Standing Fast in the Faith (Part 4)

Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is

designed to uplift and strengthen you in your

walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until

the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive

right in. Verse 13 from the NLT says, Be on guard.

Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous. Be strong.

1 Corinthians 16 13. 1 Corinthians 16 13 says,

Be on guard. Be alert. Be attentive. Stand firm

in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. Be courageous.

Be strong. I want to thank the pastorate, to

thank God for the opportunity to be able to present

God's Word to us. I think one thing that actually

got me giving thanks to God this week, I think

it was the course of the week when I had a conversation

with someone that used to be here, that is back

in Nigeria. We were just talking and I was like,

so where you are now, how much time do you have

for the teaching of God's Word? And to my horror,

he says they have like 20 minutes. I said 20

minutes is a charge. There are some certain charges

that will not even happen. Like you need more

than that to have that. And it just goes to show

that I think in the Church of NEC, if we give

attention to God's Word, we spend an hour. And

I size that in the, if you're part of the training

center, there's a lot that goes into like if

you're the stretch and the training that happens

is all that we really are grounded in the truth,

in what we know, in what we believe. We're grounded.

Remember what we were saying on Sunday? Learning

is not easy. Learning is not something you don't

learn in your sleep. There are some things that

you can't do. It requires attention, which brings

us back to that whole key thing of giving attention

to what we are hearing, giving attention to what

we are listening to. And the core of our faith

work is learning. It's going to be difficult.

There's a lot of struggle. We'll highlight a

couple of things in the course of this teaching

again. And it's sad that we tend to give attention

to the things that will not help us to stand

fast in faith. We tend to give attention to the

things that we feel will excite us physically,

because I can imagine that they have several

other activities and then the teaching of God's

Word is just 20 minutes. I can imagine. And I

thank God because we were discussing with Him

and He had an opportunity to have a lengthy teaching

over in the weekends. They said they gave Him

three hours. I said, that is an answered prayer.

They gave Him three hours to teach on a particular

subject. And I really thank God for the fact

that we have individuals that when they leave

from this place, the training and the building,

you don't push it aside and say, let me focus

on my future, let me focus on my career. You

take it on. So, I really thank God for what God

is doing in the church and I appreciate the pastorate

for the time and just the fact that we are given

this much opportunity to learn. the Word of God

to grow in the truths that we have in Christ

Jesus, praise God. As I said, there's no other

way, right? There's no other way. If we have

to grow, what should make the most of what we

do is teaching and training, right? It's teaching

of God's Word and training. There's no other

way that we can grow aside from that. So if You

know, some people will say, well, it gets boring.

Like we need to spice it up. We need to add some

things we need to like we need to do. And many

times you notice that those things don't even

help. If you're honest with yourself, you know,

those things, they don't help. I think I was

speaking to someone and they were like, you know,

you know, God's word is not enough for my mental

health. Like I need to like there's more that

like we need to do. And I said, I have listened

to, I've heard people in that space. It's just

therapy, as the name implies. It's therapy you'll

be receiving. But I know that there's something

that happens when a person stays with God's Word.

The person stays with God's Word and continues

to put it in. It might not make sense now, but

there's something that happens when you stay

in something, which is what we're going to look

at very shortly, but we continue with the Word.

Remember what we talked about on Sunday where

we said there was something about the disciples,

right? That wasn't there at the beginning. It

wasn't there at the beginning. But there was

something about the disciples that was seen in

the disciples in the Acts 4. That these people

say these people were with Jesus. So it means

that no matter what it is that you want to do,

right? There is no change that happens except

the change. There is no permanent fix. that can

happen except the one that is grounded and anchored

on God's Word. Those things give you some benefits,

but on the long run, what holds a believer, what

ensures that a believer is grounded, is the Word

of God. That is the faithful. That is what ensures

that a believer grows. Knowledge is very important.

The more we learn, the more we grow. And if we're

saying we're going to do greater, it's to the

degree of our knowledge that we're able to do

greater. Because what you don't know, you're

bound, right? You're bound by what you don't

know. There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.

There's a limitation when there's no knowledge.

That's why we give ourselves. That's why the

Apostle Paul would be encouraging Timothy. In

2 Timothy 3, 14, it says, you must continue,

continue. That's the word. No, you must continue

in the things which you have learned and be assured

of knowing from whom you have learned them. Knowing

from whom you have learned them and you see the

word lend. We will come to that word shortly.

Knowing from whom you have learned them. We had

established that what we are learning and the

teachings is all anchored on the person of Christ,

right? It's the things concerning Christ. I want

us to see something in John. John 1 .1. I would

like us to look at it on the NLT, John 1 .1.

It says, In the beginning, the Word already existed.

The Word was with God and the Word was God. I

will jump to verse 14. It says, So the Word became

human and made His home among us. He was full

of unfailing love and faithfulness. We have seen

His glory, the glory of the Father's love. 18

now. John 1, 1, 14, and then 18. No one has ever

seen God, but the unique one, who is God Himself,

is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed

God to us. He has revealed God to us. Sometimes

we can look at this passage and just walk away

and not see the so many implications of the passage

of what we just read, meaning that our introduction

to God is the person of Christ. Meaning that

our introduction to God is the person of Christ.

What I saw, because we read the book of Hebrews,

right? We read the book of Hebrews and what I

want us to see is something that the book of

Hebrews 1 .1 -4 I want us to read it from the

NLT again. Hebrews 1, 1 to 4, I want us to see

something similar. It says, long ago, God spoke

many times and in many ways to our ancestors.

And we, all of us that were there, we say that

the ancestors were referring to the fathers,

right? When you say fathers, you can say fathers,

that is the Jews, the ones of the past, the ancestors

through the prophet. And now, In these final

days, He has spoken to us through His Son. That's

Jesus Christ. That's been mentioned in John as

well. So, God promised everything to His Son

as an inheritance and through the Son, He created

the universe. I want us to look at three. It

says, the Son radiates God's own glory and expresses

the very character of God. and He sustains everything

by the mighty power of His command. When He had

cleansed us from all our sins, He sat down at

the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic

God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far

greater than angels, just as the name God gave

Him is far greater than their names. Praise God.

And I want you to notice something that the book

of Hebrews places Jesus Christ as superior. Places

Him in a place that nobody can contest. Places

Him in a place and that is what he starts in

contrast. He starts that and he says in verse

3 that the sun radiates God's own glory and expresses

the very character of God. It radiates God's

own glory and expresses the very character of

God. And I want you to see the faithfulness of

that. And that's what John now says. He says

he's full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

And then we see in Hebrews, he says, the sun

radiates God's own glory and expresses the very

character of God. And he says he sustains everything

and he goes on and on and then he shows us the

other things. It means that which is what I will

present to us, which is what I want us to look

at. Because anytime we talk about fate, we have

a tendency to focus on like doctrine and all

of that. But what we see primarily as what fate

speaks loudly of is character. Is character what

we see I speak slowly of is character is a is

a matter of character if it is mostly you see

that it's mostly a matter of character and you

see it in even in the Old Testament when use

uses in it uses the word it always will speak

of character and you see words like faithfulness

because even The the word of a person is the

like it comes from the character, right? What

a person comes from the character and you see

that That word because even the Greek and Hebrew

you see that the word actually will mean you

see faithfulness loyalty commitment and You see

even the word of the person the person is committed

to that word because it's it's characterized

as thick praise God It's characterized as thick

so you see that that word and I will want to

I want you to follow because you will see that

our faithfulness is Anchored on the faithfulness

of God even just staying with Hebrews. You see

that even in the chapters 3 It compares and contrasts

the faithfulness of God as against Moses, right?

You see that there's no other way, because we

as humans can't even, we can't stay faithful.

In fact, there are many things that we can't.

We can, but on the basis of our trust, that's

why we place our trust in God to enable us to

be faithful. Scattered through Scripture, you

see that God is faithful. God is faithful. He

is faithful and Jesus Christ will be speaking

to His disciples and He will tell them to continue

with Him, right? Continue with Him and that continuing

with Him is being faithful to His teachings.

Being faithful to His teachings. That's simply

faithfulness to His teachings. Continuing with

Him is simply being faithful to His teachings.

So, the faithfulness of God speaks of His character

and that character is seen in the person of Jesus

Christ. Praise God! The faithfulness of God is

seen in the person of Jesus Christ. The faithfulness

of God's faithfulness is seen in the person of

Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 3 to 4,

2 Thessalonians 3:3–4

and I know we often go to that passage, but I

want us to see something. It says, But the Lord

is faithful. But the Lord is faithful. He will

strengthen you and encourage you. He will strengthen

you and guide you from the evil one. He says,

and we are confident in the Lord that you are

doing and will continue to do the things we commanded

you. Notice that he is saying that the Lord is

faithful, right? Apostle Paul says the Lord is

faithful and He will strengthen you and guide

you from the evil one. Meaning that God is faithful

to strengthen you. not just strengthening you,

He will also protect you from the evil one. He

will also deliver you from the evil one. And

still on the faithfulness of God, He says He

is confident, right? That He will continue to

do, and that's that word that you are doing,

and will continue to do the things that He has

commanded you. Meaning that there is no chance

for you to fail. Praise God! There is no chance

and opportunity for you to fail. because your

faith is anchored on the one who is faithful.

The strength that you need to do the work will

come from Him. Praise God! He didn't leave us

without strength. He didn't leave us without

encouragement. He even solidifies it by placing

you in a family where if you think you're down,

there's somebody that is there to pick you up.

And that's why the writer of Hebrews will tell

you not to neglect the garden of God's people

because in the garden of God's people, there

is encouragement, right? He says, stay one another

up, right? Stay one another up means that God

has placed people around us that are faithful

to Him to encourage us to stay faithful to Him.

Praise God! That is very important and that is

what notes him because you will see that we are

not left to ourselves. If you feel that you're

left to yourself, it's because you think that

you're left to yourself, right? Because you think

that you're left to yourself. We were left without

any sort of strength and any sort of hope because

God has placed everything that we need within

our reach. Everything that we need within our

reach. And the writer of Hebrews, with our studies

and everything, we see that He also shows the

faithfulness of God and God's ability to save

to the autumn autumus He shows we see we see

that in hebrew 7 25 that is able to save to the

autumus It's able to save to the autumus that

in itself and cause or that is the self should

stir up confidence in the god that you serve

Because sometimes we are faced with circumstances

and challenges that will want to shake And make

us doubt But our confidence will always come

back to God's word, right? Our confidence will

always bring us back to God's word because God's

word is true. We are in a world now where people

talk down on the word. Somebody will tell you,

just push the Bible aside. I used to marvel at

people that call themselves Christian and then

you're having a conversation and you say, but

in God's word, you say, no, no, no, stop. Let's

be real. Let's be real. Let's be... And I'm like,

this is my reality. Like, where else do you want

me to go? This is me being real. Remember what

we said on Sunday? You want to be careful because

people can do anything to hide the truth. And

some people are doing out of ignorance, right?

You're doing that because they don't know any

better. But you have to stand your ground because

you know that what you're saying is the truth.

You know, we're in a day and an age where somebody

is talking and then when you say the word of

God and the person says, someone shut up, then

you keep quiet. Because the person's voice is

louder. Praise God. We want to be, you know,

you know, you know, sometimes I ask people questions

and then they answer me and I know that they

are not sure, right? I think it happened yesterday.

And you know, there's a way somebody answers

your question or replies you, you know that they

are not certain. And then when you ask to check,

the person is looking at you and the person is

still saying, I'm sure, but they are not sure.

Because there's a way you sound when you're sure

of something, right? And there's a way you sound

when you're not sure of something. There's a

way you sound when you're still in doubt of what

is being said. And what ensures that you are

sure of what you're saying is because you know

very clearly, right? And you are sure beyond

all reasonable doubt that what you're saying

is the truth. And what you're saying is not something

that you were just taught. It's something that

you have seen. Right? You have experience or

something that you know for a fact. And that

is what makes you bold. Right? You know, when

you say, I believe God heals, you know, you say

it and then if you have not seen God heal, you'll

be like, and maybe sometimes there's a part of

your mind, you might just, you might not verbalize

it, but in your head, you know, there are many

things that we have going on in our head. When

somebody says something, just say, a counter

and if some people right now be saying the counter

in the head I don't like I know it's not true

it does I've seen him do it around but I maybe

my case is just different and that's because

there's something that you're holding on to that

is inconsistent with his word and it's not God's

problem right because you have a learning to

do and in and in your learning you you will experience

something very different and it's not like he

it happened then it's because as we said, when

there can be light in a place, the moment you

turn the light on is when you see light. And

it doesn't undermine the fact that there was

always light in a place. But you needed to do

something to see the light come, right? And for

some of us, we probably have been hanging around

it and it has not yet clicked until the day that

somebody says it or the day that it really grips

you or the day that you pay close attention like

you've never done before. And we get to that.

We get to that part shortly. And I believe that

God is going to help us to see. I want us to

see Hebrews. Hebrews 3, 1 to 3. Hebrews 3, 1

to 3, just to establish the fact that it was

true. I want to read it from my book. OK, let

me just go to amplify classic. It's open here.

Amplify classic. Sometimes when you read and

read, it will come, it will hit slightly different

from when you just read it. You want to read

something that... I want us to see 1 -3. You

see, so then, brethren, concentrate, call it

and set apart for God. We share in the heavenly

calling thoughtfully and attentively. considering

Jesus the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess

as ours when we embrace the Christian faith.

2. See how faithful he was to him who appointed

him, Apostle and High Priest, as Moses was also

faithful in the whole house of God. Yet, Jesus

has been considered worthy of even greater honor

and glory than Moses just as the builder of the

house has more glory and honor than the house

itself. Praise God. I want to see that it uses,

it does, it's like, well, that's what the writer

of Hebrews does. And if you're reading the book,

you want to see that you have a contrast. He

will present to you something and then he will

compare and contrast it. We see him do that in

the first chapter, where he says, this is Jesus,

angels, Jesus is more than. And then he comes

and he says, this is Jesus, this is Moses. See,

Jesus is greater than Moses. And if you read

the book of Hebrews, you don't leave that place

thinking of anyone greater than Jesus. Because

in almost every place where you go, any place

when he's talking, he makes sure there is a clear

distinction between Christ and whoever it is.

To solidify in your mind the superiority of the

man or the person of Christ. And that is what

should ring true, because he says, he was faithful

whom appointed him. Like he was faithful, Jesus

was faithful, and then Moses also, right, in

all the house. But it says that to Him be considered

no greater glory than that of Moses. Praise God!

It means that if there's anything you want to

pay keen attention to or close attention to,

it's because this person, as we have looked at

earlier, this person of Christ is the Son and

He redeems the glory of God and is an expression

of the very character of God. Praise God! expression

of the very character of God and we said that

the faith that idea is a matter of character,

is a matter of character, is a matter of character

and the moment you many of us what typically

happens is that your understanding of the character

of God is what is flawed and that is that in

the first in itself affects your faith right

because you it's like what I talked about healing

it's like when you Have an understanding that

oh he can skip you right? That in itself will

affect your ability to receive that which you

are designed of which he's able to do But you

are saying no, I don't think my case is very

different So I could be asked because you don't

believe in his character Towards you. You don't

believe that his character will be the same towards

you. Praise God and every believer has to have

their faith anchored on the truth that we find

in God's Word, not the truth that you think of

or the assumption or the understanding that you

have of God. That's why we learn. That is why

we learn and that's why we grow and that's why

we continue. Take us back to 2 Timothy 3 verse

2 Timothy 3:14

14. 2 Timothy 3 verse 14 says, you have learned

2 Timothy 3:14

them. And we say that word there, continue, means

to, it's meno, that is m -e -n -o, means to abide

or to dwell, right? To abide or to dwell. And

it means that learning is something that happens

consistently. It's not something that happens

occasionally, it's something that happens consistently.

Praise God! I know that consistent for some people

is Sunday. is on a Sunday or midweek services

but consistently is what ensures and the more

consistent the more evident the growth in the

life of the individual praise God the more consistent

the more and and what are you consistent in the

passage there says consistent in the things which

you have learned consistent in the things which

you have learned or you can say learning praise

God you're concerned things which are learning

another word is Marthano And the word actually

implies education, understanding, and full of

awareness. The word, it's a Greek word that implies

that Matano, M -A -Man, M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O,

M -A -N -T -H -A -N -O. So, and the word implies

education, understanding, and full awareness,

full awareness. And it comes from... Being taught.

This comes from being taught. This comes from

being taught and it's not from experience because

you can have long years of experience, but you

are not taught or you're not educated. Right?

You're not educated. Remember what we said about

the disciples? The disciples, they said these

men were untrained and educated, but it was something

that made them come across as though they were

educated, right? Because of their being with

Jesus. Because of their being with Jesus. I want

you to see, scattered around scripture, you see

that word, that learn. Lend. And you see that

in Ephesians 4 .20, it says, but you have not

so lent Christ. Meaning that there is a lending

that when you see somebody, you say, no, that

is not what you have lent. In Philippians 4 verse

Philippians 4:9

9, it says, the things which you have lent, and

received and heard and saw in me this do and

the god of peace be with you the things which

you have learned and received and saw in me this

the things you have learned received and saw

in me you see that whole element of learning

learning learning so the individuals would have

seen something would have received something

and would have learned something praise god and

then in romans 16 17 romance 16 17. It says,

Now I urge you brethren, not those who cause

division and offense contrary to the doctrine

which you have learned and avoid them. So, there's

also the learning that ensures that you, because

if you have not learned, you will not even know

who are the people that you do not know. So,

there's a learning that ensures that you are

able to avoid those that cause division offences

and others. So, there's learning in that respect.

So, in John 6 .45, it says, it is written in

the prophets, and they shall all be taught by

God. Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned

from the Father comes to me. So, the result of

learning is that disciples are made, right? The

result of learning is disciples or discipleship.

Where there's learning, there's discipleship.

Where there's learning, there is discipleship

because the individuals and the disciple is a

student. Where there's learning, there's discipleship.

And I think this is something that is very like

we understand this because we're in a student

environment. We're in a student environment and

you know that your classes don't happen in 20

minutes, right? Most of us, your classes and

depends on the credit units, the classes will

be longer. And even if you don't like it, you

paid for it so you don't have a choice. So, you

have to sit down there and take it because that

is the making of you into the career that you

chose for yourself. Praise God! So, the same

way for us, there is a learning that happens

consistently because that is what refers to you

because I said it's there. A student has to give

themselves to study. There is no other way around

it. If a student will be successful... It has

to be studied and it's there in the name. Sometimes

those things are very, it's just there. If you

remove ENT and put Y, study. It's not far away.

So it means that there is that commitment to

learning that will result in good success. What

truly defines a student is not just showing up

to class. What truly defines a student is not

like the What ensures that your student is successful

is not just showing up to class, it's not just

dressing well to the class, it's not just answering

presents, signing attendance. What truly shows

that this person, what truly is the learning?

Because if a student is not learning, the student

is not going to know and the student will invariably

fail, right? They will fail. So it means that

the same thing applies to us as believers. If

we're learning, it means that our faith will

stand no matter the situation or no matter the

challenge. because our faith is anchored on what

we have learned, the truths that we have learned,

the things that we have received, and we continue

in this. We continue in them. We continue in

them. Jesus Christ, in Matthew 28, 19 -20, says,

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father, the

Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe

all the things I have commanded you. I am with

you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."

So it means that there is a teaching because

the making of disciples will involve teaching.

And when there is teaching, there is learning.

Praise God. When there is teaching and there

is learning. And the end goal of that is that

people come to an understanding, right? And when

people come to understanding, there is the actions

and the activities that they do consistent with

the teaching that they have received. That's

why you can be able to tell somebody that this

person is not in class. This person is not here

with us. Praise God. There are certain things

that you have been hearing in NECF. When you

do it, we know that you have not been here with

us. Praise God. Or when you say it, we know that

you have not been here with us. Because we know

that if you have been paying attention, this

one, you should have gotten it by now. Praise

God. So that is what teaching does. And there's

always a result for neglecting teaching. There's

always the results that you get when you are

not paying attention. There's always a result

you get when you're not listening. There's always

a result when you're not taking heed, when you

don't continue. There's always a result for that.

I was looking. I think typically nowadays, I

think what happens is that people do that a lot

now because I think social media also contributes

to it where somebody is looking at you, looking

at you, but they are not looking at you. They're

not hearing anything. It's like audios are out.

Audio is out. They're probably just, it's video.

No audio. It's just, they're just, audio is out,

video. And how you do, and you can tell because

the person is looking at you very keenly. You

think that they're paying attention, but they're

actually not. And the way to find out the simple,

just ask them a question. So what was the last

thing I said? And then that was the last thing

I said, bring them back into the room. And then

they will arrive from where they are coming from.

And then they now say, what's the question again?

And then you ask them the question. And then

they look at you with a blank stare. And then

you know this person has no... And just imagine

you spend all... It's better you're not in class,

right? Because at least we know that we didn't

see you. We don't have any expectation of you

because we didn't see you. But when you are there,

seated, and they're looking, and sometimes they

can even be mindlessly taking notes. They are

sketching. Some of them can be drawing. I had

one student like that. He takes his time. He's

drawing, but he's listening to you. And he says

that's the only way he can listen, because he's

always like, he has to be doing something. And

I have tested it, because he can be drawing,

drawing, drawing. Because before you know it,

he has an artwork at the end of the class. He

has an artwork. And I'll ask him, OK. From time

to time, I ask him questions and he answers me.

So, I've got to learn that this particular student

has a unique... And they are very rare. They

are very rare. So, it's not everybody that has

that. It's not everybody that has that. First

of all, people say, Sir, I'm keenly paying attention

to you. Just believe that I'm listening to you,

but you're not actually listening because you're

somewhere. But that particular student was very...

I was learning. I'm the one teaching about, I

was learning because I was like, I've never seen

this one before. I've never seen this one before.

So, as we will see that there's always a result

or there's always a consequence on not paying

attention. And for some of us, it is little by

little, it starts off by you not understanding

what is being taught. And then when you are faced

with a, maybe a challenge that the solution had

already been presented, because you didn't pay

attention, it will be as though you were never

there in the class. I don't know about you. That

will be painful, especially when you realize

that the teacher had already given everything

for it, but you'll be like... And for some of

us, it's when you're faced with a challenging

situation and then you now say, oh, I couldn't

take it or this happened. And it's very sad because

you end up being unstable, right? You end up

being unstable. You end up being prone to deception

because you are not listening. You end up being

prone to deception. You just buy every lie that

is sold to you and we'll be wondering, why? Why

are you even listening? Like, didn't we tell

you? Didn't we warn you? Why are you even listening?

But because you thought that was the truth and

nothing but the truth. Praise God! In Ephesians

Ephesians 4:14

4, verse 14, it says, They say that you should

no longer be children, tossed to and fro and

carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the

trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of

deceitful plotting. The challenge is when you're

not rooted or grounded in the Word, what will

happen is that anything that blows will blow

you in the direction that it goes and you will

end up yeah you end up being you find yourself

and then when you now later on discover you will

now be filled with like anger you know that's

what typically happens you say why how did he

lie to me like I can't I can't believe that I

bought but it was there from the beginning it's

not like the moment you realized was the moment

you realize what everyone that is watching show

and they knew and they knew that this is what

will take you and it's it's subtle it happens

slowly when individuals are buying and most most

of the times is because you had an idol you had

something that was the anchor to what because

when when people pull people out of something

is because there's something that appealed to

them you know if something doesn't appeal to

you you will never be interested in it somebody

trying to tempt you with what you don't like

like you can't tempt somebody what they don't

like but because there's an there's something

about that thing you that would be the means

by which you'll be pulled out and pulled away

so That instability happens as a result of you

not being grounded in truth. And that's why you

hear the disciples say, let's continue in what

we have learned. Continue in what we have learned.

That's very, very important. And we also will

see something in Galatians. Galatians 3. Galatians

3 .1. Galatians 3 .1 says, Oh foolish Galatians,

who has bewitched you that you should not obey

the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was

clearly portrayed among you as crucified. So,

you see that it says you should not obey the

truth and you had seen it. Like this has to be

some form of like you saw it, you know it and

then now you are not obeying it. Why is that?

That's because you had not paid attention. That's

because you're not paid attention and you give

yourself to something that was attractive to

you, something that pulled you in. And in this

case, they were drawn to the regalism or drawn

to error because they were not paying attention

to the truth and You you haven't you you have

a lot to deal with because now you are pulling

yourself You're pulling it you're allowing what

shouldn't have even pulled you in the first place

pull you in because you are You are not paid

attention. You're not paid attention. You are

not paid attention and You you see that also

you can have a situation where? The your your

stagnant you are in one place because you are

not Making any progress because you're just coming

in going out coming in going out Spiritually,

you're just stagnant. There's no anything not

no progress. No progress in first Timothy first

Timothy 4 15 First Timothy 4 15 It says meditate

on these things give yourself entirely to them

that your progress may be evident to all that

your progress may be evident to all. He says,

take heed. We know that this is a possible thing.

He says, in fact, speaking to someone, you will

say that this person is not just a minister,

right? This is a minister. He says, you want

to stay there. You want to stay there. You want

to meditate. We will come and see the word meditate.

He says, give yourself entirely to them, meaning

that every part of you is involved. Praise God!

every part of you is involved. When we come and

we say, okay, serve, commit yourself, that is

you putting everything into it. And it says that

your progress may be evident to all. You know,

when somebody is making progress, you can see,

right? When somebody is making like progress,

even if it's little, right? You can see because

just being around people, they will know where

you started and they will know where you're at,

right? Because you're making progress, you are

putting in the effort. And sometimes, We just

fall into that trap of feeling like, because

this person is making tremendous progress, I

feel like I'm a failure because, uh -uh, how

now? We came together to this short. Just imagine

where this person is at and see where I'm at.

Well, your own progress is not seen by you. You

know, it's very easy for you to see what other

people look like. And sometimes you need an honest

evaluation of where you are so that you can be

able to... at least be encouraged, right? That's

why we don't discourage. There's no way you will

be around. There's some amount of progress you're

making if you are really paying attention. And

if you desire progress so much, you want to do

all the things that are required for you to actually

see a lot more. And sometimes, you see that thing

I just said now? That is what leads many of us

into that place of anxiety, where we are now

putting so much weight on ourselves because we

sense a need that we need to make this much progress

at this time because we feel that we have to

get there very quickly. We have to get there

very quickly and sometimes you can have challenges

that are beyond your control. I'm saying this

now to say that sometimes you are in a system

where there are certain things you can't control

but what you want to do is be faithful to the

things that you have the ability to control,

right? Be faithful to the things and trust that

you are making the required progress per time,

right? Making the required progress per time,

not overburdening or putting a lot on yourself.

In Philippians 4, there's six. Philippians 4,

there's six. I read from the New King James,

it says, be anxious for nothing. I want you to

listen to that. Be anxious forward. I want us

to say it together. Be anxious forward. Be anxious

for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and

supplication, we can be. Sometimes we say, I'm

not worried. I'm just concerned about my spiritual

growth. You can make it look like it's a thing

of concern, but you know we can know when the

concern is getting out of line. The concern now

is putting you in that place of depression, frustration.

That's when we know that now you are now because

you want to understand that in everything it

says, but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made

known to God. And I want us to see something

in the verse 1 of that particular chapter. The

verse 1 of that particular chapter says, So stand

fast in faith, stand fast, sorry, in the Lord

below. He says, stand fast. He says, so stand

fast in the Lord. He says, so stand fast in the

Lord. Okay, yeah. So stand fast in the Lord below.

Notice it starts off, that particular chapter

starts off with the encouragement for the brethren

to stand fast in the Lord. Stand fast in the

Lord will mean that you are trusting, because

your uncle, your faith, everything is in him.

You're trusting that every step you're making,

every effort you're putting in, because it's

the effort that you can, is bringing you closer

and closer to what God wants. In verse 7, I want

us to read verse 7. It says, And the peace of

God, of that same verse, and the peace of God

which surpasses all understanding, will guard

your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And

the peace of God will guide your hearts and minds

through Christ Jesus. And when you allow your

situation to put you in that place of anxiety,

put you in that place of worry, what brings you

back is reminding yourself of the fact that God's

work in you stays consistent. Praise God! God's

work in you stays consistent and you're not the

one that will worry yourself out of the work.

Yeah, you can if you let it, but you want to

be reminded and that's why when you feel a certain

kind of way, you have brothers and sisters to

help you bring yourself back on track. I want

you to challenge yourself that little window

period of when you feel anxious, Become shorter

and shorter because every time you sense that

because many of times is how you feel Is how

you feel and that's why one of the time I always

say this I say when people feel a certain kind

of way I said I've just spent time listening

to other people tell you about the challenges

They're going through you do you want you you

don't you do you notice how that can help you?

Put in perspective what you think you're going

through because all of a sudden now even He said,

he's going through also. And then you now see,

and she's still smiling. And then you'll be like,

I've never even gotten into quarter of where

she's going through and I'm here crying. And

you, you, it's not like you're, but some, you

know, sometimes that's why I said, sometimes

hanging out, that is basically what happens because

where you are at, you are looking at your problem,

right? As Pastor Fai was teaching us, you're

looking at the mountain. And even, admiring the

mountain and saying, this is my mountain. You're

not saying, it must be removed. You're saying,

this is my mountain. It's my mountain. You know,

there's something about when you are in something

and you've been there for too long. It's now

your own. You personalize it. You say, this is

our problem. It's our family. It's what comes

with us. And then I'm wondering, what family

are you now in Him? What family do you belong

to? Right? What family do you belong to? And

then you take it, but now when you hear somebody

else talk about theirs, you are now challenged,

right? Because what that person does to you is

that the person stares you up to, like, why am

I allowing this to get the best of me? And then

you now are reminded, right, that the same God

that is working in that person is the same God

that is working in you. You just need to come

to that. consciousness and that's why hearing

other people share or hearing other people talk

about it sometimes gets you to come back and

like kind of recalibrate what exactly it is you

think difficulty or hardship is and that's why

I was sharing with somebody I said nowadays people

we train ourselves to just back down as the slightest

form of like some level of difficulty just back

down and then you're like life has not just started

Like you just experience one or two and we're

not undermining what you're going through because

it's where you're at, right? But know that the

moment you come and interact with other people,

because sometimes you feel that what you're going

through is a lot. And we're not saying that we

know what you're going through or we understand

it. But what we're saying is that we have seen

God take us out of difficult situations. not

even up to what you're going through. We have

seen God take us out of difficulties. We have

even seen God take other people, even if we can't

compare ourselves. And that is what ankles are

filled, because we know that there is no other

way. We have seen the miraculous happen, and

we know it's not wishful thinking. We know it's

not by chance. We know it's not... We have seen

God heal people, and we're not saying that we

have not seen situations where we say, ah, and

we're still seeing situations where we're praying

and believing, but that doesn't shake our trust

in God. That doesn't move us to the left. Yeah,

sometimes you feel like, oh, I wish this was

like this, I wish this was like that, but that

shouldn't move your trust. Because the fact that

you have not seen the manifestation, that's what

the customer is talking about on Sunday. The

fact that you've not seen... I will not want

to be the one that will lose my sleep or not

be excited or not be joyful or be moody because

of what I've not seen. and then I see it later

and then I'm like all the sleepless nights I

don't know I don't know I don't I really don't

you want to be that you want to be the one that

will go through all of that but what what makes

the journey what the while is when you are at

it like nothing has happened like nothing is

going wrong like everything is going well because

you know you don't need to see it right You don't

need to see it to believe, right? Because you

know that this God is doing everything He needs

to do and you have to trust that He is on your

case and what He demands of you is for you to

be faithful. Praise God! What He demands of you

is for you to be faithful. He says that in 1

Corinthians 4. He says that faithfulness is what

He requires of you, right? Faithfulness is what

He requires for you. And your faithfulness, as

I've said again and again, is anchored on His

faithfulness. And He's true to His Word. He's

true to His character. It is not in His character

to back down. There is no case that you present

to Him and say, huh, this is beyond my pay grade.

Praise God. There is no case you present to Him.

It's you that is thinking. And sometimes we get

to a place where we are overthinking it for God.

We are like, God, this is my case is really bad.

I don't think you can manage... Hey, God! Can

you? Hey! You just... You start customizing and

doing all of those things... You... You... Praise

God! I want you to be reminded that God is faithful

and you don't want to allow... You know, sometimes

when you're not getting understanding, you now

go online and start finding people that are going

to help you. I'll say, you know, it's a mystery.

I want to launch you into. Then you start hearing

things and you'll be like, ah, this person is

making sense. I think I understand, like this

is what I need. Like all this trying to understand,

no, I'm not understanding anything. My situation

is making things complicated. Then the person

asks you, you know, there's a mystery that you

have to tap into. When you enter that realm like

this, everything will just open and just be clear

to you. And then you'll be like, can I read for

you? The person will say a lot of things, but

they will use words. They will unsettle you,

and settle you, and resettle you with words,

and then when you finish, you'll be like, I'm

stirred up. And then they ask you, stirred up

with what? What is stirring you up right now?

You say, no, there's something about the word

that he said. I was just hearing him, and my

faith was just going up and down, up and down.

I feel like I can take down a mountain. But...

But there is no understanding because it's not

anchored on the Word of God. Praise God. Because

there is no understanding. See, you can go a

lot... we see it now. There's a lot of things

you can do when you understand what you're...

like you have an understanding of something.

Because with that you can think, you can process,

you can... in fact, you don't need to make too

much noise. Right? You make progress. But when

somebody comes and vibrates, do like... hit you

left, right, and center, and then they put the

whole sound and everything. Your emotions are

all stirred up. You feel that you got something,

but when they actually articulate what you have

gotten, you say, it was a blessing. That's a

summary of all that you have received. It was

a blessing. It was a great blessing. It was powerful.

Yes, it was, but notice that you don't live with

something solid, something that will help you

to stand the challenges that you're going to

meet once you end the life or believe the service

or whatever it is because you're going to be

faced with a real situation and you want to know

God's Word for real. Praise God! You want to

know God's Word for real and you want to rest

your strength or rest your understanding in the

Word of God. Rest your understanding in the Word

of God. I want us to see something. When Apostle

Paul was talking about that whole idea of Everything

that we need is revealed to us. It's not a mystery.

Like everything that we need is revealed to us.

Apostle Paul speaking in Ephesians 3 verse 3

Ephesians 3:3–4

to 4, he says, how that by revelation, our brother

was leading us in prayer, he says, how that by

revelation, he had made known to me the mystery,

as I have briefly written already, by which when

you read You may understand my knowledge in the

mystery of Christ. By which when you read, you

may understand my knowledge in the mystery of

Christ. I think I just remembered something when

I was reading Hebrews 13. When the writer of

Hebrews was ending in 13, He mentioned something

about it being brief. You can imagine how he

had explained and explained and explained. He

says in Hebrews 13 22, He says, I appeal to you,

brethren, bear with the word of exaltation, for

which I have written to you in few words. Praise

God! In a few words, you know? I know that you

understand that it's not chapters, right? It's

a whole letter. And then Judah is reading. Some

of us, they say, read the book of Hebrews. Was

the whole 13 chapters a few words? Yeah, it is!

Because the writer is saying it's a few words.

We have to take his word for it. We have to take

his word for it. And just imagine you have, and

this is why when Apostle Paul is writing this

and he's telling you revelation, note that the

person has, the person knows that look, there's

a lot more, right? For somebody to scale and

tell you a few words, it means that there's a

lot more. They just give you a particular section

for you to just use and as they were saying,

enter your whole body. So you just use that one

and just understand something. And as I said,

When you look at that book of Hebrews, you just

see that every now and then, every part will,

if there's anything, it will encourage, it will

make you know, yeah, there's some parts that

will look like it's a threat, but it will make

you know that what you have is permanent, right?

What you have can be lost because of the person

who has given. That's the faithfulness of God,

right? Because there's no way you read there

and then you can doubt the potency of what Christ

has done or how the the eternal nature of what

He has done. I'm looking for adjectives to qualify

all the things that He says about what Christ

has done in the book of Hebrews. And you shouldn't

walk out of that place saying that, oh, I feel

that my own version that was given to me or the

version that I have can be lost in one or two

ways. Praise God! Because what God has done,

and that's why when Apostle Paul is writing,

he says, how that by revelation He made known

to me the mystery, right? He made known to me

the mystery and as given I say, and when you

read, you may understand. Meaning that reading

is important for understanding. Reading is important

for understanding. And when someone says, when

they say read, you know, for some of us who think

reading is just glancing or just open the passage,

reading it, you want to stay there and capture

the details. Praise God. You want to stay there,

capture the details of what is written. I want

us to come to this place where we close. I'll

just take us to Acts 17, 11 to 13. Let's just

stay there. Just give me an LLT. In 11, it says,

and the people of Berea were more open -minded

than those of Thessalonica. Notice that he's

comparing and contrasting these people as against

these people. And it says, They listened eagerly

to Paul's message, meaning that these people

paid close attention to what Paul was saying.

In the next line, it says, they searched the

scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas

were teaching the truth. And I want you to note

something, which is sometimes we miss it. These

people were not yet saved though. They were not

yet saved though, because you will see it in

subsequent verse. were taking their time to and

that word search that was said the scripture

it would look like you're just searching for

a particular verse right but that word search

is not to investigate it's to examine meaning

that they put on their thinking caps carry their

mind look put inside and it was not that they

were searching to see if they lied maybe the

person said open to ask their team verse what

is this right scripture they're not certain to

find if the scripture was correct they were searching

to see to understand what exactly it is that

was communicated to them. And they did this for

several days as unbelievers. And you are a believer.

Praise God. I just want to challenge you. They

did it for several days as people that are unbelievers

trying to find the truth, right? And then we

see that it is in verse 12. It says, in verse

12 now, it says, as a result, the result of all

of their investigation now brings them to that

place where they believed, right? They believed

and it says, and as many of the prominent Greek

women and men, so we have them now believing

and this is when we see them become believers.

And then I want you to see something in 13. Let's

do 13. It says, but when some of the Jews in

Thessalonica, those people that did not listen,

learned that Paul was preaching the word of God

in Berea, they went there to stir up trouble.

So, you do not listen. But what you want to do

now is to cause confusion for the people that

are trying to listen and you always have people

like that. But our attention or Paul's work,

and by the way, you notice that as we will see

in even the 14th, we see that the people actually

took him out and there was a way of escape for

him. Praise God! God will always deliver us.

Remember, he's faithful and he will always deliver

us from wicked and reasonable men. Just keep

doing the work that we're doing. So the challenge

here to us is to see that we are able to stay

We are able to investigate. We are not just casually

reading the Word of God. We are paying attention

to what the Word of God says. We are internalizing

it because we know that it will help our faith

to be grounded in the truth. It will help us

to be grounded in the truth. It will help us

to be solid in the truth. It will help us to

grow even more and it will help that others through

our growth will experience the same. knowledgeable

and that's one thing that blessed me with the

brother that I was speaking with because he has

learned now he's able to organize a three -hour

teaching right on the basis of what he has been

taught and he's able to now give to others and

and and that is the joy that is the joy that

we have as pastors that we it doesn't die like

we it doesn't die it doesn't stop here right

it doesn't stop here that even when people come

and then they go We hear great things about what

God has done because we are taking our time to

internalize the truths that we receive. We are

passionate about learning. We are passionate

about growing and understanding. We are passionate

about doing all of this. We know that our growth

requires participation. Our growth requires reading,

listening, investigating, remunerating on things.

I loved what happened in our cell on Friday where

people were laughing. People get to the point,

you know, you can be discussing football. Hours,

hours, hours. You can be discussing movies, discussing

this. But you know, when you are able to stay

and discuss, then time has passed, and you are

still, you know, but this time I will say, we

are a Finnish show. Please don't say it's about

the city that's holding you behind. But you see

that people want to stay and learn, right? People

want to stay and learn. People want to stay and

participate. And that is basically how you know.

that we're not just the one keeping you, right?

We're not just the one keeping you. You have

a desire to grow, you have a desire to learn,

you have a desire to understand and that's what

keeps us in a place. Praise God! Not the activities,

not the different things, not saying that you

must come. You're coming because you know that

there's learning that happens and that learning

will result in your growth. Praise God! I want

us to rise up to our feet and just... We appreciate

you being here today. We hope you carry this

word with you throughout your week. Don't forget

to check the show notes for additional insights.

Stay connected with us through our website or

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Until next time, stay blessed.