Knowing the State of Your Heart

The Power of a Transformed Heart 5 -
If the course of your life is affected by the state of your heart, then it is important to take inventory and know the state of your heart. What are the different state of hearts of individuals and what are the indicators for these states of a person's heart? We talk about the dull heart and the hard heart.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_08 0:06

It is the lead pastry international. It is a teacher sent by God to light up your word with the gospel of Christ. Open up your hearts and shine.

SPEAKER_07 0:26

Come every one of us this morning in the name of Jesus. I believe we have a great week. Glory to God in the highest. This morning we are going to continue our series. We posted last week for the sake of the Woman of Value convention. The power of a transformed heart. The power of a transformed heart. I actually thought we were going to conclude it today, but Friday as I was praying after our Toward Midnight prayers. So of course prayer few members. Pray for the church. Pray for you. And I trust that we see the fruit of the prayers in our lives. In the name of Jesus. Act in the name of Jesus. So that after the prayer, the Lord lift something into my heart. Which made me to move forward. What should have been the conclusion? Because I told us that we'll be looking at how to develop a transformed heart. That many of us don't even know the state of our heart. So this morning, under the power of a transformed heart, we'll be looking at a subtopic, knowing the state of your heart. It is what you know that you can address. Praise the Lord. It is what you know that you have that is wrong. And you know the danger of it in your life. Those are the things you'll be willing to address. Knowing the state of your heart. Remember, I told us at the beginning of this series that the state of a man's heart determines the outcome of his life.

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Oh, the devil doesn't have the money. It is the state of your own. The ultimate outcome of your life. The whole world.

SPEAKER_07 4:25

Am I talking to somebody? So knowing that the state of a man's heart determines the outcome of his life. The Bible admonishes us to keep our heart with all diligence. But unfortunately, many believers do not end well on earth because they allow their hearts to deceive them. If you are a child of God, if you are born again, you are already in heaven. You are making heaven. But it's possible for a man that is heavenly, heaven-bound to miss out on earth and not fulfill God's purpose for him on earth. You need to understand that fulfilling God's purpose for you on earth is what determines your reward in heaven. If all you do on earth is to live for yourself, live for your comfort, live for your pleasure, pursue things that only satisfy you. It will tell when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Because the Bible says you give accounts. And the account you are going to give has to do with God with what God commissioned you to accomplish for him on earth. He saved you for a purpose. He saved you for what? For a purpose. You are meant to accomplish certain things for him on earth. So failure to do so means you are church-changing yourself when you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. I've told us over and over that there's no promotion in heaven. The level with which you enter is the level that you maintain forever. You know, you can in industries, in companies, there is what there's what they call the entry level. At the entry level, they can pay you the minimum wage, they can pay you any amount of money, but in a good system, there is room for advancement. As you get better, you keep advancing in the system. So you can actually get into a system as a trainee and end up becoming the CEO of that company. But when you get to heaven, it's not going to be like that. You determine your positioning there. You determine it here. Do you understand that statement? So many believers did not end well on earth. So I explained that because I want you to know the meaning of ending well. A man, a woman that ended well on earth is someone who fulfilled God's perfect plan for his or her life. Listen. The day death will come if you are afraid to go. That means your heart is testifying against you. A man who has fulfilled God's plans and purpose for his life will be willing to enter into his or her rest at the appropriate time. So, if as a believer you do not know the true state of your heart, it will be impossible for you to prioritize your transformation. A lot of us think our needs are some other things. But you don't know that your greatest need is your transformation. Because everything depends on it. Everything. Everything. Your walk with God, we have shared that at the beginning of this series. It depends on your transformation. In Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 9 and 10. For you to know what man's heart can do. We're going to read NLT and Message Bible. Let's read NLT first. After that, we'll read message. The human heart is the what? Are you here this morning? The human heart is what? The most deceitful of how many things? Of all things. And desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their what? Due rewards according to what their actions deserve. Let's read from message. The heart is hopelessly dark. And what? So please. So when you hear people tell you, follow your heart, follow your heart. If it is not a transformed heart, you are going into the ditch. God forbid. The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful. A puzzle that no one can figure out. Verse 10. But I, God, does what? Search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the woman. I get to the root of things. So your heart is where the root of all things are. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be. Do you know that you can master the art of pretense in your heart that you now accept your pretense to be the truth? That's where we have issues. You have learned how to pretend to love when actually you are not loving anybody. It's a strategy. So when they say love, they are not talking to me, they are talking to my neighbor. That's a heart that has been deceived. Let me give you two examples. I'll give you the example of the people of Israel, and I'll give you the example of John the Baptist. How your heart may be wrong, and you are not aware. How your heart may be wrong. And you are not paying attention to it because you think your heart is right. Listen, church, our in the course of this teaching, you will see that our definition of having a good heart most of the time are not correct. So the purpose of this teaching is to help us to discern correctly the state of our heart so that as a wise person you will pay attention to your heart, you will work on it because your fulfillment on earth depends on it. And the good news is that it's never too late to do that. Let's look at the people of Israel. Let's look at the example. When they came out of the land of Egypt, their heart deceived them. They thought that they loved the Lord. And that they will always do whatever he says. But if you look at the experience in the wilderness, you discover that they were not who they thought they were. Let's read two scriptures. Exodus chapter 19, verse 4 to 8. This scripture is to show us. After their frequent disobedience to God, God had to speak to them that all I need from you is your obedience to my word. Understand that God gave them manner. But they despised it. Let me hold on, we are coming back to this Exodus 19. Give me Exodus 16, verse 31. To see the quality of food that God gave to them. Compared to the Gallik and Kukumba, that their corrupt heart was longing for in Egypt. And the house of Israel called its name mana. That's what manna means. What is this? See, if the heart is not right, when God gives you what you need, you despise it. And it was like what? White coriander seed. And the taste of it was like wafers. Those of us, how many of us have eaten wafers? Sweet thing. Made with what? Honey. How can someone have this and still be looking for garlic? How can someone have this and be talking about cucumber? Sam, ma, I eat cucumber because it is expedient. They said it's good for health. If I have option, cucumber eat no. God gave them manna. But their deceived heart was still longing for something that was inferior to manna. The Bible says manna was angels' food. Are you aware that they ate this manner? Nobody fell sick. Their children grew very well. They were sustained. But they despised it. Now, God told them, listen. God told them. Because God wanted their obedience, he wanted their submission. See, the best way to enjoy God is in to be in absolute surrender to Him. Not to always place demand. Your surrender to God will fetch you more than you placing demand on Him. You'll be more satisfied if you live a life of surrender to God. You'll be more satisfied because He will give you what you ask for and also what you need that you are not aware of. He will take care of things that are unknown to your mind that can be a threat to your life. So God told them to show their surrender. He said, Every morning as this man arranged from heaven, go out from Monday, from Sunday to Thursday. Go out, take only the one you eat for the day. Trust me for tomorrow. But they will not hear. Because their hearts did not trust God enough that he will take care of them tomorrow. The only day he permitted them to take for the following day was on Friday. He said, take the one you need for Friday and the one you need for Saturday, because Saturday will be a day of Sabbath, a day of rest. You won't go out. So take for those two days. And whenever they did that, the manner will be preserved till the following day. But every time they took the one that you are not supposed to take, the one didn't will get spoiled. So God has been having that issue with them until Exodus 19. They kept on disobeying God. But they thought they are getting it right. How did I know that? Let's read that Exodus 19, verse 4 to 8. To correct them, God said, You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. He took them back to how he delivered them from the land of Egypt so that they could trust him for every other thing. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, just do as I say to you. Then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine. Verse 6, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and the holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. God was speaking to Moses, telling him what to say to the people of Israel. So Moses came and called for the elders of the people and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded them. The next verse. The next verse. Without thinking. So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. Now get this. You have not been doing what he said. Now he told them, I want you to obey me. Those whose heart was right and in alignment with him will say, Lord, we need your help. But because their heart was already deceived, they thought they could satisfy God by themselves. Even when obviously they've been missing it. Listen, church, let's not deceive ourselves. How many times some of us have complained, God, you failed me, and you failed. Failed you as a person. In fact, failure is your second name. You failed him consistently. And when your failure to walk according to his will produce negative results, you blackmail God. The people of Israel thought their heart was right. But God had to prove them, to show them what was in their heart, so that they could see the need for a change of heart. Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 2. Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 2. Quickly. And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way, these 40 years in the wilderness to do what? To humble you and do what? And test you to know what was in your heart. God knew what was in their heart, but he wanted to show them. Listen, church, don't remove it. Some of the challenges we go through are to show us the state of our hearts towards God. Am I talking to somebody? I love you, Lord, for your mercy never fail me. You profess your love every day, but your disobedience is shouting more than the love you profess. And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these 40 years in the wilderness to humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether you will keep his commandments or not. Verse 3. Verse 3 quickly. So he did what? He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manner which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. The people of Israel believed thoughts, they thought that their heart was good. But it wasn't. Today many of us are in that situation. Let's look at another example. John the Baptist. John the Baptist was very important to the ministry of Jesus. Do you know that Jesus told the disciples, he said, among all the Old Testament prophets said none was greater than John. That means John the Baptist was greater than Elijah, was greater than Elisha, was greater than Moses, was greater than everybody under the old covenant. By ordination, by assignment. It was his assignment that made him greater. But his heart made him end badly. Let's look at the initial testimony of John the Baptist concerning Jesus. When John the Baptist didn't know what was in his own heart. John chapter 1, verse 29, 29 to 34. John 1 chapter 1 verse 29 to 34. The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, Behold the Lamp of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he, this is he. Are you listening, church? This is he, of whom I said, after me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me, he existed before me. Even though I was born before him, he existed before me. I did not know him, but that he should be revealed to Israel. Therefore, I came baptizing with water. And John bore with the saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he remained upon him. The next verse, I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, Upon whom you see the spirit descending and remaining on him. This is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have sinned. And did what? And testify that what? That this is the Son of God. Evidence is everywhere. But his heart was revealed when he became offended. Listen, church. Listen carefully. Loyalty is not a thing of the mind. It's a thing of the heart. The reality is that most people like to be lawyer, but their heart will sabotage their efforts. It is not I'm lawyer, I'm lawyer that makes you lawyer. It's the state of your heart that will make you lawyer. Look at when offense came in. Matthew chapter 11, verse 2 to 6. That offense revealed the state of the heart of John the Baptist. Listen, church. Without sounding like a sadist, this day, I like it. I offend people that I love. You know why? So that I can see your heart. You know, the Bible says concerning Jesus that Jesus did not commit himself into the heart. For he knew what was in man. I don't know. Until you show it. You also don't know. Can I give you a piece of an advice? If your boss, anybody say, I trust you, die. And I will go anywhere with you. And the person has not proven you. Run. Do what? Run. Because anyone that says they trust you when they have not proven you is giving you a bait. Eh? Keep it in your heart. The person that will genuinely trust you and abandon themselves recklessly in your hand is the one who will prove the genuineness of your heart towards them. So for you that is looking for cheap validation, that's why then they break your heart. Because you are not sensitive. Oh, somebody is selling you what you want to hear. They know you love validation. And they say, you look good, you carry hair like legwin ligui. I've never met a a babe so pin like you. And he shock you after using you and disappear. Am I talking to somebody? I watch a video, Pastor Doku. The the asked the lady what was the most stupid thing she ever did. Said she met a boy on Facebook, and the boy was talking all the things. He said, very romantic. The things she wanted to hear. So then he said, when it was her birthday, the guy said she was so he would surprise her. And on the day of the birthday, I said his bank app had issues. Wanted to send him money. He said, but he had no cash to even go out. He needed to buy fuel into the car. That should send him, send him 30,000 naira. So that she he could rush to the bank, sort things out. So after a while, he asked her to meet her in a hotel. Those cheap ones. He went, um, slept with her and told her she was good. He was going back to the bank to complete the transaction. While he was out, he asked him, What will you eat? He told him, he said, Send 5k for me to buy it. So she now said, Ah, don't worry. I will eat later. So she called her friend. That one gets sent small, past her. That one said, Ah, you don't enter for one night. That guy not go come back home. He didn't come back to the hotel. He said, the 30,000 you sent to he used and rent hotel. That's why he didn't take you to his house. Now your money went to pay for the hotel. We're going to take use you. What was her problem? She had what she wanted to hear. And she thought she had met a romantic boy. Not knowing that the devil's firstborn. Listen, church. Let's learn from John the Baptist. Matthew 11. You heard what John the Baptist said. When offense has not come up, he had a revelation of Jesus. Evidence is that Jesus is the Messiah. And when John had in prison, now he rebuked the king, that the king slept with the brother's wife, took the brother's wife as his own wife. So they put him in prison. And he was expecting Jesus to come and bring him out of prison. And when John had in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, verse 3. Verse 3. And said to him, Are you the coming one? Or do we look for another? This is the original state of the heart of John the Baptist speaking. Jesus answered and said to them, Ah, Jesus, go and tell John the things which you hear and see. The blind see and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preach to them. Verse 6. And blessed is he. And blessed is he who is not offended because of me. Listen, church. You don't know what you can do until situation presents opportunities to you. That's why the purpose of this is not to condemn you, it's not to make you feel bad about yourself, it's to help you see the state of your heart, discern the state of your heart, and then begin to put in everything it requires to get your heart to be in the right condition. Because the outcome of your life depends on it. The witches in your family are not the ones that will determine the outcome of your life, it is not any haters that will determine the outcome of your life, your heart will. So what are we saying? If the people of Israel didn't know the state of their heart and they thought they could please God when their heart was not right with God, and eventually the Bible says every adult that came out of Israel perished, they never entered Canaan land. It's only their children that were small, that had nothing enticing, who were not familiar with the life in Egypt, that had no reason to say, I want to go back to Egypt. They were the ones who made it into Canaan land. John the Baptist, in spite of the importance of his assignment to Jesus, could get offended, and his heart robbed him of having a fulfilled ending, then as believers, we need to watch. Do you know what the Bible says? 1 John chapter 10. Let's read some verses. From verse 1. I want us to read some verses. From verse 1. 1 Corinthians, sorry, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. From verse 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 from verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers who are under the cloud all passed through the sea. Uh-huh. All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food. And all drank the same spiritual drink. Look at all the things God did for them, but their heart would never allow them to appreciate it. And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them. And that rock was who? Was Christ. The rock was who? Was Christ. So at that time, the rock that was following them was Christ. What a privilege. Verse 5. But with most of them, God was not well pleased. For their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Verse 6. Verse 6. Now, this is where I'm going. Now, these things became what? It became what church? Let me hear you say it better. Now these things became examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. If you are not going to lust after evil things, your heart must be right. So that will not lead us to see different states of heart. We are just going to look at the first two in this service. Then we'll continue next Sunday. Number one, a dull heart. A what? A what? Matthew chapter 13, verse 15. Matthew chapter 13, verse 15. For the hearts, this was Jesus talking. For the hearts of these people have grown dull. Have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes, they have what? Closed. Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and do what? And turn so that I should heal them. So God's intervention in your life is predicated on the state of your heart. It is determined by the state of your heart. When we talk about a dull heart, we are talking about a heart that is not responsive to the truth. A dull heart is not responsive to the truth of God's word. And any heart that is not responsive to the truth of God's work, of God's word, will lack the necessary understanding needed to live a fulfilled and healthy life. When I'm saying healthy life, I'm not talking about bodily health. I'm talking about having your life, making your life healthy, free from unnecessary crisis. What does it mean not to be responsive to God's word? When you hear the truth of God's word, it's not making sense to you. You want it, but it's not making sense. So almost immediately after hearing it, you discard it. You know, there are some patients in the hospital. They say they are not responding to treatment. What does that imply? It means the drugs were not having effect on their body. So a dull heart will not respond to God's word, and if you are not responding to God's word, God's word can't take effect, it can't have a positive effect in your life. Someone with a dull heart can consistently quote God's word, but will be unable to practice it. Oh no, I've met some people who are like walking Bible. When you try to quote a scripture for them, they finish it. But the challenge is this they can't practice any. No, no, no, I've met such people in counseling. I've met them among pastors. By the time you open your mouth, in fact, you just mention a Bible passage, say let's read. They will quote it offhand. But applying it is a problem because they don't understand it. Hear me, church. You practice what you understand, not what you know. If you don't know how something functions, you can't effectively use it. Many of us have phones, but the only thing you do with your phones is to browse social media, Facebook, um Snapchat, um which one again? Instagram, TikTok. Those are the things. And then you make calls, send WhatsApp messages, and send text. But can you can I say something to you? Your iPhone and your Android phone can be your personal assistant if you know how it functions. Lots of people buy expensive phones just for status quo to show people they have arrived and for picture quality because your phone is more useful than all those stuff. Your phone, if you understand it, can improve the quality of your life. How? Can make your work easier, can help you to access informations that are needed in your work, in your business. Am I talking to somebody? So, in the same way, if as a child of God, God's word, you are dull in hearing. I mean, you have a dull heart, you will be dull in hearing. You are just hearing the word, it's not making sense. You don't even understand what the pastor is saying. But after the service, oh, daddy preached today. What did he preach? He preached. He's a good preacher. Do you know the word that will profit you? The one you understand and you personalize and make your own. And until the word enters your heart, you can't personalize it. If you leave it in the realm of your mind, you reason yourself out of it. So to have a dull heart is to lack the capacity to practice God's word consistently. Because you don't understand it. Do you know? I've seen pastors who preach tithes in their church. I wanted to say as if their life depends on it, because such people, their life depends on it, but they don't tithe. As far as they are concerned, tithing is for their members. They are preaching what they do not understand. What you understand, you will practice. James chapter 1, verse 21 to 25. Quickly. James chapter 1, verse 21 to 25. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and what? An overflow of wickedness. Those are the things that dulls the heart. And receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to do what? Save your souls. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in the mirror. The next verse, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forget what kind of man he was. Verse 25. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and does what? And continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. This one will be blessed in what he does. Listen, church. The beginning of a wrong heart is to have a dull heart. Those with dull hearts practice selective hearing. Those with dull hearts practice what? Selective hearing. They choose what they want to hear. The hears to satisfy their selfish desires. If it is not what they want to hear, they shut down immediately. When they hear God's word, as long as it is not what they want to hear, they shut down. I've been in a program and I was sitting next to a pastor. And the preacher was preaching. And the pastor brought out his phone and started to Facebook. The pastor of a church. Sitting in the church in a program. So I look at it. My body, they do me, one of the it's I was grieved in the spirit. So I said, Sonjo, carry your face, face front. He's not going to report to you. He will report to his master. But see, at the time I couldn't take it. My long throat, my is a long mouth. I whisper into this earth, man of God, will you like it if your member is doing that when you are preaching? He looked at me, look at me, closed it. In no great talk to me. When they say say something to your neighbor, he faced the other neighbor. I became his enemy because I told him what was right. He had his selective hearing. And that will take us to the second kind of heart. And we're going to stop at that. We'll continue next Sunday. If one has a dull heart and it is not addressed, it will lead to number two. A hard heart. A what? Mark chapter 3, verse 1 to 6. Mark chapter 3, verse 1 to 6. And he entered the synagogue again. That was Jesus. And the man was there who had the withered hand. Go on. So they watched him closely. Whether he will heal him on the Sabbath. So that they might do what? Accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, step forward. He knew they were watching him. He knew they were going to accuse him. He told the man, step forward. Then he said to them, Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil? To save life or to kill. But they kept silence. And when he had looked around at them with what? With what? Who was that? Jesus. What angered Jesus? The next statement. Being grieved by what? The hardness of their hearts. He said to the man, Stretch out your hand, and he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Verse 6. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against him how they might destroy him. Those were the religious people of that time. Now get this, church. One of the worst things that can happen to a believer is to become so religious. You use God's word to disobey his word. Do you know the reason for that? A hard heart is never receptive to the truth of God's word. The dull heart is not responsive. The dull heart hears the word. But it's not making sense. The hard heart shut himself out. Shut the word out of it. It's not receptive. Doesn't want to hear. The word annoys them. When they hear the word that can change their life, they resist it. They get angry with it. And they get angry with the preacher too. Why? Because the heart is hard. A hard heart will never be receptive to the truth at all except what satisfies its selfish desire. Listen, I said it earlier on. A dull heart not treated will become a hard heart. And to find yourself, God forbid, with a hard heart is a major problem. Let's look at the example of the disciples of Jesus. Disciples of Jesus were hard-hearted at a point in time. Mark chapter 16, verse 9 to 14. Mark chapter 16, verse 9 to 14. Is somebody getting something here this morning? Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons. Verse 10. She went and told those who had been with him. Listen to that. She went and told those who had been with him as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, what happened? They did not believe. After that, he appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. The next verse. And they went and told it to the rest. What happened? But they did not believe them either. Verse 14. Later he appeared to the level as they sat at the table. What did he do? He rebuilt their unbelief and hardness of heart. Listen, church. If the heart is hard, it will lead to unbelief. It's a worst state to be. An unbelieving heart is never a candidate for God's supernatural power. Later he appeared to the level as they sat at the table and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen him after he has risen. Now look at the funnier aspect. But when they were told that he has risen, they didn't believe. Listen, George, a hard heart exalt and appreciates what is sight-based above what is faith-based. Do you understand that? A hard heart exalts and appreciates what is sight-based. What is based on sight. What is based on feelings than what is based on faith. That's why it produces unbelief. You know, the Bible says we do not walk by sight, but by faith. But if you choose to walk by sight, the devil can easily deceive you, set you up, and use you. You will not know you are being used. That's why, even in the church, I'm not saying house of this spring. Churches all over the world. There are people fighting against the will of God, just as the Pharisees who are fighting against Jesus, and they think they are defending the kingdom. Why? Because their heart is hard. Every of their actions are based on what they can see. Because they lack the capacity to hear God. So when God speaks, and others are acting on what God says, they will resist it. Because it will never make sense to them because of the state of their own heart. Look at the experience of Judas in John chapter 13, verse 2. John chapter 13. Judas' heart was hard. And supper being ended. The devil having already put it into the heart of Judas's chariot, Simon's sons, to do what? To betray him because of the hardness of his heart. Do you know at a time Jesus was at the table with his disciples and he was saying to them that someone eating with me will betray me. And everybody began to say, Lord, is it me? And they were saying it one after the other. When it got to the throne of Judas, he said, Lord, is it me? Jesus said, You said so. Listen, if I were Judas, I say, Father, Lord, please help me. Let it not be so. But he got up and walked away. Because of the hardness of his heart. Another example as I close. Ananias and Sapphira. Acts chapter 5, verse 1 to 5. These are examples for us to learn from. So that you won't make yourself a victim of demonic manipulation. Because any believer with a hard heart will not have a place in God's plan on earth. But a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds. You know what they did? The church said we have a need. Let's give. So they said we had the land. We give the church the land. So they were told to go and sell the land and bring the money. So they sold the land and he kept back parts of the proceeds. His wife also been aware of it. And brought a certain part and laid it at the apostle's feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, did what? Fell down and bred his last. So great fear came upon all those who had these things. Do you know what the problem was? He owned the land. He gave it willingly. They said, Go and sell it and bring the money. After selling it, and he saw that the value was much. He had the right to go and meet the apostles, say, I sell it, I said the money plenty small. So let's share it into two. I give this part to church. I want to take this part. That's what Peter was saying. It wouldn't have been a problem. But he wanted to create an impression that he has done something good. Because of the hardness of his heart. He wanted to take a glory that he was not worthy of. Church, church, listen. Thank God that no pastor will tell, okay, not in this church anyway, because I know some pastors, any little thing they they cost you. Not in this church. But do you know that there is a certain lifestyle that is traceable to hardness of heart that limits the progress of many of us, no matter the prayer that is spread over you, your heart will not allow the prayer to work. Because you are too deceptive in your heart. The heart, the heart of a man determines the ultimate outcome of his life. If the heart is hard, you'll be resisting God's word that are meant to add value to your life. Do you know this? Here was something that Jesus said. Here's something that Jesus said. Here's something that Jesus said. In Matthew chapter 19, verse 7 to 8. Matthew 19, verse 7 to 8. I'm begging you, don't let your life be like that. Let's read it. Matthew chapter 19 verse 7 to 8. Matthew nineteen. Matthew nineteen. Okay, let me start from verse three to eight. The Pharisees also came to him, testing him. That's testing Jesus. And saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? For just any reason. Take note of that. And he answered and said to them, Have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female? There's something I wanted to learn from this. And said, verse 5, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Verse 6. So then they are no longer two, but what? One flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man do what? Separate. Verse 7. They said to him, Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away? Verse 8. And hear what Jesus said to them. He said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not so. Now, now, now. Look up, church. If we have to tell you what you want to hear, so that you'll be okay, you are in trouble. If we see that your heart is too hard, and we just want to manage you so that you won't be lost. So we now have to patch something for you to make you feel okay. Hey. You are in trouble. Husband, love your see, a lot of messages have been patch-patch to satisfy human ego. Scriptures have been bastardized to make people feel comfortable. Listen, church. God's word is true, and the truth is eternal. If we have to patch it to make you comfortable, there is a problem. It shows that your heart is hard, not receptive to the truth. Jesus said from the beginning it was not so. So Moses tried to correct them. When he saw that they were incorrigible, he said, No, okay, give him my certificate of divorce. So you can divorce for any reason. Every day I look at God's word, I look at the church of Jesus, I tremble at what will happen when we stand before the judgment seat. Because a lot of people their heart is hard. They claim to serve God, yet their heart is far from him. God is never their priority. Because of the state of their heart, they choose what they hear. See, there was a time I cried because somebody from this church, years back, wasn't doing sacrifice. As upon everything we are saying. The challenging thing is this when the problem comes, pastor will still be the one that will carry it. I told someone recently, hear me, church. Choose where you want to be, whether for the Lord or the other side. Choose one. This one you will do one leg here, one leg here. It's not good for you. Because see, you can't dine with the devil even if your spoon is long. You know, that's what they said. I don't know. Uh your verse has a parable. They say if you want to dine with the devil, use the long spoon. Why must you dine with the devil? You see, say your long spoon feels affect. He's an old crook. He knows how to treat you even with your long spoon. See, he has been on earth from the days of Garden of Eden. And he has been roaming this earth. You are dealing with a crook that is highly experienced. If your heart is hard and you are not allowing the word of God to transform your heart, he can treat you out of destiny, God forbid. Because if he sees that what appeals to you are the things that eyes can see, ah, it will package a lot. Do you know what they call magic? Somebody, please open your phone. Read the meaning of illusion for us. Somebody open your phone. They call magic illusion. They do things in your sight, things will be changing. From handkerchief, dove will come out. And you think it's real. That's what the devil does to you. Illusion. Come, come. Give him mic. Let him see it. See he has something.

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An illusion is a distortion of the senses of a false perception of reality. It tricks the brain into interpreting actual external stimuli incorrectly, making something appear real when it is not, or presenting an idea, a belief that is false.

SPEAKER_07 1:17:18

See, illusion. Walk with your brain and make you believe what is not real as if they are real. It alters your perception to make you see something in nothing. It is only a heart that is illuminated by God's word that we won't be a victim of that. I've shared with you before in this church years back, that was around 2012 or thereabout, a friend of mine was living on the same street in St. John then, and he invited me to a minister's conference hosted by a bishop who is now an archbishop. We got there early and we sat in his office with retinue of bishops. It was just me that was a pastor and him, a reverend. So I was the most junior among all of them. So the bishop started talking. And they were talking carelessly. In my mind, I said, is that these people that will teach us something in this minister's conference? And one of them said, can we blame a pastor who decided to add means to his work? If after he has labored and nothing is happening, can we blame him if he admins? God's word ad means. That means you have agreed that God is impotent. Is an insult to divinity. And I was shocked. That was you can't blame me when frustration is too much. Somebody have to do something. So I kept quiet. I said, Joseph. You are in the wrong place, so I was just figuring in my head how we carry my Bible and leave the host pastor, the host bishop. And said, Pastor Sanjo. I would not laugh. That's how many of them call me now. Even some of you. I said, I do okay. Whether Sanjo, whether Sanjay, whether Sanjo, anyone just call him. Say, Pastor Sanjo, you are not saying anything. I said, sir, it should never arise that a man called by God to do the work of God will have to seek the devil's assistance to build the kingdom of his father. He didn't allow me to be saying, Short term, short term. You have not seen problem. God has helped you. That's why you are talking like that. And I knew that truly, truly, I was in error. That's a hard heart. He once drove all the way from his church, brought letter to this place that I should come and me, become the secretary of their minister's forum. I laughed in Italian and French together. I carry, Pastor Jannari gave me the letter. Said this person came, the bishop, and said this. I said, I thought it. And I block him. No, no, I have no business with such person. What am I saying to you, church? If someone's heart is hard, the person will be proud of his error.

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A hard heart is not seeing light.

SPEAKER_07 1:22:00

When I see today on social media all manner of talk against church, against what I can't blame them. Number one, Jesus has told me it will happen like that. And then those who pretend to be part of us, who are not part of us, like these ones that I talk about, they made the world to speak against us. Or hear me, church. You cannot afford to have a heart that is hard. A hard heart will be an unbelieving heart. Let me read one scripture to give you a glimpse of next week. Hebrews 4. Let's read from verse 1 to verse 1. Somebody has to pray this morning. See, there is a time that is good for your heart to break. That is when it is hard towards God and His word. That's the only broken heartedness that is good for you. Am I talking to somebody? Therefore, since the promise remain of entering his rest, let us fear, lest any of you seem to have come short of it. Don't come short of entering God's rest. How? Verse 2. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. But the word which they had did not profit them. Not being mixed with faith in those who had it. Verse 3. For we for we who have believed to enter that rest as he has said. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. The people of Israel couldn't enter the rest because of hard-heartedness. Am I talking to somebody? Church, wake up. We have been deceived in the past. Now just pray and sow seed. Your problem will be over. Now lie. If your heart is not good, they will chop your seed, and nothing will happen. Am I talking to somebody? And if now you give, I'll chop them. Don't blame me. I gave you seed. Check your heart. Are you offended? I even talk say you're offended. Now that heart, I want to, we are dealing with this morning. Have you gotten something this morning? Don't forget, I told you at the beginning, the purpose of this teaching is not to condemn you, but to help you to see the state of your heart and to see the real issue to address. Am I talking to somebody? So in moments of trials, in moments of challenges, the true state of your heart shows up. What are you willing to do to solve your problem? Are you willing to do the things that God does not support? And that's to show you that your heart needs to be corrected. Listen, it's never too late to correct your heart. Amen. Do you have to cheat someone to have your breakthrough? That means your heart needs a touch. Am I talking to somebody? One of my sons brought a young man to see me. After ministering to me, to him, after I finished ministering to him, I I asked, he said, and I led him to Christ. He said, Sir, I want to ask a question. I said, What is it? He said, Where he walks, his boss trusts him so much. I said, That's good. He said, But I'm not faithful. When they send me to buy something, I inflate the price. And I come back, but they still trust me. Am I sinning? I said, your heart is telling you is wrong because you are now born again. You didn't think about that before. It didn't matter to you. To you, it was an opportunity. But do you know you can be born again if your heart is hard? See, the quality of your conscience will be determined by the state of your heart. Some of us there are things we do, our conscience no go rest. If your heart is right, it will show in what your conscience reacts to. But there are some people they are doing what is wrong. Conscience is dead. They have killed their conscience. They have trained their conscience. Their heart has taught their conscience. That it's okay to do this because you are suffering. Because you have to help yourself. Am I talking to somebody? I want to see you become everything that God has ordained you to be. That is my desire as your pastor. Listen, I've told you over and over. I came out of a family. Certain things are not excuses. By August I'll be 62. My father's family doesn't know whether I'm alive or not. They abandoned us since nine when I was nine. All my life. No support from anywhere except the Lord. That's why when people are playing tribal games, I said, don't carry it near me. Support which one is your own. The one that is giving me forever. I'm not talking for it. I'm not talking about it. Please forgive me. So and you have to be comfortable. You are free to support whosoever. So don't let me use my own sentiments to upset you. Because you say, Now God's for come here. Why pass on the guy? No mess. I beg you, don't be angry with me. Praise the Lord. They said this year that um you won't get votes like before. I know they mentioned anybody. They say no go carry no go. I said, that's the last one. Now let me vote for my home. Now we are six. We will vote. And they are voting for my candidate. We don't increase. We play our own. We leave the rest for Jesus. But we must do. Everybody in my house, hey. You must have voters card though. Don't just sit down here. Do you know what I'm going to do next year? If anybody needs my support in any way, you show your voters card. You need welfare, let me see your voters card. You need school support, let me see your voters card. No voters card, no support. And you talk and like play now. Because we have been praying. Let's not let it be that we all do our best. So what now happened? We have done our own. Praise the Lord. I'm not a politician. I just want Nigeria to walk. Praise the Lord. Nothing when you talk with the move on you. That man is your president or your governor. Ah, is it because sorry, sorry if I offended you by talking against your candidates? I didn't even mention anybody's name. Praise the Lord. Listen, I'm trusting the Lord that many of you standing here and those watching online, including those from Omarguas Church, that before the close of this year, as you experience a shift in your heart, let there be a shift in every area of your life. I've said it and I'm not saying it to make somebody feel good. Not too long from now, somebody in this church will give a tithe of 100 million naira. If you don't believe it, I believe it for myself. Because God will bring the opportunities, He will give you the ideas that will make it happen. It will lead you to your prepared place. See, there are things to discover that others have not seen. There are opportunities that are hidden from others. If your aim is strong enough, in the name of Jesus, your eyes are open to see such opportunities. In the name of Jesus, what is hidden? The treasure houses that have been hidden to others are unveiled to you. Opportunities that others are blank to. In the name of Jesus, they are revealed to you as a people, as individuals, receiving them in the name of Jesus. And so the Lord will order your steps, all right? You will know the exact thing to do, you will know the exact place to go. In the name of Jesus, business that will fail, you will not put your hands into it. I forbid loss in your life. I forbid loss in your family. I forbid loss in all that you do. You will not suffer loss in the name of Jesus. Can you please? Some of us, as we are talking, something is telling you your heart belongs to number one. When I hear God's word, by the time I get to before evening, I've forgotten everything. Because it doesn't make sense to me. Hello? Do you know? Let me tell you something. Except for those who, by the reason of their age, have an ill illness that makes them to forget. Or do you know that every of us younger people say are they forget in a layout? Anything that is interesting to you, you will never forget it. Why didn't you forget the day you are supposed to go for your job? Why didn't you forget the day they asked you to come for an interview? Where your treasure is. Give me a heart of flesh, a heart that is responsive to your word, a heart that is submissive to your word. Lift up your voice, call the name of the Lord and pray that prayer in two or three minutes. Let me hear you pray. If indeed you desire a new heart. A heart that is responsive to your work. A heart that is yielded to your work. A heart that is submissive to your counsel! Whatsoever has made me dull in heaven! Whatsoever had happened in my heart before now, Father, in the name of Jesus, let such be appropriate from my heart completely. Let my heart be open to receive from you. Let my heart be open, O Lord, to come under your direction! Father, help me not to miss what you have planned for me. Help me not to miss what you have prepared for me. Lord, give me a new heart! A heart of flesh! A heart of flesh! A heart that is willing to submit to your counsel. Let every hardness of heart be broken this morning. Let every hardness of heart be broken, O Lord. Thank you, Father. In Jesus' mighty name we are prayed. Let's read that Matthew 13, verse 15 again. You are going to pray. Someone will go home and you will encounter the healing power of God. Your marriage will be healed, your business will be healed, your physical bodies will be healed, your finance will be healed. In the name of Jesus, your career will be healed. He said, For the hearts of these people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn. So that I should what? Heal them. Please take note of that. There is nothing you are going through that God can't heal you from it, that He can't bring you out of it. The key is this understand. Hear, understand and turn. Some of you need to go back and do things differently. The way you relate with your spouse has to change. The way you relate with your parents, the way you relate with your children has to change. The way you conduct yourself in the place of your business has to change. The way you conduct yourself in relation in your relationship with other people has to change. You need a tiny, or that tony cannot come except your force receiver. Hello. Why did you be like that? Listen, you will not give excuse for smallness again. You will have no reason to explain your failures away anymore. In the name of Jesus. And right there, I stood there for more than 15 minutes. Just pondering on that word I had from the Lord. Listen. If your heart is hard, you won't hear him. Even when he speaks, you won't pay attention. Because the state of your heart will just make it bounce back. Even when the word after a while you have forgotten it. Am I talking to somebody? Would you say one word is enough to change your life? One right word from the Lord. Am I talking to somebody that can position you correctly to get what God has for you? Father, the understanding I need, the revelation I need to assess my next level that you are prepared for me. Open me up, oh Lord, by the multitudes of your mercy. Open me up to that realm of understanding. Open me. You have prayed that your hard-heartedness be taken away. Can you lift up your voice and begin to pray for that revelation, that insight?

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That understanding you need for your next level. Do we hear my heart on every heart?

SPEAKER_07 1:46:42

Oh my god, that's not this. Can you direct your hands towards the altar? The idea you need for your major breakthrough, for your rising, for your progress by the mercy of the Lord. Let your heart be open to receive it now in the name of Jesus. The decisions you need to make that will take you from where you are to where you ought to be. That decision that will change your story for the breast. In the name of Jesus, your heart is open to receive it and dispense it now in the name of Jesus. The grace you need to carry out God's instruction. The instruction of God that will make you, the instructions of God that will change the trajectory of your life and family, and put you on the fast lane of life. In the name of Jesus, that grace rests upon you now in the name of Jesus. Every lies of the enemy, the lies of the world you have believed, that have shut you out of God's plan, that have limited your prosperity, that have limited your advancement, that have hindered the flow of the power of God in your favor. In the name of Jesus, let that lie be exposed to you now in the name of Jesus. Grace to overcome it and conquer that lie. Receive it now in the name of Jesus. You need to focus on what is needful in your life. Receive it now in the name of Jesus. In any way, the enemy has made you to major on minor things. We reverse it now. Hallelujah. Listen, some of us we value things that we never add value to our destiny. Those are the things we go after, those are the things that make us happy. And the devil knows that as long as he can keep you there, he can make you small. In the name of Jesus. Hear me, hear me. Some of you, every time you are about to take the right step towards the right thing, the enemy just discourages you with an information. An information will just come. You just hear a word from someone that will make you think, make a not disturb myself. From today, you will not be discouraged. Every voice is the enemy has commissioned to weaken you, to discourage you. As you agree with your strongest amen, they are silenced for your sake now in the name of Jesus. From this day, the Lord takes you through the right path He has prepared for you. Even when that path doesn't look like it, your eyes are open to recognize it. In the name of Jesus. Listen, look up, church. Thank you. During the COVID, I was in my apartment. Normally I was in the first floor. The ground floor was in the next floor. I love climbing the as part of keeping the So normally I would like climbing. The only time I used to wear enter the lift was when I knew I would meet those white guys that doesn't like to enter the So I do punish them, God have mercy on me. So I will stay inside the lift and say the league will carry me go. When it comes down again, when the sea, no, no, no you can go, I will go again. If you don't enter, use your legs since you like to do racial this thing. So that thing we are supposed to try to let's take the case. So the white guy asked, Are you guys a believer? We said, Yes, we are not just believers, we are pastors. And the two of them shouted, they rejoiced. They said we just prayed us, yes. And said, Lord, if there's any believer in this in this house, connect us to them. That guy took me to my first meeting there. He was the one that carried me with his car throughout from that moment until the day. I just saw $1,500 in my account and send it to me. There is no month that God will not use him to send me something. And that thing he's sending is very has been very useful. God knew that I needed that. God did a miracle in his own life. Today he is a big guy. That time he was no job, nothing. God did a miracle in his life, healed him, and also make him a blessing to me. The two of us benefited, we are benefiting from the relationship. There are some people waiting for you somewhere, but your path has not crossed. This day, by the mercy of the Lord, because your hearts are open, your heart is no longer hardened, you are not just looking at what is good for you. You want to follow what God leads you to do, even when you are not willing. Somehow, somehow, God will order yourself before the close of this year. Everyone that you need for the journey of your life to be fruitful and prosperous, my God brings them across you and bring you across them in the name of Jesus. I don't know if every anybody hears that. Do you know that you don't need too many people to make it to one right person is enough? One right person, that one person that you need to meet in the name of Jesus in this season, the Lord order your steps to meet them. The Lord order your steps to connect with them as they see you, they will recognize you. As you see them, you will recognize them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Can you lift up your voice and give thanks to the Lord?

SPEAKER_08 2:02:26

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