Sermon
The Will of God for Believers pt 3
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. Now I want to encourage you that when
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you come to church, whenever you come to church,
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Be a participant of what is happening in church.
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Don't just be a spectator, but be what? Be a
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participant. Participate. If we say we are praying,
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ensure that you are praying. If we are singing,
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ensure you are singing. If we are dancing, ensure
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that you are dancing. Hallelujah. It's unfortunate
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that even those that were leading us in worship,
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some of them stand so uninterested in what is
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happening here. So worship team, please, if anybody
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is not interested in participating in what is
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happening here, there's no need for the person
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to climb up here. Alright? Because if we stand
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here, we are singing, we are dancing. And you
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that are supposed to lead us is not dancing.
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We encourage you to go and sit. Whatever we do
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here is very, very important. There's no part
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of this service that is a joke. All right? When
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we are coming here, let's maintain the discipline.
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You see, the reason why many of us, we keep on
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coming to church. and will not see any effect
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in your life is because of the mindset you carry
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to come to this place. So casual, so uninterested.
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The mindset you came into this place with determines
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what you will learn and how your life will be
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impacted. So coming to church, I want to encourage
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you to be prepared. You have your phones all
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through the week. You have your phones after
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the church service. There is no amount of money.
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If you are doing business or anything that you
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lose in the course of this service. If you put
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your phone on fly mode or silent. There is no
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any emergency. It will require your attention.
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You're not working with the fire service, are
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you? Neither are you working with the ambulance.
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So please, I want you to be encouraged that when
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you come to church, it's an important moment.
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It's an important moment for your life to be
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blessed. It's an important moment for you to...
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To hear God speak to you. Sometimes in the course
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of the service, God will be speaking to you.
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Not necessarily during the sermon, sometimes.
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So please, I want us to change our attitude so
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that every opportunity we have, the cell meetings,
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in the midweek services, on the Sunday services,
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they will benefit, will enjoy the best of what
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God is doing in their house. Hallelujah. Colossians
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chapter 1, verse 9. Colossians chapter 1, verse
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9. For this reason, we also, since the day we
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heard it, do not cease to pray for you. and to
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ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
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of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
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that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing
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him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing
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in the knowledge of God. strengthened with all
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might according to his glorious power, for all
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patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks
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to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers
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of the inheritance of the saints in light. He
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has delivered us from the power of darkness and
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conveyed us Into the kingdom of his love. Of
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his son in love. In whom we have redemption.
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Through his blood. The forgiveness of our sins.
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Hallelujah. And also 1st Peter chapter 2 verse
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9. 1st Peter chapter 2. Verse 9 and verse 10.
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But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
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a holy nation, his own special people, that you
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may proclaim the praises of him who called you
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out of darkness into his marvelous light. Who
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once were not a people, but are now the people
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of God. Who had not obtained mercy, but now have
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obtained mercy. Hallelujah. Once upon a time,
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we were dead in our trespasses. Once upon a time,
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we were under the dominion of sin. Once upon
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a time, we were under captivity. And we see God
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deliver us from that through what Jesus Christ
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has done on the cross of Calvary. We see Jesus
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dying on the cross for us. And by our faith in
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what he has done, we receive life. Hallelujah.
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We receive life and we are eternally safe. And
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we say that we have a heritage, we have an inheritance.
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We are partakers of the inheritance of those
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who are safe. And the inheritance we have comes
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with responsibility. And the responsibility we
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have is what we've been talking about, the responsibility
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of proclaiming the gospel. So every believer
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is assigned to proclaim the gospel. Every believer
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has the tax. of preaching the gospel. And we
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saw previously that God plans to fill the earth
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with the knowledge of his will. It is a desire
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of God that all the earth know him. It is a desire
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that all men should be saved. It is God's desire
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that the salvation message be preached to every
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man on earth. But this work of saving men is
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done by God but through men. Hallelujah. For
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you as an individual, how you received the gospel
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was through men preaching to you. How you became
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a Christian or how you became a believer is through
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men preaching the gospel to you. How the message
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was preserved right from the time of Jesus Christ
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till now is through the activities of men, through
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the responsibility of men. To be saved means
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to be chosen and given a life of purpose. And
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our purpose is a purpose of priesthood, to proclaim,
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to preach the gospel. And we said earlier on
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that God's will for his people rather for God's
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will for his kingdom of priests on earth is to
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ensure that the gospel is preached. Now we've
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emphasized in scriptures over and over and over
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again. Let's turn to Acts chapter 8. We start
Acts 8 chapter mention
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God's plan on earth is to be carried out by men.
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Hallelujah. You and I are participants in what
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God is doing on earth. Acts 8, verse 26. I want
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us to go back to that story we saw on Wednesday.
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Acts 8. Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
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saying, Arise and go towards south, a long road
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which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This
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is desert. So he arose and went, and behold,
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a man of Ethiopia. A eunuch of great authority
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under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who
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had charge of all her treasury and had come to
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Jerusalem to worship, was returning and sitting
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in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
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And when the spirit said, then the spirit rather
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said to Philip, go near and overtake his chariot,
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this chariot. So Philip ran to him and heard
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him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, Do you
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understand what you are reading? And he said,
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How can I understand? How can I? Unless someone
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guides me. And he asked Philip to come up and
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sit with him. The place in the scripture which
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he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the
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slaughter. And as a lamb before his shearer is
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silent, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation,
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his justice was taken away. And who will declare
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his generation? For his life is taken from the
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earth. So the Enoch answered Philip and said,
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I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this?
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of himself or someone, some other man. Then Philip
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opened his mouth and beginning at this scripture,
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preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down
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the road, they came to some water and the Enoch
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said, see, here is water. What hinders me from
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being baptized? Then Philip said, if you believe
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in all your heart, you may. And he answered and
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said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
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of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand
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still and both Philip and Enoch went down into
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the water and he baptized him. Hallelujah. And
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I want us to take note in a text right from the
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verse 26 that the angel spoke to Philip. that
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Philip received the instruction from an angel.
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And we're trying to establish that angels have
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not been delegated with the responsibility of
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preaching the gospel. Because if angels have
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the privilege that we share as men to preach
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the gospel, then there wouldn't be need for men.
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The angel wouldn't ask Philip to go to the Ethiopian
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Enoch. He would have gone there himself to preach
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the gospel. But we see that the angel of the
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Lord spoke to Philip saying, Arise and go to
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the south along the road down from Jerusalem
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to Gaza. And we see Philip moving in obedience.
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And we also see the place where the Spirit also
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speaks to Philip. In verse 29, the Spirit of
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God spoke to Philip. Then the Spirit said to
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Philip, go near and overtake his chariot. The
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angel was speaking. The Spirit of God was speaking.
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And we see Philip as a party to what God is doing.
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Hallelujah. Why didn't the Spirit speak to the
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man? Why didn't the Spirit give him interpretation
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of what he was reading? Why didn't the Spirit
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of God... minister from where he was reading
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to him. We are part of what God is doing on earth.
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Hallelujah. The believer is essential to what
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God is doing on earth. Pastor was telling us
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before that God uses men for our salvation and
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the devil also uses men. Hallelujah. God uses
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men and the devil also is interested in men as
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well. So we see the angelic being participating.
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We see the Holy Spirit participating and we see
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Philip participating. Everyone has his role.
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The role that we've been given is to preach.
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Hallelujah. As we speak, the Spirit of God goes
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a long way in convicting the heart of men. Now
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you don't have the role of convicting men of
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sin. You must understand where your responsibility
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is and the parameter of your responsibility as
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a believer. As you preach, as you preach, and
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you allow the Spirit of God to do the work of
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conviction and convincing men about the truth
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concerning Jesus Christ. So we see how God works
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through men in the spirit of the gospel. Also
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the statement of the Ethiopian in verse 31. He
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said, how can I understand unless someone guides
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me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with
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him. The understanding of scripture comes by
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explanation of men. Which means that for you
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to understand scripture, you must be taught by
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men. Hallelujah. There's no special revelation
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that you can ever get in scriptures that have
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not been revealed to men. There's no new information
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that God is sharing that only you is a custodian
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of. For you to come to the accurate knowledge
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of scripture and to know the will of God, there's
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a place of men that must expose you to the truth
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of God's word. So this further emphasizes the
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need for men in the work of ministry. We don't
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learn on our own, but through the ministry of
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men. So God's will is to bring about salvation
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to men. But this can only happen through the
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activities of men. And we saw another example
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10 and see the other example we saw on Wednesday.
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Acts chapter 10 verse 1. We see similar pattern.
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There was a man in Caesarea called Cornelius,
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a centurion of what was called the Italian regiment.
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a devout man who feared God with all his household,
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who gave alms generously to the people and prayed
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to God always. About the ninth hour of the day,
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he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming
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in and saying to him, Cornelius. And when he
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observed him, he was afraid and said, What is
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this? What is it, Lord? So he said to him, Your
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prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial
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before God. Now send men to Joppa and send for
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Simon, whose name is Peter. He is lodged with
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Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He
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will tell you what you must do. And when the
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angels who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius
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called two of his household. household servants,
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and a devout soldier from among those who waited
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on him continually. So when he had explained
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all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
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Let's jump to verse 34. From verse 34. Then Peter,
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when he had come, they brought Peter. Then Peter
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opened his mouth and said, In truth, I perceive
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that God shows no partiality. but in every nation
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whoever fears him and works righteousness is
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accepted by him. The word which God sent to the
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children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus
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Christ, he is Lord of all. That word you know,
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which was proclaimed through all Judea and began
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from Galilee after the baptism which John preached.
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how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with Holy
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Spirit and with power who went about doing good
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and healing all who were oppressed by the devil
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for God was with him. And we are witnesses of
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all things which he did both in the land of the
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Jews and in Jerusalem whom they killed by hanging
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on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day
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and showed him openly, not to all people, but
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to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us
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who ate and drank with him after he arose from
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the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the
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people. and to testify that it is he who was
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ordained by God to be the judge of the living
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and the dead. And to him all the prophets witness
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that through his name whoever believes in him
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will receive remissions of sins. Hallelujah.
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So we see also another situation in which the
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angel of God that involve man in the establishment
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of God's work, especially in this family. And
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when we go down, we'll see how the Spirit of
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God fell upon them, how, you know, they became
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born again, and how they received the Spirit
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of God, and they began to speak in tongues. So
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this text is another example in which we see
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God walking through a man to bring about the
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knowledge of salvation to men. God has to send
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an angel to communicate God's plan through Peter
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so that the gospel will be proclaimed. So we
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can conclude that we are born again and we have
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received an inheritance and this heritage comes
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with responsibility. This inheritance we receive
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comes with the responsibility of proclaiming
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Christ. So who are men? Who are the men who God
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uses to proclaim his work? Who are the men that
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God uses in proclaiming his work? Believers.
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Hallelujah. Believers. You and I that are born
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again are candidates. We are candidates for God's
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work. We are what? We are candidates for God's
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work on the earth. I intentionally say candidates.
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Because it's not every man that is born again
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that we see doing the work of God. In fact, it's
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not every man that is born again that God can
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even trust with his work. Amen? It's not every
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man that God can trust with his work. God will
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trust a man that is faithful. God will trust
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a man that has shown. In fact, some people in
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this church, we cannot even trust them with people.
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Talk more of God. The moment we give you one
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or two people to be under you, we are rest assured
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that there will be problem. So God will effectively
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carry out his work through men that have been
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equipped for the work of ministry. Hallelujah.
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The kind of men that God can commit the salvation
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of souls to are men that have been equipped with
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a tax of calendar responsibility. Through our
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scriptures, we go through scriptures and we see
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all the men that God has used. There is not just
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man that is just unserious that God commit the
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work of ministry to. It is believers who have
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been equipped for the work of ministry. Salvation
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is essential and a basic necessity. But much
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more important is a training of the believer.
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That's where I'm targeted at. Beyond just being
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born again, the training of the believer is essential
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to being effective in the work of ministry. It
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is quite crucial for success in the work of ministry.
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And the examples we just mentioned earlier on,
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let's look at the example of Philip, the great
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evangelist. We saw the great and the mighty work
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he did. We saw how he was able to be used by
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God to bring about salvation to the Ethiopian.
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But who was Philip in the first place? Who was
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Philip? Let's go back to that text we read in
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Acts 8, verse 1. Let's see what Philip, the great
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evangelist, says. Now Saul was consenting to
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his death. At that time, a great persecution
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arose against the church, which was at Jerusalem,
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and they were all scattered throughout the region
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of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And
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devout men carried Stephen to his burial and
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made a great lamentation over him. As for Saul,
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he made havoc of the church. entering every house
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and dragging of men and women, committing them
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to prison. Therefore those who were scattered
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went everywhere preaching the word. And Philip,
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then Philip went down to the city of Samaria
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and preached Christ to them. And they multitude
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with one accord hearing the things spoken by
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Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles he did.
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For unclean spirits crying with a loud voice
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came out of many who were possessed. And many
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who were paralyzed, lame were healed. And there
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was great joy in the city. One man, there was
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great joy in the city. But there was a certain
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man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery
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in a city and astonished the people of Samaria
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claiming that he was someone great. to whom they
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all gave heed from least to the greatest, saying,
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This man is the great power of God. And they
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heeded him, because he had astonished them with
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sorceries for a long time. But when Peter appeared,
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but when they believed Philip, as he preached
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the things concerning the kingdom, of God and
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the name of Jesus Christ. Both men and women
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were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed.
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And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip
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and was amazed seeing the miracles and the signs
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which were done by Philip. And on and on we see
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how the Spirit of God picked him and then his
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encounter with what? With the Ethiopian Enoch.
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This is a man that has been committed with the
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work of ministry. But then who was he? Who was
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he first? Philip was not Philip the Great. He
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started somewhere. Hallelujah. Learning under
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the apostles in chapter 6. Let's go to chapter
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6 of Acts. And see where he was coming from.
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Acts chapter 6 from verse 1. Now in those days
Acts 6 chapter mention
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when the number of disciples were multiplying,
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there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by
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the Hellenists because their widows were neglected
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in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned
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the multitude of the disciples and said, It is
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not desirable that we should leave the Word of
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God and serve tables. Not that serving tables
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is bad or is inferior, but there's a huge responsibility
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in doing the Word. Therefore, brethren, seek
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out from among you seven men of good reputation,
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full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may
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appoint over this business. But we will give
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ourselves continually to prayer and what? And
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to the ministry of the word. And the same pleased
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the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen,
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a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And
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also who? This same Philip that we saw was doing
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the work of ministry, was casting out devils,
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was healing the sick. was performing all the
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miracles and the wonderful signs that he did
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in the city, changing the course of the destinies
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of men by the preaching of the gospel. But he
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was a man that was, you know, was discipled and
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raised by the apostles. Essentially, he was trained
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by the teachings of the apostles. He was a man
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that, you know, was raised and equipped for the
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works and the exploits that we see him did in
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the subsequent chapters. What about Peter himself?
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Jesus called the other apostles and trained them
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for the work of ministry. In Mark chapter 3,
Mark 3 chapter mention
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from verse 13 to 15. Give me Mark chapter 3,
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verse 13 to 15. Mark chapter 3, verse 13 to 15.
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he himself wanted, and they came to him. And
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he appointed twelve that they might be with him
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and that he might send them out to preach. And
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we'll see that from there, Jesus spent several,
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almost three and a half years with them, teaching
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them, discipling them, raising them, and equipping
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them for the work of ministry. Even at his resurrection,
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he spent quality time with them, discipling them
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and teaching them about what he has accomplished
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in his death, his burial and his resurrection.
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Hallelujah. Now I want us to see another example.
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20. We'll see another example here. Acts chapter
Acts 20 chapter mention
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20 from verse 17. From Meletus he sent to Ephesus.
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This is Paul. He sent to Ephesus and called for
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the elders of the church. And when they had come
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to him, he said to them, You know from the first
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day that I came to Asia in what manner I always
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live among you. serving the law with all humility,
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with many tears and trials, which happened to
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me by the plotting of the Jews. How I kept back
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nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to
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you and taught you publicly and from house to
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house, testifying to the Jews and also to the
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Greeks' repentance. towards God and faith towards
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our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound
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in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things
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that will happen to me there, except that the
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Holy Spirit testify in every city, saying that
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chains and tribulations await me. But none of
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these things move me, nor do I count my life
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dear to myself. so that I may finish my race
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with joy and the ministry which I received from
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the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the
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grace of God. And indeed now I know that you
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all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
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of God will see my face no more. Therefore, I
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testify to you this day that I am innocent of
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the blood of all men. For I have not shown to
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declare to you the whole counsel of God. I have
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not shown to declare to you the whole counsel
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of God. Therefore, take heed to yourselves and
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to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit
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has made you overseers. So these men are overseers.
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They are leaders of the church in Ephesus. is
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enumerating to them his label in their lives.
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How he labeled over them, how he invested into
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their lives, how he was able to disciple and
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raise them. the church of God which he purchased
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with his own blood. For I know this, that after
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my departure, savage wolves will come in among
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you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves
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men will rise up, speaking perverse things to
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draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore
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watch and remember that for three years... I
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did not cease to wound everyone night and day
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with tears. Hallelujah. And we'll see further
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his admonition to these elders. These are elders.
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These are leaders of the church. These are faithful
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men that have the faithful responsibility of
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upholding God's work, preaching the gospel, and
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ministering unto the saints. But before they
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became elders, who were they? Paul mentioned
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in verse 31 that he has for three years labored
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in training them. We can see this in chapter
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19, previous chapter, chapter 19, especially
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from verse 1. Chapter 19 from verse 1. And it
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happened while Apollos was at Corinth that Paul,
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having passed through... the upper regions, came
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to Ephesus and finding some disciples, he said
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to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when
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you believed? So they said to him, We have not
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so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.
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Which means that if you've not heard about the
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Holy Spirit, then you're not born again. We have
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not so much heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.
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Verse 3. And he said to them, Into what then
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were you baptized? So they said to him, into
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John's baptism. Then Paul said, John indeed baptized
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with the baptism of repentance, saying to the
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people that they should believe on him who will
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come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. Then
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when they heard this, they were baptized in the
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name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid
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hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them.
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And they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now
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the men, they were about twelve in all. And he
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went into the synagogues and spoke boldly for
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three months, reasoning and persuading concerning
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the things of the kingdom of God. Verse 9. But
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when some were hardened and did not believe,
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but spoke evil of the way before the multitude,
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he departed from them and withdraw the disciples,
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reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. He
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withdrew with the disciples the tithe that he
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made. The Bible says he was reasoning with them
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daily in the school of Tyrannus. Verse 10, and
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in this, continue for two years so that all who
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dwell in Asia heard the word of God. Jesus, both
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the Jews and the Greeks. Hallelujah. We see how
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he labored in their lives. They didn't become
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elders overnight. They were not counted faithful
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overnight. They were not given the responsibility
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over the church overnight. They were not given
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the destiny of men overnight, but they were men.
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They were labeled upon, were trained with disciples.
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And we see the place of responsibility given
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to them. So today, the church is God's training
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ground for men who will do the work of ministry.
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For us to do the will of God, the church is where
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we are trained. And later on, we see in his epistles
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to this same church, In Ephesians chapter 4 verse
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1, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1, when Paul was
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writing an epistle to this same church, from
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verse 1, let's read verse 1 to 13. It says, with
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long -suffering, bearing with one another in
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love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
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in the bond of peace. There is one body and one
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Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of
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your calling. One Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
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One God and Father of all, who is above all and
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through all in you. All. But to each one of us,
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grace was given according to the measure of Christ's
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gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended on
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high, he let captivity captive and gave gifts
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to men. And what are these gifts? Now this, he
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ascended, what does it mean that he also first
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descended into the lower parts of the earth?
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Verse 10. He who descended is also the one who
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ascended far above all the heavens, that he might
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fill all things. And he himself gave some to
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be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
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some pastors and teachers, for the equipping
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of the saints, for the work of ministry, for
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the divine of the body of Christ, till we all
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come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge
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of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure
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of the statue of the fullness of Christ. that
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we should no longer be children tossed to and
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fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine
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by a trickery of men, the chronic craftiness
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of deceitful plotting. But speaking the truth
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in love may grow up in all things into him who
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is a head, even Christ. Hallelujah. So in the
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resurrection of Jesus Christ, the church was
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established. And we see that, At the establishment
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of the church, Jesus gave gifts. In verse 11,
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we see the apostles. We see the prophets. We
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see the evangelists. We see the pastoral teachers.
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Are the gifts to men. God gave these gifts to
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men. In verse 12, we see the function of these
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gifts. The equipping of the saints for the work
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of ministry. The equipping of the saints for
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the work of ministry. Every saint has the work
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of ministry. Every believer is called into ministry.
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The call of God upon your life is a call into
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ministry. The call of salvation is a call of
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ministry. And then we see the gift of men unto
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men for the equipping of the saints for this
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work of ministry. The God of Christ's gift to
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the church is a knowledge of the Son of God in
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verse 14. Give me verse 14. That we will grow
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up in knowledge. That we should no longer be
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children tossed to and fro and carried about
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every wind of doctrine by the trickling of men.
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This is verse 14, verse 13. Yes. Yes. Till we
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all come to the unity of faith. And of the knowledge,
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this unity of faith is actually knowledge of
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the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure
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of the statue of the fullness of Christ. And
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this is done through the teaching that we receive
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in church, through the admonition, through the
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guidance, through the instruction, through the
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rebuke and the edification we receive in church.
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This is a vision of the church, raising disciples
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for the transformation of the world through the
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gospel. And this is what we as NEC have committed
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to doing. Hallelujah. So what we want to see
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happen is that God's divine project on earth,
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God's plan of saving men come to pass. And you
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and I are partakers of this work. And through
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the instrument of the church, we are trained
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and equipped for this work. We are trained and
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equipped for this work. And even as we prepare
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ourselves for this coming cataclysm, it is our
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responsibility to avail ourselves. Hallelujah.
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It is our responsibility to do what? To avail
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ourselves, to make ourselves available for God
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to equip us so that we will be able to know His
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will. Not only that we are going to know His
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will, we will know His work. And that you and
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I will be able to carry his work effectively.
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What should be our response to God's plan for
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equipping us? What should be our response for
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his plan to prepare us? For his plan for our
-
equipping? First and foremost is to be available.
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Hallelujah. Is to be what? Is to be available.
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Whenever you skip church, Whenever you skip every
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meeting organized by the church, you are absconding
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yourself from the responsibility of God. There's
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no how you will be effective in the plan of God
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when you're not part of the training of the people
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of God. It is impossible for you to not just,
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not just to shut up. Some of us shut up casually.
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Know that every meeting is an opportunity for
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God to encounter you with his word. It's an opportunity
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for God to equip you with knowledge. For an opportunity
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for you to know God. What he has done. What he
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has achieved. It's an opportunity for you to
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be perfected in that knowledge. So that you can
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be an effective minister of the word. The meetings
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we organize here in church is not for entertainment.
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The meeting we organize is not because we want
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to socialize. There are different ways we can
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socialize. We can socialize in the restaurant.
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We can choose to socialize at the beach. Anywhere.
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But church is a place where God commits the truth.
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concerning what he has done unto men. So first
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and foremost, our response is availability. We
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have to make ourselves available and submit to
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God's plan for our equipping so that we can be
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prepared for God's work, so that we can be equipped
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and furnished for every good work. And as we
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are available, we pay attention to what God is
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doing. As we make ourselves available, we don't
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just show up so that we tick all the boxes. No.
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We are here with an intention in our hearts.
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We are here with an expectation. We are here
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with an expectation that at the end of this period,
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we will see this result in our lives. And the
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result we will see in our lives is good works.
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Hallelujah. So that... The priesthood responsibility
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will be effectively done by men that have been
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called into that priesthood. When the children
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of Israel rejected the gospel and God decided
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to establish a priesthood through the lineage
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of Aaron, you remember what happened to his sons?
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What happened to them? There was a codified,
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there was an arrangement, there was a curriculum,
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I would say curriculum, of how every single activity
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in the tabernacle should be carried out. Alright?
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Moses has instructed them. Moses has taught them,
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this is how you do this, this is how you do that.
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But I want to speculate. That when Moses was
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doing that training, some of them were sleeping.
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I may even speculate that when he was doing that
-
training, they were not taking notes. Because
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if you look at how plenty that instruction is,
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you need high level of attention and what? And
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carefulness to do specifically, exactly the instruction
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that was given. First show to do the assignment,
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they offer strange fire. And they died. Hallelujah.
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Now, it's not God's plan for you to die, right?
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But listen, for you to be qualified, for you
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to be trusted with lives, it's essential that
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you avail yourself and submit to God's way of
-
building men. And you're not just here because
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you want to take a box of beans in a gathering.
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You want to belong because you're a Christian.
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You just want to come because it's a social gathering
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where you see faces. You know, you see some sisters
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and some brothers. Or you want to show there's
-
a new cloth you bought in the course of the week.
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No. It's an opportunity for God to teach us His
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worth. And it is main. He doesn't mean to correct
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us. In the church of God, there's correction.
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In the church of God, there's direction. In the
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church of God, there is change of mindset by
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the word of God. Transformation of the mind by
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the word of God. And what should be our response?
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We make ourselves available and we submit. Hebrews
Hebrews 10 chapter mention
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chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24. Hebrews
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10 verse 24 says, And let us consider one another
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in order to stay up love and good works. See,
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if you are not around, how can we stay up love?
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How can we see good works from your life? How
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can we stay up good works in your life? Look
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at the next verse, verse 25. Not forsaking what?
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The assembling of yourself together. Because
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it is in the assembling of yourself together
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that we see this stir up in our hearts. Not forsaking
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the assembling of ourselves together as it is
-
the manner of some. Which means that in this
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church there are some that we are absconding
-
from midweek services. There are some that we
-
are absconding from team meetings. Alright? They
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will abscond from midweek services. They say
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cathartismos, they will not show up. But they
-
are the chosen generation. They are the priesthood.
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Oh, my identity in Christ. You don't know anything
-
yet. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
-
together as it is the manner of some. but what
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exalting one another and so much more as you
-
see the day approaching. We make ourselves available
-
and we submit ourselves to God's plan for our
-
equipping. Hebrews 13 verse 16 13 verse 16 Do
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not forget To do good and to share for which
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such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey those
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who rule over you and be submissive. For they
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watch over me that's him. Okay. For they watch
-
out for your souls as those who must give account.
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Let them do so with what? With joy and not with
-
grief. That will be unprofitable for you. In
-
a sense that your life will not yield any result.
-
That is unprofitability. You will not be perfected
-
for good works. That is unprofitability. You
-
will not be equipped for every good work. That
-
is unprofitability. When you don't submit, first
-
of all, let me tell you, the first place to submit
-
under authority is to believe. That is the first
-
step, believe. Believe the word. Mix the word
-
with faith. Don't be rebellious as those in the
-
wilderness. Believe the word that you've been
-
taught. Commit yourself to the word that you've
-
been taught. What should be our response? To
-
be thoroughly equipped and made perfect in the
-
knowledge of the Son of God, we must continue
-
in what? In what we are learning. We must continue
-
in what we learn and what we are learning. 2
-
Timothy 3, verse 10. 2 Timothy 3, verse 10. It
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says, but you have carefully followed my doctrine.
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This is Paul speaking to Timothy. A young minister.
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But you have carefully followed my doctrine.
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My manner of life, my purpose, my faith, my long
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-suffering, love and perseverance, persecutions
-
and afflictions which happened to me at Antioch,
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at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured,
-
and out of them all the Lord deliver me. Yes,
-
and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus
-
will what? Will suffer persecution. But evil
-
men and impostors will grow worse and worse,
-
deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue
-
in the things which you have learned and been
-
assured of, knowing from whom you have learned
-
them, and that from a child you have known the
-
Holy Scripture. which are able to make you wise
-
for salvation through faith, which is in Christ
-
Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration
-
of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
-
for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
-
That the man of God may be completely thoroughly
-
equipped for every good work. That the man will
-
be what? Will be thoroughly equipped, will be
-
prepared, will make perfect. For the work of
-
ministry, for this to happen, you must continue.
-
Your intention, every single moment you are taught,
-
is that you continue in that thing that you've
-
been taught. James 1 verse 22 will talk about,
-
you know, looking into the perfect law of liberty
-
and continuing it. This is a man that will prosper.
-
This is a man that will see you succeeding. Verse
-
22. We see the prosperity of God's work in your
-
hand when you continue in what you learn. Be
-
doers of the word and not hearers only. Deceiving
-
yourselves. Whenever you are taught, look at
-
how do I apply this? How does this word address
-
me? As you continue learning the word, you preach
-
the word. Hallelujah. Our response is that we
-
learn, we make ourselves available, we submit,
-
we continue to learn, we keep learning, and we
-
what? We preach. 2 Timothy 4 verse 15. We what?
-
We preach. We preach the word. Hallelujah. So
-
with this admonition this morning, I just want
-
you to just commit yourself that this season
-
that we are looking forward to spending time
-
in God's Word, we are looking forward to spending
-
time, you know, in the believers' meeting. Listen,
-
this is an admonition for us. Today is just to
-
admonish us, to encourage us, to make us see
-
the importance of what we are doing in church.
-
It's for us to see the importance of what God
-
is doing in church. Don't take the opportunity
-
for granted. Have expectation of seeing God shape
-
your life by the teaching of God's word. Have
-
an expectation of seeing your mind transformed
-
by the word of God. Have an expectation of seeing
-
God work through you to be a blessing to others.
-
Have an expectation of seeing God... multiplying
-
the work of ministry in your hand. Have an expectation
-
of receiving specific instruction concerning
-
the work of God in your life. Why? Because you
-
are a participant in what God is doing on earth.
-
If there is anything we will not get tired of
-
telling you in this church, is that you are a
-
participant in what God is doing. You are saved
-
for a purpose. You are a minister of the gospel.
-
And this is your training ground. And we'll continue
-
to work tirelessly to ensure that we see this
-
manifest in your life. Speak to God. Close your
-
eyes and speak to God. Ask God to help you to
-
be committed. That you're not only a hearer of
-
the word, but that you are submissive, you are
-
available, you are submissive to the world. That
-
you participate in what God is doing, that you're
-
not just a bystander. You only watch and see
-
people do. But you take your rightful place as
-
a son. That you take your rightful place as a
-
son that has inheritance in the Father. And this
-
inheritance comes with this honorable responsibility
-
we have. So speak to God, speak to God. Please,
-
make sure you are praying. Participate and pray
-
for yourself. That with this encouragement we
-
receive today, that we have this perspective
-
right, that we have this orientation right, that
-
we have this understanding right. Thank you,
-
Heavenly Father, that you are preparing us in
-
this season. As we walk through this season of...
-
the Believers Conference, that we see your great
-
work established in our lives. As a church, we
-
will never remain the same. As individuals, we
-
will never remain the same. Thank you, Lord,
-
for pointing to us that you do your work through
-
us and that for us to stand qualified to do your
-
work, you train us. And in this season, we are
-
submissive to your training and to your work
-
for our lives. 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
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us through our website or follow us on social
-
media. If you are encouraged, share this message
-
with someone you care about. Until next time,
-
stay blessed.