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Understanding the Faith for Greater Works (Part 3) · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. John 14, verse 12, it says, Most assuredly,
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I say to you, he who believes in me, the works
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that I do, he will do also. And greater works
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than these he will do because I go to my Father.
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And we observe from Jesus' statements that greater
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works that we are to do are the works of faith.
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They are the works of faith. We don't do them
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independent of God. But we do them by the grace
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and by the love, by the power that God provides.
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So these great works, these great works of faith
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can only be done by a man who has faith. Can
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only be done by a man who has faith. I mean,
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in the previous teachings we've explained what
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those greater works are. The greater works are
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the works of Jesus. All the things that Jesus
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began to do and to teach. I will go through the
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Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We will
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see all the things that Jesus began to do, all
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the things that Jesus taught. All these are the
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works of Jesus. I will go through the Old Testament
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Scriptures, what we call the prophets, the writers
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of Moses and the prophets, the Psalms. We will
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see prophesied in them the works that the Messiah
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will do. And in the Gospels, we see the Messiah,
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Jesus Christ, doing the things that has been
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said concerning him. And when he was living,
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he said to the apostles or the disciples, he
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says that they can do the work or they, when
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they believe in him, can do the works. That he
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did. And only that they will do the works that
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he did. But they can do even greater. So the
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man who believes. Is a man. That can do greater
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works. And if you are here and you believe. You
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also are empowered. Because the same spirit that
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worked in them. Is the same spirit that we have
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received. That is working in us. The same things
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that we see them do in the books of the Acts
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of the Apostles are the same works that we in
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turn have been called to work in. This is our
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reality. This is who we are. This is our identity.
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In fact, we are called to have all of faith.
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We can work in those things which they have done
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because we have the ability in us to do them.
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Similarly, we see From another instance, when
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Jesus was explaining the concept of faith for
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these greater works in Mark 11, 12 to 14. Mark
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11, verses 12. Now the next day, when they had
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come out from Bethany, he was hungry. Now let
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me pause here and say this. Every single time
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you come across a story, a parable, an instance
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recorded, anything that Jesus did, there's always,
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there's always a teaching. All right? There's
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always a teaching that Jesus will do whenever
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there is a miracle. Whenever there's a miracle
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in the Bible and not just there for fun. Okay?
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Every bit of Jesus' miracle, you will see a teaching
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in line with that. So what is Jesus teaching
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in this miracle? We'll see. Now, the next day
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when he was hungry, when they had, okay, so the
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next day, verse 13, I see from afar a fig tree.
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Having leaves, he went to see if perhaps he would
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find something to eat. When he came to eat, he
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found nothing but leaves. For it was not the
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season for figs. Verse 14. In response, Jesus
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said to it, let no one eat from you ever again.
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And his disciples, they heard what he said. Verse
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20 to 24. And this is a lesson from that event
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that happened. Now in the morning, as they passed
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by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
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Now the most important thing is not that the
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fig tree dried from the roots. The most important
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thing is not that Jesus spoke to the tree and
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then it dried up. But this is what Jesus was
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drawing their attention to. And Peter remembering
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said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree which
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he cursed has withered away. So Jesus answered
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and said to them, Have faith in God. Have faith
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in God. For surely I say to you, whoever says
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to this mountain, so faith will make the man
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to say, all right, whoever says to this mountain,
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be removed and be cast into the sea and does
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not doubt in his heart, which means that doubt
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can limit the work of faith. Doubt can what?
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Can limit the work of faith. Doubt can limit
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the work of faith. And does not doubt in his
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heart, but believes that those things he says,
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who says those things? He, the one that has faith
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says, he will what? He will have whatever he
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says. Verse 24, therefore I say to you, Whatever
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things you ask when you pray, believe that you
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will receive them. Whatever things you pray,
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you watch, you believe that you have received
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them and you will have them. And you will have
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those things to which you prayed and you received
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them. So verse 12, in a young literary translation,
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we see it that Jesus, communicating to them was
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that they should have the faith of God. In the
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Young Literals translation, which says, and Jesus
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answering to them, have faith of God. And we
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mentioned the last time that this is a well -translated
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verse in this translation. This aligns with biblical
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teaching on the origin of faith. The origin of
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faith. And when we talk about the origin of faith,
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we're talking about the biblical faith. And we've
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said this in the past week, that faith comes
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from God. A man who does not have the spirit
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of God in him does not have the ability to exercise
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the kind of faith of God. This man cannot even
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do the greater works we're speaking about. The
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man that does not have the Spirit of God in him
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cannot heal the sick. In a dimension that God
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is calling the believer to. So, faith comes from
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God. God is a source of faith and we only receive
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the faith of God to live the life of God and
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to do the works of God. Because the life of the
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believer is anchored on what God has done. The
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life of the believer is situated, is founded
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in what God has worked in Christ. Ephesians 2,
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verse 8 -10. In the King James Version it says,
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For by grace are ye saved through faith. Alright?
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By grace we are saved through faith. And that's
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not of yourselves. So we didn't contribute in
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what God did in our salvation. It is the gift
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of God. Lord of works, verse 9 says, Lord of
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works, lest any man should boast. So you can't
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say, I exercise my faith and your boast is on
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your works that makes you safe. No. It is about
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all that God has done. It is about all that God
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has done. No man can come to God unless God drew
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him to himself. It is about what God has done.
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For we are his workmanship, verse 10. We are
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his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto
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good works which God had before ordained that
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we should work in them. So salvation by grace
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through faith, we see is a gift from God. Meaning
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that salvation, including the faith, the salvation
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itself, the redemption that you are a redeemer,
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including the faith, is a gift from God. Everything
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we see is a gift from God. There's nothing man
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contributed. It's a gift from God. The word workmanship
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here refers to God himself, what God himself
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has done. In the Amplified Classic, it says,
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because it goes on handiwork. That means that
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God is solely responsible for that. It is God's
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handiwork. God is solely responsible for that,
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meaning that it was God himself alone. And established
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our salvation. For our Lord will see. Scripture
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says we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.
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Galatians chapter 2 verse 16 from King James.
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We are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ
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and not our own faith. Galatians 2 verse 16.
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Knowing that a man is not justified by the works
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of the law. The works of the law emphasizes the
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effort of a man. The works of the law emphasizing
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the contribution of the man. The works of faith
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defies what man does. So, knowing that a man
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is not justified by the works of the law, but
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by the faith of Jesus Christ. The faith of Jesus
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Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ
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that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.
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And not by the works of the law. For by the works
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of the law shall no flesh be justified. Not only
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that we are justified by the faith of Christ,
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not only that we are saved by the faith of Christ,
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By grace through faith of Christ, we also live
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by the faith of the Son of God. So the life that
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we continuously live is sponsored, is anchored,
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is inspired, is driven by faith. Galatians 2,
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yes, down to which verse? It's verse 20. Galatians
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2, 20. We see Paul go on to say that I am crucified
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with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. I am crucified
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with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet know I,
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but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I
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now live in the flesh, the life which I now live
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in the physical, the flesh here does not mean
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sinful nature, does not mean anything. It means
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in the physical, the life we live, our daily
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living. That's what it means. The life I now
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live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the
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Son of God who loved me and gave himself for
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me. So it means that every single thing we do
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must be anchored on the faith of the Son of God.
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The Christian walk is a walk of faith. The Bible
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will tell us that it is him. who works in us,
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right? To fulfill his desires. So if you are
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putting strength in your own effort to live the
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life that God has given you, how can you start
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in the spirit? How can you start from faith and
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finish by yourself in works? It's impossible
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for you to begin in faith, to be born anew in
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faith, And then we neglect working in what God
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has done for us and begin to look for a means
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of living for ourselves. Now I want you all to
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see an example of the apostles in Acts chapter
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3. The life we live in the flesh, the ministry
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we do in the flesh, And everything that defines
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our lives must be by the faith of the Son of
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God. Acts chapter 3 from verse 1 to 9. Now Peter
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and Job went up together to the temple at the
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hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain
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man's lamb from his mother's womb was carved.
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whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple,
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which is called beautiful, to ask alms from those
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who enter the temple. Who, seeing Peter and John
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about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
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And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter
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said, Look at us. So he gave them his attention,
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expecting to receive some money from them. And
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Peter said, silver and gold I do not have, but
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what I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus
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Christ of Nazareth, rise up and work. And he
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took him by the right hand and lifted him up
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and immediately his feet and ankles and bones
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received strength. So he limping up, stood and
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walked and entered the temple with him, walking,
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leaping and walking. And he was praising God
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for the miraculous work that was done. And all
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the people saw him walking and praising God.
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The man who is born of God has something special
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in him. Alright? The man whom God has saved,
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has redeemed, he gave him his spirit. And the
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works we leave in the flesh, we don't need an
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extra faith to do the works of God. Because in
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us, God has put the ability, has put his faith
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in us. We don't need a special retreat so we
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can be complete and sufficient to do the works
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of God. We have all that God has done in us.
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And what we need to understand is the work that
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God has established in us. Peter was particularly
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conscious of what he had in him. Now, oftentimes
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we are not conscious of what God has worked in
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us. We are not conscious of consciousness. Faith
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works with knowledge. Faith works with knowledge.
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We must be conscious of what God has wrought
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in us. We must be conscious. of what God has
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done in us by Christ. Peter says, what I have,
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I give. And I want to tell you as a man and a
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woman that is born again, you have something,
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something more precious than gold. Hallelujah.
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You have something more precious than silver.
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You have the faith of God in you. You have the
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spirit of God in you. Mark 11 .22 says that if
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you have the faith of God, you shall see to this
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mountain. And we see Peter acting, giving expression
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to what God has put in him. So faith speaks from
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the position of what we already have. We're not
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looking for something else. But faith speaks
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from the position of what we already have. It
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speaks from the position of the reality of the
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believer. So you don't need a special kind of
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faith. The faith you have is all of the faith
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that you need in order to live the life of God
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and to do the work of God. You don't need a special
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faith. You don't need a special faith. And your
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faith is not little. There's no little faith.
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Faith is faith. When you believe in Jesus Christ,
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you receive in fullness the faith of God. So
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faith speaks from the position of what we already
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have. We speak from the finished work of redemption.
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That is our position. That is where we function
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from. That is where we find expression. That
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is where we express the works of God from the
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position of the finished work of redemption.
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But let's move forward and see Peter's explanation
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of what happened. From verse 11 to verse 16 of
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that same passage, Acts 3, 11 to 16. Let's see
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how Peter explains what happened. Now, as the
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lame man who was healed held on to Peter and
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John, and all the people ran together to them
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in the porch, which is called Solomon's, greatly
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amazed because they have seen something special.
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They have seen something unique. When Peter saw
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it, he responded to them, to the people, men
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of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Why do
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you look so intently at us? As though, as though
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what? As though by our own power, all right?
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By our own power or godliness. Now there's a
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godliness, okay? Or let me say righteousness
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that is a product of the law where a man does
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something. That is not the kind of godliness
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or righteousness that we've received. We receive
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that of God. So he says, why do you look so intently
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at us as though we are superstars? Why do you
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look so intently at us as though we have some
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special powers of our own? Why do you look so
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intent at us as though we are supermen? I heard
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someone say it, that in the spirit there are
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ranks. And some people are not, are lower ranks
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than others. No, we equally have. The same faith
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has been given to all men as salvation. Hallelujah.
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So Peter says, As though by our own power or
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godliness, we have made this man walk. You don't
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need to do something by your own self to make
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a man healed or a man to walk. What you need
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to do is to act on what God has put in you. Hallelujah.
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You already have all it takes to do the call
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or to do the work of God. You're not too small
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to preach the gospel. You are not too small to
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win souls for Christ. You are not too small to
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give expression to the work of God that he has
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done in you. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
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the God of our fathers, glorify his servant Jesus,
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whom you deliver up and deny in the presence
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of Pilate, where he was determined to let him
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go. But you deny the Holy One and the just and
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ask for a murderer to be granted to you. Verse
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15. And kill the prince of life whom God raised
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from the dead of which we are witnesses. The
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last verse, verse 16. And his name. All right,
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look at this carefully, verse 16, carefully.
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And his name, to faith in his name. has made
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this man strong, which means that we are not
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the one that did it. God did it. Won't you see
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and know, yes, which faith, the faith which comes
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through him has given him the perfect soundness
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in the presence of you all. And in his name,
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true faith in his name. I went on to say, yes,
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the faith. Which faith? The faith is very particular.
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Not just any kind of faith. The faith which comes
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through him, which comes through Jesus, the faith
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that comes from God, has given him the perfect
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soundness in the presence of you all. And I want
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to tell you that every man who believes has this
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faith. This faith that comes from God. And as
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you leave this place, I want you to leave this
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place having this assurance in your heart that
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you are sufficient enough. Having this assurance
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in your heart that you have all it takes. That
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God has empowered you, God has equipped you.
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The faith which comes through Him, has given
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him the perfect soundness in the presence of
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you all. Which means that we cannot have faith
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outside the person of Jesus Christ. We cannot
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have faith outside the person of Jesus Christ.
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The boundary of faith is Jesus Christ. By implication,
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this means that we do, we who have received the
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gift of God, the Spirit of God, Have the faith
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to do great works. As these men. Or as Peter
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did. So how does faith come to us? How did we
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receive faith? We saw in Romans chapter 17. 10
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verse 17. That faith comes. By the hearing. Of
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the word of God. Romans chapter 10 verse 17.
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So then. Faith. Comes. By hearing. And hearing.
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By the word. Of God. So when we hear the word
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of God. Faith. Comes to us. When we hear the
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word of God. Faith comes to us. When the message
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of the gospel was preached to you. It was faith
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that was given to you. One word of God precisely
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do we hear to receive faith. Now it is important
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for us to note that faith is received differently.
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Carefully listen. It's received differently in
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different dispensations. All right? Faith is
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received differently in different dispensations,
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but fundamentally through the word of God. The
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faith of God is received differently in different
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dispensations, but fundamentally from the word
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of God. So it means that in all dispensations,
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God has to give a word for faith to come to men.
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Hallelujah. In every dispensation of human civilization,
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faith comes by the word of God. And even the
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faith that comes to you, that you have came by
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the word of God. Hebrews 1, verse 1 and 2. God,
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who at various times, And in various ways. What
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did he do? He spoke a word, right? Spoke in time
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past. To the fathers. How did he speak to them?
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By the prophets. So as under the times. And in
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diverse manners. In instructions. In illustrations.
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In demonstrations. In different ways of communications,
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God spoke to the fathers by the prophets. And
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even in Moses, we see God spoke to them. In time
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passed on to the fathers by the prophets, but
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still says, had in these last days, how did God
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speak to us in these last days? Had spoken to
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us by his son, whom he had appointed. Heir of
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all things. Which means that Christ is center
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of all things. By whom all, also he made the
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worlds. Now the fathers were men. What were the
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fathers men to do with the word God spoke to
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them? They were men to receive the word God spoke
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to them. Alright? They were men to receive the
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word. When they received the word, they received
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the faith of God. They were men to receive the
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word spoken to them. Hebrews chapter 4, verse
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1 to 3. Therefore, since a promise remained of
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entering his rest, let us fear, lest any of you
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seem to have come short of it. For indeed, the
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gospel, so the word that was spoken to them,
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right, is called the gospel. The gospel was preached
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to us. You and I today also, it was preached
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to us, as well as to them. Who are they? Them,
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the fathers, as sundry times, at their livers'
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manners, in different ways, the gospel was preached
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to them, but the word which they had did not
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profit them. Most of them did not enjoy the profitability
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of the word that was spoken to them. not be mixed
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with faith in those who heard it. For we who
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have believed do enter that rest. As he has said,
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so I saw in my wrath, they shall not enter my
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rest, although the works were finished from the
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foundation of all. So the expectation of God
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is that they may in that time receive the word
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of God, that they respond to the word of God.
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God was not expecting them to do anything. but
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to receive the word, the gospel that was preached
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to them. For example, Abraham in Genesis chapter
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12, we'll see in Genesis chapter 12, the word
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of God came to him. Genesis chapter 12 from verse
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one. Now the Lord has, now the Lord has said
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to Abraham, get out of your country from your
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family. And from your father's house. To a land
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that I will show you. I will make you a good
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nation. I will bless you. And make your name
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great. And you shall be a blessing. I will bless
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those who bless you. And I will curse him who
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curses you. And you. All the families of the
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earth will be blessed. So Abraham, what did Abraham
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do? So Abraham departed as the Lord has what?
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Has spoken to him. He responded by accepting
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the word of the Lord. Has spoken to him and the
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Lord went with him. And Abraham was 75 years
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old. When he departed from Haran, verse 5, then
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Abraham took Sarah, his wife, and Lot, his brother's
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son, and all their possessions that they had
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gathered, and the people whom they had acquired,
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which means that Abraham was very rich. So the
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promises God promised him was not a promise of
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something material because he was already materially
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blessed. And the people whom they had acquired
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in Haran, and they departed to go to the land
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of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
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Chapter 15, verse 1 to 6, Genesis. After these
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things, the one of the Lord came to Abraham in
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a vision saying, Do not be afraid, Abraham. I
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am your shield, your exceeding great reward.
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But Abraham said, Lord God, what will you give
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me? Seeing I go childless. And the heir of my
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house is Eliezer of Damascus. Then Abraham said,
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Look, you have given me no offspring indeed.
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One born in my house is my heir. And behold,
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the word of the Lord came to him. The word of
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the Lord came to him. This one shall not be your
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heir, but one who will come from your own body
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shall be your heir. Then he brought him out and
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said, look now towards heaven and count the stars
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if you are able to number them. And he said to
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him, so shall your descendants be. Verse six
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is very important. And he believed the word of
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the Lord. He believed in the Lord and he accounted
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it to him for righteousness. So let's see how
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Paul explained this in Galatians chapter 3 when
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he was speaking and chastising in a way such
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to say the church in Galatia whom have wandered
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away from faith to works trying to earn a way
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of being right with God even though they have
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already received the faith of God. That is a
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product of what God has done and what God alone
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can do. Galatians chapter 3 verse 1. He says
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to them, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched
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you that you should not obey the truth? Obeying
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the truth simply means to believe the truth.
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Believe the truth. Before whose eyes Jesus Christ
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has clearly portrayed among you as crucified.
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This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive
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the Spirit by doing something or by hearing of
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faith? Remember we say the faith comes by what?
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By hearing. Not by doing something. So, did you
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receive the faith by walking out your way or
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by hearing the message? Are you so foolish having
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begun in the Spirit? Are you not made perfect
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by the flesh? You know, some of us think that,
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you know, Salvation is by grace, through faith
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in Christ Jesus. After that one, then I now begin
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to walk the walk of faith. By my sense, by my
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ability. No, we depend on the strength that God
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has made available to walk in the life that God
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has given. I feel so far so many things in vain.
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It indeed, it was in vain. Therefore, He who
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supplies a spirit to you and works in miracles,
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which means the miracles were wrought in their
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presence among you, does he do it by the works
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of the law or by hearing of faith? Which means
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that the source of the miracle that was done
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in their presence was through the hearing of
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faith. Just as Abraham, what did Abraham did?
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Believed God. And it was accounted to him for
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righteousness. Therefore, know that only those
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who have faith are the sons of Abraham. Is that
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what it says? Only those who are of faith are
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the sons of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing
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that God would justify the Gentiles by faith
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presented the gospel to Abraham. beforehand saying
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in you, all the nations of the earth shall be
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bliss. And the scripture foresees, yes, verse
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9. So then, those who are of faith, those who
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are of faith, those who are of faith are blessed
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with Abraham, with believing Abraham. with believing
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Abraham. Those who are of faith are blessed with
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believing Abraham. So Abraham had the word of
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God and he believed. God walks in us through
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the hearing of faith, through the word of God,
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through the hearing of faith. Now let's see what
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the writer of Hebrews said. Concerning Abraham,
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Hebrews 11 verse 8 to 16. Hebrews 11 verse 8
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to 16. By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called
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to go out to the place which he would receive
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as an inheritance and he went out not knowing
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where he was going. You see, sometimes what is
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our biggest challenge is our desire to know the
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nitty gritties and the details of what the possibilities
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of how God will work. Now, if I lay my hand on
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this person, how will he get healed? Because
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of our knowledge of medicine, will the antibiotics
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just appear and begin to work? Where will they
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come from? Is there an injection that has been
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given to him? So we begin to calculate the modality
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by which God will work. But faith is trusting
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the word of God. It's believing what God has
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said. Receiving what God has said. Agreeing what
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God has said. Hallelujah. For the believer is
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agreeing with everything that God has said concerning
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you. Everything that God has said concerning
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you, you live in agreement with what God has
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said. And you walk in what God has said concerning
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you. So by faith he dwelled in the land of promise,
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as in a foreign country, dwelling in terms with
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Isaac and Jacob, the heir with him of the same
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promise. For he waited for the city which has
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foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
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By faith Sarah herself also received strength
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to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she
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was past the age, because she judged him faithful.
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who had promised. Therefore from one man and
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him as good as dead were born as many as the
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stars of the sky, a multitude immeasurable as
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the sun, which is by the seashore. These all
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died in faith, not having received the promises,
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but having seen them afar off were assured of
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them. embraced them and confessed that they were
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strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those
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who say such things declare plainly that they
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seek a homeland. And truly, if they had called
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to mind that a country from which they had come
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out, they would have had an opportunity to return.
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But now they desire something permanent, that
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is a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed
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to call their God for he has prepared a city
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for them. Come to verse 39 and see something.
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Verse 39. Verse 39. And all these having obtained
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a good testimony, true faith, they obtained a
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testimony. That they were righteous. Righteousness
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was imputed to them by God. They fulfilled all
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the standards of God by accepting the word of
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God even though they did not receive the promise.
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The promise was not something tangible. Hallelujah.
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The promise was not something earthly. The promise
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was a promise of the Messiah. The promise was
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a promise of what God will do in Christ. The
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promise is a promise of the gift of the Spirit
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to the saints. And you have received that promise.
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Hallelujah. So your faith is not as the faith
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of those of old who look into the future and
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we see the tremendous work they did. If we read
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through the book of Hebrews, it will say that
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the world is not worthy of them. I was sharing
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with some people in the cemetery and I said,
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see, it is illogical for men to go to war. When
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men go to war, it is illogical, right? For the
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battle strategy to be to move around the city
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and the city will fall. It is stupid. It is illogical.
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And we will see the nation of Israel. What did
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they do? By Joshua, right? Gideon rather. Receiving
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the word of God. And then he gather his army.
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And they move around the city. They move around
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Jericho. Seven times, seven days. And they blow
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the trumpet. And the Bible says the city. The
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walls of Jericho, what happened to the walls
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of Jericho? This cannot be the work of man. People
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don't win wars by dancing around cities. America
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cannot move around, around, around, around Europe
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or Middle East and then something will happen.
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It's all like that. This must be the work of
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God. That is to say, I am the one who will save
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you. That is God's message of salvation there.
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You will not partake in this. I will do it myself.
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You just obey. Just watch and see what I will
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do. And I believe that that's what God is saying
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to somebody today. That's what God is speaking
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to somebody right now. Egyptians you see today,
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you will see them no more. You hold your peace.
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Hold on to the promise of God. Hold on to the
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word of God. Hold on to all that God has said
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concerning you, concerning your situations, concerning
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your circumstance, and you will enjoy, because
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you've already been delivered by God, you will
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enjoy the deliverance of the Lord. So we hold
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on to the promises of God. We hold on to the
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word of God. We keep... holding on to what God
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has said concerning us. He said you will not
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live, you will not forsake. God honors his word.
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He honors his word. His integrity is tied to
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his word. And God cannot lie. God has never lied
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and he cannot lie. Melchizedek fell. But God
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never fails. God is faithful to his people. And
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we shall see, as we've seen for thousands of
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years, when the promise was made about the Messiah,
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for hundreds of thousands of years, we see the
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manifestation of the promise right from the beginning
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To the end, we see God fulfilling what he said
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to the prophets. Hundreds of years before it
44:58
happened, God was able to keep to his word. God
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is long -suffering. God is faithful with us.
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And it is his faithfulness that he has deposited
45:11
in you. So what do we see the fathers receive?
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was the word of promise. Even though they did
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not receive in that time what was promised yet,
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they believed the word of God and they did wonders.
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What about us that have received the promise?
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about us are living in the reality of what we're
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hoping. We're looking forward to what we have
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today. What about us have everything that they
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were looking forward to in us? What more we should
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do? So in that dispensation, we see the way by
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which God communicated his word of faith to them
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was in a promise. Hallelujah. was in the promise.
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And in us today, the promise has been fulfilled.
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Amen. And we have the ability to believe God's
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word. We have the ability to believe the works
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of God. We have the ability to do the works of
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God because God has to work, has completed all
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that he has promised you do in Christ. And Christ
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is seated in our hearts. Hallelujah. Where is
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Christ? Christ is seated in us. He's living in
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us by His Spirit. And He wants us to give expression
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to His Spirit that is in us. I want you to just
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close your eyes and speak to God. And tell God
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that you believe His Word. We appreciate you
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being here today. We hope you carry this word
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with you throughout your week. Don't forget to
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check the show notes for additional insights.
47:16
Stay connected with us through our website or
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follow us on social media. If you are encouraged,
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share this message with someone you care about.
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Until next time, stay blessed.