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Understanding the Faith For Greater Works (Part 5) · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. John chapter 14 verse 12 it says most
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assuredly I say to you he who believes in me
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the works that I do he will do also and greater
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works than this he will do because I go to my
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father hallelujah now going to the father is
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very essential to the greater works that those
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who believe in him will do. It was expedient
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that he go to the father. It was important that
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he live. And in living, he returns and we see
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the ability to do greater works. He says, because
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I go to the Father. Because I go to the Father,
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the fundamental reason. Father, we will see in
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verse 18 of verse 19. Jesus will go on to speak
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about his going to the Father in verse 18 and
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19. He says, I will not leave you orphans. I
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will come to you. So he's not only going, but
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he's coming. Hallelujah. He's not only going,
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but what will happen? He will come. A little
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while longer, and the world will see me no more.
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But you will see me. Because I live, what will
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happen? You will live also. So Jesus wouldn't
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leave them as orphans because he goes to the
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father. And then in going to the father will
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see Jesus will say that he will come back again
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So what does it mean? What does he doesn't mean
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by going to the father? What does it mean by
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going to the father? John chapter 16 will see
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the continuation of that conversation chapter
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16 verse 16 and to 19 Still in that conversation
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the same context the same communication. It says
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a little while and you will not see me and a
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little while and you will see me he repeats again
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because what because i go to the father and some
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of his disciples say it among themselves what
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is this what is what is this that he say to us
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a little while and you will not see me and again
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a little while and you will see me because I
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go to the Father even then they were contemplating
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what does it mean by I go to the Father Hallelujah
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what does it mean by I go to the Father verse
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18 they said they said therefore what is this
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he says a little while we do not know what he's
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saying now Jesus knew that they desire to ask
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him and he said to them verse 18 verse 19 now
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they knew that they desire now Jesus knew that
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they desire to ask him and He said to them are
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you inquiring among yourselves about what I said
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a little while and You will not see me and again
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a little while and you will see me In verse 20
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we'll see Jesus father explains what will happen
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when he goes to the father in verse 20 to give
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us a clue of what it means by going to the father
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most assuredly i say to you that you will weep
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and lament but the world will rejoice how will
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they weep and lament and what will do why will
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the world rejoice you'll weep and lament but
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the world will rejoice and you will be sorrowful
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but your sorrow will be torn into joy hallelujah
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in their sorrow their sorrow will be torn into
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joy in his living they're going to be sorrowful
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in his living the world will be rejoicing but
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the sorrow of the believers of those who are
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his disciples will be torn into joy a woman when
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she is in the label has sorrow because her hour
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has come but as soon as she has given birth to
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the child she no longer remembers the anguish
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for joy that a human being has been born into
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the world therefore you now have sorrow but I
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will see you again and your heart will rejoice
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and your joy no one will take from you. And in
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that day, which day? In that day, hallelujah,
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today is that day. Amen. To anyone who believes,
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who is in Christ, that day is today. And in that
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day, you will ask me nothing. Most and shortly,
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I say to you, whatever you ask the Father, in
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my name, He will give you. until now you have
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asked nothing in my name acts and you will receive
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that your joy may be full hallelujah so going
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to the Father speaks of Jesus's completion of
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the work of redemption Jesus saying that I go
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to the Father is in relation to his death that
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he will die that he will be buried and that he
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will rise again and that he will be ascended
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and Then we see the accompanying result of all
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these to the church Because the essence of all
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that Jesus will do is for the church is for the
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believers is for us who Have believed today So
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Jesus saying I will go to the father I go to
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the father most assuredly I say to you he who
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believes in me the works that I do he will do
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also and greater worse than this he will do because
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what because I'm going to die hallelujah because
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I'm going to die and I will rise again and not
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only that I'm going to rise again but I'm going
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to ascend to the father amen and I will come
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to you I'll give you the gifts the gift of the
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spirit I'll come to you again so the greater
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works that we do all that will be done by the
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apostles or by the disciples is a product of
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the resurrection of Jesus Christ if truly Jesus
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has resurrected the result of his resurrection
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is actually not only the fact that you are born
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again but actually that you have the ability
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to do greater works hallelujah now in Jesus's
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death let's look at it He took away the sin of
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the whole world. Because sometimes, you know,
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we are so conscious of sin, okay? We are so conscious
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of sin that it limits us from doing what we've
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been called to do. But look at what Jesus did
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in His death. In going to the Father and dying,
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in rising, in resurrecting. He took away the
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sin of the whole world. The whole world meaning
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he paid for the legal requirement of sin Because
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there is a legality to sin hallelujah the wages
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that sin demands is what is death What sins require
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is separation from God what sins require is total
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separation from God But we see Jesus Resolving
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the legal requirement for sin. Romans 6 verse
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23. Romans 6 verse 23. He says, for the wages
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of sin is death, but the gift of God is what?
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Is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The
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gift that God gives through Christ is eternal
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life. A spiritual life. That life by which we
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live. That life by which we are able to do greater
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works. Isaiah 53 verse 5 and 6 speaks of what
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Jesus did in his death Isaiah 53 verse 5 and
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6 in the prophecy it says but he was wounded
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for what he was wounded for our transgressions
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he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement
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for our peace was upon him and by whose tribes
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were healed now the transgressions is speaking
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of the iniquities is speaking of the healing
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this is what jesus has done in his death verse
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six all we like sheep have grown astray we have
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turned everyone to his own way and the lord has
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laid on him what has god laid on him he has laid
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on jesus the iniquity of us all hallelujah The
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iniquity of us all has been laid upon him. The
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iniquities of us all has been laid on Jesus.
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Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 explains
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it for us vividly. By revelation we see how Paul
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expressed it. It says for he made him. Who knew
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no sin that is Christ? Who cannot sin? Who doesn't
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have the ability to sin? God made him to be seen
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for us. That we might become the righteousness
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of God in him. The believer becomes the righteousness
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of God. So, sin is no longer a hindrance to doing
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greater works. Hallelujah! There is no longer
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a separation between God and man. Man is enabled
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by virtue of what Christ has done. It has brought
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us into the status and the level by which we
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can do the things that God has called us to do
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Therefore our minds need renewal our minds need
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to change Hebrews chapter 9 verse 26 Hebrews
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chapter 9 verse 26 He then will have had to suffer
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often since the foundation of the world but now
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once at the end of the ages has appeared To do
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what? To put away sin. All right? To put away
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sin. Jesus has put away sin by the sacrifice
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of himself. Hallelujah. Jesus is not only the
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priest, the high priest. Jesus is a high priest
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and the sacrifice. So by the offering of himself,
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he put away sin. Hallelujah. President of the
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two of us to just and heal himself is what is
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a propitiation for our sins and Not for ours
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only but also for the world hallelujah So we
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see in his dead. He has handled the issue of
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sin He has handled the issue of sin. Therefore.
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There should be no guilt for sin because in Christ
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Jesus who is 65 When I was the leader of beef
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because of our offenses jesus was delivered for
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sin because of our offenses and was raised because
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of what of our justification all right he was
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raised for our justification that is to make
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us ride with god that is to settle the issue
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of our separation because sin separates god from
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men hebrew chapter 9 verse 24 for Christ has
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not entered the holy places made with hands this
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is a comparison between what is of works what
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men do and what Christ has done for Christ has
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not entered the holy places made with hands which
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are copies of the truth but into heaven itself
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now to do what? to appear before the Father to
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appear in the presence of God. For who? For us.
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The appearance of Jesus before the Father is
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for us. It's for us. Ephesians 2 verse 18. Ephesians
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2 verse 18. For to Him we both have access. Okay?
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We both have access to Jesus himself. We. have
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access by one spirit. To who? To the Father.
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So the believer has access to the Father through
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one spirit by what Christ has done. Hebrews 10
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verse 19 and 20. Hebrews 10 verse 19. It says
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therefore brethren, having boldness to enter
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the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by the life
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of Jesus, by what Jesus has done, by a new living
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way which He consecrated for us. So Jesus has
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created a path for us. No wonder He will say,
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I am the way. Jesus Himself is the way by which
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we access the Father through the veil that is
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His Word, His flesh. So we see that death took
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away the penalty of sin. We see that in Jesus'
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resurrection, He appeared before the Father for
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us. Also, the result is seen in the pouring of
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His Spirit. The pouring of His Spirit to the
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church. John chapter 7 verse 38. The result of
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the election of Jesus Christ, the result of the
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Easter, in quote, right, is the Spirit of God
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that He gave to man. The Spirit of God that He
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gave to man that enables us to live, the light
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that He has called us to live. Sin is no longer
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a problem because Jesus has resurrected. We have
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access to the Father. We are no longer separated
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from the Father. We have the ability of the Father
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in us. He says, I will come to you. He has come
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to us by the Spirit. So John chapter 7 verse
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38 and 39 says, He who believes in me, as the
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scripture has said, out of his heart will flow
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rivers of living water, that's nine. But this
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he spoke, consider what? The Spirit. whom those
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believing in him will receive so those who believe
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in Jesus at this moment he has not given the
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spirit yet but those who believe will do what
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will receive and we have believed today and we
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have received for the Holy Spirit was not yet
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given because Jesus was not yet glorified so
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going to the father speaks of his glorification
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that as he's glorified he will come and him coming
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is by the spirit hallelujah He gave us His Spirit.
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John chapter 6, verse 7. John chapter 6, verse
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7. Now I just want our eyes to be open to the
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realities of what we have. Okay? So we will begin
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to talk about doing greater works. Know that
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you are equipped to do the greater works. Nevertheless,
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I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage
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that I go away. For if I do not go away, the
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helper will not come to you. But if I depart,
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I will send Him to you. Hallelujah! That is prior
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to His death. But today, Jesus has gone to the...
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He has died. He has resurrected. And He has ascended.
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And He has given us the gift of the Spirit. And
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the Spirit, the helper, is in us. The ability
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of God dwells in us. The person of the Spirit
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of God lives in us. Hallelujah! He lives in us.
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Acts 1 verse 8. Let's see what He will do when
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He is in us. Acts 1 verse 8 says that you shall
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receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
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you. You shall receive power. Power speaks of
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ability to act, the enablement to do when the
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Spirit has come upon you and you shall be what?
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You shall be witnesses. Witnessing speaks of
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the greater works that God enabled the believer
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to do. You shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem.
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in all Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost
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part of the earth. Acts chapter 2 verse 32 we
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see when the Apostles began Acts chapter 2 verse
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32 and 33 this Jesus God has raised up of which
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we are all witnesses this is a testimony of the
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Apostles they were witnesses of what God has
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done therefore be exalted to the right hand of
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God and have received from the father what did
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he receive from the father the promise and that
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promise is the Holy Spirit what has he done he
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poured out this which you now see and hear hallelujah
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so the resurrection ushered us into the gifts
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that God has given to us in Christ Jesus the
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spirit and that spirit is for everyone who believes.
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Ephesians chapter 1 verse s speaks it clearly
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when we receive the salvation the message of
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salvation he sealed us with his spirit Ephesians
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chapter 1 verse 13 speaks of this reality in
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the life of the believer says in him you you
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also trusted after you heard the word of truth
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so this gives gives by hearing the word of truth
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hallelujah the gospel of your salvation one is
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the gospel of salvation the gospel is that god
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in christ has dealt with the issue of sin. Jesus
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died, he rose again, and then there's no longer
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condemnation for he who received. So the gospel
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of your salvation, it won't also, having believed
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that what Jesus did is true. Having believed
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that your sins are forgiven. To be thinking that
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God is holding you accountable is not believing
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that Jesus has died for your sins. So the gospel
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of your salvation in war also have believed when
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you believe you were what you were sealed With
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the Holy Spirit of promise the Holy Spirit there
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was a promise Galatians chapter 4 verse 6 Galatians
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chapter 4 verse 6 and because The reason and
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because you are sons. How did we become sons?
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we became sons by believing in Jesus so because
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you are sons God has sent forth the spirit of
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his son into your heart so we look at what that
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heart means all right what does it mean that
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the spirit of God is in our heart is it in the
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heart of the palms blood we're going to look
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at that clearly right so it says God has sent
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forth the spirit of his son into your hearts
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crying out our Father So we see the result of
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all that Christ has done the resurrection we
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celebrate see the essence of Easter is not to
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dance All right, it's to remind us of what Christ
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has done Dancing is good. All right, but we don't
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dance away the meaning of what Christ has done
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for us Hallelujah It reminds us of one we have
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and the responsibility that comes in one we have
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that Jesus died and he rose again from the dead.
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And that brings us to the experience of his spirit.
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So greater works are for everyone who believes
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in Jesus. Who believes in Jesus. You have all
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it takes. That means if you are not doing greater
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works, it means that you are not doing that which
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you have been equipped to do. You are not doing
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that which you have been empowered to do. all
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that he has done in redemption hallelujah is
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for all who believe who believe in jesus who
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believe in all that he has done in redemption
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not just many believing in his existence i see
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that are people that believe jesus also existed
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they believe that he was a messiah all right
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james of the true verse 19 will say even even
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demons they believe but that's all the kind of
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belief we are talking about okay that's what
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they kind of believe we are speaking about you
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believe that he died for you hallelujah you believe
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that your sins are forgiven by what he did you
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believe that he is a messiah you believe that
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he is the one that god has sent into the world
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you believe that he is god that became man that
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you will die for your sins and that he was raised
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again from the dead by the spirit of god and
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that he has appeared before the father for you
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and right now he is seated at the right hand
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of the father for you for you says for me Jesus
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has As we elevated right to a position for our
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sake By virtue of what he has done his death
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is better his resurrection It is to our advantage
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It is to our advantage The authority of Christ
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is to the church So we have the ability to do
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all the things that God We want us to do because
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he has made a promise and he has fulfilled his
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promise and This promise of doing greater works
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is for this era is for the church era Hallelujah,
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and this greater works is the works of faith.
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You mean is the works of faith What do I mean
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by is the works of faith is not by your own doing
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Hallelujah. There's no formula you implement
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to do the rock of faith. Greater works are not
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produced by human effort. That is what I want
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to emphasize. Showing to us how God has qualified
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us by what he has done. Okay? And we come into
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what God has done by faith. We are transformed.
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We are made world. We are forgiven and we are
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alive in Christ by faith So the greater works
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are not produced by human effort but by faith
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that originates from God And we see this revealed
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through what Christ has done Hallelujah, so then
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we say you go to preach we don't go to preach
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laying hand on the six because sometimes we begin
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to speak about laying hand on the six to be healed
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this is part of greater works all right given
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the road of prophecy is is part of the greater
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works all right all that is inspired by the spirit
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of god is a greater works some of us think that
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there's a method by which we will take in order
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to find these results look at what paul explained
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to the church in galatia galatians of the three
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verse one Galatians of the three verse one to
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five says all foolish Galatians who has bewitched
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you that you should not obey the truth before
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whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed
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to you among you as crucified this only I want
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to learn from you did you receive the spirit
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by the works of the law that is is there anything
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you did all right that made God favored you Is
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there anything you did? Did you obey all the
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laws of Moses that qualify you to receive the
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mercy of God? Is there anything that comes from
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you that enables you to receive the forgiveness
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of sin? This only I want to learn from you. Did
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you receive the Spirit by the works of the law
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or by the hearing of faith? This is a rhetorical
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question to them. Are you so foolish? Yes, they
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are foolish. Are you so foolish that having begun
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in what? In the spirit. Beginning in the spirit
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simply means by faith. Having begun in the spirit,
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are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
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Meaning, you started by faith. Are you now going
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to be perfected by doing some things to be perfected?
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Have you suffered so many things in vain, if
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indeed it was in vain? Look at verse 5 very importantly.
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Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and
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what did He do? And work miracles among you.
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Right? Does He do it by works of the law or by
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the hearing of faith? Jesus did all He did for
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us and we enter into the reality of what He's
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doing by faith. And for them, they have enjoyed
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the miraculous, they've enjoyed in particular,
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the works of the Spirit. The supply of this particular
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verse five says, the supply of the Spirit and
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the miraculous work that happened among them
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was the greater works done through faith and
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not by any of their own efforts. works of the
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law emphasizes what man does. Hallelujah. So
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the context is that some people here have come
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into the church and began teaching them that
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obeying the law of Moses was necessary part of
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the gospel. Obeying those rules and norms were
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necessary part of the gospel. And we see Paul's
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response to them. Paul's religious studies are
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amazing at their countenance. Let's go back to
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chapter one verse. verse 6 and 10. See how short
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the quote was. It says chapter 1 verse 6. Galatians
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1 verse 6. I marveled that you are turning away
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so soon from Him who called you in the grace
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of Christ to a different gospel. That is to say
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jesus what jesus has done plus something is another
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gospel all right the lunar equation okay is jesus
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alone there is no other parameters there's no
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other variables that accompany your salvation
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jesus and what he has done alone but some have
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come into their midst and began telling us that
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jesus have done this but there are some things
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you need to do so that god will accept you Which
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is not an order, but there are some who trouble
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you and want to pervert the gospel of God They
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want to dilute they want to pervert what God
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has done verse 8 but even if we or an angel from
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heaven Preach any other gospel to you than what
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we have preached to you. Let him be cut off Let
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him be cut off let him be accursed verse 9 as
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we have said before so now if maybe they didn't
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hear it well so now again if anyone which is
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any other gospel to you than what you have received
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let him be across vasten for i do not for do
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i now persuade men or god or do i seek to please
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men for if i simply men i will not be a born
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servant of christ so paul will follow mention
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his opposition to peter Who was trying to be
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a people pleaser? That is the reason why they
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are trying to inculcate The laws of Moses is
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to please the Jewish people. All right to please
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the Jewish people. Look at how Paul opposes Peter
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in chapter 2 verse 11 because of that Galatians
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2 verse 11 on 14 Just now when Peter had come
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to Antioch I will stood him to his face because
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he was to be blown What was there to be blamed?
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So before certain men come from James, he will
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eat with the Gentiles because in the law, in
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the law of Moses, in the law of the Jews, the
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Jews will practice non -Israelite, mixed with
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Israel, people of Israel. So Peter was trying
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to, you know, practice these things. So before
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certain men came from James, he would eat with
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the Gentiles. But when they came, he would with
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Jew and separate himself, fearing those who are
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of the circumcision. All right? Firm those who
31:50
have a circumcision. And the rest of the Jews
31:52
also played the hypocrite with him. So that Elion
31:56
Barnavas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
32:02
But when I saw that they were not straightforward
32:04
about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter
32:09
before them all, if you, being a Jew, live in
32:12
a manner of dentists and not as Jews, Why do
32:17
you compare Gentiles to live as Jews? That is
32:19
to say, if you who is a Jew, you don't practice
32:23
those things because you have a knowledge that
32:27
in Christ the law has been fulfilled. Why do
32:31
you want to make Gentiles who are not Jews practice
32:35
those things of the Jewish tradition? So Paul
32:42
explains the justification is by faith of Jesus
32:49
Christ it's not by what you do but it's by faith
32:54
of Jesus Christ Galatians 2 verse 15 you see
32:59
emphasizing this in chapter 2 verse 15 and 16
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who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the
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Gentiles verse yes knowing that a man is not
33:15
justified by the works of the law so what makes
33:19
a man justified what makes a man accepted is
33:22
not what he did but by faith of Jesus Christ
33:28
even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we
33:31
might be justified by faith in Christ and not
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by the works of the law for by the works of the
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law no flesh shall work shall be justified no
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flesh shall be justified look at verse 20 and
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21 verse 20 and 21 verse 20 i have been crucified
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with christ it is no longer i who live okay but
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christ lives in me that is to say you will make
34:01
perfect you are justified by what christ has
34:03
done and even the life that you live right now
34:07
it is it is christ who lives in you all right
34:10
It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me.
34:15
And the life I now live in the flesh. How does
34:19
he live the life in the flesh? By his effort?
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No. I live by the faith of the Son of God. I
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live by the faith of the Son of God. So who lives
34:32
out the life in me, the faith of the Son of God,
34:35
who loves me and gives himself for me? So of
34:39
course we say in verse 20, it is no longer I
34:42
who live, but Christ in me. This means that the
34:47
believer is set by the faith of God through Christ.
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The believer will also live by the same faith
34:53
of God through Christ. Your salvation is all
34:59
you're doing. So your outliving of the salvation
35:03
is not also you're doing. So, what is my responsibility?
35:10
The responsibility of the believer is to respond
35:13
to what God is doing in him. The responsibility
35:17
of the believer is to yield to what God is living
35:21
in him. The moment you begin to act outside what
35:26
God is doing from within you is the rocks of
35:28
the flesh. Even if it is preaching, you can preach
35:35
in the flesh. Because the focus will not be He
35:40
who is in you. So everything the believer does
35:46
is from the empowering that is within. That the
35:50
power of God, the indwelling of the Spirit of
35:53
God lives out alive in you. You don't begin to
36:00
formulate formulas. We begin with the faith that
36:05
comes from God. And the sense of God perfects
36:11
us. Do you know why you are struggling with sins?
36:14
You are struggling with behaviors? It's because
36:17
you are trying to live by your strength, by formulas.
36:21
You are trying to live by what? By rules and
36:23
laws. In the meantime, those things may seem
36:27
they are working. But time will tell. You will
36:31
see they are failures. Because those are not
36:34
enduring. Those cannot last. That cannot last.
36:39
But when we yield to the work of the Spirit,
36:41
the Bible will tell us that when we work by the
36:44
Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the
36:47
flesh. When we yield ourselves to the dynamic
36:50
power of the Spirit of God that lives in us,
36:53
we will not yield ourselves to the desires of
36:55
the flesh. Because we are not called to live
37:02
on our own. You are not born again to live by
37:05
your strength. You are not born again to live
37:08
by your power. The Christian life cannot be lived
37:11
by willpower. It's by the power of the Spirit
37:16
of God that you can live. And the work of ministry
37:22
is not by your willpower. It's by the outworking
37:25
of the power of God within you. So, let me say
37:31
this cautiously. It is not your responsibility
37:34
to heal. Contextually, you know what I'm saying.
37:39
It is not your responsibility to heal, but it
37:42
is your responsibility to lay a hand on the sick.
37:44
And who does the healing? God does the healing
37:47
through you. Hallelujah. So if I lay my hand
37:51
on the sick and the sick did not get healed,
37:54
what happened? Have I done my responsibility?
37:59
We calculate God's responsibility in our head.
38:02
And we want to do what God will want to do by
38:04
himself. Hallelujah So what if I go to preach?
38:10
And the person you know here it is not your duty.
38:13
You know that you cannot get any man born again
38:16
All right, do you know that you there's nothing
38:18
you can when a man have made up his mind even
38:21
God cannot make him born again Because God will
38:26
violate the will of the man are we together So
38:29
even you yourself what you do is that you obey
38:32
you allowed God to find expression to you and
38:35
the Holy Spirit does the rest The Bible says
38:37
I is a spirit that convicts the world of sin.
38:40
Not you you don't is that the ministry of the
38:42
spirit Convict means to show proof of what Christ
38:45
has done concerning sin Perhaps the person will
38:48
receive But God is long -suffering hallelujah
38:54
God is long -suffering so we begin with the faith
38:59
that comes from God and the self -faith of God
39:02
perfects us the greater works that is the work
39:05
of ministry are done by the same faith of God
39:09
faith is not self -generated nor a human achievement
39:14
it is rooted in Christ who is the author and
39:20
the finisher of our faith now this faith is uncalled
39:25
in Christ is sustained by his word and perfected
39:29
in him. It's all about what God is doing in us.
39:39
So in Jesus' teaching on Pharaoh, we saw the
39:41
last time in Mark chapter 11 verse 12. I want
39:45
us to go back there again once again. Mark 11
39:50
verse 12 to 14. When Jesus was teaching what
39:57
faith does all right what faith does now on the
40:02
next day when they have come out from Bethany
40:04
he was hungry and seeing from afar a fig tree
40:08
other leaves he went to see if perhaps you will
40:10
find something on it when he came to read he
40:13
found nothing but leaves for it was not season
40:15
for figs okay in response Jesus said to it let
40:20
no one eat from you ever and the disciples they
40:24
had what he said okay now verse 20 verse 20 to
40:28
24 now in the morning as they passed by they
40:36
saw the fig tree dried up from the roots and
40:41
Peter remembering said to him rabbi look the
40:45
fig tree which he cursed has withered away now
40:50
look at what Jesus said So Jesus answered and
40:53
said to them have faith in God and we've explained
40:56
this that this speaks of have the faith of God
40:59
or when you have the faith of God, right the
41:02
next verse For assuredly I say to you whoever
41:06
says to this mountain be removed and be cast
41:08
into the sea and does not doubt in his heart
41:11
Where does faith lives? Faith is in the heart
41:14
of man. All right, faith can be found in the
41:17
heart of man Doubt can only be found and also
41:20
be found in the heart of man. So the heart is
41:27
actually the place where faith dwells. Be removed
41:33
and cast out into the sea and does not doubt
41:34
in his heart, but believes that those things
41:37
he says will be done, he will have whatever he
41:42
sees. Verse 24. Therefore I say to you whatever
41:47
things you ask when you pray, believe that you
41:50
receive them and you will have them. So Jesus
41:54
here I said is teaching what faith does. He's
41:58
describing the work of faith. He's describing
42:03
the works of faith. It is important we must learn
42:06
from what Jesus said in Mark 11. It is important
42:10
for us to mark this out. It is not within your
42:13
power. okay it is not within the power of the
42:18
disciples or the believer to make the mountain
42:22
to move all right but a believer will speak to
42:26
the mountain but it is not within the power of
42:30
the believer to move the mountain all right if
42:34
the believer or the man that is standing there
42:36
that is speaking to the mountain has the ability
42:38
the ability to speak to the mountain to make
42:40
it move On his own, then he does not need the
42:43
faith of God in him to speak to the mountain.
42:48
Are we together? So, it is not within your power
42:51
to move mountains. It is not within your power
42:54
to cause a fig tree to die up. Or to, to, to,
42:58
yes, to, to die up. But it is actually God at
43:03
work. All right? So the believer who will speak
43:07
to the mountain, yes. We will speak to the victory,
43:10
but it is the power of faith that causes the
43:12
result of what we see. And this faith, where
43:16
is it located? It is inherited in the believer.
43:19
This faith is located in the believer. This faith
43:23
is from God, but lives in man. So what I want
43:27
you to know is that you have the ability of God
43:29
unwillingly. All right? And your responsibility
43:33
is to yield to the power that is God has put
43:38
in you and then you see the manifestation of
43:41
the work of God. So what we often do many times
43:45
is exercise our self -will. Self -will is not
43:49
faith. We try to exercise effort and we call
43:55
it faith. We must realize that it is God. The
44:03
Bible will say that it is Him that is in us,
44:05
right? It is God who lives in us and grant us
44:09
the ability to do the things that He has called
44:11
us to do. Example of Peter in Matthew chapter
44:17
4. Often times we blame Peter for sinking, but
44:24
we do forget that Peter actually walked on water.
44:27
Matthew chapter 14 verse 22. And that is the
44:30
walk of faith. Matthew 14 verse 22. And said,
44:41
immediately, this is the story of Peter and Jesus,
44:45
right? Immediately, Jesus made his disciples
44:47
get into the boat and go before him to the other
44:49
side, while he sent the multitudes away. And
44:53
when he had sent the multitudes away, he went
44:55
up on the mountain by himself to pray. Now when
44:57
evening came, he was alone there. But the boat
45:01
was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the
45:03
waves, for the wind was contrary at least to
45:06
the boat. Now in the fourth watch of the night,
45:09
Jesus went to them walking on the sea. And when
45:13
the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they
45:16
were troubled saying, it is a ghost. And they
45:19
cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke
45:23
to them saying, be of good cheer. It is I, do
45:27
not be afraid. And Peter answered him and said,
45:31
Lord, if it is you, what? command me to come
45:36
to you on the water if it is you command me to
45:41
come to you on the water so he said come and
45:47
when Peter had come down out of the boat so Peter's
45:51
obedience is a response to what Jesus said come
45:55
and when Peter had come out of the boat he what
46:00
he walked on the water To go to Jesus. Hallelujah.
46:08
So and a response of what Jesus said He began
46:11
to walk on the water So he said that he talked
46:16
about study But when he served the wind was by
46:21
a star us Right. He was afraid He wasn't water,
46:28
okay and then his attention shift from what Jesus
46:33
said to what is happening in his environment
46:37
when he saw that the wind was biased for us he
46:42
was afraid and beginning to do what and he began
46:47
he beginning to sing he cried out saying Lord
46:51
save me was that one and immediately Jesus stretched
46:55
out his hand and called him, and he said to him,
46:58
O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And
47:04
when they got into the board, the wind ceased.
47:08
So Jesus says, why did you doubt? Why did you
47:12
doubt? So it means that you can begin. What it
47:16
means is this. You can start in faith, right?
47:20
And walk into doubt. That is why often times
47:25
the scripture will ask us, we should start as
47:27
if we were in defeat. It is not saying that you
47:30
have lost your salvation. It is saying that you
47:34
should start to see if you are living, if you
47:37
have not abandoned how you came in and then you
47:40
begin to do other things. So we see here, Peter
47:47
stood on the word of Jesus. And of course everybody
47:53
knows that the water doesn't have the ability
47:55
to allow them to float. That was a supernatural
47:58
activity that happened there. So he began in
48:01
the spirit, he began by faith. He began by believing
48:06
with his heart and speaking with his mouth and
48:09
he was walking on the water. Peter started the
48:17
right way and he walked on water. and immediately
48:24
his attention was moved to his environment for
48:27
what is around him shifting his attention from
48:29
what is of faith what Jesus said he was good
48:32
with doubt in his heart and possibly is a story
48:37
over some of us in this place they are beginning
48:41
to doubt and your doubt is the result of your
48:45
attention you are no longer looking within you're
48:49
no longer looking onto how you in fact how did
48:51
he become born again And I begin to look elsewhere
48:56
and looking at a storm and the things that are
48:58
happening without and not looking within And
49:03
so that comes in Peter ought to have known that
49:08
I did not make myself walk in water. I Went on
49:12
the word that says come Now the bottom line is
49:23
this The greater works is a walk of faith The
49:27
Christian life is a life of faith It is not your
49:31
power. It is your responsibility. It is not your
49:34
responsibility to move mountains All right It
49:39
is God's is in God's ability to move mountains
49:42
if you have the faith of God You allow the faith
49:48
to find expression The faith of the Son of God
49:54
will always work. This faith is in North, Ephesians
49:59
2 verse 8 to 9. We can only see mountain moves
50:06
by what God is doing. It's not in our own ability.
50:09
You see, the reason why sometimes we say that
50:10
this thing is not working. It's not working because
50:13
you are the one at a time to do it by yourself.
50:17
And the moment you want to take responsibility
50:19
of what God wants to do, then You can't see God
50:23
at work. You can't see God at work in your life.
50:31
So now we can move mountains in the faith of
50:33
God, not in our own ability. We don't produce
50:37
faith. It was given to us. Our responsibility
50:40
is to yield to it on a daily basis. The danger
50:46
is that many people go into mechanisms. They
50:53
now get into mechanical approach to fate. Why
51:00
afraid in its simplistic fashion is to believe
51:04
with your heart and say with your mouth, we begin
51:09
to have mechanisms. For example now, as good
51:17
and as important confession is. Some people have
51:20
a list of confessions they've written down and
51:22
placed on their wall. They have a method. When
51:28
it's a week to exams, they have to fast and pray
51:33
for five hours. Then they will see what will
51:37
happen and when it happens, then they will credit
51:41
it to their fasting and praying. Oh, I've had
51:45
some people come to me to share this, to complain.
51:47
So I have prayed about this thing. And it didn't
51:51
work. After all the sacrifices, the fasting and
51:56
prayer, I prayed for 40 days. Most recently,
52:05
someone was asked to buy some ingredients so
52:13
that they would use it to pray for her. You see?
52:19
The moment we don't see what God has done. We
52:23
don't rely on what God has done. We don't look
52:26
within to see what Christ has done for us. We
52:28
begin to miss the mark. Because all that God
52:32
entails of us is that we live by faith. Just
52:39
as the walk of salvation is a walk of faith,
52:42
the same way we have received the Lord Jesus
52:44
Christ, the Bible will say in Colossians 2 verse
52:47
5 to 6, we walk in the same alright we walk in
52:54
the same now we are not saying this is what we
52:56
say we're not saying the prayer and fasting is
52:58
not is not important even though we will not
53:01
be praying in this church we will not be fasting
53:02
in this church we understand the place of prayer
53:05
and fasting they are very very important discipline
53:08
if a believer does not pray if a believer does
53:10
not fast then there's a problem but that is not
53:14
what makes you that's not what produces a result
53:16
in your life There's a place for that. But what
53:21
that does is that it makes you ready. It makes
53:24
you receptive to what God is doing. It makes
53:29
you conditioned to allow God to flow through
53:32
your life. So when someone is sick and he comes
53:37
around you and says, please sister, I'm sick,
53:39
can you just lay down on me? Don't say no, I
53:41
need to go and fast and pray. Fast and pray to
53:43
do what? Is it by prayer and fasting that you'll
53:46
be able to heal the sick? or when somebody is
53:50
possessed by a demon as person was teaching us
53:52
about the gifts the power gifts the give of the
53:57
disarmament of spirits then you need to fast
53:59
and pray so that you have the ability it's not
54:01
in person and prayer it's in what God has done
54:04
within you you must have this consciousness within
54:06
you that all that it takes to do what God has
54:09
called you to do but to live the life and to
54:12
do the work of ministry is inherent in you so
54:18
It does not depend on activity and mechanisms.
54:23
There are some people that before they pray,
54:26
they have to sing some songs to charge up the
54:31
atmosphere. God does not need a charged atmosphere
54:34
to move. Songs might prepare your mind to receive
54:38
from God, but God is not your oracle in a village.
54:43
Then you need to sing some songs of war so that
54:45
God will now be be mobilized uh will be what
54:49
will be prepared mobilize to act let god arise
54:58
and then you sing for three hours four hours
55:02
then god have now been prepared now he's ready
55:06
to move now no no no no there are no mechanisms
55:10
to that what god has done has done it once and
55:13
for all And indwelling in you is the ability
55:16
and the power of God. Hallelujah. So we don't
55:20
live as... Listen, these are similar religious
55:23
stuff. We're not even talking about the extremes.
55:28
So we must depend on what God has done. And rest
55:32
on what Christ has done. So that we can enjoy
55:35
the benefits of all that we have in Christ. Hallelujah.
55:40
So the message of Easter is that it is finished.
55:43
Right? Some of us were passing throughout the
55:45
week, it is finished. Do you really know what
55:47
has finished? If we truly believe that it is
55:53
finished, then let's hold on to the fact that
55:54
it is finished. No more works. It is finished.
55:59
Hallelujah. The work of redemption, it is actually,
56:03
it is finished. And we have the complete package.
56:08
Even it's not in installments, it's in full.
56:13
Hallelujah. So we are fully forgiven. Amen? We
56:18
are fully forgiven. We are eternally forgiven.
56:23
We are eternally empowered and endowed with all...
56:25
See, there is no any impartation that can come
56:30
elsewhere from that, apart from that which is
56:32
within you. So even when personal loans are on
56:34
you, they are not bringing another spirit on
56:36
you. They are only bringing out what has already
56:40
been put, deposited in you by the Spirit of God.
56:45
Hallelujah. So we must work with this reality.
56:48
Every day we work. Just know that I have only
56:51
texts. By virtue of the resurrection of Jesus
56:53
Christ, swim is not an issue. By virtue of what
56:57
Christ has done, there's no doubt in my heart.
57:02
There's no shortcoming as far as my relationship
57:04
with God is concerned. I have an advocate that
57:08
I have played before the Father. So let's focus
57:17
on Jesus and what He has done. Let's focus on
57:21
Jesus and what He has done. And we will see that
57:25
even our own inabilities begin to disappear.
57:28
Hallelujah! Our inabilities will begin to disappear
57:31
because we are focused on Him who has worked
57:36
and is still working in us. The work He has done
57:39
in us is affecting what He has already done in
57:41
us. Hallelujah! Let's close our eyes and give
57:44
thanks to God. We appreciate you being here today.
57:49
We hope you carry this word with you throughout
57:52
your week. Don't forget to check the show notes
57:54
for additional insights. Stay connected with
57:57
us through our website or follow us on social
58:00
media. If you were encouraged, share this message
58:03
with someone you care about. Until next time,
58:07
stay blessed.