Ministers of God pt 4

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to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.

So we're going to be continuing with our teaching,

Ministers of God. And I just want to just remind

us. of certain things that forms the foundation

of who we are. And then we'll go to our passage

this evening. And I think it's a reminder of

what I mentioned in passing on Sunday, that Jesus

Christ says this, that we are the light of the

world. And that in itself is powerful if you

just take time and think about it, that he himself

has called us out of the darkness into his marvelous

light and has... He instructed us to show for

that light which he has, show for that life which

we have received, show for that life which we

have received from him, proclaim that to others.

And the thing about light is that light is distinct.

You can't confuse light with darkness. That light

is distinct in the way it operates. Believers

are distinct in the way we all preach. We are

distinct in the way we all preach. The way we

do things is different from the way things are

done in the world. I think I brought the letters

and the song. We are no longer defined by the

world. We are defined in Christ. Our definition...

is in Christ Jesus. And that in itself is what

empowers the way we do things, is what should

empower the way we act, the way we do. We don't

mix ourselves. We don't find ourselves entangled

with the things that are inconsistent with our

identity. And we should be able to notice. And

that is why training is important. As a believer,

once you're trained, you know when you are not.

When you are entangling yourself with things

that are inconsistent with your identity because

you know what your identity is. We are not confused

about our identity. We are not confused about

our identity. As believers that are trained,

we know what our identity is. We are not confused.

The same way you are not confused of your nationality.

Somebody cannot come and tell you that you are

from a nationality that you are not from. It's

the same way our identity in Christ, we are not

confused. We are not confused about it. And training

is what establishes, training is what even gives

us more confidence in our identity. So if there's

anyone here that is struggling, because there

can be someone struggling in this place about

who they are in Christ. They are not sure because

circumstances and situation has brought them

under, has made them to think that if I'm in

Christ, why am I going through this thing? Why

am I going through that thing? If there's anyone

in this place, I'm speaking to you. I'm encouraging

you that your identity in Christ doesn't shift

because of your circumstances and situations.

Your identity in Christ is rock solid. What Christ

has done is rock solid and nothing can change

what he has done. Not even your circumstance

and situation will change that. And Apostle Paul,

the passage that we're looking at, he gives and

poses a question. It first of all encourages

believers to do something. Let's go to the 2

Corinthians that we're looking at. 2 Corinthians

6. 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6. We're reading,

we're going to be looking at 14 to 16. 2 Corinthians

6, 14 to 16. 2 Corinthians 6, 14 to 16. Now read

from the New King James. It says, Do not be unequally

yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship

has righteousness with lawlessness? And what

union has light with darkness? And what accord

has Christ with Belial? And what pact has a believer

with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the

temple of God with idols? For you are the temple

of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell

in them and walk among them. I will be their

God and they shall be my people. Establishing

what Christ has done in us as believers. I want

us to spend time here and dwell for a while.

I want you to notice something in this passage.

I want you to notice something in this passage.

Most of the times we dwell on the first line

of verse 14. And we say, do not be unequally

yoked with unbelievers. And we miss the point.

We miss the point. I want you to pay attention

to the particular words he uses with the contrast.

I mean, the words he used. Take, for example,

the first in verse 14. He says, what fellowship?

I want you to pay attention to fellowship, the

word fellowship. He says fellowship, and then

he contrasts two things. Righteousness. And lawlessness.

Righteousness, lawlessness. But the word he uses

there is fellowship. He says fellowship. And

then he says what union? So the second word is

union. So I want you to write it down. I want

you to write fellowship. I want you to write

union. I want you to write accord. Fellowship,

union, accord. I want you to write part. I want

you to write agreement. Fellowship, union, accord,

part, and agreement. fellowship, union, accord,

pact, and agreement. And then I want us to now

double down on it and look at the things he contrasts

because he's posing a question. He says, what

fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?

That is, righteousness is what he's contrasting

with lawlessness. And then he says, what communion

he now poses light, darkness. And then he says,

what accord? He now says, Christ and Belial.

And Belial there, in some translation, in the

NLT, you see Satan. You see devil in an NLT.

In some other translation, in the NIV, you see

Satan. It just contrasts. We know basically what

the contrast is at this point. Then he says,

what pact? As a believer, with a non -believer,

and then the last bit, which is the fifth one,

is what agreement? has the temple of God with

the temple of idols. So you know that what he's

saying is based off that first line, which is

do not be on equal yoke together with unbelievers.

That is the example because everything after

that is him contrasting the characteristics or

the things that characterizes a believer in contrast

to a non -believer. Everything afterwards is

a clear... caught contrast. He's just trying

to establish like, there is a way, which is the

point I started with. There is a way, there's

a distinction, a clear -cut distinction between

a believer and a non -believer. And I like the

way NLT starts off that line. He says, don't

team up. Don't team up with those who are unbelievers.

It makes it clear that Your team member shouldn't

be a non -believer. Your team member shouldn't

be a non -believer. And there's a reason why.

And we'll go further because remember, we said,

we started off when he said in verse 4, he said,

I commend you as ministers of God. So if you

are a minister, you already, you are in a position

where you shouldn't be entangled or you shouldn't

be teaming up yourself with someone who doesn't

share. the same belief system, the same ideology,

the same understanding, the way of life, the

way of life. And I think that's what we, when

I went on church, and we'll go back to that passage

again, in Ephesians 5 verse 16, we'll click down

Ephesians 5:16

where it says, you have a responsibility, your

responsibility and the way you do things is different

from the way the world does things. The way we

do things is different from the way the world

does. And sometimes we find ourselves Because

of different circumstances and situations, we

find ourselves entangled. We find ourselves in

close relationship with people who don't share

the faith that we share. And what that will affect,

what that will do, it will undermine the gospel

that we carry. And some of us, we don't even

make the gospel that we carry ring through in

our operation. This is one key thing. Because

naturally, if a person doesn't share the same

identity as yourself, and you keep... showing

forth that identity you keep making sure that

the person sees who you are not pulling back

who you not dumbing down who you are for the

sake of the relationship don't be drawing your

like you say and we don't usually do this but

because we are friends this let's just let's

just for the sake of peace for the sake of a

You are now undermining your identity because

of a relationship. That means that relationship

is more important to you than your identity.

And that is what we see. That is one thing. And

this is basically why we're talking about this.

That's one thing that undermines our responsibility,

which makes us not to even be accountable because

you know that if you are accountable about that

relationship, that relationship will go. That

relationship will go. And we have believers that

know what their identity is or have gotten complacent

and comfortable with living a life of mediocrity

or living a life that doesn't reflect their identity

or just being okay with that because of the relationships

that they want to keep or they want to preserve.

And Apostle Paul is not mixing words. He's not

saying on some occasion you can team up or he

didn't say for the sake of the gospel. you can't

team up. He didn't, like he didn't give any,

he just spells it out clearly. I'll read from

the NLTC. Don't team up with those. And okay,

let me even make it even more practical so that

we understand what exactly the magnitude of this

thing. Just imagine a football match. Imagine

a football match. And you know, if you are even

playing soccer, those of us that play soccer,

and I can remember the times where we do play

soccer well. Even when your teammates or when

they follow your opponents, is using Chelsea.

You are using Chelsea. And Chelsea has different

jerseys. They have the blue one. They have the...

I don't know the colors, but I know that Major

League, they have their blue up and down. When

you are trying to select, when you are trying

to choose your own, even if you are choosing

the same, you have to ensure that the color of

the other, your opponents, even if you are using

the same team, You should not share the same

color. Because if you are wearing blue and blue,

your opponent is wearing blue and blue, there's

going to be great confusion when the match starts.

Because nobody will know whose player is having

the ball at 7 .5 because all the players on your

team have the same name with all the players

on the other team. So there's going to be great

confusion. And that is what happens when people

cannot clearly distinguish. The actions of a

believer with the actions of a non -believer,

they cannot clearly see the actions or the characteristics

of it because there is no relationship. There

is no relationship. And we are instructed not

to team up with them because teaming up with

them will make one. In fact, mostly it's easy

for people to do. It's easy for you to just glide

into unbelief. It's easy for you to glide into...

different things and different situations because

it's just the way the natural and because the

influence can be more on the other side depending

on what exactly it is. He says, don't team up.

How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?

The wickedness is what is being used here. He

says, how can light live with darkness? How can

light live with darkness? He says, what harmony?

Notice I think they also use live and it's what

harmony? Can there be between Christ and the

devil? How can a believer be a partner with a

non -believer? And what union can there be between

God's temple and idols? We are the temple of

the living God. As God said, I will live in them.

I will live in them. I will live in them and

walk among them. I will be their God and they

will be my people. I will be their God and they

will be my people. That establishes the identity

of a believer. We are his people. We are his

people. We're going to come to that part in 1

Peter. We are his people. He lives in us. He

lives in us. In case you are confused as to what

he means by, because he establishes that, he

says the believer is the temple of the living

God. Paul's letter, first letter to the Corinthian

church in 3 verse 16. Paul's letter, I want us

to go there. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 16. Paul uses

1 Corinthians 3:16

that same word, but he establishes it further.

He poses the question in the same format. He

says, do you not know that you are the temple

of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Do you not know that you are the temple of God

and the Spirit of God dwells in you? He goes

further to establish the fact that as the temple

of God, the Spirit of God dwells in us. Which

is going back to what he says. He says, I will

live in them. I will live in them. That is in

verse 16 of 2 Corinthians 6. He says, I will

live in them. The Spirit of God dwells in us.

The Spirit of God. dwells in us and we say that

this is when you say temple of the living god

we know that if you say temple of the living

god you say some something is god's means that

some that's something that is god's is built

by him right if i say this is the house of god

i know that the house of god is a house that

god built the house of god when you say something

is god's house is something that he built And

God himself, if he dwells in that place, he dwells

in something that he has made. And we'll see

that shortly. I will further establish that shortly.

Note that in this particular passage, he clearly

establishes at different levels. Fellowship,

righteousness, wickedness or lawlessness, union.

with light, darkness, and all of them, you notice

that even NLT uses, slightly different, it uses

union in some places because all of them are

still saying the same thing. That these two things

don't have where they meet. Praise God. These

two things don't have where they meet. These

two identities don't have where there is a middle

ground. So there is no middle ground. A believer

has a clear operation. Remember what I said at

the beginning. How we do things, how we think

is different from how they do things, how they

think. If you're going to make any progress in

your work, you have to put aside, we have to

work as you are called to work. And this is not

just because when we say this, we might be thinking,

okay, it is just with unbelievers, right? Say,

don't team up with unbelievers. It will surprise

you that even in... Let's go to Corinthians,

right? Let's go to 2 Corinthians. Read that passage

a lot. I think we mostly go to that passage.

2 Corinthians 3. I will read it. 2 Corinthians

3. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 6. 2 Corinthians 3 verse

2 Corinthians 3:6 2 Corinthians 3:6

6. Because even unbelievers do. Even unbelievers

do. Let me start. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 6. It

2 Corinthians 3:6

says, but we command you. This is the Apostle

Paul speaking. He says, but we command you, brethren,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you

withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly

and not according to the tradition which you

have received. Let me read it from the NLT. It

says, and my dear brother, now and now. Dear

brothers and sisters, we give you this command

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Speak away

from all believers who live idle. That's what

I was going to establish. He says, who live,

he says, he says, he says, he says disorder.

He says, who, that who walks disorderly. He says,

who live idle lives and don't follow this religion

that they have received from us. This is very

key that you know that it's not just even the

people that are unbelievers. There are people

that claim that they say they are believers but

they don't walk in accordance with their identity.

They will establish why if you don't walk well.

But the instruction is clear. Right? The instruction

is clear. Note that you shouldn't be enclosed

because there is an effect. When you come and

say... Close relationship or close association

with people that don't share the same beliefs

with you affects the results that you have, affects

the progress that you make. You are living with

people that, and I think a couple of people have

shared, I think even during the course of this,

they said, oh, when I saw I was struggling, I

connected with people that read, that read these

hours, that read that hours, and note that their

results change. Even in the things like in your

academics, in your studies, if you owe your house,

your... friends are getting FF, FF, FF. You shouldn't

be shocked. You shouldn't be surprised. You shouldn't

be surprised that you too are part of it because

even if you're doing well, at some point in time,

you'll just find out that you don't understand

the, you know, you know, I was telling some people,

I say, I say, if you are, you are used to splashing

money, you spend, it's like when you get money,

you spend it to zero and then somebody comes

around you, you will influence the person. Some

people, they don't rest until the account is

back to zero. Like that they cannot, they don't

know peace. On the account, they must ensure

that anything that comes in goes out. It's a

flow. It's cash flow. It will flow and flow,

it flow and flow out because there is a system

that they have created. And when you are hung

around those people, you will be under pressure.

You don't know that this person has a bad habit.

You'll be thinking that that is how life is,

that you're not the one that is keeping up with

it. And people can make you feel bad. I think

I was sharing. Where am I? Very recently, because

I was, I connected, I reconnected with a friend.

I had not reconnected. We caught up. Even though

we had connected previously, I think during this

past month, I caught up with a friend and I was

asking him about a friend of ours that were in

the university together. I was reminded very

clearly that that time in university, when we

came and then we were like, oh, this brother

will go out and he will sign, because in our

university, you have to sign to leave the university.

He will sign out. He will go and party, have

fun, sleep around. come back and be talking about

it like with such... You know, when somebody

is making ungodliness, like you are the one that

is... You are the one that is sick. You are the

one that needs to be delivered from the bondage

that you are in. I am the one enjoying the good

life. And if you don't understand your identity,

somebody that understands or misuses their freedom

will make you look like you're the one that is

in bondage. And we as believers want to understand

our identity and know that we have a responsibility

and work in that responsibility regardless of

the pressure. And sometimes it's peer pressure.

You have people make you look like you don't

know what you're doing. You're wasting your time.

And these people, they will explain to you how

if you don't, like they want to bring you into

their own reality. But you have a reality that

is more real than their own reality. And you

want to be able to stand up and say, this is

what I believe in. This is what is consistent

with my identity. Whatever it is that you're

doing is not my reality. It's not my identity.

And I choose not to listen to you. And now I

said, talking with him, I was like, there's the

evidence. It is clear. There's the results that

have to show for it. And sometimes it is, we

cannot say, okay, good for them. But the thing

is that if we had given in to them, we would

have been experiencing the same reality as them.

Praise God. So in this, he says even people,

and notice that these ones are believers. They

are not, they are believers. They are people

that, the word there, the disorderly there, the

word, the Greek word there is, is A -T -A -K

-T -O -S. A -T -A -K -T -O -S. A -T -A -K -T

-O -S. And you might think because he says walks

disorderly. You know, sometimes when you see

walks disorderly, when you say walk, it's W -O,

it's not walk. It's almost like you might think

that what is said there is maybe you're not walking

well. When they say somebody is walking disorderly,

some people might just think that the person

is just throwing his legs anyhow. I mean, that's

how you can just be throwing your legs, making

noise, walking around. You know, say that person

is walking disorderly. It is not the literal

walk. It's not a literal walking, like walking

with you. And in the same passage, you'll see

it made clear. If you're reading it from the

NLT, NLT says those who live idle lives. Those

who live idle lives. It uses live idle lives.

Live idle lives. Say, live idle lives. But when

you read further in verse 11, let's go to verse

11. If you read further, going to verse 11, verse

11 says, For we hear that there are some who

walk among you in a disorderly manner. Repeating

the same word, disorderly manner. And look at

the manner now. Not walking at all. Not working

at all. Not working at all now, makes it that

he says, but are busybodies. He says, they don't

work. They don't do any, they don't actively,

which is what, and he says, they are idle. They

live idle lives. So in verse 6, it's made clear

by verse 11. You are not confused. You shouldn't

be confused because in the passage, it explains

what it is that you should be looking at. And

not that, this is, one thing Apostle Paul is

addressing. And no doubt, this one thing still

points to us that if an individual, because the

truth about it is that in the verse 6, he says,

these people are not living according to the

instructions that they have received. Meaning

that if a person is in the body and is not living

according to instructions, it undermines the

work of ministry. Because we are ministers of

God, anything we do should make the work effective.

Anything we, how we live our lives will affect

the works. Or in fact, even the things we do

or the things we don't do, both of them have

their consequences on the work of ministry. So

the moment we come to this understanding, it

establishes a lot of things and it helps us to

move further in our work. So here, he says very

clearly that, see, we draw from these people.

We want to know why? Because these people will

affect the way you work. Because if you are hanging

around these people, as I said earlier, this

person is... They say, you know, there are some

people that when they say go left, they want

to go right and see what is going to happen if

they go right. And we know that those people

are not the Spirit of God that empowers that

kind of attitude. We know that it's not the Spirit

of God because we know from God's Word that the

Spirit of God doesn't enable rebellion. It doesn't

enable rebellion. It doesn't enable disobedience.

Praise God. So he says you should... Withdraw

from these individuals. You should withdraw.

As I said earlier, it's not just... If I give

you a saying that you should withdraw from people

that are believers, that are not working according

to the instructions given, how much more? How

much more? How much more? I used the word how

much more. I wanted to talk about that, but that

will be for later. How much more an individual

that is not even in the same team as you? How

much more an individual is not on the same team

as you? It just goes to establish the fact that

the individuals that we team up with will affect

the results that we have. It will affect the

results that we have. Because there's an example

that we model in the way we do certain things.

An example that we model in the way we do things.

As I said, light is this thing. The way light

operates, the way there's a thinking and there's

a doing. that makes us very distinct. Our actions

are very distinct. So if someone is, and that

is disorderly because, take for example, we are

asked to do, everyone is asked to, and basically

this will make us see a lot of things that we're

doing wrong. And I believe that this teaching

will help us to understand that it is not orderly

when... We are instructed to arrive in one year.

And we choose not to. We're not even making any

effort. Even when we say, okay, you have missed

this particular day. We are going to catch up.

It is disorderly. Because we have agreed. And

the leadership has agreed. And everyone of us

is responsible for that. It is not disorderly

when we say, read the book of the month. And

then you choose not to. And you see, it's idle.

Because it's not idleness. It's not like... These

people... I do, but they're doing something because

he says they are busybodies. The question is,

where do they choose to channel their energy

towards? You channel your energy towards the

things you feel like. You know, there's this

thing of I feel like. I only do the things I

feel like doing. I am bored from reading the

Book of the Month. I am bored from reading the...

I'm bored from even attending church activities.

Our brother led us through. There are certain

things he says do not neglect. It's an instruction.

It's not saying only when it's convenient. That's

not what it said. Sometimes it seems like when

we are reading passages, some of us are interpreting

the passages like it's almost like an interpreter.

Interpreting it. It says, do not neglect. It

says, on some occasions you can choose to neglect.

It seems like that is how it is communicated

sometimes when we read certain passages. But

it's very clear. I love verse 9. It says, it's

not because we do not have an authority. That

is Apostle Paul still speaking. But we make ourselves

an example of how you should follow us. In the

verse 9 of 2 Thessalonians 3. 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:9

3 verse 9 says, Not because we do not have authority,

but we make ourselves an example of how you should

follow us. I would love us to read this. Read

the Thessalonians from 1 to... 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:1

3, verse 1, because most of the times we read

2 Thessalonians, we read that passage and we

stop at 1, 2, and 3. But I believe that if we

read the whole thing, it's going to go a long

way in helping us. Let me start from verse 1.

I will do that. We still have time. Finally,

brethren, pray for us that the word of God will

run swiftly and be glorified just as it is with

you. Just as it is with you. I love the way NLT

puts it. It is, we ask that you pray for us.

Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly

and be honored wherever it goes. Just as when

it came to you. It will spread rapidly and be

honored. It sounds like Acts 19 .20. It sounds

like Acts 22, that the word of God will spread

and have a powerful effect. That's how the NLT

puts it. It will spread and have a powerful effect.

Meaning that the spreading of the word of God

has, like that is spreading, it's true. How the

word of God will spread is to us as believers.

Meaning that the activity, remember we said about

not being idle. Not living idle. Meaning that

the activity that we should do is ensuring that

this word is spread. because the powerful effect

of the word of God is in the spread. And if it's

not spread, we will not see the powerful effect.

If the word of God is not spread in the school

campus, we will not see the powerful effect of

the word in the campus. If the word of God is

not spread on the island, we will not see the

powerful effect of the word on the island. And

in verse 2 it says, And that we may be delivered

from unreasonable and wicked men that for all

do not have faith. Speaking about those that

don't believe. Praise God. It's saying that we

should be delivered from them, not you team up

with them. Praise God. You have to be delivered

from them. You're not to partner with them because

if you're partnering with them, you're associates.

You can't be fighting with your close associates

now. You can't be fighting your close associates.

But because you're standing for what is the identity,

you're standing in your identity, you are going

to be... You're going to be rivals, not teammates.

Praise God. Going back to the analogy I gave

us with football. If you're wearing the same

jersey and you're playing against a team, the

team you're playing against, you have the same

jersey. You will confuse your team members. You

will confuse their team members. All of you will

be confused. Confusion is going to be all over

the match because, you know, for us, you know,

even when they're playing, I think the better

decision is when, you know, when you come and

then, I don't know, some of us have this memory

of that way. They will say, okay, two teams are

playing. Because you don't have money for Jesse,

they will say, okay, this other team should remove

their shirts. The other team should wear shirts.

So that's how you can tell which team is the

different way. So when somebody comes now and

is trying to play neutral, he will wear his shirt.

Meanwhile, he's playing for the team he shared

that because he doesn't want to take off his

shirt. You know, that is an example to confuse

the game. You will just be wondering what is

going on here. Somebody will pass by, the teammate

that is wearing a shirt will pass by and say,

you don't know, is that teammate that refused

to pull his shirt? Meanwhile, he's part of a

teammate that should take off his shirt. And

you see, confusion will just be happening. Some

people will be angry. Some people will say, ah,

what is wrong now? You have to take extra caution

to understand what is going on. So, meaning that

in this verse 2, now he says that we are delivered

from, he says we are delivered from this, because

this wicked and unreasonable man. There's no

faith. He says, pray too that we are rescued

from wicked and evil people for not everyone

is a believer. He says, not everyone is a believer.

Meaning that the wicked and unreasonable people

are unbelievers. The people that don't believe

in the gospel that is spreading, right? Because

remember in verse 1, he says, it is spreading

and it is glorified. These people don't believe

and they are opposing it. Praise God. In verse

3, it says, but the Lord is faithful. I think

there's a passage we read during the course of

the prayers. It says, but the Lord is faithful.

Meaning that regardless of the resistance, God

is still faithful. It says, who will establish

you and guide you from the evil one? Notice the

faithfulness of God is sure. That even in the

midst of the wicked and the activities of the

wicked and unreasonable. The God that has called

you into it is faithful. You are not the one

that's preserving yourself from the wicked, unreasonable

man. When we say these prayers, we're saying

these prayers because it's God that delivers

us. I think when we were reading the book of

the year, when we came to Nehemiah, this delivery,

when we came to the book of Nehemiah, it became

real, you know? When Nehemiah said, oh, we're

trying to build, there are people that are coming

and even making gestures. What you people are

building, if a fox jumps, it will, like you know,

you will not be worried yourself. What we are

doing is for the good of the people and then

somebody is now making fun of you. You are spreading

the gospel for the people to be saved and somebody

is telling you, look at this one. What do you

know? Who are you to come and be teaching? What

do you know about the Bible? When did you, where

were you saved? Somebody will just come and just

be, and those are people. Even though they can

call themselves believers, they are unbelievers

because they should be partnering with you to

do the work. Not making fun of you while you

are doing the work. Even if you don't even know

how to go about it, they should still support

you and encourage you. Praise God. And they say

God is faithful. So even in the midst of opposition,

we should remember that God is faithful. Verse

4 now says, And we are confident in the Lord

concerning you. Apostle Paul is speaking. But

that you do. And we say, both that you do and

we'll do the things that we command you. Meaning

that his confidence is that they will do the

things that he has commanded and instructed them

to do. Now, may the Lord direct your hearts into

the love of God, into the patience of Christ.

But we command you, brethren, in the name of

our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw, which

is where he gives the instruction. He says that

he should do, right? He says that they should

do. And then he warns them to withdraw themselves

from people who don't do. Praise God. He instructs

them because the instruction is, you do. And

then he says, withdraw from people who walk disorderly.

Remember I said disorderly? People who are living

idle lives. People who are living, and he says

idle lives now is because they are not living

according to the instruction that they have received.

Praise God. So you see that this whole passage

is, He's clearly talking about, first and foremost,

the verse 1, which is the spread of the gospel,

which is he doing that which causes people to

come into the knowledge of Christ. And then you

can be aware of the people that will set the

wrong example, people that will deter you from

the work that you have called to do. You should

be aware of that. And then in verse 7 now, yeah,

we're in verse 7. It says, for you know how,

you see, for you yourselves, know how you ought

to follow us. You yourselves know how you ought

to follow us because Apostle Paul now is telling

us he has set an example for them to follow.

How you ought to follow us for we were not disorderly

among you. Meaning that he was not idle. Praise

God. He was not idle. Apostle Paul was a tent

maker. Apostle Paul was doing this, doing that.

Apostle Paul was diligent in the work of ministry.

He was not idle. And then he now comes in the

verse 8. He says, nor did we eat anyone's bread

free of charge, but worked with labor and toil

day and night that we may not be a burden to

any one of you. Then in 9 now he says, not because

we do not have an authority. So he says he could

exercise his authority and say, please, I want

to be on a salary. I can't be doing the work

of ministry and you not put me on a salary. He

now says, but we make ourselves an example of

how you should follow us. An example of how you

should follow us. I want to read it from the

NLT. That's verse 9. He says, we certainly have

the right to ask you to feed us. We have that

right to ask you to feed us. He says, but we

want to give you an example to follow. This,

you, you, we undermine the power of. people,

like, people modeling things to us. Many of us,

there are certain things that we could not have

done if we had not seen somebody do it. I think

I was, I think in the, very clearly, our sister,

Sister Kelly, in the Australian team, she said

she was not motivated to do it until when she

looked at Sister Titi, that is Pastor Emmanuel's

wife, and then she's like, she has the child.

She has this thing. She didn't have any idea.

She wrote her thesis. Because somebody modeled

something that motivated her to do it. And this

also applies in our spiritual work. If you don't

see that something is possible, you almost will

feel like it's unattainable. I told a student,

I said, there is a student that graduated with

a 4 .0. The guy screamed. I said, it is possible.

The fact that someone could do it means that

you could do it. You just need to work at it.

And we're not saying that you should kill yourself

to do it. We're saying that you should know that

it's possible and work towards it. If you don't

have a four -point, you have it. But you moved

from one point something to somewhere convenient.

If that's where you are. But because somebody

is possible, you'll be motivated to put in the

work to get it done. Same thing with our work.

The moment someone models to you something. And

that was what Jesus Christ did with his disciples.

He modeled service. He didn't just tell them,

go and serve. He modeled it to them. We see that

in the actions, the washing of their feet, the

different things he did, even how to pray. When

he goes and prays, he was modeling something

to them. And it's very powerful. The power that

you don't believe, like doing certain things

and people doing it and you watch them, it is

very powerful. That's why some of the times,

it's not that we cannot delegate certain things,

but there's certain things that we have to model

so that you see. And then you learn and you know

how it is done. And Apostle Paul in this passage

is telling, look, we're not telling you to do

what we don't do. We are telling you to do these

things because we have shown you how it is done.

And we demand of you to do likewise. Because

even when Jesus Christ was giving instructions

to the disciples, he's giving them an instruction

on the premise that he has shown them how to

do it and he has empowered them with the tool

to do it as well. So he's not just leaving them

fatherless or leaving them clueless as to how

to go about it. And we see even in Apostle Paul's

instruction to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4, verse

1 Timothy 4:12

12. I want us to read that passage. 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 4:12

4, verse 12. I want us to go to 1 Timothy 4,

1 Timothy 4:12

verse 12. 1 Timothy 4, verse 12. It says, don't

1 Timothy 4:12

let anyone think less of you. I'm reading from

the NLT. Don't let anyone think less of you because

you are young. Be an example to all believers

in what you say, in the way you live, in your

love. in your faith and your purity. New King

James says, let no one despise your youth. He

says, but make yourselves an example. Sorry,

but be an example to the believer in your own

word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

He's instructing Timothy, be an example. Be an

example. Be an example. Be an example to the

believers. Be an example to the believers. Because

if you say, don't team up, you want to see what

it means, how life is when you are walking in

the instructions given. You're walking in the

instructions given. And we also see that, we

also see in Hebrews, we also see in Hebrews,

Hebrews 13 verse 7. Hebrews 13 verse 7. Hebrews

Hebrews 13:7 Hebrews 13:7 Hebrews 13:7

13 verse 7. This is in relation, because you

know that all of these examples are in relation

to leadership. It's in relation to leadership.

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken

the word of God to you, whose faith you follow,

considering the outcome of their conduct. The

NLC says, follow the example of their faith.

Follow the example of their faith. It says, remember

your leaders who taught you the word. Who taught

you the word. Who taught you the word? Say, who

taught you the word of God? Think of all the

good that has come from their lives. Meaning

that you're looking at the results of that good

from their life. Look at the results of the good.

The things that have been taught. Meaning that

the leader also has the responsibility to live

out what he teaches. Has that responsibility

as well. And follow the example of their faith,

meaning that the faith of the leader is something

that people can see and follow because it's modeled.

And on different levels, we see that as believers,

we see, we model, and some other person is looking

at us and following suit because your inability

to model this thing would deny someone an opportunity

to see it and see the possibility. And then follow

suit. Because every one of us, remember what

we started with. We are light. Right? We are

light. People should, and light reflects. When

light is in a place, it shines. When light is

in a place, people will see. Right? People will

see. So there's a showing that happens as a result

of that. And we shouldn't undermine the investment

of God upon our lives. not do or not act, not

be distinct. We are undermining the investment

of God. We are not making the most of what we

have been given. And we will not be able to see

the plans and purpose because when you undermine,

like if you don't even see the investment that

has been done, you're undermining. If you don't

see that there's an example to live by, you will

not follow. And all of this will not make the

book of ministry the success that it should be.

Because remember, in the passage that we read,

even though I think we'll have to read that passage

down to the very end, because there's a lot more

things that I would love us to see in that passage.

I think we stopped in verse 9. That's in 2 Thessalonians

3. I want us to go back to 2 Thessalonians. I

want us to read it down to 15. I think we'll

stop in 15. 2 Thessalonians 3. He says, for even

when we were with you, we commanded you this.

If anyone will not walk, neither shall he eat.

You know, this one is a standard. If you don't

want to, you will not see food if you don't want

to walk. See, for we hear that there are some

who walk among you in a disorderly manner, which

is the 11 that we read earlier, not walking at

all. They choose not to walk at all, but are

busybodies doing something else other than walking.

Now, those who are such, we command and exalt

through our Lord Jesus Christ that they walk

in the quietness and eat their own bread. So

it's commanding and exalting. that they walk

in quietness and eat their own bread. Meaning

that they should change their ways. They should

change their ways and walk in their own way.

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in

doing good. Praise God. Do not grow weary in

doing good. He's speaking to those that are walking,

those that are this thing, which is what I said

earlier. Don't grow weary. You are doing the

right thing. You might not be seeing the results.

You might not be seeing the progress, but just

stay faithful to what the instructions that has

been given. Because sometimes, and I sense there

are people that you get to a place where you

are putting the work and it's tiring and you're

like, I'm not seeing it. I'm not understanding

it. I'm not getting it. Just keep at it. Don't

grow weary in doing it. Don't grow weary in doing

it. Don't grow weary in doing the things that

have brought you to this point. Because sometimes

there's a season of your life where you are sensing

that God is, that it's almost like you have a

snapshot of what God is going to do in the future.

And you become frustrated because you're not

seeing what God is going to do in the future

in the now. But note that it is going to undermine

the progress. It's going to make you undermine

the work that you have done to this point and

not allow you and be encouraged to keep doing

it to see what you have been shown. And for some

of us, it's where we're at. We're in the season

of our life where God is showing us the things

he's going to do in and through us. And then

you are looking at your now and feeling like

you cannot get there. And then you allow yourself

to be overwhelmed by that. I'm speaking to you

by the Spirit of God. This instruction is that

you should not grow weary in doing the things

that I brought you now. And you should not make

people change the things. I'd make you add things,

almost like you're trying to walk your way. to

get to that place where God has shown you by

yourself. Know that it is his agenda. If you

want to run his agenda, you run his agenda in

his own terms, not your own terms. And Apostle

Paul, he knows that we can grow weary. And he's

telling us in this passage in verse 13, do not

grow weary in doing good. 14, he says, and if

anyone does not obey our word in this epistle,

note that person and do not keep... company.

It's the same thing again. If anybody is in disobedience,

you see, note that person. I think like Pastor

Victor said, mark the person. Mark the person.

Note the person. You are noting the person because

you don't want to be, you see, he says, note

that person and don't keep company with that

person. He tells you not to keep company with

that person. Don't team up with that person.

He says that you, that he may be ashamed. Note

that you are You are doing it so that a person

will see they are wrong. Because there's something

about, which is another thing that we will teach

at some point in time, there's something about

fellowship. There's the joy of fellowship. And

when a believer is denied of fellowship, you

know, in their own setting, the setting of the

backbend, when they withdraw, you know, normally,

when people used to come around you, how are

you doing and everything, and then people withdraw

fellowship, you yourself will be like, what did

I do now? That in itself will compel you to make

a change, to change your ways, so that you'll

be restored back to fellowship. But nowadays,

it's like, people should go. Who are you people?

We can't do without you. You'll be talking to

an entire group. You'll be talking about an entire

group because you don't understand the importance

of the community and the family of God. And that

in itself just establishes that you have no clue.

what you are saying, what you are doing. And

when, most of the times in this day and age,

what you should reset the person is by this,

when the person has challenge and the supposed

people he has teamed up with are not there for

him in that time when he need it. And it's if,

body of Christ, there you say, hey, hello pastor,

I'm in a situation, I don't know, I know I've

done wrong, but I know you people will forgive

me. You know, this is the way you, people now

become manipulative and then persuade and make

you to come. Meanwhile, they are the ones that

position themselves for the disaster that they

have brought upon themselves. Praise God. So

he says, then 15 now says, yet do not count him

as an enemy, which is very important. Don't count

the individual as an enemy, but admonish him

as a brother, which is very key. When we are

dissociating, and that's what we talked about

when he says in that Matthew 18, when he says

let's treat him as a non -believer, and where

we establish the fact that Some people say, how

did Jesus treat unbelievers? That's what you

should ask yourself. How did he treat unbelievers?

He fellowshiped with them. I know that when people

say, oh, we see Jesus, he fellowshiped with unbelievers,

you want to understand that his fellowship with

them is to, you can look at the example in Luke

19 of Zacchaeus. His presence in Zacchaeus' house,

this individual had a turnaround. He said, if

I've taken any goods of him, this person was

in wickedness, he was extorting money from people.

In the fellowship he had with him, there was

a turnaround in his attitude, in his conduct.

This individual believed in Christ. In fact,

that was what drove him to be able to go and

seek him, and that's what brought him to dwell

in his house. So it means that your association

with... unbelievers, they should be an influence.

You should not be associating with them and lose

your identity in the course of it. Because we're

not saying that we don't have relationships with

them. We're saying that close relationships where

you will lose your identity is what it is. You

cannot come and then your best friend, your five

and six, you say, this person is my best friend

and the person is an unbeliever. that will undermine

your identity. It will undermine your belief

system to undermine who you are in Christ Jesus

because you will find times in that relationship

where you compromise. And that in itself will

not help you be able to... And most of us, we

have done it so much to the point that we can't

even preach to the person. You don't even have...

When they say, we have preached... You say, where

do I start? Because you have so entangled yourself,

done so many things that even when you now say,

You know, Jesus loves you. You know, he died.

You're like, you're saying it and you're in denial.

You know, because he died for you, but you don't

know how to communicate it. You're not bold enough

to do so because you have teamed up with this

individual and you have done things you shouldn't

be doing with them in the first place. Praise

God. That is the power of, because you should

have been an example to the individual. That

is what you are called to do. Like, we are not

meant to hide. We are meant to shine. You should

have been an example in such a way that this

individual, even if they had not come to the

place of believing, they should have seen that

example that when the time comes, they will say,

I know someone. He's a friend of mine. He stood

for this. He stood for that. He stood for this.

Because of him, I believe what you are saying.

Because of his life, because of what I've seen,

I believe what you are saying. But you have believers

that have... so compromised in their identity

that when you now come and your parents say,

ah, is he in all of you? We know they will put

everybody in the same WhatsApp group and including

yourself that is living, that you understand

your identity, you are carrying out your responsibility

the way you should. Praise God. So I want us

to really be encouraged to note that there's

a clear distinction between how a believer should

live. And it says in 1 Peter 2 verse 9, it says,

1 Peter 2:9

you're called out. We're called out. We're called

out. He says, but you are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his special

people. He says that you may proclaim the praises

of him who called you out of darkness into his

marvelous light, meaning that we're in his marvelous

light. And the responsibility we have is to proclaim.

There's a distinction. It's clear. He says, we

are the chosen. We're not just a likeness. We're

his chosen generation. You're a chosen generation.

You're a royal priesthood. You're a holy nation.

He's special people. He's special people. And

some other translation will say display. Amplified

will say display. And then it will say show.

Jerry Phillips will say demonstrate. Meaning

that these things are things that are manifest.

They are things that you proclaim. And all of

these things are very powerful when we think

about it, that there's a responsibility. There's

the account. We are accountable on the basis

of the fact that we... There's what is expected

of us. And once we're not able to meet up with

that, we have a body and a system by which we're

able to go back and look at it and be instructed

and be guided and understand what it is and how

it is we should go about the things that we're

called into. And I want to close with this. I

want to close with this. I want to just remind

us of what we are instructed to do. The work

of ministry is not optional. It's not an option.

You don't choose to do this and not to do it.

It's something that is a natural, it flows. As

we saw in 1 Peter 2 verse 9, it's something that

1 Peter 2:9

flows. It's a proclaim. We are proclaiming what

we are called. It's not like we are going to

be called. And we see the word calling, and calling

is what we have received, the salvation we have

received. We see that in Ephesians 4, where it

says he uses the word called. We know that that

is where we are at, meaning that we are meant

to do likewise. Praise God. And that is why the

Great Commission is very powerful. In Mark 16,

it says, go into the world and preach the gospel

to every creature. It says, he who believes and

is baptized will be saved. But he who does not

believe will be damned. It says, And these signs

will follow those who believe. Meaning that all

those who believe, this will be evident. In my

name they will cast out demons. They will speak

new tongues. They will take up serpents. They

will drink any deadly thing. They will by no

means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick.

And they will recover. All of these things are

the things that are going to be manifest as a

result of our identity. And these are the things

that we are responsible to see. We'll see these

things responsible. And we are going to be teaching

these things. We're going to be seeing this.

And we see that in the life of the apostles was

evident. And in the church of NEC, we're seeing

these things. And we're believing God for greater

manifestations of these things in this season.

And I want us to... Let our faith be. I think

when we were talking yesterday, we are desiring

to see a greater manifestation. We have seen

how God heals the sick. We have seen how God

does great and mighty things. But we know that

there is more. And we know that God is able to

do great and mighty things. And we are able to

see a great spread. And not that the result of

this will be that there will be a massive spread.

We'll see the massive spread of God's word. on

the island will see people turning around because

the message will go out and there will be a powerful

effect. The message will go out and there will

be a powerful effect that people will see. It

says in Acts 19 verse 11, it says, and now God

Acts 19:11

will work unusual miracles by the hands of all.

And there are many things that we see and all

of these things are testament to the command

and the commission given and that is what followed.

And we're believing and we're seeing that God

is doing this thing. God is the same God. He's

doing this thing. in our midst. And we're greatly

encouraged that ministry is effective. The power

of God is part of. The power that we see is in

the gospel being preached and the power that

we see is in the different miracles, the unusual

miracles that's been done and where his children,

where his ministers and we're going to be able

to see these things and we're thanking God for

the manifestation of these things and we're seeing

a greater manifestation of it because we're designed

to see God do these things in and through us.

So I want us to close with this. I think Pastor

Costin said it in the closing, and I resonated

greatly with it, that we are not just ministers

of God. We are ministers of the gospel. We are

not just ministers of God. What we minister as

ministers of God is the gospel. So I want us

to say this in closing. I'm a minister of the

gospel. I'm a minister of the gospel, winning

billions of souls. It says I receive the training,

and I train others. I receive training and I

train others. I am faithful in serving the church

of NECF, which is my local church. It says, I

am accountable to the leadership of the local

church. I am not afraid to preach the gospel

that gets people saved. I am patient with the

unbeliever to get them saved and see them grow.

In the mighty name of Jesus, we'll affirm these

words. Amen and amen. Thank you so much. If today's

message was a blessing, share it with a friend.

Till next time, be blessed.