Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. Praise the Lord. We are all welcome
to church today. Today we are going to continue
with what we do. teaching from on Sunday, which
is the union of the spirits we have. We read
Matthew 28, verses 18 to 20. And Jesus came and
spoke to them, saying, All authority has been
given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore,
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
the things I've commanded, and lo, I meet you
always, even to the end of the age. Praise the
Lord. And we saw from Sunday that saying to them
to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Spirit was not something strange to the
disciples, because that has been part of the
doctrine that Jesus has been teaching to them.
Praise the Lord. This has always been the doctrine
that Jesus had taught to them, so they were not
confused about what he meant when he says, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Spirit. We looked at so many things, and
we said part of it is that the church is a Bible
school, and we saw the significance of Jordan,
which John the Baptist... was baptizing. We saw
that in Acts chapter 1, Acts chapter 1 verse
5. It said, For John truly baptized with water,
for you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now. Praise the Lord. And
we looked at why John, who John is and why he
baptized, or why he was baptizing the people.
Praise the Lord. We looked at the significance
of Jordan. Right? Why did he go to Jordan to
baptise them? Why didn't he use another river?
Just like Naaman was asking, are there no other
waters that he can dip himself into? Why Jordan?
And we said that Jordan is an illustration of
new things to come, or is an announcement that
new things have arrived. Praise the Lord. It
is an announcement that new things have arrived.
And we're going to continue today from that same
place of Jordan being a second Exodus, I said.
It's God renewing His covenant in spite of the
disobedience of the children of Israel. Deuteronomy
chapter 13 verse 29. Sorry, Numbers. Maybe he
didn't see that. Numbers chapter 13, verse 29.
Numbers chapter 13. Yes, sorry, I made a mistake.
He said, The Amalekites dwelt in the land of
the south, the Hittite, the Jebusites, and the
Amorites dwelt in the mountains, and the Canaanites
dwelt by the sea along the bank of Jordan. Numbers
chapter 22, verse 1. Numbers 22, verse 1. Then
the children of Israel moved and camped in the
plain of Moab, on the side of Jordan, across
Jericho. And then Numbers chapter 26, verse 3.
Numbers 26, verse 3. It says, So Moses and Eliezer
the priest spoke with them in the plain of Moab,
or by the Jordan, across Jericho, saying, 63.
Verse 63 now. So we also see here, it talks about
the children of Israel also are all the way by
the camp of Jordan. So we also saw here as well
that what? To camp at the plain of Ur by the
Jordan across Jericho. And Numbers 32 verse 5.
It says, therefore, if Therefore they said, if
you have found favor in your sight, let this
land be given to your servant as a possession.
Do not take us over to Jordan. And the number
is 14, verse 28. So all these things we're reading
are pre -crossing, before they cross over, right?
14, 28. Okay, so the... The generation or this
generation before crossing, they all perished
in the wilderness. As we know, right, they all
perished in the wilderness after 40 years. Deuteronomy
chapter 9 verse 1. Deuteronomy chapter 9 verse
1. They say, here O Israel, you are to cross
over the Jordan today and go. to dispossess the
nation greater and mightier than yourselves,
cities great and fortified up to heaven. And
then Deuteronomy 4 .22. This is Moses speaking.
Deuteronomy 4 .22. But I will die in this land,
and I must not cross over the Jordan, but you
shall cross over and possess that good land.
Deuteronomy 30 .18. He said, I announce to you
today that you shall surely perish. You shall
not prolong your days in the land which you cross
over the Jordan to go in and possess. Praise
the Lord. So, Jordan, we said, or I was saying,
is what an illustration of the crossing into
promise. Praise the Lord. It is an illustration.
of crossing into promise. But then why the Jordan?
We also saw the same thing that the Red Sea also
represented crossing into God's plan for the
children of Israel or God's intention towards
the children of Israel. So why do Jordan and
the Red Sea play similar role into something
that speaks of God's promise? And we said that
that generation were disobedient. They do not
believe, right? They do not believe what God
said. They do not believe the message that God
had given them. They do not believe God and we
are stopped. Is it because of their unbelief
that God stopped them or they said they were
not going? What do you think? Is it because of
their unbelief that they did not cross over or
they decided they were not going? Okay. So in
their unbelief, they perished in the wilderness.
So God is renewing his covenant, renewing his
word. And so in renewing his words, he gave them
another Passover, right? Another baptism, if
you like. Praise the Lord. So when they passed
through the sea, right? That is what happened,
right? They were baptized into it. In other words,
for example, Pharaoh and his host, When they
attempted doing that, they all perished. Praise
the Lord. Because they were not of God's plan.
Praise the Lord. So they perished, right, in
the Red Sea when they tried to cross over. They
were not faithful. They did not believe, that
is the children of Israel, they were not faithful
and they did not believe what the prophet has
said or what God has said to them. So we see
in Romans chapter 3, verse 3 to 4, Romans chapter
3. Verse 3 to 4. For what if some did not believe?
Would their unbelief make the faithfulness of
God without effect? Certainly not. Indeed, let
God be true and let every man be a liar, as it
is written, that you may be justified in your
word and will be overcome when you are judged.
Praise the Lord. And may be overcome when you
are judged. So, what the Jordan represents. Like
I said, it represented a new covenant. A new
covenant. Right? We can say a new exodus. Right?
A new exodus. A new generation. A new generation.
Deuteronomy chapter 30, verses 5 to 6. We see
that the Jordan, it said, Then the Lord your
God will bring you to the land which your fathers
The Lord your God will bring you to the land
which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess
it. He will prosper you and multiply more than
your fathers. And then we see also that he's
speaking about a new generation. Now, so the
Jordan represents a new generation, right? He
represents a new generation. These ones were
not the ones that perished. We see also that
in verse, that same place, verse 11 to 12. 11
to 12. For this commandment which I've commanded
you today is not too mysterious for you, nor
is it far off. It is not in heaven that you should
say, who will ascend into the heaven for us and
to bring it that we may hear it. and do it. Praise
the Lord. So as we know that Moses went up to
the mountain to get the law. So he's saying that
that does not need to happen again. Praise the
Lord. That does not need to happen again. You
will not say who will go into the heavens or
who will go to the mountains to go and hear God
for us or go and bring us the hard desires of
God. That does not need to happen now. Praise
the Lord. That does not need to happen. You will
not say who will go into heaven or who will watch
beyond the sea. Verse 13. Now is it beyond the
sea that you should say? Who would go over the
sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear
it and do it? Praise the Lord. Where else do
we find these scriptures? That's why Paul will
go and talk about the abyss. That is where the
dead are. Romans chapter 10 verse 8. Romans chapter
10, Romans chapter 10, from verse 5 to 8. That
is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what
does this say? The word is near you in your mouth
and in your heart. That is the word of faith
which we preach. It says it is near you. It is
in your heart that you may hear it. Praise the
Lord. That is God's covenant. That means that
God's plan is not, as we said, that God's plan
is not a thing or a land. We are not looking
forward to a land. Praise the Lord. God's plan
is not a thing or a land. It is in his word.
Praise the Lord that you may do it. He said it
is near you. Praise the Lord. It is in his word
that you may do it. So it is a new covenant.
So in Deuteronomy, we see that there is a new
covenant, right? We also notice that when Jesus
was tempted by the devil, he also went to that
place. to also quote to the devil. This is what
he was quoting to him. Deuteronomy chapter 8
verse 3. Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3. So he
humbled you, allowed you to hunger, fed you with
manna. You did not know, nor did your fathers
know, that he might make you know that man shall
not live by bread alone, but man shall live by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 16. Deuteronomy
6, verse 16. You shall not tempt the Lord your
God as you tempt him in Massa. Verse 18. You
shall do what is right and do good in the sight
of the Lord, that it may be well with you, that
you may go in and possess the good land which
the Lord swore to your fathers. Verse 13. You
shall fear the Lord your God and serve him, and
shall make oaths in his name. Verse 4 and 5 now.
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is
one. Verse 5. You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, and
with all your strength. So Jordan represented
a new covenant. a new exodus, a new generation.
So John the Baptist went to Jordan because the
old nation of Israel were expecting a Messiah
and deliverance. Praise the Lord. He went to
Jordan because of what he represents. He went
to Jordan because he represented a new covenant,
that something new has come. Praise the Lord.
So he went there because the people were expecting
the Messiah and they were expecting deliverance.
So when he went to the Jordan, he said, I am
that voice. Quoting Isaiah and Malachi. He said,
I am that voice. I am that voice. Which means
they are waiting for someone. Praise the Lord.
They were waiting for a Savior. So he went to
Jordan for that purpose. He's that voice that
says, prepare the way of the Lord. Praise the
Lord. He's that voice in the wilderness that
says that your salvation has come. He's that
voice in the wilderness that said, behold your
God, O Israel. Praise the Lord. So going to Jordan,
they knew what that meant. Praise the Lord. They
were expecting a savior and he represented new
things. So they came that they may see God. Praise
the Lord. Remember we said that it was not land
that. They're already in the land. Praise the
Lord. So why are they going to Jordan? Praise
the Lord. They were already in the land, right,
that they should be in. But they were expecting
a savior. They were expecting something else.
They were not expecting land. Praise the Lord.
They were already in the land. They have passed
the Jordan. They have crossed over. They're already
in the land. But what? They were still in bondage,
right? They were still in bondage. They were
still under mystery. They were still waiting
for redemption. It means that the redemption
was never land. Praise the Lord. It means that
the redemption that they were promised was never
land. You must not go and possess the land and
that is your savior or that is how you are delivered.
Praise the Lord. They were already in the land.
It was a person they were expecting. They were
expecting someone. It was a person. And they
knew it. They knew all along that someone was
coming. Praise the Lord. The issue was not the
land. That the land was representing or illustrating
God's word. It was an illustration of God's word.
So John went to Jordan simply saying, a new Exodus
is here. A new covenant is here. A new generation.
So what does the baptism then mean by dipping
them in the waters? John simply is saying that
there is a new experience. By dipping them in
the water, he's saying that there is a new experience.
There is a new covenant. There is a new experience.
There is a new covenant. So why were they confessing
their sins? Again, Christian, you would ask,
why were they confessing their sins? Do not forget.
The reason for the Jordan is because of their
unbelief or the reason why some of them could
not cross to Jordan or the people that disbelieved
God could not cross was because of unbelief,
iniquity, disobedience to God. So they knew that
the reason for the new covenant or the new exodus
was their disobedience. So all of them came along.
So by publicly coming along, That is what it
means to confess your sins. That's what they
were saying, by confessing your sins. He was
not saying that, you know, I insulted Takunda
yesterday, and I came here, God forgive that
insult. Praise the Lord. That's not what they
are saying. They were not publicly, they were
not confessing their sins, as in to say that
they have wronged someone, right? They were coming
to John, which is what? confessing their sins
because they did something publicly to affirm
and to show their belief publicly to the new
things that is come so by coming to john they
are showing that they are publicly affirming
john's ministry so john the baptist or the baptism
of john is an illustration of a new exodus a
new generation a new priesthood a new servanthood
so the baptism enveloped a new walk, a new responsibility,
a Messiah, a new Exodus. So when Jesus said in
Acts 1, verse 5, that John truly baptized with
water, but he will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit, do we think he's talking about them being
born again? Acts 1, verse 5. Acts 1, verse 5.
For John truly baptized with water, but you shall
be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
from now. Was he talking about being born again?
So he was not talking about being born again.
Right? Why? Verse 8 now says something. Verse
8 of chapter 1. He said, but you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you
and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem.
in Judea, in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
There shall be witnesses unto him. He's saying
that that responsibility that Israel was supposed
to do, that is to bring men to God or to show
men to God, that responsibility that God gave
them that they did not believe or did not accept,
that responsibility has come to them. In Jerusalem,
they will start, he says. in Judea, in Samaria,
and ends of the earth. That responsibility that
Israel failed at. So this is a ministry. It means
that where Israel failed as a nation, Christ
is building or is building a new one. Where Israel
failed, Christ is building a new one. And he's
not building individuals. He's not building,
oh, you are a, you are a... let's say Gentile
or something. He's not saying that, oh, Israelite,
but he's building a people. You'll be witnesses
unto me in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and
the ends of the earth. And we looked at this
when the last time we met, we talked about this,
that Jerusalem, right, is a city of what? Of
David that mirrors or shows Melchizedek. Praise
the Lord. So therefore, the baptism of John,
right, in Acts chapter 1, from verse 4 to 3,
refers to a new servanthood. There's something
new that is coming, or something new that is
done. So they asked him in verse 6 of that act.
They said, therefore, when they had come together,
they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel? Praise the
Lord. So they were asking him that, does it mean
that the thing that they failed in, or Israel
failed in, would they now do it now? Praise the
Lord. Would Israel now take up that same responsibility
that they failed at? Would Israel become that
place where people would come from all over the
world to come and worship? Would they rule again?
Will they be the world power? Will they be the
people that control the affairs of the world?
Will they be in power? So will everybody come
to Israel? Will everybody come to Jerusalem?
Will they come there for worship? He says, no.
He said, you are the one that will go. When you
go, you will be a witness unto me in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord. He said, no. The power is not
coming to Israel. The power is coming to you.
It is you that will go to Jerusalem. It is you
that will go to Judea. It is you that will go
to Samaria. It is you who will go to the ends
of the earth. Praise the Lord. The thing is not
coming back to Israel so that they can do that
which they failed in. That was not his original
intention, as we saw from the first time I started
teaching about this, that it is for all the earth.
So that kingdom that they were referring to,
that is, will God restore it to them, that thing
was what? It was God's allowance. It's by permission.
It's a privilege. God gave them an opportunity
to do something. God allowed it. Praise the Lord.
God allowed it for His plan, but they failed
at it. So it was not His will, because His will
is that all men are saved and all men represent
Him. So we also see that Israel at some point
were asking for a king. They were asking Samuel
that Samuel should give them a king in Deuteronomy
17. And it was Moses prophesied about it that
a time will come, that is in Deuteronomy 17,
where they will ask for a king like other nations.
They will say that they want to become like other
people. Why can't we be like other people? And
he told them that those kings would demand that
they go to war. They will multiply their sorrows.
They will take many wives. They will make their
sons soldiers. Different, different things. But
they said, it's okay. We want kings like other
nations. He will make you pay tax. He will make
you work for him. You'll be his gardeners. You'll
do so many things for him. Praise the Lord. But
they said, we want a king. But who is the king?
Who is the king that they failed to acknowledge?
They failed to acknowledge God. That God is the
king. Melchizedek, the king of righteousness
and peace. We see in Genesis chapter 14, verse
19 to 20, and he said, blessed be Abraham, or
Abraham of the most high, possessor of heaven
and the earth. And he says, blessed be the most
high God who is the possessor of heaven and the
earth. So we see an earthly king bowing to God.
right? Saying, blessed be God, what? Blessed
be the most high God, who is the possessor of
heaven and on earth, the king of kings, the king
of righteousness, the king of peace, not the
king of war, not the king that will bring his
people to slavery, not the king that will demand
that the people serve him in such a way that
is humiliating. So we see here, even when the
children of Israel were involved in a lot of
war, that God was calling them as well. Exodus
chapter 19, verse 5. Exodus. Now, therefore,
if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my
covenant, then you shall be a special treasure
to me above all the people, for all the earth
is mine. Verse 6. He said, you shall be... To
me, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These
are the words which you shall speak to the children
of Israel. The kingdom of priests is Malak Kohen
is the word. M -A -M -K, sorry, M -A -M -L -A
-K -E and then Kohen, K -O -H -E -N. A kingdom
of priests. So where do we have a priest serving
a king or a nation? Right? A king always rules.
Right? Why would there be a kingdom of priests?
Right? A king always rules. Right? Where do we
have king and a priest? We have that in Melchizedek
when he came to Abraham. He served Abraham. Melchizedek
shows God's kind of kingship, right? A king who
serves. He said you will be a kingdom of priests.
So it means that the Exodus Israel will be a
new generation. A kingdom of priests. It means
the whole nation were supposed to be ministers.
Praise the Lord. The whole nation were supposed
to be ministers. Exodus chapter 4 verse 22. Exodus
chapter 4, verse 22. Now you shall say to Pharaoh,
thou says the Lord, Israel is my son, my first
son. And verse 23 says, So I say to you, let
my son go, that he may serve me. But if you refuse
to let him go, indeed I will kill your son and
your first son. Praise the Lord, that my son
will serve me. So it means that Exodus, is also
for service, right? It is also for service that
they may serve him. So the baptism of John is
a pointer to a new Exodus, a new generation,
a new priesthood, a new minister, a new type
of service. Praise the Lord. A new type of service,
a different kind of priest, a different kind
of king. It is for service that you serve. Praise
the Lord. It is for service that you serve. Like
we said, the thing that happened on the day of
the Pentecost was not that they became born again.
That is not what happened. We are very familiar
with the Passover, right? So, the Pentecost was
when the law was given, as we know from the Old
Testament, right? Pentecost is what? The feast
of ingathering. Leviticus chapter 23. Leviticus
chapter 23. You have the Passover, the living
bread, and then you have the Pentecost. Verse
16 to 17. Leviticus chapter 23, verse 16 to 17.
Let's count 50 days to the day after the 70th.
or the seventh Sabbath, that you may, then you
shall offer a grain offering to the Lord. You
shall bring from your dwelling two wave heifers
of two tenths, sorry, you shall bring from your
dwelling two wave loafers of two tenths of an
heifer. They shall be fine flour, they shall
be baked with leaven, they are the first fruit
to the Lord. Verse 17. Pentacles simply means
fifth. Right? Exodus chapter 3 verse... Exodus
23 verse 16. First fruits of your labor. We'll
see it there. Fruit of the harvest. Fruit of
the harvest. Exodus chapter 23 verse 16. The
feast of the harvest. And the feast of the harvest,
the first fruits of your labor which you have
sown in the field. The feast of ingathering at
the end of the year. When you have gathered in
the fruits of your labor from the fields. Praise
the Lord. The feast of the harvest. So what it
means is that Pentecost is about bringing fruit.
Right? It's about bringing fruit. It's about
bringing fruit. Praise the Lord. So when the
disciples were empowered, they were supposed
to be doing what? He says them to go to Jerusalem.
To go and bring what? To bring that which belongs
to God. Praise the Lord. To go and bring that
which belongs to God. It's about evangelism.
It is not about being born again because they
were born again already. John chapter 20 verse
22. John 20, 22. And when he has said this, he
breathed on them and said to them, receive. The
Holy Spirit. Luke chapter 24, verse 52. Luke
24, 52. We see here that they worshipped him
when he left. They worshipped him and returned
to Jerusalem with great joy. Praise the Lord.
People who somebody is leaving, where they supposed
to rejoice? Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
There is an understanding that they have. They
returned to Jerusalem with joy, with great joy,
great joy. Luke, verse 29 of that place, 49 and
45 of Luke 24. Behold, I send the promise of
my Father upon you, for tarry in the city of
Jerusalem until you are endued with power from
on high. Verse 45. And they opened their understanding
that they may comprehend. the scriptures, that
they may understand the scriptures. Mark chapter
16, verse 14. Mark chapter 16, verse 14. Later,
he appeared to the eleven as a sat at a table,
and he rebuked their unbelief and had less of
heart, because they did not believe those who
had seen him after he had reasoned. Praise the
Lord. In that John chapter 22, 20, verse 22,
he said he breathed out on them, right? It's
also the same thing that was also emphasised
in Genesis 2 .7. So, in that Luke 24, we have
the new birth, then baptism of the Spirit, referring
to ministry upon us, and then we have the Spirit
upon, found in Genesis 1 .2. Let's go to Genesis
1 .2. I think this has been taught before. Genesis
1 verse 2. The earth was without form and void,
and darkness was over the face of the deep, and
the Spirit of God was hovering over the face
of the waters. Right? The face of the waters.
Sometimes that waters is referred to as nations.
Right? The Spirit of the Lord was upon the waters.
God's voice. God's utterance in the nations of
the earth. Genesis 3, verse 8. He's talking about
the voice of God walking in the cool of the day.
Then they heard the sound of the Lord walking
in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife
hid themselves from the presence of the Lord
among the trees of the garden. Praise the Lord.
So, in the cool of the day. So, God's Spirit,
just as Genesis, in Genesis chapter... 1 verse
3 talks about him, light beginning to shine.
So the Spirit is upon the nations. So the Spirit
upon is to bring light to the nation. Genesis
chapter 1 verse 3. Genesis 1 verse 3. He said,
Then the Lord said, Let there be light, and there
was light. Like I said, when he says over the
face of the waters, I said that sometimes those
is referred to as The nations. Praise the Lord.
So the Spirit of God brings light to the nation
to know God, that they may know God. The Spirit
is to quench every darkness. Praise the Lord.
The Spirit of God is to quench every darkness.
So when you find the Spirit of God upon, we have
the Spirit of God, right? Or the Spirit that
was promised in Genesis. This means a new covenant.
A new covenant has emerged. Praise the Lord.
So God's intention is that His Spirit is among
us. Praise the Lord. That we have the Spirit
of God in the inside of us. Everyone. Not just
to a particular people, but everyone. Praise
the Lord. That is God's intention. And those
who carry out those plans of bringing God's Spirit
upon people are taxed with this. Genesis chapter
2, verses 1 to 3, talking about how in creation,
it said, The heavens and the earth and all the
land had finished, verse 2, and the seventh day
the Lord ended His work which He had done, and
He rested on the seventh day from all His work
which He had done, verse 3. And the Lord blessed
the seventh day and sanctified it, because in
it he rested from all his work which God has
created and made. Right? So the engagement of
what God has done, right, to quench what? The
darkness that we see in Genesis chapter 1, verse
2. The Spirit of God hovered over the waters.
Or you can say the Spirit of God, right, over
the nations. The people in darkness have seen
a great light. Praise the Lord. The people in
darkness have seen a great light. That is what
Jesus has come to bring us. The gathering of
God's children. So Acts chapter 2 verse 4. Acts
chapter 2 verse 4. And they were filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Again,
we'll notice that in Acts, in some of the places
there, most of these things were done in gatherings
where people were. Praise the Lord. These things
were done in gatherings where people were. Acts
chapter 8, verse 14 to 15. Acts 8, verse 14 to
15. When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard
that Samaria had received the word of God, they
sent Peter and John to them. who, when they had
come down, prayed for them that they may receive
the Holy Spirit. Verse 18 and 19. When Simon
saw that through the laying of the apostles'
hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them
money. Verse 19. And saying, Give me the power
also that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive
the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 10, verse 44 to
45. Acts chapter 10, 44 to 45. So, speaking of
when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. When
Paul was still speaking these words, the Holy
Spirit fell upon all those who had the word.
Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished
as many came. As many came with Peter because
the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out
on the Gentiles also. Acts chapter 19, verse
5 to 6. Acts chapter 19, verse 5 to 6. When they
had this, they were baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke
with songs and prophesied. Acts chapter 2, verse
1 to 4. All we see here is the Holy Spirit upon
them. Praise the Lord. When the day of Pentecost
had fully come, they were all with one accord
in one place. And suddenly there came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and
it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Verse 3. And it appeared to them divided thongs
of fire, and sat on each of them. And they were
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
with other tongues as the Holy Spirit, as the
Spirit gave them utterance, the Spirit upon.
What we see here is what? The Spirit upon. And
we see that Peter stood up, right, and preached
in verse 38. And we'll see what he says to them.
And Peter said to them, repent. And let every
one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sin, that you may receive
the gift of the Spirit. Praise the Lord. It says
what they should repent and be baptized. Praise
the Lord. Verse 39. Now, for the promise is what
is to you and your children and to all who are
what are far off. As many as the Lord our God
will call. Praise the Lord. The promise is to
who? It's to you and your children and to all
who are far off. So he's saying to them that
the promise is for everybody. Praise the Lord.
The promise is for everybody. We read Acts chapter
8 that talked about when they had it, when they
had the war, they sent Peter and John to them
that they may receive. the Holy Spirit. Why?
Why would they send them to go and pray for them
that they may receive the Holy Spirit? Because
they were not supposed to believe and be sitting
in their houses. Praise the Lord. They were supposed
to believe and be empowered for the work of ministry.
Praise the Lord. So the Holy Spirit is what empowers
us forward for the work of ministry. To carry
on a tax. Right? Why would they do that? He says,
for them and to all who are far off. To their
children and to those who are far off. It's for
everybody. That they may carry on a tax. We see
in Acts chapter 10, the house of Calenius. Right?
The same thing. Acts chapter 20, verse 20. As
well. John chapter 3. John chapter 2. Let's look
at something else. John. Now, the Passover of
the Jews were at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now, speaking about He drove people from the
temple, another story. He found in the temple
those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the
money changers doing business. When He had made
a weep of corn, He drove them all out of the
temple with the sheep. the oxen, and poured out
the exchanger's money and overthrew their tables.
16. And he said to those who sold those, Take
these things away. Do not make my father's house
a house of merchandise. 17. And his disciples
remembered what was written, The zeal for your
house has eaten me up. Praise the Lord. So, if
you read carefully, you will know that It was
Moses who saw them, gave them instruction concerning
selling things at the temple, right? So that
people from afar off do not need to carry their,
for example, they are coming from, let's say,
the Utopian eunuch. They don't need to carry
animals from his country to come. They could
just come to the temple and buy them. So he gave
those directives to them, right? Rather than
bringing animals, they can buy it from the temple,
those who come from a long journey. They can
just come with money and get it at the temple.
They can buy and use it for the sacrifice that
was given. So Moses gave that instruction and
they continued doing that. Now, Matthew chapter
21, verse 13. Matthew chapter 21, verse 13. And
he said to them, it is written, my father's house
shall be called a house of prayers, but you have
made it a den. of thieves. Praise the Lord. When
he says a den of thieves, right? It was referencing
to Jeremiah chapter 7. When he says den of thieves,
he's not saying that they were stealing something.
Are we aware of that? He's not saying that, for
example, they were stealing money from the temple
or they were stealing candles from the temple
or they were stealing the garment of the priest.
When he says den of thieves. right, is the word
to, is a word to, is a word parit, P -A -R -A
-R -I -T -S, P -A -R -I -T -S. It means like
violence or they use it for, you know, there's
some people that President Tinibu has jailed
for trying to dethrone him. The military, you
know, they do, you see, they call it coup d 'etat.
Right? It's the same word that is used in that
way. Right? We can find these words in many scriptures.
Let me just give you the scriptures. Ezekiel
chapter 7 verse 22, Ezekiel 18 10, Daniel 11
4, Isaiah 35 verse 9. Right? It means that they
were not the original occupant of the place.
Right? They just came and took the place. Right?
It means that they made that place a mainstay.
You know, the purpose of the house is no longer
what it means. Praise the Lord. They have turned
it to something else. That's why he said they
are den of thieves. They turned it to something
else. It's not that they were stealing something.
They have turned it to something else. Right?
So when we say, some scripture will say, den
of robbers. It didn't mean that they were coming
there with guns or they were coming there with
knives. That's not what it means. It means that
they have changed the purpose of the house of
God to something else. That has become the main
thing. Praise the Lord. That has become the main
thing. It's the same thing that we see in John
chapter 10, when Jesus was talking about being
the good shepherd. He said the thief and the
robber, they come through another place. Praise
the Lord. They climb through the window. When
he said that they come through the window, it
doesn't mean that they were carrying guns coming
there. Right? It means that they were not supposed
to be there. Right? That's why he's saying that
the thief and the robber were not supposed to
be there. So we also see the example of Barabbas.
Barabbas in John chapter 18 verse 4. Right? That
he was a robber. And we saw the kind of robber
he was. He's trying to change the government.
Right? He's inciting people to do something different.
That's the kind of robber that he was. He's trying
to remove the government, right? So he said,
my father's house is a house of prayer for all
nations. But you have made it a hiding place
or you have made it what is ought not to be there.
You have changed the purpose of the place. The
issue is that they have made permanent what is
supposed to be temporal. What is supposed to
be, as you know, we give you, you know, my grandmother
used to say, we give you allowance. You're looking
for allowances. Praise the Lord. So they gave
them allowance so that they don't need to turn
it to something else. They made it a mainstay.
It's not supposed to be there. John chapter 2
verse 16, like I've read earlier. They've made
it a house of merchandise. Right? And we saw
that Jesus sat down to also teach them. Matthew
chapter 21 verse 14. He also sat down to teach
them and he also healed the sick. To show that
his house is a house of prayer. Zechariah chapter
10. 14 verse 20 to 21. They were making something
permanent which is supposed to be temporal. So
he drove them out. He stopped them from coming
in and out of the temple. And his disciples remembered
and they said that the zeal of his father's house
has consumed him. In Hebrew, that's the passion
of his father's house has consumed him. So God's
passion is for all the nations. Praise the Lord.
But the people have turned it to a business ground.
They have turned the house of prayer to a business
ground. God's intention is that all men be saved.
Praise the Lord. God's intention is that all
men be saved. You cannot make the house of God
a place of selling and buying. Because he said
what? His house is for prayer for all nations.
Lastly, we read Isaiah. chapter 56. And you know
when they say house is house of, they have turned
it to merchandise, it's controlled merchandise.
Praise the Lord. It means that not even, the
people that came to pray are not able to sell.
It's not like they all turn it to a business
place. Isaiah 56, from verse 4, 5, 6, and 7.
From verse 4 to 7. Isaiah 50. It says, For thus
says the Lord, Today you know who keeps my servants
and shows what pleases me. and hold fast to my
covenant. Even to him I will give my house, and
within my wall a place and a name better than
that of the sons and daughters. I will give them
an everlasting name. They shall not be cut off.
Also the son of the foreigner who joined themselves
to the Lord, to serve him, to love the name of
the Lord, to be his servant. Everyone who keeps
from defiling the Sabbath and hold fast my covenant.
Verse 7. Even them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their
burnt offering and their sacrifice will be accepted
at my altar. My house shall be called a house
of prayer for all nations. Hallelujah. So it
means that God's house, God's spirit, God's holiness.
is for everybody. Praise the Lord. Those who
are qualified or who are not qualified are now
qualified. He says, do not make it a den of thieves.
Don't make the things that are supposed to be
temporary permanent. Right? Do not make it a
house of merchandise. His holiness is outreach
to everyone. Right? It goes to everybody. It's
a house of prayer for all nations. It means that
all, are qualified. Praise the Lord. It means
that everybody is qualified. So when you see
somebody who you know is not qualified as a result
of who does not know about the qualification
that God has given, as a result of not believing
that which Christ has done, you ought to preach
to them. Praise the Lord. You ought to teach
them the Word of God. Let's bow our heads as
we pray. Father, Lord, we bless your name. We
appreciate you being here today. We hope you
carry this word with you throughout your week.
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