WEBVTT 00:00:01.300 --> 00:00:06.919 Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:09.900 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:14.140 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:14.140 --> 00:00:18.160 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:34.200 right in. God's plan for all nations. God's plan 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:39.100 for all nations. God's plan for all nations. 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:47.719 Nations. Let's turn to the book of Matthew chapter 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:55.719 28 from verses 16 to 20, which we know as the 00:00:55.719 --> 00:01:00.469 Great Commission. It reads, Then the eleven disciples 00:01:00.469 --> 00:01:03.969 went away into Galilee into a mountain where 00:01:03.969 --> 00:01:07.370 Jesus had appointed them and when they saw him 00:01:07.370 --> 00:01:11.790 they worshipped But some doubted and Jesus came 00:01:11.790 --> 00:01:16.230 and spoke unto them saying All power is given 00:01:16.230 --> 00:01:19.629 unto me in heaven and on earth Go ye therefore 00:01:19.629 --> 00:01:23.150 and teach all nations Baptizing them in the name 00:01:23.150 --> 00:01:26.689 of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 00:01:26.689 --> 00:01:31.980 Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:36.500 I have commanded you and law I am with you always 00:01:36.500 --> 00:01:43.040 even unto the end of the edge. So the first thing 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:44.760 we're going to see is that the place where the 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:47.439 great commission was given which you see in verses 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:52.560 16 right let's go back 16 it reads then the 11 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:57.659 disciples went away into Galilee went away into 00:01:57.659 --> 00:02:01.129 Galilee I want you to Pay attention to Galilee. 00:02:01.569 --> 00:02:05.310 The leaven went away into Galilee, into a mountain 00:02:05.310 --> 00:02:09.849 where Jesus had appointed them. Where Jesus had 00:02:09.849 --> 00:02:14.449 appointed them. So, Galilee is a place where 00:02:14.449 --> 00:02:20.110 nations come together, right? That is Galilee. 00:02:21.949 --> 00:02:24.909 So. I want us to turn to the book of Isaiah chapter 00:02:24.909 --> 00:02:27.610 9 verse 1 because in the book of Isaiah that's 00:02:27.610 --> 00:02:31.349 where we see the coinage of the word Galilee 00:02:31.349 --> 00:02:35.569 of the Gentiles or Galilee of the nations right 00:02:35.569 --> 00:02:42.110 Isaiah 9 verse 1 and we will see subsequently 00:02:42.110 --> 00:02:46.270 what led it to be called Galilee of the Gentiles 00:02:46.270 --> 00:03:02.050 Isaiah chapter 9 Verse 1. Nevertheless, the dimness 00:03:02.050 --> 00:03:07.189 shall not be such as was in her vexation, when 00:03:07.189 --> 00:03:13.949 at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zabulon 00:03:13.949 --> 00:03:17.430 and the land of Nafitali, and afterward did more 00:03:17.430 --> 00:03:20.830 grievously afflict her by the way of the sea. 00:03:20.909 --> 00:03:25.449 beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations. There's 00:03:25.449 --> 00:03:29.430 a reason why Isaiah, the prophet, calls it Galilee 00:03:29.430 --> 00:03:32.110 of the nations. You see it later on. The people 00:03:32.110 --> 00:03:35.370 that walked in great darkness have seen a great 00:03:35.370 --> 00:03:39.129 light. They that dwell in the land of the shadow 00:03:39.129 --> 00:03:45.650 of death, upon them hath light shined. Also you 00:03:45.650 --> 00:03:49.610 see this, the background of Isaiah 9 verse 1 00:03:49.610 --> 00:03:55.120 to 2. is Second Kings. Second Kings is the background. 00:03:55.300 --> 00:03:59.340 You see why it was called Galilee of the Gentiles. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:05.280 Second Kings chapter 15 verse 29. Second Kings 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:09.479 15, 29. Don't lose, this is, they are standing 00:04:09.479 --> 00:04:13.460 in a mountain in Galilee in Matthew 28, right, 00:04:13.460 --> 00:04:15.300 which Jesus has appointed them. Don't lose that. 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:18.379 Where are they? They are in the mountain of Galilee. 00:04:18.569 --> 00:04:20.889 Right, but we're going to check the background 00:04:20.889 --> 00:04:25.709 where this narrative came from. So let's turn 00:04:25.709 --> 00:04:35.170 to 2 Kings, 2 Kings verse 15 to 20, 15 verse 00:04:35.170 --> 00:04:49.220 29. Yes, 2 Kings 15, 29. It reads, In the days 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:54.720 of Pekah, the king of Israel, Kim, Tiglat, Peresah, 00:04:54.720 --> 00:05:01.660 king of Assyria, and Tookh, Ijon, and Abel, Beth, 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:06.259 Mashak, and Johanna, and Kadesh, and Hazor, and 00:05:06.259 --> 00:05:11.720 Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, 00:05:11.850 --> 00:05:15.170 and carried them into Assyria. So you see that 00:05:15.170 --> 00:05:17.509 there is an invasion that happened here by the 00:05:17.509 --> 00:05:22.550 king of Assyria. So you see what led to this 00:05:22.550 --> 00:05:26.230 invasion. By this time, Israel is divided into 00:05:26.230 --> 00:05:31.029 two kingdoms. There is the south, which is called 00:05:31.029 --> 00:05:33.170 the kingdom of Israel. Then there's also the 00:05:33.170 --> 00:05:35.329 one for the Jews, which is called the land of 00:05:35.329 --> 00:05:40.120 Judah. So the way Kings is written, you explain 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.439 the part of one kingdom then go to the part of 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:44.699 the second kingdom right so let's look at something 00:05:44.699 --> 00:05:50.379 in verse in chapter 16 right in chapter 16 now 00:05:50.379 --> 00:05:52.300 we are getting to we are getting the view of 00:05:52.300 --> 00:05:55.019 what was happening in the other side which is 00:05:55.019 --> 00:05:58.920 the south which is the south yes verse 5 chapter 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:05.639 16 from verses 5 then resin king of syria And 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:09.139 Pekah son of Ramaliah, king of Israel, came up 00:06:09.139 --> 00:06:12.779 to Jerusalem to war, and they besieged Ahas, 00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:15.839 but could not overcome him. So Ahas was the king 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:20.180 who was in the south, right? At that time, Rezin 00:06:20.180 --> 00:06:24.680 king of Syria, right? At that time, Rezin, the 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:28.459 king of Syria, recovered Elath to Syria and drove 00:06:28.459 --> 00:06:32.279 the Jews from Elath, and the Syrians came to 00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:36.910 Elath and dwelt there unto this day. So as the 00:06:36.910 --> 00:06:40.050 king of the south sent messengers to Tiglath, 00:06:40.230 --> 00:06:42.449 Pelesa king of Assyria, which you see in verse 00:06:42.449 --> 00:06:46.230 15, who now besieged the north part of Israel, 00:06:46.290 --> 00:06:50.889 which is where we find Galilee. Then it says 00:06:50.889 --> 00:06:54.709 verse 7, So as sent messengers to Tiglath, Pelesa 00:06:54.709 --> 00:06:58.509 the king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant 00:06:58.509 --> 00:07:02.230 and thy son. Come up and serve me out of the 00:07:02.230 --> 00:07:05.149 hand of the king of Syria. and out of the hand 00:07:05.149 --> 00:07:09.990 of the king of Israel which rise against me and 00:07:09.990 --> 00:07:13.529 Ash took the silver and the gold that was found 00:07:13.529 --> 00:07:16.129 in the house of the Lord and in the treasures 00:07:16.129 --> 00:07:19.449 of the king's house and send it as a present 00:07:19.449 --> 00:07:22.970 to the king of Assyria and the king of Assyria 00:07:22.970 --> 00:07:26.430 heken unto him for the king of Assyria went up 00:07:26.430 --> 00:07:29.810 against Damascus and took it and carried the 00:07:29.810 --> 00:07:33.860 people captive to Cairo and slow and slew resin. 00:07:34.379 --> 00:07:36.660 So this is the invention that happened. So by 00:07:36.660 --> 00:07:41.139 this time, this is around 733 BC, we are going 00:07:41.139 --> 00:07:45.319 to see why now we now have Galilee of the Gentiles. 00:07:45.500 --> 00:07:48.360 Because now there's been a besiege in the south, 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:51.600 in the north side, right? They have taken the 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:53.459 people of the north, the Jews, they put them 00:07:53.459 --> 00:07:55.980 into prison, right, to take them as prisons. 00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:01.199 And in turn, the Assyrian king now brought in 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:06.550 Gentiles to live in that region. Are we together? 00:08:06.990 --> 00:08:11.910 Yes. So he now brought Gentiles from different 00:08:11.910 --> 00:08:15.389 parts and now they started living in that south 00:08:15.389 --> 00:08:19.009 in that north part of Israel. So now you have 00:08:19.009 --> 00:08:21.949 an understanding why you see the nations now 00:08:21.949 --> 00:08:25.829 are coming to that place. So fast forward now 00:08:25.829 --> 00:08:28.430 when you go to Isaiah chapter 9 verse 1. Can 00:08:28.430 --> 00:08:33.350 you give it again? Isaiah 9 verse 1. Before we 00:08:33.350 --> 00:08:36.690 read this, I want to say something. Joshua divided 00:08:36.690 --> 00:08:40.110 the land to the children of Israel and the portion 00:08:40.110 --> 00:08:43.190 that was in that region of Galilee was given 00:08:43.190 --> 00:08:49.929 to Naphtali and Zebulon. So now you see why when 00:08:49.929 --> 00:08:53.350 they come, now see verse 9, it says, Nevertheless, 00:08:53.889 --> 00:08:57.549 the dimness shall not be as such as in a vexation 00:08:57.549 --> 00:09:01.820 when the When at first he lightly afflicted the 00:09:01.820 --> 00:09:04.840 land of Zabulon and the land of Nafitali, and 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:08.940 afterward did more grievously afflicted by the 00:09:08.940 --> 00:09:14.159 way of the sea, beyond Jordan in Galilee of the 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:21.620 nation. Go next. Verse two. The people that walked 00:09:21.620 --> 00:09:25.299 in darkness, they have seen a great light. They 00:09:25.299 --> 00:09:28.379 that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, 00:09:28.700 --> 00:09:33.940 upon them had light shined. So you see the progression 00:09:33.940 --> 00:09:37.639 that in that region now, it's now called the 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:40.120 land that is full of darkness, that is gross 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:42.740 darkness, meaning that there's something that 00:09:42.740 --> 00:09:46.240 caused that to happen. which is as a result of 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.980 a mixed cultures. So when people with mixed cultures 00:09:48.980 --> 00:09:52.620 moved in into the North part, right, they now 00:09:52.620 --> 00:09:55.279 brought in pagan worships. They now brought in 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:59.940 different kinds of things to that area. As we 00:09:59.940 --> 00:10:02.399 go, you'll see why now Galilee will become despised 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:08.830 in the New Testament. So. So verse 18, Matthew, 00:10:09.110 --> 00:10:10.929 just let's go back to the Matthew. We're still 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:13.029 reading. I just want us to have a background 00:10:13.029 --> 00:10:15.590 of what is happening so that we may understand 00:10:15.590 --> 00:10:18.389 what the Apostles understood on that mountain 00:10:18.389 --> 00:10:26.429 in Galilee. Matthew 28. Matthew 28 verse 18. 00:10:27.610 --> 00:10:42.250 We're still on that mountain. It reads, And Jesus 00:10:42.250 --> 00:10:46.649 came and spake unto them, saying, All power is 00:10:46.649 --> 00:10:52.350 given unto me in heaven and in earth. In heaven 00:10:52.350 --> 00:10:55.529 and in earth. So all power given to me in heaven 00:10:55.529 --> 00:10:59.070 and in earth there is actually a kingdom language. 00:11:00.149 --> 00:11:04.370 That's a kingdom language. You see that? So, 00:11:04.629 --> 00:11:08.850 it immediately says, Go therefore, and make disciples, 00:11:09.129 --> 00:11:11.929 baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 00:11:11.929 --> 00:11:16.610 of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This parallel 00:11:16.610 --> 00:11:23.330 is Mark 16, Mark 16, 15. Mark 16, 15. We are 00:11:23.330 --> 00:11:29.230 still on the Mount in Galilee, right? Mark 16, 00:11:29.230 --> 00:11:36.299 15. It says, and He said unto them, going into 00:11:36.299 --> 00:11:40.220 all the world and preach the gospel to every 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:45.720 creature 16 he that believeth and is baptized 00:11:45.720 --> 00:11:48.919 shall be saved but he that believeth not shall 00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:54.200 be damned 17 and these signs shall follow them 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:57.299 that believe in my name they shall cast out devils 00:11:57.299 --> 00:12:00.669 they shall speak with new tongues And they shall 00:12:00.669 --> 00:12:03.450 take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly 00:12:03.450 --> 00:12:06.529 thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay 00:12:06.529 --> 00:12:11.769 hands on the sick, and they shall recover. They 00:12:11.769 --> 00:12:14.730 will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. 00:12:15.169 --> 00:12:17.950 So, one thing they were doing there is, upon 00:12:17.950 --> 00:12:20.230 the resurrection of Jesus, he appoints them that 00:12:20.230 --> 00:12:23.529 let's meet in Galilee. And now he's sending them 00:12:23.529 --> 00:12:27.250 with a message to all the nations of the world. 00:12:28.029 --> 00:12:31.509 And we say something before that the terms that 00:12:31.509 --> 00:12:35.970 are employed by Jesus are kingdom language. So 00:12:35.970 --> 00:12:39.029 what are they going to do? They are going to 00:12:39.029 --> 00:12:42.110 preach about the resurrection of Jesus, that 00:12:42.110 --> 00:12:44.950 is Christ's conquest. That's what they're going 00:12:44.950 --> 00:12:49.690 to preach. Pastor Koston in the previous teachings, 00:12:49.850 --> 00:12:52.730 he explained about the name of Jesus, talking 00:12:52.730 --> 00:12:58.429 about achievement. What the Lord has attained, 00:12:58.730 --> 00:13:04.210 and what is it? Salvation for man. That's what 00:13:04.210 --> 00:13:08.429 they're going to preach. So, immediately, the 00:13:08.429 --> 00:13:11.529 moment the apostles and the apostles on the mount 00:13:11.529 --> 00:13:15.129 hear what Jesus was saying, Jesus employing kingdom 00:13:15.129 --> 00:13:17.289 language, that's why you see the word bazaar 00:13:17.289 --> 00:13:20.600 there. It's Basar talking about kingdom language. 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:23.820 Immediately, their minds went somewhere because 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:26.259 these people, when Jesus is telling them, they 00:13:26.259 --> 00:13:30.259 have a background understanding of the scriptures. 00:13:30.779 --> 00:13:35.220 So therefore, what came in their mind when Jesus 00:13:35.220 --> 00:13:39.840 was talking is Isaiah. Let's see Isaiah, where 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:46.539 we see Basar, right? Basar, B -A -S -A -R -A. 00:13:46.990 --> 00:13:51.710 which talks about a proclamation, right, of good 00:13:51.710 --> 00:13:57.590 news, pertaining a kindle. So let's look in the 00:13:57.590 --> 00:14:02.909 book of Isaiah. Isaiah 52 verse seven to 10. 00:14:03.789 --> 00:14:15.470 Isaiah 52, seven to 10. Isaiah 52 verse seven 00:14:15.470 --> 00:14:22.899 to 10. So, this is kingdom news, right? How beautiful 00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:27.000 upon the mountains are the feet of Him that bringeth 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:30.860 good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth 00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:34.720 good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation. 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:39.820 What were they going to talk about? Salvation. 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:43.639 So this is what is ringing bells in their head 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:48.429 on the Mount of Galilee. that publishes good 00:14:48.429 --> 00:14:53.190 news of salvation that saith unto Zion thy king 00:14:53.190 --> 00:14:57.590 reigneth thy watchmen shall lift up the voice 00:14:57.590 --> 00:15:00.850 with a voice together shall they sing for they 00:15:00.850 --> 00:15:04.450 shall see eye to eye when the lord shall bring 00:15:04.450 --> 00:15:10.070 again zeon break forth into joy sing together 00:15:10.070 --> 00:15:13.470 ye west places of jerusalem for the lord hath 00:15:13.470 --> 00:15:17.590 comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem 00:15:17.590 --> 00:15:23.049 the Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes 00:15:23.049 --> 00:15:28.629 of all the nations and all the ends of the earth 00:15:28.629 --> 00:15:35.289 shall see the salvation of our God so on that 00:15:35.289 --> 00:15:38.850 mountain when the Lord is talking to the disciples 00:15:38.850 --> 00:15:42.929 this comes in their mind What were they going 00:15:42.929 --> 00:15:45.409 to do? They are now seeing that they are the 00:15:45.409 --> 00:15:48.950 people that are bringing the news of glad tidings 00:15:48.950 --> 00:15:52.049 to the other people, to all the nations of the 00:15:52.049 --> 00:15:59.690 earth. Are we together? Okay, so all the end 00:15:59.690 --> 00:16:03.830 of the earth will see the salvation of the Lord 00:16:03.830 --> 00:16:06.970 in that Isaiah. Let's go back to Matthew 28 verse 00:16:06.970 --> 00:16:17.409 19. Matthew 28 verse 19. Go ye therefore and 00:16:17.409 --> 00:16:21.210 teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 00:16:21.210 --> 00:16:24.330 of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 00:16:24.330 --> 00:16:29.230 Spirit. Where are they going? To all the nations. 00:16:30.450 --> 00:16:33.889 Where were they standing? In Galilee. And Galilee 00:16:33.889 --> 00:16:37.389 has different diverse nationalities in that place. 00:16:38.590 --> 00:16:41.769 So what came in their mind or what they understood 00:16:41.769 --> 00:16:48.500 was this gospel. is not only to the Jews but 00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:57.100 unto all the nations of the world. So on that 00:16:57.100 --> 00:16:59.480 mountain, right, what came in their mind we said 00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:05.859 is Isaiah 52 verse 7 to 10. So the place where 00:17:05.859 --> 00:17:08.740 the way was Galilee, I will talk more about Galilee. 00:17:08.819 --> 00:17:11.740 We will look at the history of Galilee. And in 00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:14.700 that place, Galilee, There is opposition of the 00:17:14.700 --> 00:17:18.160 gospel. That's one thing you will see subsequently. 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.359 There's an opposition of the gospel in Galilee. 00:17:22.019 --> 00:17:24.740 And that is the place where Jesus takes his disciples 00:17:24.740 --> 00:17:30.019 and gives them the great commission that this 00:17:30.019 --> 00:17:34.900 is the place where it is starting. Alright, so 00:17:34.900 --> 00:17:39.259 now the question comes is why Galilee was the 00:17:39.259 --> 00:17:43.319 place which Jesus chose? Why Galilee? Why not 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:48.259 the temple? Why not in Jerusalem? Why not in 00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:53.500 Bethlehem? He intentionally chose Galilee. Why? 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:57.500 So we're going to look at this. Back to Isaiah 00:17:57.500 --> 00:18:07.279 9 verse 1. Isaiah 9 verse 1. In the days... Oh 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:13.799 no! Alright. Isaiah 9 verse 1, it says, Nevertheless, 00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:20.539 the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, 00:18:21.460 --> 00:18:25.319 when at first he lightly afflicted the land of 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:29.019 Zabulon and the land of Naphtali. Naphtali and 00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:32.779 Zabulon, they are in Galilee. They are regions 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:36.900 in Galilee. and afterwards did more grievously 00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:40.960 afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:45.059 Galilee of the Gentiles. You still have the background 00:18:45.059 --> 00:18:46.619 why it's now called the Galilee of the Gentiles 00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:57.140 2. Nevertheless, please just move with me verse 00:18:57.140 --> 00:19:02.539 2. The people that walked in darkness have seen 00:19:02.589 --> 00:19:05.569 a great light they that dwell in the land of 00:19:05.569 --> 00:19:10.549 the shadow of death upon them the light has shined 00:19:10.549 --> 00:19:13.069 this is Matthew let's look at Matthew Matthew 00:19:13.069 --> 00:19:17.730 makes a quotation of the same place Matthew chapter 00:19:17.730 --> 00:19:34.809 4 verse 15 to 16 Matthew chapter 4 Verse 15 to 00:19:34.809 --> 00:19:46.710 16. It reads... Let's start from verse 13, in 00:19:46.710 --> 00:20:00.309 fact, so that we can understand. It says, This 00:20:00.309 --> 00:20:02.930 is Jesus' ministry, beginning of Jesus' ministry. 00:20:03.709 --> 00:20:08.130 That is, that it might be fulfilled, which was 00:20:08.130 --> 00:20:12.690 spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, the land 00:20:12.690 --> 00:20:16.650 of Zabilon and the land of Naphtalim, by the 00:20:16.650 --> 00:20:20.930 way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of Gentiles, 00:20:21.150 --> 00:20:23.829 meaning that ahead of time, even though there 00:20:23.829 --> 00:20:26.890 was darkness by that time, the prophet of the 00:20:26.890 --> 00:20:30.700 Lord, Jeremiah, saw that Even that region of 00:20:30.700 --> 00:20:33.519 great darkness, right, light is going to rise 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:36.579 upon it. That is, they are going to also hear 00:20:36.579 --> 00:20:41.900 of the gospel of our Lord. That is light in darkness. 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:47.839 Let's see the following verse. Verse 16. The 00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:52.799 people we set in darkness saw that great light. 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:56.640 To them we set in the region of the shadow of 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:02.559 death. Light. sprung up. From that time, immediately 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:07.880 see, from that time Jesus began to preach and 00:21:07.880 --> 00:21:13.359 to say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:17.720 hand. Where did he start? Where is the preaching 00:21:17.720 --> 00:21:21.000 of the gospel? In that region that is despised. 00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:24.279 In that region where there is gross darkness. 00:21:25.240 --> 00:21:28.210 That is where he started and said, repent. for 00:21:28.210 --> 00:21:32.289 the kingdom of God is at hand." And we have been 00:21:32.289 --> 00:21:36.650 told that the word at hand means that now. Right? 00:21:36.789 --> 00:21:38.210 It's different from the way we're understanding. 00:21:38.289 --> 00:21:45.430 It means now. The kingdom of God is now. So, 00:21:45.710 --> 00:21:48.109 Galilee was seen, take this note, take note of 00:21:48.109 --> 00:21:51.369 this. Galilee was seen as a spiritually compromised 00:21:51.369 --> 00:21:55.930 place where Gentiles lives lived. Galilee is 00:21:55.930 --> 00:21:58.150 the gateway also to the rest of the world because 00:21:58.150 --> 00:22:01.569 all trade happens towards that region. So many 00:22:01.569 --> 00:22:04.890 people will come by to buy, to do different trades. 00:22:04.970 --> 00:22:09.170 It happened at Galilee. So you can see that there's 00:22:09.170 --> 00:22:12.950 a mixture of cultures, a mixture of races there. 00:22:14.430 --> 00:22:18.809 So because of this history of Galilee, the region 00:22:18.809 --> 00:22:24.309 was heavily influenced by foreign customs. Ascens, 00:22:24.630 --> 00:22:29.049 right, and mixed marriages. In the Old Testament, 00:22:29.329 --> 00:22:31.390 the northern region of Galilee was originally 00:22:31.390 --> 00:22:34.589 given to the tribes of Zabulon, Naphtali, and 00:22:34.589 --> 00:22:38.089 Asher, right. The Assyrian conquest, we saw about 00:22:38.089 --> 00:22:40.829 the Assyrian conquest, which is in 2 Kings 15, 00:22:40.930 --> 00:22:43.990 29, right, which resulted in the deporting of 00:22:43.990 --> 00:22:46.750 the Jewish population and replacing them with 00:22:46.750 --> 00:22:52.650 pagan foreigners. So over these centuries, Galilee 00:22:52.650 --> 00:22:56.150 became an ethnic melting point. This prompted 00:22:56.150 --> 00:22:58.349 the prophet Isaiah, where you see in the book 00:22:58.349 --> 00:23:02.269 of Isaiah, to coin the term, which now later 00:23:02.269 --> 00:23:07.329 on became an insult. By those that used it in 00:23:07.329 --> 00:23:10.589 the New Testament, it became an insult. But what 00:23:10.589 --> 00:23:14.150 Isaiah meant was not an insult. But then they 00:23:14.150 --> 00:23:17.109 took that now to look down on the Galileans. 00:23:17.190 --> 00:23:28.970 We are going to see subsequently. Alright, so... 00:23:28.970 --> 00:23:32.930 Okay, let me check where I was. So by the time 00:23:32.930 --> 00:23:37.630 of the New Testament, this religious leadership 00:23:37.630 --> 00:23:40.390 in the northern Judea, which is Jerusalem, looked 00:23:40.390 --> 00:23:44.269 down on the Galileans. They viewed Galilee as 00:23:44.269 --> 00:23:47.230 a spiritually compromised and sophisticated and 00:23:47.230 --> 00:23:53.539 culturally impure. So the religious leaders firmly 00:23:53.539 --> 00:23:57.359 believed one thing, that the Messiah would emerge 00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:02.519 in power from Bethlehem and Jerusalem, not Galilee. 00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:06.740 This will lead, this will make you think, why? 00:24:07.900 --> 00:24:11.779 Right? Why in, let's turn to, to John 7, John 00:24:11.779 --> 00:24:15.180 7, 52. Why there's an issue about Jesus coming 00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:18.119 from Nazareth? Because Nazareth also happens 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:27.940 to be in Galilee. Let's read John 7 52 John 7 00:24:27.940 --> 00:24:33.039 52 So all this you will see that Galilee is a 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:42.099 place where they are despised John 7 52 I'll 00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:45.819 give a background of it. This is Nicodemus Tried 00:24:45.819 --> 00:24:53.160 to give a defense for Christ John 7 52 Right 00:24:53.160 --> 00:24:58.440 now before we go to 52, let's start from verse 00:24:58.440 --> 00:25:04.680 37 John 7 37 we go down then we go to 52 where 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:07.640 I want us to read in the last day that great 00:25:07.640 --> 00:25:10.619 day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying 00:25:10.619 --> 00:25:15.220 if any man Tests let him come unto me and drink 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:18.259 he that believeth on me as the scriptures are 00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:42.099 said out of The people that heard Jesus said, 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:47.940 of a truth, this man is a prophet. Right? Others 00:25:47.940 --> 00:25:51.200 said, this is Christ. This is the Christ. But 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:56.380 some said, shall Christ come from Galilee? Meaning 00:25:56.380 --> 00:25:59.200 that it was a shock to them because they looked 00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:01.920 down on Galilee as a region that was impure. 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:06.599 So the problem is the Messiah should not come 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:12.400 from Galilee. Because they saw them as outcasts. 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:15.119 And that is the same place where people that 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:19.210 are looked down on is where Jesus began his ministry, 00:26:19.710 --> 00:26:22.869 right? Showing also that salvation is not only 00:26:22.869 --> 00:26:25.710 for the Jews, but in that place where Gentiles 00:26:25.710 --> 00:26:29.910 met, where they were Gentile nation, right? So 00:26:29.910 --> 00:26:37.190 let's see, verse 15, verse 45, sorry, verse 45 00:26:37.190 --> 00:26:40.960 of John 7. Then came the officers to the chief 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:43.460 priests and the Pharisees and said unto them, 00:26:43.700 --> 00:26:45.380 Why have you not brought him? That is, they had 00:26:45.380 --> 00:26:49.400 sent them to capture Christ. They sent him to 00:26:49.400 --> 00:26:53.299 bring Christ. Let's read now, let's jump to 50. 00:26:54.339 --> 00:26:57.579 This is Nicodemus who once had a conversation 00:26:57.579 --> 00:27:01.019 with Jesus previously. Then Nicodemus said unto 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:06.380 them, He that came to Jesus by night, being one 00:27:06.380 --> 00:27:11.500 of them of the council. 52. Our Lord judged any 00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:19.460 man before it heard him, and knew what he had 00:27:19.460 --> 00:27:25.839 done. Then he answered and said unto him, Adou 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:31.720 also a Galilee, search and look, for out of Galilee 00:27:31.720 --> 00:27:38.339 ariseth no prophet. So this is the council, these 00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:43.059 are religious leaders. No prophet in their mind 00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:48.480 comes from Galilee. But is that true? Because 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:52.779 we have Jonah who came from Galilee. So that 00:27:52.779 --> 00:27:57.180 means they had contempt, they scorned on Galilee 00:27:57.180 --> 00:27:59.500 to the extent that they ignored everything that 00:27:59.500 --> 00:28:02.819 has come from there. They looked down on it. 00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:05.019 Their issue is the Messiah should not come from 00:28:05.019 --> 00:28:07.799 Galilee. But if they had done their research, 00:28:08.339 --> 00:28:10.980 if they had read Isaiah chapter 9 verse 1 to 00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:16.140 2, they would have understood about the ministry 00:28:16.140 --> 00:28:18.920 of Jesus. Yes, Jesus was not born actually in 00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:21.440 Nazareth. He was born in Bethlehem. But he grew 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:25.160 up in Nazareth and that Nazareth is in Galilee. 00:28:27.320 --> 00:28:30.420 So by this time, you now see why they think Galilee, 00:28:30.779 --> 00:28:33.500 they don't want anything to do with other regions. 00:28:33.819 --> 00:28:36.460 They don't want anything to do with the Galileans. 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:42.660 So by that time, right, then also we are going 00:28:42.660 --> 00:28:44.799 to see something that is shocking. Let's read 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:55.740 John 1 .46. John 1 .46, same John, 1 .46. John 00:28:55.740 --> 00:29:13.920 1 .46. Let's start from verse 45. Philip found 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:17.759 Nathaniel and said unto him, We have found him 00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:20.980 of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did 00:29:20.980 --> 00:29:26.200 write, Jesus of Nazareth. That statement, the 00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:28.380 moment he put off Nazareth, if he had just said 00:29:28.380 --> 00:29:31.779 Jesus, it was okay. But let's see later on. He 00:29:31.779 --> 00:29:37.640 said, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 00:29:37.819 --> 00:29:41.440 Immediately in verse 46, and Nathaniel said unto 00:29:41.440 --> 00:29:45.819 him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? 00:29:48.200 --> 00:29:53.000 Now it makes you see why there are issues with 00:29:53.000 --> 00:29:55.920 this place. Nazareth, don't forget, is in Galilee. 00:29:57.160 --> 00:29:59.460 So is there anything good that will come out 00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:04.279 of that region? Right. Then immediately Philip 00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:13.079 said unto him, Come. and see. Come and see. So, 00:30:13.940 --> 00:30:17.259 Jesus starting his ministry in Galilee, right, 00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:22.720 shows that Christ is for all nations, not only 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:26.579 the Jewish nation, right, not only the Jewish 00:30:26.579 --> 00:30:31.720 nation. Those people, they despised. That is 00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:35.220 the same place that Jesus starts his ministry. 00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:39.880 So the gospel is to all the nations. It would 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:43.420 have been a problem, I think, if Jesus gave the 00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:45.640 Great Commission in the temple in Jerusalem. 00:30:47.660 --> 00:30:49.619 Because this will continually happen in their 00:30:49.619 --> 00:30:52.900 mind. They will continually see Galilee down. 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:57.319 They don't care about them. They see them as 00:30:57.319 --> 00:31:03.180 impure people. Right? So, by the time... By the 00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:05.440 time of the New Testament, the Greek and the 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:08.279 Roman Empires had built massive pagan cultures 00:31:08.279 --> 00:31:11.420 also. I want you to see what affected their idea 00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:14.079 or their understanding of Galilee. By the time 00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:17.200 of the New Testament, the Greek and the Roman 00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:21.279 Empires had built massive pagan cultural centers 00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:26.859 in and around Galilee. So right there, there 00:31:26.859 --> 00:31:30.200 was also a marble temple which was dedicated 00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:33.799 to the worship of the Roman Empire. Emperor Caesar 00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:40.799 Augustus. That is around Galilee. I want you 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:43.059 to see the regions or the people that are surrounding 00:31:43.059 --> 00:31:48.420 Galilee. So later, Herod's son, Philip the Tetrarch, 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:52.140 expanded the city into a grand capital, naming 00:31:52.140 --> 00:31:57.380 it Caesarea Philippi, to honor both Caesar and 00:31:57.380 --> 00:32:00.579 himself. This is a region that is surrounding 00:32:00.579 --> 00:32:06.150 Galilee. There are temples where Caesar is worshipped. 00:32:06.950 --> 00:32:09.069 I want you to see why they despised that region 00:32:09.069 --> 00:32:11.349 of Galilee. The things that were happening inside 00:32:11.349 --> 00:32:17.690 and around it were terrible. So, now we have 00:32:17.690 --> 00:32:20.289 seen that there is a marble temple and in one 00:32:20.289 --> 00:32:23.769 of the places that is near Galilee, on the north 00:32:23.769 --> 00:32:29.369 side of Galilee, is Caesarea Philippi, Matthew 00:32:29.369 --> 00:32:40.150 16, 13, 15. Matthew 16. verses 13 to 15. Matthew 00:32:40.150 --> 00:32:51.710 16, verses 13 to 15. When Jesus came into the 00:32:51.710 --> 00:32:55.210 course of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 00:32:55.809 --> 00:32:59.329 saying, Whom do men say, I, the son of man, am? 00:32:59.690 --> 00:33:03.599 And they said unto him, Some say that thou art 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:08.339 John the Baptist some Elias and others Jeremiah's 00:33:08.339 --> 00:33:12.180 or one of the prophets he said unto them, but 00:33:12.180 --> 00:33:17.259 whom say ye that I am and Simon Peter answered 00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:24.539 and said thou art the Christ the Son of the Living 00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:30.319 God and Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed 00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:33.980 are thou, Simon, by Jonah, for flesh and blood 00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:36.859 hath not revealed this unto you, but my father 00:33:36.859 --> 00:33:40.720 which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, that 00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:43.660 thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build 00:33:43.660 --> 00:33:48.640 my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail 00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:51.640 against it." Where was the gate of hell? Just 00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:55.920 a few kilometers from Galilee on the north side. 00:33:56.119 --> 00:34:00.059 So it's now shaping your mind how it will be 00:34:00.059 --> 00:34:03.460 difficult for the Jews to really accept that 00:34:03.460 --> 00:34:08.780 something good will come from that region. So, 00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:12.599 Jesus is taking his disciples to that place, 00:34:12.820 --> 00:34:15.679 Caesarea Philippi. And I will draw a picture 00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:17.980 in your mind of what is in Caesarea Philippi. 00:34:18.380 --> 00:34:21.440 There is a cave there, where there is water. 00:34:21.800 --> 00:34:23.599 Down in the cave, there is water where people 00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:26.539 do sacrifices and throw them inside there. And 00:34:26.539 --> 00:34:28.780 that is the place they call the gates of hell. 00:34:29.740 --> 00:34:32.980 And next to it, there is a marble temple that 00:34:32.980 --> 00:34:38.519 was also dedicated to Caesar. Right? So there 00:34:38.519 --> 00:34:44.260 was idol worship. Very bad. Idol worship that 00:34:44.260 --> 00:34:47.699 was in that region. And in that place, that is 00:34:47.699 --> 00:34:50.179 where Jesus is taking his disciples. I believe 00:34:50.179 --> 00:34:52.539 that Jews, normal Jews, would not go there. Those 00:34:52.539 --> 00:34:54.599 who are from the south, they would not step there. 00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:58.380 But Jesus took his disciples into that region. 00:34:58.519 --> 00:35:02.980 And Peter makes a proclamation that thou art 00:35:02.980 --> 00:35:08.639 the Christ, the son of the living God. Where 00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:11.480 did he make that proclamation? In the place where 00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:14.199 Caesar was worshipped and where Caesar was seen 00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:17.900 as the son of God also. So that was a bold statement 00:35:17.900 --> 00:35:22.059 and immediately Jesus says that, blessed are 00:35:22.059 --> 00:35:26.369 thou Peter, right? Blessed are thou Jonah for 00:35:26.369 --> 00:35:28.469 flesh and blood is not revealed this unto you 00:35:28.469 --> 00:35:32.269 by my father which is in heaven Then after that 00:35:32.269 --> 00:35:34.389 he stopped talking to them right the thing is 00:35:34.389 --> 00:35:36.570 concerning his death barrier and resurrection 00:35:36.570 --> 00:35:40.050 So what does Jesus do he's confronting the powers 00:35:40.050 --> 00:35:45.329 of darkness right and he's saying that The gates 00:35:45.329 --> 00:35:49.369 of hell that is this darkness will not prevail 00:35:49.369 --> 00:35:54.690 against him Meaning that even the gospel of our 00:35:54.690 --> 00:35:57.690 Lord Jesus Christ shall be preached in that region 00:35:57.690 --> 00:36:10.449 of Caesarea Philippi also. Are we together? There's 00:36:10.449 --> 00:36:13.150 another thing I want you to see. There's a place 00:36:13.150 --> 00:36:18.190 called Gardara of the Gardarians. It's opposite 00:36:18.190 --> 00:36:24.309 the seashore of Galilee. It's called Ten Cities. 00:36:24.789 --> 00:36:27.250 There are a place of ten cities there. Jesus 00:36:27.250 --> 00:36:30.690 crosses to Gadara and in Gadara he meets a man 00:36:30.690 --> 00:36:35.429 in the tombs. And that man was possessed with 00:36:35.429 --> 00:36:41.110 a legion of devils. Then immediately the demon 00:36:41.110 --> 00:36:43.750 speaks and says, Jesus, the son of the Lord, 00:36:44.309 --> 00:36:48.670 what have you to do with us? Then Jesus, then 00:36:48.670 --> 00:36:50.989 they are pleaded. Jesus said, can we go to the 00:36:50.989 --> 00:36:55.949 swine? They were swine just by the hillside and 00:36:55.949 --> 00:36:58.690 Jesus permitted them to go. According to the 00:36:58.690 --> 00:37:06.269 law of Moses, swine was seen as impure. So that 00:37:06.269 --> 00:37:08.769 means, that will show us that that land that 00:37:08.769 --> 00:37:14.610 was near Galilee, they were keeping those swines 00:37:14.610 --> 00:37:18.050 which shows that they are outside. outcasts. 00:37:18.130 --> 00:37:20.150 But Jesus is stepping in that place. Where is 00:37:20.150 --> 00:37:22.670 the man? In the tombs which were also considered 00:37:22.670 --> 00:37:27.550 culturally impure. And right there, there is 00:37:27.550 --> 00:37:30.449 a man possessed of devils and Jesus comes to 00:37:30.449 --> 00:37:32.849 the land of Gadara, casts out that devil from 00:37:32.849 --> 00:37:36.670 the man, then immediately went back showing that 00:37:36.670 --> 00:37:39.650 Jesus will even reach those nations that were 00:37:39.650 --> 00:37:44.150 despised. That is the only place, that is the 00:37:44.150 --> 00:37:50.320 only time you see him going there. So, God's 00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:54.099 plan is not discriminatory, that's number one. 00:37:54.420 --> 00:37:58.079 God is coming for all the Gentiles. You can see 00:37:58.079 --> 00:38:00.340 that in the ministry of Jesus. He's coming for 00:38:00.340 --> 00:38:06.179 all the Gentiles, including the Jews. There is 00:38:06.179 --> 00:38:10.039 no discrimination in God's plan for all the world. 00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:16.119 So, that also brings into our minds. There are 00:38:16.119 --> 00:38:20.650 some places that we don't want to be. There are 00:38:20.650 --> 00:38:22.349 places or there are people we don't want to interact 00:38:22.349 --> 00:38:26.369 with because of ideas or some things that we 00:38:26.369 --> 00:38:30.550 have heard about those places. But God's plan 00:38:30.550 --> 00:38:35.170 is for all the world. In those dark regions, 00:38:35.710 --> 00:38:38.760 we claim those places for Christ Jesus. We bring 00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:41.380 the gospel of God in places where the name of 00:38:41.380 --> 00:38:44.760 the Lord was not named, in places that were despised. 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:47.539 Those are the places we go with the gospel of 00:38:47.539 --> 00:38:55.159 Christ. No discrimination. Right. No discrimination. 00:38:56.920 --> 00:39:01.320 So, back to Matthew chapter 28. We are still 00:39:01.320 --> 00:39:03.760 in Matthew chapter 28. I just want us to have 00:39:03.760 --> 00:39:09.269 an understanding of what that region means. Matthew 00:39:09.269 --> 00:39:27.690 28. Matthew chapter 28. From verses 16, I'll 00:39:27.690 --> 00:39:31.710 read again. Then the eleven disciples went away 00:39:31.710 --> 00:39:36.989 into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had 00:39:36.989 --> 00:39:40.750 appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped 00:39:40.750 --> 00:39:44.769 Him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke 00:39:44.769 --> 00:39:48.989 unto them, saying, All power is given unto me, 00:39:49.309 --> 00:39:53.230 in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and 00:39:53.230 --> 00:39:56.469 teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 00:39:56.469 --> 00:39:59.570 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 00:39:59.570 --> 00:40:03.929 Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 00:40:03.929 --> 00:40:09.320 I have commanded you, and law I am with you even 00:40:09.320 --> 00:40:15.239 unto the end of the world." You see, there is 00:40:15.239 --> 00:40:21.699 the aspect of all nations here. And all nations 00:40:21.699 --> 00:40:26.059 did not start with Isaiah. That's one thing. 00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:31.300 I know we have come from Isaiah. This goes back 00:40:31.300 --> 00:40:36.949 far as to Genesis, right? This goes back to Genesis. 00:40:37.550 --> 00:40:40.389 We are going to look at it later on. So before 00:40:40.389 --> 00:40:43.849 we go there, we are going to go much more into 00:40:43.849 --> 00:40:45.989 the scriptures, that is Genesis. That's where 00:40:45.989 --> 00:40:47.750 we are going to spend more time. Before I go 00:40:47.750 --> 00:40:50.750 to Genesis, I want us to see something. How, 00:40:50.989 --> 00:40:54.909 for us to understand the nations, to understand 00:40:54.909 --> 00:40:57.110 why Jesus would tell his disciples, let's meet 00:40:57.110 --> 00:41:00.050 in Galilee, there is an Old Testament narrative 00:41:00.050 --> 00:41:03.570 or background of everything that Jesus mentioned. 00:41:05.210 --> 00:41:08.409 Let's see some of the instances where you see 00:41:08.409 --> 00:41:14.650 even the authors of the Gospels referring back 00:41:14.650 --> 00:41:17.610 to the Old Testament. Before we go to the Old 00:41:17.610 --> 00:41:18.809 Testament, because we're going to spend more 00:41:18.809 --> 00:41:22.630 time there. Matthew chapter 1 verse 1. Matthew 00:41:22.630 --> 00:41:32.510 1, 1. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, 00:41:32.949 --> 00:41:37.369 the son of David. and the son of Abraham. Abraham 00:41:37.369 --> 00:41:41.130 begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot 00:41:41.130 --> 00:41:43.869 Judas and his brethren. Then he continues down. 00:41:44.070 --> 00:41:47.590 What comes in your mind? Where is it taken from? 00:41:48.889 --> 00:41:53.349 That's Genesis. What you see? Generation that 00:41:53.349 --> 00:41:54.929 way, generation, you're talking about Genesis. 00:41:55.449 --> 00:41:59.409 And also, you see David, which is second Samuel, 00:41:59.769 --> 00:42:02.289 first Samuel, right? Second Samuel and Psalms, 00:42:02.650 --> 00:42:06.210 sorry. Then also we have Abraham which is Genesis. 00:42:07.650 --> 00:42:12.590 So meaning that to understand Jesus, why Jesus 00:42:12.590 --> 00:42:14.409 said to come and why Jesus said to do everything 00:42:14.409 --> 00:42:17.869 that he did, we have to understand it back as 00:42:17.869 --> 00:42:22.769 far as Abraham. The beginning of Abraham, why 00:42:22.769 --> 00:42:26.190 God called Abraham and we come back to the front 00:42:26.190 --> 00:42:28.250 which is the New Testament, then we understand 00:42:28.250 --> 00:42:38.280 all these things. Also, let's look at Mark 1 00:42:38.280 --> 00:42:51.500 .1, Mark chapter 1 verse 1. Mark 1 .1. The beginning 00:42:51.500 --> 00:42:54.519 of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 00:42:54.880 --> 00:42:59.000 as it is written in the prophets, behold, I send 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:02.900 my messenger before thy face. We shall prepare 00:43:02.900 --> 00:43:06.059 thy way before thee. Where was he teaching from? 00:43:06.880 --> 00:43:12.400 This is Malachi, right? This is Malachi. He's 00:43:12.400 --> 00:43:14.400 taking this from Malachi chapter 3 verse 1. You 00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:18.539 can write that down. He takes that. Mark is referring 00:43:18.539 --> 00:43:21.199 back to Malachi 3 verse 1 and Isaiah chapter 00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:28.159 40 verse 3. So, also John chapter 1 verse 1. 00:43:28.460 --> 00:43:43.789 John 1 1. John chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning 00:43:43.789 --> 00:43:46.710 was the Word, and the Word was with God, and 00:43:46.710 --> 00:43:55.090 the Word was God. Right? So, still Genesis. So, 00:43:55.250 --> 00:43:58.489 all the four gospels use, number one, the word 00:43:58.489 --> 00:44:00.849 beginning, you'll see it, even in Luke chapter 00:44:00.849 --> 00:44:04.630 28, right? Look, sorry, Luke chapter 24, verse 00:44:04.630 --> 00:44:08.659 27. Then also we see something in John chapter 00:44:08.659 --> 00:44:11.920 20 verse 22 Just I just want us to have an understanding 00:44:11.920 --> 00:44:16.400 why they are coming from the Old Testament John 00:44:16.400 --> 00:44:19.980 20 22 it says and when he had said this he breathed 00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:22.880 on them and said unto them receive ye the Holy 00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:28.579 Ghost That is Genesis 2 7 right the Lord God 00:44:28.579 --> 00:44:31.300 breathed into his nostrils talking about Adam 00:44:32.170 --> 00:44:34.989 the breath of life and man became a living soul. 00:44:35.309 --> 00:44:38.309 So John is taking us back to Genesis confirming 00:44:38.309 --> 00:44:43.269 that Jesus is the God of Genesis. Have we understood 00:44:43.269 --> 00:44:49.190 that? Alright, so now Genesis chapter 1 verses 00:44:49.190 --> 00:44:56.289 26 to 28. God's original plan. Don't lose me. 00:44:56.570 --> 00:44:59.710 We want to see where the nations came from. What 00:44:59.710 --> 00:45:03.519 cost the nations to emerged. But we're going 00:45:03.519 --> 00:45:08.699 to start from Genesis 126 to 28, which shows 00:45:08.699 --> 00:45:11.840 us God's intent, that is God's original plan. 00:45:13.920 --> 00:45:17.340 Pastor Fred has taught this even during Catechismus. 00:45:17.500 --> 00:45:19.880 You need to just go and listen to the message 00:45:19.880 --> 00:45:28.289 again. Genesis 126 to 28. And God said, Let us 00:45:28.289 --> 00:45:31.130 make men in our image after our likeness, and 00:45:31.130 --> 00:45:33.630 let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 00:45:33.789 --> 00:45:37.929 and over the fall of the air, and over the cattle, 00:45:38.130 --> 00:45:40.849 and over the earth, and over every creeping thing 00:45:40.849 --> 00:45:43.429 that creepeth upon the earth. So God created 00:45:43.429 --> 00:45:46.289 man in his own image. In the image of God created 00:45:46.289 --> 00:45:50.019 he, him. Male and female created he, them. And 00:45:50.019 --> 00:45:52.900 God blessed them and said unto them be fruitful 00:45:52.900 --> 00:45:57.099 and multiply replenish the earth and subdue it 00:45:57.099 --> 00:46:00.840 Have dominion over the fish of the sea and over 00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:03.599 the fall of the air and over every living thing 00:46:03.599 --> 00:46:09.880 that moveth on the earth So This is the origin 00:46:09.880 --> 00:46:14.320 of men, right? So this image number one, right 00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:18.380 this image is first identity then what follows 00:46:18.380 --> 00:46:23.480 is function. Right? The image of God talks about 00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:27.059 identity and with identity function follows. 00:46:29.039 --> 00:46:34.280 So in the image of God created he, he male and 00:46:34.280 --> 00:46:37.219 female. Right? Meaning that if we are saying 00:46:37.219 --> 00:46:40.079 that is identity first. I'm not going to do much 00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:44.760 here. Pastor Fred teaching is online. We talk 00:46:44.760 --> 00:46:48.409 about it is identity. but in the image of God 00:46:48.409 --> 00:46:51.530 created him male and female meaning that male 00:46:51.530 --> 00:46:56.230 and female have the same identity in God's plan 00:46:56.230 --> 00:47:02.090 and have the same peoples. Right? So the term 00:47:02.090 --> 00:47:07.030 image there was derived from the word Salem which 00:47:07.030 --> 00:47:12.690 means resemblance. Image is the word Salem which 00:47:12.690 --> 00:47:16.360 means resemblance. And likeness was derived from 00:47:16.360 --> 00:47:23.239 the Hebrew word demuth, D -E -M -U -T -H, demuth. 00:47:23.860 --> 00:47:28.539 It carries the same connotation. That word was 00:47:28.539 --> 00:47:31.820 derived from the word dama, which is D -A -M 00:47:31.820 --> 00:47:38.440 -A -H, which means to resemble, right? So this 00:47:38.440 --> 00:47:42.000 will mean that humanity was to be in resemblance 00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:47.230 or semblance. with God and to be like Him. So 00:47:47.230 --> 00:47:50.130 the words men there you see there in Genesis 00:47:50.130 --> 00:47:56.210 chapter 1 verse 26 to 28 is the word Adam which 00:47:56.210 --> 00:48:00.570 means mankind or humanity right both male and 00:48:00.570 --> 00:48:10.010 female. So when you see they were in let's go 00:48:10.010 --> 00:48:14.139 back and God bless them verse 28 And God blessed 00:48:14.139 --> 00:48:18.420 them, who is the male and the female. He blessed 00:48:18.420 --> 00:48:21.840 them and said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, 00:48:22.179 --> 00:48:24.780 and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have 00:48:24.780 --> 00:48:27.760 dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the 00:48:27.760 --> 00:48:30.559 fowl of the air, and over every living thing 00:48:30.559 --> 00:48:33.460 that moveth upon the earth. So that I do not 00:48:33.460 --> 00:48:37.199 leave us behind while we went back here. We want 00:48:37.199 --> 00:48:41.920 to look where the nations came from. What went 00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:46.239 wrong? So for us, before we even go to what went 00:48:46.239 --> 00:48:48.960 wrong, we need to understand what was the initial 00:48:48.960 --> 00:48:52.099 plan. That's why we're going back to Genesis. 00:48:52.519 --> 00:48:57.000 So don't be left behind. So the word blessed 00:48:57.000 --> 00:49:02.739 there is from the word barak. B -A -R -A -K, 00:49:03.000 --> 00:49:10.679 barak. It's the word barak. It means to welcome 00:49:10.679 --> 00:49:15.510 in this context. of Genesis 1. It means to welcome 00:49:15.510 --> 00:49:20.070 or it means to congratulate. In other words, 00:49:20.389 --> 00:49:22.929 the writer explained that both male and female 00:49:22.929 --> 00:49:29.630 men are welcomed into God's new humanity, that 00:49:29.630 --> 00:49:32.789 is God's new creation, which is in the image 00:49:32.789 --> 00:49:38.690 and the likeness of God. Let's see, what was 00:49:38.690 --> 00:49:47.579 the intention? 28 God blessed them who are them 00:49:47.579 --> 00:49:52.539 the male and the female right We saw that so 00:49:52.539 --> 00:49:59.679 in Sam verse 28 In Sam verse 28 he says and God 00:49:59.679 --> 00:50:02.260 bless them and say down to them be fruitful and 00:50:02.260 --> 00:50:04.579 multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it 00:50:04.579 --> 00:50:07.440 and have dominion over the fish of the sea and 00:50:07.440 --> 00:50:09.860 over the fall of the air and over every living 00:50:09.860 --> 00:50:13.840 thing that moved upon the earth So the word sub 00:50:13.840 --> 00:50:17.059 -Jew there, let's just move a bit quickly. The 00:50:17.059 --> 00:50:20.980 word sub -Jew was derived from the Hebrew word 00:50:20.980 --> 00:50:27.039 Kabash. K -A -B -A -S -H. This is God's plan. 00:50:28.920 --> 00:50:32.119 We'll see later on what went wrong that resulted 00:50:32.119 --> 00:50:35.940 in the nations that you now see appearing in 00:50:35.940 --> 00:50:44.079 Matthew 28 upon the mountain of Galilee. So, 00:50:44.199 --> 00:50:48.639 kabbash implies to trample under foot, right? 00:50:48.860 --> 00:50:51.599 It means to trample under foot. And there's another 00:50:51.599 --> 00:50:55.119 word also in that verse, which is the word replenish. 00:50:56.119 --> 00:51:03.219 Replenish is the word male, m -a -l -e. All right, 00:51:03.400 --> 00:51:14.400 or mala, m -a -l -a. That word was Right was 00:51:14.400 --> 00:51:20.320 reference as feud, right? So it means to feel 00:51:20.320 --> 00:51:23.639 It means to feel and we see another word appearing. 00:51:23.639 --> 00:51:26.780 There's the word multiply. It's not childbirth 00:51:26.780 --> 00:51:30.159 The word multiplier was derived from the Hebrew 00:51:30.159 --> 00:51:37.460 word rabah right r -a -b -a -h which implies 00:51:37.460 --> 00:51:44.639 to increase It implies to increase. And there's 00:51:44.639 --> 00:51:47.360 another word also which is the word fruitful 00:51:47.360 --> 00:51:51.780 was derived from the word parah, p -a -r -a -h. 00:51:51.860 --> 00:51:54.920 This is important because when we are now going 00:51:54.920 --> 00:51:59.400 to move to Genesis chapter 11, right, Babel, 00:51:59.519 --> 00:52:05.039 you understand why there was the division that 00:52:05.039 --> 00:52:07.420 happened in Babel that led on to the emerging 00:52:07.420 --> 00:52:10.260 of different nations. All right, so just right 00:52:10.260 --> 00:52:13.230 follow through. And we have the word fruitful, 00:52:16.690 --> 00:52:18.329 which was derived from the Hebrew word para, 00:52:18.510 --> 00:52:22.230 which implies to bring forth fruit. And we have 00:52:22.230 --> 00:52:27.849 the word dominion, which is derived from a Hebrew 00:52:27.849 --> 00:52:38.690 word radar, r -a -d -a -r, radar. All right. 00:52:38.760 --> 00:52:45.539 which means to prevail against, to reign, right? 00:52:45.539 --> 00:52:48.440 But in this context, without violence and death. 00:52:49.599 --> 00:52:53.179 So what was God doing or what was God's plan 00:52:53.179 --> 00:52:58.860 of the male man and the male female? Sorry, the 00:52:58.860 --> 00:53:02.800 male man and the female man, right? I get that 00:53:02.800 --> 00:53:08.760 correct. So is that both men and female? in God's 00:53:08.760 --> 00:53:12.480 new creation. They are to what? They are to subdue. 00:53:13.380 --> 00:53:16.360 They are to replenish. They are to multiply. 00:53:17.320 --> 00:53:19.719 They are to be fruitful. And they are to have 00:53:19.719 --> 00:53:27.059 dominion. This is kingdom language. So on the 00:53:27.059 --> 00:53:30.300 Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples are hearing 00:53:30.300 --> 00:53:34.920 these same words. Christ is calling their attention 00:53:34.920 --> 00:53:42.230 to this same thing. that this is the plan. So, 00:53:42.650 --> 00:53:45.590 they are going to be fruitful. How are they going 00:53:45.590 --> 00:53:48.210 to be fruitful? Through the preaching of the 00:53:48.210 --> 00:53:50.909 gospel of God. How are they going to bring the 00:53:50.909 --> 00:53:53.929 reign of Christ? By the preaching of the gospel. 00:53:55.489 --> 00:53:58.590 If you go to Mark 16, it now says that you will 00:53:58.590 --> 00:54:04.829 trample against the works of the evil one. That 00:54:04.829 --> 00:54:12.289 is to subdue. So they were to subdue darkness, 00:54:12.530 --> 00:54:19.010 not people. Take note of that. The wakes of the 00:54:19.010 --> 00:54:21.590 enemy. And later on in Mark it says, in my name 00:54:21.590 --> 00:54:24.710 you shall cast out devils, in my name you shall 00:54:24.710 --> 00:54:27.010 open the eyes of the blind, in my name you shall 00:54:27.010 --> 00:54:30.429 take up serpents. Serpents there talks about 00:54:30.429 --> 00:54:33.690 the wakes of the evil one. What went in their 00:54:33.690 --> 00:54:38.530 mind is Genesis 1, 2 into 3. was in Genesis 1 00:54:38.530 --> 00:54:41.849 2 into 3 we see the X or the works of the evil 00:54:41.849 --> 00:54:45.610 one who came and distorted the plan of God and 00:54:45.610 --> 00:54:48.190 Christ is saying there is a reversal of that 00:54:48.190 --> 00:54:50.869 which the enemy has done and what how are they 00:54:50.869 --> 00:54:53.389 going to do it you guys on the Mount of Galilee 00:54:53.389 --> 00:54:57.030 you are going and subJew you are going to have 00:54:57.030 --> 00:55:02.650 dominion you are going to multiply Are we together? 00:55:04.920 --> 00:55:07.539 And some of the things you see there is that 00:55:07.539 --> 00:55:12.900 in Mark 16, just in closing, right? Yes. Let's 00:55:12.900 --> 00:55:19.260 see, Mark 16. Mark 16, let's go to Mark 16. You 00:55:19.260 --> 00:55:23.440 understand when Philip went down to the city 00:55:23.440 --> 00:55:27.940 of Samaria, right? Okay, let's go to Acts, Acts, 00:55:27.940 --> 00:55:38.519 just in closing. Acts chapter eight. Acts 8. 00:55:39.760 --> 00:55:44.420 Acts chapter 8. From verses 6 and from verses 00:55:44.420 --> 00:55:48.300 5. Starts from 5. Then Philip went down to the 00:55:48.300 --> 00:55:51.500 city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them. 00:55:52.099 --> 00:55:56.420 Right. This is Genesis 1, 26 to 28. They have 00:55:56.420 --> 00:55:59.900 understood it and they are taking action. Right. 00:56:02.019 --> 00:56:04.719 And the people gave heed to those things which 00:56:04.719 --> 00:56:08.139 Philip specked, seeing the miracles which he 00:56:08.139 --> 00:56:11.199 did. For unclean spirits, what is happening? 00:56:11.780 --> 00:56:15.500 Subduing the darkness. The unclean spirits crying 00:56:15.500 --> 00:56:18.380 out with a loud voice came out of many who were 00:56:18.380 --> 00:56:21.460 possessed with them, and many taken with pulses, 00:56:22.280 --> 00:56:25.659 and that where lame were healed, and there was 00:56:25.659 --> 00:56:30.710 great joy in the city of Samaria. But there was 00:56:30.710 --> 00:56:34.510 a certain man called Simeon, which beforehand 00:56:34.510 --> 00:56:38.889 in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the 00:56:38.889 --> 00:56:42.610 people of Samaria, giving unto them that he himself 00:56:42.610 --> 00:56:46.809 was some great one. To him also, to him, sorry, 00:56:47.050 --> 00:56:51.170 to him they all gave heed from the least to the 00:56:51.170 --> 00:56:53.769 greatest, saying this man is the great power 00:56:53.769 --> 00:56:59.159 of God. And to him they had regard because that 00:56:59.159 --> 00:57:03.219 of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. 00:57:03.539 --> 00:57:06.739 But when they believed Philip, Philip's preaching, 00:57:07.280 --> 00:57:11.000 the things concerning the kingdom of God and 00:57:11.000 --> 00:57:13.219 the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized 00:57:13.219 --> 00:57:17.480 both men and female. Then Simon, the sorcery, 00:57:17.579 --> 00:57:21.380 by this is now maybe a brother. Then Simon himself 00:57:21.380 --> 00:57:24.639 believed also, is now a brother. And then he 00:57:24.639 --> 00:57:28.599 was baptized and continued with Philip. and warn 00:57:28.599 --> 00:57:32.659 that beholding the miracles and the signs which 00:57:32.659 --> 00:57:38.380 he has done. So that means what the disciples 00:57:38.380 --> 00:57:41.940 started to do now, having understood, they now 00:57:41.940 --> 00:57:44.800 started going to dark places that were hold by 00:57:44.800 --> 00:57:47.619 the kingdom of darkness. People that were hold 00:57:47.619 --> 00:57:49.920 by the kingdom of darkness and they were preaching 00:57:49.920 --> 00:57:54.139 the gospel of Christ. They were announcing the 00:57:54.139 --> 00:57:59.130 reign of Christ. and to those places. So same 00:57:59.130 --> 00:58:01.949 applies to us today. We have the same mandate 00:58:01.949 --> 00:58:05.949 in all places where we go, in our schools, in 00:58:05.949 --> 00:58:09.289 our communities, where we live, society around 00:58:09.289 --> 00:58:14.369 us, to bring the same gospel of Christ to those 00:58:14.369 --> 00:58:18.949 places, to the unbelievers. Without discrimination, 00:58:19.550 --> 00:58:25.389 we are to preach the word of the Lord. Right? 00:58:25.710 --> 00:58:28.550 Yes, because this is the plan of God from the 00:58:28.550 --> 00:58:32.170 beginning, to bring light in darkness. So we 00:58:32.170 --> 00:58:35.769 light dark areas, we light dark areas, we claim 00:58:35.769 --> 00:58:40.150 the nations of the world to God. So therefore, 00:58:41.190 --> 00:58:43.750 that means we have to engage much more in evangelism 00:58:43.750 --> 00:58:46.949 with this understanding that we are participating 00:58:46.949 --> 00:58:50.230 in God's plans and purposes for the whole earth, 00:58:50.449 --> 00:58:55.369 right? So we'll end here today. In the coming 00:58:55.369 --> 00:58:59.710 meeting, we are going to move to the Tower of 00:58:59.710 --> 00:59:03.690 Babel that is on Wednesday. What then went wrong 00:59:03.690 --> 00:59:06.590 and how God is making, how God made things right 00:59:06.590 --> 00:59:11.110 now, right from Babel. So, let's just pray. Lord, 00:59:11.670 --> 00:59:16.230 I go out, I preach the gospel without discrimination. 00:59:17.250 --> 00:59:20.190 We appreciate you being here today. We hope you 00:59:20.190 --> 00:59:22.269 carry this word with you throughout your week. 00:59:22.699 --> 00:59:25.199 Don't forget to check the show notes for additional 00:59:25.199 --> 00:59:28.000 insights. Stay connected with us through our 00:59:28.000 --> 00:59:31.860 website or follow us on social media. If you 00:59:31.860 --> 00:59:34.159 were encouraged, share this message with someone 00:59:34.159 --> 00:59:37.780 you care about. Until next time, stay blessed.