Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / Manifesting the Kingdom of God pt. 7

Transcript

Manifesting the Kingdom of God pt. 7 · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

0:01
Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
0:06
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
0:09
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
0:13
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
0:17
right in. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you,
0:23
Father. Thank you, Lord. So I receive revelation.
0:29
I receive revelation of your word. I walk by
0:33
revelation. My eyes are open. Your word is revealed
0:37
to me. And I walk by the power of your word.
0:40
Your name is exalted. The name is exalted. By
0:45
the entrance of your word, I receive understanding.
0:47
I receive liberty. And I live by the power of
0:52
your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Hallelujah.
0:57
Let's have our seats. I hope you can hear me
1:01
well. Can you all hear me? All right. And oftentimes
1:07
when we read the Bible and we see different miracles
1:13
that Jesus performed, it amazes us. We see the
1:21
power of God at work in healing the sick. We
1:25
see the power of God at work. In making the blind
1:31
see, the lame walk, the dead reason from the
1:40
dead. And one of the important miracles that
1:44
we don't really put to consideration is Jesus
1:47
speaking to 5 ,000 without a microphone. And
1:54
they will see, hear him, understand him. Hallelujah.
2:00
So I just want you to be attentive, okay? And
2:05
pay attention to what we're doing. And I want
2:13
to encourage you to keep praying for the church,
2:16
all right? That we will have a much more conducive
2:22
environment and that we can utilize our facilities
2:26
at all times. And then worship God effectively.
2:31
Hallelujah. Matthew 16. Matthew 16 from verse
2:38
18. Let me read from verse 18. I'll read verse
2:43
18 and verse 19 together. And I also say to you,
2:51
Simon Barajas. Okay. And I also say to you that
2:56
you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build
2:59
my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
3:05
against it. And I will give you the keys. Look
3:11
at verse 18 attentively, verse 19 carefully.
3:14
It says, and I will give you the key of what?
3:19
Let's read verse 19 together. All of us, let's
3:22
look at the screen and read it together. One,
3:24
two, go. and I will give you the keys of the
3:27
kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth
3:31
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose
3:34
on earth will be loosed in heaven. Hallelujah.
3:38
Now, on Sunday, we established two important
3:42
fundamental things that I said will help us as
3:46
we continue our study on the kingdom of God,
3:50
of course, which we also refer to as the kingdom
3:53
of heaven. And we said, we look at two things.
3:57
And what are those two things? The foundation
4:00
of the world and what? And the end of the age
4:05
or what we call the end of the world. All right.
4:09
And we said, God began a project from when? From
4:13
the foundation of the world. God began a work
4:15
from the foundation of the world. And we say
4:19
that the foundation of the world refers to which
4:21
part of scripture? From Genesis, right? We'll
4:24
begin to see the plan of God. We'll begin to
4:26
see the purpose of God. We'll begin to see the
4:28
activity that God began. All right? And then
4:33
this work that God began will be completed or
4:38
will be brought to its conclusion at the end
4:42
of the age or at the end of the world. The completion
4:46
of God's work at the end of the world. Hallelujah.
4:50
And we say that the end of the world is not what?
4:53
It's not meaning that the earth that we are,
4:55
the physical earth we are, will be destroyed.
4:58
As seen in Matthew 24, you know, the questions
5:01
that the disciples were asking Jesus Christ,
5:04
you know, when will the end of the age be? And
5:08
we study contextually and we say that this is
5:11
not referring to the destruction of the world
5:13
as normally discussed from that particular passage.
5:18
So we also mention again on Sunday that there
5:21
is a concept in scripture. And what's that concept
5:23
that is consistent through our scripture? The
5:26
idea of building, right? The idea of construction,
5:30
the idea of building. And then we say that the
5:34
foundation is in Genesis. And the end of this
5:38
building is what we will call the end of the
5:41
world. Therefore, we concluded that the end of
5:45
the world has a positive word connotation. and
5:49
not a negative one. So when we say the end of
5:51
the world, it's not something that we should
5:53
be scared of. Isn't it? When we say the end of
5:57
the world, it's not something that should terrify
5:59
the believer because we understand what that
6:01
is. It is about the work that God is doing on
6:05
the face of the earth. So it would be wrong to
6:08
associate this with the destruction of the world.
6:12
Hallelujah. Now I want us to continue on our
6:15
story of the kingdom of God. Let's turn to Mark
6:19
chapter 11. A passage I think Brother read for
6:24
us earlier on in John. Yes, John. Is it John
6:30
or Mark? John chapter 2. Well, let's read from
6:32
Mark and we'll come to that one. Mark chapter
6:34
11. Mark chapter 11. From verse 15. Mark chapter
6:43
11. From verse 15. Mark 11. from verse 15 to
6:49
19. So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went
6:53
into the temple and began to drive out those
6:56
who bought and sold in the temple and overturned
7:01
the tables of the money changers and the seats
7:05
of those who sold doves. And he would not allow
7:09
anyone to carry wares throughout the temple.
7:13
Then he taught to them, saying, Is it not written,
7:18
My Father's house shall be called a house of
7:22
prayer for all nations? But you have made it
7:27
a den of thieves. And the scribes and the chief
7:31
priests heard it and sought how they might destroy
7:34
him. For they feared him, because all the people
7:38
were astonished at the teaching. Verse 19. When
7:43
Eve had come, he went out of the city. Hallelujah.
7:47
Now, whenever we read this part of the scripture,
7:49
what really draws our attention is the activity
7:53
of Jesus Christ. That he made a whip, a court,
7:57
and then when we watch the movie, most of the
8:01
movies we watch, what was the name of this movie?
8:04
Passion of Christ, right? The Passion of Christ
8:07
and many of them. We see how Jesus was flogging
8:10
people out of the temple and the drama is focused
8:15
on Jesus. flogging people and, you know, overturning
8:19
the table of the money changers and scattering
8:21
places and making things happen. But there's
8:28
more to it than this. Hallelujah. So now, why
8:32
was they buying and selling the temple? That's
8:34
the first thing we should ask ourselves. Why
8:36
was they buying and selling the temple? Why was
8:40
they buying and selling the temple? Was they
8:42
buying and selling something bad or evil? that
8:45
Jesus had to come and then flog them out because
8:48
they were buying and selling in his house. Amen?
8:52
Now, we can only speculate, all right, that there
8:58
were some shady deals happening in the temple
9:00
because the scripture did not clearly put it
9:03
for us in that context. So oftentimes, people
9:06
will say, oh, these people were doing some dirty
9:09
deals, you know. Or they've turned the house
9:13
of God, instead of people where people come and
9:15
pray, they've turned it into transaction, a business
9:18
center. Now it is essential to note that various
9:22
types of animals, because we see the table that
9:25
was scattered, right? Various types of animals,
9:30
oxen, sheep and doves were sold in the temple
9:33
for those who required them for the sacrifice
9:36
mandated by the Lord of Moses. So the temple
9:40
worship, comprises sacrifice of animals. Okay?
9:47
Sometimes they sacrifice doves, sheep, and oxen.
9:54
So Jews who travel from far and wide wouldn't
9:58
need to carry animals on their journey because
10:00
Jews were scattered all around the world. So
10:03
imagine the Jews in, let's say Jews in Africa,
10:06
Ethiopia, as an example now. If they are traveling
10:08
for temple sacrifice, if they are traveling maybe
10:11
to Israel to go and worship in the temple, they
10:15
don't need to carry animals from where they are
10:16
coming from, to the temple. Hallelujah. They
10:20
knew that when they arrive, there will be provision.
10:23
All right? And they will have supply for what
10:26
they will use for the sacrifice. So they don't
10:30
need to carry, you know, animals alongside with
10:33
them. He said, they will bring the money from
10:35
wherever they are coming from. and exchange it
10:38
and buy the required animals for the sacrifice
10:41
with the specified, you know, specifications.
10:44
Because, you know, there is specification to
10:47
the kind of animals you sacrifice. When you read
10:49
through Deuteronomy, through all the testimony,
10:51
you see the specification of the kind of animals
10:55
that should be sacrificed in the worship in the
10:58
temple. So obviously, when you come to the temple,
11:00
you find this available. And what you do is that
11:03
you... Come with the money from wherever you're
11:05
coming from and there's exchange that happened.
11:08
Some of you do money exchange. They'll exchange
11:10
the money for the currency and then they'll get
11:12
the animals and then they'll do the temple activity
11:17
they need to do. Hallelujah. So it is important
11:23
to note that the action Jesus took, the action
11:26
that Jesus took was an illustration of a teaching
11:30
he gave in the temple. Okay, what action are
11:33
we talking about? The action of the overturning
11:37
of the table of the money exchangers and the
11:41
dust ceiling in the temple was an illustration.
11:46
It is an illustration of the teaching. Did Jesus
11:49
teach in the temple? Verse 17. Give me verse
11:51
17. Let's look at verse 17. Let's look at verse
11:56
17. Then he taught. So it means that Jesus did
11:59
not only come into the temple and scatter their
12:01
table and walk away. Right? There was something
12:05
that Jesus did in the temple. And it was a teaching
12:08
ministry. We will look at it from other rendition
12:11
of it in other gospels that it was a days long
12:14
activity. Then he taught saying, he taught, he
12:18
taught. Amen? This is it. This is the subject
12:20
of his teaching for all those days. This is the
12:23
subject of his teaching for those days. as he
12:26
overturned the table of the money exchangers
12:28
and those that sold in the temple, saying to
12:30
them, is it not written that my house, whose
12:34
house? My house shall be called a house of prayer
12:38
for how many nations? For all nations. Okay?
12:43
But you have made it a den of thieves. So Jesus
12:49
taught in the temple. There was a teaching that
12:51
happened in the temple. Now let's read from other
12:54
accounts to get a complete picture of what happened
12:57
in the temple. Matthew 21 verse 12. Matthew 21
13:01
verse 12 to 17. Then Jesus went into the temple
13:09
of God and drove out all in the temple who sold
13:14
in the temple and overtook the table of the money
13:17
changers. Help me now. What I do? Which verse
13:29
are we? Verse 13. And he said to them, it is
13:34
written, my house shall be called a house of
13:37
prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves.
13:41
Then the blind, look at what happened again.
13:43
Not what happened in the temple. We didn't see
13:45
this in Mark, right? So it's only teaching that
13:47
happened in the temple. What happened again?
13:49
Then the blind, okay? And the lame came to him
13:53
in the temple. The blind and the lame came to
13:57
him in the temple. Note carefully that in the
14:00
temple that was established, the blind and the
14:04
lame were not permitted to come into the temple
14:06
by law. Are we together? But now we see the blind
14:12
and the lame came to him in the temple. And what
14:15
did he do? He healed them. So we see Jesus taught
14:19
and Jesus healed. All right, verse 15. But when
14:23
the chief priest and the scribe saw the wonderful
14:26
things that he did, and the children crying out
14:30
in the temple, which means that there were children
14:31
in the temple, of course, Hosanna to the son
14:35
of David. They called Jesus the son of David.
14:37
Was Jesus the son of David? He was the son of
14:40
Joseph. But they were able to see him from the
14:44
light of the scriptures that he is the son of
14:47
David. Hallelujah. He has taught based on the
14:51
teaching he has done. Okay. Hosanna to the son
14:54
of David. They were indignant. Who was indignant?
14:58
The Pharisees, right? And he said to him, do
15:02
you hear what these are saying? And Jesus said
15:05
to them, yes. Have you never read out of the
15:08
mouth of babes and nosy infants? You have perfected
15:12
praise. Verse 17. Then he left them and went
15:17
out of the city to Bethany. And he lodged there.
15:20
So from Mark, we didn't see his destination,
15:24
but here we could see additional information,
15:26
giving us a complete picture of what happened
15:29
there. Hallelujah. So what do we see more? Jesus
15:32
healed the blind and the lame in the temple.
15:35
Now Luke chapter 19, verse 45. Luke chapter 19,
15:41
verse 45 to 48. 19 verse 45. Luke chapter 19
15:55
verse 45 to 48. Then he went into the temple
16:01
and began to drive out those who bought and sold
16:03
in it, saying to them, It is written, My house
16:07
is a house of prayer, but you have made it a
16:11
den of thieves. And he was teaching. He was what?
16:17
How was he teaching? We see another additional
16:20
information. He was teaching daily in the temple.
16:25
Context, full picture. He was teaching daily
16:28
in the temple. But the chief priest, the scribes,
16:32
and the leaders of the people sought to destroy
16:34
him. Verse 48, the last one here. And were unable
16:37
to do so, to do anything. For all the people
16:41
were what? Were very attentive to him. Hallelujah.
16:46
So we will understand from verse 47. Jesus was
16:49
what? Spent some days in the temple teaching.
16:53
Alright? Now, John chapter 2, verse 13 to 22.
17:00
John chapter 2, verse 13 to 22, where we prayed
17:04
about zeal. Alright? Now the Passover of the
17:07
Jews was at hand. So now, this passage gave us
17:11
the time that that happened. close to the Passover.
17:19
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand and
17:22
Jesus went up to Jerusalem and he found in the
17:26
temple those who sold. So the reason why he said
17:28
Passover was because the Passover usually is
17:31
a big occasion, right? Where we have a lot of
17:33
people travel to celebrate it. Very important.
17:36
And he found in the temple those who sold oxen
17:39
and sheep and doves and the money changers doing
17:41
business. When he had made a whip of court, now
17:46
we have a picture of how he did it. In Nigeria,
17:50
we call it koboko. I don't know what you call
17:55
it in Liberia or in Zimbabwe or in Kenya. There's
18:01
a special whip or a cane they use in beating
18:05
thieves. And sometimes they hang it in our homes.
18:09
And if you are not behaving, it will be used
18:11
on you. So when he had made a whip of coats,
18:14
he drove them all out of the temple with the
18:18
sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers'
18:26
money and overturned the tables. And he said
18:31
to those who sold doves, take these things away.
18:35
Do not make my father's house a house of what
18:37
merchandise. Then his disciples remembered. What
18:41
did they remember? It was written, zeal for what?
18:46
Underline house. Zeal for your house has eaten
18:50
me up. So the Jews answered and said to him,
18:53
what sign do you, remember the context that has
18:58
been teaching, that has been teaching, and they
19:01
understood what he was teaching. All right? So
19:04
the Jews answered and said to him, what sign
19:06
do you show us since you do these things? Which
19:09
things? The healing and all that happened there,
19:13
the teaching and everything. And then the illustration
19:19
of the scattering of the table and then the chasing
19:24
out of the money changers and the sheep. Jesus
19:27
answers and said to them, destroy this what?
19:30
This temple. Which temple? And in two days I
19:36
will raise it up. Right? Then the Jew said, it
19:41
has taken 46 years to build this temple. How
19:45
will you raise it up in three days? But he was
19:49
speaking of what? Of the temple of his body.
19:54
Okay? Therefore, when he had risen from the dead,
19:58
his disciples remembered what he had said this,
20:02
that he had said this to them. And they believed
20:05
the scripture. What did they believe? The word
20:08
of Jesus or the scriptures? They believed the
20:12
scriptures because Jesus was speaking from the
20:15
scriptures. They believed the scriptures and
20:18
the word which Jesus had said. Hallelujah. So
20:23
declaring of a temple of sellers, of oxen, sheep
20:27
and dove is Jesus declaring the fulfillment of
20:32
prophecy. Okay? Jesus is declaring a fulfillment
20:37
of prophecy. And we're going to see what a prophecy
20:40
is. The system of animal sacrifice will come
20:44
to an end. That was what Jesus was declaring.
20:48
That a system of animal sacrifices, the system
20:52
of slaughtering, doves, sheep and oxen for the
20:55
sake of, you know, sacrificing to God for sins
20:59
will end, will be over. Jesus was illustrating
21:04
his teaching by clearing the table of the martyrs,
21:07
declaring that there will be no need for this
21:10
sacrifice. Hallelujah. Also, healing of a sick
21:16
is an illustration of the forgiveness of sins.
21:21
The lame and the blind coming into the temple
21:24
is counter -cultural. I said earlier on that
21:27
they were not permitted to come into the temple.
21:31
But we see Jesus always goes against culture
21:34
and enforcing the culture that God desires to
21:38
see manifest. Hallelujah. So Jesus is teaching
21:43
that in the new system of worship, there's no
21:46
barrier. Okay? There's no barrier. Now let us
21:52
consider the text. Let's go and study the text,
21:55
the sermon, the text to which Jesus was teaching
21:57
from. Isaiah 56. From verse 1. Isaiah 56 from
22:08
verse 1. We read from verse 1 to verse 8. Thus
22:13
says the Lord, keep justice and do righteousness.
22:19
For my salvation is about to come and my righteousness
22:24
to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this.
22:30
And a son of man who lays hold on it, who keeps
22:33
from defiling the Sabbath and keeps his hand
22:38
from doing any evil. Do not let the son of the
22:42
foreigner. Do not let the son of who? Of the
22:47
foreigner. Who is this foreigner? Who has joined
22:50
himself to the Lord. Speak. Say. Now the foreigner
22:53
will mean someone that is not Jewish. Alright?
22:57
The foreigner will mean someone that is not part
22:59
of the nation of Israel. Do not let the son of
23:03
the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord
23:06
speak saying, the Lord has utterly separated
23:11
me from his people. Nor let the Enoch say, here
23:14
I am, a dry tree. For thus says the Lord to the
23:19
Enoch who keep my Sabbath and choose what pleases
23:22
me and hold fast my covenant. Even to them I
23:26
will give. In my house. Even to them I will give
23:30
what? In my house and within my walls, house.
23:35
See, most of the scriptures we keep reading,
23:37
you see temple, house, building. Take note, alright?
23:41
Very important. Even though to them I will give
23:43
in my house and with my walls a place and a name
23:48
better than that of sons and daughters. I will
23:52
give them an everlasting name that shall not
23:55
be cut off. Also, the sons of the foreigner.
23:59
Remember the foreigner? Who is the foreigner?
24:02
A non -Jew, right? Who joins himself to the Lord
24:05
to serve him, which means that the foreigner
24:08
has decided, has become part of the nation of
24:14
Israel, isn't it? To serve the Lord. To serve
24:16
him and to love the name of the Lord. To be his
24:21
servants. Everyone who keeps from defiling the
24:24
Sabbath. And hold fast my covenant. Even them
24:31
I will bring to my holy mountain. Mountain? Mountain?
24:35
And make them joyful in my what? In my house
24:39
of prayer. House of prayer. And make them joyful
24:43
in my house of prayer. Their bond of friends
24:46
and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar
24:50
for my house of what? Familiar? Is familiar?
24:54
For my house, O Lord, shall be called a house
24:59
of prayer for how many nations? So what will
25:03
all these nations encapsulate? What is all nations?
25:08
Jew and non -Jew alike. All nations means humanity.
25:13
It means all people. Hallelujah. My house shall
25:18
be a house of prayer for who? For all nations.
25:22
Verse 8. The Lord God who gathers the archers
25:26
of Israel, the archers of Israel, those who are
25:28
not part of Israel, says, yet I will gather to
25:31
him others. Who are these others? Others beside
25:35
those who are gathered to him. Hallelujah. So
25:40
God's plan is for who? It's for all nations.
25:43
Amen. That all nations will be part of this worship.
25:48
That these all nations will come into the house
25:50
of the Lord, which is a house of prayer. for
25:53
all nations. So we consider, according to the
25:56
prophecy that Jesus was teaching from, the house
25:59
of prayer is for all people. Not just Israel.
26:04
It includes the foreigner. Amen? And the prophecy
26:08
brings all nations into God's house. So God's
26:12
house is for all nations. It's for all men. It's
26:18
for all people. Nations means what? It means
26:21
people. Let's go back a bit. Isaiah chapter 2.
26:24
Isaiah chapter 2. I mean, in this short, this
26:27
one will be familiar to us. Isaiah chapter 2,
26:30
verse 1 to 3. The word that Isaiah, the son of
26:37
Amos, so concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now
26:41
it shall come to pass in the latter days. Amen.
26:45
What latter days? Latter days. It's a time and
26:49
season in scripture. Amen. There's another scripture
26:53
that talks about latter days. The latter house,
26:56
right, shall be what? Shall be greater. Latter
27:00
house, latter days. Latter days that the mountain
27:04
of the Lord's house, the mountain of the Lord's
27:08
house, shall what? Be established on what? On
27:13
the top of the mountains. On the top of the mountains.
27:20
and shall be exalted above the hill. And how
27:25
many nations? All nations shall flow to it. From
27:30
all over the world, all nations shall flow to
27:31
it. Many people shall come and say, come, let
27:37
us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the
27:39
house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his
27:43
ways and we shall walk in his paths. For out
27:48
of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of
27:51
the Lord from Jerusalem. Hallelujah. So all nations
27:57
shall flow to the house of God. The house of
28:01
God will be constituted of people from where?
28:05
From every tribe. From every race. Okay? From
28:11
every tongue. Alright? From every gender. And
28:17
etc. Hallelujah. Male and female, that's what
28:20
I mean. Don't misquote me. Now let us ask, can
28:25
a fiscal house or a temple carry people from
28:28
all nations? Is there a building ever in history
28:34
that can carry all nations in one place? It's
28:42
impossible. Even the one that Solomon built.
28:46
All nations cannot enter it. Even the one that
28:50
the Jews, the disciples, they were asking Jesus,
28:53
where will the destruction happen? Even that
28:57
one cannot carry all nations. Hallelujah. So
29:01
it will mean that this house is not something
29:03
physical. Alright? It's not a physical temple.
29:07
It's not a physical house. Are we together? It's
29:11
not something material. Therefore, it means that
29:16
the customs, from where we read earlier on, that
29:19
the customs of animal sacrifice in a physical
29:25
temple will come to an end and a new system will
29:30
be instituted. That is what Jesus was teaching
29:34
in the temple. Hallelujah. Do you know that the
29:38
evil Solomon, when he dueled the temple, let's
29:39
turn to 1 Kings 8 verse 27. Solomon, even when
29:44
he built the temple, he was the first person
29:46
to build the temple, right? Was he the one that
29:49
established the temple? Who started the work
29:52
of the temple? It was David, right? David mobilized
29:57
resources. David prepared for the work. And God
30:01
said, no, no, no, you can't build a temple. You
30:03
can't build a temple. Why? Because you've done
30:07
so many things that your hand carry. He has done
30:13
so many wars. Let's look at Solomon who built
30:17
the temple. He said this at the dedication of
30:21
the temple. He said, but will God indeed dwell
30:23
on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of
30:27
the heavens cannot contain you. Amen. How much
30:32
less this what? This temple which I have built.
30:37
So what he's trying to say that God cannot, God
30:39
will not even live in that temple. Amen? What
30:44
he's saying is that God will not live in that
30:46
physical temple. It's just an illustration of
30:51
the real thing that God is doing. Hallelujah.
30:56
Amen? So the physical temple was meant to be
30:59
an illustration and not the eternal structure
31:02
and not the permanent one. It's not the real
31:06
thing. That is why Jesus would say this thing
31:07
will go down. Amen? This that you see that you've
31:12
adorned, that you turn it into a ritual house.
31:14
First of all, it will be desecrated. Daniel will
31:18
say that the solution that bring what? Am I saying
31:21
the right thing? He prophesied of a destruction
31:24
and Jesus came and then he said it in Matthew
31:25
24. Hallelujah. So the plan is that the sacrifice
31:31
in that temple will end. Hallelujah. So in John
31:37
chapter 2, verse 18 to 22. The Jews asked Jesus
31:41
for a sign. For what? What is a sign that they
31:44
were asking for? They were asking for a sign
31:47
for when the prophecy of Isaiah, which Jesus
31:50
was teaching from, will come to pass. Now note,
31:54
a sign refers to what? It refers to something
31:57
that points to an event. Amen? A sign refers
32:02
to something that points to an event. The sign
32:06
is not the event itself. Okay? For example, now
32:11
you're entering here with Nigeria, you see one
32:13
big billboard. And you see an arrow pointing
32:17
to where the gate is. When you stand by the gate,
32:21
by that billboard, you are not at the university.
32:24
That billboard is to point you to where the university
32:27
is, right? Which means that the university is
32:29
close by. If you look around, you'll see it.
32:31
So a sign is a pointer to the main event. So
32:38
Jesus said, destroy this temple. So which temple
32:40
was he talking about? A physical temple? Listen,
32:45
there is physical temple, okay? You must know
32:49
which temple Jesus is speaking at every point
32:50
in time. Now, destroy this temple is referring
32:54
to what? It is referring to his body. Okay? Now,
32:59
you cannot say anyway, see temple, it means the
33:00
body of Christ. No. Context is important too.
33:06
Finding meaning towards the scripture. Okay.
33:09
So. Destroy this temple. And what? And I'll raise
33:14
it up in three days. Now he was not referring
33:16
to the physical temple as I said. But rather
33:18
to his body. Meaning that he was referencing
33:22
his death. Okay. So there's time. For what? For
33:29
what will happen. Is his death. Okay. His burial.
33:33
And his resurrection. When he dies. And he rises
33:37
again, which will usher in a new system of worship.
33:42
They ask him, show us a sign that this thing
33:44
will happen, that this will end. He says, destroy
33:48
this body, this temple, and I will rise it again.
33:52
I will raise it again. And this becomes the point
33:57
to which the new system of worship, a new temple,
34:01
a new house, More glorious and more permanent
34:05
than this that is physical will be established.
34:09
Hallelujah. Now the Father's house is not a physical
34:14
structure, right? The temple, we refer it to
34:18
the temple, we refer it to the Father's house,
34:20
right? It's not a physical structure. But it
34:23
is what? It is people. Okay? It is people. It
34:32
is people. John chapter 14. John chapter 14,
34:38
verse 1 to 4. All right. Let not your heart be
34:46
troubled. You believe in God, believe also in
34:50
me. In my Father's house. What house are we talking
34:54
about here? We begin to understand what that
34:56
house is, right? In my Father's house are many
35:00
mansions. If it were not so, I would have told
35:04
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if
35:12
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
35:15
again and receive you to myself. The way I am,
35:19
there you may be also. Amen. If you are new or
35:25
you are just coming this semester, we have agreed
35:27
before you came as a church. that this place,
35:33
okay, it's not talking about heaven in the sense
35:37
that there are mansions and houses in heaven.
35:40
There is no Range Rover in heaven. There is no
35:45
flats in heaven. Why are we, how did you come
35:52
to this conclusion that this is not talking about
35:55
buildings? First of all, we say that, he said,
36:00
in my father's word, My father's house. We say
36:03
that even by just reading it, it's not logical.
36:05
How can a mansion, you know what a mansion is?
36:08
Think of, what is a mansion? Your presidential
36:12
villa, maybe from Kenya. What do they call the
36:14
name? State house. State house. It's a name they
36:19
call it. They put it at somebody's name, they
36:21
use name in it. People don't want to speak. In
36:26
Nigeria, they call it Asa Rock. Right? In America,
36:30
they call it the wife house. They don't like
36:33
Ruth too. But they voted him. Amen. So that's
36:40
just by the way. Imagine in a house, it's a white
36:45
house, a mansion in a house. Was it fitting?
36:49
So first of all, by reading the English, you
36:51
know that this is not adding up. Alright? Now
36:54
contextually, the background of this text is
36:57
that Jesus has informed his disciples about His
37:01
death and also his betrayal. His betrayal and
37:05
his death, obviously. Jesus told them that he
37:08
will believe in them. Let's go back to chapter
37:11
13, verse 31 to 36. John chapter 13, verse 31
37:14
to 36. Please, let's be fast so that we can...
37:18
Yes. John chapter 13, verse 31 to 36. We're trying
37:25
to read and have understanding on chapter 14,
37:28
verse 1 to 4. So when he had gone out, Jesus
37:31
said, now the son of man is glorified. No. Yes,
37:36
yes. Okay. He's glorified in him. If God is glorified
37:42
in him, God will also glorify in himself and
37:46
glorify him immediately. Little children, I shall
37:51
be with you a little while. This is Jesus telling
37:53
them. You will seek me. And as I said, to the
37:58
Jews, where I am going, you cannot come. So now
38:02
I say to you, a new commandment I give to you,
38:07
that you love one another, as I have loved you,
38:11
that you also love one another. By this, all
38:14
will know that you are my disciples, if you have
38:18
love one for another. Verse 36, this is where
38:23
Peter asked him, he said, Simon Peter said to
38:27
him, Lord, Where are you going? It's a question
38:30
Peter asked, right? Where are you going? Jesus
38:32
answered him, where I am going, you cannot follow
38:36
me now. Okay? Where I am going, you cannot follow
38:40
me where? Did Jesus say that Peter will not follow
38:42
him? But what? The timing, right? He says, you
38:46
cannot follow me where? Now. But you shall follow
38:50
me when? Afterwards. So the problem is the timing.
38:54
Peter said to him, Lord, because he didn't have
38:56
understanding. Why can I not follow you now?
39:01
I can just imagine conversation like a baby.
39:04
Victor and his daughter, she like questions.
39:08
Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down
39:15
my life for your sake. That's Peter. Jesus answered
39:18
him. Will you lay down your life for my sake?
39:23
Most assuredly I say to you. the rooster shall
39:27
crow, shall not crow, till you have denied me
39:31
three times. Okay? Let's move to the next chapter.
39:37
Then the conversation continues into the next
39:39
chapter. Then he continues telling them, let
39:41
not your heart be troubled. You believe in God,
39:44
believe also in me. Okay? Now, this is Jesus
39:47
answering the question now of Peter. Are we together?
39:51
In my Father's house are many mansions. If it
39:55
were not so, I will have told you, I go toward,
39:59
so where he's going, he's going to prepare a
40:02
place for you. All right? Verse three. And if
40:08
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
40:10
again and receive you to myself. That where I
40:14
am, there you may be also. Hallelujah. So in
40:24
verse two, We see the word house and we've said,
40:28
we've agreed, we've seen from scriptures that
40:30
the word house there means what? Oikia, right?
40:34
Referring to an inhabited edifice, a dwelling
40:38
or a house, a household, household, people. All
40:43
right. Additionally, the word mansions is derived
40:47
from the Greek word money, which is also used
40:51
in verse 23. Give me verse 23. Verse 23 of Rasen,
40:54
John 14, 23. Jesus answered and said to him,
41:01
if anyone loves me, he will keep my words and
41:04
my father will love him and we will come to him
41:09
and make our home with him. That home, right?
41:12
Is that same word mansions or what we call money
41:16
in the Greek. It means we make our dwelling place.
41:22
This means that the mansion or what we call the
41:26
money in Greek is a metaphor of God indwelling
41:31
believers as we've seen in this verse 23. So
41:35
what Jesus is saying is this, that in my father's
41:40
household, in my father's family, meaning people,
41:45
there is a dwelling for you. My goal is to what?
41:51
is to prepare a place for you in this family.
41:56
And this preparation will be seen in his death.
42:00
He's going, he's going to die. And in his death,
42:03
he's going to establish this access for them
42:07
to be in the family of God. Through his death,
42:12
Jesus will establish this. He will have to die
42:15
for this to be achieved. So this idea of household,
42:20
will be seen first in scriptures. House, not
42:24
just household, but household of God. Right?
42:27
The concept of the household of God will be seen
42:30
first where? In Genesis 28. Where Jacob had an
42:36
encounter. Let's go there. Let's go to Genesis
42:38
chapter 28. Verse 10 to 18. We're trying to trace
42:49
where the word household of God was used or was
42:55
seen first. Now let's read from verse 10 to 18
42:58
verses. Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and
43:00
went towards Haran. So he came to a certain place
43:04
and stayed there all night because the sun had
43:07
set. And he took one of the stools of that place
43:10
and put it at his head. And he lay down in that
43:14
place to sleep. Then he dreamed and behold, this
43:18
is his dream. A ladder was set. I can't see the
43:22
screen here. Yes. A ladder was set on the earth
43:26
and its tops reaches to the heavens. And there
43:31
the angels of God were ascending and what? And
43:34
descending on it. They were ascending and descending
43:45
on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and
44:12
said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, your
44:15
father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which
44:19
you lie, I will give you and your descendants.
44:24
Also your descendants shall be as the dust of
44:27
the earth. You shall spread abroad to the west
44:30
and to the east, to the north and to the south,
44:33
and you and your seed in you and what? Seat or
44:39
seat? Seat, right? Singular. You, in you and
44:46
in your seat, all the families of the earth shall
44:51
what? Shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you.
44:55
I will keep you wherever you go and will bring
44:59
you back to this land. For I will not leave you
45:02
until I have done what I have spoken to you.
45:06
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, This
45:09
is his translation of what he saw when he woke
45:14
up from sleep. He said, show me the Lord is in
45:18
this place and I did not know it. Okay? And he
45:22
was afraid and said, how awesome is this place?
45:26
This is none other than what? Than the house
45:30
of God. And this is the gate of what? Gate of
45:35
heaven. The house of God. The gate of heaven.
45:40
Now, it is important to note that God reiterates
45:44
in verse 13 and 14 the promise he made to Abraham
45:48
and Isaac. Okay? This is the same promise God
45:53
made to Abraham and Isaac. If we read verse 13
45:57
and verse 14, we'll see some important component.
45:59
Number one, we'll see the word land. Alright?
46:02
So land is there as part of the conversation.
46:06
So land is important. We also see the multiplication
46:10
of descendants as the dust of the earth. All
46:14
right? As the dust of the earth. I will see this
46:19
sentence that through his seat, all the families
46:22
of the earth will be blessed. By the seat of
46:26
Jacob, the whole families of the earth, the people
46:32
of the earth will be blessed. In verse 17, Jacob
46:36
explains what he saw as the house of God. The
46:40
house of God. The word house is translated from
46:44
the Hebrew word bayit. Okay? B -A -Y -I -T. It's
46:50
referred to a household or a family. So, metaphorically,
46:55
bayit is referring to a household. For example,
46:58
I said I'm going to Kostin's house. Pastor Kostin's
47:03
house. What am I referring? I'm going to visit
47:05
his family, right? I'm going to Pastor Chidi's
47:10
house. It simply means I'm going, if I say I'm
47:13
spending my time in Pastor Chidi's house, it
47:16
means that I'm spending time with his family,
47:17
his household. Are we together? So, it means
47:22
household or a family. That means that what he
47:27
saw was what? The household of God. What he saw
47:30
was a family of God. And then to further, that
47:35
this that he saw wasn't something physical. He
47:38
says the house of God, he says that there's a
47:41
gate of heaven. Heaven simply means spiritual.
47:44
Okay? The house of God is not a physical building
47:46
but something spiritual and eternal. Something
47:51
spiritual and what? And eternal. He called the
47:54
place gate of heaven meaning something spiritual.
47:59
Now let's step back and see God's promise to
48:01
Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. Now we've seen
48:04
Jacob, right? Now let's go back and see God's
48:11
conversation with Abraham. Genesis chapter 12,
48:18
verse 1 to 9, quickly. Yes. Now the Lord had
48:22
said to Abraham, get out of your country from
48:24
your family and from your father's house to a
48:27
land that I will show you. I will make you a
48:32
great nation. I will bless you and make your
48:34
name great and you shall be a blessing. I will
48:39
bless those who bless you and I will curse him
48:42
who curses you and in you all the families of
48:47
the earth shall be blessed. This is similar to
48:48
what we saw with Jacob. Alright? So Abraham departed
48:52
us. We are reading this with the apostles and
48:57
we receive one translation. You know, that for
49:02
Abram to be blessed. God added Ham to his name.
49:07
And that's what made Abram blessed. Is that what
49:09
made Abram blessed? Hallelujah. So Abram departed
49:14
as the Lord had spoken to him and the Lord went
49:17
with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he
49:20
departed from Haran. Then Abram took Seba his
49:24
wife and Lot his brother's son and all their
49:27
possessions that they had gathered and the people
49:29
whom they had acquired in Haran. And they departed
49:32
to go to the land of Canaan. We see land evolving
49:35
here, right? So they came to the land of Canaan.
49:39
Abraham passed through the land to the place
49:42
of Shechem as far as a terebinth, tree of Moriah.
49:46
And the Canaanites were then in the land. Verse
49:50
7. Then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said
49:52
to your descendants. Do we see descendants? I
49:56
will give this land. And there he built an altar
49:58
for the Lord, to the Lord who had appeared to
50:01
him. And he moved from there to the mountain
50:04
east of Bethel and he pitched his tent. Bethel.
50:08
Do we know Bethel? Is it familiar? Where is Bethel?
50:14
Was that the place Jacob had an encounter? All
50:17
right. Please, this thing is not showing. Yeah.
50:22
He went to Bethel and... Either team, please
50:36
find a final solution. This is so we can be fast.
50:40
Okay? Which verse are we? Verse 8. So Abraham
50:58
said to Lot, Please let there be no strife. Yes,
51:11
sorry. I have gone to cartoon. And he moved from
51:18
there to the mountain east of Bethel and pitched
51:20
his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the
51:24
east. There he built an altar to the Lord and
51:26
called on the name of the Lord. So Abraham journeyed
51:29
going on. still towards the south. Hallelujah.
51:36
Now let's jump to chapter 13, verse 14. Chapter
51:39
13, verse 14 to verse 18. And the Lord said to
51:44
Abraham, after the Lord had separated, when the
51:47
Lord, they had some issues and they separated
51:49
with the Lord. And the Lord said to Abraham,
51:51
after the Lord had separated from him, lift up
51:53
your eyes now and look. From the place where
52:03
you are, northward, southward, eastward, and
52:05
westward. For all the land which you see, land,
52:10
right? All the land which you see, I give to
52:12
you and your descendants for when? Forever. I
52:17
think this is the claim that the nation of Israel,
52:19
they are holding and they are fighting. And I
52:22
will make your descendants as the dust away of
52:25
the earth. So that if a man could number the
52:29
dust of the earth, Then your descendants also
52:31
could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through
52:36
its length and its width, for I give it to you.
52:40
Then Abraham moved his tent and went and dwelt
52:43
by the turbulent trees of Mamre, which are in
52:47
Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.
52:51
Amen. Let's jump to chapter 15, verse 4 and 5.
52:59
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him,
53:01
saying, This one shall not be your heir, but
53:05
one who will come from your own body shall be
53:07
your heir. Then he brought him outside and said,
53:11
Look towards the heavens and count the stars,
53:13
if you are able to number them. And he said to
53:16
him, So shall your descendants be. Hallelujah.
53:21
So we can see clearly that all the promises God
53:25
made to Jacob were the same as the one he made
53:28
to Abraham. Land was involved, okay? Multiplication
53:32
of his descendants and his seed. And all the
53:36
families of the earth will be blessed through
53:38
the seed. Hallelujah. Now let's briefly examine
53:42
how the writer of Hebrews interpreted these promises.
53:46
Alright? Let's go to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter
53:49
11, verse 8. Hebrews 11, verse 8. Hebrews chapter
53:57
11 from verse 8 to 16. By faith, Abraham obeyed
54:05
when he was called to go out to the place he
54:09
will receive an inheritance. That land is an
54:12
inheritance, is it? And he went out not knowing
54:16
where he was going. By faith, he dwelt in the
54:20
land of promise. as in a foreign country, dwelling
54:24
in the tents with Isaac and Jacob? Did Abraham
54:29
dwell with Jacob? Amen. By faith he dwelt in
54:35
the land of promise, as in a foreign country,
54:37
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
54:41
with him of the same promise. The same promise
54:45
to Abraham is the same promise to Isaac, is the
54:49
same promise to Jacob. and to Moses, and to the
54:54
prophets, to the nation of Israel, and to you,
54:59
and to us in our own generation. So, for he waited
55:04
for the city, verse 10, for the city which has
55:09
foundation, what we saw in land, and now Hebrews
55:12
is saying a city, okay? For he waited for the
55:16
city which has foundations, whose builder and
55:19
maker is who? It's God. So it means that this
55:23
city or this land is not a physical land. It's
55:26
not a physical city. Hallelujah. The foundation
55:30
is what? The foundation, which one has foundations?
55:37
We know what foundation is. Beginning from a
55:40
foundation. By faith, Sarah herself also received
55:46
strength to conceive. This word conceived is
55:50
the word foundation. Conception. Amen? By faith,
55:56
Sarah herself also received strength to conceive
55:58
seed, and she bore a child when she was past
56:01
the age, because she judged him faithful who
56:05
had promised. Therefore, from one man and him,
56:09
as good as death, were born as many as the stars
56:13
of the sky, in multitude, immeasurable, as the
56:18
sun which are by the seashores. Verse 13, these
56:25
all died in faith, not having received the promise,
56:29
but having seen them afar off, were assured of
56:33
them, embraced them and confessed that they were
56:36
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those
56:40
who say such things declare plainly that they
56:44
seek a homeland. Homeland simply means father's
56:49
land, right? Homeland simply means a father's
56:53
land. A homeland. And truly, if they had called
56:58
into mind that country from which they had come
57:01
out, they would have had the opportunity to return.
57:04
But now, hallelujah, they desire a what? A better.
57:11
What does better mean? Heavily, permanent, better.
57:15
The opposite of better here is not worse. All
57:21
right? Better means a permanent one. They desire
57:27
a permanent, that is, a heavenly one. Okay? Therefore,
57:33
God is not ashamed to be called their what? Their
57:36
God. For he has prepared a city. He prepared
57:40
a city for them. So, is this city a physical
57:44
city or a spiritual city? So what is city? City
57:49
is translated from the Greek word polis. P -O
57:53
-L -I -S. Polis. Alright? From whence we have
57:59
politics. Affairs of the city. Politics. Political.
58:05
Cosmopolitan of the city. Cosmopolitan. Or which
58:09
other word again? Metropolis. Yes. What other
58:13
word again? All the wonder comes with this. So,
58:18
city is from the word polis. And it refers to
58:24
people. Alright? We can conclude that what they
58:29
were looking for was a spiritual people, a spiritual
58:32
family. This land is also called, this land,
58:37
we've seen that the land, number one, we've seen
58:39
that it's a household, isn't it? Look up please.
58:43
We've seen that the promise is a household, right?
58:46
It's also a land, okay? It is also a city, all
58:53
right? Now we'll see that this same concept is
58:56
what it refers to the church. The land is also
58:58
called the church of Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter
59:01
12, verse 22. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 22. Hebrews
59:09
12, 22 to 24. But you have come to Mount Zion
59:18
and to the city. City simply means what? People,
59:22
right? Family, household, land. What else? Did
59:28
you see from scriptures that we've seen? People,
59:30
right? We have come to a people, we have come
59:33
to a city of the living God. That means that
59:39
these people are of the living God. This household
59:42
is what? It's of the living God. The heavenly
59:47
Jerusalem, the spiritual Jerusalem, not the one
59:50
in the Middle East, a spiritual one. Okay? To
59:54
an immeasurable company of angels. Let's continue
1:00:00
verse 23. To the general assemblies, assembly
1:00:05
of people, right? Not the one in New York. General
1:00:09
assembly of people. Which is what? The church
1:00:14
of what? the firstborn who are registered not
1:00:19
in CAC, Nigeria, but were registered in heaven.
1:00:25
To God, the judge of all, to the spirit of a
1:00:31
just, made perfect. 24. To Jesus, the mediator
1:00:35
of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling
1:00:40
that speaks better things than that of Abel.
1:00:43
Hallelujah. So we've moved from seeing it as
1:00:47
what? We've introduced another name for it. It's
1:00:50
called what? A church. So what did Abraham see?
1:00:54
What was promised to Abraham? A people, right?
1:00:58
And we can trace this down and we'll see the
1:01:00
evolution to the concept we call, what we call
1:01:02
a church. And a church is what? Is it this building?
1:01:05
It's what? It's a people. So are you part of
1:01:08
the promise that God promised Abraham? Are you
1:01:11
in the promise of Abraham? Hallelujah. So having
1:01:15
seen what God has started, okay, please bear
1:01:19
me to conclude. Having seen what God has started
1:01:22
from the foundation of the world, what did he
1:01:24
start? A building, a project, right? From the
1:01:29
foundation of the world, building a house, which
1:01:31
is a family of God, also referred to as a land.
1:01:35
We now have another term to describe it, the
1:01:37
church of Jesus Christ. Now we can also refer
1:01:41
to this house. Is that the house of David? Is
1:01:46
that the house of David? Amen? Answer me. Yes?
1:01:51
Okay. Now let's see God's promise. Let's see
1:01:53
how it was promised to David. 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel
1:01:57
7 verse 11. 2 Samuel 7 verse 11 to 13. You see
1:02:04
that this house was called the house of David.
1:02:07
The household of David. Yes. Since the time that
1:02:13
I commanded Judas to be over my people, Israel,
1:02:15
I have caused you to rest from all your enemies.
1:02:18
And also the Lord tells you that he will make
1:02:20
you a what? He will make you a house. When your
1:02:30
days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers,
1:02:34
I will set up your seat. Seat also, you see.
1:02:38
I will set up your seat. After you. Who is this
1:02:41
seed? The seed was promised to Abraham. It was
1:02:46
promised to Jacob. And now we see it to David.
1:02:49
Who is this seed? The seed is Christ. Right?
1:02:54
Now, the seed after you is not Solomon. Forget
1:02:59
about Solomon. Look at Christ. Your seed after
1:03:02
you, who will come from your body and establish
1:03:05
his kingdom. Another word for that church. His
1:03:10
what? His kingdom. Alright? He shall build a
1:03:14
house for my name and I will establish the throne
1:03:18
of his kingdom. When? You know, the promise of
1:03:23
the house of David is the house of David will
1:03:24
be forever. Referring to the kingdom which will
1:03:28
live forever. Are we together? So the house in
1:03:33
verse 11 is also referred to as a household.
1:03:36
Okay? He's referring to a household of people.
1:03:39
God further calls it a kingdom in verse 12. And
1:03:46
13. The house is also the kingdom. So, what was
1:03:52
promised to Abraham? A kingdom. A people. A house.
1:04:00
A household. A family. Amen? So Isaiah will let
1:04:08
us prophesy about the keys of the house of David.
1:04:11
Amen? So what we say the keys of the house of
1:04:14
David, you know where we are headed to us? We
1:04:17
are headed to us Matthew 16 verse 19. Alright?
1:04:22
The keys of the house of David. Isaiah 22 verse
1:04:27
22 to 23. Isaiah 22 verse 22 to 23. And then
1:04:36
we ran up. The key of the house of David. What
1:04:41
is the house of David? Is it the kingdom of David?
1:04:45
Is it referring to the people of David? I will
1:04:49
lay on his shoulders. On whose shoulders? On
1:04:54
Jesus, of course, the Christ. So he shall open
1:04:56
and no one shall shut. I shall shut and no one
1:05:01
shall open. Verse 23. I will fasten him as a
1:05:05
peg in a secure place and he will become a glorious
1:05:08
throne to his father's house. Hallelujah. Now
1:05:14
Jesus Christ is called a son of David. Matthew
1:05:21
chapter 1 verse 1. He's called a seed of Jacob.
1:05:28
Isaac and Abraham. Matthew 1 verse 1. The book
1:05:37
of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The what? The
1:05:42
son of David and the son of Abraham. So, here
1:05:49
you have access to the keys of the house of David.
1:05:53
Alright? We see that Jesus, the son of David,
1:05:59
possesses the key to the house of David. The
1:06:03
house of David is also referred to as the kingdom
1:06:05
of David. Now with this key of the house with
1:06:09
which is called the kingdom, he shall open and
1:06:13
no one shall shut. He shall shut and no one shall
1:06:17
open. And we see the same key. We see the same
1:06:20
key that Jesus sees in Matthew. Final scripture.
1:06:24
Final, final, final for today. Final for today.
1:06:28
Matthew 16, verse 19. This same key. And I will
1:06:34
give you what? The keys of what? Of the kingdom
1:06:39
of heaven. Now, is this kingdom the kingdom of
1:06:41
David? Is this the kingdom that was promised
1:06:45
to Abraham? Is this the people of God? Is this
1:06:49
the family of God? Is this the, what is the word?
1:06:54
The household of God? I will give you the keys
1:06:57
of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you bind,
1:07:01
does it look familiar to whatever you open and
1:07:03
close and shut? And whatever you bind on earth
1:07:10
will be bound in heaven. Meaning that it is a
1:07:14
spiritual conversation, right? And whatever you
1:07:17
lose on earth will be lost in heaven. Hallelujah.
1:07:21
So what we're able to establish today is that
1:07:24
when we talk about kingdom, we're referring to
1:07:27
what? What God started from the beginning. So
1:07:30
the vision of God, the plan of God from the beginning
1:07:32
is a family. It's a people. It's a household.
1:07:38
Hallelujah. And then Jesus said, I give you,
1:07:42
he's referring to Peter, specifically here, I
1:07:45
give you the keys of the kingdom. So the question
1:07:48
is, what is the keys of the kingdom? Now, do
1:07:51
you know what the kingdom is? Without reasonable
1:07:54
doubt. Okay? We know what this kingdom is. Are
1:08:00
we together? So next time, hopefully. We'll try
1:08:02
to understand what is this key? Is it master
1:08:07
key? Maybe we'll come with key on Sunday and
1:08:12
we'll show, we'll duplicate the key and give
1:08:14
everybody. Hallelujah. Let's rise on our feet.
1:08:21
Let's rise on our feet. And thank God that we
1:08:24
are included in this family of God. Let's appreciate
1:08:30
God that we are part of this project that God
1:08:32
started from the foundation of the world. That
1:08:36
indeed, God's plan is eternal. He thought of
1:08:41
us right from the foundation of the world. He
1:08:46
thought about you. He had you in mind. What was
1:08:50
thinking of you? He was thinking of me. He was
1:08:52
thinking of all of us. He would tell Abraham
1:08:56
as the dust of the earth. so shall your descendants
1:08:59
be. And God is the father of the house. He is
1:09:07
the king of this kingdom. He is the shepherd
1:09:12
of this family. What a glorious opportunity to
1:09:17
be part of God's family. What a glorious privilege
1:09:23
to be part of God's church. What a glorious opportunity
1:09:27
to be part of God's plan. An eternal plan. A
1:09:31
plan that will never end. What a consolation
1:09:35
to be part of God's family. That God was thinking
1:09:38
of you, specifically about you. Not only that,
1:09:43
he has given us, now to Peter and to us, the
1:09:47
keys. And we say keys, refer to access into the
1:09:50
kingdom. We have access into the kingdom. We
1:09:55
can bring men into the kingdom because we have
1:09:59
access to the kingdom. Let's pray and say, Father,
1:10:03
in this season, let me have more understanding
1:10:05
of all that you have for me. We prayed from Ephesians
1:10:09
1 verse 15 previously. We may comprehend what
1:10:13
we have in Christ. Of all we have understanding
1:10:16
of what we have in Christ, we can walk in it.
1:10:19
That's how we understand, we begin to manifest
1:10:21
the kingdom. Okay? We see the kingdom in manifestation.
1:10:26
We see the kingdom of God in display. My life
1:10:30
becomes an instrument by which the family of
1:10:33
God is displayed. The works of God is displayed.
1:10:37
The plan and the purpose of God is displayed.
1:10:42
What God has prepared is displayed for His glory
1:10:45
and for His honor. We appreciate you being here
1:10:51
today. We hope you carry this word with you throughout
1:10:54
your week. Don't forget to check the show notes
1:10:57
for additional insights. Stay connected with
1:11:00
us through our website or follow us on social
1:11:03
media. If you are encouraged, share this message
1:11:06
with someone you care about. Until next time,
1:11:09
stay blessed.