Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / The Words of Faith (Part 2)
Transcript
- 0:01Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
- 0:06designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
- 0:09walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
- 0:13the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
- 0:17right in. Amen. Let's have a seat. Let's have
- 0:24a seat. Welcome once more to this moment in the
- 0:29house of God. So on Sunday, we lay the foundation
- 0:32by identifying how faith operates in the life
- 0:37of the believer. We say that the believer has
- 0:42the faith that is necessary to accomplish greater
- 0:47works that God has called us to do. And we also
- 0:51show that the operation of faith is expressed
- 0:55in three key areas, all right? We say the heart,
- 1:00the conduct of the believer, and also in the
- 1:04speech of the believer and the words that the
- 1:07believer speaks. And I believe that we've been
- 1:10speaking words of faith right from Sunday. Amen.
- 1:12That forever our lifestyle has been altered.
- 1:16The essence of Bible teaching is that there will
- 1:19be alteration to our way of life. That there
- 1:22will be alignment to our way of life. Amen. We
- 1:27are a family. We are a kingdom. We are a nation.
- 1:29And we are a nation and a people of God. And
- 1:31in this nation, in this family, we have a language.
- 1:34And our language is what? It's faith. Hallelujah.
- 1:38Our language is faith. The words we speak is
- 1:41faith. Our tribe is faith. So when I hear you
- 1:45speak, I want to hear you speak faith. When you
- 1:48speak faith, that's our common language. That
- 1:51is our common language. So our hearts. Our conduct
- 1:56and the words that are in our mouths must express
- 2:00faith. So today we will build on that foundation
- 2:04by looking more deeply at the power of words.
- 2:08The power of words. How faith finds expression
- 2:13through our speech. And how our words can become
- 2:17instruments through which God's purposes are
- 2:20expressed. I repeat, I say it. We'll be looking
- 2:24at... The power of words, how faith finds expression
- 2:28through our speech, through our speech, the things
- 2:31we speak, the words we speak, and how words can
- 2:34become instrumental. Words can become instrumental
- 2:39or instruments through which God's purpose, God's
- 2:43purpose are expressed. Hallelujah. Words are
- 2:46very instrumental to what? To expressing or to
- 2:51bringing to fulfillment the purpose of God on
- 2:53earth. The purposes of God in your life are established
- 2:57via words. Amen. They are established via words.
- 3:02Without words, the purposes of God in your life
- 3:04will not come to pass. We'll see these facts.
- 3:10The words are instruments by which God's purposes
- 3:13are established. Now, I want us to begin by looking
- 3:16at, you know, a fact in scriptures in Genesis
- 3:21chapter 1. God designed that the activities on
- 3:25the earth be run by words. Okay? In God's design,
- 3:31the activities on the earth in our realm, in
- 3:35our physical realm, the activities in our physical
- 3:38realm, the earth, are designed to run by words.
- 3:43Now let's go to Genesis 1, verse 1 to 3. In the
- 3:47beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
- 3:50The earth was without form, and void and darkness
- 3:52was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of
- 3:56God was hovering over the face of the waters.
- 3:59All right? So, and then in verse 3, very important.
- 4:03Then God, what? God said, let there be light,
- 4:08and there was light. So, in this verse, we see
- 4:12that the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God
- 4:16works in collaboration with what? With his word,
- 4:20right? God's plan and purpose on the earth, we'll
- 4:25see right from the beginning here, as Moses will
- 4:28write to the children of Israel, God's plan and
- 4:31purpose on the earth are established by his word.
- 4:35God said, and what happened? God said, let there
- 4:39be light, and what? And there was light. Okay?
- 4:43There was an outrance. An outrance was made by
- 4:47God. And then what do we see? We see the result
- 4:51of what God said. Hallelujah. Now this operation
- 4:55or what God is communicating here happened in
- 4:58the earth realm. Okay? It's something that happened
- 5:02where? On the earth. Hallelujah. So right from
- 5:06the beginning of Moses' communications of God's
- 5:08plan and purpose, we see that God established
- 5:12that via the instrument of words. Are we together?
- 5:17Good. And then we will go to other verses, verse
- 5:206, for an instance. Verse 6, we see the continuation
- 5:25of Moses' communication to the children of Israel.
- 5:27It says, Then God said, Let there be a firmament
- 5:30in the midst of the waters, and let it divide
- 5:33the waters from the waters. All right? God said,
- 5:37Thus God made a firmament and divided the waters
- 5:40which were under the firmament from the waters
- 5:42which were above the firmament. And it was what?
- 5:45It was so. So how did God come about the establishment
- 5:49of this council in these verses? He said it,
- 5:51all right? And then it came to pass. Hallelujah.
- 5:55Now look at verse 8. And God called you what?
- 5:58The firmament in heaven. So the evening and the
- 6:01morning were the second day. So God called out
- 6:04something and it was as God calls it. And where
- 6:08do we see this operation at? Where? On the earth.
- 6:12Hallelujah. Verse 9. God said again, let the
- 6:17waters under the heavens be gathered together
- 6:20into one place and let the dry land appear. And
- 6:25it was what? And it was so. Hallelujah. You see
- 6:29the consistency of God's plans and God's purpose?
- 6:31By the instruments of words and those things
- 6:34which God said, the Bible clarified and made
- 6:37it fundamentally clear that it was so. It came
- 6:40to pass. Verse 10. And God called the dry land
- 6:45earth. God spoke. He identified. He gave meaning.
- 6:49He gave identity to what was manifested by words.
- 6:52And God called the dry land earth and the garden
- 6:57together of the waters he called what? Seas.
- 6:59And God saw that it was good. Look at verse 11.
- 7:03Then God said, Let the earth bring forth grass,
- 7:07the herb that yields seeds, and the fruit tree.
- 7:12yield fruit according to his kind, whose seed
- 7:15is in itself on the earth. And what happened?
- 7:18And it was what? It was so. So consistently we
- 7:23keep seeing and God said, and you also look at
- 7:25verse 14 as well. Verse 14, then God said, let
- 7:28there be light in the firmament of the heavens
- 7:30to divide the day from the night and let them
- 7:34be for signs and for seasons and for days and
- 7:37for years. Now we're not trying to interpret
- 7:38Genesis 1. We're trying to just see a pattern
- 7:41in God's activity on the earth. Are we together?
- 7:44We just try to highlight a pattern in the activity
- 7:47that God is doing on the earth. And God will
- 7:50speak. And what will we see? We'll see the manifestation
- 7:53of the things God has spoken. Verse 20. Comment
- 7:57to verse 20. Then God said, Let the waters abound
- 8:01with an abundance of living creatures. And let
- 8:05the birds fly above the earth, across the face
- 8:08of the firmament. of the heavens, verse 24. Then
- 8:12God said, let the earth bring forth the living
- 8:14creature according to his kind, cattle and creeping
- 8:18things and beasts of the earth, rather, each
- 8:21according to his kind. And it was so. And when
- 8:25we move to chapter, verse 26, we'll see that
- 8:29mankind and what he will be was spoken of before
- 8:34he was created. All right? Man, humanity, The
- 8:39identity of humanity, the kind of man that God
- 8:41will create. All right? His identity and what
- 8:44he will do was what? Was spoken of even before
- 8:49we see God would create him. So virtually everything
- 8:53that God will do, God will say before he does
- 8:56it. Hallelujah. God will speak it into existence.
- 9:00God will speak that concept. God will speak that
- 9:03idea. God will speak it forth. Then we'll see
- 9:06the manifestation. in either him doing it. Amen.
- 9:11Even when the Messiah will come, there was a
- 9:13word that went forth concerning the Messiah.
- 9:16Before we see Jesus coming into flesh, into humanity.
- 9:20So there's nothing we see. We take a pattern
- 9:23from God. We see that God operates on the earth
- 9:26via the instruments of words. Hallelujah. This
- 9:30is very important. Now the activities of mankind
- 9:34on earth. are wrong and dictated by words also.
- 9:39In Genesis 2, verse 15, we'll see where God gave
- 9:42a word for man. Genesis 2, verse 15. In verse
- 9:4615, it says, Then the Lord God took the man and
- 9:49put him in the garden of Eden to do what? To
- 9:51tend and keep it. And the Lord God, what? Commanded
- 9:56the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden
- 10:00you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge
- 10:03of good and evil, You shall not eat, for in the
- 10:06day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.
- 10:09You shall surely die. But of the three, okay,
- 10:12verse 18. And the Lord God did what? And the
- 10:15Lord God said, right? It is not good that a man
- 10:19should be alone. I will make him a helper comparable
- 10:23to him. Now out of the ground, the Lord God formed
- 10:27every beast of the earth, of the field, and every
- 10:30beast of the air, and brought them to Adam. to
- 10:33see what he will call them. Who will call them?
- 10:37Adam, all right? Who has been created in the
- 10:40image of God to function like God on the earth,
- 10:43to be a representation of God. So if God have
- 10:46been speaking things into existence, how will
- 10:49Adam act on behalf of God on the earth? By words.
- 10:53Hallelujah. So what do we see? We see Adam beginning
- 10:56to speak, giving identity to things on the earth.
- 11:00their functions and their identity by the instruments
- 11:03of words. Are we clear? So we see in verse 19,
- 11:08out of the ground, the Lord God found every beast
- 11:12of the field and every bird of the air and brought
- 11:15them to the Adam to see what he will call them.
- 11:18And whatever Adam called them, called each living
- 11:22creature, that was his name. So Adam gave names
- 11:27to all cattle. to the birds of the air, and to
- 11:31every beast of the field. But for Adam there
- 11:34was not found a helper comparable to him. So
- 11:38in this verse, we see God giving man his word
- 11:41to live by. First of all, we see God giving his
- 11:45word to man. Of the tree of the knowledge of
- 11:47good and evil, you shall not eat of it. This
- 11:50is a word that God has given to govern the activities
- 11:55of man on the earth. His word, his law. All right?
- 12:00His word. Also, we see from these verses that
- 12:04Adam exerted also a level of dominion over the
- 12:07creatures by his what? By his words. By his words.
- 12:12Now, let me bring to your notice that exercising
- 12:14authority by words is not only for believers.
- 12:18Hallelujah. It doesn't matter whether you're
- 12:20born again or you're not born again. All right?
- 12:23On the earth, the earth, is created in a way
- 12:27that it functions by the instrument of words.
- 12:30So even unbelievers, to function on earth, they
- 12:32use words. How do you think they make terrorists?
- 12:37How do you think they groom and they train people?
- 12:39You wonder how they will go and do some very
- 12:42devilish activities. How do you think they groom
- 12:44them? They use words, right? They indoctrinate
- 12:49them with words. They change their mind with
- 12:51words. They formulate ideologies with words.
- 12:56So, this is not only limited to believers alone.
- 12:58Hallelujah. Even the devil himself uses words.
- 13:03We see in chapter 3, verse 1 to 6, Satan and
- 13:06the activities of darkness on the earth are also
- 13:09seen manifested through words. Chapter 3, verse
- 13:131 to 6, Now the serpent was more cunning than
- 13:17any beast of the field which the Lord God had
- 13:20made. And he said to the woman, Has God worked?
- 13:23He said to the woman, By the use of words, he
- 13:26said to the woman, has God indeed said you shall
- 13:30not eat of every tree of the garden? The devil
- 13:34knows that the activities on the earth are by
- 13:36words. Amen? He knows. So he's looking for that
- 13:41word that God has said to counter it. He's looking
- 13:44for that thing that God has said to counter it.
- 13:47And oftentimes the devil will come to us trying
- 13:49to know whether we know what God has said concerning
- 13:51that situation. concerning the circumstances,
- 13:54concerning our lives, concerning our identity,
- 13:56concerning our purpose, concerning our functionality
- 13:59in the earth. If you don't know what God has
- 14:02said concerning you, concerning what you ought
- 14:05to be doing, the devil will give you words to
- 14:08walk with. The devil will give you his words
- 14:10to walk with. Because whether you like it or
- 14:13not, you are performing a work. Hallelujah. Whether
- 14:17you like it or not, consciously or unconsciously,
- 14:20You are what? You are performing a word. The
- 14:24problem now is whose word are you performing?
- 14:27Whose word is your life expressing? Whose word
- 14:30is your life expressing? Verse 2, And the woman
- 14:33said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of
- 14:36the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of
- 14:39the trees which is in the midst of the garden,
- 14:41God has what? God has said, You shall not eat
- 14:45it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Then
- 14:50the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely
- 14:52die, for God knows that in the day that you eat
- 14:55of it, your eyes will be opened and you will
- 14:58be like Elohim, like God, knowing good and evil.
- 15:02So when the woman saw that a tree was good for
- 15:05food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a
- 15:08tree desirable to make one wise, she took of
- 15:11his fruit and ate, and she also gave to her husband
- 15:14with her, and he ate. So the serpent, he came
- 15:18subtly. And what was his mission? To contradict
- 15:22what God has said. His aim is at what God has
- 15:27said. If he can alter the understanding of man,
- 15:31if he can alter the comprehension of man concerning
- 15:35what God has said, then what God has said will
- 15:38not come to pass. Hallelujah. Then what God has
- 15:41said concerning humanity, concerning your life,
- 15:44concerning my life, will not come to pass. We've
- 15:47received prophetic words. We've confirmed it
- 15:50with scripture. We've confirmed it with every,
- 15:54we've demanded for signs upon signs upon signs
- 15:56of confirmations. And we know the plan and the
- 15:59purpose of God. We know specifically what God
- 16:02wants us to do. But there's something, there's
- 16:05a voice we're hearing that is not the voice of
- 16:06God. Hallelujah. There's a voice that you're
- 16:09hearing regularly that is not the voice of God.
- 16:12And the aim is that you don't do what God has
- 16:14said. concerning his ministers, concerning your
- 16:17pastors, rather what God has said, through your
- 16:19pastors, through your brothers and your sisters,
- 16:22through what you've seen in the word of God.
- 16:24But you must choose on which word you're going
- 16:28to allow to be the influence over your life.
- 16:30So Satan's works and his antics, we see from
- 16:35the scriptures that are expressed through words.
- 16:37So words are powerful. God's word will not handle
- 16:40Satan until we put God's word into action. All
- 16:43right? What God said will not deal with Satan
- 16:47until you, the man, put it into action by saying
- 16:52it and doing it. We don't just know the Word
- 16:56of God. We don't just believe the Word of God.
- 16:59I'm not saying believing the Word of God is wrong.
- 17:01You must believe so that you will say. If you
- 17:03say what you don't believe, we'll see it later.
- 17:05Maybe, if not today, next week probably. Some
- 17:08people came and they said in the name of Jesus
- 17:11that Paul spoke. He wanted to do some things,
- 17:14right? Did they have encounter with that word,
- 17:17with that Jesus that Paul was preaching? No.
- 17:21Faith is not in their heart. It's only them trying
- 17:24to mimic and express something that is not in
- 17:26their heart. So fundamentally, faith is important.
- 17:29The word, you know, is important to believe the
- 17:32word. And then we, we don't only believe, but
- 17:35we speak it. We speak it. We speak it. We see
- 17:39the expression of the power of God's word as
- 17:41we utter it. As we speak the word of God. Hallelujah.
- 17:46So, as we speak it, we see God's word at work.
- 17:51Unlike Adam, Jesus overcame the temptation from
- 17:54the devil by speaking words. Matthew chapter
- 17:574 verse 1 to 10. Give me Matthew chapter 4 verse
- 18:001 to 10. And Jesus was led up by the spirit into
- 18:03the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And
- 18:06when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward
- 18:09he was hungry. Now, when the tempter came to
- 18:12him, which is Satan, he said, if you are the
- 18:15son of God, how did he come to him? He came to
- 18:18him with the idea, right? The idea. Listen, this
- 18:21is a spiritual experience here. Okay? This is
- 18:25a spiritual experience. But in the spiritual
- 18:28experience, we'll see an utterance. And the utterance
- 18:31is aimed at questioning the identity of the Messiah.
- 18:37If you are the son of God. command that these
- 18:40stones become bread. But he answered and said,
- 18:44it is what? It is written. Where is it written?
- 18:46It is written in the scriptures. Jesus didn't
- 18:49just assimilate and know the word. He said it
- 18:52is written. He spoke it. Man shall not live by
- 18:55bread alone, but by every word that proceeds
- 18:58from the mouth of God. Verse 5. Then the devil
- 19:02took him up into a holy city, set him on the
- 19:04pinnacle of the temple. Remember, this is a spiritual
- 19:07encounter. I will say this is a spiritual experience,
- 19:10all right? And he said to him, if you are the
- 19:13son of God, throw yourself down for it is written
- 19:17in, he shall give his angels charge over you
- 19:19and in their hands, they shall bear you up lest
- 19:24you dash your foot against a stone. Now I want
- 19:26you to know that the devil also is speaking from
- 19:29what? From the word of God. Hallelujah. But what
- 19:33is he doing? He's doing what he did to Eve. He
- 19:39is twisting the word of God. Which means that
- 19:42you have a responsibility. Not just to say, oh,
- 19:45I can do all things through Christ who sent me.
- 19:47You should know what you are saying that you
- 19:48can do. Because actually it's not everything
- 19:50that you can do. We're together. Like you can't
- 19:53take my wife through Christ who strengthens you.
- 19:56Amen? You can't do that. So, there's therefore
- 19:59a need for you to do what? To know the word of
- 20:01God. Actually, you must understand the context
- 20:05of God's word. You must understand the purpose
- 20:07of God's word so that you can apply it properly.
- 20:10The devil has no problem with you memorizing
- 20:13the words. So long as you don't know, you don't
- 20:16understand, you don't even understand the application,
- 20:18you will be defeated. Defeat is inevitable if
- 20:23you don't know the word of God. Defeat is inevitable
- 20:25in your conduct, in the things you're struggling
- 20:29with, whatever kind of struggle it is. Defeat
- 20:32is inevitable if you don't know the word of God.
- 20:35So the knowledge of God's word is instrumental
- 20:38to speak in the word of God. We don't just speak
- 20:41because we just saw it. We must understand it.
- 20:45We must understand. And understanding comes by
- 20:47teaching. It comes by asking questions. It comes
- 20:51by probing and investigating. That is why God
- 20:53has given us a church and pastors and leaders
- 20:55to bring us to the place of comprehension, to
- 20:58bring us to the place of understanding God's
- 21:00word that we will speak. The word of God. That
- 21:04we will believe the word of God. That we will
- 21:07practice the word of God. Hallelujah. So Jesus
- 21:11said to him, it is written again, you shall not
- 21:15tempt the Lord your God. So Jesus presented to
- 21:18the devil the word of God. Again, the devil took
- 21:20him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed
- 21:24him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
- 21:27And he said to him, all these things I will give
- 21:29you if you will fall down and worship me. Verse
- 21:3310, then Jesus said to him, away with you, Satan,
- 21:37for it is written, you shall worship the Lord
- 21:41your God and him only you shall serve. Look at
- 21:45the next verse. Then the devil left him and behold,
- 21:48angels came and ministered to him. Hallelujah.
- 21:50So consistently we see that the confrontation
- 21:53that Jesus had with the devil was overcame by
- 21:58what? He used words, right? He didn't just say
- 22:01it. He didn't just, I believe the word, but he
- 22:03spoke the word. Hallelujah. So it's necessary
- 22:06that we learn and we practice. This is a habit
- 22:08we must inculcate. To speak the word of God into
- 22:12circumstances, into situations, into the temptations
- 22:16and the trials we are facing in our lives because
- 22:18our victory lies not only in understanding and
- 22:21believing God's word, but also in what? In speaking
- 22:23God's word daily. Daily. The meditation of our
- 22:28hearts and the words of our lips. Be pleasing
- 22:31to the Lord at all times. Hallelujah. Now let
- 22:34me establish something again. That doubt and
- 22:37fear, rebellion and sin always begin with words.
- 22:43Okay? Doubt, fear, rebellion and sin always begin
- 22:52with words. Words we hear and give attention
- 22:56to will shape our realities. The words we hear
- 23:01and the words we give attention to, the words
- 23:04we meditate upon, will shape our realities. And
- 23:08sometimes these words come subtly in the form
- 23:10of entertainment. Harmless entertainments establish
- 23:14some ideas that inform our realities in practice.
- 23:20Sometimes they come as counsel. Sometimes they
- 23:23come as good words or wisdom. They formulate
- 23:27our realities. Now, let's look at an example
- 23:30in Numbers. Numbers 13, verse 25. We know the
- 23:34story. We know the story of the children of Israel,
- 23:39right? Okay, 25. And they returned from spying
- 23:43out the land after 40 days. Now, they departed
- 23:47and came to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation
- 23:49of the children of Israel in the wilderness of
- 23:52Paran. Now, the context is that Moses, right,
- 23:55have sent out spies. To go and spy the promised
- 23:59land. Remember, the promised land is a promised
- 24:03land because it has been promised. By who? By
- 24:06God. What is a promise? Promise is a word that
- 24:09has been given that you're going to inherit the
- 24:10land. So God has said it. I believe it and it
- 24:13will come to pass. Now Moses, I don't know whether
- 24:16it's divine inspiration or it's him and the people
- 24:20sitting down to... They sent out spies. Now they
- 24:24departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and
- 24:27all the congregation of Israel in the wilderness
- 24:29of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back what? What
- 24:32did they bring back? They bring back words. Words
- 24:37to them and to all the congregation and showed
- 24:39them what? They show evidence of their words.
- 24:41So there was evidence to back up their words
- 24:44and show them fruit of the land. Yes? Verse...
- 24:48You see this verse? Verse 26, yeah? 27. Then
- 24:53they told him and said, we went to the land where
- 24:56you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey.
- 24:59And this is his fruit. Milk and honey is not
- 25:02literal. Okay? There's no land flowing with milk
- 25:04and honey. If you know any of that land, let
- 25:07me come. But these are figurative expression
- 25:10of how prosperous that land is. All right? So,
- 25:1428. Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the
- 25:17land are what? Are strong. Truly, are these people
- 25:21strong? They are strong. They are not lying.
- 25:24All right? But what makes what you are saying
- 25:26a lie is comparing it or bringing it against
- 25:30what God has said. All right? The cities are
- 25:33fortified. The cities are really fortified. These
- 25:35are facts. And very large. Moreover, we saw the
- 25:38descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell
- 25:42in the land. These are facts of the south. The
- 25:45Hittites, the Jebusites. Okay, sorry. The Hittites.
- 25:48My wife has taught me how to pronounce this.
- 25:51The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites
- 25:54dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell
- 25:59by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.
- 26:02Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and
- 26:06said, Let us go up at once and take possession,
- 26:10for we are well able to overcome it. These are
- 26:12two different words. The same experience, the
- 26:16same exposure, the same economy. The same Cyprus,
- 26:20the same lack of jobs in Cyprus, the same university.
- 26:25In fact, you enter the same bus that is hot with
- 26:28just anybody, the same angry drivers, the same
- 26:30whatever exposure and experience you are having.
- 26:32See, don't be frowning in your face. You're not
- 26:35the only one experiencing hard times in Cyprus.
- 26:37These experiences are common to all. Hallelujah.
- 26:41But see, our result in this land will not be
- 26:44common. Do you know that? Our experiences will
- 26:48not... Factually, we see what happened. But the
- 26:51result, what we will see, the manifestation of
- 26:54God's word in your life in this land will not
- 26:56be the same. And it's not because God has favorited.
- 26:59There are principles by which, you know, things
- 27:02operate on the earth. So, then Caleb quieted
- 27:05the people before Moses and said, let us go up
- 27:07at once and take possession of the world. We
- 27:09are able to overcome it. Is that the end of that
- 27:12verse? Verse 31. Yes. But the men who had gone
- 27:16up with him said, we are not what? Is it a contradictory
- 27:19word, right? We are not able to go up against
- 27:22the people. For they are what? They are stronger
- 27:25than we. They are stronger than we. Facts and
- 27:31figures, the statistics are saying that see,
- 27:35in your family, nobody passes this age. Your
- 27:40family, in your culture, in your tribe. Anybody
- 27:44that reaches this age experiences this kind of
- 27:46sickness. These are facts. And they will present
- 27:49data, and the data are factual. Are we together?
- 27:52This data is factual. Oh, people from your country,
- 27:56this is a disease that is common in your area.
- 27:59Factual, you know, realities that happens with
- 28:02people. All right? In our own family, this is
- 28:05the kind of things that are wrong in our family.
- 28:08But the man who had gone up with him said, We
- 28:10are not able to go up against the people, for
- 28:13they are stronger than we. Look at verse 32.
- 28:15And they gave the children of Israel a bad report
- 28:19of the land, which they had spied out, saying,
- 28:22The land to which we have gone as spies is a
- 28:25land that devours its inhabitants. And all the
- 28:30people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.
- 28:33They are giants. There we saw the dying descendants
- 28:37of Anak. If you read Genesis 6, right? The descendants
- 28:41of Anak. And we are like what? Look at their
- 28:46perception of themselves. We are like grasshoppers
- 28:50in our own sight. And so we were in their sight.
- 28:55Is God saying that your life has finished? Is
- 28:59that what God says? That nothing can come out
- 29:02of your own life? Looking at your background,
- 29:05where you're coming from, there's nothing God
- 29:06can do with your life. There's nothing that can,
- 29:09can anything come out of what? Pastor was teaching
- 29:11us, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Some
- 29:15of us, factually, that is what is said about
- 29:18us, can be said about us. Some of us, if you
- 29:20look at our background and where we are today,
- 29:22it's a testimony. So much impossibilities, and
- 29:28there are, these things are factual. But then,
- 29:30what is God saying? What is God saying concerning
- 29:33your life? What is God saying concerning our
- 29:36lives, concerning our identity, concerning what
- 29:38he wants our lives to achieve and accomplish
- 29:40on the earth? What is God saying concerning our
- 29:43lives? Let's move to the next chapter and see.
- 29:47And see how unbelief is expressed in chapter
- 29:5014, verse 1. So all the congregation lifted up
- 29:53their voices and they cried. Why did they cry?
- 29:57Because they have believed the majority. They
- 30:01have believed what the statistics don't lie.
- 30:06I mean, some of us are scientific. We do research,
- 30:08right? When you have two over 10, how will your
- 30:13report be? What will be your conclusion? There's
- 30:17sufficient evidence to prove, right, that this
- 30:20thing is this. Because 12, I mean, out of 12,
- 30:2310 are saying this, and you two, only two are
- 30:25saying this, right? So all the congregation listened
- 30:28to their voices, and they cried. And the people
- 30:31wept that night. I can imagine elders crying
- 30:35and all the children of Israel complained against
- 30:38Moses and Aaron. And the whole congregation said
- 30:42to them, if only we had died in the land of Egypt,
- 30:44or if only we had died in the wilderness, why
- 30:50has the Lord brought us to this land to fall
- 30:52by the sword? That our wives and our children
- 30:56should become victims. It's a victimhood. Victim
- 31:00started even before you were created. See, you
- 31:03are not a victim. Hallelujah. You are not created
- 31:06and then you are a victim. By your words, we'll
- 31:10know whether it's victim, victim, what do they
- 31:11call it? The victimhood. We'll know whether you
- 31:15are expressing words that make you look at yourself
- 31:17as a victim or you are seeing yourself from the
- 31:20angle of what God is saying concerning you and
- 31:23you're speaking what God is saying concerning
- 31:25you. Will it not be better for us to return to
- 31:28Egypt? to slavery, to serving Pharaoh. You know,
- 31:33Pharaoh is a God in Egypt. All right? And for
- 31:37you to be in Egypt, you serve Pharaoh as a God.
- 31:39So you rather serve God, you rather serve Pharaoh
- 31:42than to serve the living God. Because God brought
- 31:44them out of Egypt to serve him. So they said
- 31:46to one another, let us select a leader and return
- 31:49to Egypt. It's not rebellion. It's not rebellion.
- 31:53It's not doubt concerning what God has said.
- 31:55And what is the genesis of this? They had a word.
- 31:59They had a report. A report and a report that
- 32:02is factual. See, some of you that are going back
- 32:05to Africa, it's true that Africa is difficult
- 32:08too. You understand? The economy in Africa is
- 32:11not like Cyprus. It's true that when you go there,
- 32:14when you call us online, we will not be hearing
- 32:15you very well because the internet in Africa
- 32:17is not. Hallelujah. But let me tell you, you
- 32:21must believe what God is saying concerning your
- 32:23life. Wherever you find yourself, you will thrive.
- 32:26Hallelujah. You will fulfill the will and the
- 32:28purpose of God for your life. Amen? Because you
- 32:32are a child of God and God has a plan and a purpose
- 32:35for you and the plan and purpose of God for you
- 32:37will manifest in all seasons, in all places.
- 32:41The Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before
- 32:43all the assembly of the congregation of the children
- 32:45of Israel. But Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb,
- 32:48the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who
- 32:51had spied out the land, tore their clothes. And
- 32:55they spoke to all the congregation of the children
- 32:58of Israel, saying, the land we passed through
- 33:00to spy out is what? Is an exceedingly good land.
- 33:05This is contrary to what the ten are saying.
- 33:09The land devours its inhabitants. This land devours
- 33:13its inhabitants. And the people there were like
- 33:16grasshoppers. If the Lord delights in us, this
- 33:20is faith speaking, right? If the Lord delights
- 33:23in us, Then he will bring us into this land and
- 33:26give it to us. Because God has promised. And
- 33:30so God is able to bring us into the fulfillment
- 33:32of his promise. So whatever God has said concerning
- 33:35your life, whatever God has said by virtue of
- 33:37the word of God that has been spoken to you,
- 33:40by virtue of the revealed will of God in his
- 33:43word concerning your life, it will come to pass.
- 33:46Though it tarries, it will come to pass. It will
- 33:50come to pass. God has never said something and
- 33:53then it does not come to pass. God says things
- 33:56and then he takes responsibility for their fulfillment.
- 34:00Hallelujah. But it needs our cooperation, right?
- 34:03It needs our cooperation because these are concerning
- 34:06our lives. If the Lord delights in us, indeed
- 34:10the Lord delights in us, then he is able to bring
- 34:14us into this land and give it to us. which flows
- 34:19with milk and honey. Only do not what? Do not
- 34:23rebel against the Lord. No fear. You see rebellion?
- 34:28You see fear? Fear the people of the land for
- 34:31they are our bread. Their protection has departed
- 34:35from them and the Lord is with us. Do not fear
- 34:39them. Why would you not fear the circumstances
- 34:41of life? Because the Lord is with you. The Lord
- 34:45lives in you. The Lord abides in you. And is
- 34:48able to move through with you. Is able to navigate
- 34:50through with you all through life. All through
- 34:53the impossibilities. And your frailty as man.
- 34:57In the work of ministry that he has called you
- 35:00to do. The Lord is with you. Therefore you will
- 35:03excel in that ministry. Hallelujah. You will
- 35:06excel in that ministry. Only do not rebel. Do
- 35:10not fear them. Verse 10. And all the congregation
- 35:13said to stone them with stones. You see how they've
- 35:19subscribed to the popular opinion that is contrary
- 35:23to the word and opinion of God. Hallelujah. Now
- 35:28the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle
- 35:30of the meeting before all the children of Israel.
- 35:33Then the Lord said to Moses, how long will these
- 35:36people reject me? So, look at it. They disbelieve
- 35:40God's word. And disbelieving God's word is actually
- 35:43rejecting God. They rejected God by their actions,
- 35:48by how they conduct themselves as a result of
- 35:52the report they received that is contrary to
- 35:55what God has said from the beginning. How long
- 35:57will these people reject me? How long will they
- 36:00not believe me with all the signs which I have
- 36:04performed among them? Verse 12. I will strike
- 36:08them with pestilence and disinherit them. and
- 36:12I will make of you a nation greater and mightier
- 36:14than they. Of course, we know Moses' argument
- 36:18concerning this idea. We'll see it in subsequent
- 36:21scriptures. Hallelujah. So it is important for
- 36:24us to know that words spoken can create fear.
- 36:29Words spoken has the power to bring about rebellion,
- 36:33to bring about sin, to bring about an opposition,
- 36:37and even the rejection of God. Hallelujah. So
- 36:43we must be careful. We must be careful concerning
- 36:46the things we hear. Because the things we hear
- 36:49can shape our realities and our perception of
- 36:52life. Will shape our conviction in life and therefore
- 36:56our realities. Now let's see some scriptures.
- 37:01What some scriptures say is about the power of
- 37:03words. Proverbs 18 verse 21. Give me this text
- 37:06in the Amplified. Proverbs 18. verse 21, it says,
- 37:12death and life are, what? In the power of the
- 37:19tongue. Death and life are in the power of the
- 37:24tongue. And those who love it, now loving it
- 37:29here means those who use it and indulge it will
- 37:34do what? Will eat its fruit and bear what? The
- 37:38consequences of their words. So words have consequences.
- 37:44Words has fruits. So if you speak death, if you
- 37:50indulge words that brings death, you will reap
- 37:53the consequence of death. Tongue here refers
- 37:57to words. Not talking about literal tongue. All
- 38:00right? It represents words. Tongues here refers
- 38:03to words. The power of the tongue does not mean
- 38:06the tongue literally. The power of the tongue
- 38:09is expressed in words spoken. Words were spoken.
- 38:13This means that our words carry life or death.
- 38:18Our words can express faith or death. It means
- 38:23we can dictate what we see by the words we say.
- 38:26On Sunday, I'm going to teach us on a reality
- 38:32that we can have what we say. Amen? We can have
- 38:35what we say. Whatever you say, you can have what
- 38:38we say. Proverbs 21, verse 23. Proverbs 21, verse
- 38:4323. Proverbs 21, verse 23. He who guards his
- 38:48mouth and his tongues guards himself from what?
- 38:52From troubles. Anything you just open your mouth,
- 38:56wah. And then, you know, in this social media,
- 39:00people think that what you just say allegedly,
- 39:02it shields you from defamatory lawsuits. It's
- 39:07a common word in Nigeria. The common word used
- 39:09in Nigerian social media is allegedly. You can
- 39:12say allegedly 10 times, they will sue you, you
- 39:13go to jail. So your words, he who got his mouth
- 39:19and his tongue, this is the same thing of course,
- 39:24protects himself from troubles, which means that
- 39:28you can channel your words equally for your own
- 39:30benefit as well. Hallelujah. Look at Proverbs
- 39:3312 verse 18. These are some wisdom from Proverbs.
- 39:37Proverbs 12, verse 18. There's one who speaks
- 39:41rationally like the trust of a sword, but the
- 39:45tongue of the wise brings what? Brings what?
- 39:49It brings healing. All right? It brings healing.
- 39:53The tongue of the wise brings healing, brings
- 39:56restoration. Next week Wednesday, I'm going to
- 40:00teach us on the things we should not say. There
- 40:03are some things that a believer should not say.
- 40:06Do you know that? There are some things that
- 40:08believers should not say. Because that will not
- 40:10be for the edification of another believer and
- 40:12others. Alright? So, the words of the wise brings
- 40:17healing. Even when it comes to physical healing.
- 40:20Physical healing. Alright? By words. We'll see
- 40:25later on that healing is administered by speaking
- 40:28healing. Hallelujah. So this means that we must
- 40:32take responsibility and control over what comes
- 40:36out of our mouth. Isn't it? We must take responsibility.
- 40:41We must be conscious. We must always be conscious
- 40:44of what comes out of our mouth. Not only to children.
- 40:47You see, children don't forget because their
- 40:49mind is empty. Whatever you say will stay. Right?
- 40:52They learn from what we say and we do. But not
- 40:55only that. We must take responsibility and control
- 40:59over what comes out of our mouth. Our words are
- 41:02very powerful. Hallelujah. Our words are very
- 41:05powerful. Let's look at an example again. Let's
- 41:10look at an example. Matthew chapter 8 verse 5.
- 41:19Matthew chapter 8 verse 5. Now when Jesus had
- 41:23entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him pleading
- 41:27with him, saying, Lord, My servant is at home,
- 41:32paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said
- 41:36to him, I will come and heal him. The centurion
- 41:39answered and said, Lord, I am not worried that
- 41:43you should come under my roof. But only, only
- 41:46what? Only speak a word and my servant will be
- 41:51healed. Only speak a word and my servant will
- 41:56be healed. For I also, a man under authority,
- 42:00have soldiers under me, and I say to one, go.
- 42:05Which means that authority is expressed through
- 42:08words. All right? Authority is expressed through
- 42:13words. Do you have authority as a believer? Your
- 42:16authority as a believer is expressed through
- 42:18words. Do you know that if a man is possessed
- 42:21with demons, he can sit here quietly and nothing
- 42:23will happen? Even when you see him trying to
- 42:26manifest because of the presence, it's unconjusive.
- 42:28But when you speak to that demon, the demon will
- 42:30move. Authority is expressed through words. I
- 42:35say to this one, go, and he goes. And to another,
- 42:39come, and he comes. And to my servant, do this,
- 42:43and he does it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled
- 42:47and said, uh -uh, uh -uh, uh -uh. I surely I
- 42:50say to you, that's very, very seriously. I say
- 42:53to you, I have not found such great faith, not
- 42:57even in Israel. How is this faith? The faith
- 43:02here is to receive from God, right? Now, the
- 43:05saving faith is different from faith to receive.
- 43:08But see, this man says what? He expresses his
- 43:13faith by his words. Are we together? He expresses
- 43:17his faith to receive from Jesus by his words.
- 43:21And I say to you that many will come from the
- 43:24east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac,
- 43:27and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, where those
- 43:29of the kingdom will be cast out in utter darkness.
- 43:32There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- 43:35Verse 13. Then Jesus said to the centurion, Go
- 43:37your way, and as you have believed, so let it
- 43:41be done for you. And his servant was healed that
- 43:44same hour. Say immediately, at that hour, at
- 43:48that moment. He received what he believed Jesus
- 43:52for and he expressed it by his words. Hallelujah.
- 43:56He knows that Jesus can speak a word and what
- 44:01Jesus said will happen because he understands
- 44:04authority. That authority can be expressed through
- 44:08words. So the centurion, he's a Roman, he's a
- 44:13Gentile. Who is not a Jew but a Roman, right?
- 44:17And we know that they are regarded as unbelievers.
- 44:22But we see his understanding of authority. Understand
- 44:26authority. Verse 8 and verse 9, in his words,
- 44:30he understands that words are not ordinary. Indeed,
- 44:35words are not ordinary. Words are not ordinary.
- 44:39There are some things you can say to somebody,
- 44:40the person will be broken for life. There are
- 44:43some things you say to somebody, the person can
- 44:45go and commit suicide. Words are not ordinary.
- 44:50If you follow American news, a woman said that
- 44:52she had some words. That she was hearing some
- 44:55words, and those words are the ones that told
- 44:57her to go and kill her three children. She had
- 44:59the words. We don't know the source of the words,
- 45:02but she had something. So, words are not ordinary,
- 45:07but are pregnant with unlimited possibilities.
- 45:11They are pregnant with what? With unlimited possibilities.
- 45:15So when you release your words, your words can
- 45:18give birth to possibilities. All right? His faith
- 45:23was seen expressed in his words and he received
- 45:27what he asked for. I think it's an example for
- 45:30us. All right? When you believe, you shall say
- 45:34to this mountain, be thou removed from here and
- 45:38be cast into the sea. And that which you say,
- 45:40you shall receive. Hallelujah. The secret is
- 45:46not only in believing God's word, but in speaking
- 45:48what God has said consistently until we see the
- 45:52manifestation of what God has said. And the word
- 45:55of God is true. God cannot deny himself. He honors
- 45:59his word, the Bible says, even more than his
- 46:00name. And there's nothing that God has said that
- 46:04will return to him void except that it has fulfilled
- 46:06that which it has been sent forth for. And everything
- 46:09that God has said concerning your life will be
- 46:11manifested in Jesus' name. So that should be
- 46:15our perception daily, regularly, and always.
- 46:19That we believe the Word of God. That we speak
- 46:21the Word of God. I want to bring the Word of
- 46:24God to existence by the things we say. We must
- 46:27believe what God will do. We must believe that
- 46:30God will do what He says. We must express faith
- 46:33in the power of God's Word. Your faith will never
- 46:38rise above the words in your mouth. Hear what
- 46:41I just said? Your faith will never rise above
- 46:45the words in your mouth. Your faith will not
- 46:50rise above the words in your mouth. Your faith
- 46:54will never rise above the words in your mouth.
- 46:59Therefore, you must learn to always speak faith
- 47:03and not fear or any form of negativity or evil.
- 47:09Because... The way by which we express the power
- 47:12of God, the way by which we express the authority
- 47:15we have in Christ, the way by which we express,
- 47:18you know, our faith is seen explicitly in our
- 47:23words. Hallelujah. Just want us to close our
- 47:27eyes and speak to God. Let's speak that Psalms
- 47:30we read earlier on, Psalms 19 verse 14. A scripture
- 47:34that is a meditation for us. Let the words of
- 47:38my mouth. and the meditation of my heart be acceptable.
- 47:42That is, it is pleasing. That is, it's pleasing
- 47:45to God. For the words you've received, do you
- 47:49see how powerful words are? Do you see how powerful
- 47:52and significant words are? Will you decide that
- 47:55going forward, you will change your diction,
- 47:58you will change your language, you will change
- 48:01your communication? We appreciate you being here
- 48:06today. We hope you carry this word with you throughout
- 48:09your week. Don't forget to check the show notes
- 48:12for additional insights. Stay connected with
- 48:14us through our website or follow us on social
- 48:17media. If you are encouraged, share this message
- 48:21with someone you care about. Until next time,
- 48:24stay blessed.