Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / Ministers of God pt 4

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Ministers of God pt 4 · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Hi there. Welcome to NECF. We're excited to share
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today's message with you. Don't go anywhere.
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Stay with us till the end for some valuable resources
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to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.
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So we're going to be continuing with our teaching,
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Ministers of God. And I just want to just remind
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us. of certain things that forms the foundation
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of who we are. And then we'll go to our passage
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this evening. And I think it's a reminder of
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what I mentioned in passing on Sunday, that Jesus
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Christ says this, that we are the light of the
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world. And that in itself is powerful if you
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just take time and think about it, that he himself
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has called us out of the darkness into his marvelous
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light and has... He instructed us to show for
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that light which he has, show for that life which
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we have received, show for that life which we
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have received from him, proclaim that to others.
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And the thing about light is that light is distinct.
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You can't confuse light with darkness. That light
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is distinct in the way it operates. Believers
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are distinct in the way we all preach. We are
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distinct in the way we all preach. The way we
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do things is different from the way things are
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done in the world. I think I brought the letters
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and the song. We are no longer defined by the
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world. We are defined in Christ. Our definition...
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is in Christ Jesus. And that in itself is what
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empowers the way we do things, is what should
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empower the way we act, the way we do. We don't
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mix ourselves. We don't find ourselves entangled
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with the things that are inconsistent with our
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identity. And we should be able to notice. And
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that is why training is important. As a believer,
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once you're trained, you know when you are not.
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When you are entangling yourself with things
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that are inconsistent with your identity because
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you know what your identity is. We are not confused
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about our identity. We are not confused about
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our identity. As believers that are trained,
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we know what our identity is. We are not confused.
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The same way you are not confused of your nationality.
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Somebody cannot come and tell you that you are
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from a nationality that you are not from. It's
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the same way our identity in Christ, we are not
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confused. We are not confused about it. And training
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is what establishes, training is what even gives
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us more confidence in our identity. So if there's
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anyone here that is struggling, because there
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can be someone struggling in this place about
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who they are in Christ. They are not sure because
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circumstances and situation has brought them
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under, has made them to think that if I'm in
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Christ, why am I going through this thing? Why
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am I going through that thing? If there's anyone
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in this place, I'm speaking to you. I'm encouraging
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you that your identity in Christ doesn't shift
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because of your circumstances and situations.
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Your identity in Christ is rock solid. What Christ
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has done is rock solid and nothing can change
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what he has done. Not even your circumstance
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and situation will change that. And Apostle Paul,
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the passage that we're looking at, he gives and
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poses a question. It first of all encourages
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believers to do something. Let's go to the 2
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Corinthians that we're looking at. 2 Corinthians
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6. 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6. We're reading,
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we're going to be looking at 14 to 16. 2 Corinthians
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6, 14 to 16. 2 Corinthians 6, 14 to 16. Now read
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from the New King James. It says, Do not be unequally
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yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship
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has righteousness with lawlessness? And what
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union has light with darkness? And what accord
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has Christ with Belial? And what pact has a believer
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with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the
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temple of God with idols? For you are the temple
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of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell
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in them and walk among them. I will be their
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God and they shall be my people. Establishing
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what Christ has done in us as believers. I want
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us to spend time here and dwell for a while.
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I want you to notice something in this passage.
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I want you to notice something in this passage.
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Most of the times we dwell on the first line
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of verse 14. And we say, do not be unequally
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yoked with unbelievers. And we miss the point.
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We miss the point. I want you to pay attention
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to the particular words he uses with the contrast.
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I mean, the words he used. Take, for example,
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the first in verse 14. He says, what fellowship?
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I want you to pay attention to fellowship, the
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word fellowship. He says fellowship, and then
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he contrasts two things. Righteousness. And lawlessness.
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Righteousness, lawlessness. But the word he uses
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there is fellowship. He says fellowship. And
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then he says what union? So the second word is
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union. So I want you to write it down. I want
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you to write fellowship. I want you to write
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union. I want you to write accord. Fellowship,
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union, accord. I want you to write part. I want
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you to write agreement. Fellowship, union, accord,
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part, and agreement. fellowship, union, accord,
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pact, and agreement. And then I want us to now
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double down on it and look at the things he contrasts
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because he's posing a question. He says, what
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fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?
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That is, righteousness is what he's contrasting
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with lawlessness. And then he says, what communion
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he now poses light, darkness. And then he says,
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what accord? He now says, Christ and Belial.
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And Belial there, in some translation, in the
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NLT, you see Satan. You see devil in an NLT.
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In some other translation, in the NIV, you see
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Satan. It just contrasts. We know basically what
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the contrast is at this point. Then he says,
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what pact? As a believer, with a non -believer,
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and then the last bit, which is the fifth one,
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is what agreement? has the temple of God with
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the temple of idols. So you know that what he's
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saying is based off that first line, which is
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do not be on equal yoke together with unbelievers.
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That is the example because everything after
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that is him contrasting the characteristics or
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the things that characterizes a believer in contrast
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to a non -believer. Everything afterwards is
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a clear... caught contrast. He's just trying
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to establish like, there is a way, which is the
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point I started with. There is a way, there's
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a distinction, a clear -cut distinction between
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a believer and a non -believer. And I like the
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way NLT starts off that line. He says, don't
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team up. Don't team up with those who are unbelievers.
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It makes it clear that Your team member shouldn't
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be a non -believer. Your team member shouldn't
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be a non -believer. And there's a reason why.
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And we'll go further because remember, we said,
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we started off when he said in verse 4, he said,
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I commend you as ministers of God. So if you
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are a minister, you already, you are in a position
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where you shouldn't be entangled or you shouldn't
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be teaming up yourself with someone who doesn't
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share. the same belief system, the same ideology,
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the same understanding, the way of life, the
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way of life. And I think that's what we, when
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I went on church, and we'll go back to that passage
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again, in Ephesians 5 verse 16, we'll click down
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where it says, you have a responsibility, your
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responsibility and the way you do things is different
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from the way the world does things. The way we
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do things is different from the way the world
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does. And sometimes we find ourselves Because
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of different circumstances and situations, we
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find ourselves entangled. We find ourselves in
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close relationship with people who don't share
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the faith that we share. And what that will affect,
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what that will do, it will undermine the gospel
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that we carry. And some of us, we don't even
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make the gospel that we carry ring through in
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our operation. This is one key thing. Because
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naturally, if a person doesn't share the same
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identity as yourself, and you keep... showing
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forth that identity you keep making sure that
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the person sees who you are not pulling back
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who you not dumbing down who you are for the
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sake of the relationship don't be drawing your
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like you say and we don't usually do this but
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because we are friends this let's just let's
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just for the sake of peace for the sake of a
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You are now undermining your identity because
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of a relationship. That means that relationship
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is more important to you than your identity.
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And that is what we see. That is one thing. And
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this is basically why we're talking about this.
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That's one thing that undermines our responsibility,
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which makes us not to even be accountable because
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you know that if you are accountable about that
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relationship, that relationship will go. That
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relationship will go. And we have believers that
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know what their identity is or have gotten complacent
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and comfortable with living a life of mediocrity
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or living a life that doesn't reflect their identity
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or just being okay with that because of the relationships
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that they want to keep or they want to preserve.
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And Apostle Paul is not mixing words. He's not
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saying on some occasion you can team up or he
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didn't say for the sake of the gospel. you can't
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team up. He didn't, like he didn't give any,
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he just spells it out clearly. I'll read from
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the NLTC. Don't team up with those. And okay,
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let me even make it even more practical so that
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we understand what exactly the magnitude of this
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thing. Just imagine a football match. Imagine
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a football match. And you know, if you are even
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playing soccer, those of us that play soccer,
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and I can remember the times where we do play
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soccer well. Even when your teammates or when
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they follow your opponents, is using Chelsea.
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You are using Chelsea. And Chelsea has different
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jerseys. They have the blue one. They have the...
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I don't know the colors, but I know that Major
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League, they have their blue up and down. When
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you are trying to select, when you are trying
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to choose your own, even if you are choosing
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the same, you have to ensure that the color of
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the other, your opponents, even if you are using
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the same team, You should not share the same
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color. Because if you are wearing blue and blue,
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your opponent is wearing blue and blue, there's
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going to be great confusion when the match starts.
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Because nobody will know whose player is having
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the ball at 7 .5 because all the players on your
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team have the same name with all the players
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on the other team. So there's going to be great
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confusion. And that is what happens when people
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cannot clearly distinguish. The actions of a
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believer with the actions of a non -believer,
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they cannot clearly see the actions or the characteristics
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of it because there is no relationship. There
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is no relationship. And we are instructed not
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to team up with them because teaming up with
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them will make one. In fact, mostly it's easy
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for people to do. It's easy for you to just glide
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into unbelief. It's easy for you to glide into...
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different things and different situations because
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it's just the way the natural and because the
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influence can be more on the other side depending
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on what exactly it is. He says, don't team up.
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How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?
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The wickedness is what is being used here. He
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says, how can light live with darkness? How can
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light live with darkness? He says, what harmony?
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Notice I think they also use live and it's what
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harmony? Can there be between Christ and the
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devil? How can a believer be a partner with a
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non -believer? And what union can there be between
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God's temple and idols? We are the temple of
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the living God. As God said, I will live in them.
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I will live in them. I will live in them and
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walk among them. I will be their God and they
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will be my people. I will be their God and they
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will be my people. That establishes the identity
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of a believer. We are his people. We are his
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people. We're going to come to that part in 1
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Peter. We are his people. He lives in us. He
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lives in us. In case you are confused as to what
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he means by, because he establishes that, he
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says the believer is the temple of the living
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God. Paul's letter, first letter to the Corinthian
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church in 3 verse 16. Paul's letter, I want us
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to go there. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 16. Paul uses
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that same word, but he establishes it further.
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He poses the question in the same format. He
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says, do you not know that you are the temple
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of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
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Do you not know that you are the temple of God
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and the Spirit of God dwells in you? He goes
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further to establish the fact that as the temple
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of God, the Spirit of God dwells in us. Which
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is going back to what he says. He says, I will
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live in them. I will live in them. That is in
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verse 16 of 2 Corinthians 6. He says, I will
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live in them. The Spirit of God dwells in us.
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The Spirit of God. dwells in us and we say that
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this is when you say temple of the living god
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we know that if you say temple of the living
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god you say some something is god's means that
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some that's something that is god's is built
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by him right if i say this is the house of god
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i know that the house of god is a house that
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god built the house of god when you say something
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is god's house is something that he built And
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God himself, if he dwells in that place, he dwells
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in something that he has made. And we'll see
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that shortly. I will further establish that shortly.
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Note that in this particular passage, he clearly
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establishes at different levels. Fellowship,
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righteousness, wickedness or lawlessness, union.
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with light, darkness, and all of them, you notice
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that even NLT uses, slightly different, it uses
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union in some places because all of them are
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still saying the same thing. That these two things
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don't have where they meet. Praise God. These
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two things don't have where they meet. These
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two identities don't have where there is a middle
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ground. So there is no middle ground. A believer
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has a clear operation. Remember what I said at
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the beginning. How we do things, how we think
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is different from how they do things, how they
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think. If you're going to make any progress in
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your work, you have to put aside, we have to
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work as you are called to work. And this is not
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just because when we say this, we might be thinking,
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okay, it is just with unbelievers, right? Say,
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don't team up with unbelievers. It will surprise
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you that even in... Let's go to Corinthians,
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right? Let's go to 2 Corinthians. Read that passage
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a lot. I think we mostly go to that passage.
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2 Corinthians 3. I will read it. 2 Corinthians
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3. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 6. 2 Corinthians 3 verse
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6. Because even unbelievers do. Even unbelievers
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do. Let me start. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 6. It
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says, but we command you. This is the Apostle
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Paul speaking. He says, but we command you, brethren,
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in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
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withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly
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and not according to the tradition which you
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have received. Let me read it from the NLT. It
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says, and my dear brother, now and now. Dear
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brothers and sisters, we give you this command
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in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Speak away
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from all believers who live idle. That's what
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I was going to establish. He says, who live,
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he says, he says, he says, he says disorder.
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He says, who, that who walks disorderly. He says,
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who live idle lives and don't follow this religion
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that they have received from us. This is very
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key that you know that it's not just even the
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people that are unbelievers. There are people
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that claim that they say they are believers but
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they don't walk in accordance with their identity.
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They will establish why if you don't walk well.
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But the instruction is clear. Right? The instruction
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is clear. Note that you shouldn't be enclosed
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because there is an effect. When you come and
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say... Close relationship or close association
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with people that don't share the same beliefs
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with you affects the results that you have, affects
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the progress that you make. You are living with
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people that, and I think a couple of people have
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shared, I think even during the course of this,
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they said, oh, when I saw I was struggling, I
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connected with people that read, that read these
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hours, that read that hours, and note that their
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results change. Even in the things like in your
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academics, in your studies, if you owe your house,
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your... friends are getting FF, FF, FF. You shouldn't
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be shocked. You shouldn't be surprised. You shouldn't
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be surprised that you too are part of it because
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even if you're doing well, at some point in time,
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you'll just find out that you don't understand
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the, you know, you know, I was telling some people,
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I say, I say, if you are, you are used to splashing
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money, you spend, it's like when you get money,
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you spend it to zero and then somebody comes
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around you, you will influence the person. Some
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people, they don't rest until the account is
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back to zero. Like that they cannot, they don't
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know peace. On the account, they must ensure
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that anything that comes in goes out. It's a
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flow. It's cash flow. It will flow and flow,
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it flow and flow out because there is a system
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that they have created. And when you are hung
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around those people, you will be under pressure.
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You don't know that this person has a bad habit.
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You'll be thinking that that is how life is,
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that you're not the one that is keeping up with
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it. And people can make you feel bad. I think
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I was sharing. Where am I? Very recently, because
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I was, I connected, I reconnected with a friend.
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I had not reconnected. We caught up. Even though
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we had connected previously, I think during this
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past month, I caught up with a friend and I was
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asking him about a friend of ours that were in
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the university together. I was reminded very
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clearly that that time in university, when we
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came and then we were like, oh, this brother
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will go out and he will sign, because in our
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university, you have to sign to leave the university.
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He will sign out. He will go and party, have
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fun, sleep around. come back and be talking about
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it like with such... You know, when somebody
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is making ungodliness, like you are the one that
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is... You are the one that is sick. You are the
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one that needs to be delivered from the bondage
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that you are in. I am the one enjoying the good
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life. And if you don't understand your identity,
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somebody that understands or misuses their freedom
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will make you look like you're the one that is
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in bondage. And we as believers want to understand
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our identity and know that we have a responsibility
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and work in that responsibility regardless of
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the pressure. And sometimes it's peer pressure.
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You have people make you look like you don't
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know what you're doing. You're wasting your time.
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And these people, they will explain to you how
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if you don't, like they want to bring you into
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their own reality. But you have a reality that
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is more real than their own reality. And you
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want to be able to stand up and say, this is
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what I believe in. This is what is consistent
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with my identity. Whatever it is that you're
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doing is not my reality. It's not my identity.
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And I choose not to listen to you. And now I
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said, talking with him, I was like, there's the
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evidence. It is clear. There's the results that
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have to show for it. And sometimes it is, we
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cannot say, okay, good for them. But the thing
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is that if we had given in to them, we would
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have been experiencing the same reality as them.
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Praise God. So in this, he says even people,
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and notice that these ones are believers. They
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are not, they are believers. They are people
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that, the word there, the disorderly there, the
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word, the Greek word there is, is A -T -A -K
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-T -O -S. A -T -A -K -T -O -S. A -T -A -K -T
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-O -S. And you might think because he says walks
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disorderly. You know, sometimes when you see
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walks disorderly, when you say walk, it's W -O,
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it's not walk. It's almost like you might think
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that what is said there is maybe you're not walking
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well. When they say somebody is walking disorderly,
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some people might just think that the person
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is just throwing his legs anyhow. I mean, that's
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how you can just be throwing your legs, making
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noise, walking around. You know, say that person
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is walking disorderly. It is not the literal
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walk. It's not a literal walking, like walking
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with you. And in the same passage, you'll see
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it made clear. If you're reading it from the
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NLT, NLT says those who live idle lives. Those
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who live idle lives. It uses live idle lives.
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Live idle lives. Say, live idle lives. But when
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you read further in verse 11, let's go to verse
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11. If you read further, going to verse 11, verse
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11 says, For we hear that there are some who
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walk among you in a disorderly manner. Repeating
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the same word, disorderly manner. And look at
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the manner now. Not walking at all. Not working
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at all. Not working at all now, makes it that
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he says, but are busybodies. He says, they don't
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work. They don't do any, they don't actively,
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which is what, and he says, they are idle. They
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live idle lives. So in verse 6, it's made clear
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by verse 11. You are not confused. You shouldn't
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be confused because in the passage, it explains
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what it is that you should be looking at. And
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not that, this is, one thing Apostle Paul is
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addressing. And no doubt, this one thing still
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points to us that if an individual, because the
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truth about it is that in the verse 6, he says,
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these people are not living according to the
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instructions that they have received. Meaning
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that if a person is in the body and is not living
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according to instructions, it undermines the
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work of ministry. Because we are ministers of
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God, anything we do should make the work effective.
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Anything we, how we live our lives will affect
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the works. Or in fact, even the things we do
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or the things we don't do, both of them have
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their consequences on the work of ministry. So
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the moment we come to this understanding, it
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establishes a lot of things and it helps us to
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move further in our work. So here, he says very
24:45
clearly that, see, we draw from these people.
24:50
We want to know why? Because these people will
24:53
affect the way you work. Because if you are hanging
24:57
around these people, as I said earlier, this
24:59
person is... They say, you know, there are some
25:02
people that when they say go left, they want
25:04
to go right and see what is going to happen if
25:06
they go right. And we know that those people
25:08
are not the Spirit of God that empowers that
25:10
kind of attitude. We know that it's not the Spirit
25:15
of God because we know from God's Word that the
25:18
Spirit of God doesn't enable rebellion. It doesn't
25:23
enable rebellion. It doesn't enable disobedience.
25:27
Praise God. So he says you should... Withdraw
25:30
from these individuals. You should withdraw.
25:32
As I said earlier, it's not just... If I give
25:35
you a saying that you should withdraw from people
25:37
that are believers, that are not working according
25:43
to the instructions given, how much more? How
25:48
much more? How much more? I used the word how
25:51
much more. I wanted to talk about that, but that
25:53
will be for later. How much more an individual
25:55
that is not even in the same team as you? How
26:01
much more an individual is not on the same team
26:02
as you? It just goes to establish the fact that
26:05
the individuals that we team up with will affect
26:08
the results that we have. It will affect the
26:11
results that we have. Because there's an example
26:13
that we model in the way we do certain things.
26:17
An example that we model in the way we do things.
26:20
As I said, light is this thing. The way light
26:24
operates, the way there's a thinking and there's
26:29
a doing. that makes us very distinct. Our actions
26:32
are very distinct. So if someone is, and that
26:35
is disorderly because, take for example, we are
26:40
asked to do, everyone is asked to, and basically
26:43
this will make us see a lot of things that we're
26:48
doing wrong. And I believe that this teaching
26:51
will help us to understand that it is not orderly
26:55
when... We are instructed to arrive in one year.
27:01
And we choose not to. We're not even making any
27:04
effort. Even when we say, okay, you have missed
27:06
this particular day. We are going to catch up.
27:09
It is disorderly. Because we have agreed. And
27:12
the leadership has agreed. And everyone of us
27:14
is responsible for that. It is not disorderly
27:16
when we say, read the book of the month. And
27:18
then you choose not to. And you see, it's idle.
27:21
Because it's not idleness. It's not like... These
27:24
people... I do, but they're doing something because
27:26
he says they are busybodies. The question is,
27:30
where do they choose to channel their energy
27:32
towards? You channel your energy towards the
27:35
things you feel like. You know, there's this
27:37
thing of I feel like. I only do the things I
27:40
feel like doing. I am bored from reading the
27:43
Book of the Month. I am bored from reading the...
27:47
I'm bored from even attending church activities.
27:49
Our brother led us through. There are certain
27:51
things he says do not neglect. It's an instruction.
27:54
It's not saying only when it's convenient. That's
27:57
not what it said. Sometimes it seems like when
28:00
we are reading passages, some of us are interpreting
28:02
the passages like it's almost like an interpreter.
28:05
Interpreting it. It says, do not neglect. It
28:07
says, on some occasions you can choose to neglect.
28:10
It seems like that is how it is communicated
28:11
sometimes when we read certain passages. But
28:14
it's very clear. I love verse 9. It says, it's
28:18
not because we do not have an authority. That
28:21
is Apostle Paul still speaking. But we make ourselves
28:24
an example of how you should follow us. In the
28:29
verse 9 of 2 Thessalonians 3. 2 Thessalonians
28:33
3 verse 9 says, Not because we do not have authority,
28:36
but we make ourselves an example of how you should
28:40
follow us. I would love us to read this. Read
28:45
the Thessalonians from 1 to... 2 Thessalonians
28:50
3, verse 1, because most of the times we read
28:53
2 Thessalonians, we read that passage and we
28:56
stop at 1, 2, and 3. But I believe that if we
29:00
read the whole thing, it's going to go a long
29:01
way in helping us. Let me start from verse 1.
29:04
I will do that. We still have time. Finally,
29:07
brethren, pray for us that the word of God will
29:10
run swiftly and be glorified just as it is with
29:13
you. Just as it is with you. I love the way NLT
29:19
puts it. It is, we ask that you pray for us.
29:22
Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly
29:25
and be honored wherever it goes. Just as when
29:30
it came to you. It will spread rapidly and be
29:33
honored. It sounds like Acts 19 .20. It sounds
29:36
like Acts 22, that the word of God will spread
29:39
and have a powerful effect. That's how the NLT
29:41
puts it. It will spread and have a powerful effect.
29:44
Meaning that the spreading of the word of God
29:46
has, like that is spreading, it's true. How the
29:49
word of God will spread is to us as believers.
29:52
Meaning that the activity, remember we said about
29:55
not being idle. Not living idle. Meaning that
30:00
the activity that we should do is ensuring that
30:03
this word is spread. because the powerful effect
30:08
of the word of God is in the spread. And if it's
30:11
not spread, we will not see the powerful effect.
30:13
If the word of God is not spread in the school
30:16
campus, we will not see the powerful effect of
30:18
the word in the campus. If the word of God is
30:21
not spread on the island, we will not see the
30:22
powerful effect of the word on the island. And
30:24
in verse 2 it says, And that we may be delivered
30:27
from unreasonable and wicked men that for all
30:32
do not have faith. Speaking about those that
30:35
don't believe. Praise God. It's saying that we
30:39
should be delivered from them, not you team up
30:41
with them. Praise God. You have to be delivered
30:44
from them. You're not to partner with them because
30:47
if you're partnering with them, you're associates.
30:50
You can't be fighting with your close associates
30:52
now. You can't be fighting your close associates.
30:54
But because you're standing for what is the identity,
30:59
you're standing in your identity, you are going
31:01
to be... You're going to be rivals, not teammates.
31:05
Praise God. Going back to the analogy I gave
31:07
us with football. If you're wearing the same
31:09
jersey and you're playing against a team, the
31:12
team you're playing against, you have the same
31:13
jersey. You will confuse your team members. You
31:15
will confuse their team members. All of you will
31:17
be confused. Confusion is going to be all over
31:20
the match because, you know, for us, you know,
31:22
even when they're playing, I think the better
31:25
decision is when, you know, when you come and
31:27
then, I don't know, some of us have this memory
31:31
of that way. They will say, okay, two teams are
31:33
playing. Because you don't have money for Jesse,
31:34
they will say, okay, this other team should remove
31:36
their shirts. The other team should wear shirts.
31:38
So that's how you can tell which team is the
31:40
different way. So when somebody comes now and
31:43
is trying to play neutral, he will wear his shirt.
31:46
Meanwhile, he's playing for the team he shared
31:48
that because he doesn't want to take off his
31:49
shirt. You know, that is an example to confuse
31:51
the game. You will just be wondering what is
31:53
going on here. Somebody will pass by, the teammate
31:55
that is wearing a shirt will pass by and say,
31:57
you don't know, is that teammate that refused
31:59
to pull his shirt? Meanwhile, he's part of a
32:01
teammate that should take off his shirt. And
32:03
you see, confusion will just be happening. Some
32:05
people will be angry. Some people will say, ah,
32:07
what is wrong now? You have to take extra caution
32:10
to understand what is going on. So, meaning that
32:13
in this verse 2, now he says that we are delivered
32:15
from, he says we are delivered from this, because
32:18
this wicked and unreasonable man. There's no
32:21
faith. He says, pray too that we are rescued
32:27
from wicked and evil people for not everyone
32:30
is a believer. He says, not everyone is a believer.
32:35
Meaning that the wicked and unreasonable people
32:38
are unbelievers. The people that don't believe
32:39
in the gospel that is spreading, right? Because
32:43
remember in verse 1, he says, it is spreading
32:44
and it is glorified. These people don't believe
32:47
and they are opposing it. Praise God. In verse
32:49
3, it says, but the Lord is faithful. I think
32:52
there's a passage we read during the course of
32:54
the prayers. It says, but the Lord is faithful.
32:57
Meaning that regardless of the resistance, God
33:00
is still faithful. It says, who will establish
33:02
you and guide you from the evil one? Notice the
33:06
faithfulness of God is sure. That even in the
33:09
midst of the wicked and the activities of the
33:13
wicked and unreasonable. The God that has called
33:16
you into it is faithful. You are not the one
33:18
that's preserving yourself from the wicked, unreasonable
33:20
man. When we say these prayers, we're saying
33:22
these prayers because it's God that delivers
33:23
us. I think when we were reading the book of
33:27
the year, when we came to Nehemiah, this delivery,
33:30
when we came to the book of Nehemiah, it became
33:32
real, you know? When Nehemiah said, oh, we're
33:35
trying to build, there are people that are coming
33:37
and even making gestures. What you people are
33:40
building, if a fox jumps, it will, like you know,
33:43
you will not be worried yourself. What we are
33:45
doing is for the good of the people and then
33:47
somebody is now making fun of you. You are spreading
33:50
the gospel for the people to be saved and somebody
33:53
is telling you, look at this one. What do you
33:55
know? Who are you to come and be teaching? What
33:56
do you know about the Bible? When did you, where
33:59
were you saved? Somebody will just come and just
34:02
be, and those are people. Even though they can
34:07
call themselves believers, they are unbelievers
34:09
because they should be partnering with you to
34:11
do the work. Not making fun of you while you
34:13
are doing the work. Even if you don't even know
34:15
how to go about it, they should still support
34:17
you and encourage you. Praise God. And they say
34:20
God is faithful. So even in the midst of opposition,
34:23
we should remember that God is faithful. Verse
34:25
4 now says, And we are confident in the Lord
34:28
concerning you. Apostle Paul is speaking. But
34:31
that you do. And we say, both that you do and
34:37
we'll do the things that we command you. Meaning
34:39
that his confidence is that they will do the
34:41
things that he has commanded and instructed them
34:44
to do. Now, may the Lord direct your hearts into
34:48
the love of God, into the patience of Christ.
34:50
But we command you, brethren, in the name of
34:55
our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw, which
34:57
is where he gives the instruction. He says that
34:59
he should do, right? He says that they should
35:04
do. And then he warns them to withdraw themselves
35:07
from people who don't do. Praise God. He instructs
35:11
them because the instruction is, you do. And
35:15
then he says, withdraw from people who walk disorderly.
35:18
Remember I said disorderly? People who are living
35:20
idle lives. People who are living, and he says
35:24
idle lives now is because they are not living
35:25
according to the instruction that they have received.
35:29
Praise God. So you see that this whole passage
35:32
is, He's clearly talking about, first and foremost,
35:35
the verse 1, which is the spread of the gospel,
35:37
which is he doing that which causes people to
35:42
come into the knowledge of Christ. And then you
35:44
can be aware of the people that will set the
35:46
wrong example, people that will deter you from
35:48
the work that you have called to do. You should
35:50
be aware of that. And then in verse 7 now, yeah,
35:56
we're in verse 7. It says, for you know how,
36:00
you see, for you yourselves, know how you ought
36:04
to follow us. You yourselves know how you ought
36:08
to follow us because Apostle Paul now is telling
36:10
us he has set an example for them to follow.
36:15
How you ought to follow us for we were not disorderly
36:18
among you. Meaning that he was not idle. Praise
36:23
God. He was not idle. Apostle Paul was a tent
36:26
maker. Apostle Paul was doing this, doing that.
36:28
Apostle Paul was diligent in the work of ministry.
36:31
He was not idle. And then he now comes in the
36:34
verse 8. He says, nor did we eat anyone's bread
36:38
free of charge, but worked with labor and toil
36:43
day and night that we may not be a burden to
36:47
any one of you. Then in 9 now he says, not because
36:51
we do not have an authority. So he says he could
36:53
exercise his authority and say, please, I want
36:55
to be on a salary. I can't be doing the work
36:58
of ministry and you not put me on a salary. He
37:02
now says, but we make ourselves an example of
37:05
how you should follow us. An example of how you
37:07
should follow us. I want to read it from the
37:09
NLT. That's verse 9. He says, we certainly have
37:14
the right to ask you to feed us. We have that
37:17
right to ask you to feed us. He says, but we
37:21
want to give you an example to follow. This,
37:25
you, you, we undermine the power of. people,
37:32
like, people modeling things to us. Many of us,
37:36
there are certain things that we could not have
37:38
done if we had not seen somebody do it. I think
37:41
I was, I think in the, very clearly, our sister,
37:45
Sister Kelly, in the Australian team, she said
37:48
she was not motivated to do it until when she
37:51
looked at Sister Titi, that is Pastor Emmanuel's
37:55
wife, and then she's like, she has the child.
37:57
She has this thing. She didn't have any idea.
37:59
She wrote her thesis. Because somebody modeled
38:02
something that motivated her to do it. And this
38:04
also applies in our spiritual work. If you don't
38:07
see that something is possible, you almost will
38:11
feel like it's unattainable. I told a student,
38:14
I said, there is a student that graduated with
38:17
a 4 .0. The guy screamed. I said, it is possible.
38:21
The fact that someone could do it means that
38:23
you could do it. You just need to work at it.
38:25
And we're not saying that you should kill yourself
38:27
to do it. We're saying that you should know that
38:29
it's possible and work towards it. If you don't
38:31
have a four -point, you have it. But you moved
38:33
from one point something to somewhere convenient.
38:36
If that's where you are. But because somebody
38:39
is possible, you'll be motivated to put in the
38:42
work to get it done. Same thing with our work.
38:45
The moment someone models to you something. And
38:50
that was what Jesus Christ did with his disciples.
38:52
He modeled service. He didn't just tell them,
38:55
go and serve. He modeled it to them. We see that
38:58
in the actions, the washing of their feet, the
39:01
different things he did, even how to pray. When
39:04
he goes and prays, he was modeling something
39:06
to them. And it's very powerful. The power that
39:10
you don't believe, like doing certain things
39:13
and people doing it and you watch them, it is
39:16
very powerful. That's why some of the times,
39:18
it's not that we cannot delegate certain things,
39:20
but there's certain things that we have to model
39:22
so that you see. And then you learn and you know
39:26
how it is done. And Apostle Paul in this passage
39:29
is telling, look, we're not telling you to do
39:33
what we don't do. We are telling you to do these
39:37
things because we have shown you how it is done.
39:39
And we demand of you to do likewise. Because
39:43
even when Jesus Christ was giving instructions
39:45
to the disciples, he's giving them an instruction
39:46
on the premise that he has shown them how to
39:49
do it and he has empowered them with the tool
39:51
to do it as well. So he's not just leaving them
39:53
fatherless or leaving them clueless as to how
39:58
to go about it. And we see even in Apostle Paul's
40:01
instruction to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4, verse
40:05
12. I want us to read that passage. 1 Timothy
40:07
4, verse 12. I want us to go to 1 Timothy 4,
40:11
verse 12. 1 Timothy 4, verse 12. It says, don't
40:18
let anyone think less of you. I'm reading from
40:20
the NLT. Don't let anyone think less of you because
40:23
you are young. Be an example to all believers
40:26
in what you say, in the way you live, in your
40:31
love. in your faith and your purity. New King
40:38
James says, let no one despise your youth. He
40:42
says, but make yourselves an example. Sorry,
40:47
but be an example to the believer in your own
40:50
word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
40:55
He's instructing Timothy, be an example. Be an
40:59
example. Be an example. Be an example to the
41:03
believers. Be an example to the believers. Because
41:07
if you say, don't team up, you want to see what
41:09
it means, how life is when you are walking in
41:14
the instructions given. You're walking in the
41:17
instructions given. And we also see that, we
41:20
also see in Hebrews, we also see in Hebrews,
41:24
Hebrews 13 verse 7. Hebrews 13 verse 7. Hebrews
41:28
13 verse 7. This is in relation, because you
41:30
know that all of these examples are in relation
41:32
to leadership. It's in relation to leadership.
41:35
Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken
41:38
the word of God to you, whose faith you follow,
41:41
considering the outcome of their conduct. The
41:45
NLC says, follow the example of their faith.
41:49
Follow the example of their faith. It says, remember
41:53
your leaders who taught you the word. Who taught
41:56
you the word. Who taught you the word? Say, who
42:00
taught you the word of God? Think of all the
42:03
good that has come from their lives. Meaning
42:08
that you're looking at the results of that good
42:11
from their life. Look at the results of the good.
42:15
The things that have been taught. Meaning that
42:17
the leader also has the responsibility to live
42:19
out what he teaches. Has that responsibility
42:22
as well. And follow the example of their faith,
42:27
meaning that the faith of the leader is something
42:29
that people can see and follow because it's modeled.
42:34
And on different levels, we see that as believers,
42:38
we see, we model, and some other person is looking
42:43
at us and following suit because your inability
42:47
to model this thing would deny someone an opportunity
42:50
to see it and see the possibility. And then follow
42:54
suit. Because every one of us, remember what
42:56
we started with. We are light. Right? We are
42:59
light. People should, and light reflects. When
43:04
light is in a place, it shines. When light is
43:07
in a place, people will see. Right? People will
43:11
see. So there's a showing that happens as a result
43:13
of that. And we shouldn't undermine the investment
43:18
of God upon our lives. not do or not act, not
43:25
be distinct. We are undermining the investment
43:28
of God. We are not making the most of what we
43:34
have been given. And we will not be able to see
43:40
the plans and purpose because when you undermine,
43:43
like if you don't even see the investment that
43:44
has been done, you're undermining. If you don't
43:47
see that there's an example to live by, you will
43:51
not follow. And all of this will not make the
43:54
book of ministry the success that it should be.
43:57
Because remember, in the passage that we read,
43:59
even though I think we'll have to read that passage
44:02
down to the very end, because there's a lot more
44:04
things that I would love us to see in that passage.
44:07
I think we stopped in verse 9. That's in 2 Thessalonians
44:11
3. I want us to go back to 2 Thessalonians. I
44:14
want us to read it down to 15. I think we'll
44:17
stop in 15. 2 Thessalonians 3. He says, for even
44:23
when we were with you, we commanded you this.
44:28
If anyone will not walk, neither shall he eat.
44:33
You know, this one is a standard. If you don't
44:35
want to, you will not see food if you don't want
44:39
to walk. See, for we hear that there are some
44:42
who walk among you in a disorderly manner, which
44:45
is the 11 that we read earlier, not walking at
44:48
all. They choose not to walk at all, but are
44:52
busybodies doing something else other than walking.
44:56
Now, those who are such, we command and exalt
45:03
through our Lord Jesus Christ that they walk
45:08
in the quietness and eat their own bread. So
45:12
it's commanding and exalting. that they walk
45:17
in quietness and eat their own bread. Meaning
45:23
that they should change their ways. They should
45:26
change their ways and walk in their own way.
45:29
But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in
45:34
doing good. Praise God. Do not grow weary in
45:37
doing good. He's speaking to those that are walking,
45:39
those that are this thing, which is what I said
45:41
earlier. Don't grow weary. You are doing the
45:43
right thing. You might not be seeing the results.
45:46
You might not be seeing the progress, but just
45:48
stay faithful to what the instructions that has
45:50
been given. Because sometimes, and I sense there
45:53
are people that you get to a place where you
45:57
are putting the work and it's tiring and you're
46:00
like, I'm not seeing it. I'm not understanding
46:02
it. I'm not getting it. Just keep at it. Don't
46:05
grow weary in doing it. Don't grow weary in doing
46:08
it. Don't grow weary in doing the things that
46:11
have brought you to this point. Because sometimes
46:12
there's a season of your life where you are sensing
46:14
that God is, that it's almost like you have a
46:19
snapshot of what God is going to do in the future.
46:22
And you become frustrated because you're not
46:24
seeing what God is going to do in the future
46:25
in the now. But note that it is going to undermine
46:30
the progress. It's going to make you undermine
46:34
the work that you have done to this point and
46:37
not allow you and be encouraged to keep doing
46:40
it to see what you have been shown. And for some
46:43
of us, it's where we're at. We're in the season
46:45
of our life where God is showing us the things
46:48
he's going to do in and through us. And then
46:51
you are looking at your now and feeling like
46:53
you cannot get there. And then you allow yourself
46:56
to be overwhelmed by that. I'm speaking to you
46:59
by the Spirit of God. This instruction is that
47:02
you should not grow weary in doing the things
47:04
that I brought you now. And you should not make
47:06
people change the things. I'd make you add things,
47:09
almost like you're trying to walk your way. to
47:11
get to that place where God has shown you by
47:12
yourself. Know that it is his agenda. If you
47:16
want to run his agenda, you run his agenda in
47:18
his own terms, not your own terms. And Apostle
47:22
Paul, he knows that we can grow weary. And he's
47:25
telling us in this passage in verse 13, do not
47:27
grow weary in doing good. 14, he says, and if
47:30
anyone does not obey our word in this epistle,
47:34
note that person and do not keep... company.
47:39
It's the same thing again. If anybody is in disobedience,
47:44
you see, note that person. I think like Pastor
47:46
Victor said, mark the person. Mark the person.
47:50
Note the person. You are noting the person because
47:53
you don't want to be, you see, he says, note
47:56
that person and don't keep company with that
47:59
person. He tells you not to keep company with
48:01
that person. Don't team up with that person.
48:03
He says that you, that he may be ashamed. Note
48:07
that you are You are doing it so that a person
48:10
will see they are wrong. Because there's something
48:13
about, which is another thing that we will teach
48:15
at some point in time, there's something about
48:17
fellowship. There's the joy of fellowship. And
48:22
when a believer is denied of fellowship, you
48:25
know, in their own setting, the setting of the
48:28
backbend, when they withdraw, you know, normally,
48:32
when people used to come around you, how are
48:33
you doing and everything, and then people withdraw
48:35
fellowship, you yourself will be like, what did
48:36
I do now? That in itself will compel you to make
48:39
a change, to change your ways, so that you'll
48:42
be restored back to fellowship. But nowadays,
48:44
it's like, people should go. Who are you people?
48:47
We can't do without you. You'll be talking to
48:49
an entire group. You'll be talking about an entire
48:52
group because you don't understand the importance
48:55
of the community and the family of God. And that
48:58
in itself just establishes that you have no clue.
49:02
what you are saying, what you are doing. And
49:03
when, most of the times in this day and age,
49:05
what you should reset the person is by this,
49:07
when the person has challenge and the supposed
49:10
people he has teamed up with are not there for
49:12
him in that time when he need it. And it's if,
49:14
body of Christ, there you say, hey, hello pastor,
49:17
I'm in a situation, I don't know, I know I've
49:20
done wrong, but I know you people will forgive
49:22
me. You know, this is the way you, people now
49:24
become manipulative and then persuade and make
49:27
you to come. Meanwhile, they are the ones that
49:30
position themselves for the disaster that they
49:32
have brought upon themselves. Praise God. So
49:35
he says, then 15 now says, yet do not count him
49:40
as an enemy, which is very important. Don't count
49:43
the individual as an enemy, but admonish him
49:45
as a brother, which is very key. When we are
49:49
dissociating, and that's what we talked about
49:52
when he says in that Matthew 18, when he says
49:55
let's treat him as a non -believer, and where
49:56
we establish the fact that Some people say, how
50:00
did Jesus treat unbelievers? That's what you
50:03
should ask yourself. How did he treat unbelievers?
50:05
He fellowshiped with them. I know that when people
50:08
say, oh, we see Jesus, he fellowshiped with unbelievers,
50:10
you want to understand that his fellowship with
50:13
them is to, you can look at the example in Luke
50:17
19 of Zacchaeus. His presence in Zacchaeus' house,
50:22
this individual had a turnaround. He said, if
50:26
I've taken any goods of him, this person was
50:29
in wickedness, he was extorting money from people.
50:33
In the fellowship he had with him, there was
50:36
a turnaround in his attitude, in his conduct.
50:39
This individual believed in Christ. In fact,
50:42
that was what drove him to be able to go and
50:44
seek him, and that's what brought him to dwell
50:47
in his house. So it means that your association
50:50
with... unbelievers, they should be an influence.
50:53
You should not be associating with them and lose
50:54
your identity in the course of it. Because we're
50:57
not saying that we don't have relationships with
50:59
them. We're saying that close relationships where
51:02
you will lose your identity is what it is. You
51:05
cannot come and then your best friend, your five
51:07
and six, you say, this person is my best friend
51:12
and the person is an unbeliever. that will undermine
51:17
your identity. It will undermine your belief
51:20
system to undermine who you are in Christ Jesus
51:24
because you will find times in that relationship
51:26
where you compromise. And that in itself will
51:29
not help you be able to... And most of us, we
51:31
have done it so much to the point that we can't
51:33
even preach to the person. You don't even have...
51:35
When they say, we have preached... You say, where
51:39
do I start? Because you have so entangled yourself,
51:43
done so many things that even when you now say,
51:45
You know, Jesus loves you. You know, he died.
51:47
You're like, you're saying it and you're in denial.
51:50
You know, because he died for you, but you don't
51:54
know how to communicate it. You're not bold enough
51:56
to do so because you have teamed up with this
52:00
individual and you have done things you shouldn't
52:02
be doing with them in the first place. Praise
52:04
God. That is the power of, because you should
52:06
have been an example to the individual. That
52:10
is what you are called to do. Like, we are not
52:13
meant to hide. We are meant to shine. You should
52:15
have been an example in such a way that this
52:18
individual, even if they had not come to the
52:20
place of believing, they should have seen that
52:22
example that when the time comes, they will say,
52:25
I know someone. He's a friend of mine. He stood
52:30
for this. He stood for that. He stood for this.
52:33
Because of him, I believe what you are saying.
52:36
Because of his life, because of what I've seen,
52:39
I believe what you are saying. But you have believers
52:41
that have... so compromised in their identity
52:45
that when you now come and your parents say,
52:47
ah, is he in all of you? We know they will put
52:48
everybody in the same WhatsApp group and including
52:51
yourself that is living, that you understand
52:54
your identity, you are carrying out your responsibility
52:57
the way you should. Praise God. So I want us
52:59
to really be encouraged to note that there's
53:03
a clear distinction between how a believer should
53:06
live. And it says in 1 Peter 2 verse 9, it says,
53:09
you're called out. We're called out. We're called
53:13
out. He says, but you are a chosen generation,
53:16
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his special
53:18
people. He says that you may proclaim the praises
53:22
of him who called you out of darkness into his
53:24
marvelous light, meaning that we're in his marvelous
53:25
light. And the responsibility we have is to proclaim.
53:29
There's a distinction. It's clear. He says, we
53:32
are the chosen. We're not just a likeness. We're
53:36
his chosen generation. You're a chosen generation.
53:38
You're a royal priesthood. You're a holy nation.
53:42
He's special people. He's special people. And
53:45
some other translation will say display. Amplified
53:48
will say display. And then it will say show.
53:51
Jerry Phillips will say demonstrate. Meaning
53:53
that these things are things that are manifest.
53:56
They are things that you proclaim. And all of
54:00
these things are very powerful when we think
54:01
about it, that there's a responsibility. There's
54:05
the account. We are accountable on the basis
54:08
of the fact that we... There's what is expected
54:11
of us. And once we're not able to meet up with
54:15
that, we have a body and a system by which we're
54:17
able to go back and look at it and be instructed
54:20
and be guided and understand what it is and how
54:25
it is we should go about the things that we're
54:27
called into. And I want to close with this. I
54:30
want to close with this. I want to just remind
54:33
us of what we are instructed to do. The work
54:41
of ministry is not optional. It's not an option.
54:43
You don't choose to do this and not to do it.
54:46
It's something that is a natural, it flows. As
54:50
we saw in 1 Peter 2 verse 9, it's something that
54:54
flows. It's a proclaim. We are proclaiming what
54:56
we are called. It's not like we are going to
54:57
be called. And we see the word calling, and calling
55:00
is what we have received, the salvation we have
55:02
received. We see that in Ephesians 4, where it
55:05
says he uses the word called. We know that that
55:08
is where we are at, meaning that we are meant
55:10
to do likewise. Praise God. And that is why the
55:14
Great Commission is very powerful. In Mark 16,
55:17
it says, go into the world and preach the gospel
55:21
to every creature. It says, he who believes and
55:24
is baptized will be saved. But he who does not
55:30
believe will be damned. It says, And these signs
55:34
will follow those who believe. Meaning that all
55:37
those who believe, this will be evident. In my
55:40
name they will cast out demons. They will speak
55:44
new tongues. They will take up serpents. They
55:48
will drink any deadly thing. They will by no
55:51
means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick.
55:57
And they will recover. All of these things are
56:00
the things that are going to be manifest as a
56:03
result of our identity. And these are the things
56:07
that we are responsible to see. We'll see these
56:10
things responsible. And we are going to be teaching
56:12
these things. We're going to be seeing this.
56:14
And we see that in the life of the apostles was
56:17
evident. And in the church of NEC, we're seeing
56:19
these things. And we're believing God for greater
56:21
manifestations of these things in this season.
56:24
And I want us to... Let our faith be. I think
56:27
when we were talking yesterday, we are desiring
56:31
to see a greater manifestation. We have seen
56:33
how God heals the sick. We have seen how God
56:37
does great and mighty things. But we know that
56:41
there is more. And we know that God is able to
56:43
do great and mighty things. And we are able to
56:45
see a great spread. And not that the result of
56:48
this will be that there will be a massive spread.
56:51
We'll see the massive spread of God's word. on
56:53
the island will see people turning around because
56:56
the message will go out and there will be a powerful
56:58
effect. The message will go out and there will
57:00
be a powerful effect that people will see. It
57:02
says in Acts 19 verse 11, it says, and now God
57:05
will work unusual miracles by the hands of all.
57:09
And there are many things that we see and all
57:11
of these things are testament to the command
57:13
and the commission given and that is what followed.
57:17
And we're believing and we're seeing that God
57:19
is doing this thing. God is the same God. He's
57:21
doing this thing. in our midst. And we're greatly
57:23
encouraged that ministry is effective. The power
57:26
of God is part of. The power that we see is in
57:30
the gospel being preached and the power that
57:32
we see is in the different miracles, the unusual
57:34
miracles that's been done and where his children,
57:38
where his ministers and we're going to be able
57:39
to see these things and we're thanking God for
57:41
the manifestation of these things and we're seeing
57:44
a greater manifestation of it because we're designed
57:46
to see God do these things in and through us.
57:49
So I want us to close with this. I think Pastor
57:52
Costin said it in the closing, and I resonated
57:54
greatly with it, that we are not just ministers
57:56
of God. We are ministers of the gospel. We are
58:00
not just ministers of God. What we minister as
58:02
ministers of God is the gospel. So I want us
58:05
to say this in closing. I'm a minister of the
58:06
gospel. I'm a minister of the gospel, winning
58:10
billions of souls. It says I receive the training,
58:14
and I train others. I receive training and I
58:18
train others. I am faithful in serving the church
58:21
of NECF, which is my local church. It says, I
58:24
am accountable to the leadership of the local
58:27
church. I am not afraid to preach the gospel
58:30
that gets people saved. I am patient with the
58:34
unbeliever to get them saved and see them grow.
58:37
In the mighty name of Jesus, we'll affirm these
58:39
words. Amen and amen. Thank you so much. If today's
59:03
message was a blessing, share it with a friend.
59:06
Till next time, be blessed.