Understanding the Father's Love in Christ pt. 2

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. In the mighty name of Jesus, I want

us to pray just whilst we're preparing and setting

our minds. I want us to pray this one prayer.

that our faith is anchored on the word. Our faith

is not anchored on externals. Pray for yourself

and say, my faith is anchored on the word and

not on the things that's happening around me.

My faith is anchored on the word of God, on the

truths of God. My faith is anchored in God and

not in the externals and not on the externals

and not on the externals. and not on the externals.

The faith of everyone in this place is anchored

on the word of God. The faith of everyone in

this place is anchored on the truth, on the truth,

on the truth, on the eternal truth of God, not

on the externals, not on the externals, not on

what happens on the news, not on what happens

around me, not on my feeling, not on how I feel.

I want you to open your mouth and pray this prayer

for yourself and say, my faith is anchored on

the word of God. My faith is anchored on the

truth, on the truth that I find in scripture.

My faith is anchored and empowered by the spirit

of God to do. I do the things that the word of

God instructs me to do. I don't do the things

that I feel to do. I don't do the things that

appeals to me, but I do the things that the word

instructs me to do. My faith is anchored on the

word in the name of Jesus. My faith is anchored

on the word in the name of Jesus. In the mighty

name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. We

don't know how important this is until we look

around us. When we look around us, there are

a lot of things that are happening that can cause

you to waver, that can cause you to waver in

your faith. But once your faith is anchored on

the Word, regardless of whatever it is that's

happening, it is true. It stands true. It doesn't

shake. Praise God. It doesn't shake. And that's

why every now and then we come to the Word of

God. Every now and then we come to the word of

God because that's where we draw strength. That's

where we draw encouragement from. On Sunday,

before we started, I brought attention to the

situation in the church in Thessalonica. Apostle

Paul is writing to them in three. Notice that

they were going through the persecutions they

were going through, right? They were going through

the persecution and they were standing strong

because of the things. And in five, I will read

it to us again. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 5. It

2 Thessalonians 3:5

says, May the Lord lead your heart into a full

understanding and expression of the love of God

and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

He prays this prayer in verse 3. He says, The

Lord is faithful. The Lord is faithful. And the

truth is that God is faithful regardless of what

exactly it is that's happened. The Lord is faithful.

He remains faithful. He's forever faithful. He

says, He will strengthen you. He will strengthen

you and guide you from the evil one. He said

he will strengthen you and guide you from the

evil one. He says we are confident, as Paul is

speaking, we're confident in the Lord that you

are doing and will continue to do the things

we commanded you. Regardless of what is happening,

your faith keeps you going in the things that

he has instructed you to do. Praise God. In the

things they instructed you to do. And that's

why when we are teaching and we're encouraging,

the disciples set that example. The different

things they were going through. We saw it in

Acts 4. They were persecuted. They flogged them.

When Pastor Fred was teaching us, they flogged

grown men. They flogged grown men. And after

the flogging, they went on doing what they were

instructed not to do because their faith is anchored

on the truth. And some of us have not even experienced.

Nobody has flogged. Okay. Some people. Everybody.

You have not been flogged for the gospel. Some

of us, there's a spanking that we received from

my parents and all of that. But know that you

have not been flogged, you have not been persecuted

for the gospel, and yet you are still wavering

in your faith. And the substance of your faith

is tested when you go through trials, when you

go through difficulties. Praise God. And Jesus

Christ himself said in John 16, he said you have

persecutions. You have tribulations, praise God.

You have tribulations, but he says something.

He says, be of good cheer. Let's read that. Matthew

and John 6, 33. Let's read that. Let's read that.

I want us to just pray a bit before we sit. I

want to charge us so that we pray and then maybe

the word comes. So John 16, sorry. John 16, 33.

John 16, 33. John 16, 33 says, These things I

have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulations, but

be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

It means that you should be cheerful, right?

You should be cheerful regardless of what exactly

is happening that he has overcome. So I have

overcome. He has overcome. So I walk in the victory

he has acquired for me in the name of Jesus.

I walk in the power of the spirit of God that

resides in me, that empowers me, that encourages

me regardless of what I go through to keep persevering,

to keep keeping on, to never give up, to always

pray. Even when I don't see the results, I am

praying in faith because I know that God has

promised and he's a faithful God. God has promised

and he keeps his promise. My faith is anchored

in the love of God. My faith is anchored in what

he has spoken and what he has done in Christ

Jesus for me. My faith is anchored on that. My

faith is not anchored on the fleeting things.

My faith is not anchored on what I have because

those things that I have can come and go. But

my faith is anchored. On the word of God, on

the things that he says to me, on the things

he has spoken concerning me, he says I am forgiven.

He says I'm forgiven and I believe it. I believe

it in spite of when times comes when I feel guilty

for some things. I know that he empowers me.

I know that he has done these things and I know

that I'm loved by him. I'm loved by him. I'm

loved by him. I'm loved by him. I'm loved by

him. My faith is anchored on the truth. that

he has spoken on the truth that he's speaking,

on the truth that he's ministering to me, even

in this hour. Even in this hour. And in spite

of what I go through, I will continue to preach.

I will continue to speak. I will continue to

speak. I will continue to preach the gospel.

I will not be afraid of persecution. I will not

be scared of what men will do to me. But rather,

I am confident in the fact that the word has

to be spoken. In the second Thessalonians, it

says, Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we

ask that you pray for us that God's message will

spread rapidly and be honored everywhere it goes.

That through me, the word will spread rapidly.

Through me, it will be honored everywhere. Everywhere

I go, the word of God will reach because I am

there. Because I am there in my classroom. The

word of God is there and I will speak to the

individuals that are around me. I will speak

to them with boldness. I will speak to them with

boldness. I will speak to them with boldness

in the name of Jesus. I will speak to them confident

because I know what I have. I know what I have,

so I give. I know what I have, so I give. I receive

freely, so I will give it freely in the name

of Jesus. Quran. Quran. In the mighty name of

Jesus. You know, when we pray this prayer in

Ephesians, that the eyes of our understanding

be enlightened, sometimes we fail to understand

what we're praying for. But I want to just help

us to see that what we have in Christ is full,

that the understanding that we have is full.

What catches up is our minds. What is doing the

catch up is our minds. What is doing the catch

up is our minds. So we say that is enlightening

is from the light that we have, our minds now

catches it. Our minds now catches it. And when

we are sitting in church and the word of God

is being preached to us, what is happening is

that our mind, we looked at that 12, our mind

is renewed, right? Our mind is renewed. We have

an understanding that, see, this thing is mine.

This thing is mine. It's not that I will... have

it is that I have it. What I do with what I have

is that I manifest it. We're looking at manifesting

the kingdom. We can't walk in something that

we are still in doubt that we have received.

We are still not sure. I think it's only for

some people. It doesn't affect me. I think, no,

no, no. There's what I have to do to walk in

it. Praise God. There's nothing you only do because

you have received. You don't now start walking

your way to it. We're going to see something

this morning, this evening, but I want us to

pray and say, my mind is enlightened. I understand.

I'm not confused as to what God's will, what

God has done in Christ Jesus for me. I walk in

it. I walk in it. I walk in our understanding.

I don't waver. You know, when you're not sure,

you are tossed to and fro. You're not sure. You're

just moving back. Am I sure? I'm not sure. It

will work today. It will not work tomorrow. We

don't work like that. We are sure and we work

in it every day. We are sure and we work in it

every day. I pray for you that is standing here.

You are sure, you are confident in what Christ

has done and you step into your every day with

that confidence. It's not up today, down tomorrow.

It's not down tomorrow, up to today. It's consistent.

It's consistent. It's consistent. It's consistent.

By the Spirit of God, every one of us here is

consistent. It's consistent. We are consistent

in our understanding of these truths. We see

it. We believe it. We walk in it. We see it.

We believe it. We have received it and we walk

in it in the name of Jesus. We walk in it in

the name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus,

we pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you because

the eyes of our understanding are truly enlightened.

We have the full, our minds are enlightened mightily

by your word. We're not in doubt of what it is

that we have received. We're sure of what we

have received. And we see ourselves manifest

that which we have received. In this season of

the church where we are seeing one thing after

the other, we're just pulling out layers and

layers of things, we ask that no one comes short

in all that it is that they are listening to.

Everyone that is complacent, we receive strength

to rise up and keep walking. We receive strength

to be strengthened to do the will of the Father.

We thank you because it's not about how well

we perform. It's about how Christ has done the

things that puts us in that place where we are

reconciled to you and we walk in that ministry

of reconciliation and we bring men into that

reality that you have brought us into. Heavenly

Father, we thank you. We thank you for this evening.

We don't undermine the opportunity that we have

to be gathered like this. And we thank you for

everyone here that has prioritized coming here

over the numbers of the many things that they

would have been doing. And we thank you because

it's going to be a time of blessing. It's going

to be a time of refreshing. In the mighty name

of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Let's have our seats.

So we're going to be continuing with our teaching

from Sunday and I would still encourage us to

keep at it. Let's keep taking notes and let's

keep singing and let's keep believing and let's

keep acting on the things that we've received.

Let's not just have notes. Let's have the notes

in our hearts and let's be ready to do all that

God is instructing us to do in this season. And

what I perceive for us as a church is that This

season, we'll have opportunities, we'll be having

so much opportunities, many opportunities will

be coming to us to be able to preach to people,

right? Opportunities will be coming to us to

preach to people, to share this love that we

have received, to encourage people, to be able

to bring them into the understanding that we

do have. And the reason why we're going to the

basics, we're going to the foundation, is that

we are grounded in the truths of God's word.

We're grounded in the truth of what we have received.

We will struggle to explain what we have received

when we don't understand what we have received.

And many times you meet people and they say,

oh, we are Christians and they can't explain

what makes them that. They can't explain what

makes them that. That's why we go to the foundation

of all of these things. So it's very crucial

that we understand what we have received because

what we have received is great. What we have

received is mighty and what we have received,

needs to be expressed. So I read to us that Apostle

Paul was praying that they might be led into

a full understanding, right? They might be led

to a full understanding and expression of the

love and the patient endurance that comes from

Christ, that we have in Christ. So the topic,

again, still remains understanding the Father's

love in Christ. Understanding the Father's love.

in Christ, understanding the Father's love in

Christ. And we stopped around what forgiveness

is. We had explained what forgiveness is. And

we said, what we have in Christ is, because we

said, we went to John 3, 16, right? Went to John

3, 16 and says, he gave. And we explained what

that he gave meant, right? We said, it's not

he gave us, it's he gave. And he gave means that.

He speaks of his debt, speaks of the sacrificial,

that sacrifice that was paid. And what was that

sacrifice for? We say the sacrifice is for the

forgiveness of sin. That's why we explain what

the forgiveness of sin, what forgiveness is.

And we went to Ephesians 1 verse 7, where it

Ephesians 1:7

says, in him we have redemption through his blood.

And we say it's through his blood, speaks of

that still the sacrifice. It says the forgiveness

of sins according. to the riches of his grace.

The forgiveness of sins according to the riches

of his grace. And we say that forgiveness there

is aphesis. A -P -H -E -S -I -S. And we say that

that forgiveness is not just a reluctant pardon.

The forgiveness is not just a reluctant pardon.

It is that it is wiped clean. It says it's a

removal or dismissal. It's like you, like someone.

It's like an idea of a debt being canceled and

cleared. Every record of it is removed. No record

of it is there. I think I was smiling after church

on Sunday. Some people were now using the opportunity

to say that what they are owing in their team

is cleared. I was like, what they are owing is

cleared. I said, no, that one is physical. You

have to clear it yourself. Because you are the

one that is your responsibility to do that. It's

your responsibility to do so. Praise God. So

we know that. So when we say that there's no

longer any record, so it means that our relationship

with God doesn't have the same, there's nothing

as, there's no, you don't have that as a challenge.

There's no longer that as a problem. And it means

that you should not walk in, you should not be

walking in guilt of what you have done, rather

walk in the, truth, that all of your debts are

cleared. Walk in that reality and that truth.

And what I want us to see, Simon Day and I, we

went to Psalms, right? We went to Psalms 103,

and we looked at David's prophecy. He says, he

has dealt, he has not dealt with us according

to our sins. Meaning that God has not dealt with

us according to our sins, nor punished us. according

to our iniquities. And he says something in the

verse 12. He says, as far as the east is from

the west. Know that when somebody says, as far

as the east is from the west, he's trying to

tell us that that is how far it is removed. Not

that you can catch up. You can't catch up. You

can't bring the two together. You can't catch

up. It's just telling you that it is done. You

can never have them close. That's how far, that's

how it's entirely, it's removed entirely. So

there's no record of it. So our posture towards,

Our posture in Christ is not based on our sins.

It's not based on our sins. It's based on what

Christ has done. It means that we don't have

a problem of sin. And I want us to see something.

It happened in Luke 18. Just to exemplify that.

It means that when we come to God, we're not

coming to God based on our works. We're not coming

to God based on the things we're able to do.

And even when we're in Christ, we don't come

to Him based on... the things that we're able

to do. We come to him based on what Christ has

done. That remains the same. That remains, it

doesn't change. Luke 18, I want us to see verse

9 to 14. Luke 18, 9 to 14. So, and this is a

parable Jesus Christ was speaking. It says, also

he spoke this parable to some who trusted in

themselves that they, that they are righteous

and despise others. Please look, let's go back

in the nine. It says these are individuals who

trusted in themselves that they were righteous.

Trusting in themselves that we are righteous

and they didn't just leave it at that. They now

decide to despise others. And you can't, you

can't know what you have received and then turn

to the other person and despise them. And sometimes

in our work, physical work, we tend to want to

look down on others because we feel that we're

in a high... What brings that is when you feel

that you're here and they're here. We have a

tendency to do so. You just look at a little

child and then you feel like, oh, I'm older than

you. And you feel that you... Or look at someone

because you've attained certain things. I know

that our work is not based on... I think when

we look at the situation with the apostles, when

they saw, they say, these men were uneducated.

Class, you know, that is humbling. When someone

is not educated and has what you don't have and

you are educated, it humbles you in certain respects.

But note that the reason why all of that was

seen in their lives is because they were with

Jesus Christ. There's a lot of things we gain

in our relationship with Christ. There's a lot

we gain. There's a lot we lose when we distance

ourselves from what Christ has done. Praise God.

I want to let that sink in because we can sometimes

say one thing, and do something else. We can

be saying one thing, and we'll be doing something

else. We can say, oh, I believe that Christ died

for me, but you are acting like you still owe

him for the sins that he has paid for. Praise

God. You can say, we say it, because what makes

this thing practical is when you say, there's

nothing that will separate me from the love of

God, and then when you are going through persecution,

you're already separated. In fact, just simple

exams. Just a simple week of exams, we don't

see you. So now, practical, exam has separated.

Exams, physically, we don't see you because of

exams. So you want to learn to know what you

are holding on to and stick with it. Praise God.

Know what you're holding on to and stick with

it. So it says, and don't despise others. So

it means that these individuals felt that because

of... They trusted in themselves, meaning that

they now decided, okay, this trust in themselves,

now push others out of sight. So, two men went

up to the temple to pray. Two men went up to

the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee, and the

other, a tax collector. The two individuals you

already know. You already know what is about

to happen because one is a Pharisee, the other

person is a tax collector. So the Pharisee stood

and prayed to us with himself. He prayed to us

with himself. Says, God, I thank you that I'm

not like the other man. An extortioner, unjust,

you see, adulterer, as even this tax collector.

I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that

I possess. And the tax collector standing, look

at his posture as against the posture of the

tax collector. The tax collector standing afar

off could not as much as raise his eyes to the

heaven, but beat his breast saying, God, be merciful

to me, a sinner. God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

And 14, he says, I tell you, this man went down

to his house justified rather than the other.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be exhausted.

I want you to go back to 13, and let's see something.

He says, the cry of the tax collector is, Be

merciful to me, a sinner. I want us to focus

on that word. Know that the posture of this person,

as again, this person, the fact that this person

came trusting himself, prideful, and this other

person is, he says, God, be merciful to me. The

other person had his own manifesto. I did this,

I've done this. And for some of us, it would

be things like I fasted, I serve in church. I

have all of those things. And those are the things

that we put to our record. Those are the things

that we now put to our records. And then we use

that to victimize the other person. That we feel

that, oh, this guy is a tax collector. And we

know that the tax collectors in that time and

age, they were like the people that collect.

And sometimes they add money and all of that.

And say, this person is a person. You can qualify

them as such. And sometimes we can even have

that attitude when we go to preach the gospel.

You're looking at the person and you say, this

person is Jesus. But you're saying this person

is Jesus with a bit of... You are condescending

in your... Even the way you're talking to them.

Say, with that, you are not him. You are telling

the truth, but your action or your attitude towards

the individual is not of love. Praise God. So

the word, the being merciful there is a Greek

word, and I want you to... I want you to understand

that that mercy there is not of pity. It's not

pity. The mercy there isn't, you know, in the

Nigerian, they say, God, I beg, pity me. It's

not pity. It's not out of pity. And the word

is, is H -I -L -A -S -K -O -M -A -I. H -I. L

-A -S -K -O -M -A -I is hilaskomai. So the word

there is, we said it's not pity. The word there

is not pity. That word there means to render

oneself. That word there means to render oneself

and it has to do with the It's the sacrifice

of propitiation. It's an atoning sacrifice. It

has to do with an atoning sacrifice. It means

to render oneself. And I want you to, that's

why we take our time to, because if you see God

be merciful, you almost would think that, pity

me, please, my own situation. But to confirm

that, I want you to see another place where that

same word is used in Hebrews. In Hebrews, Hebrews

2 .17. Hebrews 2 .17. Hebrews 2 .17. We read

it from the New King James. Hebrews 2 .17. He

says, Therefore, in all things, he had to be

made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful

and faithful high priest in things pertaining

to God. to make propitiation for the sins of

the people. Just leave it there. I want you to

look at the passage that we have. You will think

that the word merciful should be the word there,

right? You should, you will be thinking that

that is the word. That is the word that, that

is the same, the same word. But that word merciful

is another word. This messable here is another

Greek word, which is elemon. It's E -L -E -E

-M -O -N. It's a different, it's not the same

word. The word over there is elemon. That's E

-L -E -E -M -O -N, elemon. The word that is the

helascomine. or the phrase that is the helascomine

is make propitiation for. Make propitiation for

is the word that is the helascomine. And it makes

perfect sense when you read it. It says to make

propitiation for the sins of the people. To make

propitiation for the sins of the people. And

just to take us back, remember we said that is

his debt. that makes that available to us. The

reason why we can come boldly is because of what

the price that he has paid in his debt. And the

reason why that tax collector can open his mouth

and plead is because of what Christ has done.

And when we come as believers and we're anchoring

our faith on the things that we've done, we are

actually, it's going to be hard for us to, our

faith. can shift. Because there are times when

you are not able to do those things. And you

will now have guilt. Praise God. I hope we're

listening. There are times where you struggle

and you now have guilt. But know that regardless

of what the tax collector, because the tax collector

had things on his record. And then he knows that

he just has to put himself at the mercy. of God

and basically that's what he did. And that's

why that word there is you're rendering yourself.

You're accepting what he has done. It's not a

pity thing. It's not a pity thing. God did not

just look and pity us and then sent his son.

It's not pity that made him do the things that

he did. It's the love that he has for us that

made him do the things that he did. Praise God.

The love he has for us is what motivates him

to always hold on to us even when We are letting

go of him. Praise God. Even when we're letting

go of him, that love is what keeps... See, the

reason why you will stay struggling is because

you are not sure of why does he keep holding

on to me even when sometimes you're wondering

why. Because God is faithful. Remember what we

read at the beginning. He says he's faithful.

He's faithful. So I am strengthened in his strength.

Not when we're taught about joy. Joy is not external.

It's the things that God works in us that is

sin. Meaning that everything of ours, anything

that we can produce, comes from him. Praise God.

Comes from him. So the mercy that we've received

is from him. And the same is what we extend to

others. That's what we're going to be building

on. That's what we're going to be seeing happen.

And I want to just, in this evening, clarify

to us how important it is that we should know

what we have received. We should know that what

we have received is what Christ has given. And

the same thing he received is what he had given.

It's the same thing. We just have that in the

back of our mind. And it's not based on performance.

I want to keep repeating that. That is not based

on performance. It's not like you do more, he

loves you more. If you're doing more, you are

helping yourself to grow. It's not by, okay,

because I did this and this and this, because

that's basically what the piracy was just. I've

done this, I've done this, I've done that on

the basis of that. It will be all work and no

show. Praise God. It's going to end up in all

work and no show. And we want to shift to a point

in the church where, and we'll see this, hopefully,

in subsequent teaching, where you know the love

of God and you are able to extend it to see someone

get healed, right? You're able to extend it to

see someone get saved. You're able to extend

it to see someone get delivered. You're able

to extend it. You look at the person and what

comes out of you is, oh, God, I want you to just

touch this person. I want you to heal this person.

And you're not doing it because the person you

are putting in the corner. You're doing it because

there is something that wells up from the inside

of you that makes you want to just go out and

do it. And you're doing it from the standpoint

of love. Because when we don't do things from

the standpoint of love, we will struggle. It's

just going to be off and on. We're doing it because

we know what we have received and then we're

acting in accordance to it. Praise God. We're

acting in accordance to it. And I want us to

see. Even further, because they're setting, let's

look at Hebrews. Since we're in Hebrews, Hebrews

Hebrews 8:12

8, verse 12. Hebrews 8, 12. Just before I retreat,

the fact that there is no, so it says, for I

will be merciful to their unrighteousness. And

this merciful here is under the, Another Greek

word. There's another Greek word which is hulios.

That's H -I -L -E -O -S. H -I -L -E -O -S. So

this word is another Greek word. It's hulios.

And it's an adjective that's similar to the helasco

mine. When it says, I will be merciful to their

unrighteousness. Meaning that the mercy of God

is towards what? Unrighteousness. Meaning that

it resolves that. So a person that has received

God's mercy is now no longer regarded as unrighteous,

is now in right standing with God. Praise God.

He's in right standing with God. He says, and

their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember

no more. Praise God. He says, their sins and

their lawless deeds, I will remember it no more.

When somebody tells you, or when someone, a human

being tells you, I will remember it no more.

You know, you have it, it's because the person...

When you do it again, it might come back. But

when God says, I will remember it no more, it

means he will remember it no more. Meaning that

if it comes up again, something like it has been

paid already, so it doesn't come back again.

It doesn't come back again. And it's not from

your own hand, right? It's not from your own

hand, it's from his own hand. Because he's remembering

no more. But now you are the one that will struggle

to, hence the thing we said about your mind,

right? You want to ensure that you remind yourself

that these things are no longer an issue in your

work with God. I'm saying it. I'm repeating myself

again because there are many of us that from

time to time, circumstance and situation brings

us to that place where we are in doubt because

we feel like things should be better, but they

are not. And then you want to find what the cause

of the problem is. And then you go to what you

feel is the problem. You don't fix the main thing,

which is you want to go back to God's word to

remind yourself the things he has said concerning

you and concerning that situation. Praise God.

That is where our faith should always be anchored.

That is where our faith should always be anchored

on the things that his word says concerning the

matter. Because he says here that he will remember

it no more. And how many of you believe that

he doesn't remember it anymore? How many of you

believe that? How many of you believe that? You

know, some of us don't believe it because sometimes

I think he remembers. That's why he's doing this.

That's why he's out to get me. Praise God. Expo

2 remembers. Praise God. So he says he remembers

it no more because that word, that Julius, it's

an adjective because it's describing because

it says be. And it still has merciful in it and

it still means the propitious. Propitious. It

means to be propitious. And it's used to mean

that it's averting calamities. It's like in averting

calamity. And it's like far be it. Or be it far.

Like it's far away. Remember what we said about

as far as the east from the west? So it used

to. So you're describing or you're saying it.

And even in the Jewish, they almost use it to

do like far be it from you, right? Like God forbid,

like it's far away from you. And we see that

same word in Matthew 16, 22. When the conversation

of Jesus Christ or the conversation of Jesus,

Peter speaking to Jesus Christ after he has spoken

of him, his death. In Matthew 16, 32, you see,

and then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke

him saying, far be it. That far be it is the

same word. That far be it is the same word. Far

be it from you. Far be it is that word. It says,

it shall not happen to you. It shall not happen

to you. And what Peter was saying is that you're

not dying. You're not dying. And remember when

you think of it and think of the fact that his

death is what brings us to that place where It

establishes the fact that we now are righteous

because after all the things we've been reading.

But that propitiation, that sacrificial, that

payment has to be made. So when you come and

then, and remember it's the same person that

was like, oh, that he will follow him anywhere

he's going. The same person. Remember on Sunday?

How many of us remember Sunday? Where he was

like, ah, that he's going to lay down his life

too. Right? See, you see the same person say

he's going to lay down his life too. It's the

same person now that say, ah, no, no, no, you

don't have to die. It's almost like, don't die.

I'm going to go ahead. Praise God. And it says,

because of what Christ has done, that is going

back to what we saw in the Psalms. Because of

what he has done, that's what sets the whole

thing, sets us apart. So there is no record now

and forever because of what he has done. Remember

what we said. And this ensures that you're not

tossed through, through and through, through

and through. This ensures that you're not tossed

from one end to another. When we read that in

Ephesians, let's go to Ephesians. You know, when

we read it, sometimes we think it's something,

it has to be something, it's as simple as the

core of it, as the foundation. 4 .14 It says

that we should, that we, should no longer be

children, that we should no longer be children

tossed through and through and carried about

by every wind of doctrine. Know that you are

tossed through and through once you're not anchored

or grounded on the truths, especially foundational

truths. Foundational truth as you're forgiven

and there's no record of it and then you are

still moving. You're going to say, I'm sure,

I'm not sure. You need to grow. in the knowledge

that you receive. That will cripple your ability.

And for some of us, they say, okay, you can heal

the sick, right? You can preach to people and

get them saved. And then you're like, are you

sure? I've not started. My Christian work has

not reached that level. And you're saying all

of these things to offset the fact that you know

that you can be saved today and get someone saved.

Praise God. You can be saved just because you

know what you have received. You pass it. And

in fact, most of the times we're very excited

at that point. In fact, if you've seen somebody,

the person's like, ah, you know what? I just,

I just, I just received. And they're very excited

to give it to the next person. Well, something

happens along the line. That's why we were praying

that we're never lacking in zeal. Because sometimes

you lose that excitement of the first time you,

because you have received it at first and you

know what you're excited about it. But over time,

because Jesus. And then you slow down. But what?

we're seeing here is that we want to stay grounded.

We're not given to things that are flying around,

right? We're not given to what is flying around,

but we're here that is sure. We're with the word

of God that is sure. And we're not, it says,

by the trickery of men, by the cunning craftiness

and the sinful plotting. We're not given to all

of those things. We're given to one single thing,

which is the word of God. Praise God. And when

he says that there is no condemnation, right?

When he says that there's no condemnation and

there's no judgment, he's all anchored on the

fact that he has paid it all. When he says there's

no condemnation, there's no judgment, the reason

why that is the reality of a believer is because

something has been done. And it's not anchored

on you. I'll keep drumming it. It's not anchored

on you. So it means that when you step into a

situation, you remember that the power of God

is available and it flows through you. What you

do is that you are just a vessel that is willing

to allow him to manifest himself. You're willing

to see his kingdom. You're willing to see his

kingdom manifest in and through yourself. And

when you say no, you are stopping that from happening.

The same way when we're praying and we're saying

that they give the things of the Spirit. You

know that through me, this person will be blessed.

And then I will yield myself to see that this

person gets blessed. That consciousness drives

whatever it is that God wants to do to make it

possible. But when you come and say you are undermining

or you're despising or you're looking down on

the person, what you're doing is inevitable.

You're stopping. The flow. Praise God. You're

stopping the flow. When you are in a situation

where you are in the classroom and you're talking

with someone and then the conversation is about

maybe random and then the Holy Spirit prompts

you and says like share the gospel and then you

you say no. Maybe some other time. Let me not

be that weirdo. That person that does like this

or this or so and that. But there are people

that are very happy to introduce anything to

you. Or you have something that is the real deal,

that is more than what they have, and you're

holding it back. You're not sharing that love

that is beyond, that doesn't go up and down.

Praise God. You want to ensure that at every

given point in time, you're allowing Him to find

expression through your life by the Spirit of

God. You're allowing him to find expression to

your life. And just to stay on the point of judgment,

I want us to see John 5. John 5, 24. John 5,

24. And Jesus is speaking. And I think we're

seeing it. He says, most assuredly, I say to

you. He said, he who hears my word and believes

in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall

not come into judgment. He says, he shall not

come into judgment, but has passed from death

into life. He shall not come into judgment, but

has passed from death into life. And the word

judgment there is crisis. And it's like crisis.

It's K -R -I. S -I -S. K -R -I -S -I -S. K -R

-I -S -I -S. And that crisis means justice. Right?

It says, it shall not come into justice because

God's justice system has covered, the system

has covered it. There's a price that has been

paid. The verdict has been done. There's no record

of it. So that doesn't concern the individual.

It says, but he has passed. From death into life.

Praise God. It's passed from death into life.

And every believer, it's not just a life, but

as Jesus Christ speaking, we say the life is

life abundant. The life is life abundant. The

life is life abundant. And what makes that life

abundant is the spirit of God, which you and

I carry. That is the seal of the relationship

that we have with him. That's the seal of the

relationship that we have with him. And he says,

the believer does not come into judgment and

the court case is over because of what the cross

has done. And it's permanent. It's permanent.

It doesn't change. I don't know. You know, when

somebody, when we are thinking that it goes up

and down, we put ourselves in a place where it's

like, it's here today. come tomorrow, here today,

come tomorrow. You wake up in the morning and

you're not sure whether it's there or it's not

there. But we know that in God, He's always sure.

It's permanent. It's true. And regardless of

how you feel, regardless of how you woke up that

day, it's true. You just keep going on with that,

going on with that. How many of you have experienced

a situation where you woke up and you don't feel

strong? But the moment you get up and then you

start walking, you just discover that the energy

that you... our exuding was always there. But

you needed to just move around and then it kicks

in. The same way when we say rejoice, sometimes

it's not, it doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't

get you. Or you don't, you feel like, oh, what

are those people doing? But because you know,

right? And then it comes to your mind, I have

a reason to rejoice. Because of what Christ has

done, because of what I now have, I rejoice.

Because of what I have received, I rejoice. Even

though I don't see the physical, remember we

said that it's not anchored on the physical thing.

Because if it's anchored on the physical thing,

there are a lot of things that you want, but

you don't have. There are a lot of things that

you're looking for. The situations are legitimate,

but you don't have it. But you're going on and

on. You're doing it. Remember what I said on

Sunday, it comes to mind again. Where you're

going through difficulty, but you're still happy.

You're still rejoicing. That in itself changes

everything when somebody knows what you're going

through. They see you going through what you're

going through, but you are always there. You

are always excited. You're always serving. You're

always willing to do anything for God. And then

it's like, what is wrong with you? People are

going through what you're going through and they

lock themselves up and they're crying and they're

mourning and they're doing all manner of things,

but you're still standing. What makes you stand?

It's because you're sure of what Christ has done.

Because you're not just somebody that says, I

believe, I believe, I believe. You are acting

out and we can tell because of your action. It's

not just in words. And it doesn't always have

to be you talk about it. What speaks louder or

the loudest is when you show. You show it. Praise

God. When you show it. And the love that we received.

was demonstrated to us. Praise God. It was demonstrated

to us and was clearly demonstrated. You know,

we read in 1 John. It's because it's his demonstration,

then we demonstrate. And it shows us how we demonstrate

it. By going out of our way to meet the needs

of others, right? And going out of our way to

do what has been done to us, to others. Praise

God. And it's very powerful when we... Think

about it. It's very powerful when made. Because

there's a security in doing. There's a security.

You know, when you know something is secured,

you sleep well at night, right? When you know

that your life is secured in Christ Jesus, you're

not scared that you'll be stolen, right? You're

not scared that something will happen and then

you'll lose it. You're not going back to it to

confirm. You know there's something confident

about when you know that you're typing something

and you have hit save. you're typing, you're

typing and typing. You know, I was speaking to

one of her. She said that, ah, that she saved

it, that thank God she hit send. And then her

system had a problem. I was like, ah, that would

be difficult to explain. It would be difficult

to explain to someone when you had not hit send

and send it. And then I had an experience like

that one time where I was like, hey, if I had

not copied and pasted it somewhere and then the

thing just went like this and then. You now have

stories to tell. And then you message your teacher

like you're lying. And then you knew that your

system just turned on you. Your PC turned on

you. You will need proof or you need backup or

you need cloud to save you. Praise God. But know

that when something is sure, when there's security,

you move on with... Peace, right? You move on

with joy because you know that regardless of

what happens, you are safe. And you're not safe

because Jesus Christ was saying, see, in the

world, it's not a safe place. You can just walk

out now and something happens. But what is guaranteed

to us is in Christ Jesus. Nothing can steal what

we have in Christ Jesus. Nothing can break into

what we have in Christ Jesus. Nothing can destroy

what we have in Christ Jesus. And you might doubt

it. You might say, oh, I don't think I see it.

But you will see it. Praise God. If you keep

looking into God's word, one day, even right

now, it will hit you. Praise God. Even right

now, it will hit you. And right now, it has taken

a grace. Your head is going around it and it's

beyond words. Praise God. It's beyond words.

It's beyond words. It's something that the Holy

Spirit, even in this moment, the Holy Spirit,

even in this moment, is causing your heart to

just open up and see it. You know, when Ephesians

says that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened,

you don't know how powerful that is. That once

you catch up to something and there's a light

bulb that lights up in your mind, and then you

say, this is it. Here is it. And then you run

with it. Because now you have an understanding.

And that is basically how our work is. The more

understanding we get, the more built we are,

the more we're able to withstand difficult situations,

the more we're able to run, the more we're able

to do more. Our doing more is for our own good.

Right? Our doing more is for our own good. You're

not doing... We're not doing more to be loved

more. Praise God. We're not doing more to be

loved more. And it's massive. John, I want us

to see something in John 17. John 17, 22 to 23.

Jesus Christ. Just quite speaking, praying and

says, and the glory which you gave me, I have

given them that they may be one just as we are.

One. 23. I in them and you in me, that they may

be made perfect in one that the world, may know

that you have sent me and have loved them as

you have loved me. I want you to stay there.

And love them as you have loved me. It says,

I in them and you in me that they may be made

perfect in one and that the world may know that

you have sent me and have loved them just as

you have loved me. Meaning that the love that

God has for his son is the same love that he

has for us. You want to allow that to soak into

your mind, that what we have, and we have the

same spirit of God, we have that union, we're

all united in that one. It says we share in that

sonship, we share in that relationship. We call

God our father because we have that union on

the basis of what Christ has done. We're brought

into divine fellowship with God because of what

Christ has done. And we're sharing that. And

by the spirit of God, we're able to flow continually

in that relationship, right? Because the proof

of it is that you have loved them just as I,

you have loved them as you have loved me. You

have loved them as you have loved me. And that

is the foundation of identity. That's the foundation

of identity. The love of God is the foundation

of identity, and it's not rooted in our performance.

It's not rooted in the things that we do, the

things that we will do, but it's in the unchanging

love and the perfect love of the Father. It's

in that unchanging love and perfect love for

the Father, and that love is directed towards

us and the Son, and we're able to stand, we can

be able to say, we stand forgiven. We are beloved

in Christ Jesus. We have the same quality, same

intensity, the same love. We experience that

same love from the Father. Every one of us here

partakers. In fact, we have that. That love is

channeled towards us. And you don't have any

less of it than the other person. You know, when

parents have several children, there's a tendency

to love one more than the other. You love the

one that does well, and then... You don't love

the one that does well. It's parents, early parents

can do that or have a tendency to do that. Right?

You have a tendency to do that. But with God,

as many as we are, he channels the same intensity.

It's not based on the performance. He channels

that same intensity towards you. He channels

that same intensity towards me. And every one

of us enjoys. that same intensity. And the moment

you understand it, you now have caught up to

it, right? The moment you understand it, your

work now is, you know, when you know that your

parents love you so much, you know, there's a

way you work in school, you know, little kids

saying, you carry your school badge, your mom's

around because, you know, daddy loves me, daddy

loves me. And that's the kind of excitement we

have because we know that regardless of it, the

love of the father is always there. towards us.

It's always there for us. And it's the foundation

and the basis of our love and our work. And because

of that love, we are brought into, there's an

understanding that comes with it. Because of

that relationship with our love, we come into

that understanding. I want us to see something

in John 15, 15. And by the Spirit of God, the

Word of God enlightens our minds. Enlightens

our minds to understand how solid that love is,

the dimensions of this love, as Ephesians would

say, Ephesians 3. But 15 .15, John 15 .15, it

says, No longer do I call you servants, for a

servant does not know what his master is doing.

But I call you friends, for all things that I

have heard from the Father, I made known to you.

For all things I've heard from the Father, I

made known to you. Just stay in the 15. All things

I've heard from the Father, I made known to you.

And by the Spirit of God, we have received all

things, right? We have received all things. We

have received all things. And note that when

we pray that their eyes will understand and be

enlightened, what happens is that all things

that were received is made known to our minds

and is made manifest. Because, you know, when

we talk about casting down every... I always

imagine it. You know, there are things that are

in your mind that needs to calm down, right?

There are things that needs to calm down. And

the moment those things calm down, you see what

God has made available unto you, manifest through

your life. Because it has always been there.

It has always been there. It has always been

there. In this passage, you see that there's

a servant, there's a, you know, That relationship,

when we read the book of, I think the book of

last two months or so, where it talks about the

Jesus Christ servant relationship and son relationship,

there's a synergy in that relationship because

the servant side of things is a service. There's

a son side of things that you know that no matter

what, all of those things work together. There's

a synergy in that relationship because there's

one part that... Seven, there's one part, there's

that. But in our work with him, the friend or

a friend is confident, right? A friend has a

confidence in the fact that the status of their

relationship gives them access, unlimited access,

right? It's friendship. When you have friends,

you have unlimited access. And know that even

when we have friends, you know, some of us, the

friendships, you know, some people, like everybody's

their friend. In fact, some people will claim

that they are friends when in reality it's not

mutual. And even with those friendships, you

have where you place this person at. I was explaining

to someone, I said, there are friends that will

stay in your living room. No matter how, that's

where they're at. There are friends that you

can bring them into your kitchen. They have that

access into your kitchen. There are friends that

can come into your bedroom. because they have

that access into your space. And know that with

physical relationship, the moment you promote

somebody that should be in your... In fact, there

are some friends that should be at the door.

They shouldn't even enter the house. And just

imagine when somebody that should be at the door

has access into your living room. You might be

wondering why you got robbed. Because the person

is like, ah, we don't always have this opportunity.

Let's make the most of this opportunity now that

we have it. And then you'll be like, ah, the

person ran away. My things got stolen. And you

can't be looking at the people that have always

been there because all the while they were there,

nothing got stolen. So it means that you let

someone that should be at the door inside or

you let someone that should be in the living

room inside. So know that even with a physical

relationship, we have cutters, right? And anytime

you... push somebody very quickly, they leave

very quickly because they came in very quickly.

Praise God. But in our relationship with God,

it doesn't apply, right? Because you can have

that mindset and there's no telling because you

can come into a relationship with God and feel

like I'm at the door. Lord, you know, you'll

be singing always, I come before you today because

you're always coming before him. You're always

going before him. No, it's a wonderful song.

You're always going before him. Because you are

always in that space with him. And some of us,

it's the mindset we have. And that's why when

we sing, we're very careful, conscious of the

kind of songs we sing. Because sometimes you're

singing the song, but it registers. It really

does register. You're singing it, but you don't

know how that applies to even how you're living

because it's what you know that you act, right?

And once you've sung it so much that even subconsciously

you have the song just coming on and that in

itself will interpret or translate to what your

relationship would be with him. And it's very

dangerous when we sing certain things that are

inconsistent with the word of God. That's why

we try to, as much as the melody sounds nice,

most times we, I think we'll discuss it in part

two. Reading the lyrics saves you the stress

of having to say, I love the song. You know,

when you read the lyrics, it's clear. But once

you hear everything together with the beats and

everything, you might just say, it's not that

bad. It's not bad. It's like, we can change it

a bit here and there. And sometimes you don't

want to change the parts that will mess with

the... And then you're... Because you... But

once you... But once you know that this thing

is in control, and that's why we say, you know,

many of us will say canonical, canonical, follow,

ensure that you are canonical, ensure that you

are, but we will be begging you, struggle with

you to get to it. And that's why when you hear

certain things, it doesn't register. Man of God

was talking about how, I think, I can't remember

the particular person that his daughter was like,

no, that's not, that's not, that's not right.

That's not, and you'd be like, how old is she?

And she could tell that this is not right. And

so it was the right thing. She was able to quote

the particular passage, the scripture. And know

that there's a benefit of knowing what is true,

right? So that once you approach with what is

false, you can spot it. In fact, your mind, that's

where the mind is very effective. Your mind will

just say, this is wrong. And you're able to come,

like you know that because it is. And then you're

able to stand against. That's how we're able

to withstand the wiles of the alien. Because

we know the truth and doesn't have to be, it's

subtle. Where you're able to know that this is

where I stand, this is. And then you act and

you walk in the light that you have received.

Praise God. And we are children of light. And

we know that that light is not, you know, when

we hear light, you think of. And in Ephesians

5, 8, it says, for we were once darkness, 5,

8, but now we are light and we walk as children.

We are light in the Lord and walk as children

of light. And walking as children of light, and

even the 1 Thessalonians 5, 4 to 5, let's write

this passage of scripture while we close, as

we close. 1 Thessalonians 5, 4 to 5 says, but

you, my brethren, are not in darkness. You, my

brethren, are not in darkness. So there's a day,

so we say, it comes as a thief. Then next, 5

verse 5 says, you are all sons of light and sons

of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness.

We are not of the night, nor of darkness. We

are children of light because we know the light

we have received and we walk in that light. And

walking in that light is walking in the truth,

is walking in the love that we receive. Walking

in that light is walking in the truth, walking

in the love we receive. And we do that because

we know. We do that because there's the precise

knowledge of God's word that spores up the precise

knowledge that by the spirit of God, our minds,

our thinking faculties are flooded with every

time we approach the word. that that light is

from the Spirit of God and it shines on our minds,

which is limited in knowledge, but in the Spirit

of God, it's unlimited. There's full, there's

a precise knowledge, there's accurate knowledge,

and then that in itself spurs us to do the things

that the Father instructs us to do, to flow in

the things that the Spirit of God causes and

spurs us to do. Praise God. I want us to just

close our eyes and just thank God for his love.

Thank God for understanding of that love. And

thank God for how we are empowered to not just

go through the motions of our walk with him,

but to really be into the walk and to understand.

and continue to understand, to grow in understanding

that our eyes will continue to be enlightened.

I want us to go to that passage. Ephesians 3,

I will read 3 .16. It says that He will grant

you, according to the riches of God, that we

be strengthened in our mind through His Spirit

and our inner mind. For Christ may dwell in your

hearts according to faith, that being rooted

and grounded in love, that you are able to comprehend

with all the saints what is the width, the length,

the depth, and the height. To know the love of

Christ, which passes knowledge. We'll correct

that. We'll discuss that on Sunday. That you

may be filled because we're filled with the fullness

of God. I want us to go to 1. It says that the

eyes of my understanding being enlightened, that

you may know what is the hope of his calling,

what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance

and the saints. That the eyes of my understanding.

that the eyes of my heart, that the eyes of my

understanding is enlightened in the name of Jesus,

that the eyes of my understanding is enlightened

in the name of Jesus, that the eyes of my understanding

is enlightened in the name of Jesus. or follow

us on social media. If you were encouraged, share

this message with someone you care about. Until

next time, stay blessed.