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Day 1: Greater Works (Part 2) · 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. That way too, O tree, I gathered the
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  Lord in the name of the Lord, and our gathering
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  today is in the name of the Lord, and our God
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  is with us. Hallelujah! So let's be sensitive
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  to what God is doing, because God is speaking
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  to us, and God is uplifting us. John chapter
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  14, from verse 12 to 14, And most assuredly,
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  I say to you, he who believes in me, the works
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  that I do, he will do also. And greater works
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  than this, he will do because I go to my father.
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  And whatever you ask in my name, that I will
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  do. That a father may be glorified in the son.
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  If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
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  Hallelujah. And yesterday we started building
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  a context to this conversation. And we said that
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  when we read through the synoptic gospel, especially
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  in the book of Luke, the book of Luke, Brother,
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  we will see that Jesus Christ is the promised
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  Messiah from the Scriptures. Hallelujah! So,
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  I really want us to understand that the Greater
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  Works has a context, okay? Because we are trying
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  to look at the works that Jesus did. And we say
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  that Jesus is described from the Scriptures.
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  According to the writings of the apostles, Luke
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  chapter 1 verse 1, let's begin, let's have some
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  evidence. Luke chapter 1 verse 1 to 4. If you,
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  Luke chapter 1 verse 1 to 4. Please media, I
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  would love us to move swiftly our past, right?
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  Luke chapter 1 verse 1 to 4. I read, Inasmuch
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  as many have taken in to sit in order, a narrative
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  of those things which have been fulfilled amongst
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  us, just as those who from the beginning were
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  eyewitnesses and ministers of the world delivered
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  them to us. It seems good to me also having had
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  perfect understanding of all things from the
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  very first to write to you. an orderly account,
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  most excellent Theophilus, that you may know
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  a certainty of those things which you were instructed.
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  And let's jump to verse 26. Now, in the sixth
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  month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the
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  city of Galilee, named Nazareth. to a virgin
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  betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the
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  house of David. Now David is a character from
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  the scriptures. David is a character from the
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  Old Testament. The virgin's name was Mary. And
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  having come in, the angel said to her, rejoice,
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  highly favored one, the Lord is with you. The
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  Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.
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  Verse 29. but when she saw him she was troubled
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  at his saying and Considered what manner of great
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  greeting this was then the angel said to her
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  do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor
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  with God and behold you will conceive in your
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  womb and bring forth a son and Shall call his
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  name Jesus He will be great and will be called
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  the son of the highest. And the Lord God will
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  give him the throne of his father David. Hallelujah.
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  So David is from the scriptures. I mean the scriptures
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  are from the Old Testament part of the scriptures.
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  So we see here that the prophecy or rather the
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  message of the angel is actually the fulfillment
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  of a prophecy that was made concerning the throne
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  of David in the Old Testament scriptures. And
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  he will reign over, verse 33, he will reign over
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  the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom,
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  there will be no end. Then Mary said to the angel,
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  how can these things be? Since I do not know
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  a man. And the angel answered and said to her,
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  the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
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  of the highest will overshadow you. Therefore
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  also the Holy Spirit, the Holy One who is to
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  be born will be called the Son of God. Verse
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  36, now indeed Elizabeth your relative has also
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  conceived a son in her old age. And this is now
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  the sixth month. For her who was called barren
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  For with God Nothing will be possible Was that
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  it then Mary said behold the maid servant of
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  the Lord let it be to me according to the word
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  and The angel departed from her hallelujah So
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  this came in as a prophecy as a fulfillment of
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  the prophecy that was in the scriptures. And
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  the prophecy can be found in Isaiah chapter 7
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  verse 14. Let's go through some of them. Isaiah
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  chapter 7 verse 14. To see where this prophecy
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  about Jesus was made. Isaiah chapter 7 verse
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  14. Isaiah 7 verse 14. Therefore the Lord Himself
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  will give you a sign. The virgin shall conceive
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  and bear a son. and shall call his name Emmanuel.
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  Okay? Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 to 7. Isaiah chapter
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  9 verse 6 to 7. For unto us a child is born,
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  unto us a son is given, and the government will
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  be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called
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  Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
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  Father, Prince of Peace. Hallelujah. So we see
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  this prophecy fulfilled in the synoptic gospel
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  in the book of Luke. And then there are other
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  texts you can write. This down, 2nd Samuel chapter
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  7, verse 12 to 17, where this prophecy was made
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  in the scriptures. Psalms 107 verse 11. Another
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  text where this prophecy about the Messiah, Jeremiah
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  23 verse 5. And also Daniel chapter 2. was 44.
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  So, also in the synoptic gospel, especially the
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  account of Luke, we will see also that his purpose,
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  the purpose for his coming was revealed. Not
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  only that, you know, the fulfillment of the prophecy
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  was established, but we will also see that the
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  purpose for the coming of the Messiah was revealed
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  in his coming. Luke chapter 2 verse 21. Let's
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  read and see Luke chapter 2 from verse 21 We'll
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  read down to 38 and when eight days were completed
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  for the circumcision of the child His name was
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  called Jesus the name given by the angel before
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  he was conceived in the womb Now when the days
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  of her purification according to the law of Moses
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  were completed they brought him to Jerusalem
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  to present him To the Lord as it is written in
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  the law of the Lord Every male who opens the
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  womb shall be called holy to the Lord And to
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  offer a sacrifice according to what is said in
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  the law of the Lord a pair of turtle doves or
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  two young pigeons and Behold there was a name
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  in Jerusalem There was a man rather in Jerusalem
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  whose name was Simeon and this man was just and
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  devout waiting for the consolation of Israel
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  and the Holy Spirit was upon him he was waiting
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  for something and the Holy Spirit was upon him
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  and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
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  that he will not see death before he had seen
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  the Lord's Christ so the man here was waiting
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  for a fulfillment of a prophecy. And the prophecy
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  was about the Christ, the Christ who is to come,
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  the Lord's Christ, that is the Messiah. So he
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  came by the Spirit into the temple. And when
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  the parents brought in the child, Jesus, to do
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  for him according to the custom, according to
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  the customs of the law, He took him up in his
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  arms and blessed God. And let's look at how he
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  blessed God. which you have prepared before the
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  face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation
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  to the Gentiles and the glory of your people
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  Israel." So we see in his affirmation about the
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  Messiah, in his affirmation about the baby that
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  was brought into the temple, that he is not only
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  a light unto Israel alone, but even unto the
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  Gentiles. And Joseph and his mother marveled
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  at those things which were spoken of him, verse
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  34. Then Samuel blessed them and said to Mary
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  his mother, Behold, this child is destined. Now
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  he is revealing the purpose for this child. This
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  child is destined for the fall and the rising
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  of many in Israel, and for a sign which will
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  be spoken against against, yes, a sword will
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  pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts
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  of many hearts may be revealed. Of course, this
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  is a figurative expression. Now, there was one
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  Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Fenwell,
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  of a tribe of Asher. She was of a great age and
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  had lived with a husband seven years from her
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  virginity. And this woman was a widow. of about
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  84 years who did not depart from the temple but
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  serve God with fasting and prayer night and day
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  was that in the last verse here and coming in
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  that instant she gave thanks to the Lord and
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  spoke of him to all those who look for redemption
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  in Jerusalem hallelujah so in the expression
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  of worship that we see in it is actually express
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  the purpose for the coming of the Messiah, that
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  He will come and then deal with the issue of
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  salvation, the salvation that is for the whole
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  world. So Jesus is also recorded in the Synoptic
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  Gospel. In Luke chapter 4 verse 42, we see that
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  He proclaimed and demonstrated the kingdom of
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  God. Luke chapter 4, was 42, Jesus proclaimed
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  and demonstrated the kingdom of God. Now when
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  it was a day, that's when he has become an adult
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  here, he departed and went into a desert place
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  and the crowd sought him and came to him and
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  tried to keep him from leaving. But he said to
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  them, I must preach the kingdom of God. I must
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  preach what? The kingdom of God. I must preach
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  the kingdom of God to the other cities also because
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  for this purpose I have been sent. For this purpose
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  I have been sent, verse 44, and he was preaching
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  in the synagogues of Galilee, hallelujah. So
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  here we see Jesus was preaching about the kingdom,
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  preaching and also demonstrating the kingdom.
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  Jesus Christ revealed the Father through powerful
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  works that confirms His identity. Okay, in scriptures
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  we'll see in the same Epistles record, we'll
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  see that He preached and did many powerful works,
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  miracles, signs and wonders that reveals His
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  divine identity. He healed the sick, He cast
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  out demons, He raised the dead. and exercise
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  authority over nature. All right? In John chapter
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  1 verse 18, let's look at another example in
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  the epistles. In the, in the gospels, John chapter
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  1 verse 18. No one has seen God at any time.
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  The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of
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  the Father, He, has declared him. Now let's move
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  to chapter 6 verse 46. Chapter 6 of the same
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  John verse 46. John chapter 6 verse 46. So, okay,
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  not that anyone has seen the father except he
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  who is from God. He has seen the father. Verse
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  47, let's read down. Most actually I say to you,
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  he who believes in me has everlasting life, okay?
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  I am the bread of life and that is one of the
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  messages he preached. He accomplished redemptive
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  works by offering himself through his death and
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  resurrection for salvation of humanity. And then
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  he laid the foundation of the Church. So we'll
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  see in the epics in the in the gospels in the
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  records in the synoptic gospels That Jesus Christ
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  preached the gospel. He made disciples He commissioned
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  believers to continue in this mission So these
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  are Records that we have in scripture concerning
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  the works the summary in the summary form the
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  summary of the works that Jesus did Now let's
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  go back to our key scripture In John chapter
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  14 verse 12, it says, And we've established several
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  times in this text that to do greater works or
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  those who do greater works are those who believe
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  in Jesus Christ. It says, He who believes indicates
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  that Jesus speaks here of more than just the
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  Apostles because contextually Jesus was speaking
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  to the Apostles. But we see him use a phrase
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  that indicates that he speaks of not just only
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  them but it would refer to any believer here,
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  any person that believes in Jesus Christ. Anybody
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  that believes in Jesus Christ will do these greater
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  works. Beliefs in will mean that He is born again,
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  and the works that Jesus did, He will also do.
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  It says the works that I do, He will also do.
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  In that particular verse, we see the word works,
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  and that word works is translated from a Greek
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  word, ergon, E -R - We're trying to look at what
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  are the works of Jesus and we've established
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  that the works Jesus did are those works that
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  have been recorded for us in the synoptic gospel
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  in the book of Matthew. We see that Jesus came
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  as a man. He lived as a man. He preached the
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  gospel. He demonstrated signs and wonders, expressing
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  his identity, his divine identity. He raised
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  disciples. and ultimately he died for the salvation
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  of humanity. So in this verse, verse 12 of John
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  chapter 14, the word works, I said, is translated
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  from the Greek word ergon, E -R -G -O -N. It
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  means deed, a work, a deed, or action, or a tax
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  that is performed and produces a tangible or
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  observable result. So works is a deed. It is
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  an action or a tax that is performed. And that
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  tax that is performed produces a tangible, observable
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  result. It refers not merely to activity, not
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  only activity, but work that accomplishes a purpose.
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  A work that has a purpose, a work that has direction
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  and a purpose, and a sense of purpose. It is
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  a purposeful action that accomplishes God's intended
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  result. In the context of his usage, here in
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  scripture, it is a purposeful action that accomplishes
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  God's intended result. So God has a purpose,
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  he has a will that he wants accomplished. And
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  this work is directed towards, you know, the
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  accomplishment of God's intended result. It is
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  a work that visibly demonstrates God's will,
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  His desire, and His power. It demonstrates God's
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  will, His desire, and His power. So the New Testament
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  uses ergon in several ways. The word ergon in
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  several ways works. We see deleted across scripts,
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  but let's concentrate on the ones in the New
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  Testament. That word. Is used for good works.
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  OK, first of all, the word Ergon is used for
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  good works. The actions that reflects God's character.
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  The actions that glorify God through the believer.
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  All right, Ergon. is used for good works the
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  actions that reflects God's character and glorify
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  God Matthew chapter 5 verse 16 one of the places
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  that will see the usage as good works Matthew
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  chapter 5 verse 16 Matthew 5 verse 16 let your
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  light so shine before men that they may see your
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  good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
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  So the word good works here is actually the word
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  works here is Ergon and we can see from this
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  text that it is what is done through the believer
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  that brings glory to God. Ephesians 2 verse 10
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  Ephesians 2 verse 10 Ephesians chapter 2 verse
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  10 for we are his workmanship we are his workmanship
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  speaking about the believer created or recreated
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  in christ jesus for good work so the work works
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  here is the word argon which god prepared beforehand
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  that we shall work in them what the believer
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  does Titus chapter 2 verse 7. Titus chapter 2
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  verse 7. In all things, showing yourself to be
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  a pattern of good work. So Paul was writing here
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  to Titus and he's admonishing him that in all
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  things, showing yourself. You've moved ahead
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  of me. Verse 7. In all things, showing yourself
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  to be a pattern of good works. How? In doctrine,
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  that is in teaching, showing integrity, irreverence,
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  incorruptibility. So this is how, you know, he
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  will show a pattern of good works. Another text
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  is Titus of the tree, verse 8. That verse, chapter
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  2, look at verse 14. Let's look at verse 14,
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  that same text. That is chapter 2, verse 14.
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  Yes, it says, who gave himself for us that he
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  might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify
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  for himself his own special people, zealous for
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  what? For good works. Hallelujah. Titus chapter
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  3 verse 8. Titus chapter 3 verse 8. This is a
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  faithful saying. And these things I want you
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  to affirm constantly, that those who have believed
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  in God should be careful to maintain what? To
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  maintain good works, works that is ergon. These
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  things are good and profitable to men. And then
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  we have Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24 another text
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  you can write this one Hebrews chapter 10 verse
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  24 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 9 and 10 1st Timothy
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  chapter 2 verse 9 and 10 1st Timothy chapter
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  5 verse 10 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 10 1st
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  Timothy chapter 6 verse 18 and also 1 Peter chapter
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  2 verse 12. Hallelujah. So firstly, we see the
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  uses of this word referring to the conduct of
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  a believer as good works, what the believer will
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  do and will bring glory to God. Secondly, in
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  the scriptures, this word works is used to refer
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  to what God did, works of God, the works that
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  God himself did. God's mighty acts In his redemptive
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  activity through Christ The mighty acts God did
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  in Christ. Let's check some scriptures for this
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  John chapter 5 verse 17 John chapter 5 verse
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  17 But Jesus answered them my father has been
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  what has been walking so they walk in here is
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  the same word, Aragon. My father has been working
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  until now and I have been working. So God in
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  Christ have been working. Hallelujah. God through
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  Christ on the earth worked. John chapter 6 verse
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  28 and 29. John chapter 6. verse 28 and 29. We
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  will see the work of God in Christ. John chapter
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  6 verse 28. John chapter 6 verse 28. Then they
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  said to him, what shall we do that we may work
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  the works of God? So this will understand that
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  there is a work that is of God. Verse 29. Jesus
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  answered and said to them, this is a work of
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  God. That you believe in Him who sent. In Him
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  who He sent. That has to do in context of salvation.
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  Alright? Chapter 9 verse 3 and 4. John chapter
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  9 verse 3 and 4. In context of salvation, Jesus
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  answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned,
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  but that the works of God should be revealed
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  in him. The context is a man that was sick. Okay,
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  verse 4, I must walk the walks of him who sent
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  me while it is day. The night is coming when
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  no one can walk. Alright, so we see Jesus Christ
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  declaring that he will do the walk of him who
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  has sent him. John chapter 10 verse 37, I read
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  scripture, John chapter 10 verse 37. So most
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  of these are actually in the book of John. If
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  I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe
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  me. 38 plus 38. But if I do, though you do not
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  believe me, believe the works that you may know
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  and believe that the Father is in me and I in
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  him. So we see from this text that Jesus Christ
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  was doing works and with God that is working
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  with him. in doing those works. John chapter
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  14, verse 10 to 11, contextually to our scripture,
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  the text for our focus. It says, do you not believe
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  that I am the Father and the Father in me? The
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  works that I speak, the words that I speak to
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  you, I do not speak on my own authority, but
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  the Father who dwells in me does what he does,
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  the work. So we see God working in Christ. Verse
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  11, believe me that I am in the Father and the
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  Father in me or else believe the works, believe
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  for the sake of the works themselves. So we see
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  that God, the Father and Jesus Christ are in
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  union. And that union brings about the works
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  that Christ did on the earth. Acts chapter 10
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  verse 38, Acts chapter 10 verse 38, Acts chapter
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  10 verse 38 How God anointed Jesus Christ of
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  Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power
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  Who went about doing good and healing all who
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  were oppressed by the devil for God was with
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  him So contextually doing good here is actually
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  talking about the works that Jesus did the works
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  that Jesus did while he was in the flesh All
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  right So we've seen, first of all, the good works
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  that God works through the believer. Secondly,
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  we've seen in Scripture the uses of that word,
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  arrogant, as what God did through Christ. And
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  then there's another application of this word
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  in the Scriptures, referring to the works of
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  the law. The works of the law. Negatively, it
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  is referring to human's attempt to gain righteousness.
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  through keeping the Mosaic Law. There's another
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  contextual usage in Scripture referring to the
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  law of Moses. Galatians 2 verse 16. So what we
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  see works in Scripture, we must understand the
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  context of its usage. Alright, we must understand
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  the context of its usage. Galatians 2 verse 16.
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  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works
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  of the law. So it qualifies and it specifically
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  explains that this law is talking about what?
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  It's talking about the law of Moses but by faith
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  in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ
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  Jesus that we might be justified by the faith
• 31:57
  in Christ and not by the works of the law. For
• 32:00
  by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified
• 32:04
  by the argon that is that works. that is qualified
• 32:10
  who identify with works the laws of Moses by
• 32:14
  doing those laws who are not justified all right
• 32:17
  but who are justified by faith Galatians over
• 32:20
  three verse two another way in scriptures where
• 32:23
  the word works is used to refer to the law of
• 32:27
  Moses Galatians over three verse two this only
• 32:31
  I want to learn from you did you receive the
• 32:36
  spirit by the works of the law or by hearing
• 32:39
  of faith. So the context here is talking about
• 32:43
  the works of the law verse 10, Galatians 3 verse
• 32:48
  10. For as many as are of the works of the law
• 32:55
  are under the curse. For it is written, curse
• 33:00
  is everyone who does not continue in all things
• 33:04
  which are in the books of the law to do them.
• 33:08
  to do them. Another place, Romans 3 verse 20.
• 33:13
  Romans 3 verse 20. Romans 3 verse 20. Therefore,
• 33:24
  by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified
• 33:28
  in his sight. By doing the least of laws, especially
• 33:33
  the laws of Moses, no flesh shall be justified.
• 33:38
  In his sight for by the law is what is a knowledge
• 33:42
  of sin So what the law brings about is a knowledge
• 33:47
  of sin verse 28 Verse 28 Therefore we conclude
• 33:56
  that a man is justified by faith Apart from deeds
• 34:02
  of the Lord. This is another word deeds also
• 34:04
  do with the works of the law. Hallelujah So,
• 34:12
  another way or another variation of the uses
• 34:14
  of the word works, ergon, is also used in a negative
• 34:20
  way, referring to the evil works, evil works
• 34:25
  of Satan, sinful actions that opposes God's will
• 34:28
  and character. So when we are talking about works,
• 34:33
  we will be specific about what we are saying.
• 34:36
  Hallelujah! That we will have a better understanding
• 34:39
  of what God is calling us to do. He's not calling
• 34:43
  us into some numerous list of things to do. But
• 34:47
  as we go on, we'll understand what God is calling
• 34:49
  us to do. So, it applies also to evil works,
• 34:55
  the sinful actions that oppose the will of God.
• 34:59
  And we can see this in a text in scriptures,
• 35:01
  many scriptures, but we'll see a few. John chapter
• 35:04
  3 verse 19. The book of John chapter 3 verse
• 35:08
  19. 19 to 21. John chapter 3 verse 19 to 21.
• 35:18
  And this is a condemnation that the light has
• 35:22
  come into the world. And men loved darkness rather
• 35:27
  than light because their deeds, that word deeds
• 35:31
  there, is what they're wrong. Their deeds were
• 35:35
  evil. Their works were evil. Their works were
• 35:41
  evil. Verse 19. Yeah, verse 20. For everyone
• 35:46
  practicing evil hates the light, and does not
• 35:49
  come to the light, lest his deeds, that word
• 35:52
  deeds there talks about works, talks about that
• 35:55
  big word, ergon. Deeds should be exposed. Verse
• 36:00
  21. But he who does the truth comes to the light.
• 36:05
  that his deeds may be clearly seen that they
• 36:18
  have been done in God. Hallelujah. So we see
• 36:22
  in the same scripture, the word works is used
• 36:25
  but contextually is not meaning the same. One
• 36:29
  is in the negative, referring to what is done
• 36:32
  in the flesh, what is done in the flesh, whereas
• 36:36
  the other is what is done in Christ. Hallelujah.
• 36:40
  Colossians 1 verse 21. Evil works, sinful actions
• 36:46
  that are causes the will of God. Colossians 1
• 36:49
  verse 21. Colossians 1 verse 21. And you, who
• 36:56
  once were alienated and enemies in your mind,
• 37:02
  by wicked works. So he qualifies his good works
• 37:07
  and there is what we call wicked works. Yet now
• 37:11
  he has reconciled. Yet now he has reconciled.
• 37:17
  Romans 3 verse 12. Romans 3 verse 12. And you,
• 37:25
  and they all turn aside, they have together become
• 37:28
  unprofitable. There's no one who does good. No,
• 37:33
  not one. That would there, of course, contextually
• 37:37
  to the works. So we can write the scriptures,
• 37:40
  some other scriptures, Ephesians chapter 5 verse
• 37:42
  11, Titus chapter 1 verse 16, and 2 Timothy chapter
• 37:49
  4 verse 18. By this time around, I know that
• 37:52
  we are beginning to have an insight into what
• 37:55
  God is calling us to do. That believers of all
• 37:58
  the Jews, will do works, and what are these works?
• 38:03
  These are works that are similar to what Jesus
• 38:05
  did. Works that are in context to what God in
• 38:12
  Christ has done. This is a promise from Jesus
• 38:16
  that those who believe in Him will do. And in
• 38:21
  that same text, John chapter 14 verse 12, it
• 38:25
  goes ahead and qualifies the kind of work that
• 38:27
  the believer will do. Hallelujah. It goes on
• 38:32
  to qualify the kind of work that the believer
• 38:34
  would do. It uses a word, greater. Amen. So as
• 38:41
  much as surely I say to you, he who believes
• 38:43
  in me, the works that I do, which we have context
• 38:48
  to the works that Jesus did, by the readings
• 38:50
  we didn't understand the works that Jesus did,
• 38:53
  okay? The works that I do, He will do also what
• 39:00
  Jesus did. Not only that, greater works than
• 39:06
  this, He will do, because I go to my Father.
• 39:11
  So is the scripture suggesting that the believer
• 39:13
  will do more than what Jesus did? Is the scripture
• 39:18
  meaning that what the believer will do? Is Jesus
• 39:24
  saying here literally? that the believer will
• 39:27
  do greater than what he himself has done. Let's
• 39:31
  examine this. In the verse works, in this verse,
• 39:36
  if you have your hard copy Bible, if you have
• 39:44
  your hard copy Bible, John chapter 14 verse 12,
• 39:50
  you will notice that the word works are gone
• 39:57
  in that chapter 12 verse 12 rather is in italics
• 40:03
  Okay, and what does that mean? It means that
• 40:09
  it is not in the original text itself. All right
• 40:13
  It is not in the original text itself Which means
• 40:16
  that it might have been added by translators
• 40:20
  Okay, so we can My virtue of this understanding
• 40:27
  omit the word works in that verse, right? And
• 40:30
  let's read it with the understanding that the
• 40:33
  works was not in the original So Jesus will say
• 40:36
  most assuredly I say to you he will believe in
• 40:39
  me The works that I do he will do also and greater
• 40:44
  than this he will do Okay, greater than what
• 40:49
  greater than this he will do because I go to
• 40:53
  the father So, I try to look at that word greater.
• 40:59
  What does that word greater means? Of course,
• 41:01
  we know the context of what Jesus is saying.
• 41:04
  Greater than what He did. Alright? So, the second
• 41:07
  omitting that works there does not change the
• 41:10
  meaning of that text. But what is that greater?
• 41:14
  What is that greater that Jesus is qualifying
• 41:17
  the works that the believer will do? What is
• 41:19
  that greater? In the Greek greater is translated
• 41:23
  from the word Megas. Megas. N -E -G -A -S. The
• 41:30
  word Megas. Alright? The word Megas. And this
• 41:46
  Megas is from the word, which in English, of
• 41:49
  course, we have the word Mega. Okay? Referring
• 41:53
  to something that is in a large quantity. So
• 41:58
  Jesus here is saying that the apostles and the
• 42:01
  believers who will come after him will do greater
• 42:06
  than what he did. And this greater, this greater
• 42:13
  contextually here will lay emphasis on the volume,
• 42:20
  alright? on the volume, not nature, exactly what
• 42:30
  Christ did to say, believers are not going to
• 42:32
  die on the cross for another believer, all right?
• 42:34
  That's not what we're saying here. But, make
• 42:38
  us in the sense of the quantity of what they
• 42:39
  will do. They will do more rocks than Jesus did
• 42:43
  while he was on earth. Okay? So the promise is
• 42:49
  that The believer in Christ, who will live in
• 42:56
  Christ, who is born again in Christ, will do
• 43:00
  more in greater terms, more in volume terms,
• 43:07
  than what Jesus did while he was a man. So the
• 43:14
  greater day is not referring to a quality that
• 43:18
  is more qualitative than what Jesus did, no.
• 43:21
  What we are referring to is referring to the
• 43:23
  quantity. The apostles, for example, who see
• 43:26
  the scripture, will do more things over a longer
• 43:30
  period of time because Jesus, in His ministry
• 43:34
  on earth, while He was on earth, He did the work
• 43:38
  of ministry for only three and a half years.
• 43:43
  The entirety of what He did, the works He worked
• 43:46
  to the point of dying on the cross. and then
• 43:51
  risen again, and even to his ascension is about
• 43:55
  three and a half years. So the apostles will
• 43:59
  do more in a longer period of time. And we can
• 44:04
  see the success of their ministry in the Book
• 44:06
  of Acts. We'll read through the Book of Acts.
• 44:08
  We'll see how much they did a lot of exploit.
• 44:14
  We can see their successes. They influenced more
• 44:19
  over a larger geographical area than Jesus did.
• 44:24
  You know, if you see his last words to them,
• 44:26
  what we call the Great Commission, He gave them
• 44:30
  a context. He gave them a context to where? Beginning
• 44:34
  from Jerusalem, then Judea, and then to the utmost
• 44:38
  part of the world. Jesus did not go to the utmost
• 44:40
  part of the world. Hallelujah! But what the disciples
• 44:46
  would do, And what in turn we the believers today
• 44:50
  will do is a global ministry. Hallelujah. So
• 44:54
  what we are called to do today is a global work.
• 44:59
  We are called to do a global work. So example
• 45:05
  practically is Acts 2 verse 40 and 43. Let's
• 45:10
  read. Acts 2 verse 40 and 43. We see an example
• 45:16
  of an instance where they preach and with many
• 45:20
  other words Peter testified and exhorted them
• 45:25
  saying be safe from this perverse narration.
• 45:30
  Then those who gladly received his word were
• 45:32
  baptized and that day about three thousand souls
• 45:37
  were added to them verse 42 and they continue
• 45:42
  steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and in fellowship
• 45:45
  and in breaking of bread and in prayers was 43.
• 45:50
  Then fear came upon every soul and many wonders
• 45:53
  and signs were done through the apostles. So,
• 46:01
  Jesus promised that believers who do greater
• 46:03
  works, the first to continue and expand in his
• 46:09
  God -given mission through the power of the Holy
• 46:12
  Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit
• 46:17
  the works that is a gun that we've seen we've
• 46:21
  explained and not Limited to miracles But include
• 46:28
  proclaiming the gospel making disciples teaching
• 46:34
  the truth Demonstrated God's love through our
• 46:40
  actions there are instances where Jesus you know,
• 46:44
  practically wash the feet of his disciples and
• 46:47
  he's showing them an example and what he was
• 46:49
  doing to their, you know, knowledge is that they
• 46:53
  should love one another, serve one another. So
• 46:56
  in service, in love, in service for one another,
• 46:59
  we demonstrate the works of God in Christ Jesus
• 47:04
  and in advancing his kingdom. So these works
• 47:08
  are greater, not because they surpass Jesus in
• 47:12
  power or authority. The greater that we are called
• 47:17
  to do is not to do something greater or mightier
• 47:21
  or more powerful than what Jesus has done himself.
• 47:25
  But because after his ascension, the disciples
• 47:30
  will extend to all nations through the church's
• 47:35
  global ministry, bringing countless people to
• 47:39
  faith in Christ Jesus. So the context of our
• 47:43
  own ministry is a global ministry. So the works
• 47:46
  that God is calling us to do is not limited to
• 47:48
  our countries. It's not limited to our nationalities.
• 47:53
  It's not limited to, you know, the folks from
• 47:56
  where we are familiar with. No. God is calling
• 47:59
  us into something that is global. And he emphasized
• 48:05
  John chapter 14 verse 12. He says, because I
• 48:09
  go to my father. So the disciples Christ will
• 48:14
  do greater works primarily because Jesus will
• 48:19
  have to die and rise from the dead. He will have
• 48:28
  already completed the work of redemption. That
• 48:34
  message will be pointed and clear afterward after
• 48:38
  he has been glorified. His disciples will also
• 48:44
  have the ministry of the Holy Spirit uniquely,
• 48:49
  because His ascension, as we've taught in church
• 48:51
  here, that the ascension of Jesus Christ is very
• 48:55
  much associated to the giving of the Spirit,
• 48:58
  the appalling of the Spirit in our hearts. So,
• 49:01
  going to the Father has to do with His ascension,
• 49:04
  has to do with, you know, all that He achieves
• 49:07
  in His death is better than His resurrection.
• 49:09
  So that... is what will empower the ministry.
• 49:14
  That is what will fuel the ministry of the apostles.
• 49:18
  That is what will fuel the ministry of the believers.
• 49:21
  And that is also what is fueling our own ministry
• 49:23
  today. Hallelujah. So without this, we don't
• 49:28
  have a ministry. It's a ministry that is founded
• 49:33
  and is established in the works of the Spirit.
• 49:38
  We see in Jesus's, you know, conversation with
• 49:41
  them later on in that same book of John, he promised
• 49:45
  the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. John chapter
• 49:49
  14, let's look at the later verses, verse 16
• 49:52
  and 17. In the same context of a conversation,
• 49:57
  we see that he promised the Holy Spirit, and
• 49:59
  I will pray the Father and He will give you another
• 50:03
  helper. That He may abide with you forever. So
• 50:12
  the abiding ability of the Spirit in the believers
• 50:15
  is what will enable them to accurately do the
• 50:20
  work that He has called them to do. So the disciples
• 50:25
  could not do the greater works independently
• 50:28
  of the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 26. Verse 26,
• 50:34
  emphasizing the role of God walking together
• 50:38
  with the believers through the help of the Spirit
• 50:40
  to do the works. But the helper, the Holy Spirit
• 50:43
  whom the Father will send in my name, he will
• 50:46
  teach you all things and bring to your remembrance
• 50:50
  all the things that I've said to you. So the
• 50:54
  things that we'll be teaching are things that
• 50:56
  the Holy Spirit will enable them to teach. Okay?
• 51:00
  John chapter 15 verse 26. John chapter 11 verse
• 51:07
  26 but the helper all right however lives John
• 51:17
  6 and 15 verse 26 15 but when the helper comes
• 51:24
  whom I shall send to you from the father the
• 51:29
  spirit of truth who proceeds from the father
• 51:31
  who will testify of me 27 And you also bear witness
• 51:40
  because you have been with me from the beginning.
• 51:43
  So it is by the power of the Holy Spirit. We
• 51:45
  can write this one down, chapter 6 verse 7 to
• 51:47
  11, John chapter 16 verse 7 to 11, John chapter
• 51:52
  16 verse 12 to 15. We establish that the disciples
• 52:00
  will do these greater works by the help of the
• 52:05
  Holy Spirit. So we that are called in Christ,
• 52:11
  we that have believed, will also do the work
• 52:14
  by the help of the Spirit. So the greater works
• 52:17
  Jesus promised are the very works He Himself
• 52:21
  performed. All right? Not evil works, not the
• 52:27
  works of the law, but specifically the things
• 52:30
  that He established by precepts He taught to
• 52:34
  them. By action he lived them out. Hallelujah.
• 52:39
  So Jesus' promise are the very works he himself
• 52:44
  performed within the context of his earthly mission.
• 52:54
  They refer to advancing God's kingdom through
• 52:56
  proclaiming the gospel, re -emphasizing it, through
• 52:58
  the preaching of the gospel, through serving
• 53:02
  others. by the demonstration of the Spirit of
• 53:06
  God. All right? And let's emphasize this to ourselves
• 53:10
  that greater works is not referring to successes
• 53:14
  in politics. Okay? Because it's very easy for
• 53:18
  us to think that greater works is when you're
• 53:22
  excelling in your career. All right? Greater
• 53:26
  works is when your business is getting global.
• 53:32
  When your business is getting bigger and then
• 53:35
  you are in different, you have different branches
• 53:36
  of your business. You know, you're an apostle
• 53:39
  in the business place. And as your business is
• 53:43
  expanding, you are doing greater works. You are
• 53:46
  capturing industries for the kingdom. All greater
• 53:52
  works is when you become famous, when you are
• 53:56
  there. You have the highest followership on TikTok,
• 53:59
  on Instagram. All your ministry, for example,
• 54:02
  in this hall, we needed to have 5 ,000 people
• 54:04
  fooling this out, then we would know that, oh,
• 54:06
  we are famous and we are doing greater works.
• 54:08
  Numbass is good, all right, because he just has
• 54:11
  followers too. But it's not about fame, all right,
• 54:15
  it's not about fame. Or the pursuit of ugly riches.
• 54:23
  But continuing specifically, continuing the redemptive
• 54:27
  mission by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah.
• 54:32
  So if we are called to do greater works, we must
• 54:36
  not miss the mark by pursuing things that Jesus
• 54:39
  never pursued. Because there is context to what
• 54:44
  he says, the works he did is the works that he's
• 54:47
  calling us to do. And anything that Jesus does
• 54:50
  not pursue, anything that we do not see in the
• 54:54
  life of Jesus as recorded in the scriptures,
• 54:58
  are not what He is calling us. It's not the context
• 55:02
  of what He is calling us to do. Now we are not
• 55:05
  saying that business is bad. We are not saying
• 55:06
  that our careers are bad. We are not saying that
• 55:09
  doing businesses or any other, you know, things
• 55:12
  we do in the flesh are bad. No. What we are saying
• 55:15
  is that what God is calling us to do that has
• 55:18
  eternal purpose, that has eternal consequence
• 55:23
  is actually the work of redemption. The work
• 55:27
  that brings about salvation of men and the mouth
• 55:31
  of God upon the face of the earth. So let's dig
• 55:35
  deeper into the works that Jesus did as recorded
• 55:37
  in the in the gospels, the synoptic gospels.
• 55:43
  And what we're going to ask, this work that Jesus
• 55:46
  did and is calling us to do, what is the background?
• 55:53
  Because every work has a background, okay? What
• 55:56
  are the context or what is the context of the
• 55:58
  works Jesus himself did? As was recorded in the
• 56:02
  gospels as we see in the scriptures as we read
• 56:04
  them I know that we already have the clue. Okay,
• 56:10
  the background and the context of the four gospels
• 56:14
  is What we call the scriptures? All right, the
• 56:19
  background and the context of the four gospels
• 56:22
  the four gospels are the records of what Jesus
• 56:26
  did. The fair gospels are the records of His
• 56:32
  human, of Jesus' existence in the flesh. And
• 56:37
  they show to us the works that Jesus did. And
• 56:41
  when we go through them, for example, in Matthew
• 56:44
  chapter 1, verse 1 to 5, let's look at the context.
• 56:49
  Then it will help us to establish ourselves much
• 56:53
  more in this understanding. Matthew chapter 1,
• 56:56
  from verse 1 to 5. The book of the genealogy,
• 57:03
  genealogy has to do with the word, is the word
• 57:05
  Genesis. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
• 57:10
  the son of David, the son of Abraham. Why would
• 57:16
  the writer of Matthew begin with David? The son
• 57:20
  of David, the son of Abraham, verse 2, Abraham
• 57:25
  begot Isaac. Isaac begot Jacob. Jacob begot Judah
• 57:31
  and his brothers. Judah begot Peres and Zerah
• 57:36
  by Tamar. Perah begot Hezron. Hezron begot Ram.
• 57:43
  Ram begot Abinadab. Abinadab begot Nazshun. And
• 57:49
  Nazshun begot Salmon. Simon, we got Boaz by Rehab.
• 57:55
  Boaz, we got Obed by Ruth. Obed, we got Jesse
• 58:00
  who was six. We see David, David the king. David
• 58:06
  the king, we got Solomon by her who had been
• 58:10
  the wife of Uriah. Solomon, we got Rehoboam.
• 58:14
  Rehoboam, we got Abijah. And Abijah, we got Asa.
• 58:18
  Asa, we got Joshua. Joshua, we got Joram. and
• 58:22
  Jordan we got Uzziah Uzziah we got Jotham Jotham
• 58:25
  we got Ahaz Ahaz we got Hezekiah Hezekiah we
• 58:29
  got Manasseh Manasseh we got Ammon and Ammon
• 58:31
  we got Josiah Josiah we got Jeconiah and his
• 58:35
  brothers about the time they were carried away
• 58:37
  to Babylon and after they were brought to Babylon
• 58:41
  Jeconiah they got Shaltal and Shaltal we got
• 58:45
  Zerubbabel Zerubbabel we got Abayut Abayut we
• 58:49
  got Eleakim Eliakim, we got Azor. Azor, we got
• 58:54
  Zadok. Zadok, we got Achim. And Achim, we got
• 58:57
  Eliud. Eliud, we got Elaiza. Elaiza, we got Martha.
• 59:03
  And Martha, we got Jacob. And Jacob, we got Joseph,
• 59:07
  the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus,
• 59:13
  who is called the Christ. Hallelujah. So the
• 59:16
  writer of Matthew, gives us the context, okay?
• 59:21
  He gives us the background, that the background
• 59:24
  of the person of Christ is where? It's in the
• 59:29
  Scriptures, isn't it? So why would he start from
• 59:32
  David? Matthew, why would he start from who?
• 59:37
  From Abraham, right? Hmm? From Abraham down to
• 59:42
  David and others. It's because Matthew was written
• 59:46
  by a Jew. And the context is that he is writing
• 59:48
  to Jews about Jesus, the promised Messiah. So
• 59:55
  they had background knowledge of the Old Testament
• 59:58
  scripture. Okay, they had the background of the
• 1:00:02
  Old Testament. So the goal is to prove that the
• 1:00:04
  Christ is actually the promise that was given
• 1:00:07
  to the people of Israel. So Matthew presents
• 1:00:11
  Jesus to the Jewish people as the Christ and
• 1:00:14
  the King. of the Jews. He demonstrates Jesus'
• 1:00:19
  Messiahship through the fulfillment of the Old
• 1:00:23
  Testament prophecies. So, his genealogy, baptism,
• 1:00:32
  teachings and miracles, death and resurrection,
• 1:00:35
  all of this affirms one central truth to the
• 1:00:39
  Jew. Jesus is a promised King and a living Messiah.
• 1:00:45
  Hallelujah. So in Mark, let's look at how Mark
• 1:00:48
  gives a record. Let's look at how Mark records
• 1:00:51
  it in Mark chapter 1, verse 1 to 4. Lord, will
• 1:00:55
  you read verse 1 to 4? The beginning of the gospel
• 1:01:02
  of Jesus Christ, he started from God, the Son
• 1:01:05
  of God, as it is written in the prophets. Where
• 1:01:11
  do we find the prophets? The prophets is in the
• 1:01:14
  scriptures. And when we say the scriptures, we
• 1:01:16
  are referring to the ultimate part of the Bible
• 1:01:18
  that we have today. He prophesied, Behold, I
• 1:01:22
  send my messenger before your face, who will
• 1:01:26
  prepare your way before you. The voice of the
• 1:01:30
  one crying the wilderness, prepare the way of
• 1:01:32
  the Lord, make his path straight. Verse four,
• 1:01:39
  John came baptizing the wilderness and preaching
• 1:01:41
  the baptism of repentance for the remissions
• 1:01:43
  of sin. So Mark is a gospel written by John Mark
• 1:01:48
  primarily for a gentle especially the Roman readers
• 1:01:52
  presenting Jesus as the son of God and the sovereign
• 1:01:57
  servant. So the gospel opens by declaring the
• 1:02:02
  beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the son
• 1:02:04
  of God as we saw in Mark chapter 1 verse 1 introduces
• 1:02:08
  John the Baptist as the messenger who prepares
• 1:02:13
  the way for the Lord, thereby also fulfilling
• 1:02:17
  the prophecies we see in Isaiah. We read it earlier
• 1:02:20
  on Isaiah and Malachi, you know. So Mark emphasizes,
• 1:02:29
  emphasizes Jesus' authority through his teaching,
• 1:02:33
  emphasizing that Jesus is Lord, emphasizing the
• 1:02:36
  authority of Jesus Christ by the teachings, by
• 1:02:39
  the miracles, by the works of compassion, The
• 1:02:42
  power that He demonstrated towards over sin,
• 1:02:45
  sickness, demons, and the dead, we see instances
• 1:02:48
  where He forgives sin in the book of Mark. So,
• 1:02:54
  His life, the sacrificial death and the resurrection
• 1:02:58
  reveal one central truth to the Gentile, that
• 1:03:04
  Jesus is a promised Messiah, the Son of God,
• 1:03:07
  who came not to be served. but to serve and give
• 1:03:12
  his life as a ransom for many." Mark chapter
• 1:03:16
  10 verse 45. Summarizes, you know, the message
• 1:03:21
  that is in Book of Mark, Mark 10, 45. It says,
• 1:03:30
  for even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
• 1:03:34
  but to serve and to give his life a ransom. not
• 1:03:39
  only to the Jews, but to many. That many has
• 1:03:43
  to do with the entire world. Hallelujah! And
• 1:03:48
  when we come to the book of John, the book of
• 1:03:51
  John is a gospel written by apostle John to reveal
• 1:03:53
  that Jesus is the eternal Son of God and to lead
• 1:03:59
  others to believe in him for eternal life. We'll
• 1:04:03
  read chapter one. Let's read the first five verses
• 1:04:05
  also. John chapter one, verse one to five, we'll
• 1:04:08
  see how he started by declaring that Jesus Christ
• 1:04:11
  is in the beginning. In the beginning was the
• 1:04:13
  Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
• 1:04:17
  was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
• 1:04:21
  things were made through Him, and without Him
• 1:04:24
  nothing was made that was made. In Him was a
• 1:04:28
  life, and that life was the light of men. Verse
• 1:04:31
  5, the last five says, and the light shines in
• 1:04:34
  darkness, and the darkness is not comprehended.
• 1:04:37
  So, The gospel begins by declaring Jesus' divine
• 1:04:40
  nature, here in verse 1. And then Jesus, the
• 1:04:45
  eternal world, is a creator. It presents Jesus
• 1:04:48
  as a creator, a source of life and the light
• 1:04:51
  of the world that shines in darkness. So John
• 1:04:56
  emphasizes Jesus' identity through his signs,
• 1:05:01
  the teachings he did, and also the emphatic statement
• 1:05:05
  Jesus made. in the book of John, I am, you know,
• 1:05:10
  the I am. The statements that were all the same
• 1:05:14
  garbage, especially in the book of Exodus chapter
• 1:05:17
  three, verse 14, when, you know, God revealed
• 1:05:20
  himself to Moses and says, I am is my name. I
• 1:05:24
  am is who I am. All right? So John uses this
• 1:05:29
  garbage so much to reveal Jesus is the divine,
• 1:05:35
  Jesus. is God who became man, revealing his deity
• 1:05:41
  and his union, his relationship with the Father.
• 1:05:46
  So, we see that Jesus' life, his death, and his
• 1:05:49
  resurrection proclaim one central truth in the
• 1:05:52
  book of John, that Jesus is a Christ, the Son
• 1:05:56
  of God, and all who believe in him receive eternal
• 1:06:02
  life. John chapter 20 verse 31. Hallelujah! So
• 1:06:07
  in summary, the context and the background, when
• 1:06:10
  we read all the synoptic gospel, we discover
• 1:06:15
  that the background and the context of this is
• 1:06:19
  what we call the scriptures. All right? It's
• 1:06:23
  very important because we're going to examine
• 1:06:24
  what the scripture is. So the context and the
• 1:06:29
  background of the gospels, as we've read, are
• 1:06:31
  the auto -Semian scriptures. They present to
• 1:06:35
  us Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises that
• 1:06:42
  was made in the scriptures. Okay? Jesus himself
• 1:06:48
  made statements that he is a fulfillment, that
• 1:06:51
  he came to fulfill the law and the prophets and
• 1:06:54
  not to abolish them. All right? That is, he came
• 1:06:57
  to fulfill the promises. Matthew chapter 5 verse
• 1:07:01
  17. We'll see where he made this statement himself.
• 1:07:09
  Matthew 25 verse 17. Do not think that I have
• 1:07:13
  come to destroy the law or the prophets. I did
• 1:07:17
  not come to destroy, but to what? But to fulfill.
• 1:07:22
  But to fulfill. To accomplish. Because the Old
• 1:07:31
  Testament scriptures testifies of Jesus Christ.
• 1:07:37
  Jesus also said in John chapter 3 verse 39 that
• 1:07:41
  you search the scriptures you know you search
• 1:07:45
  the scriptures thinking that in them what will
• 1:07:49
  happen that you will find life right and these
• 1:07:54
  are they which testify of me so Jesus here in
• 1:07:59
  the book of John also testifying about the scriptures,
• 1:08:04
  that they are about Him. His ministry, His preaching,
• 1:08:09
  His healing the sick, giving sight to the blind,
• 1:08:12
  and proclaiming liberty. All of this fulfills
• 1:08:17
  the Messianic prophecies in the scriptures. When
• 1:08:22
  we go through the Old Testament scriptures, from
• 1:08:24
  Genesis to Malachi, we see specific prophecies
• 1:08:28
  about Jesus Christ. And we see The fulfillment
• 1:08:33
  recorded for us in the book of Luke chapter 4
• 1:08:37
  verse 18 to 21, Matthew 11 verse 45, we see that
• 1:08:42
  He fulfills these prophecies. And even after
• 1:08:48
  resurrection, Jesus also explained that everything
• 1:08:53
  written was about Him in the law, the prophets
• 1:08:56
  and the psalms, and that is what He fulfilled.
• 1:09:00
  Luke chapter 24, Luke 24 verse 27 and 44. Let's
• 1:09:05
  read this. Luke 24 verse 27 and 44. It says,
• 1:09:10
  I'm beginning at Moses and all the prophets.
• 1:09:13
  He expounded to them in all the scriptures the
• 1:09:17
  things concerning himself. That is, he interpreted,
• 1:09:22
  he interpreted in the scriptures the things concerning
• 1:09:27
  himself. Verse 44. Then he said to them these
• 1:09:31
  are the words which I spoke to you while I was
• 1:09:34
  still with you and all things must be fulfilled
• 1:09:37
  Which were written in the law of Moses and in
• 1:09:41
  the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. Hallelujah
• 1:09:45
  so Also his suffering his death and his resurrection
• 1:09:51
  Are that the scriptures might be fulfilled Okay?
• 1:10:00
  What are we trying to prove? We're trying to
• 1:10:02
  prove that the background of all that Jesus did,
• 1:10:06
  there's nothing He did and taught that was not
• 1:10:10
  from the Scriptures. Okay? There's nothing that
• 1:10:14
  Jesus said or did or taught that was not from
• 1:10:19
  the Scriptures. And what is the importance of
• 1:10:23
  this emphasis to us? Because He has called us
• 1:10:26
  to do what to do the same as he has done. So
• 1:10:30
  what it will mean is that all that we will do
• 1:10:34
  will come from where? Will come from the scriptures.
• 1:10:38
  All right? All that we also will do will find
• 1:10:43
  its origin, its context, its method of delivery,
• 1:10:50
  and all that it will be from the scriptures.
• 1:10:53
  And what are the scriptures we're talking about?
• 1:10:55
  we're talking about Genesis to Malachi. Hallelujah!
• 1:11:01
  Genesis to Malachi. Very specifically, we'll
• 1:11:04
  see why I emphasize Genesis to Malachi. Because
• 1:11:08
  that is where we found, you know, the work of
• 1:11:14
  God, the will of God, the purpose of God. So,
• 1:11:20
  to understand the works of Christ, the work of
• 1:11:22
  Christ, or the works of Christ, We must study
• 1:11:26
  Him through the Altar Semen. Hallelujah! We must
• 1:11:33
  study Jesus Christ through the Altar Semen. For
• 1:11:37
  He is the fulfillment of God's promises. And
• 1:11:41
  the one to whom all the scripture points to.
• 1:11:44
  2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 20. He is the fulfillment
• 1:11:48
  of all scriptures. For He is the fulfillment
• 1:11:51
  of God's promises. and the one to whom all the
• 1:11:55
  scripture points to. It's not enough for us to
• 1:12:00
  just look, focus on the fulfillment. Amen? It's
• 1:12:05
  not enough for us to focus only on the fulfillment.
• 1:12:08
  You know, some people raise arguments and say,
• 1:12:12
  oh, you know, I'm a Jesus -only Christian. I'd
• 1:12:16
  only follow what Jesus said, especially in the
• 1:12:19
  Bible that is written in red letters. Whenever
• 1:12:22
  it is what Jesus said, it is very important,
• 1:12:24
  but what Jesus said has a context and a background.
• 1:12:29
  He only fulfilled what was said from the Old
• 1:12:31
  Testament scriptures. So you cannot be a New
• 1:12:35
  Testament alone Christian. It's impossible. Because
• 1:12:38
  it is not sufficient. The New Testament is not
• 1:12:41
  the gospel alone and not the complete picture
• 1:12:45
  of the plan and the purpose of God. If we remain
• 1:12:49
  there, we will not have a deep understanding,
• 1:12:53
  we will not have a better understanding of what
• 1:12:56
  God is calling us to do. Hallelujah! Because
• 1:12:59
  Jesus himself fulfilled those things that were
• 1:13:02
  recorded in the gospels, contextually, you know,
• 1:13:08
  seeing them as promised in the Old Testament
• 1:13:11
  scriptures. Hallelujah! So by this evidence,
• 1:13:16
  we can say, that the works Jesus did are from
• 1:13:21
  the Holy Scriptures, okay? So if we are to do
• 1:13:25
  greater works, we are to do the works that Jesus
• 1:13:29
  did, is the study of the Scriptures important
• 1:13:33
  for us? All right? And when I say Scriptures,
• 1:13:38
  for the sake of this study, for the sake of this
• 1:13:41
  session and all that I will take, remain within
• 1:13:44
  the context of Genesis to Malachi. Are we together?
• 1:13:48
  It becomes necessary for us as believers to understand
• 1:13:52
  the scriptures. And when I say scriptures, I
• 1:13:56
  mean Genesis to Malachi. Because within Genesis
• 1:14:01
  to Malachi lies the foundation, lies the expression
• 1:14:10
  of God's desire for the believer. Are we together?
• 1:14:16
  And then in the epistles we see Jesus Christ
• 1:14:19
  coming as a fulfillment of the promises that
• 1:14:22
  will usher the believer into what God has promised
• 1:14:24
  from the scriptures. And we see in the epistles
• 1:14:29
  the explanations of what Jesus has done that
• 1:14:33
  a believer is expected to walk in. But how can
• 1:14:35
  you have an explanation of something you don't
• 1:14:38
  know and you expect to walk in it? It's not important,
• 1:14:41
  right? That you go into what was promised. understand
• 1:14:45
  what was promised, see how it was fulfilled,
• 1:14:49
  and then be able to walk in it as expected. So
• 1:14:53
  the story of the Old Testament scriptures, what
• 1:14:56
  we call the scriptures for the believer, is very
• 1:14:59
  fundamental. And that is what God will help us
• 1:15:02
  to see. Some important things that will help
• 1:15:05
  shape our understanding of God's will and God's
• 1:15:07
  purpose. Now let's take an example of the apostles
• 1:15:11
  and see. We've seen the essence or what the What
• 1:15:15
  do you call it? The gospel is armed. Now let's
• 1:15:18
  look at examples of the apostles. After the understanding
• 1:15:24
  of the foundation or the context of Jesus' ministry,
• 1:15:28
  let's examine the ministry of the apostles. Paul
• 1:15:35
  exhorts Timothy especially to hold fast. to the
• 1:15:42
  pattern of sound words which he has received.
• 1:15:50
  Okay, in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 specifically,
• 1:15:56
  but let's look at the background. Paul exhorted
• 1:16:00
  Timothy to never alter the sound word that he
• 1:16:08
  has received. that he must pass the same to the
• 1:16:12
  next generation. Let's look at the context of
• 1:16:15
  his second Timothy chapter 1 verse 3. Second
• 1:16:22
  Timothy chapter 1 verse 3. Let me just read through.
• 1:16:26
  Chapter 1 verse 3. As with last season, I remember
• 1:16:39
  you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring
• 1:16:43
  to see you being mindful of your tears that I
• 1:16:47
  may be filled with joy. When I call to remembrance
• 1:16:51
  the genuine faith that is in you, which dwells
• 1:16:55
  first in your grandmother, Lois, and your grandmother,
• 1:16:58
  Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore,
• 1:17:02
  I remind you to stay up the gift of God. Which
• 1:17:06
  is in you through the laying off of him of my
• 1:17:09
  hands Remember as Paul was writing to Timothy,
• 1:17:13
  right? He was not writing to him with the context
• 1:17:18
  of the first of the book of his second Corinthians
• 1:17:20
  chapter 12 That was not the context of his writing
• 1:17:24
  to him Okay He was not writing to him with the
• 1:17:28
  understanding that all this something like the
• 1:17:30
  gift of his spirit But he is writing to you and
• 1:17:32
  say for God has not given us a spirit of fear
• 1:17:36
  but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
• 1:17:39
  That's it. Therefore do not be ashamed of the
• 1:17:41
  testimony of our Lord. Where will the testimony
• 1:17:44
  of our Lord be found? Where will the testimony
• 1:17:47
  of our Lord be found? At this moment, at this
• 1:17:51
  moment of course writing, right, there's nothing
• 1:17:54
  like the book of Mark. There's nothing like the
• 1:17:57
  book of Matthew. There's nothing like the book
• 1:17:59
  of John. All the gospels were written after the
• 1:18:02
  epistles of the epistles particularly all of
• 1:18:07
  them so look at what Timothy was asked to do
• 1:18:11
  therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony
• 1:18:13
  of our Lord nor of he of me his prisoner but
• 1:18:18
  share with me in the sufferings for the gospel
• 1:18:21
  according to the power of God who has saved us
• 1:18:26
  and call us with a holy calling Not according
• 1:18:29
  to our works, which is grace, but according to
• 1:18:32
  his own purpose. There's a purpose that God has
• 1:18:35
  according to God's purpose and God's grace, which
• 1:18:38
  was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
• 1:18:42
  This is a Genesis 1 conversation before time
• 1:18:45
  began. But has now been revealed by the appearing
• 1:18:50
  of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished
• 1:18:54
  death and brought life and immortality to light.
• 1:18:57
  through the gospel to which I was appointed a
• 1:19:02
  preacher and an apostle and a teacher and of
• 1:19:05
  the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these
• 1:19:12
  things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know
• 1:19:16
  whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that He
• 1:19:20
  is able to keep what I have committed to Him
• 1:19:23
  until that day. Hold fast, very important, hold
• 1:19:30
  fast the pattern of sound words which you have
• 1:19:35
  heard from me in faith and love which are in
• 1:19:39
  Christ Jesus. That good, that good thing which
• 1:19:44
  was committed to you, what was committed to Timothy?
• 1:19:48
  What was committed to Timothy? Keep by the Holy
• 1:19:53
  Spirit who dwells in us. Verse 15, the last verse
• 1:19:56
  here. This you know! What is Paul referring to
• 1:19:59
  Timothy and saying, this you know! That all those
• 1:20:03
  in all Asia have torn away from me, among whom
• 1:20:06
  are the Jeleus and the Hermogenes and on and
• 1:20:12
  on and on. Hallelujah! Let's move to chapter
• 1:20:14
  2, verse 1 and 2, continuation of the context
• 1:20:17
  of this conversation. Chapter 2, verse 1 and
• 1:20:21
  2. Yes, you therefore my son be strong in the
• 1:20:29
  grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things
• 1:20:32
  that you have had from me What did Paul? Thought
• 1:20:38
  Timothy the things that you've had from me among
• 1:20:43
  many witnesses Commit these two faithful men
• 1:20:48
  Who will be able to teach others also? Then you
• 1:20:55
  went on to talk about enduring chapter 2 verse
• 1:20:58
  14 to 26 14 to verse 22. Yes Yes, so 2 verse
• 1:21:04
  14 rather yes remind them of these things continuation
• 1:21:08
  of this conversation charge them that is those
• 1:21:11
  whom we have committed the same message to charge
• 1:21:14
  them before the Lord not to strive about words
• 1:21:17
  to no -profit to rule of the hearers Be diligent
• 1:21:23
  to present yourself approved to God. Of course,
• 1:21:26
  Passover of Tudus here is a proof of God. All
• 1:21:29
  right, because it has been a proof of God. A
• 1:21:32
  proof of God. A worker who does not need to be
• 1:21:35
  ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of truth.
• 1:21:38
  Which word of truth is here to divide? Rightly.
• 1:21:42
  All right. But shun profane and idle babblings
• 1:21:46
  for they will increase to more ungodliness. And
• 1:21:50
  their message will spread like a cancer. Heminals
• 1:21:54
  and philates are of this sort, mentioning some
• 1:21:58
  of the people that, you know, they're into distorting
• 1:22:01
  the message. Okay? Who have strength concerning
• 1:22:05
  the truth? Where can the truth be found? These
• 1:22:08
  are questions we should be asking. Saying that
• 1:22:11
  the resurrection is already past and they overthrow
• 1:22:16
  the fate of some. Nevertheless, the solid foundation
• 1:22:22
  of God stands. Having this seal, the Lord knows
• 1:22:26
  those who are His. Of course, we know this is
• 1:22:28
  not talking about people. The Lord knows what?
• 1:22:31
  What is He talking about here? The doctrine,
• 1:22:33
  right? Because the context is speaking about,
• 1:22:34
  the teaching is talking about the ministry, the
• 1:22:37
  teaching of the Word. The Lord knows those who
• 1:22:39
  are His. And let everyone who names the name
• 1:22:42
  of the Lord here, let every believer depart from
• 1:22:45
  iniquity. Iniquity here, contextually, is talking
• 1:22:47
  about false doctrine. Okay, talking about false
• 1:22:50
  teachings, all right. Verse 21. Okay, verse 20,
• 1:22:53
  continuation about doctrine. But in a great house,
• 1:22:57
  there are not only vessels of gold and silver,
• 1:22:59
  but also of wood and clay, some of honor, for
• 1:23:02
  honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if any
• 1:23:04
  man cleanses himself from the latter, he will
• 1:23:07
  be a vessel for honor, sanctified and used for
• 1:23:10
  the master, prepared for every good work. So,
• 1:23:14
  good works, you see, good works is appearing
• 1:23:16
  here again. Free from youthful lust, but pursuing
• 1:23:20
  righteousness, felt love -peace with those who
• 1:23:22
  call on the name of the Lord, who call on the
• 1:23:24
  Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and
• 1:23:29
  ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate
• 1:23:32
  what strive. 24. And a servant of the Lord must
• 1:23:37
  not quarrel, but be gentle to all able to teach.
• 1:23:40
  25. Patient, in humility, correcting those who
• 1:23:44
  are in opposition if God perhaps will grant them
• 1:23:46
  repentance so that they may know the truth and
• 1:23:51
  that they may come to their senses and escape
• 1:23:54
  the snare of the devil having been taken captive
• 1:23:57
  by him to do his will to do his deeds his works
• 1:24:02
  chapter 3 verse 1 to 9 look at chapter 3 verse
• 1:24:05
  1 to 9 same text i'm going somewhere but notice
• 1:24:12
  that in the last days perilous times will come,
• 1:24:16
  for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers
• 1:24:18
  of money, busters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient,
• 1:24:21
  parents to parents, untangful, unholy, unloving,
• 1:24:25
  unforgiving, slanders, without self -control,
• 1:24:28
  brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong,
• 1:24:32
  haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers
• 1:24:34
  of God, having a form of godliness but denying
• 1:24:38
  his power, and from such turn away. For of this
• 1:24:44
  sort are those who creep into households and
• 1:24:46
  make captives of gullible women, loaded down
• 1:24:49
  with sins, laid away by various lusts, always
• 1:24:54
  hearing, learning rather, and never able to come
• 1:24:57
  to the knowledge of the truth. Now, as James
• 1:25:00
  and Jambres make in reference to what happened
• 1:25:03
  in the scriptures, so do this also resist the
• 1:25:08
  truth. Men of corrupt minds disapproved, concerning
• 1:25:13
  the faith but they will progress no further for
• 1:25:17
  their folly will be manifest to all as they are
• 1:25:21
  as theirs also was but you hallelujah and that's
• 1:25:28
  where we learn but you have carefully followed
• 1:25:35
  my doctrine okay you have carefully followed
• 1:25:40
  my teaching manner of life, purpose, faith, long
• 1:25:49
  -suffering, perseverance. Where did he establish
• 1:25:54
  his teaching? Where did Paul establish his manner
• 1:25:57
  of life? Where did Paul establish his prosecutions,
• 1:26:02
  afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch,
• 1:26:04
  at Iconium, at Lystra? What persecution had I
• 1:26:07
  endured? and out of them all the Lord delivered
• 1:26:12
  me. Yes, through wars and wars, deceiving and
• 1:26:17
  being deceived. But you, verse 14, very importantly,
• 1:26:23
  but you must continue in the things which you
• 1:26:27
  have learned. Be assured of knowing from whom
• 1:26:33
  you have learned them. Timothy must continue,
• 1:26:39
  all right? The word continue is from the Greek
• 1:26:41
  word me know. It means that Timothy must remain.
• 1:26:46
  Timothy must abide. He is to remain or to abide
• 1:26:51
  and continue in what he has been taught and has
• 1:26:54
  been assured. Okay, the phrase been assured of
• 1:26:58
  means persuasion or conviction. The things that
• 1:27:03
  he has been, you know, he has, he has, he has
• 1:27:07
  persuasion and conviction about. Give me that
• 1:27:10
  verse 14 in amplified and let's see something
• 1:27:13
  verse 14 in amplified Yes says but as for you
• 1:27:22
  continue in the things that you have learned
• 1:27:24
  and of which you are convinced Okay, I would
• 1:27:28
  convince holding tightly to the truth knowing
• 1:27:32
  from whom you've learned So as I keep rubbing
• 1:27:37
  What things must he continue in? What things
• 1:27:40
  does he know and is convinced about? Let's see
• 1:27:44
  verse 15. Verse 15 will give us an understanding
• 1:27:48
  of those things which Timothy was convinced about.
• 1:27:52
  Okay? And how from childhood you have known,
• 1:27:59
  what have they known? The holy scriptures. Hallelujah.
• 1:28:04
  So all the contexts All the things that we see
• 1:28:08
  Paul's speaking about is what is the scriptures,
• 1:28:12
  the holy scriptures, which are able to make you
• 1:28:16
  work wise for salvation through faith which is
• 1:28:20
  in Jesus Christ. So, for my child, we've established
• 1:28:29
  this before, that that child today is the word
• 1:28:32
  Bray Force. B -R -E -P -H -O -S, which refers
• 1:28:37
  to an infant or an embryo. Okay? An embryo, a
• 1:28:45
  child still in the womb. It refers to an infant
• 1:28:49
  or an embryo, a child that is still in the womb.
• 1:28:55
  There are other scriptures that try to express
• 1:28:58
  this word, brave force. Let's check some of them
• 1:29:01
  to have understanding of what Timothy. has learned
• 1:29:04
  from when he was a child. Okay? Luke chapter
• 1:29:09
  1 verse 41. Luke chapter 1 verse 41. Can it happen?
• 1:29:23
  The way Elizabeth had the greeting of Mary, that
• 1:29:26
  babe lit in her womb and Elizabeth was filled
• 1:29:30
  with Holy Spirit. That word bed there is a word
• 1:29:32
  brave force. So, you see, in this context here,
• 1:29:35
  it is referring to a child that is in the womb.
• 1:29:39
  It's not yet born, but it's referred to as a
• 1:29:42
  child, okay? So, is Paul saying that Timothy
• 1:29:45
  learned the scripture from the womb? Could this
• 1:29:49
  be what Paul was meaning? Luke chapter 1 verse
• 1:29:52
  44. Let's look at verse 44. that is still unborn,
• 1:30:04
  all right? Luke chapter 2 verse 12, the word
• 1:30:08
  Bray Force. Luke chapter 2 verse 12. And this
• 1:30:12
  will be the sign to you, you will have a baby
• 1:30:15
  wrapped in swan -dry -le -coats lying in the
• 1:30:18
  manger. At this moment the child has been born,
• 1:30:20
  hallelujah. The same word Bray Force is used
• 1:30:23
  to a newborn baby wrapped in a manger, okay?
• 1:30:27
  Luke chapter 2 verse 16. The use of the word
• 1:30:30
  Bray Force. b -r -e -p -h -o -s breath force
• 1:30:34
  look 216 he says and they came with the haste
• 1:30:37
  and found mary and joseph and the babe lying
• 1:30:41
  in a manger referring to a baby that has been
• 1:30:43
  born look chapter 18 verse 15 look 18 verse 15
• 1:30:49
  look chapter 18 verse 15 look 18 verse 15 yes
• 1:30:55
  then they also brought infants to him that He
• 1:30:59
  may touch them when they disciple so they rebuke
• 1:31:03
  them. So this is talking about infants, children,
• 1:31:07
  right? Like the ones we have in church. Some
• 1:31:10
  of them are sleeping, some of them are not here.
• 1:31:14
  So infants, okay? Some of them, infants. So Acts
• 1:31:18
  7 verse 19, Acts 7 verse 19, another instance
• 1:31:23
  where the word brave force is used, Acts 7 verse
• 1:31:26
  19. fecklessly with our people and oppress our
• 1:31:34
  forefathers, making them expose their babies
• 1:31:37
  so that they might not live. Okay, talking about
• 1:31:41
  the baby that is born here, 1 Peter chapter 2
• 1:31:44
  verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 2. We see a
• 1:31:49
  unique application of the word brave force here.
• 1:31:51
  1 Peter 2 verse 2. As newborn babies, okay? desire
• 1:31:57
  the pure milk of the world that you may grow.
• 1:32:01
  So he's using this as a figure of speech here,
• 1:32:05
  referring to the believer, okay? To act as a
• 1:32:09
  newborn baby that was born, all right? So from
• 1:32:13
  these scriptures, the word birth force, the word
• 1:32:18
  child can mean two things. Either a natural child,
• 1:32:26
  or a spiritual child as expressed in 1 Peter
• 1:32:29
  chapter 2 verse 2 here. Peter here was referring
• 1:32:32
  to, you know, the believer figuratively, as a
• 1:32:37
  newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the world
• 1:32:41
  that you may grow. So for my child in 2 Timothy
• 1:32:45
  3 .15, as we've established that cannot be that
• 1:32:49
  Timothy knew this, you know, holy scriptures
• 1:32:53
  when he was in his mother's womb, or when he
• 1:32:55
  was an infant because obviously common sense
• 1:32:59
  will help us to understand that infants or babies
• 1:33:03
  in the womb no matter how even if you you play
• 1:33:06
  the scriptures for them from the stomach they
• 1:33:08
  will not come out full of the words hallelujah
• 1:33:13
  even as babies you have to train them to know
• 1:33:16
  the simplest that they can know as they grow
• 1:33:18
  they come to know the truth and then they are
• 1:33:20
  establishing it all right So infants do not have
• 1:33:24
  the intellectual capacity to know the scriptures
• 1:33:27
  and to have convictions. Okay? So Paul will therefore
• 1:33:32
  be referring to a spiritual state. The reason
• 1:33:36
  why we have to go this route to explain what
• 1:33:38
  Paul is meaning from a child is to understand
• 1:33:42
  the application of the scriptures. That from
• 1:33:46
  a child, from when a person is born again, from
• 1:33:49
  when a person come into this new life meaning
• 1:33:53
  the time Timothy was born again okay so what
• 1:33:58
  was needed was these scriptures these holy scriptures
• 1:34:03
  all right these holy scriptures that are able
• 1:34:08
  to bring into a place of maturity in first corinthians
• 1:34:12
  chapter 3 verse 1 we will see another word for
• 1:34:15
  babes in the pios first corinthians 3 verse 1,
• 1:34:20
  which is another word used for a child, and in
• 1:34:23
  this context is a metaphor for an undeveloped
• 1:34:25
  state of a Christian, someone who is newly born
• 1:34:28
  again. And I, by then, could not speak to you
• 1:34:30
  as to spirituals, but as to carnal, as unto babes
• 1:34:37
  in Christ, all right? So he's using this as a
• 1:34:40
  figure of speech figuratively to mean someone
• 1:34:43
  that is a new believer, all right? So other scriptures
• 1:34:47
  we can write, 1 Corinthians 13 verse 11, Ephesians
• 1:34:52
  of the 4 verse 14, Hebrews of the 5 verse 13.
• 1:34:59
  1 Corinthians 13 verse 11, Ephesians of the 4
• 1:35:03
  verse 14, and Hebrews of the 5 verse 13. So Paul
• 1:35:10
  here will be referring to Timothy's spiritual
• 1:35:15
  development. So what is necessary for the development
• 1:35:19
  that Timothy will experience or have experienced
• 1:35:21
  that from a child He has known the Holy Scriptures
• 1:35:25
  from a child. He has come to conviction is The
• 1:35:30
  Old Testament scriptures that have got into spiritual
• 1:35:32
  maturity Okay Timothy has known the Holy Scriptures
• 1:35:39
  to return that he was born again He was exposed
• 1:35:44
  to the Holy Scriptures Now the word Scriptures
• 1:35:47
  in that text is also translated from the Greek
• 1:35:53
  word Gramma. Gramma. Gramma. G -R -A -M -M -A.
• 1:36:01
  G -R -A -M -M -A. Which is different from what
• 1:36:07
  we will see later in verse 16. So here is Gramma,
• 1:36:11
  which is Holy Scripture. Here. refers to the
• 1:36:14
  content of the writings, the message, the content
• 1:36:17
  of the writing. Alright? And Peter will say that
• 1:36:21
  the content of the writing, what is obtainable
• 1:36:23
  in the writings of the scriptures, the message
• 1:36:25
  of the scriptures can make you wise. Okay? Will
• 1:36:30
  make you wise. Verse 15. Let's go, let's look
• 1:36:34
  at that. Verse 15 again. For you have known the
• 1:36:39
  Holy Scriptures. 2 Corinthians 3, 15. Yes 315
• 1:36:48
  second Corinthians and second Timothy. Sorry
• 1:36:51
  not Corinthians Timothy And I from a child would
• 1:36:57
  you have known the Holy Scriptures which is able
• 1:37:01
  to make you wise for salvation Through faith
• 1:37:06
  which is in Christ Jesus that wise there Okay,
• 1:37:09
  what does it mean in the Greek is a word so Fiso?
• 1:37:14
  SOP The Holy Scriptures, Genesis to Malachi,
• 1:37:23
  is able to make you wise, that is, skillful concerning
• 1:37:29
  the subject of salvation, which is true faith
• 1:37:33
  in Jesus Christ. It will therefore mean that
• 1:37:38
  when the content of the Scriptures, that is,
• 1:37:42
  the message of the Scriptures, The subject of
• 1:37:46
  the scriptures, the theme, the central theme
• 1:37:50
  of the scriptures is explained. It brings revelation,
• 1:37:57
  produces spiritual birth and spiritual growth.
• 1:38:02
  Hallelujah. So when the content of the scriptures,
• 1:38:06
  the main subject of scriptures is explained,
• 1:38:09
  is expounded, it produces spiritual birth because
• 1:38:12
  that is what we preach. and people will become
• 1:38:15
  born again. Not only that, when it's expanded
• 1:38:17
  as we are doing now, it produces spiritual growth.
• 1:38:22
  It produces spiritual growth. So, what will Timothy
• 1:38:29
  bring? What will bring spiritual growth to Timothy
• 1:38:32
  will be his ability toward to understand, to
• 1:38:37
  comprehend the truth. The truth concerning salvation
• 1:38:41
  Which is through faith in Christ Jesus from the
• 1:38:45
  holy scriptures from the holy scriptures From
• 1:38:50
  the holy scriptures verse 16 second Timothy 3
• 1:38:53
  verse 16 says all scripture That same holy scripture
• 1:38:59
  all scripture is given by inspiration of God
• 1:39:03
  that is profitable for Doctrine and is profitable
• 1:39:07
  for doctrine for the truth for correction, for
• 1:39:13
  instruction, and righteousness. All scripture,
• 1:39:19
  all scripture translated from two Greek words,
• 1:39:23
  past, graphé. The scripture here is different
• 1:39:26
  from the one we saw in verse 15. All scripture,
• 1:39:31
  graphé, referring to the method or the art of
• 1:39:34
  the writing. That is how the content came about.
• 1:39:38
  How the content of the Scripture the art of writing
• 1:39:42
  came about is by the inspiration of the Holy
• 1:39:45
  Spirit is the inspiration of God Yes, God inspired
• 1:39:50
  the documentation of the scriptures. All right
• 1:39:54
  It is vital to note That as we always emphasize
• 1:39:59
  that God is not responsible for every statement
• 1:40:03
  we see in the Bible Okay But he inspired the
• 1:40:09
  documentation of the Bible. Because within the
• 1:40:13
  context of the scriptures, there are things that
• 1:40:17
  people say that it's not God that says it. There
• 1:40:20
  are recorded statements that are from liars.
• 1:40:23
  There are recorded statements that are from Satan.
• 1:40:26
  There are recorded things from angels. There
• 1:40:28
  are recorded things from men. There is history
• 1:40:30
  of men. There are many things that we can find
• 1:40:33
  in the scriptures. The inspiration of the documentation
• 1:40:38
  is God Okay, just like you are a journalist and
• 1:40:43
  you are sent to write a news or to cover an event
• 1:40:48
  all right, and then you write down what happened
• 1:40:51
  in that place and You presented what was written
• 1:40:55
  now the person that sent you to that place To
• 1:40:59
  cover that news is responsible for what the inspiration
• 1:41:03
  of that documentation Okay, but what? The speakers
• 1:41:08
  of that event said all right, it's not necessary
• 1:41:12
  that is inspired by the one that sent you to
• 1:41:15
  document Okay Of course there are inspired words
• 1:41:21
  of God in the scriptures also where we see prophets
• 1:41:24
  speaks by the spirit Okay, Jesus himself spoke
• 1:41:28
  in the scriptures. All right, so therefore there's
• 1:41:31
  a need for us rightly interpret the scriptures.
• 1:41:35
  When we read through Genesis down to Malachi,
• 1:41:38
  it is a need for us to be skillful in interpretation
• 1:41:41
  of these texts, in the teaching of these texts,
• 1:41:44
  because therein lie our ministry. That is the
• 1:41:49
  foundation of our ministry and that is why we
• 1:41:52
  are gathered here today and in this week that
• 1:41:54
  we will be trained in what? In interpreting the
• 1:41:58
  scriptures so that we will be better furnished
• 1:42:02
  to do what? to better do the works that God has
• 1:42:06
  called us to do. Hallelujah. So Paul will now
• 1:42:11
  continue in his conversation to Timothy that
• 1:42:14
  these scriptures is forfeitable for doctrine
• 1:42:21
  means it is advantageous or it is useful for
• 1:42:27
  teaching. The usefulness of this is for teaching.
• 1:42:31
  Okay. It's useful for teaching. Doctrine is teaching.
• 1:42:39
  From a Greek word, didaskalia. What does it mean,
• 1:42:42
  teaching also? Didaskalia, which means instruction.
• 1:42:47
  You know, the function or the information itself.
• 1:42:51
  The teaching. So the goal or the purpose of this
• 1:42:55
  doctrine or this teaching is reproof. Reproof
• 1:43:00
  here means to bring about conviction or persuasion
• 1:43:05
  all right so the teaching is to bring about persuasion
• 1:43:16
  providing compelling evidence because doctrine
• 1:43:24
  itself must be supported by overwhelming evidence
• 1:43:27
  from the scriptures And these overwhelming evidence
• 1:43:32
  will result in the correction. Correction has
• 1:43:34
  to do with the alignment of thoughts and will
• 1:43:37
  and purpose. There will be correction. And this
• 1:43:41
  correction will lead to instruction in righteousness.
• 1:43:46
  So the goal of the teaching, therefore, is spiritual
• 1:43:50
  growth. And what will spiritual growth result
• 1:43:55
  to? Verse 17. Let's look at verse 17 together.
• 1:44:00
  Verse 17. What will be the result of the scriptures?
• 1:44:05
  And is built in the man that produces spiritual
• 1:44:07
  growth. Let's see the end goal. That the man
• 1:44:10
  of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for
• 1:44:15
  what? For every good work. What is that good
• 1:44:19
  work? The good work is a work that you and I
• 1:44:22
  have been called to do. Hallelujah. We've been
• 1:44:26
  called unto good works. We've been called to
• 1:44:30
  do the work of ministry so the foundation and
• 1:44:35
  the framework for the apostles ministry is where
• 1:44:38
  is a scriptures right the scriptures are the
• 1:44:41
  foundation and the framework for christian ministry
• 1:44:46
  equipping the believers every good work and when
• 1:44:51
  we say scriptures please we've agreed that the
• 1:44:54
  context is what is genesis to malachi all right
• 1:44:58
  That is what gives the background for the Apostles
• 1:45:02
  ministry because the Bible the Apostles use In
• 1:45:07
  their ministry and Jesus Christ himself All right,
• 1:45:11
  that inspired even their writings The inspirations
• 1:45:14
  of their writings. We're gonna see it later.
• 1:45:16
  The inspirations of the writings of the Apostles
• 1:45:19
  is the scriptures Okay, the Apostles wrote from
• 1:45:23
  the scriptures the Apostles did not invent the
• 1:45:28
  messages they wrote. So it is important to note
• 1:45:35
  continuously, as we always do, that the Holy
• 1:45:38
  Scriptures here is Genesis to Malachi. So when
• 1:45:42
  Paul referred to the Scriptures, emphasis here,
• 1:45:46
  emphasizing again that the New Testament canon
• 1:45:48
  had not yet been compiled into the 66 books we
• 1:45:52
  have today. His primary preference was the Old
• 1:45:59
  Testament, okay? What we call the Old Testament.
• 1:46:02
  So when Paul was speaking to Timothy here, you
• 1:46:05
  were not talking about CCC's books, okay? But
• 1:46:09
  he was speaking specifically about the scriptures
• 1:46:12
  that is Genesis to Malachi. So Paul established
• 1:46:15
  the source of his authority in ministry by grounding
• 1:46:20
  his teaching in the already revealed scriptures.
• 1:46:25
  in the already revealed scriptures, rather than
• 1:46:28
  in his personal opinions or new ideas. Okay?
• 1:46:36
  So when you are going now to do the work that
• 1:46:37
  Jesus did, you see that Jesus did not invent
• 1:46:41
  his own ideas, down to the specifics that Jesus
• 1:46:45
  spoke and taught away from the scriptures. Equally,
• 1:46:50
  Paul, as an example of the apostles, never invented
• 1:46:54
  their own teachings and doctrine. All right?
• 1:46:59
  So it means that we therefore have no skill.
• 1:47:04
  We have no ability. We have no right. We have
• 1:47:08
  no, you know, we have no freedom to invent our
• 1:47:13
  message. We have no freedom to invent the delivery
• 1:47:17
  mechanism of our message. Because encapsulated
• 1:47:22
  in the scriptures, in the Old Testament scriptures,
• 1:47:25
  is the message and the method of delivery. Hallelujah.
• 1:47:30
  So we are bound or we are bound or we are constrained
• 1:47:34
  by the provisions of God in the scriptures. That
• 1:47:38
  is why we need to learn about the scriptures
• 1:47:41
  that we will rightly be able to minister the
• 1:47:45
  scriptures. So Paul therefore grounds Christian
• 1:47:50
  ministry and the faith in the authority of the
• 1:47:53
  scriptures, providing the necessary context for
• 1:47:58
  what believers practice today, for what you and
• 1:48:01
  I must practice today. Our practice cannot be
• 1:48:05
  an invention today. All right? So if we say we
• 1:48:11
  are a Bible -believing church, it means that
• 1:48:14
  our beliefs, our practices, and the ministry
• 1:48:18
  must remain under the authority of Scripture.
• 1:48:23
  Okay? Now we don't go elsewhere and then we begin
• 1:48:26
  to practice things or teach things that are outside
• 1:48:29
  the context of Scripture. Because the apostles
• 1:48:32
  never did that. All they did was to explain by
• 1:48:37
  the help of the Spirit of God, the already revealed
• 1:48:40
  Scriptures. A true church, a true local church
• 1:48:44
  is therefore as biblical Okay? One that is governed
• 1:48:51
  by the revealed Word of God. Not just by, you
• 1:48:55
  know, some inspirations. Just wake up one day
• 1:48:59
  and then you are inspired to do some certain
• 1:49:01
  things that are, you know, or you begin to teach
• 1:49:08
  something. You say, this message is a fresh message
• 1:49:10
  from the throne of heaven. You've never heard
• 1:49:13
  this before. There's no message you're going
• 1:49:14
  to preach. I've never even preached. All the
• 1:49:17
  preachers you preach, even the one I'm preaching
• 1:49:19
  now has been preached. It doesn't matter if you
• 1:49:23
  just know how to skillfully prioritize it well,
• 1:49:26
  maintaining the core of the message, not introducing
• 1:49:30
  new things to it. This ministry is easy. The
• 1:49:36
  teaching is easy because the material has been
• 1:49:38
  provided. The work is in putting it together.
• 1:49:41
  Hallelujah. that demands study, demands work.
• 1:49:44
  Can't go there without even the message. The
• 1:49:49
  chaos and the confusion we have today is the
• 1:49:52
  attempt of men, all right, to sound unique and
• 1:49:57
  special and different. Now in this work, okay,
• 1:50:02
  we are constrained by the scriptures because
• 1:50:05
  Jesus himself, we'll see later when we come back
• 1:50:07
  next session, we'll see the authority of the
• 1:50:10
  scriptures. We'll see the authority. When we
• 1:50:13
  say scriptures, what do we mean? Jesus himself
• 1:50:17
  was bound within the authority of the scriptures.
• 1:50:23
  The apostles themselves, that is how you know
• 1:50:25
  a false minister, false doctrine. How do we know
• 1:50:28
  false doctrine? If we have the permission to
• 1:50:33
  be creative in the message, creative in the sense
• 1:50:37
  that we can invent things, You know, Pasakosa
• 1:50:43
  sent me a message, was it yesterday or the day
• 1:50:46
  before yesterday, of how someone explained his
• 1:50:52
  scripture. I wrote to him, immediately I replied
• 1:50:55
  to him, I said, this is fraudulent. How can you
• 1:51:00
  carry a scripture and then that I saw another
• 1:51:04
  one, that Ananias and Sapphira, right, that Ananias
• 1:51:11
  meant the law, and another one meant grace. So
• 1:51:15
  he tried to say that the grace and the law, when
• 1:51:17
  grace and law is brought together, they will
• 1:51:18
  be dead. And the feet of the young men that came
• 1:51:21
  to carry the dead are actually the new generation
• 1:51:26
  that God is raising to take away the mixture
• 1:51:29
  of the law and the grace, the words of grace.
• 1:51:33
  I said, okay, this sounds sensible, but how did
• 1:51:38
  you come to this explanation of these things?
• 1:51:41
  And people were just shouting and screaming revelation.
• 1:51:43
  I was like, this is fault. How will you now come?
• 1:51:48
  How did you come to this? How did you arrive
• 1:51:51
  at this explanation? How? Hallelujah. Is that
• 1:51:59
  the way it takes? Is that the way it is written?
• 1:52:03
  Even context will tell you that this thing is
• 1:52:04
  wrong. Hallelujah. So in this conference, we
• 1:52:09
  want to raise a generation of men that will be
• 1:52:12
  loyal to the scriptures. Hallelujah. Pastor will
• 1:52:15
  come later on to teach us how to interpret. Interpretation
• 1:52:19
  is key. We'll see how the text should be interpreted
• 1:52:23
  so that we will not be part of the people that
• 1:52:25
  will mislead. Listen, when the text is not properly
• 1:52:29
  interpreted, the will and the purpose of God
• 1:52:32
  will not be fulfilled. It is lost. Hallelujah.
• 1:52:37
  Men will not be born again. There are many people
• 1:52:41
  in church today that if you ask them they are
• 1:52:43
  born again, they will tell you yes, they are
• 1:52:44
  born again. But how did they become born again?
• 1:52:49
  You will know for sure that this person has risen
• 1:52:52
  to a level of authority and leadership in church.
• 1:52:55
  But he doesn't even understand the basic thing
• 1:52:58
  about what Christ has done. Hallelujah. So God
• 1:53:04
  is depending on us in this generation. That we
• 1:53:07
  will be faithful to the scriptures. That we will
• 1:53:11
  be committed to the word of truth. That we will
• 1:53:13
  be skillful ministers of the world. That as we
• 1:53:16
  expand the scriptures, that we will be able to
• 1:53:19
  reveal Christ to our generation. Hallelujah.
• 1:53:23
  Let's rise to our feet as we just stretch ourselves.
• 1:53:25
  Let's rise to our feet. We appreciate you being
• 1:53:29
  here today. We hope you carried this word with
• 1:53:32
  you throughout your week. Don't forget to check
• 1:53:35
  the show notes for additional insights. Stay
• 1:53:37
  connected with us through our website or follow
• 1:53:40
  us on social media. If you were encouraged, share
• 1:53:44
  this message with someone you care about. Until
• 1:53:47
  next time, stay blessed.