WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:06.660 Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.960 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:17.899 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.899 --> 00:00:25.079 right in. So today we'll continue from where 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:34.810 we started from on Sunday. We have the revelational 00:00:34.810 --> 00:00:44.679 knowledge in Christ. And I gave just an introduction, 00:00:44.899 --> 00:00:49.259 starting from Timothy. And from there, we checked 00:00:49.259 --> 00:00:55.100 the Greek words and all of that. And we saw that 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:58.000 the entire scripture has to be taken together, 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:01.179 right? We saw that the entire scripture has to 00:01:01.179 --> 00:01:04.909 be taken together. The entire scripture has a 00:01:04.909 --> 00:01:10.370 theme, has a message. points to a person, right? 00:01:10.629 --> 00:01:14.469 And in the light of interpretations of the scriptures, 00:01:14.709 --> 00:01:20.640 we will pay attention to that much more as we 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:23.140 go through the writings. So as we go through 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:25.719 the letters, as we go through the phrases of 00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:28.859 the scripture, as we go through things that even 00:01:28.859 --> 00:01:34.299 they are documented as God says the Lord, okay? 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:37.140 When we go through things that they are even 00:01:37.140 --> 00:01:41.120 documented as thus says the Lord, right? We must 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:46.219 examine them in the light of the entire scripture, 00:01:46.579 --> 00:01:50.219 right? The entire scripture. We must investigate 00:01:50.219 --> 00:01:53.959 them, examine that they are consistent. We said 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:57.959 the revelation of Christ is consistent, right? 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:03.079 Across the scripture. And we pointed out to... 00:02:03.390 --> 00:02:07.849 A number of, I think, two scriptures that we 00:02:07.849 --> 00:02:09.430 examined, which we are going to examine today, 00:02:09.650 --> 00:02:12.490 and I will add three more scriptures to it, is 00:02:12.490 --> 00:02:16.610 how people heard, right? When they read the letters, 00:02:16.710 --> 00:02:19.189 when they read the phrases, some statements from 00:02:19.189 --> 00:02:22.870 the Old Testament, they heard, and why they heard. 00:02:23.030 --> 00:02:26.750 So we read 1 Corinthians 15, 3 -4. Please, can 00:02:26.750 --> 00:02:31.650 you go there? 1 Corinthians 15, 3 -4. We didn't 00:02:31.650 --> 00:02:37.270 say much on that. on Sunday. It says, So I delivered 00:02:37.270 --> 00:02:41.810 first to you, first of all, that which I also 00:02:41.810 --> 00:02:45.789 received, that Christ died for our sins according 00:02:45.789 --> 00:02:50.240 to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:53.360 that He rose again the third day according to 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:58.210 the Scriptures, and that He was seen by sephars 00:02:58.210 --> 00:03:03.349 and then by the twelve. So we explain, the explanation 00:03:03.349 --> 00:03:07.949 here is that When Paul would check the scriptures, 00:03:08.590 --> 00:03:12.280 he would see that the scriptures taken together 00:03:12.280 --> 00:03:18.469 testify of the death of Christ and the resurrection 00:03:18.469 --> 00:03:23.509 of Christ. So, the scriptures testify of the 00:03:23.509 --> 00:03:27.009 death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. 00:03:27.129 --> 00:03:30.430 Now, this is before the manifestation on earth. 00:03:31.250 --> 00:03:36.419 Okay? This is before the manifestation. The scriptures 00:03:36.419 --> 00:03:41.919 already testified of the death of Christ and 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:47.659 the resurrection that would follow. Now, we now 00:03:47.659 --> 00:03:49.780 have some people who read the scriptures and 00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:53.039 we said, when they read the scriptures, okay, 00:03:53.509 --> 00:03:57.069 when they read the scriptures, they heard, right? 00:03:57.129 --> 00:04:01.030 They heard because they did not read it in the 00:04:01.030 --> 00:04:04.569 manner at which Paul read it and is able to... 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:08.960 Say what he said in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 3 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:12.419 to 4. So again, they did not read it in a manner, 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:15.860 in the manner at which Paul read it. The same 00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:19.259 scriptures, right? They did not read it in the 00:04:19.259 --> 00:04:23.220 same manner. So they could not see, right, in 00:04:23.220 --> 00:04:25.879 that direction. But not just because they did 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:29.199 not read it. There are reasons why people actually 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:32.160 heard when they read the scriptures, right? There 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:35.149 are reasons why people actually heard. when they 00:04:35.149 --> 00:04:37.550 read the scriptures. So when we go to that Matthew 00:04:37.550 --> 00:04:43.839 22 verse 29, let's go to Matthew 22 verse 29. 00:04:49.730 --> 00:04:52.470 So Jesus said unto them, you are mistaken not 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:55.490 knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. 00:04:55.550 --> 00:04:59.810 Now the context of this or why they heard was 00:04:59.810 --> 00:05:02.129 not just because they went to read the scripture 00:05:02.129 --> 00:05:06.269 and they saw one line and they used the line. 00:05:06.370 --> 00:05:10.310 No, it was not just because they mistakenly read 00:05:10.310 --> 00:05:13.790 the scripture. It was because their intention 00:05:13.790 --> 00:05:19.110 of, first of all, was wrong. Okay? So that's 00:05:19.110 --> 00:05:20.670 the first thing that can make you err when you 00:05:20.670 --> 00:05:23.449 are checking the scriptures. If your intention 00:05:23.449 --> 00:05:26.230 is to look for what would justify what is in 00:05:26.230 --> 00:05:30.170 your mind, you will err. So I want to check the 00:05:30.170 --> 00:05:33.329 scripture to discover how to make money. That 00:05:33.329 --> 00:05:36.110 is what is in my mind. Then if I go towards the 00:05:36.110 --> 00:05:41.560 scripture, I would err. Okay? If my intention, 00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:47.990 right, is, okay, I pick up the scripture and 00:05:47.990 --> 00:05:51.949 I want to use the scripture to support, you know, 00:05:51.949 --> 00:05:55.970 my educational attainment and all of that, then 00:05:55.970 --> 00:05:59.110 I have the tendency, a very high tendency to 00:05:59.110 --> 00:06:02.430 err. You know why? Because everything you see, 00:06:02.509 --> 00:06:05.889 you would drag it into what you want it to fit 00:06:05.889 --> 00:06:10.040 in. So you will be finding scriptures that will 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:12.959 be saying something else. but you will be putting 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:16.160 it in the context of what is in your heart. So 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:18.100 what is the context of this? They were looking 00:06:18.100 --> 00:06:22.500 for a way to say resurrection was not possible, 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:25.120 right? So they had an intention in their hearts. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:29.519 So the way to approach the scripture or the proper 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:30.959 way they would have approached the scripture 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:35.519 is to go into the scripture to say, let us see 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.490 scriptures that points to resurrection, okay? 00:06:41.550 --> 00:06:45.110 Let us see scriptures that point to it. Then 00:06:45.110 --> 00:06:49.649 examine those scriptures layer by layer. But 00:06:49.649 --> 00:06:52.629 what did they do? They came up with an assumption. 00:06:52.970 --> 00:06:55.910 So assumptions also can make you err in the scriptures 00:06:55.910 --> 00:06:59.569 too. Assumptions. So you want to paint a scenario. 00:06:59.709 --> 00:07:03.470 Like what if this and this and this? What if 00:07:03.470 --> 00:07:07.129 this and this and this? So assumptions and painting 00:07:07.129 --> 00:07:10.920 scenarios might make you err. Right? Because 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:14.279 sometimes the Bible does not cover some of our 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:17.879 assumptions in full. In fact, it does not cover 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:21.639 most of our assumptions, right? Somebody was 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.079 this and the person did this and the person did 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:27.500 this. Now you want to fuse the Bible into that. 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:30.620 So assumptions can make you err, right? So we 00:07:30.620 --> 00:07:33.779 stick to the scriptures. When you make assumptions, 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:36.800 you would fall into error. Why? Because you are 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:39.100 trying to explain something that the Bible might 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:42.939 not have touched upon. Okay. And so we see, first 00:07:42.939 --> 00:07:46.120 of all, intention of the heart can make someone 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:49.879 err from the scriptures. Second, creating assumptions 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:53.060 and scenarios, right? So we stick to the Bible 00:07:53.060 --> 00:07:55.800 illustrations. We stick to the Bible story. We 00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:59.540 stick to the Bible narratives and avoid many 00:07:59.540 --> 00:08:05.829 assumptions and ifs. All right. For John 9, verse 00:08:05.829 --> 00:08:11.000 3, right? John 9, verse 3. Can we go there? Why 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:14.920 did they err? Neither did this man noise, but 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:17.519 that the work of God should be revealed in him. 00:08:17.699 --> 00:08:23.500 So why did they err? Because there is a cultural 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:27.420 understanding or common understanding. There 00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:33.840 is a popular opinion about sin. So there is a 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.360 popular opinion. If you go back to verse 2, please. 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:39.559 So they asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:41.620 or his parent, that he was born blind? So it 00:08:41.620 --> 00:08:45.429 means that... It's a common thing. So popular 00:08:45.429 --> 00:08:49.230 opinions, right, can make you hear from Scripture. 00:08:50.009 --> 00:08:52.250 Something that, it might even be something that 00:08:52.250 --> 00:08:57.399 they've taught for ages, right, that this is 00:08:57.399 --> 00:08:59.820 it. But you have never examined. Sincerely, most 00:08:59.820 --> 00:09:03.320 of us, we fall into that category that there 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:06.799 are many things that have been said, have been 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.679 taught, but you have never examined that subject 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:12.610 matter in the Bible. You have never examined. 00:09:13.450 --> 00:09:16.690 And I put it, I mean, I'm encouraging you today 00:09:16.690 --> 00:09:19.590 that as you go, when something, someone says 00:09:19.590 --> 00:09:23.259 something and it sounds like something that you 00:09:23.259 --> 00:09:27.950 cannot put a scripture to, right? Write it down 00:09:27.950 --> 00:09:31.210 and go and examine if truly those things are 00:09:31.210 --> 00:09:34.570 so. Even up until recently that people, you know, 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:36.309 social media and all of that, people started 00:09:36.309 --> 00:09:39.750 making maybe some commentaries or skits or all 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:42.629 of that, right? Things like people help those 00:09:42.629 --> 00:09:45.409 who help themselves. You know, we're popular 00:09:45.409 --> 00:09:49.090 saying holiness is next to godliness and all 00:09:49.090 --> 00:09:52.409 those things. They are saying that they've read 00:09:52.409 --> 00:09:55.350 the scriptures and they just came up with those 00:09:55.350 --> 00:10:00.590 things. Okay. So you cannot really find them 00:10:00.590 --> 00:10:03.429 verbatim in the Bible. Neither can you find some 00:10:03.429 --> 00:10:08.610 of them as ideas in the Bible. So we have to 00:10:08.610 --> 00:10:11.139 pay. attention to those things. So, popular things, 00:10:11.340 --> 00:10:13.299 things that are common, and it might even be 00:10:13.299 --> 00:10:17.620 things that are, you know, doctrinally, uh, doctrinally 00:10:17.620 --> 00:10:21.159 practiced, people's practice. For example, let 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.320 me put one, water baptism, right? Water baptism 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:27.379 is something that almost every Christian, you 00:10:27.379 --> 00:10:31.740 know, uh, what I say, most churches do to today, 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:34.799 right? Most churches really do. But when we pay 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:39.549 attention to that, to go study, we might have 00:10:39.549 --> 00:10:41.210 a different understanding. We might have a more 00:10:41.210 --> 00:10:42.950 clearer understanding. Another thing we talk 00:10:42.950 --> 00:10:47.049 about is what we call Holy Communion. People 00:10:47.049 --> 00:10:50.190 conduct that and we don't hold anything against 00:10:50.190 --> 00:10:52.590 anybody. But the point is, if you examine the 00:10:52.590 --> 00:10:57.409 Scripture and the context, you might find a difference. 00:10:57.509 --> 00:11:00.669 So, you might get into such kind of things. So, 00:11:00.690 --> 00:11:04.149 it means that you should always check for yourself 00:11:04.149 --> 00:11:09.629 what Scripture is saying. what scripture is saying. 00:11:09.669 --> 00:11:13.070 Now let's go to another one. Luke 9, verse 55. 00:11:17.299 --> 00:11:20.399 Luke 9, verse 55. But he turned and rebuked them. 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:23.080 Go to verse, just like verse 53. Let's see from 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:26.809 verse 53. But they did not receive him because 00:11:26.809 --> 00:11:30.470 his face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 00:11:31.350 --> 00:11:34.690 And when the disciples, James and John, right, 00:11:34.789 --> 00:11:37.289 saw this, they said, Lord, do you want us to 00:11:37.289 --> 00:11:41.330 command fire to come down from heaven and consume 00:11:41.330 --> 00:11:46.220 them? just as Elijah did, but he turned and rebuked 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:48.580 them and said, you do not know what manner of 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:52.240 spirits ye are of. You do not know what manner 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:55.500 of spirits ye are of. So, truly, did they read 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:59.460 Elijah's story? Yes. Did they see the illustrations 00:11:59.460 --> 00:12:03.080 of Elijah? Did this happen in the Elijah story, 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:06.139 calling down fire? Yes. They read it, they saw 00:12:06.139 --> 00:12:10.559 it, they held on to it, right? And at the point 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:14.340 where they felt, it is necessary to apply this 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:19.110 thing here. They chipped it in, right? They chipped 00:12:19.110 --> 00:12:22.740 that in and Jesus said, no. So what is making 00:12:22.740 --> 00:12:27.259 them hell here is mainly, he said, they do not 00:12:27.259 --> 00:12:30.500 know what manner of spirits they are of. It means 00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:34.259 that if you read across the scriptures, right, 00:12:34.509 --> 00:12:37.509 you will understand the spirit by which the scripture 00:12:37.509 --> 00:12:41.019 is written and you would know whose you are. 00:12:42.220 --> 00:12:45.080 So it means that they cannot stop at that story, 00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:49.399 right? In Kings, you cannot stop there. In that 00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:53.820 event, you must check across the scriptures to 00:12:53.950 --> 00:12:57.850 see if that is the spirit by which the scripture 00:12:57.850 --> 00:13:01.669 has been written. Okay, so you check if the scripture 00:13:01.669 --> 00:13:03.509 has been written in, let's put it this way, in 00:13:03.509 --> 00:13:07.750 that light. But they did not, rather they held 00:13:07.750 --> 00:13:12.570 it as a tool, right? And one day, You know, they 00:13:12.570 --> 00:13:15.850 used it. Now, one of the private scriptures that 00:13:15.850 --> 00:13:18.769 we or people do use, I don't know about these 00:13:18.769 --> 00:13:22.389 days, but I know people use Psalms a lot, right? 00:13:22.450 --> 00:13:24.809 So you put Psalm in your pocket. In fact, at 00:13:24.809 --> 00:13:28.149 some point, it was given to us as, they had to 00:13:28.149 --> 00:13:30.990 summarize it in a small Bible, what the Gideon's 00:13:30.990 --> 00:13:34.330 Bible, right? And New Testament and Psalms, and 00:13:34.330 --> 00:13:36.070 it was combined. I don't know why they choose 00:13:36.070 --> 00:13:38.389 Psalms. Psalms and Proverbs, right? New Testament, 00:13:38.610 --> 00:13:40.809 Psalms, and Proverbs, and it was given to us. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.100 It was like a quick means to move. So Psalms 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:48.299 was there, and it's one of those scriptures that 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:50.740 people use quickly. You just quote it, right? 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:53.519 If anything happens, if you're in danger, there's 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:56.240 some for it. If you need protection, there's 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.919 some for it. So people really don't read the 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:02.240 Bible, right? Rather, they just pick those bullets 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:05.700 of points. But in picking those, you might not 00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:09.200 understand. right? The entire message of Christ, 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:11.639 right? The entire scripture. You might not understand. 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:14.340 That is why you might see, right? Someone pointing, 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.159 you know, David talking about his enemies, which 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:19.519 in the story of David, he had physical enemies, 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.460 right? He had physical. Now, if you stop there, 00:14:22.519 --> 00:14:24.220 you will not understand the entire context of 00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:26.500 the Bible, right? Because you will pick David's 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:28.299 enemy and you also will look for your neighbor 00:14:28.299 --> 00:14:31.279 and say, well, my neighbor is the real enemy 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:33.580 and my neighbor needs to, you know, to die in 00:14:33.580 --> 00:14:37.879 that sense. So, not picking, Right. But checking 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:40.919 across, you have that verse, but check across 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:44.759 the scriptures. Now, John 8, verse 5. So this 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:46.620 one is because they did not read across the scripture. 00:14:46.740 --> 00:14:49.320 They did not check in what spirit was the scriptures 00:14:49.320 --> 00:14:51.639 written. In the spirit of Christ, the scripture 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:53.679 was written. That is it. Scripture was written 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:55.519 in the spirit of Christ. So they are of Christ. 00:14:56.279 --> 00:15:00.360 They are of Christ. They are not of Elijah. They 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:02.120 are of Christ. I mean, in the context of what 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:06.389 Elijah did. Right. So they are of Christ. Now, 00:15:06.409 --> 00:15:09.250 John 8, verse 5. Let's go to John 8, verse 5. 00:15:09.429 --> 00:15:13.690 Now, Moses, in the law, commanded us that such 00:15:13.690 --> 00:15:19.649 should be stoned. But what do you say? Right? 00:15:20.129 --> 00:15:24.590 So, it's like, you want to put... Let me put 00:15:24.590 --> 00:15:26.549 it this way. I don't want to say two prophets 00:15:26.549 --> 00:15:31.730 against themselves. But you want to put... In 00:15:31.730 --> 00:15:34.070 a way, we can use that because... probably because 00:15:34.070 --> 00:15:36.710 Moses also said the Lord will send a prophet, 00:15:36.870 --> 00:15:39.190 right? Let me use that scripture to be my guide. 00:15:39.309 --> 00:15:42.129 Now, it's like putting two messengers of God 00:15:42.129 --> 00:15:45.370 against themselves, right? So Moses said this, 00:15:45.490 --> 00:15:48.490 but you said you are of God. What do you say? 00:15:48.610 --> 00:15:53.070 So contradict Moses, and then let's see how these 00:15:53.070 --> 00:15:56.710 people will accept you. Do you get it? So if 00:15:56.710 --> 00:15:59.690 he contradicts Moses here, right, and he's not 00:15:59.690 --> 00:16:03.809 able to explain it, then... It means that the 00:16:03.809 --> 00:16:05.370 people will be against him because they held 00:16:05.370 --> 00:16:09.259 Moses in a very high esteem, right? They held 00:16:09.259 --> 00:16:12.340 Moses. And you see that they keep using Moses 00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:15.779 very well. So here you see that their intention 00:16:15.779 --> 00:16:18.620 also was wrong. They wanted to catch him. So 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:21.299 you want to cause a conflict. So you want to 00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:24.519 pick up a scripture to cause conflicts, right? 00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:27.019 That is what we see here. Not just to catch him 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:30.139 now, but to put him against the scripture. So 00:16:30.139 --> 00:16:32.159 you want to put Christ. in whose spirit the scripture 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:37.340 was written, against the scripture. So, when 00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:39.460 people try to do that, they want to put you against 00:16:39.460 --> 00:16:41.360 the scripture, they want to put two people against 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:43.620 themselves, they can say, this person said this, 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:47.820 what do you say? You know? I can say, Chris said 00:16:47.820 --> 00:16:52.399 this, right? And I'll come and meet maybe Sister 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:55.240 Christy. I say, Christy, what do you say? Right? 00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:57.779 So, Christy said salvation is eternal. Christy 00:16:57.779 --> 00:17:00.279 said it's not eternal. Right? And both of them... 00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:04.140 they face themselves in a heated debate, right? 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:08.880 So, if that's the intention of putting out scriptures, 00:17:09.099 --> 00:17:11.819 it means that you also, you will not learn. It 00:17:11.819 --> 00:17:14.259 will be very difficult for you to learn. You 00:17:14.259 --> 00:17:19.390 will not be able, right, to learn. Matthew 19, 00:17:19.549 --> 00:17:24.640 verse 7, similar in this context. Matthew 19, 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:29.400 verse 7. So, people use scriptures to cause conflict. 00:17:30.369 --> 00:17:33.069 There are many scriptures actually. They said 00:17:33.069 --> 00:17:36.609 to him, why then did Moses give us a certificate 00:17:36.609 --> 00:17:39.470 of divorce and to put us away? Again, the same 00:17:39.470 --> 00:17:42.329 pattern. Why then did Moses say this? Do you 00:17:42.329 --> 00:17:45.349 want to say against Moses? Do you want to speak 00:17:45.349 --> 00:17:49.369 against Moses? Do you want to speak against Moses? 00:17:49.470 --> 00:17:52.509 So people would err because they have an intention 00:17:52.509 --> 00:17:57.039 to put people against themselves. See many other 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:01.400 examples, Matthew 5 and Matthew 4, Jesus' temptation, 00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:04.440 rather. We will find those scriptures pointing 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:09.900 to intentions, right? And they pointed the scriptures 00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:17.150 were used. The scriptures were used. So it means 00:18:17.150 --> 00:18:20.369 that we need to pay attention to ourselves, right? 00:18:20.869 --> 00:18:22.750 We need to pay attention to ourselves. When you 00:18:22.750 --> 00:18:24.849 invoke a scripture, let me use that word right, 00:18:24.910 --> 00:18:27.670 when you invoke a scripture, what is the intention 00:18:27.670 --> 00:18:31.430 of your invoking the scriptures? And does it 00:18:31.430 --> 00:18:33.390 align with the spirit by which the scripture 00:18:33.390 --> 00:18:37.420 is written? Okay, does it align with the spirit 00:18:37.420 --> 00:18:40.380 by which the scripture is written when we invoke 00:18:40.380 --> 00:18:46.119 a scripture? Okay, good. So that way we'll be 00:18:46.119 --> 00:18:52.509 able to see how people miss the scripture. Now, 00:18:52.569 --> 00:18:54.410 one thing that we said is that the scriptures 00:18:54.410 --> 00:18:57.150 are read together. So now the solution is to 00:18:57.150 --> 00:18:59.589 read it together. Read it together, check across 00:18:59.589 --> 00:19:02.910 all the scriptures and you would find it. Let's 00:19:02.910 --> 00:19:06.910 see Philip in Acts chapter 8, verse 27 to 35. 00:19:07.809 --> 00:19:12.180 Let's see what Philip did. And what Philip did 00:19:12.180 --> 00:19:14.799 would actually give us a direction. Paul did 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:17.680 similar thing, but Philip's own was much more, 00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:20.180 I wouldn't say it's easier, right? I wouldn't 00:19:20.180 --> 00:19:21.559 say it's easier. And it's going to help us for 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:24.720 evangelism. Okay. It's going to help us for evangelism 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:26.880 when we come to what Philip did now and what 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:31.039 Paul did. So let's go. 27 to 35. And so he arose 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:33.279 and went and behold, a man of Utopia, a union 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:37.799 of great authority under Candace, Candace, the 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:41.400 queen of Utopians, who had charge of all her 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:44.819 treasury and had come to Jerusalem to worship. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:48.019 So he must have heard the scriptures and about 00:19:48.019 --> 00:19:51.319 scriptures and was returning and sitting in his 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:53.759 chariot. He was reading. Isaiah the prophet. 00:19:54.579 --> 00:19:58.079 Then the Spirit said to Philip, go near and overtake 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:02.029 his chariots. So Philip ran to him and heard 00:20:02.029 --> 00:20:06.390 him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, do you 00:20:06.390 --> 00:20:10.250 understand what you are reading? Now, one of 00:20:10.250 --> 00:20:13.609 the ways by which you can also evangelize is 00:20:13.609 --> 00:20:17.690 in the statements of people, right? In the statement 00:20:17.690 --> 00:20:20.130 of people. Somebody just comes to you and said, 00:20:20.210 --> 00:20:23.130 oh. I know Jesus, or you just meet somebody and 00:20:23.130 --> 00:20:25.250 they say, I know Jesus is a prophet. Or they 00:20:25.250 --> 00:20:27.849 are just discussing about, you know, I know Jesus, 00:20:27.869 --> 00:20:30.150 or they are reading something. In their statements, 00:20:30.589 --> 00:20:34.289 right, or in what they are doing, you can begin 00:20:34.289 --> 00:20:37.390 from there, right, to teach. It's very, you know, 00:20:37.450 --> 00:20:40.269 it's a very common style, right? From what the 00:20:40.269 --> 00:20:42.309 person said, from what the person is teaching, 00:20:42.509 --> 00:20:45.410 from there you can now give light. Because this 00:20:45.410 --> 00:20:49.089 is what... Philip did. So do you understand what 00:20:49.089 --> 00:20:50.509 you are reading? So do you, what do you mean? 00:20:50.549 --> 00:20:52.609 Do you understand what Jesus being the son of 00:20:52.609 --> 00:20:54.930 God means? Maybe that's the new one we would 00:20:54.930 --> 00:20:57.289 be, you know, when we go for evangelism, we'll 00:20:57.289 --> 00:20:58.990 add to it. Because some people, when you meet 00:20:58.990 --> 00:21:00.990 them quickly, they'll say, I believe in this 00:21:00.990 --> 00:21:02.730 death, burial, resurrection. I believe in this. 00:21:02.750 --> 00:21:04.470 I believe in that. And blah, blah, blah, blah, 00:21:04.490 --> 00:21:07.210 blah. Right? And truly they do. They do. But 00:21:07.210 --> 00:21:10.329 sometimes there is need for depth. Okay? There 00:21:10.329 --> 00:21:13.049 is really need for depth. Because to get to some 00:21:13.049 --> 00:21:15.269 point, you need to answer questions like, what 00:21:15.269 --> 00:21:17.630 does the son of God? What does resurrection mean? 00:21:17.690 --> 00:21:21.549 How can he resurrect? Is it possible? So the 00:21:21.549 --> 00:21:23.049 next scripture said, do you understand what you 00:21:23.049 --> 00:21:25.430 are reading? From what he was reading, the conversation 00:21:25.430 --> 00:21:28.549 erupted. And he said, how can I, unless someone 00:21:28.549 --> 00:21:31.069 guides me? Now, if you get a good person who 00:21:31.069 --> 00:21:32.890 is humble, they can tell you this. But if you 00:21:32.890 --> 00:21:35.049 get someone who is not, they can further explain 00:21:35.049 --> 00:21:38.170 and tell you more. Then you can be able to correct 00:21:38.170 --> 00:21:40.910 that. And he answered, and he asked Philip to 00:21:40.910 --> 00:21:45.730 come up and sit with him. The place in the scripture 00:21:45.730 --> 00:21:48.990 which he read was this. He was led as a sheep 00:21:48.990 --> 00:21:51.569 to the slaughter, and as a lamb before his sharer, 00:21:51.569 --> 00:21:56.190 he silenced. So he opened not his mouth. In his 00:21:56.190 --> 00:21:58.329 humiliation, his justice was taken away, and 00:21:58.329 --> 00:22:01.650 who will declare his generation? For his life 00:22:01.650 --> 00:22:05.660 is taken from the earth. So the eunuch answered 00:22:05.660 --> 00:22:08.980 Philip and asked, and said, I ask you, of whom 00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:12.819 does the prophet say this, of himself or of some 00:22:12.819 --> 00:22:18.140 other man? Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:22.559 at the scripture, preached to him. Beginning 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:30.309 at the scripture means that from Isaiah, he would 00:22:30.309 --> 00:22:34.799 start, he would take it a step backwards to Exodus, 00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:38.339 even Genesis, and take it a step forward to Malachi. 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:41.480 This is what it would mean because it said, beginning 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:44.299 at the scripture, some translation said, he began 00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:48.200 from the scripture to teach him about Christ. 00:22:48.380 --> 00:22:51.579 So it definitely means that in Philip's teaching, 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:56.210 there is a cutting across of the scriptures that 00:22:56.210 --> 00:23:00.210 he had to do to explain this, to explain that 00:23:00.210 --> 00:23:03.630 it was Christ that he was talking about and the 00:23:03.630 --> 00:23:06.829 prophet wasn't talking about himself, right? 00:23:06.890 --> 00:23:09.769 He was talking about Christ. So, because in there, 00:23:10.230 --> 00:23:13.470 You will not find the word Christ, right? You 00:23:13.470 --> 00:23:16.890 might find the idea of a Messiah, right? But 00:23:16.890 --> 00:23:19.029 the promise might not even be in that chapter. 00:23:19.289 --> 00:23:22.750 So to read where it was said, where it was promised, 00:23:22.890 --> 00:23:27.490 where it was instructed, to whom it was given, 00:23:28.329 --> 00:23:31.069 which is to, I mean, to Abraham, right? We had 00:23:31.069 --> 00:23:34.190 many, the promise granted, given to him. He had 00:23:34.190 --> 00:23:40.329 to go back to Genesis to begin to teach. So let's 00:23:40.329 --> 00:23:43.369 go to, I think Galatians can help us, right? 00:23:43.430 --> 00:23:46.490 Galatians can help us. Galatians 3 verse 8, right? 00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:51.200 Galatians 3 verse 8. So Philip practiced teaching 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:54.240 from a particular scripture to every other scriptures, 00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:57.440 right? Galatians 3 verse 8. And so the scripture 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:02.059 foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles 00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:05.119 by faith, right? Preach the gospel to Abraham 00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:09.519 before and saying in you, all the nations, right? 00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:12.420 shall be blessed, right? He preached the gospel. 00:24:12.500 --> 00:24:16.119 So in saying that, the gospel is in that, right? 00:24:16.140 --> 00:24:18.940 In saying that, that is the gospel. In you, all 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:20.779 the nations shall be blessed. And we've taught 00:24:20.779 --> 00:24:23.660 this and we've said, well, this is not Jews alone, 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:26.839 but all the earth, right, will be blessed because 00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:30.799 of Christ that would come through the line of 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:33.640 Abraham. So all the earth will be blessed. So 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:39.660 here now, connecting it to Isaiah. So Isaiah 00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:42.599 would go and start from where this was said in 00:24:42.599 --> 00:24:46.819 Genesis and begin to teach that God has promised. 00:24:47.950 --> 00:24:53.029 And this is the suffering of the Messiah in Isaiah. 00:24:53.329 --> 00:24:55.470 So Isaiah would talk about the suffering. Genesis 00:24:55.470 --> 00:24:58.410 would have talked about the promise. Exodus would 00:24:58.410 --> 00:25:01.069 have given a picture and all of that. So we see 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:06.019 this in this pattern. We see this particular 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:09.640 pattern that the scriptures. are being read together. 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:14.099 Good. So let's go through 2 Corinthians 4 verse 00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:20.700 6. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 6. The scripture that 00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:23.319 we know. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 6. Therefore it 00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:27.519 is the God who commanded light to shine out of 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:31.359 darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:34.559 the light of the knowledge of the glory of God 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:38.400 in the face of Christ. For it is God. who hath 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:40.259 commanded light. Now, why are we bringing the 00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:43.319 scripture? We're bringing the scripture to explain 00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:49.640 that when they say mystery, okay, it's not the 00:25:49.640 --> 00:25:53.019 types and shadows alone. So most of the time, 00:25:53.099 --> 00:25:55.019 when people who pay attention to the Bible, when 00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:57.660 they say mystery, people quickly go, oh, mystery. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:01.230 It is in that thing that Moses was doing. It 00:26:01.230 --> 00:26:04.049 was in that thing that it became a mystery. Not 00:26:04.049 --> 00:26:08.329 exactly. Okay? It is not exactly. Do you get 00:26:08.329 --> 00:26:11.269 what I mean? So when they say mystery, people 00:26:11.269 --> 00:26:16.750 want to go to the types and shadows, right? The 00:26:16.750 --> 00:26:19.490 types and shadows means the oracles of God that 00:26:19.490 --> 00:26:22.569 were given to Israel, the pattern of worship, 00:26:22.710 --> 00:26:25.430 the tabernacle and all of that. And you want 00:26:25.430 --> 00:26:29.329 to interpret that as mystery. While yes, they 00:26:29.329 --> 00:26:33.509 are in a way, mystery, right? In a way, mystery, 00:26:33.690 --> 00:26:37.309 right? It is not the only thing that is mystery, 00:26:37.450 --> 00:26:39.250 right? What is mystery, which we're going to 00:26:39.250 --> 00:26:42.509 see, needs something to be concealed, right? 00:26:42.549 --> 00:26:47.490 Something to be put in place and codified in 00:26:47.490 --> 00:26:51.740 a way that you need to decode it. That is what 00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:53.099 it means, right? We're going to come to that. 00:26:53.259 --> 00:26:56.119 So it means that something is concealed and it 00:26:56.119 --> 00:27:01.049 needs explanation. So something that is concealed 00:27:01.049 --> 00:27:03.819 that needs... We're going to come to the Greek 00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:06.259 word, but for now, what I want us to pick is 00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:08.599 that it is not only the types and shadows. It 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:11.000 is not only the tabernacle, the building. You 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:13.339 know, it is not only the holies of holies, right? 00:27:13.420 --> 00:27:15.759 It is not only the shewbread. It is not only 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:22.769 the ark of God that is seen as codified. Okay? 00:27:23.130 --> 00:27:25.150 When we talk about the ministry of God, it's 00:27:25.150 --> 00:27:27.809 not only these things, right, that are codified, 00:27:27.829 --> 00:27:32.589 but from Genesis 1. The communication in Genesis 00:27:32.589 --> 00:27:37.440 is already codified. Do we get it? So it's not 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:40.339 just Exodus, right? You know, that we begin to 00:27:40.339 --> 00:27:43.420 see things that we cannot, I mean, it's not so 00:27:43.420 --> 00:27:45.619 direct pointing to Christ. So from Genesis 1, 00:27:45.779 --> 00:27:48.259 we would see that in chapter 1, God said, let 00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:51.220 there be light. And here he's saying that it 00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:53.519 is God who commanded light. So it means that 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:58.400 he's explaining Genesis 1 and he's bringing out 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:02.789 the revelation in Genesis 1. that has been coded 00:28:02.789 --> 00:28:05.490 in Genesis 1 that if you read it, you might not 00:28:05.490 --> 00:28:07.170 know that this is what is taking place there. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:11.119 So it therefore means that in Genesis as well, 00:28:11.380 --> 00:28:16.289 there are codified languages that points to the 00:28:16.289 --> 00:28:20.650 gospel. There is also a codified language that 00:28:20.650 --> 00:28:24.450 points to the gospel. So in our reading or in 00:28:24.450 --> 00:28:27.130 our saying we are seeking revelation, we would 00:28:27.130 --> 00:28:29.609 not start from Exodus alone, but we'll start 00:28:29.609 --> 00:28:33.569 from where? Genesis. Just like he said, God preached 00:28:33.569 --> 00:28:37.750 to Abraham, right? He preached to Abraham knowing 00:28:37.750 --> 00:28:41.539 fully well that he would be, he preached to him 00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:45.140 saying that his hairs, right? The whole earth 00:28:45.140 --> 00:28:48.539 will be blessed through his seed. The whole earth 00:28:48.539 --> 00:28:52.839 will be blessed. So not only in the Old Testament 00:28:52.839 --> 00:28:58.220 text or in Exodus do we find that. Now, the next 00:28:58.220 --> 00:29:00.240 question that we want to answer this evening 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:06.619 is to see, if there are means by which God, other 00:29:06.619 --> 00:29:09.539 means by which God is revealed, right? Apart 00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:12.099 from the scriptures, in quotes, other means by 00:29:12.099 --> 00:29:14.759 which, you know, looks as if God is revealed 00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:17.920 or God is known. Maybe we can use the word known, 00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:21.160 right? Than revelation. So it separates us from 00:29:21.160 --> 00:29:25.049 what we mean by revelation. Because what we mean 00:29:25.049 --> 00:29:29.150 by revelation is the encoding, the decoding of 00:29:29.150 --> 00:29:34.349 the entire scripture for our understanding. and 00:29:34.349 --> 00:29:38.509 which impacts our daily living. So the opening 00:29:38.509 --> 00:29:41.410 up, explaining of entire scriptures that brings 00:29:41.410 --> 00:29:44.809 understanding to us and it impacts our living. 00:29:44.970 --> 00:29:46.609 So let's see, are there other ways by which people 00:29:46.609 --> 00:29:50.470 know, you know, people can, God points himself 00:29:50.470 --> 00:29:53.930 to people or tries to reveal himself to people. 00:29:54.049 --> 00:29:57.500 So let's see a few of them, right? Let's see 00:29:57.500 --> 00:29:59.319 a few of them, which we're going to come back 00:29:59.319 --> 00:30:03.079 to one of the major ones. Let's open to Matthew. 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:07.829 Matthew 2, verse 1 to 2. Right. Matthew 2, verse 00:30:07.829 --> 00:30:14.859 1 to 2. Okay. Let us write the scriptures down. 00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:17.039 Then we'll pick them one by one. Matthew 2, verse 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:29.769 1 to 2. Matthew 27, verse 54. Acts 10. Acts 10. 00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:35.900 Matthew 2, verse 1 to 2. Matthew 24, verse 54. 00:30:38.950 --> 00:30:46.579 Acts 10. Acts chapter 10. Then... Acts 17, 22 00:30:46.579 --> 00:30:59.269 to 31. Acts 17, 22 to 31. So now what happened 00:30:59.269 --> 00:31:05.380 in Matthew 2, verse 1? It says, Now after Jesus 00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:07.700 was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:11.960 Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east 00:31:11.960 --> 00:31:17.009 came to Jerusalem, and many women who followed 00:31:17.009 --> 00:31:23.299 Jesus from Galilee. Sorry. Followed a child. 00:31:25.170 --> 00:31:28.529 Saying, where is he who has been born king of 00:31:28.529 --> 00:31:32.049 the Jews? For we have seen a star in the east 00:31:32.049 --> 00:31:36.940 and we have come to worship. When Herod the king 00:31:36.940 --> 00:31:41.480 heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem 00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:44.000 with him. So why would Herod be troubled? Because 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:48.019 a new king has been born. And some folks called 00:31:48.019 --> 00:31:53.470 wise men. have informed him, right? I mean, the 00:31:53.470 --> 00:31:56.369 information is now out that we have seen a star 00:31:56.369 --> 00:32:02.559 that points. So go back to verse 2, please. Can 00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:05.859 you go back to verse 2? Right, so where is he 00:32:05.859 --> 00:32:08.660 who is born King of Jews? For we have seen a 00:32:08.660 --> 00:32:12.940 star in the east and have come to worship. Now, 00:32:13.019 --> 00:32:18.200 this is only pointing to one thing, right? Or 00:32:18.200 --> 00:32:20.359 might be pointing to one thing. We cannot say 00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:23.529 this is like you know, the revelation of God. 00:32:23.569 --> 00:32:26.950 We cannot call this revelation, right? Because 00:32:26.950 --> 00:32:30.730 it does not explain entire Christ. In fact, his 00:32:30.730 --> 00:32:32.930 star, what do they mean by star? It means that 00:32:32.930 --> 00:32:36.130 these people are actually following stars and 00:32:36.190 --> 00:32:39.589 paying attention to stars and they have meaning 00:32:39.589 --> 00:32:43.849 to stars. Okay? They are paying attention to 00:32:43.849 --> 00:32:45.549 stars. They have meaning to stars. They see a 00:32:45.549 --> 00:32:51.940 star. And in that, Let me put it how we used 00:32:51.940 --> 00:32:54.500 to put it. Something said a king has been born, 00:32:54.599 --> 00:32:58.400 okay? In that's what they are doing, in what 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:00.839 they are doing, something said a king has been 00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:03.460 born and they followed it. So in their reading, 00:33:04.410 --> 00:33:08.369 right? In their reading, something pointed to 00:33:08.369 --> 00:33:11.890 what God will do. Something signaled what God 00:33:11.890 --> 00:33:14.839 will do. And the only thing that can signal what 00:33:14.839 --> 00:33:18.200 God will do will be God using what they are studying, 00:33:18.440 --> 00:33:22.759 using what they are paying attention to. to point 00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:25.960 to what is happening and what he wants to do. 00:33:26.839 --> 00:33:28.779 So he said, for we have seen his star. So it 00:33:28.779 --> 00:33:30.119 means that they followed the star. And if you 00:33:30.119 --> 00:33:33.019 read the story, they followed the star until 00:33:33.019 --> 00:33:36.359 they got to, did the star mislead them? No, it 00:33:36.359 --> 00:33:37.940 did not take them, it took them to where Jesus 00:33:37.940 --> 00:33:45.849 was. So that could not have been mistaken, right? 00:33:46.549 --> 00:33:48.549 That could not have, how would they have known? 00:33:48.650 --> 00:33:51.730 Even Herod did not know. His magicians and all 00:33:51.730 --> 00:33:53.230 of those people, they don't, they didn't know. 00:33:53.779 --> 00:33:57.259 It was these guys that got the info. They got 00:33:57.259 --> 00:33:59.740 the update and they moved. And in Herod's palace, 00:34:00.039 --> 00:34:01.980 you know, if it was, let me put it this way, 00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:03.599 if it was Nebuchadnezzar, he could have slain 00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:06.619 them, that you guys are sleeping and there's 00:34:06.619 --> 00:34:11.119 a coup that is about to take place and an external 00:34:11.119 --> 00:34:14.719 security officer is coming to tell you about 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:18.059 the coup, right? That is sneaking on duty. but 00:34:18.059 --> 00:34:20.019 it's not their fault, right? Something had to 00:34:20.019 --> 00:34:22.380 reveal it. Even this one, they were just observing 00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:25.320 stars. And in that observation, a communication 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:29.079 was made. And we believe that that is God also, 00:34:29.139 --> 00:34:32.579 you know, pointing Christ to them. Now, observe 00:34:32.579 --> 00:34:36.579 that these people, these wise men, were also 00:34:36.579 --> 00:34:40.940 instructed by the angel, an angel, not to pass 00:34:40.940 --> 00:34:45.960 on a particular way because of Herod's intention. 00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:49.719 But rather, they should follow another way and 00:34:49.719 --> 00:34:54.340 they did not return to Herod. Okay? So, that 00:34:54.340 --> 00:34:56.440 is also revealing that I have plans for this 00:34:56.440 --> 00:34:59.599 child. And you will not follow this way to let 00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:02.659 Herod kill him. You would follow this other way. 00:35:02.699 --> 00:35:06.079 And did they obey? Yes, they did. They obeyed 00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:08.400 the star. They followed the star. Right? They 00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:13.159 obeyed the instruction of the angel. Right? Are 00:35:13.159 --> 00:35:16.940 we together? But this is not still... the revelation 00:35:16.940 --> 00:35:19.840 we are talking about, right? So in circumstances, 00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:24.619 God can, I mean, God intervened and communicated 00:35:24.619 --> 00:35:29.130 this. He used this for them to know what is happening. 00:35:29.170 --> 00:35:31.750 Now, we see that this is actually not the full 00:35:31.750 --> 00:35:35.030 revelation. Let's go to 27 verse 54. I'll come 00:35:35.030 --> 00:35:37.170 back to say what I want to say, right? Let's 00:35:37.170 --> 00:35:39.769 read all the scriptures first. So when the centurion 00:35:39.769 --> 00:35:41.550 and those who were with him who were guiding 00:35:41.550 --> 00:35:45.820 Jesus saw the earthquake, And the things that 00:35:45.820 --> 00:35:49.940 happened, they feared greatly, saying, truly, 00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:55.389 this was the Son of God. Okay? So when the centurion 00:35:55.389 --> 00:35:58.110 saw the earthquake, wow, this is earthquake, 00:35:58.469 --> 00:36:03.809 right? One person is dying and the whole earth 00:36:03.809 --> 00:36:09.469 is shaking. So no, this has to be the Son of 00:36:09.469 --> 00:36:11.469 God. Now, this is different from Matthew 16. 00:36:11.929 --> 00:36:14.489 Both of them are Son of God, Son of God. But 00:36:14.489 --> 00:36:16.289 this is different from Matthew 16. Just across 00:36:16.289 --> 00:36:18.710 the scripture, just put Matthew 16, which is 00:36:18.710 --> 00:36:22.409 Peter's revelation, right? What Peter perceived 00:36:22.409 --> 00:36:24.469 by the scripture is not something fell on Peter. 00:36:25.210 --> 00:36:28.889 The revelation Peter had is not this. This one, 00:36:28.889 --> 00:36:32.829 he looked at what has happened, right? And said, 00:36:33.010 --> 00:36:36.349 truly, this was the son of God. So when the centurion 00:36:36.349 --> 00:36:39.530 saw and those with him who were guided Jesus, 00:36:39.690 --> 00:36:42.150 they saw the earthquake, right? Of course, this 00:36:42.150 --> 00:36:45.030 is after. There are other events that took place 00:36:45.030 --> 00:36:47.030 around this that made him say, well, this has 00:36:47.030 --> 00:36:51.389 to be the Son of God. And Matthew 16, you will 00:36:51.389 --> 00:36:55.630 see what Jesus told to Peter, verse 17. Matthew 00:36:55.630 --> 00:36:58.949 16, verse 17. And Jesus answered and said unto 00:36:58.949 --> 00:37:02.409 him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar -Jonah. Okay, 00:37:02.469 --> 00:37:05.449 so we can start from 16, sorry. 16, 16. And Simon 00:37:05.449 --> 00:37:07.530 Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, 00:37:07.829 --> 00:37:10.710 the Son of the living God. Similar statement, 00:37:10.809 --> 00:37:13.670 right? Similar statement, son of the living God. 00:37:13.730 --> 00:37:17.190 This has to be the son of God. But see what Jesus 00:37:17.190 --> 00:37:21.250 said. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed 00:37:21.250 --> 00:37:24.469 art thou, Simon Bar -Jonah, for flesh and blood 00:37:24.469 --> 00:37:28.250 hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father 00:37:28.250 --> 00:37:33.190 which is in heaven. Right? My Father which is 00:37:33.190 --> 00:37:36.369 in heaven. So, it's not like something fell on 00:37:36.369 --> 00:37:39.059 Peter, right? For Peter to know. It therefore 00:37:39.059 --> 00:37:43.719 means that, no, let's further read because the 00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:46.440 part that says, who do men say I am? I think 00:37:46.440 --> 00:37:48.559 we need to read that version. Is he in Luke, 00:37:48.780 --> 00:37:52.739 right? Which account is that? Can you find that 00:37:52.739 --> 00:37:56.219 account for me? Can you find that account for 00:37:56.219 --> 00:37:58.500 me? He said, who do men say I am? This is parallel 00:37:58.500 --> 00:38:02.280 to this scripture. And he began to say, some 00:38:02.280 --> 00:38:07.550 say, okay, say Matthew 13. Okay, okay, same steps. 00:38:07.670 --> 00:38:09.150 Okay, so we can just take it backward, right? 00:38:09.230 --> 00:38:10.730 We can just take it backward. Now from verse 00:38:10.730 --> 00:38:13.150 13. Thank you, sir. And when Jesus came into 00:38:13.150 --> 00:38:15.210 the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his 00:38:15.210 --> 00:38:17.550 disciples, who do you mean to say I am? Okay? 00:38:18.190 --> 00:38:20.730 Who do you mean to say I am? Now, let's see where 00:38:20.730 --> 00:38:23.329 they are picking their information from. They're 00:38:23.329 --> 00:38:24.650 not picking their information. They did not say 00:38:24.650 --> 00:38:27.510 it's Shango or Amadia. They did not say that. 00:38:27.630 --> 00:38:31.190 They look at the scripture to tell who Jesus 00:38:31.190 --> 00:38:34.349 was. Right? They looked at the scripture and... 00:38:34.849 --> 00:38:37.530 They said, some say thou art John the Baptist. 00:38:38.010 --> 00:38:40.730 Okay, so they look at their environment. They 00:38:40.730 --> 00:38:43.170 kill John, right? They did not do the math where 00:38:43.170 --> 00:38:45.989 these two persons were born in the same period. 00:38:46.230 --> 00:38:48.530 So they didn't do their math where they believe 00:38:48.530 --> 00:38:50.750 in incarnation and this is John, so it's probably 00:38:50.750 --> 00:38:53.170 just John the Baptist, something like that. Oh, 00:38:53.210 --> 00:38:56.750 some say Elias. Elias, who did miracle again? 00:38:56.889 --> 00:39:00.090 I'm surprised that, okay, some of them say Jemias 00:39:00.090 --> 00:39:03.309 and one of them said... or one of the prophets. 00:39:03.750 --> 00:39:05.789 I'm surprised that they didn't say Moses actually, 00:39:06.050 --> 00:39:09.070 right? I was looking forward to them saying Moses. 00:39:09.190 --> 00:39:16.010 Why? Because after all of the prophets in Israel, 00:39:16.230 --> 00:39:18.590 Moses stands, he has a class. Let me just put 00:39:18.590 --> 00:39:21.130 it that way, right? Moses has a class. Because 00:39:21.130 --> 00:39:24.030 of his writings, because of his labor, because 00:39:24.030 --> 00:39:27.389 of what God communicated through him, right? 00:39:27.429 --> 00:39:30.639 I always believed that. They said it's Elias, 00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:32.400 it's Jeremias, it's John the Baptist or one of 00:39:32.400 --> 00:39:34.300 the prophets. So it means that they are reading 00:39:34.300 --> 00:39:38.579 from the scriptures to pick who Jesus was, right? 00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:42.820 Yeah, this is also another way by which we can 00:39:42.820 --> 00:39:45.900 say that the earth, although they checked through 00:39:45.900 --> 00:39:48.260 the scriptures, right? They did not see it in 00:39:48.260 --> 00:39:51.840 the light of the Messiah, right? I think I missed 00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:53.380 the scriptures when I was putting that earth 00:39:53.380 --> 00:39:55.860 in scripture. It was part of them that they read 00:39:55.860 --> 00:39:57.099 through the scriptures and they were picking 00:39:57.099 --> 00:40:00.119 Elijah, excuse me. Jeremiah and all of them. 00:40:00.179 --> 00:40:03.500 But they did not see what was Moses' communication. 00:40:04.530 --> 00:40:08.110 What was Elijah's communication? What was Jeremiah's 00:40:08.110 --> 00:40:11.809 communication? Do they align? Did they talk about 00:40:11.809 --> 00:40:18.039 themselves as the Messiah? Right? So, they mentioned 00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:21.719 this. And then, excuse me. And then Peter said, 00:40:21.940 --> 00:40:25.900 you are the Messiah. Now, this Peter's revelation 00:40:25.900 --> 00:40:30.159 is... pointing to the fact that Peter also read 00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:33.889 the scriptures like these other people, right? 00:40:34.110 --> 00:40:37.710 But in the communication of Moses, when Peter 00:40:37.710 --> 00:40:40.550 would read, or in the communication of Elijah, 00:40:40.889 --> 00:40:43.090 or in the communication of Jeremiah, when Peter 00:40:43.090 --> 00:40:46.369 would read it, he would not see Jesus as Elijah, 00:40:46.670 --> 00:40:49.829 but he would see Jesus as the one that is being 00:40:49.829 --> 00:40:54.130 talked about, which is the Messiah. So it's not 00:40:54.130 --> 00:40:56.710 something spooky. Revelation is not something... 00:40:57.019 --> 00:41:00.679 jump on you revelation is not from nowhere you 00:41:00.679 --> 00:41:03.219 know it's actually talking about paying attention 00:41:03.219 --> 00:41:05.539 right just the way they looked at the scripture 00:41:05.539 --> 00:41:08.519 they start the scripture and saying christ so 00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:11.539 he said you are the christ right the son of the 00:41:11.539 --> 00:41:14.159 living god so it's different from what centurion 00:41:14.159 --> 00:41:19.300 saw centurion saw right centurion saw now he 00:41:19.300 --> 00:41:23.329 might have heard he might have read okay Don't 00:41:23.329 --> 00:41:25.510 forget, he might have heard, he might have read. 00:41:25.690 --> 00:41:29.210 So reading and hearing, right, does not mean 00:41:29.210 --> 00:41:31.849 that you will see. You must until you see that 00:41:31.849 --> 00:41:33.670 this is Christ, then the revelation is there. 00:41:34.730 --> 00:41:36.710 So he might have heard, but what happened? He 00:41:36.710 --> 00:41:39.889 saw the physical things, the earthquake and the 00:41:39.889 --> 00:41:42.829 events. And therefore he said, this must truly 00:41:42.829 --> 00:41:45.809 be the son of God, right? This must truly be 00:41:45.809 --> 00:41:48.889 the son. There's someone else that gave an illustration. 00:41:49.150 --> 00:41:53.519 Is he Agabus, one of the prophets? one of the 00:41:53.519 --> 00:41:55.320 prophets, I don't think it's Agabus, I'll check 00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:57.699 and I'll tell us. He was talking about the fact 00:41:57.699 --> 00:42:01.139 that if this is of God, it will stand. If it's 00:42:01.139 --> 00:42:04.019 not of God, it will fail. So it's also based 00:42:04.019 --> 00:42:08.840 on empirical evidence. Okay? It's based on empirical 00:42:08.840 --> 00:42:12.159 evidence that says, well, if it is based on what 00:42:12.159 --> 00:42:15.000 we have observed, right? If it is of God, it 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:17.280 will stand. But if it's not of God, you know, 00:42:17.340 --> 00:42:20.860 it will just, like every other person has come 00:42:20.860 --> 00:42:24.139 and called himself. As someone, it will pass. 00:42:24.480 --> 00:42:27.659 So we see that this revelation is also not the 00:42:27.659 --> 00:42:33.550 revelation we are talking about. I put Acts 10, 00:42:33.690 --> 00:42:38.909 right? I put Acts 10 there. That's a long story, 00:42:38.989 --> 00:42:43.469 but we would go to, let's go to Acts 27 first, 00:42:43.670 --> 00:42:47.250 right? Maybe on Sunday we'll come to Acts 10. 00:42:47.309 --> 00:42:52.590 Let's go to Acts 27 or 17, sorry. Acts 17, right? 00:42:53.289 --> 00:42:57.130 Let's go to Acts 17. Can you go to Acts 17, please? 00:42:57.489 --> 00:43:02.860 17 from 22. So what we are pointing out is that 00:43:02.860 --> 00:43:06.480 there are ways by which people can say they saw 00:43:06.480 --> 00:43:12.889 something and they believe it's God. Okay? They 00:43:12.889 --> 00:43:14.989 believe it's God, right? We've seen religion 00:43:14.989 --> 00:43:17.389 that said an angel appeared to them. We've seen 00:43:17.389 --> 00:43:19.869 religion that said they saw a stone speak. We've 00:43:19.869 --> 00:43:22.590 seen religion with many things, right? In the 00:43:22.590 --> 00:43:26.690 course... So let's read this. Now, then Paul 00:43:26.690 --> 00:43:32.599 stood in the midst of Iopagus and said, What 00:43:32.599 --> 00:43:43.119 does that mean? What does that mean? They are 00:43:43.119 --> 00:43:45.960 men that are seeking worship. They are men that 00:43:45.960 --> 00:43:48.219 worship. They worship something. You believe 00:43:48.219 --> 00:43:50.480 that there is a God. That's where it starts from. 00:43:51.239 --> 00:43:55.130 So these men, first of all, Believe that there 00:43:55.130 --> 00:43:59.289 is a God. That man cannot just be. Man must serve 00:43:59.289 --> 00:44:04.550 something. Right? That man must serve something. 00:44:04.909 --> 00:44:07.949 You know, these people point to the desire in 00:44:07.949 --> 00:44:12.239 every man to be dependent on, let me call it, 00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:15.469 a superpower. Right? There's a desire in every 00:44:15.469 --> 00:44:18.969 man to be dependent on a deity. So he says, you 00:44:18.969 --> 00:44:21.510 are religious. I see that you have practices. 00:44:22.420 --> 00:44:24.360 You believe that there are practices you should 00:44:24.360 --> 00:44:30.889 do to access a deity. Right next. For as I was 00:44:30.889 --> 00:44:33.530 passing through and considering the objects of 00:44:33.530 --> 00:44:37.070 your worship, I even found an altar with this 00:44:37.070 --> 00:44:42.150 inscription to the unknown God. Therefore, the 00:44:42.150 --> 00:44:47.030 one whom you worship without knowing him, I proclaim 00:44:47.030 --> 00:44:51.409 to you. Now, you know, I don't know how Paul 00:44:51.409 --> 00:44:54.980 did this. But I would say that was very intelligent, 00:44:55.199 --> 00:45:00.829 right? Because in their communication, he caught 00:45:00.829 --> 00:45:03.769 them in their communication and communicated 00:45:03.769 --> 00:45:08.250 God to them. So first, they are religious, right? 00:45:08.650 --> 00:45:12.789 Second, can you go to verse 22? Okay, so they 00:45:12.789 --> 00:45:15.150 have an object of worship. Yes, God stated it. 00:45:15.170 --> 00:45:17.409 They have an object of worship, right? They are 00:45:17.409 --> 00:45:25.179 religious. They have an object of worship. Also, 00:45:25.239 --> 00:45:29.739 they have philosophical ideas that they cannot 00:45:29.739 --> 00:45:34.420 comprehend the deity. Okay? They have an idea 00:45:34.420 --> 00:45:38.440 that this deity, we cannot comprehend this deity. 00:45:38.599 --> 00:45:41.380 We know it exists. We know the deity is somewhere, 00:45:41.539 --> 00:45:52.139 but we cannot phantom this deity. Verse 24. So 00:45:52.139 --> 00:45:54.460 Paul said, Him I am here to proclaim to you. 00:45:54.659 --> 00:45:57.820 God who made the world and everything in it. 00:45:58.170 --> 00:46:01.429 Since he is the Lord of heaven and earth, does 00:46:01.429 --> 00:46:05.590 not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is 00:46:05.590 --> 00:46:09.050 he worshipped with men's hands, as though he 00:46:09.050 --> 00:46:15.159 needed anything, since he gives to all life, 00:46:15.460 --> 00:46:18.239 bread, and all things. Now, you can stop there. 00:46:18.300 --> 00:46:20.079 We'll continue on Sunday from there. Now, what 00:46:20.079 --> 00:46:23.659 is this pointing to us? It's pointing to us that 00:46:23.659 --> 00:46:29.039 in the activities of men, okay? There might be 00:46:29.039 --> 00:46:33.760 an encounter that seems to point to you that 00:46:33.760 --> 00:46:37.070 there is a deity, okay? There might be an encounter 00:46:37.070 --> 00:46:43.050 that points to you that there is a God. But until 00:46:43.050 --> 00:46:49.510 the gospel is communicated, right, there is no 00:46:49.510 --> 00:46:53.500 revelation of God. So I said, in the encounters 00:46:53.500 --> 00:46:57.059 of men, in daily life of people around you, you 00:46:57.059 --> 00:46:58.619 would have met people that would say, I think 00:46:58.619 --> 00:47:01.500 I believe there is God. I have something in me 00:47:01.500 --> 00:47:03.739 said there is God. Now, many people believe there 00:47:03.739 --> 00:47:06.400 is God, right? I can believe half of the world, 00:47:06.420 --> 00:47:08.019 more than half of the world population believe 00:47:08.019 --> 00:47:11.170 there is God, right? I believe more than half 00:47:11.170 --> 00:47:12.929 of the population because these atheists, they 00:47:12.929 --> 00:47:16.010 are just a fraction of, you know, and I believe 00:47:16.010 --> 00:47:18.409 they are daily being converted to, you know. 00:47:18.750 --> 00:47:20.909 So more than half, we see that you are in this 00:47:20.909 --> 00:47:22.829 religion, that religion, on this religion. So 00:47:22.829 --> 00:47:24.489 more than half of the population agrees to the 00:47:24.489 --> 00:47:28.269 fact that there is God. But the revelation of 00:47:28.269 --> 00:47:34.449 God. is only in the gospel that is being preached. 00:47:34.630 --> 00:47:38.269 That is why the unknown God here, Paul began 00:47:38.269 --> 00:47:41.230 to tell them that, me, I have a revelation of 00:47:41.230 --> 00:47:43.809 this God. And then let me tell you about him. 00:47:43.929 --> 00:47:47.670 He does not live in houses. He does not live. 00:47:47.829 --> 00:47:50.210 So Paul began to teach. By the time you get to 00:47:50.210 --> 00:47:53.409 the end, you would have seen that he has communicated 00:47:53.409 --> 00:47:58.630 the gospel to these people. Okay? He has communicated 00:47:58.630 --> 00:48:01.760 the gospel. to these people. So what does this 00:48:01.760 --> 00:48:05.739 mean? Now, you can have people who actually said 00:48:05.739 --> 00:48:08.099 they woke up and they saw an angel and they've 00:48:08.099 --> 00:48:12.920 never been preached to. Okay? They might just 00:48:12.920 --> 00:48:15.219 hear a Christian. I have a very, you know, a 00:48:15.219 --> 00:48:17.699 very number one that the only one that I always 00:48:17.699 --> 00:48:20.400 hold on to and that one is very strong because 00:48:20.400 --> 00:48:23.159 it's a believer that shared it with me. Now, 00:48:23.300 --> 00:48:25.960 it's a believer in Turkey, right? She shared, 00:48:26.019 --> 00:48:28.719 I asked her. You among all these millions of 00:48:28.719 --> 00:48:32.320 people, how did you become a Christian? How? 00:48:32.360 --> 00:48:35.519 How did you survive becoming a Christian in this 00:48:35.519 --> 00:48:38.340 space where, you know, you are the only one. 00:48:38.380 --> 00:48:40.079 You are just one of the few, right? Not the only 00:48:40.079 --> 00:48:42.880 one, but one of the few. So she shared her testimony 00:48:42.880 --> 00:48:45.860 with me. And I love the fact that she shared 00:48:45.860 --> 00:48:50.820 it, not making it too spooky, you know, but making 00:48:50.820 --> 00:48:52.699 it to get to the real point. So what happened 00:48:52.699 --> 00:48:56.360 was that her father was sick. When her father 00:48:56.360 --> 00:48:59.679 was sick, her father was dying, and she was just 00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:02.760 there on the bed, trying to comfort the man. 00:49:02.860 --> 00:49:05.139 There was no help. The man would pass, definitely. 00:49:05.760 --> 00:49:09.739 And she said, someone walked into the room and 00:49:10.639 --> 00:49:14.210 healed her father and gave her an instruction. 00:49:15.670 --> 00:49:18.670 Give her an instruction to go and look for, I'm 00:49:18.670 --> 00:49:21.070 forgetting how he described them, maybe believers 00:49:21.070 --> 00:49:23.750 or some folks like that. So he healed the father, 00:49:23.789 --> 00:49:25.800 gave her an instruction. This is like she had 00:49:25.800 --> 00:49:28.530 a vision. She has never been in church. She has 00:49:28.530 --> 00:49:30.710 never been in any space of Christian religion. 00:49:30.989 --> 00:49:33.309 But he told her, go out and look for so -and 00:49:33.309 --> 00:49:35.849 -so people, right? So after the father got healed, 00:49:36.070 --> 00:49:40.079 she began to look for people around that could 00:49:40.079 --> 00:49:43.320 explain that encounter. So while she was looking 00:49:43.320 --> 00:49:46.019 for people, she got into a church. And it is 00:49:46.019 --> 00:49:49.400 in that church that he explained a vision to 00:49:49.400 --> 00:49:53.750 her. And then he preached the gospel to her. 00:49:54.469 --> 00:49:57.369 She believed the gospel. In her believing the 00:49:57.369 --> 00:50:00.789 gospel, she now understood the revelation, the 00:50:00.789 --> 00:50:04.610 vision much more. So until she believed the gospel, 00:50:04.769 --> 00:50:06.929 she could not even know what was happening to 00:50:06.929 --> 00:50:09.210 her in that vision. It's today, sometimes when 00:50:09.210 --> 00:50:10.949 we talk, she will say, Emmanuel, do you think, 00:50:10.969 --> 00:50:13.030 you know, I think that person I saw was Jesus. 00:50:13.150 --> 00:50:15.250 I've never seen that person again. Till now, 00:50:15.329 --> 00:50:17.349 she has never seen that person again. But she 00:50:17.349 --> 00:50:18.989 always say, you know, I believe that person was 00:50:18.989 --> 00:50:22.639 Jesus that came to heal my father. Right? So 00:50:22.639 --> 00:50:25.590 it means that. The gospel brings revelation. 00:50:26.380 --> 00:50:28.659 She had to be preached to so that she can be 00:50:28.659 --> 00:50:31.500 saved. She had to be taught the word so that 00:50:31.500 --> 00:50:35.070 she can understand. And from there, she became 00:50:35.070 --> 00:50:39.570 one of the major persons that evangelize within 00:50:39.570 --> 00:50:43.820 that space of Ankara. So what am I saying? No 00:50:43.820 --> 00:50:46.820 matter what a man says, speaks to them and all 00:50:46.820 --> 00:50:50.039 of that, right? Even if you say the ground open 00:50:50.039 --> 00:50:53.559 and say, I am the Lord, right? There is no revelation. 00:50:54.610 --> 00:50:57.909 In that, until you come and bring the, I am the 00:50:57.909 --> 00:51:02.710 Lord, with this, I am the Lord, right? Then you 00:51:02.710 --> 00:51:06.409 can see if you have received, you know, if the 00:51:06.409 --> 00:51:08.630 encounter was godly, the encounter was God speaking 00:51:08.630 --> 00:51:11.769 to you and all of that. So in the activities 00:51:11.769 --> 00:51:17.960 of men, there is always something, an inch pointing 00:51:17.960 --> 00:51:23.550 them towards the dependency and commitment to 00:51:23.550 --> 00:51:26.380 God. But that is not revelation. The revelation 00:51:26.380 --> 00:51:30.489 comes when the message is taught and they can 00:51:30.489 --> 00:51:34.889 see and they can walk in the light of what Christ 00:51:34.889 --> 00:51:39.659 has done. Praise God. We appreciate you being 00:51:39.659 --> 00:51:42.340 here today. We hope you carry this word with 00:51:42.340 --> 00:51:45.349 you throughout your week. Don't forget to check 00:51:45.349 --> 00:51:47.969 the show notes for additional insights. Stay 00:51:47.969 --> 00:51:50.570 connected with us through our website or follow 00:51:50.570 --> 00:51:54.469 us on social media. If you were encouraged, share 00:51:54.469 --> 00:51:57.380 this message with someone you care about. Until 00:51:57.380 --> 00:51:59.019 next time, stay blessed.