WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.939 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:23.000 right in. Yes, so we're going to continue from 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:27.640 where we left on Sunday. Where we left on Sunday. 00:00:29.899 --> 00:00:34.380 On Sunday we started to discuss about Galatians, 00:00:34.740 --> 00:00:39.759 the book of Galatians. And before we go into 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:41.920 the book of Galatians, I just want us to see 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:46.259 the background or the pattern in which the apostles, 00:00:46.619 --> 00:00:51.140 Jesus Christ, taught. Because when you go to 00:00:51.140 --> 00:00:52.859 the book of Galatians, there are many things 00:00:52.859 --> 00:00:56.439 you see. The way it is built, you find that most 00:00:56.439 --> 00:00:59.869 of what is said, it is... in the scriptures. 00:01:00.130 --> 00:01:03.850 In fact, all in the scriptures. That is from 00:01:03.850 --> 00:01:07.930 Genesis to the book of Malachi. So, let's open 00:01:07.930 --> 00:01:12.709 to the book of 2 Timothy 3 verse 16. 2 Timothy, 00:01:12.849 --> 00:01:21.090 the book of 2 Timothy 3 verse 16. It reads, okay, 00:01:21.129 --> 00:01:23.689 let's start from verse 14. But continue thou 00:01:23.689 --> 00:01:26.230 in the things thou hast learned and hast been 00:01:26.230 --> 00:01:29.069 assured of. knowing of whom thou hast lent them, 00:01:29.209 --> 00:01:32.549 and that from a child that hast known the holy 00:01:32.549 --> 00:01:35.209 scriptures, which are able to make thee wise 00:01:35.209 --> 00:01:38.829 unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus 00:01:38.829 --> 00:01:43.689 Christ. All scripture is given by inspiration 00:01:43.689 --> 00:01:48.510 of God, and it is profitable for doctrine, for 00:01:48.510 --> 00:01:52.530 reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 00:01:53.010 --> 00:01:57.310 that the man of God may be perfect. and thoroughly 00:01:57.310 --> 00:02:02.129 furnished unto all good works. So one of the 00:02:02.129 --> 00:02:06.549 things we see is the scriptures are profitable 00:02:06.549 --> 00:02:10.909 for what? For doctrine. And doctrine there has 00:02:10.909 --> 00:02:15.430 to do with teaching. It has to do with explanation. 00:02:16.330 --> 00:02:19.949 It has to do with explanation. And what he's 00:02:19.949 --> 00:02:23.110 saying, he said that the scriptures are profitable, 00:02:23.289 --> 00:02:27.060 that is advantageous. If you have your B .O .B., 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:31.340 you see the word ophelimos, which means the scriptures, 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:35.099 they are there for a systematic teaching. And 00:02:35.099 --> 00:02:38.840 what we find there is that doctrine will lead 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:42.400 to what? Will lead to reproof. That is when the 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:45.479 word of God is preached, what we see there is 00:02:45.479 --> 00:02:49.659 there is reproof. There is persuasion. Then we 00:02:49.659 --> 00:02:53.080 see also that it is for correction. That is to 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:57.520 strengthening. A restoration... So, when the 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:00.580 Word of God is taught, what we find there is, 00:03:00.780 --> 00:03:03.840 number one, there's persuasion. Number two is 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.800 that there is correction. We have ideologies 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:11.199 or we have knowledges. Maybe we got them somewhere. 00:03:11.379 --> 00:03:13.300 But when the Word of God is taught properly, 00:03:13.580 --> 00:03:16.000 what happens is that there is a correction that 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:19.139 comes about. There's a persuasion that happens. 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:24.800 And later on, what you see is... spiritual growth 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:27.159 in the life of the believer, if you are preaching 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:29.020 to the person who is a non -believer, what you 00:03:29.020 --> 00:03:32.400 see is a positive response to the word of the 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:36.580 Lord. So, we're going also to see, well, this 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:39.460 is a pattern. Later on, you say in Psalm 16, 00:03:39.560 --> 00:03:43.240 it says, for correction, sorry, the fan is blowing 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:47.759 in my Bible. Say, for correction, for reproof, 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:51.180 right, and instruction in righteousness. One 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:53.539 of the things you've been looking at since Sunday, 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:59.780 is discipleship. And this can only be achieved 00:03:59.780 --> 00:04:01.199 through the teaching of the word of the Lord. 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:03.819 So when you see that word, which is instruction, 00:04:04.020 --> 00:04:06.879 it has to do with nurturing. It has to do with 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:11.039 nurturing to nature, to teach, to raise a child. 00:04:11.639 --> 00:04:15.139 It carries that idea of raising a child. And 00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:17.079 what comes with it also, if you see where it 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:20.259 is used across, that same word, it also has to 00:04:20.259 --> 00:04:23.560 do with chastisement. You'll find... Statizement, 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:25.959 rebuke also has to do with that. What is the 00:04:25.959 --> 00:04:30.139 result of it? It's that you grow. So let's look 00:04:30.139 --> 00:04:35.439 also how the apostles taught from the Scriptures. 00:04:35.819 --> 00:04:40.160 That is Acts 13, 16 to 41. I'm not going to read 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:42.540 it. Just write it down. It's too long. So it 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:45.639 says, what you see there is that Paul was preaching 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:49.120 from the Scriptures. Paul taught from the Scriptures. 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:54.540 If you read Acts 13, 16 to 41, then this one 00:04:54.540 --> 00:04:57.740 we're going to read it. Acts 17, 2 to 3. Acts 00:04:57.740 --> 00:05:02.360 17, 2 to 3. The reason why we are looking at 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:04.180 this is when we go to the book of Galatians, 00:05:04.259 --> 00:05:08.480 we'll better understand how the apostle taught 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.759 and how he was building his argument in that 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:17.300 letter to the Galatians. Acts 17, verse 2 to 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:25.620 3. It reads, And Paul, as his manner was, went 00:05:25.620 --> 00:05:29.800 unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:34.399 them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:37.439 that Christ must needs have suffered and risen 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:41.379 again from the dead, and that this Jesus whom 00:05:41.379 --> 00:05:44.899 I preach unto you is Christ. So where was he 00:05:44.899 --> 00:05:47.149 teaching from? He was teaching... from the Scriptures, 00:05:47.490 --> 00:05:50.189 meaning that the persuasion was coming from the 00:05:50.189 --> 00:05:55.569 Scriptures. That is Genesis to Malachi. Another 00:05:55.569 --> 00:06:01.449 instance also is Acts 28 verse 23. Acts 28 verse 00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:07.370 23. It reads, And when they had appointed him 00:06:07.370 --> 00:06:11.370 a day, they came many unto him, unto his lodging, 00:06:11.430 --> 00:06:15.250 to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom 00:06:15.250 --> 00:06:19.060 of God. persuading them concerning Jesus, both 00:06:19.060 --> 00:06:22.920 out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:27.839 from morning to evening. And some, what happened? 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:32.420 Some believed the things which were spoken, and 00:06:32.420 --> 00:06:37.699 some believed not. So, Paul's position was from 00:06:37.699 --> 00:06:39.920 the Old Testament. He was explaining about the 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:42.339 sufferings and the glory of Jesus that follows 00:06:42.339 --> 00:06:45.439 from the Scriptures. And from there, that was 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:49.139 where persuasion came. Also, there is eyewitness 00:06:49.139 --> 00:06:53.959 accounts also, because it took place during their 00:06:53.959 --> 00:07:00.379 timeline. Also, let's see Acts 4, 25 to 26. Acts 00:07:00.379 --> 00:07:07.079 4, 25 to 26. Who by the mouth... Okay, verse 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:12.160 23. This comes after John and Peter, they were 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.610 going to... the temple during the time of prayer. 00:07:15.029 --> 00:07:18.550 And at the beautiful gate, they met a man who 00:07:18.550 --> 00:07:22.529 was crippled from the mother's womb. And they 00:07:22.529 --> 00:07:25.089 prayed for the person and he was healed. Then 00:07:25.089 --> 00:07:27.170 later on, they brought them in, they persecuted 00:07:27.170 --> 00:07:28.990 them. Then they told them not to preach in the 00:07:28.990 --> 00:07:30.529 name of the Lord. That's the background of the 00:07:30.529 --> 00:07:33.490 story. But let's see from verse 23. It says, 00:07:33.649 --> 00:07:35.889 and being let go, they went to their company 00:07:35.889 --> 00:07:39.509 and reported all the chief priests, all that 00:07:39.509 --> 00:07:41.529 the chief priests and the elders had said unto 00:07:41.529 --> 00:07:43.949 them. And when they had heard, they lifted up 00:07:43.949 --> 00:07:47.370 their voice to God with one accord, and said, 00:07:47.610 --> 00:07:50.209 Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven and 00:07:50.209 --> 00:07:54.009 earth, and the sea, and all that is them. Who 00:07:54.009 --> 00:07:58.829 by the mouth of thy servant David hast thou said, 00:07:58.910 --> 00:08:01.529 Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine 00:08:01.529 --> 00:08:04.730 vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, 00:08:04.810 --> 00:08:07.209 and the rulers were gathered together against 00:08:07.209 --> 00:08:12.079 the Lord, and against his Christ. For if it should, 00:08:12.279 --> 00:08:15.279 thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, 00:08:15.420 --> 00:08:17.920 both Herod and Pontius Pilate, were the Gentiles, 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:20.180 and the people of Israel were gathered together. 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:25.240 So, where did they go to? They say, whom by the 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:30.500 mouth of the prophet David, or the servant David. 00:08:30.819 --> 00:08:35.559 So, where did they take this from? From the scriptures. 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:42.039 Yes, sir. Then, Acts 1 .20, lastly. Acts 1 .20. 00:08:42.620 --> 00:08:47.519 Acts 1 .20. For it is written in the book of 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:52.240 Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:56.460 no man dwell therein, and his bishopric let another 00:08:56.460 --> 00:09:01.940 take. So, this is after Judas Iscariot had betrayed 00:09:01.940 --> 00:09:07.220 Jesus then, yet committed suicide. So, where 00:09:07.220 --> 00:09:10.399 did they go to when they wanted to appoint a 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:12.919 replacement for Judas Iscariot, they went back 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:17.360 to the scriptures. Because immediately, it says, 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:20.700 Wherefore of these men which have accompanied 00:09:20.700 --> 00:09:24.200 us all the time, that the Lord Jesus went in 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:26.019 and out amongst us, beginning from the baptism 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:29.419 of John, unto that same day that the Lord was 00:09:29.419 --> 00:09:32.019 taken up, must we appoint or ordain one as a 00:09:32.019 --> 00:09:35.360 witness. So, before then, where did they go to? 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:38.620 That is, some. And what happened in the psalm 00:09:38.620 --> 00:09:41.340 is that there is a similar occurrence that happened 00:09:41.340 --> 00:09:44.779 in the, if you see Psalm 109 especially, there's 00:09:44.779 --> 00:09:47.279 a similar occurrence. And what happened there, 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:53.080 that actually closely describes Ahithophel, more 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:56.820 closely, because that's a psalm of David when 00:09:56.820 --> 00:09:59.679 he talks about one of his trusted counselors 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.259 who had taken side with Absalom, his son, in 00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:06.870 rebellion against him. So that is when they went 00:10:06.870 --> 00:10:10.950 to and that's where they understood it and applied 00:10:10.950 --> 00:10:14.330 it. That was an application. But there's a similar 00:10:14.330 --> 00:10:16.490 occurrence and immediately they wanted to choose 00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:20.029 another person in the replacement of Judas Iscariot. 00:10:20.769 --> 00:10:24.649 So what we have seen so far is that whatever 00:10:24.649 --> 00:10:29.129 they wanted to do or whatever was taught, it's 00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:33.190 not something new. They went back to the scriptures 00:10:33.190 --> 00:10:36.549 and they came back. And you see application also 00:10:36.549 --> 00:10:40.590 happening in the New Testament as in Matthew 00:10:40.590 --> 00:10:47.230 to Revelation. So, the Epistles never replace 00:10:47.230 --> 00:10:51.389 the Scriptures. Rather, the explanations of all 00:10:51.389 --> 00:10:54.730 the letters or all the Epistles were coming from 00:10:54.730 --> 00:10:58.269 the Scriptures. So, there's nothing called, I 00:10:58.269 --> 00:11:00.909 don't like the Old Testament, I'll start in the 00:11:00.909 --> 00:11:03.590 New Testament. There's nothing like that. Because 00:11:03.590 --> 00:11:06.929 that, position or that portion of the scripture 00:11:06.929 --> 00:11:10.970 right now let's say ephesians you will not understand 00:11:10.970 --> 00:11:14.110 it or we're going to read galatians much more 00:11:14.110 --> 00:11:17.450 you will not understand galatians if you do not 00:11:17.450 --> 00:11:21.230 have understanding of where apostle paul was 00:11:21.230 --> 00:11:24.409 teaching from where he was building his argument 00:11:24.409 --> 00:11:28.570 from so and one thing we are going to see is 00:11:28.570 --> 00:11:31.830 that the new testament uses some expressions 00:11:31.830 --> 00:11:36.519 right which are contained expressions that carries 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:41.419 a bigger narrative in the Old Testament. Why 00:11:41.419 --> 00:11:44.019 is it happening? It's because they assume that 00:11:44.019 --> 00:11:46.720 we are much more secondary audience. We are not 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:48.860 the primary audience. So I mean that when the 00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:51.659 epistle was being written, Apostle Paul didn't 00:11:51.659 --> 00:11:54.360 really have us in mind. I mean, many years down 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:56.080 the line, that was not the intention. He was 00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:58.480 writing to his immediate, that is the primary 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:01.799 audience, his primary audience. So wherever he's 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:06.500 teaching from, He assumes that his audience knows 00:12:06.500 --> 00:12:08.320 where he's teaching from because he has been 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:11.000 a pastor in that local assembly. He has taught 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:13.120 them from the scriptures. So whenever he's coming 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:15.559 to teach them back, he will use some expression 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:17.820 and the people's mind immediately goes back to 00:12:17.820 --> 00:12:20.320 what he has taught them before, right, from the 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:23.500 scriptures. So we also, we should assume the 00:12:23.500 --> 00:12:26.039 same position for us to be able to understand 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:30.740 what they understood properly. So now we are 00:12:30.740 --> 00:12:34.519 going to see. The Galatians, the book of Galatians. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.679 So, like I said, when we begin to read the book 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:43.159 of Galatians, we must sit where they sit. It's 00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:46.460 an expression by a preacher. Sit where they sit 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:50.460 and hear how they heard. That is how we get to 00:12:50.460 --> 00:12:55.559 understand what they really understood. So, Paul, 00:12:55.700 --> 00:12:58.320 in writing the book of Galatians, one thing to 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:01.919 note is that he's writing to a people. who are 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:05.279 already trained in the scriptures, meaning Genesis, 00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:08.179 Exodus, much more. That's where you find many 00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:10.620 of the terms you use from Genesis and Exodus, 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:13.519 much more. So, he assumes that those people know 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:15.580 it. They know also the prophets, the writings 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:19.720 of the prophets. So, now, we are starting the 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:22.320 book of Galatians. So, in the book of Galatians 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:25.440 chapter 2, we see the concept of circumcision. 00:13:25.820 --> 00:13:28.340 We are not going to start the book of Galatians 00:13:28.340 --> 00:13:31.649 in depth. We're going to focus in Galatians chapter 00:13:31.649 --> 00:13:33.690 5 more. But before we arrive, they want to see 00:13:33.690 --> 00:13:36.769 how he was building his arguments, right? So, 00:13:36.769 --> 00:13:40.049 Galatians chapter 2, there's a discussion of 00:13:40.049 --> 00:13:43.210 circumcision there. So, circumcision is not a 00:13:43.210 --> 00:13:46.730 New Testament subject. It is found in Genesis. 00:13:47.450 --> 00:13:51.070 It began actually in Genesis 17, and it was a 00:13:51.070 --> 00:13:53.529 sign of covenant. The reason why he's going to 00:13:53.529 --> 00:13:55.309 circumcision there is because there's an issue 00:13:55.309 --> 00:13:57.669 that happens. Whereby some people were saying 00:13:57.669 --> 00:14:01.450 that, believers also had to be circumcised. So 00:14:01.450 --> 00:14:04.450 he does not pick it randomly. There is an intention 00:14:04.450 --> 00:14:08.629 of how he's going. The intention is he wants 00:14:08.629 --> 00:14:12.289 to correct that, but you use it to build so that 00:14:12.289 --> 00:14:14.929 people will be persuaded that really, oh, no, 00:14:15.070 --> 00:14:18.029 you don't need to be circumcised because we're 00:14:18.029 --> 00:14:20.570 going to see why and how he was building that 00:14:20.570 --> 00:14:25.269 argument. So you see circumcision in chapter 00:14:25.269 --> 00:14:30.149 two of Galatians. And you go to Genesis 17, that's 00:14:30.149 --> 00:14:32.990 where you find that. Then immediately you see 00:14:32.990 --> 00:14:36.809 also in chapter three, he talks about righteousness, 00:14:37.370 --> 00:14:42.169 right? He talks about the works of the law and 00:14:42.169 --> 00:14:45.210 righteousness. Chapter three, verse six, let's 00:14:45.210 --> 00:14:46.970 read it quickly. We are not going to spend more 00:14:46.970 --> 00:14:52.490 time here. Galatians 3, 6. Galatians 3, 6. It 00:14:52.490 --> 00:14:55.049 reads, even as Abraham believed God and it was 00:14:55.049 --> 00:14:58.840 accounted for him for righteousness, So, also 00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:03.039 you see that he's teaching from Genesis. We're 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:04.759 going to see it progressively. He's teaching 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:09.899 from Genesis. So, Paul here is quoting Genesis 00:15:09.899 --> 00:15:14.379 15 verse 6, right? Where we see the words, etc. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.320 So, when Paul is writing to Galatians, his audience 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:20.240 is reading Genesis in their mind. In their mind, 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:22.940 what they are seeing is what? Genesis. So, they 00:15:22.940 --> 00:15:26.230 are not reading something else new. Then, He 00:15:26.230 --> 00:15:28.250 goes on further, then he talks about the gospel 00:15:28.250 --> 00:15:31.429 that was preached to Abraham, that is Galatians 00:15:31.429 --> 00:15:35.389 3, 7 to 8. It says, They which are of faith are 00:15:35.389 --> 00:15:37.909 the children of Abraham, and the scripture foreseeing 00:15:37.909 --> 00:15:40.929 that God would justify the heathen through faith 00:15:40.929 --> 00:15:43.669 preached before the gospel unto Abraham. So one 00:15:43.669 --> 00:15:44.990 thing we see is that the gospel was preached 00:15:44.990 --> 00:15:47.870 to Abraham. The gospel was preached to Abraham. 00:15:48.330 --> 00:15:50.649 So the gospel did not actually begin in the book 00:15:50.649 --> 00:15:53.149 of Matthew. It was also preached to Abraham. 00:15:53.950 --> 00:15:57.220 So the gospel... That means in the book of Genesis, 00:15:57.399 --> 00:16:00.620 you'll find the gospel in the book of Genesis. 00:16:00.899 --> 00:16:05.279 So Paul, later on, he also teaches about the 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.159 seed, the seed. And where do you see the seed 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:12.299 concept? In Genesis, progressively through the 00:16:12.299 --> 00:16:17.860 prophets. Then how does he teach it? Back in 00:16:17.860 --> 00:16:22.019 Genesis, you see the seed is collective also, 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:26.279 as in the nation of Israel. Whatever. We have 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:29.500 Isaac, later on from Isaac, we have Israel, right? 00:16:29.700 --> 00:16:33.179 But when Paul comes in, he explains it not as 00:16:33.179 --> 00:16:36.100 menaces, exactly like how he interprets it, but 00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:40.419 seeds as pointing to Jesus, which is a fulfillment. 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:43.480 We're not going to stay here. We're going to 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:45.320 fight. That's why I'm just trying to ration it 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:47.220 so that we have it in the ground. What he's teaching 00:16:47.220 --> 00:16:51.860 for is in the scriptures. Then, We now go to 00:16:51.860 --> 00:16:55.500 the concept of walking. That's chapter 4, 5 now, 00:16:55.580 --> 00:16:59.820 where we are teaching from. Chapter 5. So, since 00:16:59.820 --> 00:17:01.379 he's building his argument from the Scriptures, 00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:06.079 when the audience of Apostle Paul hears words 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:09.000 like walk in the Spirit, what comes in their 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:12.559 mind, where is he teaching from? From the same 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:15.960 Scriptures. So, if I am an audience of Apostle 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:17.799 Paul, when he now comes and says, let's read 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:23.259 5, 16. It says, these are said then, walk in 00:17:23.259 --> 00:17:25.920 the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:30.960 of the flesh. Since it's progressing from Genesis 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.220 in the scriptures, right? What comes to my mind 00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:38.440 is, okay, in the scriptures, we have the walk, 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:40.519 walking with the Lord being explained much more. 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:46.500 Let's see. So Genesis 5 .22, Genesis 5 .22, walk 00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:50.900 there is W -A -L -K. Not W -O -R -K. We are talking 00:17:50.900 --> 00:17:54.539 W -A -L -K. Walk. So their mind is going there 00:17:54.539 --> 00:17:57.640 when they say walk in the spirit. Genesis 5 .22. 00:17:59.019 --> 00:18:04.700 Genesis. Oh, they are ahead of me. 5 .22. It 00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:10.079 reads, And Enoch walked with God after he begat 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:12.700 Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons 00:18:12.700 --> 00:18:15.519 and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:21.339 three hundred. and 65 years. And we say it in 00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:26.259 the previous that that walk is a Hebrew idiom 00:18:26.259 --> 00:18:30.200 describing Enoch's relationship with God. That 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:33.779 is also ordering one's life according to God's 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:37.200 will. That's figurative. It can have actually 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:41.640 a literal meaning also. Because you see the word 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:46.349 halak there. It's the Hebrew word for walk. Then 00:18:46.349 --> 00:18:52.470 Genesis 6 verse 9, Genesis 6, 9. So what did 00:18:52.470 --> 00:18:55.230 we say is that it describes what? A relationship 00:18:55.230 --> 00:19:00.049 between man and God here from Genesis 5, 22. 00:19:00.509 --> 00:19:03.890 One, like a way of life, order in your life, 00:19:04.029 --> 00:19:07.910 right? According to God's will. Genesis 6, 9. 00:19:08.809 --> 00:19:13.430 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a 00:19:13.430 --> 00:19:18.190 just man. and perfect in his generation. And 00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:23.670 Noah walked with God. This is figurative also. 00:19:23.750 --> 00:19:26.890 Talking about Noah's relationship with the Lord. 00:19:26.970 --> 00:19:30.170 That's fellowship there. Participation also in 00:19:30.170 --> 00:19:32.730 God's plan. Because all these people we've read, 00:19:32.789 --> 00:19:35.269 you'll find that they were prophets. They were 00:19:35.269 --> 00:19:40.089 announcing the gospel in their generation. They 00:19:40.089 --> 00:19:41.990 were spokespersons. What were they speaking about? 00:19:42.109 --> 00:19:46.930 God's plans and purposes for man. So, and again, 00:19:47.150 --> 00:19:49.509 we're going to read something. We see also God 00:19:49.509 --> 00:19:53.750 walking. God walking. God walking. And you see 00:19:53.750 --> 00:19:57.369 that later on is a tabernacle language. God walking. 00:19:57.490 --> 00:20:01.690 Genesis 3 verse 8. Is that there? Genesis 3 verse 00:20:01.690 --> 00:20:05.450 8. And they heard the voice of the Lord walking 00:20:05.450 --> 00:20:07.970 in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam 00:20:07.970 --> 00:20:10.549 and his wife hid themselves from the presence 00:20:10.549 --> 00:20:12.890 of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 00:20:13.250 --> 00:20:17.410 Literal or figurative. Was the voice of the Lord 00:20:17.410 --> 00:20:22.230 literally walking in the garden? That is a figurative. 00:20:22.410 --> 00:20:24.630 That's a figure. Yeah, that's a figurative. What 00:20:24.630 --> 00:20:27.950 is he talking about? That is, God desired to 00:20:27.950 --> 00:20:31.309 have a communion, a fellowship with man. That 00:20:31.309 --> 00:20:35.930 is what is being explained there. Right. So, 00:20:35.970 --> 00:20:39.230 you see, the garden is a place where God dwells, 00:20:39.230 --> 00:20:42.990 right? We've been told this in Genesis. I think 00:20:42.990 --> 00:20:46.430 that should be 2023 by Sister Lizzie. She also 00:20:46.430 --> 00:20:49.150 took time to preach here. But we're not going 00:20:49.150 --> 00:20:51.069 to stay more. So, the garden, we know that it 00:20:51.069 --> 00:20:53.710 was a place where man and God were dwelling together. 00:20:54.069 --> 00:20:57.210 That is Gideon. So, what was happening there? 00:20:57.829 --> 00:21:00.509 Man is in the Garden of Eden. God's voice was 00:21:00.509 --> 00:21:02.029 walking in the Garden of Eden. What does it describe 00:21:02.029 --> 00:21:06.269 a fellowship? Let's also read Leviticus 26, verse 00:21:06.269 --> 00:21:10.490 11. Leviticus 26, verse 11. We also see God walking. 00:21:13.840 --> 00:21:24.799 Leviticus 26 verse 11. It reads, And I will set 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:30.779 my tabernacle among you, and my soul shall not 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:35.940 avoid you. I will walk among you, and I will 00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:40.079 be your God, and you shall be my people. So that 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:44.420 is God seeks for a relationship with man. When 00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:46.759 you read this. Then also Deuteronomy 23 verse 00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:50.420 14. So whenever you hear walk, immediately the 00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:52.859 audience of Galatians, their mind will go there. 00:21:54.059 --> 00:22:00.799 Deuteronomy 23 verse 14. Deuteronomy 23 verse 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:06.339 14. It reads, For the Lord thy God walketh in 00:22:06.339 --> 00:22:09.960 the midst of thy camp. to deliver thee and to 00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:12.279 give up thine enemies before thee. Therefore, 00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:17.819 shall thy camp be holy and he sin no unclean 00:22:17.819 --> 00:22:21.640 thing in thee and turn away from thee. Right? 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:24.940 Yes. So, he's still talking about God's dwelling 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:26.740 with man. That's fellowship. That is happening 00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:30.160 there. Participation. Man and God in the same 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:35.059 place. Then also, lastly, let's read also 2 Corinthians 00:22:35.059 --> 00:22:43.069 6 .16. 2 Corinthians 6 .16. 2 Corinthians 6 .16. 00:22:43.069 --> 00:22:46.890 And we see how Paul also takes the same, the 00:22:46.890 --> 00:22:50.869 same, and he was explaining it to the Corinthians. 00:22:51.529 --> 00:22:55.509 2 Corinthians, oh, they are already there. And 00:22:55.509 --> 00:22:58.910 what, 2 Corinthians 6 .16, yes. And what agreement 00:22:58.910 --> 00:23:02.029 had the temple of God with idols? So what was 00:23:02.029 --> 00:23:05.569 he talking about now? The believers. Yes. So 00:23:05.569 --> 00:23:08.230 in the Old Testament, you see, God also was dwelling 00:23:08.230 --> 00:23:10.230 in the ministry of the people. And one thing 00:23:10.230 --> 00:23:11.509 he was telling them that they should be holy. 00:23:12.130 --> 00:23:14.630 But now we see something. And what argument, 00:23:14.730 --> 00:23:17.910 this is now Paul, going back to the same text. 00:23:18.250 --> 00:23:21.049 That's where he was drawing all this from the 00:23:21.049 --> 00:23:23.529 scriptures. And he said, what argument had the 00:23:23.529 --> 00:23:27.250 temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple 00:23:27.250 --> 00:23:29.309 of the Lord. What happens in the temple of the 00:23:29.309 --> 00:23:31.069 Lord? You see God and man. You see fellowship. 00:23:31.589 --> 00:23:34.569 Ye are the temple of the living God. As God has 00:23:34.569 --> 00:23:38.670 said. I will dwell where? In them. I'll walk 00:23:38.670 --> 00:23:44.789 in them. Moses is writing, right? I'll walk in 00:23:44.789 --> 00:23:47.490 them and I'll be their God and they shall be 00:23:47.490 --> 00:23:50.289 my people. Where was it building from? The argument 00:23:50.289 --> 00:23:55.089 that is from the scriptures. So, God's walking, 00:23:55.309 --> 00:23:58.450 right? It's equal to God's dwelling with his 00:23:58.450 --> 00:24:01.730 people. God's walking is equal to God's dwelling 00:24:01.730 --> 00:24:04.019 with his people. From there, what we read about 00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:07.759 Israel, God always desired to stay in their camp, 00:24:07.900 --> 00:24:10.880 walk amongst them. So, that is God's dwelling 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:13.200 with his people. That is where Paul also comes 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:19.619 and writes from there. Same text. So, back to 00:24:19.619 --> 00:24:25.920 Galatians. We see walk in the Spirit. So, what 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:29.900 happened there is, before we go further, I want 00:24:29.900 --> 00:24:34.660 you to see that one of the persons, Paul takes 00:24:34.660 --> 00:24:39.099 time to explain about is Abraham much more. Meaning 00:24:39.099 --> 00:24:41.880 that Abraham takes a bigger part of the book 00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:46.440 of Galatians. So, he's using Abraham to build 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:49.779 his argument. So, one thing that comes in, how 00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:53.500 did Abraham walk with the Lord also? So, Galatians 00:24:53.500 --> 00:24:56.059 5 .16, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill 00:24:56.059 --> 00:25:00.460 the lust of the flesh. Walk in the spirit and 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:03.109 you will not fulfill. the lust of the flesh. 00:25:04.069 --> 00:25:07.609 So, what is he talking about? Conducting oneself, 00:25:08.150 --> 00:25:13.289 right, in the spirit. It's conduct, not literal. 00:25:13.650 --> 00:25:19.009 That's conduct. That's conduct. So, let's read 00:25:19.009 --> 00:25:21.730 there. Let's go, all of us, to Galatians 5, then 00:25:21.730 --> 00:25:25.089 we continue reading down up to the end of it. 00:25:25.950 --> 00:25:30.390 Galatians, chapter 5. Let's read from verses 00:25:30.390 --> 00:25:33.890 14. It's important. For all the law is fulfilled 00:25:33.890 --> 00:25:39.029 in one word, even is in this, thou shalt love 00:25:39.029 --> 00:25:43.329 thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour 00:25:43.329 --> 00:25:47.150 one another, take heed that ye not be consumed 00:25:47.150 --> 00:25:52.390 one of another. This I say then, walk in the 00:25:52.390 --> 00:25:55.450 spirit, and you not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:58.460 For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the 00:25:58.460 --> 00:26:01.299 spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary, 00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:06.880 the one to the other, so that you cannot do things 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:10.119 that you would. But if ye be led by the spirit, 00:26:10.420 --> 00:26:14.500 ye are not under the law. Now the works of the 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:17.500 flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, 00:26:17.740 --> 00:26:21.680 fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, 00:26:21.859 --> 00:26:25.019 witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath. 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:29.359 strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, 00:26:29.700 --> 00:26:34.539 drunkenness, ravelings, and such like, of which 00:26:34.539 --> 00:26:38.480 I tell you before, as I have also told you in 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.480 the time past, that they which do such things 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:44.079 shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. But 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:49.299 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:53.799 longsuffering, gentleness, boldness, faith, meekness, 00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:57.380 temperance, Against such there is no law. And 00:26:57.380 --> 00:27:00.559 they that are Christ have crucified the flesh 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:05.980 with his affection and lust. If we live in the 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:12.039 Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. So, when 00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:15.619 he says walk, the result of a person not walking 00:27:15.619 --> 00:27:19.460 in fellowship with the Lord, by that I mean participation, 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:23.339 there is a place of you responding. Right? Obedience. 00:27:23.339 --> 00:27:25.799 It has to do with obedience. Walking with the 00:27:25.799 --> 00:27:28.680 Lord. Walking in the Spirit has to do with obedience. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:35.619 So, that is one thing you see when a person is 00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:40.099 not walking in obedience to God's Word. You see 00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:42.839 the manifestations of things that are contrary. 00:27:43.420 --> 00:27:45.859 But when a person is walking in fellowship with 00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:50.400 the Lord, in obedience to God's will, the result 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:54.220 of it is love. So, sometimes you just need to 00:27:54.220 --> 00:27:57.759 check the way you reacted. Are you walking really 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:00.640 in obedience to the word of the Lord? Then adjust. 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:07.359 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:12.380 the Spirit. So, then chapter 5, verse 14, where 00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:15.359 we read, what does it say? It says, For all the 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:18.940 law is fulfilled in one word, thou shalt love 00:28:18.940 --> 00:28:23.559 thy neighbor as thyself. This is from Leviticus 00:28:23.559 --> 00:28:29.819 19 verse 18. Leviticus 19 verse 18. That is where 00:28:29.819 --> 00:28:34.559 Apostle Paul took it from. Leviticus 19 verse 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:37.500 18. Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge 00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:39.619 against the children of thy people, but thou 00:28:39.619 --> 00:28:43.680 shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. I am the 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.839 Lord. So the Galatian church, they know this. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.740 They are familiar to the scriptures. So whatever 00:28:48.740 --> 00:28:51.430 Apostle Paul said is not something new. to them. 00:28:51.930 --> 00:28:54.029 So whenever I say walk in the street, what comes 00:28:54.029 --> 00:28:56.609 in their minds? One thing that comes is conduct. 00:28:57.130 --> 00:28:59.450 But those that worked with the Lord where we 00:28:59.450 --> 00:29:03.230 read Enoch and Noah, you find out that also there 00:29:03.230 --> 00:29:05.589 was a work that they were doing. They were prophets, 00:29:05.769 --> 00:29:10.410 if you read. Abraham also is a prophet. Same 00:29:10.410 --> 00:29:13.309 thing. Israel, God wanted to work with them. 00:29:13.930 --> 00:29:18.210 That was also responsibility. So, number one, 00:29:18.210 --> 00:29:20.589 you see, what is The fruit of the Spirit is what? 00:29:21.670 --> 00:29:26.950 Love. Right? And when there's love, you see service, 00:29:27.009 --> 00:29:32.190 you see ministry work within the believers. So, 00:29:32.250 --> 00:29:35.549 other scriptures you can look at is Romans 13, 00:29:35.950 --> 00:29:43.650 verse 8. Romans 13, verse 8. Romans 13. Talking 00:29:43.650 --> 00:29:48.750 about love. Romans 13, verse 8. All no man anything, 00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:54.079 but to love one another. For he that loveth another 00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:58.460 has fulfilled the law. Okay, we just read Romans 00:29:58.460 --> 00:30:04.279 13, verse 8, right? To 10. Okay, 9. For this 00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:07.599 thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:10.059 kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear 00:30:10.059 --> 00:30:13.400 false witness, thou shalt not covet. And if there 00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:17.660 be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended 00:30:17.660 --> 00:30:21.039 in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:27.000 as thyself. So, one thing that is key is when 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:28.980 a person is walking in fellowship with the Lord, 00:30:29.099 --> 00:30:34.240 what you see is love and manifestation. Also, 00:30:34.359 --> 00:30:39.519 John 3, 34. John 3, 34. This is the Lord Jesus 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:44.380 talking to the disciples. John 13, 34. Sorry, 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:49.289 13, 34. John 13, 34. And your commandment I give 00:30:49.289 --> 00:30:52.730 unto you, that ye love one another as I have 00:30:52.730 --> 00:30:57.430 loved you, that ye also love one another, that 00:30:57.430 --> 00:31:02.849 ye also love one another. Yes. So, love is the 00:31:02.849 --> 00:31:07.369 emphasis. Love is the emphasis. And also, we 00:31:07.369 --> 00:31:13.430 go back to Galatians 5 .22 -23. Galatians 5 .22 00:31:13.430 --> 00:31:20.779 -23. Galatians 5 .22. 22 to 23. But the fruit 00:31:20.779 --> 00:31:24.240 of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long -suffering, 00:31:24.420 --> 00:31:29.140 gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against 00:31:29.140 --> 00:31:33.940 such, there is no law. So, the word there for 00:31:33.940 --> 00:31:37.819 fruit is the word kapos. K -A, I don't know whether 00:31:37.819 --> 00:31:40.799 the pronunciation is right, but you can check 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:47.200 it. K -A -R -P -O -S. K -A -R -P -O -S. This 00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:50.000 is as a result of the dwelling of the Spirit. 00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:54.519 So that is the fruit of the Spirit is what grows 00:31:54.519 --> 00:31:59.740 naturally from the life in the Spirit. It grows 00:31:59.740 --> 00:32:03.700 naturally from the life in the Spirit. It is 00:32:03.700 --> 00:32:07.200 not forced. It is not manufactured. It's natural. 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:10.180 It grows natural because of the dwelling of the 00:32:10.180 --> 00:32:12.799 Spirit of God in us. So we are not looking at 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:15.140 it. It's not missing. We just need to walk in 00:32:15.140 --> 00:32:19.680 it. Galatians 6, verse 2. In continuation, Galatians 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:26.059 6, verse 2. Galatians 6, verse 2. Be ye one another's 00:32:26.059 --> 00:32:30.940 burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ. When 00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:33.380 man thinks himself to be something, okay, go 00:32:33.380 --> 00:32:36.640 back to what I was saying. Be ye one another's 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:38.779 burden, and fulfill the law of Christ. That is 00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:42.900 what love towards one another. Love towards one 00:32:42.900 --> 00:32:49.309 another. Okay. So, we're going to look at something. 00:32:49.509 --> 00:32:53.589 We're going to look at a case study. Maybe we'll 00:32:53.589 --> 00:32:55.390 call it a case study. And we're going to look 00:32:55.390 --> 00:32:57.690 at Solomon. We're going to spend some time there. 00:32:58.029 --> 00:33:02.430 Look at Solomon, conduct, compromise, and the 00:33:02.430 --> 00:33:05.589 consequences of it. Right. Solomon. We're going 00:33:05.589 --> 00:33:09.849 to spend a bit of time there. 1 Kings 10, verse 00:33:09.849 --> 00:33:16.710 23. So, Solomon... We are going to see him as 00:33:16.710 --> 00:33:20.410 an example of conduct, compromise and consequences. 00:33:21.829 --> 00:33:27.210 Compromise, consequences and conduct also. 1 00:33:27.210 --> 00:33:33.529 Kings 10, 23 to 24. 1 Kings. So King Solomon 00:33:33.529 --> 00:33:36.730 exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches 00:33:36.730 --> 00:33:40.529 and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon 00:33:40.529 --> 00:33:43.660 to hear his wisdom which the Lord had put. in 00:33:43.660 --> 00:33:48.079 him. Let's go down. And they brought, yes, and 00:33:48.079 --> 00:33:50.200 they brought every man his present, vessels of 00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:54.640 silver, vessels of gold, garments, armor, spices, 00:33:55.519 --> 00:34:00.319 horses, moors, a retier by year. And Solomon 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:03.680 gathered together chariots and horsemen, and 00:34:03.680 --> 00:34:06.339 he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:09.860 and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed 00:34:09.860 --> 00:34:14.210 in the cities for chariots. and with the king 00:34:14.210 --> 00:34:21.949 at Jerusalem. And the king made silver to be 00:34:21.949 --> 00:34:25.349 in Jerusalem, and stones and cedars he made to 00:34:25.349 --> 00:34:31.110 be as the sycamore trees that are in the vow 00:34:31.110 --> 00:34:34.329 for abundance. It means that he exceeded in riches 00:34:34.329 --> 00:34:40.550 a lot. God blessed him, but it was not the blessing 00:34:40.550 --> 00:34:46.090 of the Lord. So he was rich. If you go and study 00:34:46.090 --> 00:34:49.349 more, you'll find out how he became rich. Yes, 00:34:49.349 --> 00:34:51.130 he was a king. They were giving him tributes. 00:34:51.190 --> 00:35:00.610 If you are not a king, go and work. So shortly, 00:35:00.849 --> 00:35:04.650 you'll be shown chapter 11. This is the same 00:35:04.650 --> 00:35:09.329 king, chapter 11, 1 Kings chapter 11 from verses 00:35:09.329 --> 00:35:17.269 1. Okay, let's open our Bibles. 1 Kings chapter 00:35:17.269 --> 00:35:22.610 11. Let's open your physical Bible. 1 Kings chapter 00:35:22.610 --> 00:35:26.230 11 from verses 1. And King Solomon loved many 00:35:26.230 --> 00:35:32.769 strange women. Hmm. And King Solomon loved many 00:35:32.769 --> 00:35:35.429 strange women together with the daughters of 00:35:35.429 --> 00:35:38.349 Pharaoh. With the daughter of Pharaoh. Singular. 00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:43.800 Women of Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, 00:35:43.900 --> 00:35:47.719 and Hittites, and of the nations concerning which 00:35:47.719 --> 00:35:55.039 the Lord said unto the children of Israel, You 00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:59.000 shall not go in to them, neither shall they come 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:02.619 unto you. These are the ones he loved. For surely 00:36:02.619 --> 00:36:06.880 they will turn away your hearts after their idols. 00:36:08.170 --> 00:36:13.349 Solomon cleaved unto this in love. Compromises 00:36:13.349 --> 00:36:21.030 started. And he had 700 wives, princesses, and 00:36:21.030 --> 00:36:25.130 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his 00:36:25.130 --> 00:36:28.989 heart. For it came to pass when Solomon was old 00:36:28.989 --> 00:36:33.769 that his wives turned away his heart after other 00:36:33.769 --> 00:36:36.960 gods. Solomon, who breathed the... House of the 00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:40.539 Lord. Now they are turning his heart. It says, 00:36:40.659 --> 00:36:43.820 And his heart was not perfect with the Lord his 00:36:43.820 --> 00:36:47.159 God, as was the heart of his father David. For 00:36:47.159 --> 00:36:51.119 Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:54.820 Zidonites. That is because of the wife's party. 00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:59.699 Zidonites. And after Amalekom, the abomination 00:36:59.699 --> 00:37:02.579 of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the 00:37:02.579 --> 00:37:04.739 sight of the Lord and went not fully after the 00:37:04.739 --> 00:37:07.699 Lord. as did David his father. Then did Solomon 00:37:07.699 --> 00:37:12.800 build a high place for Chemorosh, the abomination 00:37:12.800 --> 00:37:16.159 of Moab, and the hill that is before Jerusalem, 00:37:16.420 --> 00:37:19.440 for Molech, the abomination of the children of 00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:22.000 Ammon. We did this in, you know what was happening 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:25.420 there. There are child sacrifices now involved 00:37:25.420 --> 00:37:32.179 in it. The man of God. So, 9. And the Lord was 00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:34.849 angry with Solomon because his heart. was turned 00:37:34.849 --> 00:37:37.130 from the Lord, God of Israel, which had appeared 00:37:37.130 --> 00:37:41.489 unto him twice. Ah, you see the Lord twice, as 00:37:41.489 --> 00:37:44.429 conveys to the Lord, and yet commanded him concerning 00:37:44.429 --> 00:37:49.010 this thing, this very thing, and commanded him 00:37:49.010 --> 00:37:51.429 concerning this thing, that he should not go 00:37:51.429 --> 00:37:54.250 after other gods, but he kept not that which 00:37:54.250 --> 00:37:58.070 the Lord commanded. Where we are going to? I 00:37:58.070 --> 00:38:00.389 don't know when it's like this, but I want to 00:38:00.389 --> 00:38:03.929 show. The result of unequally yoking yourself 00:38:03.929 --> 00:38:08.670 with unbelievers. You might be doing good, but 00:38:08.670 --> 00:38:13.449 the moment you unequally yoke with unbelievers, 00:38:13.489 --> 00:38:15.789 the result of it is that there is compromise. 00:38:16.690 --> 00:38:21.090 There is compromise. So, if you go to Deuteronomy, 00:38:21.190 --> 00:38:24.030 before we go, let's go to Deuteronomy 17, 17. 00:38:24.630 --> 00:38:27.409 Deuteronomy 17, 17. You see an instruction. You 00:38:27.409 --> 00:38:29.969 did what you were supposed to do. And you knew 00:38:29.969 --> 00:38:33.469 it. So that is the result of unequally yoking. 00:38:34.070 --> 00:38:37.230 So there was compromise and later on there was 00:38:37.230 --> 00:38:42.110 consequences. Digital means 1717. They called 00:38:42.110 --> 00:38:45.130 one of my friends who is here, his first NDF. 00:38:45.269 --> 00:38:47.650 I had people calling me Solomon, Solomon. I asked, 00:38:47.769 --> 00:38:51.309 I had these people calling me Solomon. But this 00:38:51.309 --> 00:38:54.869 behavior is not like this one. They still call 00:38:54.869 --> 00:39:00.980 him Solomon and he's here. Okay, so. Deuteronomy 00:39:00.980 --> 00:39:08.480 17, 17. Can we start in 15? Thou shalt in any 00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:12.599 way set him king over... 14, 14. When thou art 00:39:12.599 --> 00:39:15.480 come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth 00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:18.320 thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, 00:39:18.340 --> 00:39:22.219 and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like 00:39:22.219 --> 00:39:25.860 as other nations that are about me. Yes. Thou 00:39:25.860 --> 00:39:29.050 shalt in... And thou shalt in any way set him 00:39:29.050 --> 00:39:35.389 king over you, whom the Lord thy God shall choose. 00:39:35.909 --> 00:39:39.670 One from among thy brethren shalt thou set king 00:39:39.670 --> 00:39:42.789 over thee. Thou must not set a stranger over 00:39:42.789 --> 00:39:46.690 thee, which is not thy brother. But he shall 00:39:46.690 --> 00:39:50.309 not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the 00:39:50.309 --> 00:39:54.269 people to return to Egypt. To the end that he 00:39:54.269 --> 00:39:59.000 should multiply. Horses. Solomon did this. He 00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:04.639 went back. Not physically. For as much as the 00:40:04.639 --> 00:40:10.480 Lord our God has said unto you, ye shall henceforth 00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:14.159 return no more that way. 17. Neither shall he 00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:18.579 multiply wives unto himself, that his hearts 00:40:18.579 --> 00:40:22.840 turn not away. Neither shall he greatly multiply 00:40:22.840 --> 00:40:29.090 to himself silver and gold. This is where the 00:40:29.090 --> 00:40:32.409 problem of Solomon started. He built high places 00:40:32.409 --> 00:40:36.250 for his wives because he unequally yoked himself 00:40:36.250 --> 00:40:38.630 with the people who the Lord had told him that 00:40:38.630 --> 00:40:42.489 he should not. So what was God doing? He was 00:40:42.489 --> 00:40:44.929 protecting them and he was protecting Israel. 00:40:45.030 --> 00:40:47.750 He knows the consequences of this. But Solomon, 00:40:47.909 --> 00:40:50.769 he did all that he was instructed not to do. 00:40:50.869 --> 00:40:54.760 That is what he did. For what reason? I wonder 00:40:54.760 --> 00:40:57.519 why he didn't fight war. Because he was in -law 00:40:57.519 --> 00:41:01.159 of those people. These people could not fight 00:41:01.159 --> 00:41:03.800 him because their daughter was there. Yes, they 00:41:03.800 --> 00:41:05.920 could. It was those people that were against 00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:11.480 him back then. He's in -law. They could not fight 00:41:11.480 --> 00:41:14.199 him. So there's a strategy. If you want to look 00:41:14.199 --> 00:41:16.900 at it, it's a strategy to some degree. But it's 00:41:16.900 --> 00:41:22.420 a compromise. It's a compromise. So, If you read 00:41:22.420 --> 00:41:23.980 chapter 8, which you're not going to look at, 00:41:24.940 --> 00:41:27.840 Solomon built the temple of the Lord. Chapter 00:41:27.840 --> 00:41:36.219 8, 29, you see him praying. Then Solomon expanded 00:41:36.219 --> 00:41:39.539 in royalty. Then immediately you see compromise 00:41:39.539 --> 00:41:43.340 happening. Compromise happening in his life because 00:41:43.340 --> 00:41:48.320 of what? He equally yoked himself when people 00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:50.840 he was not supposed to. So sometimes as believers, 00:41:51.469 --> 00:41:55.710 in our lives. I mean, you know, it is very recommendable 00:41:55.710 --> 00:41:58.570 that your friends should be fellow believers. 00:41:59.309 --> 00:42:02.969 Your friends should be fellow believers. These 00:42:02.969 --> 00:42:06.809 specialists from your local church, you protect 00:42:06.809 --> 00:42:09.969 yourself from anything. I want you to see a person 00:42:09.969 --> 00:42:13.449 behaving anyhow. Go and check their followed 00:42:13.449 --> 00:42:16.510 blood company. They'll tell you, mine has to 00:42:16.510 --> 00:42:19.980 choke. Or mine has to find my name. I was sharing 00:42:19.980 --> 00:42:22.659 with Pastor Fred one day. I went for evangelism. 00:42:23.039 --> 00:42:25.900 I met one guy. I was so eager. That was Pastor 00:42:25.900 --> 00:42:28.199 Imai. He preached a fire message about evangelism. 00:42:28.239 --> 00:42:30.059 He said, I'm going for evangelism. I was with 00:42:30.059 --> 00:42:32.039 a brother. He's now in Nigeria. I will not say 00:42:32.039 --> 00:42:35.639 his name. So we went to EJT. We met a guy. We 00:42:35.639 --> 00:42:38.480 went to preach. Ah, I will not give him space. 00:42:38.539 --> 00:42:41.039 I wanted him to give me time. So I asked him. 00:42:41.079 --> 00:42:43.440 I asked him. He agreed. He looked at me now, 00:42:43.519 --> 00:42:47.059 at this brother. He says, young people, nations 00:42:47.059 --> 00:42:49.960 are suffering. and you are here. You should be 00:42:49.960 --> 00:42:52.420 looking for my name. Look at me. Look at that. 00:42:53.059 --> 00:42:55.079 Yeah, I come to preach. I didn't come to talk 00:42:55.079 --> 00:43:00.820 about economy. So, I'm not saying it's a bad 00:43:00.820 --> 00:43:02.659 person. I mean, if you hang out with such people, 00:43:03.000 --> 00:43:05.079 those are people you preach to, you leave them. 00:43:05.260 --> 00:43:07.199 Right? I mean, not leave them as an outsider. 00:43:07.380 --> 00:43:11.619 I mean, if they don't believe, it's better for 00:43:11.619 --> 00:43:14.320 you to protect yourself. They shouldn't be your 00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:16.630 friends. continue again preaching until they 00:43:16.630 --> 00:43:17.769 believe that's when they will become friends. 00:43:17.969 --> 00:43:21.409 That's the qualifying factor. One thing happened 00:43:21.409 --> 00:43:23.969 is that if that person I brought him in, you 00:43:23.969 --> 00:43:25.349 see, it's the person who said, you should wait 00:43:25.349 --> 00:43:27.550 for your economy. We need to change Africa. We 00:43:27.550 --> 00:43:29.030 need to change the Bible. You know, my country 00:43:29.030 --> 00:43:30.829 is the one they attack most because of that one 00:43:30.829 --> 00:43:34.230 billion notes. With one billion notes. So, 2008, 00:43:34.510 --> 00:43:36.309 it's no longer there. One note, one billion. 00:43:36.570 --> 00:43:40.949 Less than one dollar. So, one dollar was greater 00:43:40.949 --> 00:43:44.829 than one billion dollars. Okay. So, If you hang 00:43:44.829 --> 00:43:47.409 around those kind of people, before you know 00:43:47.409 --> 00:43:51.269 it, you'll join again. Man has to work. Man has 00:43:51.269 --> 00:43:53.369 to talk. Sunday service, your boss will say, 00:43:53.369 --> 00:43:55.610 come and work. We'll give you extra 200 data. 00:43:55.929 --> 00:44:00.349 200. 200. You'll go. You'll even be the one who 00:44:00.349 --> 00:44:02.030 asks for work during Karate Smash. What's up? 00:44:02.650 --> 00:44:06.489 Is there work? I'm free. No, I'm free to work. 00:44:06.829 --> 00:44:09.769 So, be careful about it. It's not only about 00:44:09.769 --> 00:44:12.469 marriages where you see an equal looking ex -husband. 00:44:12.550 --> 00:44:15.719 No. Your friends, the people you keep around, 00:44:16.039 --> 00:44:18.659 your housemates, you run away from brothers in 00:44:18.659 --> 00:44:21.400 your house because they tell you, you won't join 00:44:21.400 --> 00:44:25.300 those that are drunkards. Okay. We'll see. You 00:44:25.300 --> 00:44:26.739 will stop attending church and you will know 00:44:26.739 --> 00:44:30.460 you followed bad company. Okay. So, the scriptures 00:44:30.460 --> 00:44:34.260 does not leave us in dark. We'll see examples 00:44:34.260 --> 00:44:37.880 to follow. There are examples to follow. Right? 00:44:38.260 --> 00:44:42.599 There are examples we should follow. The examples 00:44:42.599 --> 00:44:46.059 we should follow. I'll start with this intentionally. 00:44:46.619 --> 00:44:50.920 Your pastors. Hebrews 13 verse 7. We are not 00:44:50.920 --> 00:44:53.840 in doubt for you know people who to follow. You 00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:57.440 know people who to follow. Hebrews 13 verse 7. 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:02.900 Hebrews 13 verse 7. Remember them which shall 00:45:02.900 --> 00:45:06.139 rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word 00:45:06.139 --> 00:45:12.989 of God, whose faith follow. whose faith follow, 00:45:13.230 --> 00:45:18.829 considering the end of their conversation. It 00:45:18.829 --> 00:45:21.710 also puts a challenge on us, our cell leaders, 00:45:21.989 --> 00:45:25.929 team leaders. Conduct yourself in a way that 00:45:25.929 --> 00:45:30.730 is worth our calling. They may believe that the 00:45:30.730 --> 00:45:31.789 people you are leading, they don't want to be 00:45:31.789 --> 00:45:37.369 like you. That's one. That's Hebrews 13, verse 00:45:37.369 --> 00:45:42.969 7. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1. 1 Corinthians 11 00:45:42.969 --> 00:45:48.809 verse 1. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1. Be followers 00:45:48.809 --> 00:45:54.829 of me as I also am of Christ. This is his church. 00:45:54.949 --> 00:45:59.130 Listen. Apostle Paul is a pastor here. Here will 00:45:59.130 --> 00:46:01.690 be Pastor Fred, Pastor Emmanuel, Pastor Chidi. 00:46:02.150 --> 00:46:07.130 Right? Yes. Philippians 3 .17. Philippians 3 00:46:07.130 --> 00:46:12.449 .17. Brethren, be followers together of me and 00:46:12.449 --> 00:46:17.349 mark them which walk so as ye have asked for 00:46:17.349 --> 00:46:21.030 an example. Look at how your pastors conduct 00:46:21.030 --> 00:46:24.150 themselves. Look at how your pastors treat you. 00:46:24.210 --> 00:46:27.190 That is how you are supposed to do it. Follow 00:46:27.190 --> 00:46:31.070 them as they follow Christ. Philippians 4 .9, 00:46:31.170 --> 00:46:35.500 then we'll see allowance. Philippians 4 .9. These 00:46:35.500 --> 00:46:38.159 things which ye have both learned and received, 00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:44.619 and heard and seen, where? In me. Do. And the 00:46:44.619 --> 00:46:47.679 God of peace shall be with you. Which is, you 00:46:47.679 --> 00:46:50.719 cannot go and, okay, this is, he's also a pastor 00:46:50.719 --> 00:46:54.519 here. Don't go and do it and follow him. I want 00:46:54.519 --> 00:46:58.300 to be like that, start here, the pastors. If 00:46:58.300 --> 00:47:01.500 they are coming for meetings, that's how we see 00:47:01.500 --> 00:47:04.139 whether you are learning really. And again we 00:47:04.139 --> 00:47:07.179 see Sarah. In Sarah's life you see submission 00:47:07.179 --> 00:47:10.340 and you see honour. Sarah, the wife of Abraham. 00:47:10.619 --> 00:47:15.039 1 Peter 3 verse 5 to 6. Pastor Victor has taught 00:47:15.039 --> 00:47:20.519 us also here. 1 Peter 3 verse 5 to 6. For after 00:47:20.519 --> 00:47:23.219 this manner, in the old time, the holy women 00:47:23.219 --> 00:47:26.079 also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, 00:47:26.420 --> 00:47:29.280 being in subjection unto their own husbands. 00:47:30.219 --> 00:47:33.320 Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, 00:47:33.559 --> 00:47:37.599 whose daughters he are, as long as you do well, 00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:46.059 and are not afraid with any amazement. Even as 00:47:46.059 --> 00:47:48.500 Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose 00:47:48.500 --> 00:47:51.119 daughters... Okay, I don't think it changed. 00:47:51.639 --> 00:47:54.820 Then Hebrews 11 .11. You can hear that? Hebrews 00:47:54.820 --> 00:47:59.380 11 .11. Though through faith, also Sarah herself 00:47:59.380 --> 00:48:01.820 received strength and conceived seed and was 00:48:01.820 --> 00:48:04.360 delivered of the child when she was past age 00:48:04.360 --> 00:48:08.400 because she judged him faithful, who had promised. 00:48:08.880 --> 00:48:12.719 So what do you see there? Faithfulness. Right. 00:48:13.099 --> 00:48:18.239 Then also we see James 5 verse 10. James 5 verse 00:48:18.239 --> 00:48:22.119 10. James 5 verse 10. Still on examples. James 00:48:22.119 --> 00:48:28.489 5 verse 10. and the name of the Lord, for an 00:48:28.489 --> 00:48:31.630 example of suffering affliction and of patience. 00:48:32.650 --> 00:48:35.929 Job also, we see in Job chapter 1, verse 20 to 00:48:35.929 --> 00:48:40.230 22. Go to James 5, verse 11. Go one verse after 00:48:40.230 --> 00:48:46.690 10. That's one. Yes. Behold, we count them happy 00:48:46.690 --> 00:48:50.510 which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of 00:48:50.510 --> 00:48:54.969 Job, and have seen the end of the Lord. And have 00:48:54.969 --> 00:48:57.769 seen the end of the Lord. That the Lord is very 00:48:57.769 --> 00:49:01.269 pitiful and of tender mercy. One thing we see 00:49:01.269 --> 00:49:06.250 there is perseverance on Job's side. Then, lastly, 00:49:06.349 --> 00:49:09.949 the last one. 1 Peter 2 .21 -23 about our Lord 00:49:09.949 --> 00:49:16.710 Jesus. 1 Peter 2 .21 -23. 1 Peter 2 .21 -23. 00:49:17.289 --> 00:49:22.110 Can I have it in amplified AMP? For as a believer, 00:49:22.250 --> 00:49:26.860 you have... Yes. As a believer, you have been 00:49:26.860 --> 00:49:29.739 called for this purpose since Christ suffered 00:49:29.739 --> 00:49:33.679 for you, leaving you an example so that you may 00:49:33.679 --> 00:49:38.179 follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, 00:49:38.300 --> 00:49:43.519 example, nor was deceit ever found in his mouth. 00:49:44.619 --> 00:49:48.860 While being reviled and insulted, he did not 00:49:48.860 --> 00:49:54.320 revile or insult in return. The Father. While 00:49:54.320 --> 00:49:59.219 suffering, he made no threats of vengeance, but 00:49:59.219 --> 00:50:04.320 kept trusting himself to him who judges fairly. 00:50:04.880 --> 00:50:09.920 Verse 24. He personally carried our sins in his 00:50:09.920 --> 00:50:12.900 body on the cross, willing offering himself on 00:50:12.900 --> 00:50:16.079 it as an altar of sacrifice, so that we might 00:50:16.079 --> 00:50:20.400 die to sin, becoming immune from the penalty 00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:23.340 of the power of sin, and live for righteousness. 00:50:24.199 --> 00:50:29.480 For by his wounds, you who believed have been 00:50:29.480 --> 00:50:34.639 healed. So, that's an example of Christ, right? 00:50:35.340 --> 00:50:40.119 There's no screen today. Okay. Last test. I think 00:50:40.119 --> 00:50:42.820 there's still like 10 minutes. It's finished. 00:50:43.079 --> 00:50:46.860 Oh, okay. So, just write this down. No, they 00:50:46.860 --> 00:50:49.800 didn't put screen today. So, just write this 00:50:49.800 --> 00:50:51.500 one down. We are not going to open. You open 00:50:51.500 --> 00:50:55.699 when you get home. Examples not to follow. 1. 00:50:57.420 --> 00:51:07.639 Genesis 4, 3 -8. Genesis 4, 3 -8. 1 John 3, 12. 00:51:08.019 --> 00:51:11.880 What you see there is hatred and murder. With 00:51:11.880 --> 00:51:16.119 itself, it despises spiritual things. It's called 00:51:16.119 --> 00:51:20.760 a profane person. Genesis 25, 29 -34. And also 00:51:20.760 --> 00:51:24.559 Hebrews chapter 12, 16 to 17. Then we have Balaam 00:51:24.559 --> 00:51:29.599 grieved. And Balaam, we put grieved. Numbers 00:51:29.599 --> 00:51:36.980 chapter 22 to 24. 2 Peter 2, 15. Jude 1, verse 00:51:36.980 --> 00:51:43.519 11. So, later on, as we go in the near future, 00:51:43.659 --> 00:51:47.800 we'll see that when people don't walk in love, 00:51:48.570 --> 00:51:52.429 in the local assembly, you see a problem similar 00:51:52.429 --> 00:51:54.889 to that of the Corinthian church, which later 00:51:54.889 --> 00:51:58.550 affected even the flow of the gifts of the Spirit. 00:51:58.829 --> 00:52:02.010 So we'll look into that in the future. So let's 00:52:02.010 --> 00:52:04.929 just close our eyes as we pray. Just thank God. 00:52:06.690 --> 00:52:09.909 We appreciate you being here today. We hope you 00:52:09.909 --> 00:52:12.030 carry this word with you throughout your week. 00:52:12.650 --> 00:52:14.869 Don't forget to check the show notes for additional 00:52:14.869 --> 00:52:17.789 insights. stay connected with us through our 00:52:17.789 --> 00:52:21.750 website or follow us on social media if you are 00:52:21.750 --> 00:52:24.190 encouraged share this message with someone you 00:52:24.190 --> 00:52:27.510 care about until next time stay blessed