepening 00:55:49.219 --> 00:55:50.840 our root in the understanding of the Word of 00:55:50.840 --> 00:56:00.659 God. So what he can do, deepening our self in 00:56:00.659 --> 00:56:02.679 the Word, in the Word of God, in the Word of 00:56:02.679 --> 00:56:05.099 Christ, because that's how faith comes, and that's 00:56:05.099 --> 00:56:08.099 how faith is sustained by the Word of God. We 00:56:08.099 --> 00:56:09.619 expose our self to the Word of God, the Word 00:56:09.619 --> 00:56:12.099 of Christ, what Christ has done, what Christ 00:56:12.099 --> 00:56:15.860 is doing and what Christ can do. All that he 00:56:15.860 --> 00:56:19.519 has accomplished for us, you know, in redemption. 00:56:20.980 --> 00:56:28.380 Our mind must be fixed on the truth of what God 00:56:28.380 --> 00:56:33.139 has done in Christ. And we'll see our faith strengthen 00:56:33.139 --> 00:56:42.289 and develop. There are certain examples that 00:56:42.289 --> 00:56:44.610 would have loved us to go but because of time 00:56:44.610 --> 00:56:50.610 So What has God said in his word concerning us? 00:56:51.550 --> 00:56:55.570 Right, what has God said in our hearts what have 00:56:55.570 --> 00:57:02.769 God said in his word concerning us? What has 00:57:02.769 --> 00:57:06.510 God said in his word concerning us, you know, 00:57:06.730 --> 00:57:10.519 he said that we are loved okay And this is what 00:57:10.519 --> 00:57:14.860 God has said, we are loved. Do we allow circumstances 00:57:14.860 --> 00:57:18.320 to speak contrary to this that God has said in 00:57:18.320 --> 00:57:23.519 His word that we are loved? He says that we are 00:57:23.519 --> 00:57:26.639 His family. Do we allow circumstances to speak 00:57:26.639 --> 00:57:32.000 contrary to this that God has said concerning 00:57:32.000 --> 00:57:37.000 us in His word? The word of God says that we 00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:41.900 are in an inseparable union with Him. Do we allow 00:57:41.900 --> 00:57:48.519 our experiences and circumstances to speak contrary 00:57:48.519 --> 00:57:54.440 to this truth about what God has said? The Word 00:57:54.440 --> 00:57:59.500 of God will say that He will meet all our needs, 00:57:59.860 --> 00:58:01.679 or He has meet all our needs according to His 00:58:01.679 --> 00:58:03.900 riches and glory, or He is able to meet all our 00:58:03.900 --> 00:58:05.920 needs. God will supply all that we need, we require. 00:58:06.090 --> 00:58:09.510 for life and for godliness. Do we hold on to 00:58:09.510 --> 00:58:14.250 God's Word or we hold on to our current circumstance 00:58:14.250 --> 00:58:19.469 of lack and hold on to what is speaking contrary 00:58:19.469 --> 00:58:25.550 to the Word of God? What has God said concerning 00:58:25.550 --> 00:58:30.269 His ability in us that we can do great works 00:58:30.269 --> 00:58:34.449 or greater works? Do you allow circumstances 00:58:35.269 --> 00:58:37.949 To speak contrary to what God have said concerning 00:58:37.949 --> 00:58:46.150 your identity All right Now we can push and have 00:58:46.150 --> 00:58:51.050 men converted do allow excuses Circumstances 00:58:51.050 --> 00:58:54.690 to communicate a contrary opinion to you to what 00:58:54.690 --> 00:59:01.449 God have said in his word The word of God is 00:59:01.449 --> 00:59:03.590 saying that we are to change nations for God 00:59:03.590 --> 00:59:05.730 right working changed nations by the preaching 00:59:05.730 --> 00:59:08.269 of the gospel? Do you look down on yourself? 00:59:08.969 --> 00:59:11.670 As Gideon would say, imagine the angel of God 00:59:11.670 --> 00:59:14.949 appeared to Gideon. And Gideon would say, oh, 00:59:14.969 --> 00:59:21.070 look, I'm the weakest in our clans. I'm this, 00:59:21.130 --> 00:59:23.110 I'm that, and that, and then building up excuses. 00:59:25.469 --> 00:59:28.590 Do we allow these excuses to speak contrary to 00:59:28.590 --> 00:59:31.849 what God has said concerning our assignment? 00:59:32.039 --> 00:59:37.079 concerning the faith He has given to us, committed 00:59:37.079 --> 00:59:41.659 to us, to share the gospel to the world, to lay 00:59:41.659 --> 00:59:45.059 our hands on the sick, to give words of prophecy, 00:59:46.519 --> 00:59:52.579 you know, to heal the sick. What has God said 00:59:52.579 --> 00:59:55.119 concerning us by prophecies we have received? 00:59:56.340 --> 00:59:59.000 Some of us, we have books full of prophecies. 00:59:59.639 --> 01:00:02.960 Every single time a brother gave us word, we 01:00:02.960 --> 01:00:07.059 are quick to document. And when we go through, 01:00:07.300 --> 01:00:11.340 do we allow our lives to be anchored on those 01:00:11.340 --> 01:00:12.920 things that God has said concerning our lives? 01:00:16.079 --> 01:00:17.639 Now we're going to see further as we go into 01:00:17.639 --> 01:00:20.639 the story, how we can shield ourselves from things 01:00:20.639 --> 01:00:23.760 that are enemies of the faith. Okay, we'll begin 01:00:23.760 --> 01:00:28.539 to talk about them. Our companionship is a challenge. 01:00:29.099 --> 01:00:32.460 The things we expose ourselves to listen to every 01:00:32.460 --> 01:00:36.000 time can be an enemy. There are many, many things 01:00:36.000 --> 01:00:41.139 around us that we can be mindful of. Sometimes 01:00:41.139 --> 01:00:45.559 we neglect them, so they affect us. They create 01:00:45.559 --> 01:00:48.699 a system within our heart that we don't see faith 01:00:48.699 --> 01:00:57.539 expressed in our lives. The words we speak can 01:00:57.539 --> 01:00:59.849 be against our identity and the things that God 01:00:59.849 --> 01:01:03.010 has called us to walk in. So we must allow faith 01:01:03.010 --> 01:01:05.730 to find expression in our heart and our action, 01:01:05.909 --> 01:01:11.849 the action feel of faith. What vision has God 01:01:11.849 --> 01:01:15.889 inspired your heart to do? Some of us, you see, 01:01:15.909 --> 01:01:18.110 God has been giving us insight to what we should 01:01:18.110 --> 01:01:20.789 do and some of us are traveling back to our countries 01:01:20.789 --> 01:01:24.289 and God has, we have clarity that some of you 01:01:24.289 --> 01:01:25.969 when we call you, you have clarity of what you 01:01:25.969 --> 01:01:28.099 go back to your country to do. But the moment 01:01:28.099 --> 01:01:31.900 you learn from the airport and the warm breeze 01:01:31.900 --> 01:01:36.119 of your country blows your face, it washes away 01:01:36.119 --> 01:01:39.559 the vision that God has given you and embraces 01:01:39.559 --> 01:01:44.480 you into the reality of that nation. So you become 01:01:44.480 --> 01:01:49.679 a prayer point. You know, we got to go soon. 01:01:51.059 --> 01:01:55.460 We have to eat. You enter Lagos, you are busy 01:01:55.460 --> 01:02:00.360 like the Lagosians. When I entered Lagos, everybody 01:02:00.360 --> 01:02:03.699 was busy in Lagos. Everybody was moving from 01:02:03.699 --> 01:02:05.320 one place to another. I wonder where they are 01:02:05.320 --> 01:02:08.840 going to. So we can be caught up in the busyness 01:02:08.840 --> 01:02:15.119 of life. And then we neglect the mandate that 01:02:15.119 --> 01:02:20.380 God has given us. And then circumstances of life 01:02:20.380 --> 01:02:22.900 squeeze us into a position where we begin to 01:02:22.900 --> 01:02:26.539 doubt what God has said. See, it's all my prayer. 01:02:27.920 --> 01:02:31.960 This will be our own experiences. And I know 01:02:31.960 --> 01:02:35.440 I'm speaking to somebody here. This is an environment 01:02:35.440 --> 01:02:38.659 that God has used to groom, to train, to empower 01:02:38.659 --> 01:02:41.039 you with the knowledge that you've made. See, 01:02:42.260 --> 01:02:44.480 we know within the pastorate that any save is 01:02:44.480 --> 01:02:48.760 not your destination. So we know that what God 01:02:48.760 --> 01:02:54.280 is doing here is to redeploy you elsewhere. So 01:02:54.280 --> 01:02:55.940 when people are living here, we are happy that 01:02:55.940 --> 01:02:58.780 people are living. because for us, we know it's 01:02:58.780 --> 01:03:03.420 a redeployment and there is an expectation, all 01:03:03.420 --> 01:03:07.219 right? So we must be able to embrace the calling 01:03:07.219 --> 01:03:09.579 and the purpose of God for our lives and walk 01:03:09.579 --> 01:03:11.800 in it because we are able because that's what 01:03:11.800 --> 01:03:15.960 God has said concerning us. When we shift our 01:03:15.960 --> 01:03:20.179 attention from Him, who has promised, we'll begin 01:03:20.179 --> 01:03:23.619 to doubt and thereafter disobey, all right? We'll 01:03:23.619 --> 01:03:26.500 begin to doubt and thereafter disobey. And may 01:03:26.500 --> 01:03:29.659 that never be apportioned in Jesus' name. So 01:03:29.659 --> 01:03:31.440 what are the circumstances limiting you from 01:03:31.440 --> 01:03:35.619 trusting God? In doing those things He has said 01:03:35.619 --> 01:03:40.380 you would do in your life. As I close Hebrews 01:03:40.380 --> 01:03:48.480 chapter 12 verse 1 and 2. Remember doubt and 01:03:48.480 --> 01:03:53.980 faith operates in the heart. You are a man of 01:03:53.980 --> 01:03:56.000 faith, you are a woman of faith, you must be 01:03:56.000 --> 01:04:00.199 diligent. Examine yourself always to see if you 01:04:00.199 --> 01:04:02.659 are walking in the faith. When we say you are 01:04:02.659 --> 01:04:03.880 walking in the faith, it means that you are walking 01:04:03.880 --> 01:04:08.360 in obedience. Alright? You are walking in obedience 01:04:08.360 --> 01:04:10.900 to the Word of God. You are responding to what 01:04:10.900 --> 01:04:13.480 God has said in His Word for you concerning you, 01:04:13.480 --> 01:04:16.460 concerning your conduct as a believer. Therefore, 01:04:16.599 --> 01:04:18.739 we also, since we are so surrounded by a great 01:04:18.739 --> 01:04:23.400 cloud of witnesses, Let us lay aside every weight 01:04:23.400 --> 01:04:27.159 and sin which so easily ensnares us, and let 01:04:27.159 --> 01:04:29.460 us learn with endurance the rays that is set 01:04:29.460 --> 01:04:36.579 before us. Looking unto who? To Jesus. All right? 01:04:37.099 --> 01:04:42.019 The author and the finisher of our faith. Who 01:04:42.019 --> 01:04:44.280 for the joy that was set before him endured the 01:04:44.280 --> 01:04:47.599 cross, despising the shame, and has sat down 01:04:47.599 --> 01:04:59.440 at the right hand of the Father. We appreciate 01:04:59.440 --> 01:05:02.119 you being here today. We hope you carried this 01:05:02.119 --> 01:05:05.099 word with you throughout your week. Don't forget 01:05:05.099 --> 01:05:07.360 to check the show notes for additional insights. 01:05:08.039 --> 01:05:10.519 Stay connected with us through our website or 01:05:10.519 --> 01:05:14.000 follow us on social media. If you were encouraged, 01:05:14.559 --> 01:05:16.659 share this message with someone you care about. 01:05:17.300 --> 01:05:19.280 Until next time, stay blessed.