WEBVTT 00:00:01.179 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.939 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:25.800 right in. Let's have a seat. You know, the scripture 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:27.539 pastor was reading and leading us in prayer, 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:41.530 Romans. Romans 15 verse 31. It says that I may 00:00:41.530 --> 00:00:46.509 be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe 00:00:46.509 --> 00:00:51.310 and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable 00:00:51.310 --> 00:00:54.729 to the saints. Hallelujah. So the Apostle Paul 00:00:54.729 --> 00:00:59.079 here is praying, is requesting for prayer. That 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:04.560 he might be delivered from men who do not believe. 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:07.959 I think there's another part that he says that 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:10.359 he may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:14.340 men. And what makes them unreasonable and wicked 00:01:14.340 --> 00:01:17.760 is because they do not have faith. Hallelujah. 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:24.420 And sometimes our deliverance is not necessary 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:27.079 from wicked and ungodly men who do not have faith. 00:01:28.860 --> 00:01:32.319 Sometimes the deliverance we require or we need 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:37.939 is the deliverance from ourselves. We that have 00:01:37.939 --> 00:01:45.099 faith. Because with our faith, we don't give 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:51.099 expression to the life of faith. And without 00:01:51.099 --> 00:01:54.140 giving expression to the life of faith that God 00:01:54.140 --> 00:02:01.079 has given us. We do not benefit from what Christ 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:04.620 has done for us. We do not enjoy the benefit 00:02:04.620 --> 00:02:10.360 of what God has done in Christ for us. So the 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:15.020 ignorance of the things that God has done, the 00:02:15.020 --> 00:02:17.740 ignorance of what God is doing in this moment, 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:23.280 will limit us from experiencing the goodness 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:26.560 of God. And when I mean the goodness of God, 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:29.319 I mean from practically seeing the power of God 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:33.219 at work in our lives. Yes, we are safe. We know 00:02:33.219 --> 00:02:36.479 by virtue of what the word has said. We believe 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:38.439 in Jesus Christ and we are born again and we 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:41.960 are safe. But yet, it seems as though the life 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:44.900 and the promises and all the good things that 00:02:44.900 --> 00:02:48.159 are in Christ are not seen manifested in our 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:51.280 lives. And this is not because of some people 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:54.020 somewhere. Of course, we know that there is a 00:02:54.020 --> 00:02:56.659 resistance that can come from the outside. But 00:02:56.659 --> 00:03:00.520 one of the greatest resistance we can have that 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:06.300 will limit us from making progress in life is 00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:11.620 us, is from us. And one of the prayers that we 00:03:11.620 --> 00:03:15.039 need to always pray always is that God will open 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:18.599 our eyes because a man that is ignorant is a 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:23.729 man that requires light. To function. So the 00:03:23.729 --> 00:03:27.430 solution to. Deliverance from ignorance is light. 00:03:28.409 --> 00:03:31.050 And one of the things that. I'll be sharing with 00:03:31.050 --> 00:03:34.330 us in this season. That will help us to live. 00:03:35.530 --> 00:03:39.930 And enjoy the life of faith. That we have in 00:03:39.930 --> 00:03:45.129 God. Is actually how we can. Give expression 00:03:45.129 --> 00:03:49.409 to this faith that we have. Because the faith 00:03:49.409 --> 00:03:54.569 that we have. It's not an inactive faith. Amen? 00:03:55.110 --> 00:03:59.330 The faith we have is not an inactive faith. The 00:03:59.330 --> 00:04:04.770 faith we have is a faith that is powerful. It's 00:04:04.770 --> 00:04:07.750 a powerful faith. When we read through scriptures 00:04:07.750 --> 00:04:11.090 and we see the stories of men that have done 00:04:11.090 --> 00:04:14.810 great and mighty things, we begin to wonder whether 00:04:14.810 --> 00:04:17.689 the quality of message or the quality of faith 00:04:17.689 --> 00:04:20.459 they have. And their time is different from that 00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:23.720 which we have in our time today. Or sometimes 00:04:23.720 --> 00:04:26.540 when you look around a brother or a sister, you 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:31.279 begin to question whether you have the same faith 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.120 as this person. But when we go through scriptures, 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.459 we will discover that the same quality of faith 00:04:36.459 --> 00:04:43.639 has been given to all men. And the reason that 00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:48.029 our results are different I'm very intentional 00:04:48.029 --> 00:04:51.550 about using the word result. It's because of 00:04:51.550 --> 00:04:55.790 how we put to practice or how we give expression 00:04:55.790 --> 00:05:01.589 to that which God has worked in us. And one of 00:05:01.589 --> 00:05:05.410 the ways by which we give expression to the life 00:05:05.410 --> 00:05:08.850 of faith that we have is through our words. Hallelujah. 00:05:09.730 --> 00:05:13.069 It's through our words. One of the ways by which 00:05:13.069 --> 00:05:15.949 we give expression to the life of faith we have 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:19.740 is our words. So in this season, we'll be talking 00:05:19.740 --> 00:05:23.220 about the words of faith. And I want to take 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:26.160 us back to the background of where we started 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:31.879 in this year in John chapter 14. John chapter 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:39.600 14 from verse 12 to give us a kind of a reminder. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.519 The theme for the year that we've been considering 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:48.699 in the church is greater works. John chapter 00:05:48.699 --> 00:05:51.420 14 verse 12, it says, Most assuredly, I say to 00:05:51.420 --> 00:05:55.160 you, he who believes in me, the works that I 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:58.860 do, he will do also. And greater works than this, 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:05.519 he will do because I go to my father. And whatever 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:12.050 you ask in my name, that I will do. This is not 00:06:12.050 --> 00:06:15.670 a suggestion. It's an emphatic word. It's not 00:06:15.670 --> 00:06:20.009 a counsel. It's an emphatic word that Jesus is 00:06:20.009 --> 00:06:23.449 speaking. He says, whatever you ask in my name. 00:06:24.850 --> 00:06:27.089 So the question is, have we been asking in his 00:06:27.089 --> 00:06:32.589 name? Have we been receiving? Is this scripture 00:06:32.589 --> 00:06:39.689 a lie or is truth? When we pray and we ask, why 00:06:39.689 --> 00:06:42.079 don't we receive? What is the reason for not 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:49.040 receiving? And whatever you ask in my name, that 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:53.860 I will do. That a father may be glorified in 00:06:53.860 --> 00:07:00.240 a son. If you ask anything in my name, I will 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:02.720 do. He's repeating it. If you ask anything in 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:08.540 my name, I will do. So it is God's pleasure. 00:07:09.370 --> 00:07:11.769 To do what? To answer our prayers. It is God's 00:07:11.769 --> 00:07:18.550 pleasure to act on our requests. It is God's 00:07:18.550 --> 00:07:22.730 pleasure to act on our requests. But oftentimes 00:07:22.730 --> 00:07:25.189 it seems as though when we pray or when we speak, 00:07:25.370 --> 00:07:29.290 we pray, we don't see the result of those things 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:34.750 we pray for. So we've learned over the past months 00:07:34.750 --> 00:07:42.920 that God's plan for his people is to do greater 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:48.480 works. That is, we who are in Christ, we who 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.699 are in Christ, what it means for us to be in 00:07:50.699 --> 00:07:53.240 Christ is that we are born again. Hallelujah. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:58.839 That we who are in Christ are divinely appointed 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:04.920 for greater works. And these greater works are 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:07.779 works that God has planned for us from the foundation 00:08:07.779 --> 00:08:11.399 of the world to do. As a result of our identity 00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:17.220 comes the idea of doing greater works. In Ephesians 00:08:17.220 --> 00:08:19.860 chapter 2, give me Ephesians chapter 2 verse 00:08:19.860 --> 00:08:25.519 8 and 10. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 10. 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:32.490 It says, for by grace you have been saved. True 00:08:32.490 --> 00:08:36.250 faith and that not of yourselves. So God saved 00:08:36.250 --> 00:08:40.250 us. It is a gift of God. So God saved us. The 00:08:40.250 --> 00:08:43.889 salvation we receive is a gift, not of works. 00:08:44.789 --> 00:08:46.990 Now we've been singing a song, thank you for 00:08:46.990 --> 00:08:50.970 saving me. The salvation we receive is a gift. 00:08:52.289 --> 00:08:55.330 And our response, what shall we render? It stands 00:08:55.330 --> 00:08:58.129 given. Hallelujah. Because there's nothing we 00:08:58.129 --> 00:09:03.220 can give to God as... As a prize or as, you know, 00:09:03.220 --> 00:09:08.700 enough to equate to what he has done. So not 00:09:08.700 --> 00:09:13.460 of works, lest anyone should boast. So the idea 00:09:13.460 --> 00:09:17.259 is that we lose sight of boasting. What we are 00:09:17.259 --> 00:09:20.539 is because God has done something. And what has 00:09:20.539 --> 00:09:22.899 he done? He has given us freely. He has given 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:25.659 us his life. He has given us his son who came 00:09:25.659 --> 00:09:29.720 into this world to die for our sins. He died 00:09:29.720 --> 00:09:33.200 in our place, forgiving our sins, and we believe 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:39.000 in what he has done. He says, for we are his 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:41.240 workmanship. This workmanship has to do with 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:45.100 God's own creation. We are God's own masterpiece, 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:49.039 just like a work of art. God sat down and designed 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:52.480 and crafted us. It is all about what God has 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:55.929 desired to see. It is God's idea. Your salvation 00:09:55.929 --> 00:09:58.889 is God's idea. Give me this verse 10 in the Amplified. 00:09:59.009 --> 00:10:01.889 If you have the Amplified there. It says, for 00:10:01.889 --> 00:10:06.610 we are his workmanship. This workmanship is his 00:10:06.610 --> 00:10:10.789 own masterwork. And whatever God does is perfect. 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:16.769 Hallelujah. Whatever God does is good. So we 00:10:16.769 --> 00:10:20.429 who are in Christ are his workmanship. We are 00:10:20.429 --> 00:10:26.379 his masterwork. We are a work of art. Why did 00:10:26.379 --> 00:10:30.980 it create us in Christ? Created in Christ Jesus. 00:10:31.820 --> 00:10:35.240 Reborn from where? From above. This above means 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:39.779 spiritually. So he recreated us in Christ. A 00:10:39.779 --> 00:10:41.840 spiritual experience. Spiritually transformed. 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:48.740 Renewed. Ready to be used. So being the masterpiece 00:10:48.740 --> 00:10:53.059 of God is for a function. Alright? It's for a 00:10:53.059 --> 00:10:57.960 function. And this function is what we call for 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:03.120 good works. So we are recreated in Christ. We 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:07.960 are His handiwork created for good works. And 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:10.840 these good works has been prepared for us beforehand. 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:15.360 Taking path which He set so that we will walk 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:19.120 in them that is living good life which He prearranged. 00:11:19.740 --> 00:11:23.080 And made ready for us. Hallelujah. So here we 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:28.039 see that, you know, we have been recreated in 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:32.639 Christ. And divinely appointed for good works. 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:35.840 These good works is what we can also refer to 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:37.419 as the greater works that he has called us to 00:11:37.419 --> 00:11:39.700 do. Because the works that God has called us 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:42.659 to do are greater works. They are good works. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:48.470 Hallelujah. So these greater works. It's what 00:11:48.470 --> 00:11:52.629 we can call the good works. And these good works 00:11:52.629 --> 00:11:56.950 are actually the works of faith. Okay? They are 00:11:56.950 --> 00:12:07.350 of faith. They can only be done in faith. Outside 00:12:07.350 --> 00:12:12.409 faith, we cannot express these good works. They 00:12:12.409 --> 00:12:16.029 can only be carried out by the expression of 00:12:16.029 --> 00:12:19.889 faith. Give you that John chapter 14 verse 12. 00:12:19.990 --> 00:12:25.149 You see that Jesus here is speaking to the disciples. 00:12:25.190 --> 00:12:28.750 He says, I say to you, he who believes in me, 00:12:28.830 --> 00:12:33.029 believing in Jesus Christ is having faith in 00:12:33.029 --> 00:12:36.289 Jesus Christ. So those who believe in Jesus Christ 00:12:36.289 --> 00:12:41.389 are those who do the works that Jesus did. And 00:12:41.389 --> 00:12:44.029 these works are actually good works. They are 00:12:44.029 --> 00:12:46.470 the greater works. He says, and greater works. 00:12:47.049 --> 00:12:50.629 Then this he will do because I go to my father. 00:12:51.610 --> 00:12:55.330 So we can establish here that the greater works 00:12:55.330 --> 00:12:58.549 that we are called to do are the works of faith. 00:13:00.450 --> 00:13:03.909 Romans chapter 14 verse 23 speaks about our life 00:13:03.909 --> 00:13:19.370 in Christ. Romans chapter 14 verse 23. Give me 00:13:19.370 --> 00:13:24.870 Hebrews 11 verse 6. Hebrews 11 verse 6. It says, 00:13:24.950 --> 00:13:28.870 but without faith, it is impossible to please 00:13:28.870 --> 00:13:34.830 him. For he who comes to God must believe that 00:13:34.830 --> 00:13:39.450 he is and he is a rewarder of those who diligently 00:13:39.450 --> 00:13:44.690 seek him. So the means by which we can do these 00:13:44.690 --> 00:13:47.590 great works. We can please God. We can do that 00:13:47.590 --> 00:13:50.330 which God has planned from the beginning. It's 00:13:50.330 --> 00:13:52.889 by faith. Without faith, it is impossible for 00:13:52.889 --> 00:13:55.570 us to do what? To please Him and to do His will. 00:13:59.309 --> 00:14:03.149 So as a reminder, the believer has the faith 00:14:03.149 --> 00:14:06.990 necessary for the greater works. Now, the believer 00:14:06.990 --> 00:14:11.389 does not have a faith problem. That is what we're 00:14:11.389 --> 00:14:14.559 establishing. That the man in Christ is a man 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:20.539 of faith. God has walked in him. Faith. So the 00:14:20.539 --> 00:14:28.200 man that is born again. Is a man of faith. From 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:32.100 that John chapter 14 verse 12. To believe Jesus. 00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:37.519 Means a person is born again. Not only that. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:43.480 But also the person is alive. And lives his life 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:46.980 by that faith that has been given to him in Christ 00:14:46.980 --> 00:14:51.139 Jesus. Hallelujah. So let's look at some scriptures 00:14:51.139 --> 00:14:54.000 that speaks about that believer. Romans chapter 00:14:54.000 --> 00:15:03.220 1 verse 16. Romans chapter 1 verse 16. Paul is 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.480 saying here, for I am not ashamed of the gospel 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:10.009 of Christ. Because this is the gospel of our 00:15:10.009 --> 00:15:12.590 salvation. He says, I am not ashamed of the gospel 00:15:12.590 --> 00:15:16.070 of Christ. For it is the power of God to salvation. 00:15:16.830 --> 00:15:21.210 For everyone who believes. So the man who believes 00:15:21.210 --> 00:15:23.950 in the gospel message. And what is the gospel 00:15:23.950 --> 00:15:28.490 message? The gospel message is that Jesus Christ 00:15:28.490 --> 00:15:33.610 has come to die for the forgiveness of sin. So 00:15:33.610 --> 00:15:36.269 if a man believes in the fact that Jesus Christ 00:15:36.269 --> 00:15:39.210 has died for the forgiveness of his sins, he 00:15:39.210 --> 00:15:44.370 has received salvation. So this gospel, which 00:15:44.370 --> 00:15:46.710 is the good news about the forgiveness of sins, 00:15:46.970 --> 00:15:52.289 Paul here is saying, it is the power of God unto 00:15:52.289 --> 00:15:55.809 salvation for everyone who puts his trust in 00:15:55.809 --> 00:16:01.230 that gospel. For the Jew first, and for the Greek. 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:06.100 Verse 17. For in it, in what? In that gospel, 00:16:06.259 --> 00:16:10.899 the righteousness of God is revealed from faith 00:16:10.899 --> 00:16:16.379 to faith. And it's written, the just shall live 00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:20.639 by faith. So the man that is the just is a man 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.120 that has been forgiven. He's a man that has put 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:25.679 his trust in the gospel. And the Bible here is 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:29.440 saying that that man will come to life by faith. 00:16:30.419 --> 00:16:33.429 Hallelujah. That just man come to life. He come 00:16:33.429 --> 00:16:37.789 alive by faith. Galatians chapter 2 verse 20. 00:16:39.029 --> 00:16:46.769 Galatians 2 verse 20. The apostle here also said 00:16:46.769 --> 00:16:50.789 that I have been crucified with Christ. It is 00:16:50.789 --> 00:16:55.570 no longer I who live. But Christ lives in me. 00:16:57.289 --> 00:17:01.779 And the life which I now live in the flesh. I 00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:05.960 live by the faith in the Son of God who loved 00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:10.779 me and gave himself for me. So here is a believer. 00:17:12.299 --> 00:17:14.759 And he's saying that he has been crucified with 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:19.900 Christ. The life he lived in the flesh is a life 00:17:19.900 --> 00:17:25.680 of faith. It's a life of faith. 2 Corinthians 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:33.049 5 verse 6. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 6. We're trying 00:17:33.049 --> 00:17:36.710 to establish that the believer has faith in him. 00:17:37.650 --> 00:17:43.109 Alright? 2 Corinthians 5, verse 6 and 7, it says, 00:17:43.309 --> 00:17:46.789 So we are always confident knowing that while 00:17:46.789 --> 00:17:54.009 we are at home, in the body we are absent from 00:17:54.009 --> 00:17:58.750 the Lord. Verse 7, For we walk by faith, alright, 00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:04.750 and not by sight. So here he's talking about 00:18:04.750 --> 00:18:08.150 the believer walking by faith and not by what? 00:18:08.230 --> 00:18:12.809 By sight. Romans chapter 12 verse 3. Romans chapter 00:18:12.809 --> 00:18:20.490 12 verse 3. For I say, through the grace given 00:18:20.490 --> 00:18:25.650 to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think 00:18:25.650 --> 00:18:28.289 of himself more highly than he ought to think, 00:18:28.369 --> 00:18:33.400 but to think soberly. As God has dealt to each 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:37.599 one a measure of faith. Hallelujah. Meaning that 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:41.839 everyone who is in Christ has been given a measure 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:44.079 of faith. Now we are not saying that this faith 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:47.359 is in different quantities. You have 50%, he 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:50.140 has 20%. No. A measure of faith means that we 00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:55.099 all have faith. Hallelujah. Every believer has 00:18:55.099 --> 00:19:01.539 what? Has faith. Every believer has faith. The 00:19:01.539 --> 00:19:04.799 differences we have is in how we give expression 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:07.720 to that faith that is in us. That is what makes 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:12.220 a difference. But every believer has faith. We 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:15.160 are equally, you know, having the faith of God. 00:19:15.220 --> 00:19:20.240 2 Peter 1 verse 1. 2 Peter 1 verse 1 in NLT. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:23.460 I prefer to read this in NLT. 2 Peter 1 verse 00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:26.880 1. It says, this letter is from Simon Peter. 00:19:27.549 --> 00:19:30.950 A slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I'm writing 00:19:30.950 --> 00:19:35.369 to you who share the same precious faith with 00:19:35.369 --> 00:19:38.710 us. So Peter here is saying to this church that 00:19:38.710 --> 00:19:42.630 they share what? What do they share? They share 00:19:42.630 --> 00:19:47.390 the same, the same quality. The same precious 00:19:47.390 --> 00:19:53.390 faith. With what? With him. Same precious faith 00:19:53.390 --> 00:19:56.569 we have. This faith was given to you because 00:19:56.569 --> 00:20:00.289 of what? Because of the justice and the fairness 00:20:00.289 --> 00:20:04.789 of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. And this 00:20:04.789 --> 00:20:07.170 justice and the fairness of God is seen in what? 00:20:07.650 --> 00:20:10.309 In his gift to us. It's a gift to us. Hallelujah. 00:20:10.990 --> 00:20:15.130 So the believer has faith. 1 Thessalonians chapter 00:20:15.130 --> 00:20:22.529 1, verse 1 to 3. 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 1 to 00:20:22.529 --> 00:20:30.839 3. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church 00:20:30.839 --> 00:20:35.680 of the Thessalonians in God. The Father and the 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:39.900 Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from 00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:44.259 God. Our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, 00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:47.920 verse 2. We give thanks to God always for you. 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:53.180 All making mention of you in our prayers. Remembering 00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:55.940 without ceasing your walk of faith. So he's speaking 00:20:55.940 --> 00:20:58.849 to believers. And it's establishing that these 00:20:58.849 --> 00:21:02.529 believers have a walk of faith, labor of love 00:21:02.529 --> 00:21:05.730 and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:21:05.829 --> 00:21:08.150 in the sight of our God and Father. Hallelujah. 00:21:08.509 --> 00:21:11.690 So oftentimes we see the apostles in their epistles 00:21:11.690 --> 00:21:15.390 reminding believers that they have something 00:21:15.390 --> 00:21:17.650 that has been given to them. Something precious. 00:21:18.710 --> 00:21:22.849 Something much precious than gold. Something 00:21:22.849 --> 00:21:27.019 much precious than silver. And that is a gift 00:21:27.019 --> 00:21:30.059 of faith that God has worked in the believer. 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:33.779 Hallelujah. So we don't have a faith problem. 00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:38.359 That is, we don't lack faith because we are in 00:21:38.359 --> 00:21:42.960 Christ. Hallelujah. So how does this faith operate 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:46.319 in the life of the believer? How do we see this 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:51.799 faith expressed in the believer's life? Because 00:21:51.799 --> 00:21:55.369 understanding the expression, All the works of 00:21:55.369 --> 00:21:59.170 faith in the believer will help us. It will help 00:21:59.170 --> 00:22:02.069 us in what? In appropriating that which God has 00:22:02.069 --> 00:22:06.670 done in us. In our previous meetings and teachings, 00:22:06.789 --> 00:22:12.369 we said that the operation of faith or the activity 00:22:12.369 --> 00:22:17.490 of faith, first and foremost, is seen in the 00:22:17.490 --> 00:22:21.150 heart of the believer. Alright? We see faith. 00:22:22.090 --> 00:22:25.509 operating or the activity of faith is first and 00:22:25.509 --> 00:22:29.690 foremost established in the heart of the believer. 00:22:31.750 --> 00:22:36.289 Romans chapter 10 verse 8. In Romans chapter 00:22:36.289 --> 00:22:43.009 10 verse 8 to 10. But what does it say? The word 00:22:43.009 --> 00:22:45.289 is near you. This word is talking about the gospel, 00:22:45.309 --> 00:22:48.869 the message of salvation. The word is near you. 00:22:49.309 --> 00:22:53.009 In your mouth and in your heart. That is the 00:22:53.009 --> 00:22:57.369 word of faith which we preach. That if you confess 00:22:57.369 --> 00:23:01.970 with your mouth. The Lord Jesus. And believe 00:23:01.970 --> 00:23:06.730 in your heart. That God has raised him from the 00:23:06.730 --> 00:23:12.150 dead. You will be saved. Verse 10. For with the 00:23:12.150 --> 00:23:16.869 heart. One believes unto righteousness. So first 00:23:16.869 --> 00:23:20.839 of all we see. The activity or the operation 00:23:20.839 --> 00:23:26.180 of faith were in the heart of the believer. For 00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:29.859 with the heart, one believes unto righteousness. 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:34.539 And with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. 00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:38.880 So from this verse alone, we will see faith in 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:42.240 the heart of the believer operating. And we will 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:44.559 also see faith in the mouth of the believer. 00:23:45.539 --> 00:23:51.000 Hallelujah. So when the gospel is preached, a 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:54.000 man believes where he believes in his heart. 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:59.980 And as for us that are Christians, as many as 00:23:59.980 --> 00:24:02.099 have received the gospel, if you are here today, 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:05.160 it's expected that you have believed the message 00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:10.960 of the gospel. So when this message is preached 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:18.720 in the heart, the man becomes born again. And 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:22.380 this experience is from the heart. Hallelujah. 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:26.019 The experience of the new life is from the heart. 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:30.079 The change that occurs first and foremost in 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:35.000 the life of the believer is invisible. That is 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:37.619 to say, when we preach the gospel and you believe 00:24:37.619 --> 00:24:40.940 and you are born again, suddenly we don't see 00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:42.880 born again written on your forehead because it's 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:47.849 not something physical. It is an invisible experience, 00:24:48.190 --> 00:24:53.789 but real. Hallelujah. Being invisible does not 00:24:53.789 --> 00:24:57.549 mean that it is not real. And sometimes, you 00:24:57.549 --> 00:25:00.509 know, our circumstances, the things we pass through, 00:25:00.650 --> 00:25:05.190 our conduct seems to question the invisible experience 00:25:05.190 --> 00:25:08.799 that we've experienced, we've had. Sometimes 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:11.920 the devil brings issues and circumstances to 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:14.559 question that invisible experience that we've 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:17.000 had. That spiritual experience that we've had. 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:21.359 Because it's not physical, sometimes we think 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:25.339 that it's not real. That is why we need to be 00:25:25.339 --> 00:25:28.480 reassuring and assuring ourselves daily of the 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:31.900 reality of what God has done in Christ. That 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:34.200 you, the man that is in Christ, is born again. 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:40.720 And what God has done in you is eternal. So the 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:43.759 change occurs first in the invisible part of 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:47.619 the man. The spiritual part of the man. Because 00:25:47.619 --> 00:25:50.259 the man, first of all, is a spiritual being. 00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:56.819 Man, first of all, is a spiritual being. So we 00:25:56.819 --> 00:26:02.480 see that the change, the transformation, the 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:06.450 birth occurred first and foremost where? In the 00:26:06.450 --> 00:26:13.890 spirit of man. It is a heavenly experience. John 00:26:13.890 --> 00:26:16.710 chapter 3 verse 1. We see a man coming to Jesus 00:26:16.710 --> 00:26:20.750 Christ in John chapter 3 verse 1. There was a 00:26:20.750 --> 00:26:22.869 man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler 00:26:22.869 --> 00:26:26.410 of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night 00:26:26.410 --> 00:26:29.210 and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are 00:26:29.210 --> 00:26:33.349 a teacher come from God. For no one can do these 00:26:33.349 --> 00:26:38.099 signs that you do. Unless God is with him. Jesus 00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:40.759 answered and said to him. Most assuredly I say 00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:45.400 to you. Or verily verily I say to you. Unless 00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:51.880 one is born again. Alright. Born again. Unless 00:26:51.880 --> 00:26:53.880 a man is born again. What does it mean to be 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:59.299 born again? That word again. Is a word anothen. 00:26:59.619 --> 00:27:04.759 In the Greek. Unless one is born again. He cannot 00:27:04.759 --> 00:27:09.099 see the kingdom of God. Verse 4. Nicodemus said 00:27:09.099 --> 00:27:12.559 to him, how can a man be born when he is old? 00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:17.000 Nicodemus was looking at it from a physical perspective. 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:20.539 What he was thinking is something natural. What 00:27:20.539 --> 00:27:23.039 he was thinking is something that happens in 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:25.259 the physical. An old man like me, you're saying 00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:28.420 I must be born again. How can an old man be born 00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:32.559 again? Can he enter a second time into his mother's 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:37.859 womb and be born again? So Nicodemus here did 00:27:37.859 --> 00:27:42.579 not understand the concept that Jesus was speaking. 00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:46.259 Jesus answered most actually I said to you unless 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:50.619 one is born of water and the spirit he cannot 00:27:50.619 --> 00:27:53.480 enter the kingdom of God. So what he's saying 00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.640 is here is that this is not something physical. 00:27:57.180 --> 00:28:01.289 It is a spiritual experience. Water and the spirit 00:28:01.289 --> 00:28:05.990 speaks of a spiritual experience. Water speaks 00:28:05.990 --> 00:28:09.670 of the spirit. He cannot enter into the kingdom 00:28:09.670 --> 00:28:13.769 of God. Verse 6. That which is born of the flesh 00:28:13.769 --> 00:28:17.329 is flesh. And that which is born of spirit, spirit. 00:28:18.009 --> 00:28:22.710 So in context, Jesus is saying this is not a 00:28:22.710 --> 00:28:27.900 natural birth. So this experience. That you will 00:28:27.900 --> 00:28:31.640 have to experience the kingdom of God. To experience 00:28:31.640 --> 00:28:35.160 the spirit of God. To experience the power of 00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:40.039 God. Is a spiritual experience. And for every 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:44.359 man that has believed in Jesus Christ. That experience 00:28:44.359 --> 00:28:48.680 has happened. Amen. That experience has happened. 00:28:51.859 --> 00:29:00.299 Colossians chapter 3 verse 1 and 2. If you were 00:29:00.299 --> 00:29:02.440 raised with Christ, this is the experience of 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:06.400 the believer. Here, Paul is using the idea of 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:09.960 raised with Christ to speak of what happened 00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:13.960 in the spirit. If you were raised with Christ, 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:17.519 that is, if you are born again, because born 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:21.640 again, the word anothem means to be born from 00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:25.640 above. All right, that word anothem, N -A -N 00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:31.480 -O -T -H -E -N. It means from above. Above simply 00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:36.960 means a realm that is not earthly. Okay? To be 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:40.039 born from above, to be born from a higher place. 00:29:43.579 --> 00:29:48.019 To be born from a higher place which is not natural. 00:29:48.839 --> 00:29:52.279 So here in Colossians, it says, if then you were 00:29:52.279 --> 00:29:55.619 raised, that is if then you are born from above. 00:29:57.849 --> 00:30:02.390 Seek those things which are what? Which are spiritual. 00:30:02.609 --> 00:30:05.950 Those things that are from above. Where Christ 00:30:05.950 --> 00:30:10.869 is. Where is Christ? Christ is what? Is in the 00:30:10.869 --> 00:30:14.349 invisible. Are we together? Christ is in the 00:30:14.349 --> 00:30:18.450 spirit. So you seek such things that are yours 00:30:18.450 --> 00:30:22.970 in Christ. Sitting at the right hand of God. 00:30:25.230 --> 00:30:28.490 Set your mind on things that are above. Above 00:30:28.490 --> 00:30:32.650 the same word. This above here is the word A 00:30:32.650 --> 00:30:37.349 -N -O. Ano. Alright. It's an adverb. Talking 00:30:37.349 --> 00:30:41.150 about something as we see in John chapter 3 verse 00:30:41.150 --> 00:30:46.170 1. To be born again. Not only things on the earth. 00:30:46.789 --> 00:30:48.730 So there's a difference between things that are 00:30:48.730 --> 00:30:51.450 on the earth. And there are things that are above 00:30:51.450 --> 00:30:56.710 the earth. Above does not mean sky. Above simply 00:30:56.710 --> 00:31:00.809 means a different civilization. A different reality. 00:31:01.329 --> 00:31:04.369 A reality that is not seen with the physical 00:31:04.369 --> 00:31:09.230 eyes. A reality that is spiritual. Hallelujah. 00:31:10.910 --> 00:31:17.170 So how do we bring about the manifestation of 00:31:17.170 --> 00:31:20.029 the things that has happened in the spirit to 00:31:20.029 --> 00:31:28.700 the physical? How do we do that? We'll see that 00:31:28.700 --> 00:31:31.880 in due course. Romans chapter 10 verse 8. Again, 00:31:31.900 --> 00:31:36.279 the text we read. We'll see that this experience 00:31:36.279 --> 00:31:41.799 happened where? In the heart. Now the heart is 00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:46.119 not speaking of the physical heart of man. Because 00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:50.579 when you're born again, and you have a new heart 00:31:50.579 --> 00:31:55.759 transplant, right? For example, now, I'm not 00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.220 saying anybody is going to be sick, but if there's 00:31:58.220 --> 00:32:00.720 a heart transplant, a physical heart in the hospital, 00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:04.420 and you were born again and you had a heart transplant, 00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:06.960 it does not mean that the heart you receive makes 00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:10.779 you not born again. Because we say that this 00:32:10.779 --> 00:32:13.240 happens in the heart. The scripture uses the 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:18.299 word heart figuratively. All right? The word 00:32:18.299 --> 00:32:23.740 cardiac, K -A -R -D -I -A. It's used figuratively 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:30.680 to refer to the inner core of a person. The center 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:36.619 of thoughts of a person. Where emotions and feelings 00:32:36.619 --> 00:32:40.960 are felt. For example now, you were in love with 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:44.359 a young man or with a young lady. And suddenly 00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:46.259 the lady or the young man says, I'm not doing 00:32:46.259 --> 00:32:51.660 it again. You say, oh my heart is broken. Right? 00:32:52.380 --> 00:32:54.039 We're not talking about your physical heart. 00:32:54.740 --> 00:32:57.519 Even though, in a way, such experience can have 00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:59.319 effect in the physical. We've seen people that, 00:32:59.420 --> 00:33:02.740 you know, because of what happened emotionally, 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:05.539 they become sick in the physical. Which also 00:33:05.539 --> 00:33:07.019 tells us there's a relationship between what 00:33:07.019 --> 00:33:10.180 happened in the invisible and the physical. Are 00:33:10.180 --> 00:33:15.480 we together? So, here, the heart is not referring 00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:17.480 to what? It's not referring to the physical organ 00:33:17.480 --> 00:33:20.599 that pumps blood. But he's speaking to the invisible 00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:23.559 part of a man that we cannot see with our eyes. 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:27.380 Hallelujah. The center of thoughts. Where thoughts, 00:33:27.579 --> 00:33:33.160 where moral preferences are seen. Where intentions 00:33:33.160 --> 00:33:37.299 are made. Where decisions are taken. The very 00:33:37.299 --> 00:33:41.099 core of a man that is invisible. Because it is 00:33:41.099 --> 00:33:42.920 invisible does not mean that it is not real. 00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:49.099 Hallelujah. So. When a man received the message, 00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:53.420 he received the message in this aspect of his 00:33:53.420 --> 00:33:56.259 being. Of course, we receive the message from 00:33:56.259 --> 00:34:01.640 our ears. Then, from the ears goes to our core, 00:34:01.779 --> 00:34:05.319 our being, our way, our real man is, the inner 00:34:05.319 --> 00:34:11.739 man. And when we go through the scriptures, we 00:34:11.739 --> 00:34:18.260 see that the heart... It's described as the inner 00:34:18.260 --> 00:34:23.219 person from which motives, beliefs, and actions 00:34:23.219 --> 00:34:28.900 flows. Rather than just the mere physical organ 00:34:28.900 --> 00:34:35.940 that pumps blood. The word heart or cardia is 00:34:35.940 --> 00:34:42.489 used in scriptures about 800 times. And almost 00:34:42.489 --> 00:34:45.510 every time it is used, in those 800 times, it 00:34:45.510 --> 00:34:48.489 is used figuratively. Not in a literal sense, 00:34:48.670 --> 00:34:52.650 referring to men and the believer. Hallelujah. 00:34:53.650 --> 00:34:57.130 1 Samuel chapter 16 verse 7 is an example of 00:34:57.130 --> 00:35:02.070 how the word had is used. 1 Samuel 16 verse 7. 00:35:04.070 --> 00:35:07.289 But the Lord said to Samuel when he came to anoint 00:35:07.289 --> 00:35:10.630 the king of Israel in the house of Jesse. Do 00:35:10.630 --> 00:35:14.349 not look at his appearance or at his physical 00:35:14.349 --> 00:35:19.909 stature. Because I have refused him. For the 00:35:19.909 --> 00:35:23.550 Lord does not see as a man sees. Hallelujah. 00:35:23.969 --> 00:35:27.489 How does a man see? We cannot see your heart. 00:35:29.010 --> 00:35:32.469 Amen. We cannot see. We know you have a heart. 00:35:33.050 --> 00:35:37.869 Alright. Your core, your being, where your emotions 00:35:37.869 --> 00:35:41.269 are. Where your belief system is established. 00:35:41.570 --> 00:35:44.670 Where the renewal is made your mind. Alright. 00:35:44.969 --> 00:35:48.989 But we cannot see it. For the Lord does not see 00:35:48.989 --> 00:35:53.449 as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance. 00:35:54.369 --> 00:35:58.110 But the Lord looks at what? The Lord is able 00:35:58.110 --> 00:36:01.309 to discern what is in the heart of a man. Hallelujah. 00:36:02.090 --> 00:36:05.329 So the good news or the news flash is this. Is 00:36:05.329 --> 00:36:10.630 the Lord knows our heart. He is in the invisible 00:36:10.630 --> 00:36:15.070 and is able to see what is invisible to the physical 00:36:15.070 --> 00:36:21.869 eyes. So this describes what? It shows that although 00:36:21.869 --> 00:36:25.989 we as men might look physically, but God has 00:36:25.989 --> 00:36:29.010 the ability to look inside the heart. 1 Peter 00:36:29.010 --> 00:36:33.030 3 verse 3 also describes the hidden person of 00:36:33.030 --> 00:36:41.400 the heart. 1 Peter 3 verse 3 to 5. And it's linking 00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:44.320 it to the outward, the inward spiritual life 00:36:44.320 --> 00:36:48.159 of man. It says, do not let your adornment be 00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:51.739 merely outward arranging the hair, wearing gold, 00:36:51.860 --> 00:36:56.099 or putting on fine apparel. Rather, let it be 00:36:56.099 --> 00:36:59.079 the hidden person of where? The hidden person 00:36:59.079 --> 00:37:02.119 of the heart. So your focus is not about what 00:37:02.119 --> 00:37:05.480 is in the physical, but rather the man, the real 00:37:05.480 --> 00:37:08.300 you that is inside. With incorruptible beauty. 00:37:08.989 --> 00:37:12.789 Of a gentle and quiet spirit. Which is very precious 00:37:12.789 --> 00:37:19.610 in the sight of God. Hallelujah. So. Because 00:37:19.610 --> 00:37:23.110 the heart is very important. And is the foundation. 00:37:23.530 --> 00:37:26.250 Or is the first place we see faith in operation 00:37:26.250 --> 00:37:29.010 in the life of a man. Primarily in the heart. 00:37:29.130 --> 00:37:32.250 The Bible will teach us that we must guard the 00:37:32.250 --> 00:37:36.949 heart with what? With all diligence. Because 00:37:36.949 --> 00:37:40.219 out of it flows what? Flows the issues of life. 00:37:40.280 --> 00:37:45.679 Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23. Proverbs chapter 00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:50.260 4 verse 23. Says keep your heart with all diligence. 00:37:51.480 --> 00:37:55.179 For out of it springs what? The issues of life. 00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:57.900 From what is in your heart. There's a central 00:37:57.900 --> 00:38:03.199 unit that influences your actions is found in 00:38:03.199 --> 00:38:05.219 your heart. Whoever controls your heart will 00:38:05.219 --> 00:38:09.619 control your action. Hallelujah. Whoever controls 00:38:09.619 --> 00:38:11.960 what happens in your heart will control your 00:38:11.960 --> 00:38:18.059 outcome. The outcome of your life. Whoever controls 00:38:18.059 --> 00:38:20.019 what happens in your heart will control your 00:38:20.019 --> 00:38:25.440 destiny. He will control where your eternity 00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:32.679 will be. So not only that we allowed God into 00:38:32.679 --> 00:38:35.579 our hearts, receiving the message of salvation 00:38:35.579 --> 00:38:39.250 that causes a transformation. In our hearts. 00:38:40.409 --> 00:38:42.989 Giving us a new birth and a new identity from 00:38:42.989 --> 00:38:48.409 the heart. We also have to guard our hearts from 00:38:48.409 --> 00:38:53.010 external influence. Because the devil also wants 00:38:53.010 --> 00:38:59.050 to influence us in the heart. Hallelujah. So 00:38:59.050 --> 00:39:01.489 secondly, we saw that the operation or the activity 00:39:01.489 --> 00:39:05.849 of faith can be seen in the conduct of the believer. 00:39:06.269 --> 00:39:09.670 We say that, we taught that in this church. So 00:39:09.670 --> 00:39:13.949 since salvation is not invisible, since salvation 00:39:13.949 --> 00:39:16.250 is from the invisible, since a new birth is from 00:39:16.250 --> 00:39:19.909 the invisible, since faith operates in the heart 00:39:19.909 --> 00:39:21.690 of man where we don't see with our physical eyes, 00:39:21.849 --> 00:39:30.010 our conduct also must be reflected from what 00:39:30.010 --> 00:39:35.000 has happened in the invisible. James will teach 00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:38.460 that faith cannot remain merely an inward profession. 00:39:39.400 --> 00:39:46.980 Okay? The way a believer believes should also 00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:52.099 demonstrate what? The faith that has happened 00:39:52.099 --> 00:39:55.679 in his heart. The experience we have in the invisible 00:39:55.679 --> 00:40:00.679 must be seen in our conduct. So, the activity 00:40:00.679 --> 00:40:06.469 of faith Is not only in the heart alone. The 00:40:06.469 --> 00:40:09.130 operation of faith. First of all we say it starts 00:40:09.130 --> 00:40:12.110 from the heart. But it doesn't end there. It 00:40:12.110 --> 00:40:14.909 moves from what has happened in the inside. To 00:40:14.909 --> 00:40:20.889 the conduct of a man. James chapter 2 verse 17 00:40:20.889 --> 00:40:23.750 and 18. Give me the amplified version of this 00:40:23.750 --> 00:40:27.969 text. James chapter 2 verse 17. The argument 00:40:27.969 --> 00:40:33.579 here. Is that. If you are born again, we must 00:40:33.579 --> 00:40:39.139 see it in your conduct. So too, faith, if it 00:40:39.139 --> 00:40:42.480 does not have works, he says to back it up, to 00:40:42.480 --> 00:40:46.599 show it, to prove, it is by itself ineffective 00:40:46.599 --> 00:40:55.079 or inoperative. If your faith cannot be seen 00:40:55.079 --> 00:40:58.400 in your conduct, it means that your faith is 00:40:58.400 --> 00:41:03.289 what? It's not active. It's inoperative. So you 00:41:03.289 --> 00:41:06.889 can make faith inoperative in your life by not 00:41:06.889 --> 00:41:12.050 allowing the Spirit of God to bring about the 00:41:12.050 --> 00:41:15.309 manifestation of what God has done in the inside 00:41:15.309 --> 00:41:19.789 of you. Let the man that has been renewed from 00:41:19.789 --> 00:41:23.650 the inside controls what you do in the physical. 00:41:26.369 --> 00:41:30.639 So too, faith... If it does not have works to 00:41:30.639 --> 00:41:33.800 back it up, he says it is by itself dead, inoperative 00:41:33.800 --> 00:41:37.480 and ineffective. Verse 18. But someone may say, 00:41:37.719 --> 00:41:40.679 he's not saying that this is a statement of fact, 00:41:40.860 --> 00:41:46.840 but someone may say or claim to have faith and 00:41:46.840 --> 00:41:51.519 have good works. Show me your alleged faith. 00:41:52.679 --> 00:41:57.789 All right? Without the works, if you can. And 00:41:57.789 --> 00:42:01.510 I will show you my faith by my works. That is 00:42:01.510 --> 00:42:07.909 by what I do. Amen. So it's not an argument of 00:42:07.909 --> 00:42:10.329 salvation is by works or salvation is by faith. 00:42:10.389 --> 00:42:12.510 That's not the argument here. The conversation 00:42:12.510 --> 00:42:14.630 is here is that if something has happened in 00:42:14.630 --> 00:42:17.650 you, we should be able to see it in your conduct. 00:42:18.489 --> 00:42:23.269 Hallelujah. So Jesus also will go on to teach 00:42:23.269 --> 00:42:26.630 that what is inside a man. eventually becomes 00:42:26.630 --> 00:42:35.829 visible through his conduct. What is in the heart 00:42:35.829 --> 00:42:39.610 of man is eventually seen in his conduct. A genuine 00:42:39.610 --> 00:42:43.449 relationship with Christ should produce a corresponding 00:42:43.449 --> 00:42:49.590 fruit. Matthew chapter 7 verse 16 to 20. Matthew 00:42:49.590 --> 00:42:56.110 chapter 7 verse 16 to 20. By their fruits. New 00:42:56.110 --> 00:43:03.809 King James. You will know them by their fruits. 00:43:05.929 --> 00:43:10.150 Do men gather grapes from corn bushes or figs 00:43:10.150 --> 00:43:12.570 from tissues? Just imagine you went to a mango 00:43:12.570 --> 00:43:15.389 tree and then suddenly you see orange on it. 00:43:16.849 --> 00:43:21.280 No, it's impossible. Alright? The identity of 00:43:21.280 --> 00:43:23.440 the tree will produce the fruits that is expected 00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:29.780 of the tree. Even so, every good tree bears what? 00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:36.519 Bears good fruit. But a bad tree bears bad fruit. 00:43:38.679 --> 00:43:44.019 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit. Nor can a 00:43:44.019 --> 00:43:49.760 bad tree bears what? Bears a good fruit. Everything 00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:52.820 that does not bear good fruit is cut down and 00:43:52.820 --> 00:43:56.920 thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, 00:43:57.159 --> 00:44:00.440 what will happen? You will know them. Hallelujah. 00:44:01.360 --> 00:44:03.760 So say to your neighbor, my conduct is important. 00:44:05.460 --> 00:44:09.139 My conduct is important. Because my life in the 00:44:09.139 --> 00:44:12.639 inside must be manifested in the physical. Faith 00:44:12.639 --> 00:44:16.409 is operational in our hearts. And faith is also 00:44:16.409 --> 00:44:20.829 seen in its activity in our conduct. Because 00:44:20.829 --> 00:44:24.030 what happened in our hearts must be demonstrated 00:44:24.030 --> 00:44:29.730 in our actions. Hallelujah. But remember we read 00:44:29.730 --> 00:44:33.170 in Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10 verse 00:44:33.170 --> 00:44:38.469 9. About confession. Alright. Romans chapter 00:44:38.469 --> 00:44:41.050 10. Give me Romans chapter 10 verse 9 and 10 00:44:41.050 --> 00:44:49.219 again. If you confess with your mouth the Lord 00:44:49.219 --> 00:44:52.940 Jesus and believe in your heart, God has raised 00:44:52.940 --> 00:44:55.340 him from the dead, you will be saved. So there's 00:44:55.340 --> 00:44:58.320 a confession. For with the heart one believes 00:44:58.320 --> 00:45:01.400 unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession 00:45:01.400 --> 00:45:06.199 is made unto salvation. Confession is made unto 00:45:06.199 --> 00:45:12.420 salvation. So here we see in operation or in 00:45:12.420 --> 00:45:17.639 activity, Faith in the words, in speech of the 00:45:17.639 --> 00:45:20.940 believer. Alright? In the mouth of the believer. 00:45:21.440 --> 00:45:26.840 Faith must be operational in the heart as well 00:45:26.840 --> 00:45:32.920 as in the mouth for salvation. Alright? What 00:45:32.920 --> 00:45:37.300 is in your lips and in your heart must be the 00:45:37.300 --> 00:45:44.039 same. Okay? What is in your lips and what is 00:45:44.039 --> 00:45:51.059 in your heart must be the same. Oftentimes, it's 00:45:51.059 --> 00:45:55.360 very easy to see people say things that is not 00:45:55.360 --> 00:45:59.679 actually what is in their heart. Or to say things, 00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:03.280 to believe something and not say it. Or to say 00:46:03.280 --> 00:46:08.139 something that they don't believe. In verse 17 00:46:08.139 --> 00:46:14.900 of that same text, Romans 10 verse 17. Romans 00:46:14.900 --> 00:46:18.139 10, he says, so then faith comes by hearing and 00:46:18.139 --> 00:46:24.059 hearing by the word of God. Faith comes by hearing 00:46:24.059 --> 00:46:26.420 and receiving the gospel, which we've seen earlier 00:46:26.420 --> 00:46:30.739 on, in the heart. And it's given expression through 00:46:30.739 --> 00:46:34.780 words of the mouth. A man believes in his heart 00:46:34.780 --> 00:46:41.280 and confesses with his mouth. This is how we 00:46:41.280 --> 00:46:43.920 are born again. Hallelujah. Now, not only for 00:46:43.920 --> 00:46:48.800 salvation, okay? The confession of faith in the 00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:52.960 lips of the man is not only in salvation. But 00:46:52.960 --> 00:46:55.599 the believer must speak the words of faith to 00:46:55.599 --> 00:46:59.199 see the power of God at work in his life daily. 00:47:00.460 --> 00:47:03.539 This is an aspect of our lives that we need to 00:47:03.539 --> 00:47:06.559 be coached, we need to be taught, and we need 00:47:06.559 --> 00:47:11.159 to be mentored in order to see The power of God 00:47:11.159 --> 00:47:17.699 at work daily in our lives. Hallelujah. Mark 00:47:17.699 --> 00:47:19.760 chapter 11 verse 22 was a text that we are familiar 00:47:19.760 --> 00:47:25.699 with. Mark 11 verse 22 verse 23. Jesus said something 00:47:25.699 --> 00:47:28.940 when he was teaching about faith to his disciples. 00:47:30.460 --> 00:47:34.739 Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in 00:47:34.739 --> 00:47:39.219 God. For as surely I say to you, whoever says, 00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:45.619 That is, whoever will speak. Okay? Whoever will 00:47:45.619 --> 00:47:49.739 speak. So the issue of faith is fundamental in 00:47:49.739 --> 00:47:52.880 the heart. Alright? And the kind of faith you 00:47:52.880 --> 00:47:54.619 are speaking about is fundamentally established. 00:47:55.460 --> 00:47:58.420 The faith that is from the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:47:59.000 --> 00:48:02.420 Alright? So, surely I say to you, whoever will 00:48:02.420 --> 00:48:08.139 say to this mountain, be removed and cast into 00:48:08.139 --> 00:48:12.309 the sea. And does not doubt where? In his heart. 00:48:12.469 --> 00:48:15.110 So we see the activity of what is in the heart. 00:48:15.269 --> 00:48:18.449 And what is where? In the lips. In the mouth. 00:48:19.190 --> 00:48:23.329 Be removed and cast into the sea. And does not 00:48:23.329 --> 00:48:27.610 doubt in his heart. But believes that those things 00:48:27.610 --> 00:48:31.610 which he wore. Which he think. Is it what he 00:48:31.610 --> 00:48:34.849 think? What he wore? Those things which he wore. 00:48:34.909 --> 00:48:41.769 He says. will be done. He will have whatever 00:48:41.769 --> 00:48:49.349 he says. Now this statement is emphatic. It's 00:48:49.349 --> 00:48:53.510 not a probability. Alright? It's not a probability. 00:48:53.750 --> 00:49:00.289 He will have whatever he says. Conditional to 00:49:00.289 --> 00:49:02.510 the previous statements that have been made in 00:49:02.510 --> 00:49:13.260 the verse. He will have whatever he says. Hallelujah. 00:49:14.059 --> 00:49:17.280 So the power of God finds expression through 00:49:17.280 --> 00:49:22.000 the believer by his speaking. By his speaking. 00:49:23.599 --> 00:49:26.820 So is it possible that the reason for the powerlessness 00:49:26.820 --> 00:49:29.400 you see is because of what you've been speaking? 00:49:29.960 --> 00:49:32.199 What you've been saying is not in collaboration 00:49:32.199 --> 00:49:36.139 with what you believe in your heart. The realities 00:49:36.139 --> 00:49:38.179 that you've been speaking are not things that 00:49:38.179 --> 00:49:42.000 are in... In connection to your identity, to 00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:48.780 what God has done in your heart. Our words and 00:49:48.780 --> 00:49:53.820 what is in our heart must align for us to experience 00:49:53.820 --> 00:49:57.079 the power of God in the physical, in the material. 00:49:59.019 --> 00:50:01.659 And now we're talking about the believer here. 00:50:03.739 --> 00:50:06.579 So the power of God finds expression through... 00:50:07.500 --> 00:50:11.559 The believer, by his speaking. First of all, 00:50:11.599 --> 00:50:14.139 do you know that even in preaching, we preach 00:50:14.139 --> 00:50:17.440 for people to be saved. So the power of God that 00:50:17.440 --> 00:50:20.820 is unto salvation is expressed through words. 00:50:22.619 --> 00:50:27.480 Not only that, in our personal life, we must 00:50:27.480 --> 00:50:30.760 always speak in order to see the expression of 00:50:30.760 --> 00:50:36.260 God's power in our life. The believers are called 00:50:36.260 --> 00:50:38.760 to examine themselves to see if they are in the 00:50:38.760 --> 00:50:43.000 faith. In 2 Corinthians 13, verse 5 to 7, we 00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:46.059 know the historical context of the Corinthian 00:50:46.059 --> 00:50:50.380 church from 1 Corinthians to 2 Corinthians. These 00:50:50.380 --> 00:50:53.539 men are Christians, right? But in their conduct, 00:50:53.840 --> 00:50:58.739 there's no alignment. Okay? What they are doing 00:50:58.739 --> 00:51:02.260 is contrary to their identity. What they are 00:51:02.260 --> 00:51:06.639 saying... is contrary to their identity. So what 00:51:06.639 --> 00:51:09.559 does it mean? In 2 Corinthians, you can write 00:51:09.559 --> 00:51:11.360 that down and read it later. 2 Corinthians 13 00:51:11.360 --> 00:51:15.340 verse 5 to 7. What does it mean to examine whether 00:51:15.340 --> 00:51:17.820 they are in the faith contextually imposed later 00:51:17.820 --> 00:51:21.679 to the Christians at Corinth? The believers are 00:51:21.679 --> 00:51:32.239 to evaluate themselves to see if... Their profession 00:51:32.239 --> 00:51:35.760 of faith, their confession of faith, and their 00:51:35.760 --> 00:51:38.239 work, that is their conduct, align with the faith 00:51:38.239 --> 00:51:42.239 that they have in Jesus Christ. What comes out 00:51:42.239 --> 00:51:46.940 of the believer's mouth, their speech must proceed 00:51:46.940 --> 00:51:52.079 from what fills their heart. Hallelujah. What 00:51:52.079 --> 00:51:56.440 fills our heart must be given expression by our 00:51:56.440 --> 00:52:00.460 words and in our words. Matthew chapter 12 verse 00:52:00.460 --> 00:52:04.219 34 and Luke chapter 6 verse 45. Give me these 00:52:04.219 --> 00:52:10.199 two texts. Matthew 12 verse 34. Jesus Christ 00:52:10.199 --> 00:52:14.019 here is speaking to unbelievers here. He says, 00:52:14.039 --> 00:52:19.840 How can you, being evil, speak good things? It 00:52:19.840 --> 00:52:21.800 is impossible for a man that is evil to speak 00:52:21.800 --> 00:52:25.300 good things. Now, good things is not nice things. 00:52:26.159 --> 00:52:30.199 What is good is defined by God. Hallelujah. What 00:52:30.199 --> 00:52:34.539 is good is defined in Christ. Not by the physical, 00:52:34.659 --> 00:52:37.760 not by the standard of the world. Good is what 00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:42.019 God has done in Christ. So how can you who are 00:52:42.019 --> 00:52:45.079 evil speak good things? For out of the abundance 00:52:45.079 --> 00:52:47.280 of the heart, what will happen with the mouth? 00:52:47.400 --> 00:52:52.340 The mouth will speak. Luke chapter 6 verse 45. 00:52:55.469 --> 00:52:59.710 Luke chapter 6 verse 45. A good man. Who is a 00:52:59.710 --> 00:53:02.789 good man? A good man is a man that is born again. 00:53:03.570 --> 00:53:07.030 Hallelujah. A good man is a man in Christ. And 00:53:07.030 --> 00:53:09.530 your goodness is not because he did something 00:53:09.530 --> 00:53:13.090 good. Your goodness is an imputed goodness. Your 00:53:13.090 --> 00:53:17.650 goodness is a gift. So such a good man, out of 00:53:17.650 --> 00:53:21.489 the good treasures of where? Of his heart, brings 00:53:21.489 --> 00:53:27.440 forward good. Good works. Good works, right? 00:53:27.599 --> 00:53:31.219 Good. And an evil man, who is an evil man? An 00:53:31.219 --> 00:53:33.539 evil man is a man that has not believed the gospel. 00:53:34.539 --> 00:53:37.099 No matter how handsome and beautiful she is, 00:53:37.300 --> 00:53:42.639 no matter how educated the man is, as far as 00:53:42.639 --> 00:53:47.179 God is concerned, he is an evil man if he has 00:53:47.179 --> 00:53:50.760 not believed in Jesus. So an evil man out of 00:53:50.760 --> 00:53:53.639 the evil treasures of his heart brings forth 00:53:53.639 --> 00:53:56.989 what? Evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, 00:53:57.389 --> 00:54:02.309 his mouth will speak. Hallelujah. That is to 00:54:02.309 --> 00:54:07.369 say, from what God has done in our hearts, our 00:54:07.369 --> 00:54:15.730 words should carry power. Amen? So also, conduct 00:54:15.730 --> 00:54:18.590 and profession must align. What have we established? 00:54:19.329 --> 00:54:22.409 First of all, the heart must align with what 00:54:22.409 --> 00:54:27.320 is in our conduct. Alright? Also, our conduct 00:54:27.320 --> 00:54:32.699 and what we say must align. Titus chapter 1 verse 00:54:32.699 --> 00:54:37.800 10 to 16. The conduct and the profession must 00:54:37.800 --> 00:54:40.420 align. You can't say one thing and then you are 00:54:40.420 --> 00:54:42.300 doing a different thing and then you expect to 00:54:42.300 --> 00:54:44.840 see the result. You can't believe in something 00:54:44.840 --> 00:54:47.199 different and say something different and expect 00:54:47.199 --> 00:54:50.199 to see the power of God at work. So what you 00:54:50.199 --> 00:54:53.960 speak what is in your heart, what you believe 00:54:53.960 --> 00:54:56.719 in your heart and what you speak and what you 00:54:56.719 --> 00:54:59.739 do must align in order to see the fullness manifestation 00:54:59.739 --> 00:55:02.059 of the power of God. When there's a disconnect 00:55:02.059 --> 00:55:05.500 from any of these three, it limits the expression 00:55:05.500 --> 00:55:11.019 of God's power in our lives. Titus chapter 1 00:55:11.019 --> 00:55:14.119 verse 10 to 16. They profess to know God. Who 00:55:14.119 --> 00:55:17.300 are those people? They are unbelievers. They 00:55:17.300 --> 00:55:21.699 profess to know God. But in works, in their conduct, 00:55:21.900 --> 00:55:25.599 they deny him being abominable, disobedient, 00:55:25.639 --> 00:55:28.960 and disqualified for every good work. Great work 00:55:28.960 --> 00:55:33.500 are good works. So a man that what he professes 00:55:33.500 --> 00:55:38.659 is in denial to his what? To his conduct is a 00:55:38.659 --> 00:55:41.639 man that is not good. He's not ready for every 00:55:41.639 --> 00:55:44.880 good work. That man cannot do these greater works 00:55:44.880 --> 00:55:52.239 we are talking about. Verse 17. Verse 17. Not 00:55:52.239 --> 00:55:57.900 17. 10 to 16. But thank you. You've concluded 00:55:57.900 --> 00:56:01.679 my reading of that text. Faith is not only... 00:56:01.679 --> 00:56:06.079 Faith is not invisible in its activity or operations. 00:56:07.420 --> 00:56:10.460 The manifestation of faith becomes evident in 00:56:10.460 --> 00:56:13.519 the life of a Christian. Therefore, a believer's 00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:17.440 life should display the evidence of faith through 00:56:17.440 --> 00:56:20.869 his conduct, through his character, through his 00:56:20.869 --> 00:56:24.489 obedience and the life of ministry. So we've 00:56:24.489 --> 00:56:28.510 established, first of all, that faith may begin 00:56:28.510 --> 00:56:30.909 in the heart. All right, that is where faith 00:56:30.909 --> 00:56:34.510 starts. We believe the renewal, the new life, 00:56:34.650 --> 00:56:38.050 the born again experience in the invisible, in 00:56:38.050 --> 00:56:40.829 the spiritual realm of a man. Because man is 00:56:40.829 --> 00:56:42.989 a spiritual being. So it begins in the heart 00:56:42.989 --> 00:56:47.110 of man, but becomes visible in his speech and 00:56:47.110 --> 00:56:51.289 in his conduct. Hallelujah. So do you know that 00:56:51.289 --> 00:56:52.929 by your words we know whether you have faith 00:56:52.929 --> 00:56:55.809 or not? Whether you are a man of faith or not. 00:56:56.909 --> 00:56:59.449 By your words we know the content of your heart. 00:56:59.530 --> 00:57:05.469 What your meditation is. Someone is regarded 00:57:05.469 --> 00:57:11.590 as wise until when he speaks. Then we will know 00:57:11.590 --> 00:57:15.289 the content of his heart. That this man has no 00:57:15.289 --> 00:57:18.969 wisdom. Someone may look unwise until when he 00:57:18.969 --> 00:57:21.670 speaks. Then we will understand the content of 00:57:21.670 --> 00:57:27.530 what is inside him. So faith may begin in the 00:57:27.530 --> 00:57:31.570 heart. Always. But then our speech and our conduct 00:57:31.570 --> 00:57:34.949 must reflect what has happened in our heart. 00:57:35.550 --> 00:57:38.590 It is important to emphasize that faith speaks. 00:57:40.550 --> 00:57:45.599 Faith speaks. Faith operates in the heart and 00:57:45.599 --> 00:57:48.639 also in the mouth. It's not only what I believe. 00:57:49.539 --> 00:57:52.699 It's also what you are speaking. If you don't 00:57:52.699 --> 00:57:57.599 speak it, you may not see it in existence. Hallelujah. 00:57:59.519 --> 00:58:02.639 So quickly, as we draw a curtain to this foundation 00:58:02.639 --> 00:58:05.320 we are laying today. Five practical applications. 00:58:05.400 --> 00:58:08.500 This one is Pastor Ima that has told us to be 00:58:08.500 --> 00:58:15.969 giving practical applications. Practical applications 00:58:15.969 --> 00:58:20.809 for the words of faith. First of all, we must 00:58:20.809 --> 00:58:25.769 guard our heart. Being intentional about what 00:58:25.769 --> 00:58:30.650 you allow into your heart. Remember, we've said 00:58:30.650 --> 00:58:33.570 in our previous teachings that the devil is interested 00:58:33.570 --> 00:58:37.610 in the activity that happens in your heart. Even 00:58:37.610 --> 00:58:39.929 though you are born again, even though you are 00:58:39.929 --> 00:58:43.760 renewed, it does not stop the enemy. From bringing 00:58:43.760 --> 00:58:47.420 doubt inside your heart. Hallelujah. So from 00:58:47.420 --> 00:58:49.880 that, you know, your speech can express doubt. 00:58:50.019 --> 00:58:52.300 You know, your speech. We'll see that maybe hopefully 00:58:52.300 --> 00:58:56.659 on Wednesday. So we must guard our hearts. Being 00:58:56.659 --> 00:58:59.800 intentional about what comes into our hearts. 00:59:00.239 --> 00:59:05.739 Because your beliefs, your words and actions 00:59:05.739 --> 00:59:09.079 flows from what? From your heart. Therefore, 00:59:09.179 --> 00:59:12.179 you have a duty. It's not everything you hear. 00:59:14.659 --> 00:59:16.980 Hallelujah. It's not every music you listen to. 00:59:18.079 --> 00:59:25.179 It's not every news you read. Every time you 00:59:25.179 --> 00:59:28.559 read about these rumors about how fake men of 00:59:28.559 --> 00:59:30.880 God, how fake this person, this, this, this, 00:59:30.880 --> 00:59:33.639 this, this. The only negativity upon negativity, 00:59:33.920 --> 00:59:37.500 it will control. In fact, the reason for the 00:59:37.500 --> 00:59:40.679 things you see, even sometimes you dream, is 00:59:40.679 --> 00:59:41.780 because of the things you have allowed inside 00:59:41.780 --> 00:59:46.119 your heart. Why will you not dream that people 00:59:46.119 --> 00:59:52.619 are pursuing you? Why will you not be thinking 00:59:52.619 --> 00:59:56.219 of your village people? You've watched so much 00:59:56.219 --> 01:00:01.599 of nolly, what do they call it? Nollywood. And 01:00:01.599 --> 01:00:03.579 you have developed your belief from what you've 01:00:03.579 --> 01:00:07.480 allowed into your heart. As against what God 01:00:07.480 --> 01:00:11.019 has done and what God has said in his word. So 01:00:11.019 --> 01:00:13.300 we have a responsibility of guarding. See, your 01:00:13.300 --> 01:00:17.340 ear is a doorway into your heart. It's not your 01:00:17.340 --> 01:00:20.739 mouth. You know, they say that a door into a 01:00:20.739 --> 01:00:24.219 man's heart is his stomach, is a lie, is your 01:00:24.219 --> 01:00:28.619 ear. What you hear, what you hear have impact 01:00:28.619 --> 01:00:31.780 on your heart. It have impact on your spiritual 01:00:31.780 --> 01:00:36.320 life. It formulates your ideology and your perspective 01:00:36.320 --> 01:00:39.949 about life. And that is why the Bible will tell 01:00:39.949 --> 01:00:42.349 us to renew our hearts daily by the word of God 01:00:42.349 --> 01:00:46.469 so that those toxics we've received will be discarded 01:00:46.469 --> 01:00:48.750 and then the word of God will become supreme 01:00:48.750 --> 01:00:52.570 in our hearts. So not only do we guard our hearts, 01:00:52.690 --> 01:00:55.530 secondly, we must fill our hearts with God's 01:00:55.530 --> 01:00:59.150 word. Spend time daily reading and meditating 01:00:59.150 --> 01:01:02.769 on and receiving God's word until it shapes your 01:01:02.769 --> 01:01:08.699 thinking. Until it shapes your thinking. See, 01:01:08.719 --> 01:01:11.199 if your mind has not been renewed, you cannot 01:01:11.199 --> 01:01:16.820 heal the sick. If you cannot renew your mind 01:01:16.820 --> 01:01:19.179 to the point that you believe that this text 01:01:19.179 --> 01:01:21.460 speaks about you, that I will lay hand on the 01:01:21.460 --> 01:01:23.920 sick and the sick will be healed, you cannot 01:01:23.920 --> 01:01:29.760 administer healing. So your mind must be renewed 01:01:29.760 --> 01:01:33.059 by what God has said concerning you. It must 01:01:33.059 --> 01:01:36.599 become a realistic thing in your mind. You're 01:01:36.599 --> 01:01:40.489 thinking, must be strengthened by the words of 01:01:40.489 --> 01:01:45.409 faith. Number three, you must speak words that 01:01:45.409 --> 01:01:49.989 agree with faith. Now, we are not saying that 01:01:49.989 --> 01:01:52.030 you are denying things that happens in the natural. 01:01:52.349 --> 01:01:54.369 We are not saying that you are denying somebody 01:01:54.369 --> 01:01:56.550 died, then you say, no, the person have not died. 01:01:56.590 --> 01:01:58.389 No, that's not what we are saying. Or you are 01:01:58.389 --> 01:02:00.289 feeling some symptom of sicknesses, then you 01:02:00.289 --> 01:02:01.530 say, no, you are not sick. That's not what we 01:02:01.530 --> 01:02:03.730 are saying. What we are saying is that your profession 01:02:03.730 --> 01:02:07.090 is what God has said. Your profession must be 01:02:07.090 --> 01:02:08.630 what God is saying concerning that situation. 01:02:09.110 --> 01:02:13.710 Your conviction must be established on the report 01:02:13.710 --> 01:02:17.170 of God. So you must speak words that agree with 01:02:17.170 --> 01:02:21.289 faith. Make a conscious decision to let your 01:02:21.289 --> 01:02:26.010 speech reflect God's promises rather than fear, 01:02:26.230 --> 01:02:30.550 doubt, or negativity. You must be intentional 01:02:30.550 --> 01:02:34.329 about what? Your words. See, you must change 01:02:34.329 --> 01:02:38.719 your dictionary. Your dictions must change. Sometimes 01:02:38.719 --> 01:02:40.480 when some brothers and some sisters come around 01:02:40.480 --> 01:02:44.159 and begin to speak, I wonder whether you are 01:02:44.159 --> 01:02:48.239 born again. An unbeliever is experiencing doubt 01:02:48.239 --> 01:02:52.480 in his word. So also you, the believer. So there 01:02:52.480 --> 01:02:55.539 must be a change. This change does not happen 01:02:55.539 --> 01:02:59.059 automatic. By what you hear and what you meditate 01:02:59.059 --> 01:03:01.360 upon proceeds the words that come out of your 01:03:01.360 --> 01:03:04.659 mouth. So you must be conscious enough to change 01:03:04.659 --> 01:03:08.659 your vocabulary. You must be intentional enough 01:03:08.659 --> 01:03:11.679 to change the things you say daily. Because your 01:03:11.679 --> 01:03:17.000 words shapes your reality. The word of God is 01:03:17.000 --> 01:03:23.119 powerful. The word of God is effective. The word 01:03:23.119 --> 01:03:25.840 of God in the mouth of the believer is powerful. 01:03:28.780 --> 01:03:32.480 But then you must believe in your heart. You 01:03:32.480 --> 01:03:36.199 must agree with what God has said. And number 01:03:36.199 --> 01:03:38.880 four, let your conduct demonstrate your faith. 01:03:39.440 --> 01:03:42.639 Ask yourself, can people see my faith in the 01:03:42.639 --> 01:03:46.099 way I live? Can people see my faith in my words? 01:03:47.980 --> 01:03:49.820 When they look at me and the things I'm passing 01:03:49.820 --> 01:03:52.679 through, oh, am I always saying, oh, I'm dying, 01:03:52.940 --> 01:03:56.000 this thing is killing me, it will kill you. Because 01:03:56.000 --> 01:03:57.599 that is your reality. That's the reality you 01:03:57.599 --> 01:04:01.329 are enforcing by your words. So your words must 01:04:01.329 --> 01:04:04.170 be the words that God has said concerning that 01:04:04.170 --> 01:04:08.250 situation. For every situation in your life, 01:04:08.449 --> 01:04:11.389 look for what God is saying concerning that situation. 01:04:12.889 --> 01:04:16.510 Hallelujah. What is God saying about this? Pray. 01:04:16.650 --> 01:04:18.170 That means you have to be a man of prayer, a 01:04:18.170 --> 01:04:20.250 woman of prayer. You have to be a woman of the 01:04:20.250 --> 01:04:22.750 word to know what God is saying. A time per season. 01:04:23.130 --> 01:04:25.110 Concerning this situation, Lord, what is your 01:04:25.110 --> 01:04:27.190 word? And when you receive the word of God, you 01:04:27.190 --> 01:04:29.829 stay with the word of God until the word of God 01:04:29.829 --> 01:04:33.050 comes to manifestation. Regardless of what people 01:04:33.050 --> 01:04:34.849 may say and the circumstances may be saying, 01:04:34.989 --> 01:04:37.889 the word of God is your truth and must always 01:04:37.889 --> 01:04:41.789 be what you believe in. Hallelujah. We must examine 01:04:41.789 --> 01:04:46.150 ourselves regularly. Sometimes, you know, they 01:04:46.150 --> 01:04:48.630 say on the average, men speak so many words in 01:04:48.630 --> 01:04:52.880 a day. I mean, women speak more words than men. 01:04:53.039 --> 01:04:56.380 I mean, the scientists have calculated. It's 01:04:56.380 --> 01:04:58.079 on the average, women speak more words, about 01:04:58.079 --> 01:05:03.000 even 10 ,000 more words than men. A day. Of all 01:05:03.000 --> 01:05:09.159 those words you speak, please, evaluate the things 01:05:09.159 --> 01:05:12.239 you say. Sometimes, before you speak, think of 01:05:12.239 --> 01:05:15.079 the things you say. Sometimes, we say things 01:05:15.079 --> 01:05:17.099 without even thinking about their implication. 01:05:19.329 --> 01:05:21.630 Even some jokes we make, we don't think, we say 01:05:21.630 --> 01:05:27.489 things carelessly. What you say affects people. 01:05:28.429 --> 01:05:30.510 Hallelujah. First and foremost, what you say 01:05:30.510 --> 01:05:33.710 affects people. But you are the first beneficiary 01:05:33.710 --> 01:05:37.610 of the things you say. Hallelujah. So if you 01:05:37.610 --> 01:05:39.809 are dishing out hurtful words to people, you 01:05:39.809 --> 01:05:41.630 are the first person that is a bitter person. 01:05:43.190 --> 01:05:46.250 Because what you are enforcing is the abundance 01:05:46.250 --> 01:05:49.510 of what is in your heart. And it has repercussions. 01:05:49.550 --> 01:05:53.230 It has impact on you. So examine yourself regularly. 01:05:53.429 --> 01:05:56.429 Periodically evaluate whether your heart, your 01:05:56.429 --> 01:05:58.869 confession and your conduct are in alignment 01:05:58.869 --> 01:06:01.909 to your faith in Christ. Don't merely profess 01:06:01.909 --> 01:06:04.269 faith and come here every day on Sunday morning 01:06:04.269 --> 01:06:06.849 and sing and dance. And sometimes we shed tears. 01:06:07.070 --> 01:06:10.030 We fast. But what is in our heart and what we 01:06:10.030 --> 01:06:14.070 are saying, we just pray for you. That your faith 01:06:14.070 --> 01:06:16.730 will be renewed. But you use your words and counter 01:06:16.730 --> 01:06:19.090 what we've prayed. You are making our work of 01:06:19.090 --> 01:06:24.869 ministry difficult. He says, hold on your brother. 01:06:25.469 --> 01:06:27.329 And let your brother pray with you and agree 01:06:27.329 --> 01:06:29.389 with you. You finish agreeing with the person 01:06:29.389 --> 01:06:31.550 and the person will go and do contrary. He will 01:06:31.550 --> 01:06:36.030 say contrary to what God has said in his word. 01:06:36.530 --> 01:06:45.329 Hallelujah. Our words must be faithful words. 01:06:46.989 --> 01:06:51.869 We're going to see from Wednesday that God created 01:06:51.869 --> 01:06:56.510 this earth to operate by words. Hallelujah. The 01:06:56.510 --> 01:07:01.269 activity on the earth are activities by words. 01:07:01.489 --> 01:07:03.030 Do you know that even the kingdom of darkness, 01:07:03.309 --> 01:07:09.329 somebody in Africa, in one village, in Nigeria, 01:07:09.610 --> 01:07:14.210 in one village, will enter a shrine with your 01:07:14.210 --> 01:07:18.280 picture. And they will say some things. And you 01:07:18.280 --> 01:07:20.739 are in America, suddenly you remove your clothes 01:07:20.739 --> 01:07:22.300 and you begin to walk naked. You think those 01:07:22.300 --> 01:07:25.199 things are movies? You think they don't know 01:07:25.199 --> 01:07:31.159 the power of words? The things that operate on 01:07:31.159 --> 01:07:34.380 the earth, right? The things that, operations 01:07:34.380 --> 01:07:37.460 on the earth, activities on the earth, are activities 01:07:37.460 --> 01:07:41.239 that are established and enforced by words. And 01:07:41.239 --> 01:07:43.079 you, the man that have the spirit and the power 01:07:43.079 --> 01:07:47.760 of God, must leverage from that and change the 01:07:47.760 --> 01:07:52.219 course of your life. The power of what? Of the 01:07:52.219 --> 01:07:56.500 tongue, right? We'll see it subsequently in the 01:07:56.500 --> 01:07:58.840 next teaching. We'll see the power of words. 01:07:58.920 --> 01:08:02.599 How words can shape our realities. And you can 01:08:02.599 --> 01:08:04.579 have it turned around in your life by the things 01:08:04.579 --> 01:08:10.239 you say. Hallelujah. Let us thank God for showing 01:08:10.239 --> 01:08:15.639 us this truth. That we are determined, we are 01:08:15.639 --> 01:08:19.859 intentional, we are committed to seeing the power 01:08:19.859 --> 01:08:24.399 of God manifested through our lives. We appreciate 01:08:24.399 --> 01:08:27.100 you being here today. We hope you carry this 01:08:27.100 --> 01:08:30.180 word with you throughout your week. Don't forget 01:08:30.180 --> 01:08:32.199 to check the show notes for additional insights. 01:08:32.659 --> 01:08:35.600 Stay connected with us through our website or 01:08:35.600 --> 01:08:39.020 follow us on social media. If you are encouraged, 01:08:39.239 --> 01:08:41.420 share this message with someone you care about. 01:08:42.159 --> 01:08:44.260 Until next time, stay blessed.