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Standing Fast in the Faith (Part 4) · 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. Verse 13 from the NLT says, Be on guard.
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Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.
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Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous. Be strong.
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1 Corinthians 16 13. 1 Corinthians 16 13 says,
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Be on guard. Be alert. Be attentive. Stand firm
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in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous.
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Be strong. I want to thank the pastorate, to
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thank God for the opportunity to be able to present
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God's Word to us. I think one thing that actually
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got me giving thanks to God this week, I think
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it was the course of the week when I had a conversation
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with someone that used to be here, that is back
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in Nigeria. We were just talking and I was like,
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so where you are now, how much time do you have
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for the teaching of God's Word? And to my horror,
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he says they have like 20 minutes. I said 20
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minutes is a charge. There are some certain charges
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that will not even happen. Like you need more
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than that to have that. And it just goes to show
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that I think in the Church of NEC, if we give
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attention to God's Word, we spend an hour. And
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I size that in the, if you're part of the training
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center, there's a lot that goes into like if
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you're the stretch and the training that happens
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is all that we really are grounded in the truth,
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in what we know, in what we believe. We're grounded.
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Remember what we were saying on Sunday? Learning
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is not easy. Learning is not something you don't
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learn in your sleep. There are some things that
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you can't do. It requires attention, which brings
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us back to that whole key thing of giving attention
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to what we are hearing, giving attention to what
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we are listening to. And the core of our faith
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work is learning. It's going to be difficult.
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There's a lot of struggle. We'll highlight a
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couple of things in the course of this teaching
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again. And it's sad that we tend to give attention
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to the things that will not help us to stand
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fast in faith. We tend to give attention to the
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things that we feel will excite us physically,
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because I can imagine that they have several
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other activities and then the teaching of God's
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Word is just 20 minutes. I can imagine. And I
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thank God because we were discussing with Him
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and He had an opportunity to have a lengthy teaching
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over in the weekends. They said they gave Him
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three hours. I said, that is an answered prayer.
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They gave Him three hours to teach on a particular
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subject. And I really thank God for the fact
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that we have individuals that when they leave
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from this place, the training and the building,
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you don't push it aside and say, let me focus
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on my future, let me focus on my career. You
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take it on. So, I really thank God for what God
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is doing in the church and I appreciate the pastorate
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for the time and just the fact that we are given
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this much opportunity to learn. the Word of God
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to grow in the truths that we have in Christ
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Jesus, praise God. As I said, there's no other
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way, right? There's no other way. If we have
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to grow, what should make the most of what we
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do is teaching and training, right? It's teaching
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of God's Word and training. There's no other
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way that we can grow aside from that. So if You
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know, some people will say, well, it gets boring.
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Like we need to spice it up. We need to add some
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things we need to like we need to do. And many
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times you notice that those things don't even
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help. If you're honest with yourself, you know,
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those things, they don't help. I think I was
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speaking to someone and they were like, you know,
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you know, God's word is not enough for my mental
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health. Like I need to like there's more that
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like we need to do. And I said, I have listened
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to, I've heard people in that space. It's just
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therapy, as the name implies. It's therapy you'll
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be receiving. But I know that there's something
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that happens when a person stays with God's Word.
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The person stays with God's Word and continues
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to put it in. It might not make sense now, but
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there's something that happens when you stay
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in something, which is what we're going to look
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at very shortly, but we continue with the Word.
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Remember what we talked about on Sunday where
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we said there was something about the disciples,
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right? That wasn't there at the beginning. It
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wasn't there at the beginning. But there was
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something about the disciples that was seen in
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the disciples in the Acts 4. That these people
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say these people were with Jesus. So it means
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that no matter what it is that you want to do,
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right? There is no change that happens except
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the change. There is no permanent fix. that can
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happen except the one that is grounded and anchored
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on God's Word. Those things give you some benefits,
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but on the long run, what holds a believer, what
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ensures that a believer is grounded, is the Word
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of God. That is the faithful. That is what ensures
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that a believer grows. Knowledge is very important.
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The more we learn, the more we grow. And if we're
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saying we're going to do greater, it's to the
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degree of our knowledge that we're able to do
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greater. Because what you don't know, you're
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bound, right? You're bound by what you don't
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know. There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.
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There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.
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That's why we give ourselves. That's why the
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Apostle Paul would be encouraging Timothy. In
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2 Timothy 3, 14, it says, you must continue,
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continue. That's the word. No, you must continue
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in the things which you have learned and be assured
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of knowing from whom you have learned them. Knowing
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from whom you have learned them and you see the
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word lend. We will come to that word shortly.
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Knowing from whom you have learned them. We had
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established that what we are learning and the
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teachings is all anchored on the person of Christ,
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right? It's the things concerning Christ. I want
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us to see something in John. John 1 .1. I would
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like us to look at it on the NLT, John 1 .1.
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It says, In the beginning, the Word already existed.
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The Word was with God and the Word was God. I
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will jump to verse 14. It says, So the Word became
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human and made His home among us. He was full
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of unfailing love and faithfulness. We have seen
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His glory, the glory of the Father's love. 18
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now. John 1, 1, 14, and then 18. No one has ever
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seen God, but the unique one, who is God Himself,
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is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed
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God to us. He has revealed God to us. Sometimes
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we can look at this passage and just walk away
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and not see the so many implications of the passage
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of what we just read, meaning that our introduction
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to God is the person of Christ. Meaning that
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our introduction to God is the person of Christ.
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What I saw, because we read the book of Hebrews,
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right? We read the book of Hebrews and what I
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want us to see is something that the book of
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Hebrews 1 .1 -4 I want us to read it from the
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NLT again. Hebrews 1, 1 to 4, I want us to see
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something similar. It says, long ago, God spoke
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many times and in many ways to our ancestors.
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And we, all of us that were there, we say that
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the ancestors were referring to the fathers,
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right? When you say fathers, you can say fathers,
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that is the Jews, the ones of the past, the ancestors
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through the prophet. And now, In these final
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days, He has spoken to us through His Son. That's
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Jesus Christ. That's been mentioned in John as
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well. So, God promised everything to His Son
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as an inheritance and through the Son, He created
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the universe. I want us to look at three. It
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says, the Son radiates God's own glory and expresses
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the very character of God. and He sustains everything
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by the mighty power of His command. When He had
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cleansed us from all our sins, He sat down at
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the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic
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God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far
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greater than angels, just as the name God gave
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Him is far greater than their names. Praise God.
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And I want you to notice something that the book
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of Hebrews places Jesus Christ as superior. Places
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Him in a place that nobody can contest. Places
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Him in a place and that is what he starts in
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contrast. He starts that and he says in verse
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3 that the sun radiates God's own glory and expresses
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the very character of God. It radiates God's
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own glory and expresses the very character of
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God. And I want you to see the faithfulness of
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that. And that's what John now says. He says
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he's full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
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And then we see in Hebrews, he says, the sun
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radiates God's own glory and expresses the very
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character of God. And he says he sustains everything
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and he goes on and on and then he shows us the
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other things. It means that which is what I will
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present to us, which is what I want us to look
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at. Because anytime we talk about fate, we have
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a tendency to focus on like doctrine and all
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of that. But what we see primarily as what fate
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speaks loudly of is character. Is character what
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we see I speak slowly of is character is a is
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a matter of character if it is mostly you see
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that it's mostly a matter of character and you
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see it in even in the Old Testament when use
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uses in it uses the word it always will speak
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of character and you see words like faithfulness
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because even The the word of a person is the
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like it comes from the character, right? What
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a person comes from the character and you see
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that That word because even the Greek and Hebrew
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you see that the word actually will mean you
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see faithfulness loyalty commitment and You see
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even the word of the person the person is committed
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to that word because it's it's characterized
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as thick praise God It's characterized as thick
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so you see that that word and I will want to
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I want you to follow because you will see that
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our faithfulness is Anchored on the faithfulness
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of God even just staying with Hebrews. You see
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that even in the chapters 3 It compares and contrasts
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the faithfulness of God as against Moses, right?
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You see that there's no other way, because we
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as humans can't even, we can't stay faithful.
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In fact, there are many things that we can't.
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We can, but on the basis of our trust, that's
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why we place our trust in God to enable us to
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be faithful. Scattered through Scripture, you
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see that God is faithful. God is faithful. He
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is faithful and Jesus Christ will be speaking
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to His disciples and He will tell them to continue
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with Him, right? Continue with Him and that continuing
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with Him is being faithful to His teachings.
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Being faithful to His teachings. That's simply
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faithfulness to His teachings. Continuing with
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Him is simply being faithful to His teachings.
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So, the faithfulness of God speaks of His character
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and that character is seen in the person of Jesus
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Christ. Praise God! The faithfulness of God is
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seen in the person of Jesus Christ. The faithfulness
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of God's faithfulness is seen in the person of
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Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 3 to 4,
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and I know we often go to that passage, but I
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want us to see something. It says, But the Lord
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is faithful. But the Lord is faithful. He will
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strengthen you and encourage you. He will strengthen
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you and guide you from the evil one. He says,
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and we are confident in the Lord that you are
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doing and will continue to do the things we commanded
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you. Notice that he is saying that the Lord is
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faithful, right? Apostle Paul says the Lord is
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faithful and He will strengthen you and guide
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you from the evil one. Meaning that God is faithful
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to strengthen you. not just strengthening you,
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He will also protect you from the evil one. He
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will also deliver you from the evil one. And
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still on the faithfulness of God, He says He
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is confident, right? That He will continue to
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do, and that's that word that you are doing,
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and will continue to do the things that He has
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commanded you. Meaning that there is no chance
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for you to fail. Praise God! There is no chance
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and opportunity for you to fail. because your
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faith is anchored on the one who is faithful.
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The strength that you need to do the work will
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come from Him. Praise God! He didn't leave us
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without strength. He didn't leave us without
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encouragement. He even solidifies it by placing
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you in a family where if you think you're down,
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there's somebody that is there to pick you up.
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And that's why the writer of Hebrews will tell
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you not to neglect the garden of God's people
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because in the garden of God's people, there
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is encouragement, right? He says, stay one another
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up, right? Stay one another up means that God
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has placed people around us that are faithful
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to Him to encourage us to stay faithful to Him.
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Praise God! That is very important and that is
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what notes him because you will see that we are
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not left to ourselves. If you feel that you're
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left to yourself, it's because you think that
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you're left to yourself, right? Because you think
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that you're left to yourself. We were left without
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any sort of strength and any sort of hope because
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God has placed everything that we need within
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our reach. Everything that we need within our
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reach. And the writer of Hebrews, with our studies
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and everything, we see that He also shows the
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faithfulness of God and God's ability to save
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to the autumn autumus He shows we see we see
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that in hebrew 7 25 that is able to save to the
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autumus It's able to save to the autumus that
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in itself and cause or that is the self should
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stir up confidence in the god that you serve
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Because sometimes we are faced with circumstances
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and challenges that will want to shake And make
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us doubt But our confidence will always come
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back to God's word, right? Our confidence will
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always bring us back to God's word because God's
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word is true. We are in a world now where people
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talk down on the word. Somebody will tell you,
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just push the Bible aside. I used to marvel at
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people that call themselves Christian and then
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you're having a conversation and you say, but
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in God's word, you say, no, no, no, stop. Let's
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be real. Let's be real. Let's be... And I'm like,
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this is my reality. Like, where else do you want
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me to go? This is me being real. Remember what
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we said on Sunday? You want to be careful because
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people can do anything to hide the truth. And
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some people are doing out of ignorance, right?
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You're doing that because they don't know any
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better. But you have to stand your ground because
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you know that what you're saying is the truth.
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You know, we're in a day and an age where somebody
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is talking and then when you say the word of
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God and the person says, someone shut up, then
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you keep quiet. Because the person's voice is
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louder. Praise God. We want to be, you know,
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you know, you know, sometimes I ask people questions
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and then they answer me and I know that they
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are not sure, right? I think it happened yesterday.
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And you know, there's a way somebody answers
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your question or replies you, you know that they
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are not certain. And then when you ask to check,
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the person is looking at you and the person is
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still saying, I'm sure, but they are not sure.
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Because there's a way you sound when you're sure
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of something, right? And there's a way you sound
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when you're not sure of something. There's a
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way you sound when you're still in doubt of what
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is being said. And what ensures that you are
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sure of what you're saying is because you know
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very clearly, right? And you are sure beyond
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all reasonable doubt that what you're saying
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is the truth. And what you're saying is not something
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that you were just taught. It's something that
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you have seen. Right? You have experience or
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something that you know for a fact. And that
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is what makes you bold. Right? You know, when
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you say, I believe God heals, you know, you say
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it and then if you have not seen God heal, you'll
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be like, and maybe sometimes there's a part of
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your mind, you might just, you might not verbalize
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it, but in your head, you know, there are many
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things that we have going on in our head. When
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somebody says something, just say, a counter
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and if some people right now be saying the counter
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in the head I don't like I know it's not true
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it does I've seen him do it around but I maybe
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my case is just different and that's because
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there's something that you're holding on to that
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is inconsistent with his word and it's not God's
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problem right because you have a learning to
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do and in and in your learning you you will experience
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something very different and it's not like he
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it happened then it's because as we said, when
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there can be light in a place, the moment you
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turn the light on is when you see light. And
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it doesn't undermine the fact that there was
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always light in a place. But you needed to do
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something to see the light come, right? And for
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some of us, we probably have been hanging around
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it and it has not yet clicked until the day that
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somebody says it or the day that it really grips
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you or the day that you pay close attention like
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you've never done before. And we get to that.
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We get to that part shortly. And I believe that
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God is going to help us to see. I want us to
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see Hebrews. Hebrews 3, 1 to 3. Hebrews 3, 1
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to 3, just to establish the fact that it was
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true. I want to read it from my book. OK, let
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me just go to amplify classic. It's open here.
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Amplify classic. Sometimes when you read and
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read, it will come, it will hit slightly different
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from when you just read it. You want to read
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something that... I want us to see 1 -3. You
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see, so then, brethren, concentrate, call it
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and set apart for God. We share in the heavenly
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calling thoughtfully and attentively. considering
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Jesus the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess
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as ours when we embrace the Christian faith.
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2. See how faithful he was to him who appointed
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him, Apostle and High Priest, as Moses was also
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faithful in the whole house of God. Yet, Jesus
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has been considered worthy of even greater honor
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and glory than Moses just as the builder of the
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house has more glory and honor than the house
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itself. Praise God. I want to see that it uses,
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it does, it's like, well, that's what the writer
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of Hebrews does. And if you're reading the book,
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you want to see that you have a contrast. He
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will present to you something and then he will
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compare and contrast it. We see him do that in
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the first chapter, where he says, this is Jesus,
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angels, Jesus is more than. And then he comes
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and he says, this is Jesus, this is Moses. See,
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Jesus is greater than Moses. And if you read
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the book of Hebrews, you don't leave that place
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thinking of anyone greater than Jesus. Because
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in almost every place where you go, any place
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when he's talking, he makes sure there is a clear
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distinction between Christ and whoever it is.
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To solidify in your mind the superiority of the
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man or the person of Christ. And that is what
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should ring true, because he says, he was faithful
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whom appointed him. Like he was faithful, Jesus
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was faithful, and then Moses also, right, in
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all the house. But it says that to Him be considered
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no greater glory than that of Moses. Praise God!
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It means that if there's anything you want to
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pay keen attention to or close attention to,
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it's because this person, as we have looked at
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earlier, this person of Christ is the Son and
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He redeems the glory of God and is an expression
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of the very character of God. Praise God! expression
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of the very character of God and we said that
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the faith that idea is a matter of character,
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is a matter of character, is a matter of character
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and the moment you many of us what typically
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happens is that your understanding of the character
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of God is what is flawed and that is that in
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the first in itself affects your faith right
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because you it's like what I talked about healing
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it's like when you Have an understanding that
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oh he can skip you right? That in itself will
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affect your ability to receive that which you
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are designed of which he's able to do But you
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are saying no, I don't think my case is very
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different So I could be asked because you don't
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believe in his character Towards you. You don't
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believe that his character will be the same towards
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you. Praise God and every believer has to have
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their faith anchored on the truth that we find
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in God's Word, not the truth that you think of
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or the assumption or the understanding that you
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have of God. That's why we learn. That is why
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we learn and that's why we grow and that's why
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we continue. Take us back to 2 Timothy 3 verse
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14. 2 Timothy 3 verse 14 says, you have learned
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them. And we say that word there, continue, means
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to, it's meno, that is m -e -n -o, means to abide
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or to dwell, right? To abide or to dwell. And
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it means that learning is something that happens
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consistently. It's not something that happens
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occasionally, it's something that happens consistently.
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Praise God! I know that consistent for some people
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is Sunday. is on a Sunday or midweek services
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but consistently is what ensures and the more
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consistent the more evident the growth in the
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life of the individual praise God the more consistent
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the more and and what are you consistent in the
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passage there says consistent in the things which
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you have learned consistent in the things which
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you have learned or you can say learning praise
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God you're concerned things which are learning
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another word is Marthano And the word actually
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implies education, understanding, and full of
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awareness. The word, it's a Greek word that implies
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that Matano, M -A -Man, M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O,
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M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O. So, and the word implies
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education, understanding, and full awareness,
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full awareness. And it comes from... Being taught.
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This comes from being taught. This comes from
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being taught and it's not from experience because
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you can have long years of experience, but you
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are not taught or you're not educated. Right?
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You're not educated. Remember what we said about
25:58
the disciples? The disciples, they said these
26:00
men were untrained and educated, but it was something
26:02
that made them come across as though they were
26:04
educated, right? Because of their being with
26:07
Jesus. Because of their being with Jesus. I want
26:09
you to see, scattered around scripture, you see
26:11
that word, that learn. Lend. And you see that
26:18
in Ephesians 4 .20, it says, but you have not
26:23
so lent Christ. Meaning that there is a lending
26:27
that when you see somebody, you say, no, that
26:29
is not what you have lent. In Philippians 4 verse
26:35
9, it says, the things which you have lent, and
26:43
received and heard and saw in me this do and
26:48
the god of peace be with you the things which
26:50
you have learned and received and saw in me this
26:55
the things you have learned received and saw
26:56
in me you see that whole element of learning
26:59
learning learning so the individuals would have
27:02
seen something would have received something
27:04
and would have learned something praise god and
27:07
then in romans 16 17 romance 16 17. It says,
27:12
Now I urge you brethren, not those who cause
27:17
division and offense contrary to the doctrine
27:19
which you have learned and avoid them. So, there's
27:23
also the learning that ensures that you, because
27:26
if you have not learned, you will not even know
27:29
who are the people that you do not know. So,
27:32
there's a learning that ensures that you are
27:34
able to avoid those that cause division offences
27:41
and others. So, there's learning in that respect.
27:44
So, in John 6 .45, it says, it is written in
27:49
the prophets, and they shall all be taught by
27:54
God. Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned
27:58
from the Father comes to me. So, the result of
28:02
learning is that disciples are made, right? The
28:07
result of learning is disciples or discipleship.
28:10
Where there's learning, there's discipleship.
28:12
Where there's learning, there is discipleship
28:14
because the individuals and the disciple is a
28:17
student. Where there's learning, there's discipleship.
28:20
And I think this is something that is very like
28:23
we understand this because we're in a student
28:25
environment. We're in a student environment and
28:27
you know that your classes don't happen in 20
28:31
minutes, right? Most of us, your classes and
28:34
depends on the credit units, the classes will
28:36
be longer. And even if you don't like it, you
28:39
paid for it so you don't have a choice. So, you
28:41
have to sit down there and take it because that
28:43
is the making of you into the career that you
28:47
chose for yourself. Praise God! So, the same
28:49
way for us, there is a learning that happens
28:52
consistently because that is what refers to you
28:56
because I said it's there. A student has to give
29:00
themselves to study. There is no other way around
29:02
it. If a student will be successful... It has
29:04
to be studied and it's there in the name. Sometimes
29:08
those things are very, it's just there. If you
29:10
remove ENT and put Y, study. It's not far away.
29:15
So it means that there is that commitment to
29:18
learning that will result in good success. What
29:23
truly defines a student is not just showing up
29:28
to class. What truly defines a student is not
29:31
like the What ensures that your student is successful
29:34
is not just showing up to class, it's not just
29:36
dressing well to the class, it's not just answering
29:39
presents, signing attendance. What truly shows
29:42
that this person, what truly is the learning?
29:45
Because if a student is not learning, the student
29:48
is not going to know and the student will invariably
29:50
fail, right? They will fail. So it means that
29:53
the same thing applies to us as believers. If
29:56
we're learning, it means that our faith will
29:59
stand no matter the situation or no matter the
30:01
challenge. because our faith is anchored on what
30:04
we have learned, the truths that we have learned,
30:06
the things that we have received, and we continue
30:08
in this. We continue in them. We continue in
30:10
them. Jesus Christ, in Matthew 28, 19 -20, says,
30:15
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
30:18
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
30:20
baptizing them in the name of the Father, the
30:23
Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
30:26
all the things I have commanded you. I am with
30:29
you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."
30:33
So it means that there is a teaching because
30:36
the making of disciples will involve teaching.
30:39
And when there is teaching, there is learning.
30:42
Praise God. When there is teaching and there
30:44
is learning. And the end goal of that is that
30:46
people come to an understanding, right? And when
30:50
people come to understanding, there is the actions
30:53
and the activities that they do consistent with
30:55
the teaching that they have received. That's
30:57
why you can be able to tell somebody that this
31:00
person is not in class. This person is not here
31:01
with us. Praise God. There are certain things
31:03
that you have been hearing in NECF. When you
31:07
do it, we know that you have not been here with
31:09
us. Praise God. Or when you say it, we know that
31:12
you have not been here with us. Because we know
31:14
that if you have been paying attention, this
31:16
one, you should have gotten it by now. Praise
31:18
God. So that is what teaching does. And there's
31:22
always a result for neglecting teaching. There's
31:25
always the results that you get when you are
31:28
not paying attention. There's always a result
31:30
you get when you're not listening. There's always
31:32
a result when you're not taking heed, when you
31:35
don't continue. There's always a result for that.
31:37
I was looking. I think typically nowadays, I
31:41
think what happens is that people do that a lot
31:44
now because I think social media also contributes
31:47
to it where somebody is looking at you, looking
31:50
at you, but they are not looking at you. They're
31:54
not hearing anything. It's like audios are out.
31:57
Audio is out. They're probably just, it's video.
32:00
No audio. It's just, they're just, audio is out,
32:03
video. And how you do, and you can tell because
32:06
the person is looking at you very keenly. You
32:08
think that they're paying attention, but they're
32:11
actually not. And the way to find out the simple,
32:14
just ask them a question. So what was the last
32:17
thing I said? And then that was the last thing
32:21
I said, bring them back into the room. And then
32:23
they will arrive from where they are coming from.
32:28
And then they now say, what's the question again?
32:33
And then you ask them the question. And then
32:35
they look at you with a blank stare. And then
32:38
you know this person has no... And just imagine
32:42
you spend all... It's better you're not in class,
32:45
right? Because at least we know that we didn't
32:47
see you. We don't have any expectation of you
32:50
because we didn't see you. But when you are there,
32:53
seated, and they're looking, and sometimes they
32:55
can even be mindlessly taking notes. They are
33:00
sketching. Some of them can be drawing. I had
33:02
one student like that. He takes his time. He's
33:05
drawing, but he's listening to you. And he says
33:07
that's the only way he can listen, because he's
33:09
always like, he has to be doing something. And
33:11
I have tested it, because he can be drawing,
33:14
drawing, drawing. Because before you know it,
33:16
he has an artwork at the end of the class. He
33:18
has an artwork. And I'll ask him, OK. From time
33:20
to time, I ask him questions and he answers me.
33:22
So, I've got to learn that this particular student
33:24
has a unique... And they are very rare. They
33:28
are very rare. So, it's not everybody that has
33:29
that. It's not everybody that has that. First
33:32
of all, people say, Sir, I'm keenly paying attention
33:35
to you. Just believe that I'm listening to you,
33:38
but you're not actually listening because you're
33:41
somewhere. But that particular student was very...
33:43
I was learning. I'm the one teaching about, I
33:47
was learning because I was like, I've never seen
33:49
this one before. I've never seen this one before.
33:51
So, as we will see that there's always a result
33:55
or there's always a consequence on not paying
33:57
attention. And for some of us, it is little by
34:01
little, it starts off by you not understanding
34:04
what is being taught. And then when you are faced
34:06
with a, maybe a challenge that the solution had
34:10
already been presented, because you didn't pay
34:12
attention, it will be as though you were never
34:14
there in the class. I don't know about you. That
34:17
will be painful, especially when you realize
34:20
that the teacher had already given everything
34:21
for it, but you'll be like... And for some of
34:27
us, it's when you're faced with a challenging
34:29
situation and then you now say, oh, I couldn't
34:33
take it or this happened. And it's very sad because
34:38
you end up being unstable, right? You end up
34:42
being unstable. You end up being prone to deception
34:45
because you are not listening. You end up being
34:49
prone to deception. You just buy every lie that
34:51
is sold to you and we'll be wondering, why? Why
34:55
are you even listening? Like, didn't we tell
34:58
you? Didn't we warn you? Why are you even listening?
35:02
But because you thought that was the truth and
35:07
nothing but the truth. Praise God! In Ephesians
35:09
4, verse 14, it says, They say that you should
35:14
no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
35:18
carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the
35:21
trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of
35:27
deceitful plotting. The challenge is when you're
35:34
not rooted or grounded in the Word, what will
35:37
happen is that anything that blows will blow
35:39
you in the direction that it goes and you will
35:42
end up yeah you end up being you find yourself
35:45
and then when you now later on discover you will
35:48
now be filled with like anger you know that's
35:50
what typically happens you say why how did he
35:53
lie to me like I can't I can't believe that I
35:56
bought but it was there from the beginning it's
35:58
not like the moment you realized was the moment
36:01
you realize what everyone that is watching show
36:03
and they knew and they knew that this is what
36:05
will take you and it's it's subtle it happens
36:07
slowly when individuals are buying and most most
36:10
of the times is because you had an idol you had
36:13
something that was the anchor to what because
36:17
when when people pull people out of something
36:19
is because there's something that appealed to
36:21
them you know if something doesn't appeal to
36:22
you you will never be interested in it somebody
36:25
trying to tempt you with what you don't like
36:28
like you can't tempt somebody what they don't
36:30
like but because there's an there's something
36:32
about that thing you that would be the means
36:34
by which you'll be pulled out and pulled away
36:37
so That instability happens as a result of you
36:41
not being grounded in truth. And that's why you
36:44
hear the disciples say, let's continue in what
36:47
we have learned. Continue in what we have learned.
36:49
That's very, very important. And we also will
36:53
see something in Galatians. Galatians 3. Galatians
37:00
3 .1. Galatians 3 .1 says, Oh foolish Galatians,
37:10
who has bewitched you that you should not obey
37:14
the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was
37:23
clearly portrayed among you as crucified. So,
37:28
you see that it says you should not obey the
37:31
truth and you had seen it. Like this has to be
37:36
some form of like you saw it, you know it and
37:39
then now you are not obeying it. Why is that?
37:44
That's because you had not paid attention. That's
37:47
because you're not paid attention and you give
37:49
yourself to something that was attractive to
37:54
you, something that pulled you in. And in this
37:57
case, they were drawn to the regalism or drawn
38:00
to error because they were not paying attention
38:04
to the truth and You you haven't you you have
38:08
a lot to deal with because now you are pulling
38:10
yourself You're pulling it you're allowing what
38:13
shouldn't have even pulled you in the first place
38:15
pull you in because you are You are not paid
38:17
attention. You're not paid attention. You are
38:20
not paid attention and You you see that also
38:23
you can have a situation where? The your your
38:28
stagnant you are in one place because you are
38:31
not Making any progress because you're just coming
38:35
in going out coming in going out Spiritually,
38:38
you're just stagnant. There's no anything not
38:42
no progress. No progress in first Timothy first
38:47
Timothy 4 15 First Timothy 4 15 It says meditate
38:54
on these things give yourself entirely to them
38:56
that your progress may be evident to all that
39:01
your progress may be evident to all. He says,
39:03
take heed. We know that this is a possible thing.
39:07
He says, in fact, speaking to someone, you will
39:11
say that this person is not just a minister,
39:14
right? This is a minister. He says, you want
39:16
to stay there. You want to stay there. You want
39:19
to meditate. We will come and see the word meditate.
39:22
He says, give yourself entirely to them, meaning
39:25
that every part of you is involved. Praise God!
39:29
every part of you is involved. When we come and
39:32
we say, okay, serve, commit yourself, that is
39:35
you putting everything into it. And it says that
39:38
your progress may be evident to all. You know,
39:41
when somebody is making progress, you can see,
39:44
right? When somebody is making like progress,
39:47
even if it's little, right? You can see because
39:50
just being around people, they will know where
39:52
you started and they will know where you're at,
39:54
right? Because you're making progress, you are
39:56
putting in the effort. And sometimes, We just
39:59
fall into that trap of feeling like, because
40:02
this person is making tremendous progress, I
40:04
feel like I'm a failure because, uh -uh, how
40:07
now? We came together to this short. Just imagine
40:09
where this person is at and see where I'm at.
40:13
Well, your own progress is not seen by you. You
40:15
know, it's very easy for you to see what other
40:18
people look like. And sometimes you need an honest
40:21
evaluation of where you are so that you can be
40:23
able to... at least be encouraged, right? That's
40:25
why we don't discourage. There's no way you will
40:29
be around. There's some amount of progress you're
40:31
making if you are really paying attention. And
40:33
if you desire progress so much, you want to do
40:37
all the things that are required for you to actually
40:39
see a lot more. And sometimes, you see that thing
40:43
I just said now? That is what leads many of us
40:46
into that place of anxiety, where we are now
40:50
putting so much weight on ourselves because we
40:53
sense a need that we need to make this much progress
40:55
at this time because we feel that we have to
40:59
get there very quickly. We have to get there
41:01
very quickly and sometimes you can have challenges
41:03
that are beyond your control. I'm saying this
41:07
now to say that sometimes you are in a system
41:10
where there are certain things you can't control
41:12
but what you want to do is be faithful to the
41:15
things that you have the ability to control,
41:17
right? Be faithful to the things and trust that
41:20
you are making the required progress per time,
41:24
right? Making the required progress per time,
41:26
not overburdening or putting a lot on yourself.
41:30
In Philippians 4, there's six. Philippians 4,
41:34
there's six. I read from the New King James,
41:37
it says, be anxious for nothing. I want you to
41:43
listen to that. Be anxious forward. I want us
41:48
to say it together. Be anxious forward. Be anxious
41:51
for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and
41:56
supplication, we can be. Sometimes we say, I'm
42:03
not worried. I'm just concerned about my spiritual
42:06
growth. You can make it look like it's a thing
42:11
of concern, but you know we can know when the
42:12
concern is getting out of line. The concern now
42:16
is putting you in that place of depression, frustration.
42:19
That's when we know that now you are now because
42:22
you want to understand that in everything it
42:24
says, but in everything by prayer and supplication
42:27
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
42:29
known to God. And I want us to see something
42:31
in the verse 1 of that particular chapter. The
42:35
verse 1 of that particular chapter says, So stand
42:48
fast in faith, stand fast, sorry, in the Lord
42:53
below. He says, stand fast. He says, so stand
42:56
fast in the Lord. He says, so stand fast in the
42:59
Lord. Okay, yeah. So stand fast in the Lord below.
43:02
Notice it starts off, that particular chapter
43:05
starts off with the encouragement for the brethren
43:10
to stand fast in the Lord. Stand fast in the
43:14
Lord will mean that you are trusting, because
43:16
your uncle, your faith, everything is in him.
43:19
You're trusting that every step you're making,
43:22
every effort you're putting in, because it's
43:26
the effort that you can, is bringing you closer
43:28
and closer to what God wants. In verse 7, I want
43:32
us to read verse 7. It says, And the peace of
43:34
God, of that same verse, and the peace of God
43:37
which surpasses all understanding, will guard
43:40
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And
43:43
the peace of God will guide your hearts and minds
43:45
through Christ Jesus. And when you allow your
43:51
situation to put you in that place of anxiety,
43:55
put you in that place of worry, what brings you
43:59
back is reminding yourself of the fact that God's
44:06
work in you stays consistent. Praise God! God's
44:11
work in you stays consistent and you're not the
44:14
one that will worry yourself out of the work.
44:16
Yeah, you can if you let it, but you want to
44:20
be reminded and that's why when you feel a certain
44:24
kind of way, you have brothers and sisters to
44:26
help you bring yourself back on track. I want
44:31
you to challenge yourself that little window
44:33
period of when you feel anxious, Become shorter
44:39
and shorter because every time you sense that
44:42
because many of times is how you feel Is how
44:46
you feel and that's why one of the time I always
44:48
say this I say when people feel a certain kind
44:49
of way I said I've just spent time listening
44:52
to other people tell you about the challenges
44:54
They're going through you do you want you you
44:57
don't you do you notice how that can help you?
45:01
Put in perspective what you think you're going
45:03
through because all of a sudden now even He said,
45:06
he's going through also. And then you now see,
45:11
and she's still smiling. And then you'll be like,
45:15
I've never even gotten into quarter of where
45:16
she's going through and I'm here crying. And
45:20
you, you, it's not like you're, but some, you
45:23
know, sometimes that's why I said, sometimes
45:25
hanging out, that is basically what happens because
45:27
where you are at, you are looking at your problem,
45:30
right? As Pastor Fai was teaching us, you're
45:32
looking at the mountain. And even, admiring the
45:36
mountain and saying, this is my mountain. You're
45:41
not saying, it must be removed. You're saying,
45:43
this is my mountain. It's my mountain. You know,
45:47
there's something about when you are in something
45:49
and you've been there for too long. It's now
45:50
your own. You personalize it. You say, this is
45:53
our problem. It's our family. It's what comes
45:56
with us. And then I'm wondering, what family
45:59
are you now in Him? What family do you belong
46:02
to? Right? What family do you belong to? And
46:05
then you take it, but now when you hear somebody
46:08
else talk about theirs, you are now challenged,
46:11
right? Because what that person does to you is
46:13
that the person stares you up to, like, why am
46:15
I allowing this to get the best of me? And then
46:18
you now are reminded, right, that the same God
46:23
that is working in that person is the same God
46:25
that is working in you. You just need to come
46:29
to that. consciousness and that's why hearing
46:31
other people share or hearing other people talk
46:33
about it sometimes gets you to come back and
46:36
like kind of recalibrate what exactly it is you
46:40
think difficulty or hardship is and that's why
46:42
I was sharing with somebody I said nowadays people
46:45
we train ourselves to just back down as the slightest
46:49
form of like some level of difficulty just back
46:54
down and then you're like life has not just started
46:59
Like you just experience one or two and we're
47:04
not undermining what you're going through because
47:06
it's where you're at, right? But know that the
47:09
moment you come and interact with other people,
47:11
because sometimes you feel that what you're going
47:12
through is a lot. And we're not saying that we
47:16
know what you're going through or we understand
47:18
it. But what we're saying is that we have seen
47:20
God take us out of difficult situations. not
47:24
even up to what you're going through. We have
47:26
seen God take us out of difficulties. We have
47:28
even seen God take other people, even if we can't
47:30
compare ourselves. And that is what ankles are
47:33
filled, because we know that there is no other
47:35
way. We have seen the miraculous happen, and
47:37
we know it's not wishful thinking. We know it's
47:40
not by chance. We know it's not... We have seen
47:43
God heal people, and we're not saying that we
47:46
have not seen situations where we say, ah, and
47:49
we're still seeing situations where we're praying
47:51
and believing, but that doesn't shake our trust
47:55
in God. That doesn't move us to the left. Yeah,
47:58
sometimes you feel like, oh, I wish this was
48:00
like this, I wish this was like that, but that
48:02
shouldn't move your trust. Because the fact that
48:06
you have not seen the manifestation, that's what
48:09
the customer is talking about on Sunday. The
48:10
fact that you've not seen... I will not want
48:13
to be the one that will lose my sleep or not
48:17
be excited or not be joyful or be moody because
48:20
of what I've not seen. and then I see it later
48:23
and then I'm like all the sleepless nights I
48:27
don't know I don't know I don't I really don't
48:31
you want to be that you want to be the one that
48:33
will go through all of that but what what makes
48:37
the journey what the while is when you are at
48:40
it like nothing has happened like nothing is
48:44
going wrong like everything is going well because
48:47
you know you don't need to see it right You don't
48:51
need to see it to believe, right? Because you
48:54
know that this God is doing everything He needs
48:58
to do and you have to trust that He is on your
49:02
case and what He demands of you is for you to
49:04
be faithful. Praise God! What He demands of you
49:07
is for you to be faithful. He says that in 1
49:10
Corinthians 4. He says that faithfulness is what
49:13
He requires of you, right? Faithfulness is what
49:16
He requires for you. And your faithfulness, as
49:18
I've said again and again, is anchored on His
49:20
faithfulness. And He's true to His Word. He's
49:22
true to His character. It is not in His character
49:26
to back down. There is no case that you present
49:29
to Him and say, huh, this is beyond my pay grade.
49:34
Praise God. There is no case you present to Him.
49:37
It's you that is thinking. And sometimes we get
49:39
to a place where we are overthinking it for God.
49:41
We are like, God, this is my case is really bad.
49:46
I don't think you can manage... Hey, God! Can
49:50
you? Hey! You just... You start customizing and
49:57
doing all of those things... You... You... Praise
50:01
God! I want you to be reminded that God is faithful
50:06
and you don't want to allow... You know, sometimes
50:09
when you're not getting understanding, you now
50:12
go online and start finding people that are going
50:14
to help you. I'll say, you know, it's a mystery.
50:17
I want to launch you into. Then you start hearing
50:20
things and you'll be like, ah, this person is
50:22
making sense. I think I understand, like this
50:24
is what I need. Like all this trying to understand,
50:27
no, I'm not understanding anything. My situation
50:30
is making things complicated. Then the person
50:31
asks you, you know, there's a mystery that you
50:34
have to tap into. When you enter that realm like
50:37
this, everything will just open and just be clear
50:39
to you. And then you'll be like, can I read for
50:42
you? The person will say a lot of things, but
50:44
they will use words. They will unsettle you,
50:47
and settle you, and resettle you with words,
50:49
and then when you finish, you'll be like, I'm
50:51
stirred up. And then they ask you, stirred up
50:53
with what? What is stirring you up right now?
50:56
You say, no, there's something about the word
50:58
that he said. I was just hearing him, and my
51:00
faith was just going up and down, up and down.
51:03
I feel like I can take down a mountain. But...
51:09
But there is no understanding because it's not
51:11
anchored on the Word of God. Praise God. Because
51:14
there is no understanding. See, you can go a
51:19
lot... we see it now. There's a lot of things
51:23
you can do when you understand what you're...
51:25
like you have an understanding of something.
51:27
Because with that you can think, you can process,
51:30
you can... in fact, you don't need to make too
51:32
much noise. Right? You make progress. But when
51:36
somebody comes and vibrates, do like... hit you
51:39
left, right, and center, and then they put the
51:41
whole sound and everything. Your emotions are
51:43
all stirred up. You feel that you got something,
51:45
but when they actually articulate what you have
51:47
gotten, you say, it was a blessing. That's a
51:54
summary of all that you have received. It was
51:57
a blessing. It was a great blessing. It was powerful.
52:01
Yes, it was, but notice that you don't live with
52:05
something solid, something that will help you
52:07
to stand the challenges that you're going to
52:10
meet once you end the life or believe the service
52:14
or whatever it is because you're going to be
52:16
faced with a real situation and you want to know
52:19
God's Word for real. Praise God! You want to
52:22
know God's Word for real and you want to rest
52:25
your strength or rest your understanding in the
52:28
Word of God. Rest your understanding in the Word
52:30
of God. I want us to see something. When Apostle
52:33
Paul was talking about that whole idea of Everything
52:36
that we need is revealed to us. It's not a mystery.
52:40
Like everything that we need is revealed to us.
52:42
Apostle Paul speaking in Ephesians 3 verse 3
52:45
to 4, he says, how that by revelation, our brother
52:49
was leading us in prayer, he says, how that by
52:52
revelation, he had made known to me the mystery,
52:56
as I have briefly written already, by which when
53:03
you read You may understand my knowledge in the
53:07
mystery of Christ. By which when you read, you
53:11
may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
53:14
Christ. I think I just remembered something when
53:20
I was reading Hebrews 13. When the writer of
53:27
Hebrews was ending in 13, He mentioned something
53:34
about it being brief. You can imagine how he
53:41
had explained and explained and explained. He
53:46
says in Hebrews 13 22, He says, I appeal to you,
53:54
brethren, bear with the word of exaltation, for
53:58
which I have written to you in few words. Praise
54:02
God! In a few words, you know? I know that you
54:06
understand that it's not chapters, right? It's
54:09
a whole letter. And then Judah is reading. Some
54:12
of us, they say, read the book of Hebrews. Was
54:16
the whole 13 chapters a few words? Yeah, it is!
54:21
Because the writer is saying it's a few words.
54:24
We have to take his word for it. We have to take
54:27
his word for it. And just imagine you have, and
54:33
this is why when Apostle Paul is writing this
54:35
and he's telling you revelation, note that the
54:38
person has, the person knows that look, there's
54:41
a lot more, right? For somebody to scale and
54:45
tell you a few words, it means that there's a
54:47
lot more. They just give you a particular section
54:50
for you to just use and as they were saying,
54:52
enter your whole body. So you just use that one
54:55
and just understand something. And as I said,
54:58
When you look at that book of Hebrews, you just
55:01
see that every now and then, every part will,
55:04
if there's anything, it will encourage, it will
55:06
make you know, yeah, there's some parts that
55:08
will look like it's a threat, but it will make
55:10
you know that what you have is permanent, right?
55:14
What you have can be lost because of the person
55:17
who has given. That's the faithfulness of God,
55:19
right? Because there's no way you read there
55:22
and then you can doubt the potency of what Christ
55:25
has done or how the the eternal nature of what
55:30
He has done. I'm looking for adjectives to qualify
55:33
all the things that He says about what Christ
55:36
has done in the book of Hebrews. And you shouldn't
55:39
walk out of that place saying that, oh, I feel
55:43
that my own version that was given to me or the
55:46
version that I have can be lost in one or two
55:49
ways. Praise God! Because what God has done,
55:54
and that's why when Apostle Paul is writing,
55:56
he says, how that by revelation He made known
56:00
to me the mystery, right? He made known to me
56:03
the mystery and as given I say, and when you
56:06
read, you may understand. Meaning that reading
56:08
is important for understanding. Reading is important
56:12
for understanding. And when someone says, when
56:15
they say read, you know, for some of us who think
56:17
reading is just glancing or just open the passage,
56:22
reading it, you want to stay there and capture
56:25
the details. Praise God. You want to stay there,
56:28
capture the details of what is written. I want
56:30
us to come to this place where we close. I'll
56:31
just take us to Acts 17, 11 to 13. Let's just
56:40
stay there. Just give me an LLT. In 11, it says,
56:44
and the people of Berea were more open -minded
56:49
than those of Thessalonica. Notice that he's
56:52
comparing and contrasting these people as against
56:54
these people. And it says, They listened eagerly
56:58
to Paul's message, meaning that these people
57:01
paid close attention to what Paul was saying.
57:05
In the next line, it says, they searched the
57:09
scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas
57:14
were teaching the truth. And I want you to note
57:16
something, which is sometimes we miss it. These
57:18
people were not yet saved though. They were not
57:22
yet saved though, because you will see it in
57:24
subsequent verse. were taking their time to and
57:27
that word search that was said the scripture
57:30
it would look like you're just searching for
57:32
a particular verse right but that word search
57:34
is not to investigate it's to examine meaning
57:39
that they put on their thinking caps carry their
57:41
mind look put inside and it was not that they
57:44
were searching to see if they lied maybe the
57:45
person said open to ask their team verse what
57:48
is this right scripture they're not certain to
57:50
find if the scripture was correct they were searching
57:53
to see to understand what exactly it is that
57:56
was communicated to them. And they did this for
57:58
several days as unbelievers. And you are a believer.
58:01
Praise God. I just want to challenge you. They
58:04
did it for several days as people that are unbelievers
58:06
trying to find the truth, right? And then we
58:09
see that it is in verse 12. It says, in verse
58:14
12 now, it says, as a result, the result of all
58:18
of their investigation now brings them to that
58:20
place where they believed, right? They believed
58:22
and it says, and as many of the prominent Greek
58:25
women and men, so we have them now believing
58:31
and this is when we see them become believers.
58:34
And then I want you to see something in 13. Let's
58:36
do 13. It says, but when some of the Jews in
58:39
Thessalonica, those people that did not listen,
58:42
learned that Paul was preaching the word of God
58:45
in Berea, they went there to stir up trouble.
58:49
So, you do not listen. But what you want to do
58:52
now is to cause confusion for the people that
58:54
are trying to listen and you always have people
58:56
like that. But our attention or Paul's work,
58:59
and by the way, you notice that as we will see
59:01
in even the 14th, we see that the people actually
59:04
took him out and there was a way of escape for
59:06
him. Praise God! God will always deliver us.
59:08
Remember, he's faithful and he will always deliver
59:10
us from wicked and reasonable men. Just keep
59:12
doing the work that we're doing. So the challenge
59:17
here to us is to see that we are able to stay
59:21
We are able to investigate. We are not just casually
59:25
reading the Word of God. We are paying attention
59:28
to what the Word of God says. We are internalizing
59:30
it because we know that it will help our faith
59:32
to be grounded in the truth. It will help us
59:35
to be grounded in the truth. It will help us
59:37
to be solid in the truth. It will help us to
59:41
grow even more and it will help that others through
59:44
our growth will experience the same. knowledgeable
59:50
and that's one thing that blessed me with the
59:52
brother that I was speaking with because he has
59:54
learned now he's able to organize a three -hour
59:57
teaching right on the basis of what he has been
1:00:01
taught and he's able to now give to others and
1:00:04
and and that is the joy that is the joy that
1:00:06
we have as pastors that we it doesn't die like
1:00:11
we it doesn't die it doesn't stop here right
1:00:15
it doesn't stop here that even when people come
1:00:18
and then they go We hear great things about what
1:00:21
God has done because we are taking our time to
1:00:24
internalize the truths that we receive. We are
1:00:27
passionate about learning. We are passionate
1:00:29
about growing and understanding. We are passionate
1:00:34
about doing all of this. We know that our growth
1:00:37
requires participation. Our growth requires reading,
1:00:40
listening, investigating, remunerating on things.
1:00:43
I loved what happened in our cell on Friday where
1:00:45
people were laughing. People get to the point,
1:00:49
you know, you can be discussing football. Hours,
1:00:53
hours, hours. You can be discussing movies, discussing
1:00:56
this. But you know, when you are able to stay
1:01:01
and discuss, then time has passed, and you are
1:01:03
still, you know, but this time I will say, we
1:01:06
are a Finnish show. Please don't say it's about
1:01:08
the city that's holding you behind. But you see
1:01:10
that people want to stay and learn, right? People
1:01:13
want to stay and learn. People want to stay and
1:01:15
participate. And that is basically how you know.
1:01:17
that we're not just the one keeping you, right?
1:01:21
We're not just the one keeping you. You have
1:01:23
a desire to grow, you have a desire to learn,
1:01:26
you have a desire to understand and that's what
1:01:28
keeps us in a place. Praise God! Not the activities,
1:01:30
not the different things, not saying that you
1:01:32
must come. You're coming because you know that
1:01:35
there's learning that happens and that learning
1:01:37
will result in your growth. Praise God! I want
1:01:39
us to rise up to our feet and just... We appreciate
1:01:43
you being here today. We hope you carry this
1:01:46
word with you throughout your week. Don't forget
1:01:49
to check the show notes for additional insights.
1:01:52
Stay connected with us through our website or
1:01:54
follow us on social media. If you were encouraged,
1:01:58
share this message with someone you care about.
1:02:01
Until next time, stay blessed.