Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / Understanding the Faith For Greater Works (Part 7)
Transcript
- 0:01Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
- 0:06designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
- 0:09walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
- 0:14the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
- 0:18right in. Now let's turn to our text for the
- 0:41year John 14 verse 12 Continue our teaching on
- 0:47faith for greater works understanding the faith
- 0:51for greater works John 14 verse 12 to 14 My prayer
- 1:00is that as we continue in these teachings that
- 1:02our faith is stirred up That we will be able
- 1:07to see what God has done in us and from the perspective
- 1:12that we have of what God has done we will rise
- 1:16up and do the things that God is calling us to
- 1:21do. The salvation we've received come alongside
- 1:34with work and the work is a work of ministry.
- 1:41and I trust that God will stir us up to do this
- 1:46work daily as we live. John chapter 14 verse
- 1:5012 it says most assuredly I say to you that he
- 1:53who believes in me the works that I do he will
- 1:56do also and greater works than this he will do
- 1:58because I go to my father and whatever you ask
- 2:04in my name that I will do that the father may
- 2:07be glorified in the son. If you ask anything
- 2:11in my name, I will do it. Hallelujah. So from
- 2:17this, we are able to establish what this greater
- 2:21works is. We say that this works has to do with
- 2:26what Jesus himself have done. When he was on
- 2:30earth, the Bible will say in Acts that Jesus
- 2:34began to do and he began to teach. and we established
- 2:39that the things that Jesus began to do or the
- 2:43things that Jesus began to teach are those things
- 2:44that were written about him in the scriptures.
- 2:47When Jesus came into the world, he came to fulfill
- 2:52those things that were written about him on earth.
- 2:55And when he was on earth for over three and a
- 3:00half years before he died, you know, in his ministry,
- 3:04all that he was doing was teaching men, teaching
- 3:07the disciples, calling their attention to the
- 3:10things that the scriptures have said concerning
- 3:13him, calling their attention to his mission,
- 3:15his purpose on earth. And then we see him accomplishing
- 3:19the purpose. And the accomplishment of the purpose
- 3:22is his death. In his death, he died because of
- 3:26sin, not because of his own sin, he died because
- 3:28of our sins. And then by the power of the Holy
- 3:31Spirit, we sang and we danced about an empty
- 3:33grave. The Holy Spirit was able to bring him
- 3:36back to life and not only that he ascended to
- 3:39the Father and from there we have the indwelling
- 3:43of the Spirit in us. So the gifts that we receive
- 3:47or what we call the promise is actually that
- 3:51which we will receive by the Spirit of God. And
- 3:54without the death, without the resurrection,
- 3:56without the ascension, without Jesus going to
- 4:00the Father we wouldn't have received the promise.
- 4:03But then we see Jesus bringing us into the family,
- 4:06bringing us into the realities of the things
- 4:09that were promised long time. And we see that
- 4:12today the believer is seated together with God
- 4:15in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah. And we have the
- 4:19promise of the Spirit of God in us. So what He
- 4:22is calling us to do, as I will always remind
- 4:24us, God is not calling us to do something that
- 4:27we don't have the ability to do. He's not calling
- 4:30us to do something that he himself have not done
- 4:32He will not call us to do something that we have
- 4:36not been equipped to do It is in God's character
- 4:40that whenever he gives an instruction He enables
- 4:43a man to do that which God has instructed so
- 4:47as a believer This is speaking about you because
- 4:51this promise or these statements that Jesus will
- 4:54say that He who believes in me, the works that
- 4:58I do will do also is speaking about the church
- 5:01and you and I are part of the church of God.
- 5:04Hallelujah. The church simply means his family.
- 5:07The church simply means the family of God. And
- 5:12the church on earth has a responsibility and
- 5:15the responsibility is to ensure that the family
- 5:18of God expands. And the way by which we We expand
- 5:24the family of God is through the instrumentality
- 5:27of preaching We tell the world what Christ has
- 5:31done And what has Christ done Christ God in Christ
- 5:35has forgiven sins God in Christ has forgiven
- 5:39sins So we call people to partake into this life
- 5:43and when they receive this truth, they believe
- 5:46in this truth They are able to receive the gift
- 5:49of the Spirit of God that gives them an identity
- 5:51The seal that makes them part of this family
- 5:54is the Holy Spirit Hallelujah and that Holy Spirit
- 5:58is the one that guarantees That we are kept to
- 6:02the very end that Spirit of God that is in us
- 6:05He is a one that walks in us to be able to even
- 6:09preach the gospel It is the same spirit that
- 6:12empower us because when the Spirit of God is
- 6:14given unto us He came into us with abilities
- 6:19Hallelujah in Acts up to one verse eight He said
- 6:21you shall receive power when the Spirit of God
- 6:24has come upon you And what will you do? You'll
- 6:26be witnesses for me The essence is that we are
- 6:30empowered by the indwelling of the Spirit of
- 6:32God We're empowered by the capacity of God that
- 6:34he has put in us in order to be his representative
- 6:38on earth in order to bring others into this family
- 6:42and when he came into us he came into us with
- 6:46gifts in Acts chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 we
- 6:50speak about the gifts of the spirit the abilities
- 6:53of the spirit in the believer and this empowerment
- 6:56is in every believer pastors have been teaching
- 7:00us about variation of these gifts and how they
- 7:04work and how they manifest how we can utilize
- 7:06these gifts And the essence is that we will be
- 7:09equipped with the knowledge of what God has done
- 7:12in us. We will not only know that we have an
- 7:14ability in us, but we will be able to learn how
- 7:17to use the equipping of God in order to do the
- 7:22work that He has called us to do. So God has
- 7:24supplied us with the resources, the ability to
- 7:27discern, the ability to heal the sick, the ability
- 7:30to give a word by the power of the Spirit of
- 7:32God, and all the things that has been taught.
- 7:37Concerning the indwelling of the spirit in the
- 7:39believer So our work as pastors and as teachers
- 7:43of the world is to always reveal to you What
- 7:48God has done in you? Is to help you understand
- 7:52what God has done by the spirit of God as we
- 7:55teach every day Our emphasis is that you will
- 7:58see what God has done I mean the prayer will
- 8:00always pray every week in this church, especially
- 8:02in the Wednesday prayers is that the eyes of
- 8:05our understanding will be enlightened, the eyes
- 8:08of our understanding will be open to the reality
- 8:11of what God has done for us. And when we know
- 8:14the things that God has done, we don't just know
- 8:17it for knowledge sake, but as we know what God
- 8:20has done, we begin to walk in what God has done.
- 8:23Hallelujah. So my desire is that our faith is
- 8:26stirred up, that our eyes are open to what God
- 8:29has done, that we are willing, because you see,
- 8:32it takes your will, To do the work of God hallelujah
- 8:35At most as it takes your will to believe the
- 8:38gospel You became a believer the spirit of god
- 8:41lives in you. It will also take your will to
- 8:45do what to live in obedience To the to the leading
- 8:49of the spirit of god within you Because when
- 8:52you don't heal yourself the spirit of god does
- 8:54not manipulate you into acting God is a respecter
- 8:58of the will of man So even when you are his son
- 9:01one of the one of the One of the proof of His
- 9:06love is the fact that God respects the will of
- 9:10man. So your will doesn't just disappear as salvation,
- 9:13but your will, even as a believer, is still active.
- 9:16And God still respects your will. But the desire
- 9:18of God for you, the believer, is that you exercise
- 9:21your will by yielding to the nudging, because
- 9:24every man that is born again has the leading
- 9:28of the Spirit of God within him. So as a spirit
- 9:31of God leads you daily you respond to the leading
- 9:34of the spirit of God and you do According to
- 9:37that which the spirit of God is leading you to
- 9:38do So disobedience will be that you are not yielding
- 9:45to the leading of the spirit As we teach the
- 9:50word the word of God is a spirit of God as the
- 9:53spirit of God is communicated to you via the
- 9:55word It's called is showing to you what you should
- 9:59do And when you're not doing what is taught,
- 10:02it simply means that you're living in disobedience
- 10:04to the word of God. Hallelujah. So as obedient
- 10:09children of God, we should respond to the word
- 10:13of God. Hallelujah. And we should know what our
- 10:16role, our responsibility is. And we should rise
- 10:19up as men that are responsible in this kingdom,
- 10:22that we do that which God has called us to do.
- 10:24because heaven or rather let me say the kingdom
- 10:28of God is Depending on us to go out to speak
- 10:32about the good news to go out to preach the good
- 10:36news to go out and to bring men into the family
- 10:41of God The desire of God is to fill the earth
- 10:45with his knowledge the desire for god is to have
- 10:48the family of men the desire of god is to have
- 10:51men come to the knowledge you see it is not the
- 10:53will of god for men to die it is not the will
- 10:57of god for men to be to be separated from him
- 11:00eternally that is never in fact hell was not
- 11:05created for men hallelujah so we are the ones
- 11:09that god by virtue of mercy and grace by virtue
- 11:13of of love that he has committed to us this ministry
- 11:17of reconciling men and what we do is that we
- 11:20tell them that which God has done there is no
- 11:23longer hostility there's no longer judgment there's
- 11:27no longer condemnation there's no longer wrath
- 11:30because God in Christ has dealt with the issue
- 11:34of sin that is our duty it is not given on to
- 11:39angels to do this but it's given on to men Just
- 11:46to preach the gospel is given unto men to do
- 11:48the work of ministry is given unto men To be
- 11:51able to reconcile men to God is an honor that
- 11:54you've been given This is the greatest honor
- 11:57that you have been given as a man to be a partaker
- 12:01of the work of God It's a privilege. It is not
- 12:05it is not you know for some special set of people
- 12:08alone the pastors the leaders in the church oh
- 12:10is this brother and this sister you know she's
- 12:12more spiritual than I he's more spiritual no
- 12:15no no no every man that have received the gospel
- 12:17is qualified to preach the gospel hallelujah
- 12:21if you've received the gospel the qualification
- 12:25is that you've received the gospel and when you
- 12:28receive the gospel you've received the message
- 12:30of faith that you can preach and a man can be
- 12:33born again So you must see yourself in the light
- 12:36that God sees you You must see yourself in the
- 12:39context by which God is looking at you as a man
- 12:42as a woman that he has equipped With a message
- 12:46not only you are safe But you are equipped with
- 12:48every resources within you to be able to preach
- 12:51and to bring men to the knowledge of his will
- 12:54hallelujah So we read a text in Mark Mark chapter
- 13:0511 Similarly when Jesus Christ was teaching the
- 13:10issue of faith in Mark chapter 11 verse 12 to
- 13:1314 Let's go back and there was an a matter we
- 13:16started discussing on Wednesday says now the
- 13:18next day when they had they had come out from
- 13:20Bethany he was hungry and Seeing from afar a
- 13:24fig tree having leaves He went to see if perhaps
- 13:27he will find something on it when he came to
- 13:30it. He found nothing but leaves for it was not
- 13:33the season for figs in response jesus said to
- 13:36it let no one eat from you ever again and his
- 13:40disciples heard what he said verse 20 in response
- 13:46jesus now okay now in the morning as they passed
- 13:49by they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots
- 13:53and peter remembrance said to him rabbi look
- 13:57the fig tree which he cursed has withered away
- 14:00So Jesus answered and said to them have faith
- 14:03in God For assuredly I said to you whoever says
- 14:06to this mountain be removed and be cast into
- 14:08the sea and does not doubt in his heart But believes
- 14:11that those things he says will be done. He will
- 14:15have whatever he says Therefore I said to you
- 14:23whatever things you ask when you pray believe
- 14:27that you will receive them and you Will have
- 14:31them hallelujah, and then we saw in verse 24
- 14:35that God in Jesus Christ here introduced a Similar
- 14:45idea as in John chapter 13 chapter 14 verse 14
- 14:48about prayer About asking God about you know
- 14:55making requests before God says therefore i said
- 14:58to you whatever things you ask when you pray
- 15:01believe that you receive them which means that
- 15:04faith is necessary for receiving from god hallelujah
- 15:08faith is necessary okay for receiving from god
- 15:14james will tell us see if you if you ask and
- 15:17then you are doubting don't expect that you receive
- 15:20anything from god in fact in a practical sense
- 15:26If I ask for say Emmanuel for something and I
- 15:29don't believe that he has the ability to give
- 15:31me or I I'm just asking for asking sake You know,
- 15:35I don't trust his ability to give me what I asked
- 15:37for Then even if he's he's bringing it I'll be
- 15:41doubting whether you know, he's giving me even
- 15:44if he's giving an envelope I'll be doubting whether
- 15:46he's giving me what I'm requesting of because
- 15:48I don't see him as having the ability Hallelujah.
- 15:51So for us who are in Christ, okay For us who
- 15:55have the faith of God for us who have been quickened
- 15:57by the Spirit of God we have the ability to acts
- 16:00of God and We acts in faith. Hallelujah So John
- 16:10also teaches in the in his epistles we saw a
- 16:14lot on what we read in Mark in first John chapter
- 16:165 verse 13 and 14 about us having a confidence
- 16:21right we have this confidence that when we ask
- 16:24you know says these things I've written to you
- 16:27who believe that this is written to believers
- 16:31to Christians in the name of the Son of God that
- 16:34you may know that you have eternal life and that
- 16:38you may continue to believe so believing does
- 16:41not just stop our salvation all right so we continuously
- 16:45believe The Christian life is a life lived by
- 16:49faith. It's a life that exists primarily by faith.
- 16:55Hallelujah. So that you continue to believe in
- 16:58the name of the Son of God. The name of the Son
- 17:00of God has to do with all that He has accomplished.
- 17:04Now this is the confidence that we have in Him
- 17:06because we believe, because we are in Him. So
- 17:08we have this confidence in His character. that
- 17:11if we ask anything according to his will is that
- 17:14he answers us he's able to hear us and if we
- 17:17know that he hears us whatever we ask we know
- 17:20that he will have the petition that we ask of
- 17:23him so because we are in him because of Jesus
- 17:27because of what he has done for us we understand
- 17:31the faithfulness of God and we are able to receive
- 17:35what we ask of him But in Mark 11 25 we saw that
- 17:43it seems to be a little bit like a contradiction
- 17:46to this Mark 11 25 26 We will see that Jesus
- 17:51seems to be suggesting that Apart from believing
- 17:55or apart from faith, you know, we need to do
- 17:58something as well Verse 25 and 26 says and whatever.
- 18:02Okay, let's read in context. Let's read from
- 18:05verse 20 to 26 now in the morning as they passed
- 18:13by they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots
- 18:16and peter remembering said to him rabbi look
- 18:18the fig tree which you curse has withered away
- 18:22so jesus answered and said to them have faith
- 18:25in god but for okay for surely i said to you
- 18:29whatsoever Whosoever other says to this mountain
- 18:32be removed and be cast into the sea and does
- 18:35not doubt in his heart But believes that those
- 18:38things he says will be done. He will have whatever
- 18:41he sees Therefore I say to you whatever things
- 18:44you ask when you pray believe that you receive
- 18:47them and you will have them in 25 see something
- 18:50carefully verse 25 and whenever you stand to
- 18:53pray if you have anything against anyone Forgive
- 18:57him and your father heaven may also forgive your
- 19:02trespasses now if you stop here it will seems
- 19:04to communicate that whenever you have something
- 19:07against your neighbor you forgive and in forgiving
- 19:11that's when God will forgive you but if you do
- 19:15not forgive neither look at this if you do not
- 19:18forgive neither will your father in heaven forgive
- 19:22your trespasses neither will your father in heaven
- 19:27forgive Your trespasses so we can ask the question.
- 19:32Okay, how do we receive forgiveness of God? How
- 19:36do we receive the forgiveness of God? Is it by
- 19:41faith that we receive the forgiveness of God
- 19:43or is by an action we took that will receive
- 19:47the forgiveness of God So the verse would seems
- 19:54to suggest that forgiveness is conditional on
- 19:59our forgiveness of others and we said the last
- 20:03time that This text Jesus made this statement
- 20:06under the law Now I want to make a clarity what
- 20:10I want to do this moment is to make clarity concerning
- 20:12this That Jesus made this statement under the
- 20:16law. What do we mean by under the law? Now the
- 20:21Bible teaches that Jesus was born under the law
- 20:25Okay Galatians chapter 4 verse 3 to 5 will explain
- 20:29to us about Jesus Galatians 4 verse 3 to 5 even
- 20:38so we when we were children were in bondage under
- 20:43the elements of the world but when the fullness
- 20:47of time had come now children there is figurative
- 20:51it's not literal it's not saying the children
- 20:52are under bondage that's not what that text is
- 20:54saying is figurative of been under the law under
- 20:59the system of the law but when the fullness of
- 21:03time had come what happened? God sent forth his
- 21:07son born of a woman born when? born under the
- 21:12law okay to redeem those who were under the law
- 21:16that we may receive their adoption as sons because
- 21:22some people have used this text to teach about
- 21:25growth that first of all you know you begin from
- 21:28being a baby then you grow into a son and they
- 21:31try to explain it so wonderfully so we see that
- 21:38Jesus Christ here was under the law was he was
- 21:42born under the law he came under a system this
- 21:45is the word system of the law all right and then
- 21:48the statement he made in mark chapter 11 verse
- 21:5125 26 was in the context of the law So Jesus
- 21:56Christ will say that he did not come to abolish
- 21:59the law in Matthew 35 verse 16 to 20 Give me
- 22:03this text in the amplified When he came he did
- 22:08not come to abolish the law, but the Bible will
- 22:10say that he came to fulfill the law Matthew 5
- 22:1416 to 20 in the amplified Let your light Shine
- 22:26before men In such a way that they may see your
- 22:35good deeds and Moral excellence and recognize
- 22:38and honor and glorify your father who is in heaven.
- 22:41Yes Do not think that I have come to do away
- 22:45with or undo the law of Moses So you see contextually
- 22:48here. All right, we have a definition for what
- 22:51the law is right of Moses all the writings of
- 22:55the prophets okay so the law okay will refer
- 23:03to the writings of Moses Genesis down to the
- 23:10five books and then the writings of the prophets
- 23:12and the Psalms so Jesus Christ did not come to
- 23:15do away with the law of Moses all the writings
- 23:18of the prophets I did not come to destroy but
- 23:22to do what fulfill but to fulfill was yes for
- 23:29I show you that more solemnly say to you until
- 23:32a heaven and earth pass away not the smallest
- 23:35letter or stroke of pain will pass from the law
- 23:39what is the law the law will mean the writings
- 23:43of Moses okay the first books written by Moses
- 23:47from the law until all things which things things
- 23:51are written in the law of Moses right until all
- 23:55things which is foreshadows that is there are
- 23:58things that the law foreshadows there are things
- 24:00that have been spoken of in the laws that needs
- 24:04fulfillment that needs accomplishment fulfilling
- 24:07simply means to be accomplished to be done so
- 24:10whosoever breaks one of the least the importance
- 24:14of these commandments and teaches others to do
- 24:17the same Will be called least important in the
- 24:20kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and
- 24:23teaches them He will be called great in the kingdom
- 24:26of heaven verse 20 for I said to you that unless
- 24:29your righteousness Please I want you to maybe
- 24:33underline this verse 20 because we're going to
- 24:36explain what it means letter for I said to you
- 24:38that unless your righteousness your uprightness
- 24:41your moral essence is more than that of If you
- 24:45have a red pen on the line more than that of
- 24:47what does it mean to be more than that of the
- 24:50scribes and the Pharisees exactly you will never
- 24:55enter the kingdom of heaven if a bible student
- 24:59you ask how do people enter the kingdom of heaven
- 25:01who answer that in due course now the law and
- 25:07the prophets listen to what i will say carefully
- 25:09the law and the prophets contains things about
- 25:15the christ Okay, it contains prophecies it contains
- 25:21teachings it contains the things about the Christ
- 25:27Jesus said that he has not come to do away with
- 25:30them, but he has come to accomplish them So it
- 25:33means that when we talk about the law Which our
- 25:36person has been teaching us how we receive the
- 25:37law how the law was received by the instrumentality
- 25:40of angels by Moses, right? It contains things
- 25:46about the Christ In the law in the writings of
- 25:53Moses Contains the things About the Christ and
- 25:59we'll see Jesus Christ who said these in his
- 26:01address resurrection Matthew Luke 24 verse 25
- 26:04When he had died and he's been brought back to
- 26:07life by the power of the Holy Spirit See Luke
- 26:1024 verse 25 to 27 Then he said to them all foolish
- 26:18ones It's not an insult He's just diagnosing
- 26:24their state of understanding. He says all foolish
- 26:27ones and slow of heart To believe okay in all
- 26:33that the prophets have spoken. So the prophets
- 26:36have spoken in their writings Moses have spoken
- 26:40in his writings and the essence of what they
- 26:44wrote was meant to be believed upon Because they
- 26:47were supposed to believe look at give me the
- 26:49previous verse I'm slow of her to believe all
- 26:54that the prophets have spoken Okay, ought not
- 26:58the Christ that is this is what the prophets
- 27:00have spoken to have suffered Because you see
- 27:03they were they were murmuring about what has
- 27:06happened if you read the context Some disciples
- 27:09were on their way to Emmaus and are talking about
- 27:11what has happened. You know, Jesus has just died.
- 27:13They've crucified him. And some of our people
- 27:15have come and they've told us that he has his
- 27:17reason. But man, this is like to us like a dream.
- 27:20How can they say somebody died and then he has
- 27:23risen again? Maybe they saw a ghost. There is
- 27:25a lot of rumour on Instagram and on Facebook
- 27:28and on whatever blogs about what has happened.
- 27:32And when Jesus appeared, he said, what are you
- 27:34talking about? So are you a new person in this?
- 27:38I don't know the letters that happen in town.
- 27:40Are you new to town and Just say all you foolish
- 27:43of hearts flow slow of hearts to believe that
- 27:47means that they were meant to believe What was
- 27:50written by the prophets? What was written by
- 27:52what in the Psalms and in the law of Moses the
- 27:56writings of Moses and this is it He says ought
- 27:58not the Christ to have suffered these things
- 28:01and to enter into his glory beginning at Moses
- 28:06the Lord of Moses the writing of Moses and all
- 28:10the prophets that means that Jesus Christ did
- 28:12a Bible study he what he expounded he explained
- 28:18to them he taught them he explained to them the
- 28:21things right across all the scriptures things
- 28:28concerning himself that means that he will look
- 28:30through the law and then he expound to them.
- 28:33Expound means interpret. You interpret those
- 28:37things away foreshadowed in the law of Moses,
- 28:39in the prophecies, in the Psalms, the things
- 28:42that concerns him, the things that spoke about
- 28:46what he will do when he comes into the world.
- 28:50Hallelujah. So he expounded onto them the things
- 28:55that pertains to himself, the promises and what
- 28:59he will do. they were meant to actually believe
- 29:03those things that the prophets have said concerning
- 29:06the coming Messiah so Jesus will also explain
- 29:10the things written about him in verses 24 in
- 29:13verses 44 to 49 same Luke we will see his emphasis
- 29:20to them then he said to them These are the words
- 29:23which I spoke to you while I was still with you.
- 29:26That means that before his death and his resurrection,
- 29:28he has been, these are the things that Jesus
- 29:30began to teach and to do. He began to teach and
- 29:34to demonstrate that he is a Christ because in
- 29:37the writings of the prophets, speaks of what
- 29:40the Messiah will do. Speaks, for example, now
- 29:44when John was arrested, he sent people to go
- 29:46and check if Jesus is a Messiah. And the response
- 29:49of Jesus to John is, go and tell him the miraculous
- 29:53things that you see that the blind is able to
- 29:55hear and then the whatever happened the miraculous
- 29:58signs and everything and blessed is he who is
- 30:01not offended by this that is to say if john will
- 30:06hear that these things have been done these are
- 30:08the signs that have been have been spoken about
- 30:10the messiah in the writings of the prophets these
- 30:13are some things that have been spoken of that
- 30:15will the messiah the christ will do So he said
- 30:18to them these are the words which I spoke to
- 30:21you while I was still with you That all things
- 30:24must be what you see he says he didn't come to
- 30:26what to abolish the law right all things must
- 30:29be fulfilled Which were written in the law of
- 30:33Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning
- 30:36who? concerning him concerning Jesus Christ,
- 30:40so Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection
- 30:45fulfilled those things that were said about him
- 30:48in the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament,
- 30:51what we call the Old Testament part of the scripture.
- 30:53And he opened their understanding. How did he
- 30:56open their understanding? By teaching, all right?
- 30:58By teaching, by exposition, by the help of the
- 31:00spirit and by teaching, and that they might comprehend
- 31:04the scriptures. Then he said to them, this is
- 31:06what he said, the summary of the writings. of
- 31:10the bible thus it is written where it is written
- 31:13in the scriptures right and thus it was necessary
- 31:17in the scriptures for the christ to suffer and
- 31:22to rise from the dead the third day it was necessary
- 31:26that the christ will suffer so the sufferings
- 31:29of the christ was prophesied in the writings
- 31:31of of moses the writings of the prophets in the
- 31:34psalms about jesus christ that he will suffer
- 31:39and to rise again from the dead the third day
- 31:44and that what repentance and remissions of sins
- 31:48will be preached in his name to all nations beginning
- 31:53at Jerusalem and you are witnesses of these things
- 32:00that is to say at your very own eyes you've seen
- 32:04the fulfillment of all that the prophets have
- 32:07written in all their books all that moses have
- 32:12written in all their books concerning me and
- 32:15it has been fulfilled right before your very
- 32:17own eyes so we'll see that forgiveness of sin
- 32:25is a product of what what the messiah will accomplish
- 32:31because says that it will preach in his name
- 32:34the remissions of sins will be preaching his
- 32:35name hallelujah so forgiveness of sins is a product
- 32:46of what Jesus Christ did but don't forget we
- 32:50saw in Mark 11 26 where Jesus Christ was saying
- 32:53that if you don't forgive your father will not
- 32:55forgive you so what does that mean? is that a
- 32:59contradiction? again Jesus made a statement about
- 33:05the righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes
- 33:09and the Pharisees in Matthew 16 20 Matthew 5
- 33:15rather verse 16 to 20 remember I said you should
- 33:17underline right he says something about a righteousness
- 33:21that exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees
- 33:24what does Jesus mean by this or what did he mean
- 33:28by your righteousness give me verse 20 For I
- 33:34said to you that unless your righteousness Exceeds
- 33:38the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees
- 33:41You will by no means enter the kingdom of Eve
- 33:45which means that the Pharisees and the scribes
- 33:49have a kind of righteousness Okay, they have
- 33:53a particular kind of righteousness and if you
- 33:57will enter the kingdom of heaven or if you will
- 33:59be into the family of god or if you will be born
- 34:02again you must have a righteousness that exceeds
- 34:05that of the scribes and the pharisees so there
- 34:12are two kinds of righteousness explained in the
- 34:15scriptures that which comes from doing the law
- 34:18okay now don't be confused what do we mean by
- 34:22doing the law doing the law is called It's what
- 34:27is called works, okay? And another kind of righteousness
- 34:34that comes from believing the law, what the law
- 34:36says. What is a summary of the message of the
- 34:40law? The sufferings of the Christ, okay? And
- 34:44the resulting effect that will come from that.
- 34:47That is the content of the writings of the law.
- 34:52Romans 10 verse one to four. Romans 10 verse
- 34:571 to 4 give me this text in the NLT in the NLT
- 35:02two kinds of righteousness one that comes from
- 35:05what from believing what the law says and One
- 35:10that comes from doing the works of the law Okay,
- 35:14their brothers and sisters. Look at what Paul
- 35:16is saying concerning his people Israel We're
- 35:19reading from verse 1 to 4 the longing of my heart
- 35:23My prayer to God is for the people of Israel
- 35:26to be saved. That is his desire that they will
- 35:28be saved. Why? I know that enthusiasm, what enthusiasm
- 35:34they have for God. That means that they have
- 35:36this desire for God. But it's misdirected zeal.
- 35:41Why is it misdirected? Because they don't understand
- 35:45God's way of making people right with himself.
- 35:47That is, they don't know how God makes, they
- 35:50don't understand the righteousness of God. refusing
- 35:54to accept God's way. What is God's way to make
- 35:56people right? To believe what was said about
- 36:01Jesus Christ and the law. When you believe this,
- 36:05you are met right with God. This is the righteousness
- 36:08that comes from what? From believing what the
- 36:14law says, okay? And the prophets, we can say,
- 36:17and what the prophet says, right? So for they
- 36:20don't understand God's way of making people right
- 36:22with himself, refusing to accept God's way, they
- 36:27cling to their own way of getting right with
- 36:29God. How? By trying to keep the law, which means
- 36:35that the law was not meant to be kept by them.
- 36:38Okay? It was meant to be believed. It speaks
- 36:42of what Christ will do. In it, there are teachings
- 36:45concerning what Christ will do, and their response
- 36:47should be that they believe what Christ will
- 36:49do. Hallelujah. It therefore means that God's
- 36:53plan from the beginning was faith. Very important.
- 36:56For Christ has already accomplished the purpose
- 37:01for which the law was given. So Christ has fulfilled
- 37:05the law. Okay? Christ has fulfilled the law.
- 37:09He has accomplished the purpose for which the
- 37:11law was given. As a result, all who believe in
- 37:15him are made right with God. So When you try
- 37:19to do the law, you are doing what we call works,
- 37:22and it's a kind of righteousness apart from the
- 37:25righteousness that comes from God, which is actually
- 37:27to believe in what the law says concerning what
- 37:30Christ will achieve for us. Hallelujah. So the
- 37:34righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and
- 37:37the Pharisees will be referring to that which
- 37:40is of faith. Okay. Exceeding doesn't mean that
- 37:44you have to do more than what they, because sometimes
- 37:46we think that, oh, If the Father sees, give 10
- 37:49,000 in the offerings, we have to give 20 ,000.
- 37:51No, no, no. He's saying that this is their own
- 37:54kind of righteousness. These are the kind of
- 37:57way, what they do to make themselves right. Yours
- 38:02must be different because the kind of righteousness
- 38:04that makes you come into the kingdom of heaven
- 38:06is by faith. So their own kind of righteousness
- 38:10will not bring you into what? Into the kingdom
- 38:13of God. So the righteousness as I said exceeding
- 38:18that of the scraps and fathers who will be referring
- 38:20to that which is of faith That is believing the
- 38:24message written in the law and the prophets concerning
- 38:27the Christ This is a righteousness which a man
- 38:32enters into the kingdom of heaven So by now we
- 38:36can see evidently that all along right God's
- 38:40plan all along is faith God's plan all along
- 38:45is faith. God's plan and purpose for man is true
- 38:50faith. So why did Jesus make the statement in
- 38:53Mark 11 26? Okay, it is important to note that
- 38:59not everything written by Moses in the law was
- 39:03the will of God. Now write this exactly the way
- 39:06I said it. Don't paraphrase it. If you paraphrase
- 39:09it, it will mean something else. It is important
- 39:13to note That not everything written by Moses
- 39:16in the law was the will of God All right, now
- 39:23let's see some things that were in the law of
- 39:25Moses that were not the will of God For example,
- 39:28now let's go about that same Matthew chapter
- 39:295. We'll see something Matthew chapter 5 Because
- 39:37Moses wrote many things right Some things were
- 39:43concerning the Christ and we will see that some
- 39:46things were not actually about the Christ and
- 39:48why were those things there? Matthew chapter
- 39:505 from verse, let's see verse 20 Yes Let's even
- 39:59say verse 21 This is just speaking. It says you
- 40:03have heard that it was said to those of old You
- 40:07shall not murder and whoever murders will be
- 40:10in danger of judgment Who said this? It was said
- 40:14in the documentation of the laws and the prophets,
- 40:16right? You shall not murder. But I say to you
- 40:20that whoever is angry with his brother without
- 40:24a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And
- 40:28whoever says to his brother, Raka, shall be in
- 40:31danger of the council. But whoever says to you,
- 40:34says you fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
- 40:39Therefore, if you bring gifts to the altar, Yes,
- 40:45let's just jump down to verse also verse 27.
- 40:48You see also he make another statement you have
- 40:51heard It was said to those of old verse 27 You
- 40:55shall not commit adultery who said and where
- 40:58was he said in the laws, right? You've heard
- 41:00that it was said to a seat But I now say to you
- 41:04that whatsoever whosoever looks at a woman To
- 41:07lust for her has already committed adultery with
- 41:10her in his heart. It seems as though Jesus Christ
- 41:15Is raising the bar All right, this was what was
- 41:20said And I can tell you that this will not be
- 41:25speaking to a man that is kind of Amen Now let's
- 41:32look at another one verse 31 It has been said
- 41:39whoever divorces his wife let him give her a
- 41:43certificate of divorce Okay, whoever divorces
- 41:47his wife let him give her a certificate of divorce.
- 41:50So who said that Whoever divorces wife must give
- 41:55a certificate of divorce room, of course Moses
- 41:57right in the laws But I say to you whoever and
- 42:03you know, they divorce for whatever reason Okay.
- 42:07Now look at what Jesus will say, but I say to
- 42:10you whoever divorces his wife for any reason
- 42:13except sexual immorality causes her to commit
- 42:16adultery and whoever marries a woman who is divorced
- 42:21commits adultery hallelujah so we can see it
- 42:24seems to be like a contrast of what moses wrote
- 42:27in the law and what jesus is now saying now why
- 42:34are there these additions or why are there these
- 42:38explanations in the law of moses Because in Matthew
- 42:42chapter 19 verse 7 we see the Pharisees later
- 42:45on come to ask him if you've been teaching us
- 42:47all these things why then did Moses ask us to
- 42:50give what? To give the letter of divorce Matthew
- 42:5519 verse 7 to 8 They said to him why then did
- 42:59Moses command to give a certificate of divorce
- 43:02and put away and put her away Now look at the
- 43:06response of Jesus. He said to them Why did Moses
- 43:10say that they should give certificate of divorce
- 43:13because of the hardness of your heart Permitted
- 43:18so there was a permission. Okay that Moses gave
- 43:21to them when he was writing that They should
- 43:25divorce their wives But from the beginning What
- 43:30happened was the will of God it was not in the
- 43:32plan of God Okay, so divorce was not in the plan
- 43:36of God but in the law as written by Moses there
- 43:39is a provision for divorce so why? it says because
- 43:43of the hardness of your heart because of the
- 43:46condition of your heart Moses permitted so so
- 43:52you see so there is a permission that was granted
- 43:55in the writings of Moses that was not meant to
- 43:59be there but because of the disobedience we see
- 44:02for example in Galatians 3 verse 19 He called
- 44:05it because of transgression, the unbelief of
- 44:07the people. Galatians chapter 3 verse 19. What
- 44:12purpose then does the law serve? It was added
- 44:16because of transgressions till the sea shall
- 44:19come to whom the promise was made and it was
- 44:21appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
- 44:24How it was received, hallelujah. So there were
- 44:28additions, all right? There were, will I say
- 44:31additions? shall I say injunctions, shall I say
- 44:34provisions, shall I say permissions because of
- 44:38what? Because of the disobedience of the people.
- 44:40Pastor was teaching us in the series concerning
- 44:42women's liberty that if Moses didn't allow them
- 44:48to divorce maybe there will be so much abuse
- 44:50because these people are so they're so obstinate
- 44:53in their heart and he created allowance and that
- 44:57was that is not the will of God all right Divorce
- 45:01is not the will of God Hallelujah So we see that
- 45:05Moses gave that permission because of the heart
- 45:08condition of the people He permitted them to
- 45:11do so So in the four gospels we will see that
- 45:14forgiveness of sins is attached to what man does
- 45:16because you see There were provisions in the
- 45:21law because of unbelief of the people because
- 45:25of their unwillingness to believe What God have
- 45:30said concerning Jesus Christ concerning the promise
- 45:34Therefore giving room for what what? the performance,
- 45:38okay But after redemption because we are trying
- 45:44to look at why would Jesus say Give that injunction
- 45:47of you forgive so that you be forgiving and we
- 45:50are explaining that it is under a system and
- 45:53it's a system of unbelief Hallelujah, and that's
- 45:56the same of unbelief is dependent on what men
- 45:58do Are we together? But that is not the will
- 46:01of God. Because the will of God we've seen consistently
- 46:04right from the beginning. Because even God was
- 46:06dealing with Abraham that was around before the
- 46:09law by faith. Amen? So the introduction of the
- 46:14permissions is because of the disobedience of
- 46:17the people. Because they rejected the faith.
- 46:21They rejected the message that they heard concerning
- 46:25the promise of God that they were meant to believe.
- 46:29upon hallelujah But after redemption We see that
- 46:35forgiveness of sins is a gift receive of God
- 46:40from God through faith It says if it's a gift
- 46:45we receive from God through faith officials of
- 46:48the one verse six to eight We'll talk about You
- 46:52know the redemption by his blood the forgiveness
- 46:55of sins to the praise of the glory of his grace
- 46:58by which he made us accepted in the beloved in
- 47:05him we have redemption through his blood so redemption
- 47:09the forgiveness of sins is not by what we do
- 47:14but by what christ has done according to the
- 47:18riches of his grace which he made to abound towards
- 47:22us in all wisdom and prudence verse 9 On what?
- 47:57On works. It's not anchored on what anyone will
- 48:00do but it's anchored on what God will do in Christ.
- 48:04So God's plan and God's purpose consistently
- 48:07right from the inception was faith. Right from
- 48:11inception was what? Was faith from the beginning.
- 48:14Hallelujah. So we now can forgive Ephesians 4
- 48:25verse 32 we forgive because we have been forgiven
- 48:28okay we forgive because God has forgiven us and
- 48:33be kind to one another tender -hearted forgiving
- 48:37one another even as what even as God in Christ
- 48:41forgave you so our forgiveness towards one another
- 48:45is not because we are looking forward to God's
- 48:48forgiveness no we forgive because God in Christ
- 48:52has forgiven us hallelujah and we receive that
- 48:55as a gift we receive that as a result of what
- 48:59believing in what he has done and we've received
- 49:02that forgiveness hallelujah so now our works
- 49:05and the work we do is by faith all that encompasses
- 49:10the work of the ministry all that encompasses
- 49:13the way we lead our lives in the flesh the bible
- 49:17will say that the life i live now in the flesh
- 49:19how do i live it i live it by the faith of the
- 49:22son of god I live it by the faith of the Son
- 49:26of God. I live it by what? By the provision of
- 49:31God. By the Spirit of God. So we work out our
- 49:40salvation in Philippians 2 verse 12 to 13. As
- 49:44I close, Philippians 2 verse 12 to 13. Therefore,
- 49:51my beloved, as you have always obeyed, Not as
- 49:54in my presence only but now much more in my absence
- 49:57Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling
- 50:02now when we stop here We think as if we are trying
- 50:04to create a way another kind of a salvation.
- 50:07No Is to bring to bear what has been done in
- 50:13us All right, because the next verse will explain
- 50:18the previous verse for us for it is God who what
- 50:20who works in you but to will and to do of his
- 50:25good pleasure. Hallelujah. So walking out salvation
- 50:29is actually bringing forth what God has done.
- 50:34Bringing to, you know, existence or rather to
- 50:39manifestation that which God has done in us.
- 50:43What has he done for us in salvation? He has
- 50:45given us his spirit. Hallelujah. So we manifest
- 50:49what God has done for us. Walking out the salvation
- 50:52will include Working in all that God has done
- 50:54for us in salvation has given us a spirit has
- 50:57given us his ability has given us You know the
- 51:00ns of his spirit in us. We have the ability to
- 51:03love people We have the ability to forgive people.
- 51:05We have the ability to pray for people We have
- 51:07the ability to preach the gospel. We have the
- 51:09ability to receive word for people we have the
- 51:13ability to To do the work of ministry by the
- 51:17spirit of God Because it is by faith that we've
- 51:21received this hallelujah And the work of ministry
- 51:24is anchored continuously on the finished work
- 51:27of Christ So my desire is that as you leave this
- 51:31place in your heart You live with a picture of
- 51:35yourself having all the necessary empowerment
- 51:38That you have all it takes by the Spirit of God
- 51:42as you continue in knowing the things that God
- 51:46has done That you only keep discovering more
- 51:50and more that which God has done in you And as
- 51:53you discover you begin to manifest it daily in
- 51:55your lives I want you to begin to pray for yourself
- 51:58that daily as you live your life that your life
- 52:01becomes a manifestation of the goodness of God
- 52:03We appreciate you being here today. We hope you
- 52:08carry this word with you throughout your week
- 52:11Don't forget to check the show notes for additional
- 52:13insights Stay connected with us through our website
- 52:17or follow us on social media if you were encouraged
- 52:21Share this message with someone you care about.
- 52:24Until next time, stay blessed.