HOW YOU CAN HELP BUILD YOUR LOCAL CHURCH: MIDWK SERVICE

Paul says in 1 Corinthians chp 3: 6 that "I planted, Apollos watered, but it is God who gave the increase".

 In this body of Christ, everyone has a role to play in how they can serve and use their God-given talent to make the church grow. Have you ever wondered how you, too, can make an impact in your local church? 

Listen, and be blessed! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

You are about to listen to the song from Reverend Dr. Elbert again.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

In a few minutes, we are going to um look at um the local church. Amen. And how you can help build your local church. So we are going to explain what the local church is and how you can help build your local church. Amen. Now, what is the church? Now, when we we look at the word church, um, most of it and not we think is the building. Okay? So when people say they are going to church, it means they are going to a certain building, right? So from childhood, when we say we are going to church, um, the church has been taught to be the building. Amen. The Greek word for church is the ecclesia from two words ek and kalo. Ek means out of, kalo means to call. So the church implies a group of people that God has called them out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Amen. The French word for church approximates the Greek word. So you see that is egglise, which it's like the actual word in the Greek, which is ecclesia. But the English form church, you know, is far away, okay? So when we say church, the the Greek word actually indicates what the church is, and followed by the French word, but the English word is further away. And as a result of that, most people do not have the right concept of what the church is. Amen. So we are going to explain what the church is, and then we will see what your role or what your responsibility is in the church. Amen. Now, throughout the Old Testament, it's very clear that God has a certain project that he wanted to undertake. And the project that God wanted to undertake was to find a home for himself. Amen. Now, you realize that in the Old Testament, God appeared to Moses in the burning bush as though God didn't have a place to stay. And God even defines and described himself as he that dwelleth in the bush. So it's like God does not have a place to stay. Amen. So what did God do? God decided that he wanted to stay with his people. So we can see clearly that in the Old Testament, and when they went into the wilderness, the first thing that they built for God was what is called the tabernacle. And if you look at the architecture of the tabernacle, we had the outer courts, the holy place, and then the holy of holies, where God's presence dwells. That is God's presence manifested in the holy of holies. Okay, but that was not what God actually wanted. Then later on, we know that Solomon came to build a temple for the Lord. But that's not what God wanted. The Bible even says that God does not dwell in temples that are built with hands. Hallelujah. So God was looking for a certain temple. It is Paul who came in the New Testament to reveal to us the kind of temple that God wants. Amen. And the Bible said seven times in the New Testament that your body is what? Is the temple of the Lord. Hallelujah. So the project that God is actually doing from old, the times of old to this new dispensation is that God is trying to prepare you as an individual to become a suitable habitat for him to dwell. Amen. So your spirit is the temple of the living God. Hallelujah. But that is just an individual. Okay? But there is something far complex that God is trying to do. Is that God is bringing these individuals who in and of themselves are temples, but in the larger scheme, they are living stones, they are rocks. So God is going to bring these individuals together to form what is called the church. Amen. So the church is not the building, the church refers to the conglomerate of these people. Okay, so they come together to form the church. And when they come together to form the church, then you realize that you are built up unto an holy habitation for the Lord. Hallelujah. So the church, tell the neighbor that you are the church. So don't tell someone that we are going to church. Hallelujah. Say that the church is coming. Hallelujah. Amen. And when you understand this, and then you excuse yourself, you realize that, hey, maybe today the roofing sheets didn't come. Hallelujah. Because we are the church. Hallelujah. Now, when we take the church, we have what is called the universal church. The universal church is the body of Christ. And if you've been following our Bible studies, we've looked at the universal church as being three things. One, the universal church is the body of Christ. Two, the universal church is the building of Christ. And three, the universal church is the bride of Christ. Amen. So that is everybody who is saved. You are part of the body of Christ. But aside that, there is what is called the local church. Amen. So the local church is where God places you. I didn't say where you find yourself. Hallelujah. The local church is where God places you. Amen. Because there is something that God wants to achieve for you. Okay. So that is the concept of the church. So first I want you to understand that the church is not just an organization, but it is a living organism. Amen. As a result of that, every part is very relevant and very important. Let's look at Matthew chapter 16, verse 18. Let's see. Matthew 16, verse 18. The Bible says that this is Jesus and Peter. Is that and I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will do what's built my church. So who is doing the building? It's not the edified church wants to build a church. No, you want to build a building. Hallelujah. But it's Jesus Christ who is doing what? Who is building the church? And when he is the one who builds the church, what happens? The gates of Hades or Hell shall not what? Prevail again. What is gates? Now, in the if you look at the Bible, the the Hebrew concept of gates, the gates is usually those days, there are gates, when they use the word gates, it talks about the authorities or the influential peoples of the city. They are the people we call the gates. Okay. So the Bible is saying that if Jesus builds his church, then the gates of Hades, hell, principalities, powers, darkness shall not prevail against it. Amen. Now when you go to the verse 19, it says something. The next verse. Verse 19. So if Jesus builds his church, then the next verse is that he's going to give them the keys of what? Heaven and the keys of heaven. That whatsoever you bind on earth, you shall is going to be bound in in heaven. Amen. Great. So when we say the church, the church is the people, it is not the structure. Amen. Now let's go to the second point. Now, after understanding what the church is, the next thing that God expects us to do is for us to love the church. Hallelujah. Love the church. Let's look at Psalm 122, verse 1. We all know this. Okay, let's read together. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Unfortunately, some people become sad when they tell them, Let us go into the house of the Lord. They were like, Oh, my solid Akura, why? When they say, Come to the house of the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah. So there must be some kind of excitement when you are coming to the house of the Lord. That's the only way you can get a certain revelation of God. You see, when you are coming to church and you are sad, you are crying, it looks like someone is forcing you, you've wasted your day. Amen. So you must come in with joy, with happiness, because you are coming to encounter God Himself. Now, why did David say, I was glad when he said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord? Let's understand this very well. Let's go to Deuteronomy chapter 23, verse 3. So this is God is giving them an instruction in Deuteronomy chapter 23, verse 3, about the Amorites and then the 23 verse 3. And then the Mu'abites. We know the Muabites, right? We've been hearing their names in the Bible. 23 verse 3. Okay. So an Ammonites or Emuabites shall not enter the assembly of the Lord even unto the 10th generation. None of this his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever. Until the 10th generation. But here is the case where, here is the case where I hope some people have caught it. You've caught it. If you are sharp, you you catch it. Hallelujah. Because David was the one who was writing, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the assembly of the Lord. But David's great-great-great-grandmother was who? Was a Muabite. What was her name? Ruth. Ruth married Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. That was the fourth generation. It has not yet gotten to the tenth generation. Hallelujah. So it was not time for David to yet enter into the house of the Lord. But this is a revelation. That's the same thing that Jesus when Jesus came. It was not time for us to enter into the Holy of Holies. But when he came, the veil tore. That's the same thing that happened to David. That they broke the curse and they told David that David, you can enter into the house of the Lord. Hallelujah. That's why when David understood it, hey, it was not my turn. If I was to wait for the 10th generation, how come I was not the 10th? Maybe my great great should have been the 10th generation from the summer, it should have reached me, hallelujah. But unfortunately, it was Ruth that's that married Boaz, and David was the fourth generation. So David was excited. Yay, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Hallelujah. That is the same excitement. When you say you are going to church on Sunday, see yourself as someone who did not deserve to enter into the house of the Lord. Hallelujah. When you have this revelation, you never see going to church as a worry. It's because you have no idea what happened when God closed his temple from us. You have no idea. But the day you come to understand what Jesus Christ came to do, while we make news about the fact that the veil tore, of all the things that happened, one of the greatest revelations was that the veil tore into two to give us access into God's presence. And now we have the access and we are mistreating it. Hallelujah. I was glad. So the Bible, when you come into God's house, let this joy be with you. Enter his gate with what? And his cause with what? Advice swap the toy is correct. Uh-huh. Thank you. Hallelujah. Amen. Okay. So I was so that's what David meant by saying that I was glad when they said unto me. So anytime a person's attitude towards the local church should be that of joy because a person has gotten the revelation of what the church is. Amen. Let's go to point number three. Point number. You are talking about how to be a good local church member and how to help build your local church. The third point is that you have to be faithful in what? Attendance and commitments. Let's read Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Hebrews 10, 25.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Okay, it says that not forsaking what the assembly of ourselves has is what? The manner of some. So the Bible knows that it is some people's manner, behavior to forsake the gathering of the saints. Do you get it? I remember when in medical school, when we were in medical school, in fact, those days, we had a certain group of people. We were deep in the scriptures. Right now, we've we've we've rasted the bits. Do you get it? We've rasted. But the difference between myself and them was that they were always in their room, soaking, learning in their sermon. Do you get it? Soaking. When you ask them, they say, no, I want to catch a revelation. So they were not serving in any churches. Do you get it? They were in their own room Sundays. They will listen, they can listen to sermons from morning to even. They are deep in the scriptures and all of that. So that is them. They want to lay hold on God. Amen. Then there were some of us too that decided that we would serve here, right? In fact, that's when the edified church started. And we are only five. Do you get it? Yes. Those days, the messages were hotter than now. You could come to church and then pastor will call. We are only five, so you can't say you won't come, do you get it? You have to be there. Then those days, this was how church service was. Pastor will call, Sir Chris, Sir Chris, come and stand here. Yes, start teaching on baptism. With nothing, so that's what so before you come to church, you don't know what pastor is going to ask you to preach on. And you cannot come and stand and disgrace yourself. Amen. So we we were prepared before you come to church, Charlie, you have to pray, God. What will Pastor, what will Pastor ask us? Amen. I remember one day Pastor Chris came. Baptism comes from the Greek word baptism. Like, ee, Charlie. I'm like, I'm like, this guy has our power. Amen. Those was those were those days. In fact, I can see that those of us that decided to not only stay in our rooms but come and serve, we became better. Because what's the purpose of all the revelation that you are getting in your room? For what? Aside from making you a better person, which we didn't even see any results, right? It's for you to gain, it's for you to gain the knowledge so that you can use it to serve people, right? But if you are in your room and then you are listening to worship songs, you are listening to messages, and so what? That is not what God is interested in. God is interested in you becoming part of the building. Hallelujah. So Paul is telling them that don't forget or don't forsake the assembly of ourselves together, as is the manner of some. But we should do what? We should, but exalting one another and so much as yours, you see the day approaching. Amen. Now, why must we be why must we not forget or forsake the gathering of the sin? Let's go to Acts chapter 2, verse 1.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

Acts 2, 1. Let me show you something there. Acts 2.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

Now in Acts chapter 2, verse 1, we that that's what is called the day of Pentecost. And the Bible says something very important. Okay that and when the day of Pentecost had fully come, that means that not a bank account, you get it, was coming, it was coming, it was coming. But when it was fully come, they were all with what one accord in one place, two things. You see, you we can gather in one place without one accord. That means that there is division, chaos, confusion, right? But you see, if we want the spirit to move, if you want to come to a service where the spirit of God moves mightily, one, we must all gather together in one place. And in one word, accord. In one accord means that we are all doing one thing. That's what Pastor taught us, right? Systemic words thinking. Do you get it? The one who is who is supposed to get the bus, Gideon has done, Gideon is having one accord because he knows that if he doesn't do his work or the choristers to come and lead worship to tables and chairs, right? Right? So he has to have one accord. The choristers must have one accord, the Bible studies department must must have one accord, the ushers, everybody is having one accord because we all want to have an excellent word. That's what is called one accord. So if we gather together in one accord, that is when the spirit moves. Because the spirit does not dwell in places where there is chaos and confusion. Hallelujah. Let's look at the verse 2. What happened? Then suddenly there came a sound from heaven. So you see, imagine that was the only day that um Daniela decided that, oh, today I've been, you see, the day of Pentecost was was coming, coming, coming until it fully what came. But you wouldn't know when it would fully come. So Daniela is like, oh, chale media, I've come 49 days. Pentecost, the 50th day, Pentecost, the 50th day in there, you are tired. You see, you would never know when the breakthrough you are looking for will come. I'm telling you. And that's why you have to be consistent. Okay, consistency is key. You see, God is trying to do something. When you come here, the messages that we are teaching, I told you that God, God is the one who plants you in a local church. The messages are God's lessons for you to build something or prepare you for something that is ahead of you. So if you don't take all the courses and pass, you'll be delaying your blessing. Amen. You need to learn forgiveness, you need to learn love, you need to learn this. So all the things that are coming, God is giving you, and the earlier you learn not only head knowledge, but also apply the principles to your teaching here, the better you finish the course and go say, okay, this person is ready. Amen. So the church is the school. The church is the school. Amen. So you must be faithful in your attendance and you have to be committed. The next point is that point number four, you must serve actively. Amen. Don't just sit, but you have to get involved. Amen. Serve actively.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

Tell a neighbor that don't be a vestigial organ. Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

Yeah, let me let me explain. I mean, I was thinking of vestigial organs, this one their primary school, but let me let me explain, okay?

unknown 19:21

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Or it's only my school. This one. So vestigial organ is an organ whose function is not known. Or it's an organ which is not working. Maybe because of our ignorance, we don't know their function yet. Right? So it's there, it's part of your body, but you can even cast it away. Nothing will happen to you. That's a vestigial guy. So there are some people in the church, they are not doing anything. They are vestigial. Remember, he told us that Paul describes the church as the body of Christ, and some people are the eyes, the brain. Unfortunately, some people are like the appendix. The appendix is a vestigial organ. We can cut it away. Nothing will happen. We will not feel anything. Amen. Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

Ask the neighbor which organ are you. Hallelujah. So you need to serve actively.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

Whatever you can do to ensure. You see, I always say this that wherever you find yourself, wherever you find yourself, make sure that people miss your absence. Do you get it? Like, it shouldn't be like you left a place and nobody felt it. That means you have you have vestigia. Amen. But you should have been so important to the extent that even if you don't come to church one day, realize that like something is off. Do you get it? Like we felt your absence. In the same way, at work, if you don't go to work, people should feel it. Do you get it? And it's nice. Everybody before, Dr. Brighton, how you come to the claim. Dr. Brighton, I come to the claim. I know for the two. Yeah, yeah. But they like it when I'm around. Amen. At least I'll make them laugh or something like that. So that's how you need to be. When you are part of the church, do something. I always say this, okay? That you see, I will not be the reason why when a pastor stands before God, God will tell him that he didn't do his work well. Do you get it? Because maybe I could have done something, but I didn't do. You could have also done something he didn't do. At the end of the day, is the head pastors that God is going to account for? Do you get that? They are the ones going to give accounts in the sight of God. Okay? Remember in the Old Testament, when the people of Israel were sinning, which prophets or which um um priests were going to stand in their presence? Does anyone know Joshua the high priest, right? So when you read the book of Zachariah, you see that the people were. Sinning, then God went to hold Joshua the high priest responsible. So God deals with the leaders. So if you are not doing something right as someone who is part of the church, then ultimately the leader is going to be held accountable for that. And I don't want to be the reason. Let's look at 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 10. 1 Peter 4 10. Is that and as each one has received a gift? So on Sunday, someone was asking a question in church that um how do you call it, how do I know whether I'm gifted or so? Here we read from Ephesians chapter 4, verse 7. Here too, Peter is also saying, 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 10. As each one has received a gift. So everybody in the local church has received a gift. There's a reason why God brought you here. Do you get it? There's a reason why God brought you here. Those days we are praying, God, give us singers, because those days I was the one with my hoarse voice, right? But we are taking it like that. We are praying, God, give us right now. We have we have guest ministers seated here with us. Amen. So as each one has received a gift, do what? Minister it one, minister it to one another, as good stewards of what? The manifold grace of God. So here we can look at what is called the Hebrew um parallelism, okay? And we can see that the word grace of God is equivalent to gifts. Okay, so the gifts are as a result of the grace of God. Let's give me um verse 11. Give me verse 11.

SPEAKER_02 23:43

1 Peter 4, 11. Okay, let's see something on verse 11. Are we there? Or the machine has gone on strike.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

Great. So we can look at the verse 10 and then the verse, look at the verse 11. If any man, if anyone what speaks, is the same as if anyone ministers. Okay, let him speak or let him minister as what? As the oracles of God. So if you come and stand here and they ask you to do anything, do it as if you are what? Do you know who an oracle is? There is a guy in my class called Oracle. Do you get it? Oracle. When he's coming, he's tall and giant, and when he's coming, yeah. The oracle, he commands presence. Do you get it? It's like going to the fetish priests. They are the oracles. If you watch Nigerian movies, you call them oracles. They minister like oracles. The Bible is saying that if anyone speaks, if any man, anyone ministers, if anyone teaches, if anyone sings, if anyone comes to dance, do it as what? As the oracle of God. As not the oracle of Nogopo or the oracle of anything. Minister with that power. Minister with that authority. Whatever gift that God has given you, do it understanding that it's God that has empowered you. You see, the gifts are from God. So if you use it very well, the impacts will be as though God Himself is moving through you. Amen. Anytime I hold the microphone and I come to stand, in my mind, then it is God that is what's speaking through me. Amen. When you hold the microphone to sing, it is God that is what's singing through me. When you come here to dance, I wish I could. It is God that is what's moving my limbs. Hallelujah. Amen. If you are standing and you are serving, you are greeting people, it is God that is ministering to people through me. Because we are what? We are the earthly vessels, and our substance is God. Hallelujah. So let him speak or let him minister as the oracle of God. If anyone ministers, so you realize that they speak is the same as minister. So this is the parallelism, okay? Let him do it as with the abilities which God supplies. So you can see that the word oracle of God is also synonymous to the abilities which God supplies. That in all things God may be used, glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Yeah. So you need to serve actively. The next point is that you must also give generously. Hallelujah. Support the work of God with the little that you have. Let's go to Malachi chapter 3, verse 10. This is a very common verse. The Bible says that bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that they may be what? Food in my house. Now the question is this do you think God eats? So the food in the house, who was going to eat it? Now remember that in the Old Testament, the priests were not working. Do you get it? So the other the other tribes, they are all supposed to send tithes to the Levites. You see what we have the Levites, then under the Levites, we have priests, then we have the high priest. So that is the other, the three other Levites, priests, and then the high priest. Okay. So all the other tribes were supposed to send food to the house of the Lord. And then that was how the Levites were going to eat. Amen. That there may be food in my house. We are not saying that bring a tithe for the pastors here. You know, here we don't do that. Hallelujah. We don't pay the past because the pastors are working. Amen. So we don't take your money for food or drinks. Hallelujah. We need to use some to pay for this. You know, when you watch social media and then they say, ah, ah, the pastors are taking the church people's money. Right? Have you guys heard of those kind of things? You see, anyone that says that does not think logically. Okay.

unknown 28:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

Don't worry, they will not even watch the video. So don't, they will not. Why am I saying this? First of all, people have use of their money. Do you get it? If someone decides to go and give their money to Stone Boy, that one, you're not complaining. Decide to buy tickets, thousands to go and watch Chatawales Barechested. You you're not complain. Amen. We say, oh, but they hide the venue, so they are using the money to pay and all of that. Why here? We don't hide the place.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

Now, now listen to this. As you are here and I'm making you laugh, if this was a comedy show, do you know how much we would have paid?

SPEAKER_01 28:56

After all the advice you guys hear every Sunday after Sunday, if you are supposed to have paid a psychologist just for therapy, do you know how much you would have paid? Thinking about it like this, all the advice, your life, you would have been a wayward person. But Sunday after Sunday, someone is giving you a message that will shape your life, that will make you be a morally upright person. That you don't end up on the streets. Can you pay the person?

SPEAKER_02 29:25

Can you pay the person? No. No, you have no idea. You have no idea what you could have become. People are praying for you. Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_01 29:39

People are praying for you. So don't join those people who are saying that uh pastor, of course, there are some bad nuts. But Pastor always said the presence of fake is evidence that there is a real. Amen. Yeah. So the fact that there are fake people out there means that they are, and then you see, if you allow yourself to be tricked by finding yourself in those that are fake, then that tells me, yeah, do you get it? That tells me how you think. Amen. Hallelujah. Someone said, Oh, they deceived me. And I was like, that is exactly my point. That's my point. How come you made them deceive you? Do you get it? But everybody says, Pastor, you are the creme de la creme of this country. Amen. Yeah, the best. So the fact that you guys are here listening to us means that we know we are doing something right. Amen. Hallelujah. So don't join those people who are saying that, oh, pastors are taking people's monies and all of that. Hallelujah. God gave you so that you could support the work that we are doing. Okay? Someone says something that's when it comes to the work of God, you need money. If you see all those nice ministries that everybody's attracted to, it's what? It's money. Someone says, Oh, but money is the root of all evil. And I said, mm-mm. It's not, it's what? The love. Not only the love, the love and the lack. Right? The love and the lack of money is the root of all evil. Amen. Okay. So giving is not a loss, it is participation in God's work. Hallelujah. Amen. The Bible says, seeking first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added. How do you re seek the kingdom of God? You are seeking its progress, you are seeking its advancements, okay? And whatever resource that you have, your mind, your intellect, your resources, your money, your time, all of those are things that you can give to support the house of the Lord. The next point is that pray for the church and its leaders. It's the responsibility of every local church member to pray for their pastors. You have no idea the battles we face. In fact, sometimes we don't tell you.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

Amen. Especially the work that the Bible teachers do is very risky.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

It's very, very risky. Imagine that the devil wants to destroy someone's life, and you, every Sunday, you are coming to teach the person to find the right path. Do you think that the devil will be happy with you? No, every day I wake up with back pains.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

I wake up with back pains, lashes. Like, leave our children alone.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

You want them to be to be way what? And some of you are coming from all manner of places. So we are dealing with all manner of things. Hallelujah. I'm telling you, sleep away caperna. I don't know if anybody has had spiritual battle before. If you know what spiritual battle is. Huh? I now understood why Paul said I fought the good fight. Amen. So you have to also be praying for your your leaders because they are facing all manner of things that you have no you have no idea of, okay? And so let's look at Ephesians chapter 6, verse 18 to 19. This is Paul.

SPEAKER_02 33:17

Let's see, verse, um, let's go to verse 19. Verse 19.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

So Paul is talking about prayer. He said that, and for me, he said, pray for me, that what an utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known what the mystery of the gospel. So Paul is saying that pray for me. You see, they were lashing Paul. If you read 2 Corinthians chapter 11, from verse 22 downwards, 2nd Corinthians 11, 2 times 11, 22. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 22 downwards. Paul will tell you the things he suffered for the sake of the of the gospel. He said he was lashed, he was beaten, he was that. And Paul is saying that sometimes my body gets weak, but you continue to pray for me that I would have boldness to keep on preaching. Amen. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they of the seed of Abraham? So am I. Let's continue. Verse 23. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measures, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often. Paul died three times and he came back again. Let's continue. Verse 24. From the Jews, five I received at received I 40 stripes minus one. Okay, so five times elaborate in 39 times. The next verse, verse 25. Three times I was beaten with rod. Once I was stone, thrice I was, and he was counting them. Take note. Thrice I was shipwrecked, and ninth and a day in the deep. The next verse, verse 26, in Janice's often, in perils of waters, in perils of rubbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils of the cities, in perils of the wilderness, in perils of the sea, in perils among false brethren. The next verse, verse 27, in weariness and toil, in sleepness often, in hunger and test, in fasting. Now he distinguished between hunger and fasting. Okay, I know you know the difference, right? In hunger and test, in fasting often, in cold and what? And beside these things, and beside the other things, what comes upon me daily, my deep concern for what? For is that above all the things I'm I'm receiving at my back and all of that, what moves me is what? My deep concern for what? For all the churches. Verse 29. Who is weak and am I not weak? Who is made to stumble? And I do not bend with indignation. Verse 30. If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my heart, my infirmity. The next verse. The God and the Lord of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed forever, knows that I am not what? Line, verse 32. Verse 32. Let's be fast. Is that in Damascus, the governor and the arritors, the king, was guiding the steel of the Damascus with the garrison, desiring to apprehend me or arrest me. But down in the basket through the window was I let down that I and I escaped out of his hands. Amen. Then the next verse, that is verse 12, verse 1. He said, I knew a man in Christ 13 years ago. Then that's when he began to describe his visions. Amen. Hallelujah. So this is what Paul suffered for the sake of the gospel. Now ask the neighbor, what have you suffered? Hey. And then you see, come and do something small. You are crying. Come and do something small. Oh yeah. Please, have they lashed you thrice before? Have you been naked for the gospel before? Have you even been on a ship for the sake of the gospel yet alone for the ship to suffer shipwreck? Amen. Which of the perils? We saw a lot of perils. Which of the perils have you been through before? When you asked to do something for it. At the end of the day, we are all children of God. You think being a child of God is singing, hey, yeah, yeah. I'm telling you, that's what Paul said, that I may know him and what? The fellowship of what? Of his suffering. Paul says that there is a realm where you get to, where you fellowship in God's suffering. You don't fellowship in songs, you fellowship in God's suffering. You are happy to participate, you are happy to be larged, you are happy to have pains in your body because you are doing something for the king of God. Hallelujah. So we need to pray for our church leaders. Okay. The next verse is that we need to promote unity and peace in the church. Hallelujah. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 4, verse 3. I started teaching on that on Sunday. Ephesians 4, 3. Endeavoring to keep what? The unity of the spirit in what? In the bond of peace. Okay. We can use one hour to teach this, but let me just summarize it. Endeavoring to keep the unity. Now, he's telling you something that you did not start the unity. When you came to the church, people were here. So the unity that already exists in Edify, make sure that you keep it. So endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. Unity is oneness of the spirit through what? The bond of peace. Don't come here and then be what? Be gossiping, backbiting, telling people this. This person has done this. This person, if you if you are doing that, then you are not keeping the unity of the spirit. Amen. How do we keep the unity of the spirit? The answer is in verse 2. So go to Ephesians 4, verse 2, and you see how to keep the unity of the spirit. Verse 2. So these are some virtues that you must have, okay? Lowliness. What else? Gentleness, long suffering, forbearing one another in what in love. Amen. So you don't avoid gossiping and then division offenses. Let's go to um 1 Corinthians chapter. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 1. Let's see. Our time is almost up. 1 Corinthians 3, 1. Let's look at something about it. Okay, so this is Paul speaking. He said, and I, brethren, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual people, but as unto what? Canal, even as what? Babes in Christ. Amen. The next verse. I fed you with what? Milk and not solid food. For until now you were not able to receive it. And even now you are still not able. Verse 3. For you are still canal. Why? For where there is what? Envy. There is what? Strife. There is what? Division amongst you. Are you not what? Canal and what? Behave like what? Mere men. So any church that there is strife, there is envy, there is division. Paul calls that church a canal church. The spiritual church is the church that is that has been united, right? That has what is called the oneness or the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Amen. The next thing that we must all do is that we must actively evangelize. Hallelujah. It looks as though we've forgotten about evangelism. Amen. You've only left it for Saturdays. But even with that cry, we we are not part. Amen. We don't evangelize. Let's go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. My time is almost up.

SPEAKER_02 40:46

2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 19 and 20. 2nd Corinthians 5, verse 19 and 20.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

Okay. And that is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing unto them their trespasses, and has committed unto us the word of what? Reconciliation. The next verse. Now we are the ambassadors of Christ. Hallelujah. I think Gams would their theme is of ambassadors. Then they say what? For Christ. Do you know who an ambassador is? So the ambassador is the one that represents a certain nation's agenda or interest in a foreign land. The Bible is saying that we are what? The ambassadors of Christ. Amen. We are also ministers of Christ. Do you know who a minister is? People want to become minister of education, minister of health, but God has given you a higher form of ministry and he's calling you my minister. But you don't like it. Amen. You are ashamed of it. Why are you ashamed of it? Right? Paul said, For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. So let's understand that God has made us ambassadors. Amen. We represent the kingdom of God. We represent the interest of the kingdom of God. Pastor said something that's we are unapologetically biased towards the kingdom of God. Amen. We are biased towards the kingdom of God. God first. God first. Amen. Whatever it takes. You see, there are some people that you can post a lot of things on social media. You don't want to be associated with church things. Hallelujah. Church things, zero. I've been monitoring all of you, one, one, one, one, one. Like a monitoring spirit. Amen. You are ashamed to be associated with church things. You are ashamed to be associated with God's work. But when it comes to FGMS, hey, I see. You've posted it because that one sounds like the ish. But invite someone to church. Share a flyer with someone. No. Share something about score. Is this called score or something like that? Yeah. Do you get it? This one, this is the I'm not, I'm not looking at uh perses. I'm not looking at pesses. Amen. Hallelujah. Great. Then the last one is honor and support leadership. Let's look at Hebrews chapter 13, verse 17. It says that obey those who rule over you and be submissive. Okay? For they watch out for what? They watch out for your souls as those who must give accounts. So I told you that your leaders are the ones who are going to give accounts of your soul. Whatever happens to you, your leaders are the ones going to give accounts. So be submissive to them, listen to them. Amen. You have to be very humble. One of the tests of humility is I think I posted on my status yesterday that how you feel when you are corrected if you become defensive when you are corrected, check in. There is price somewhere. Amen. Be submissive. Obey your leaders. Obey those that God has put above you. Obey your cell leaders. Hallelujah. Cell leaders to obey their cell leaders, leaders. Amen. And let them do so with what? With joy. Obey your leaders with joy. And not with what? With grief. For that will be hot. Unprofitable to you. So I've always been saying this that if you are doing anything and you don't do it joyfully, you are wasting your time. God does not account for it. Hallelujah. Amen. And then the last point is that what you can do for the church is that you have to make it your personal goal to grow spiritually yourself. Hallelujah. Because when you grow spiritually yourself, it impacts and influences the entire church. Imagine if I decide to study the word of God very well, everybody will benefit. If the choristers decide that on their own, they are going to mature. Okay, I said on Sunday that don't come and stand here and sing a song which you have not fellowshipped with for like one whole week. You get do sweat and come and you see that like your ministrations are different. Amen. So that's your individual personal growth, is going to benefit everybody. And if you are there, then you you you don't want to pray, you don't want to have your morning devotion, you don't want to have your quiet time. That also affects all of us. Because if you don't do that, then you realize that the devil is going to hold you. And pastor has taught us that the strength of any ministry is as what? It's as the weakest person, the weakest link. Once the devil gets you, then he'll start using you to sow seeds of discord. Because if not tame your lips, if not circumcised your lips through the word of God, your heart has not been circumcised. Hallelujah. Let's be on our feet. So we've we've understood what's what the local church is, and we've also said that a person must develop a heart for the church. You must you must love the church. Just as David said, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. As a local church member, you must be faithful in attendance and you have to be very committed. You must serve actively. We said, don't be a vestigial organ in the church. You must give generously. Don't join the masses who are speaking without thinking through what they are saying. Pray for the church and the church leaders as Paul solicited. And you have to promote peace and unity in the church by keeping the oneness of the spirit through the bond of peace. You must participate in evangelism, understanding that you are a minister and an ambassador of God who represents God's interest wherever you find yourself. You must honor and support leadership. And finally, you must grow to become a spiritually strong member. Hallelujah. I want us to pray for grace that as you've heard of this, God will make you a good church member. Amen. Wherever you find yourself, I said that at certain phases of our lives, God plans us in certain local ministries because He has given you a certain gift, a certain ability to help at that point in time. You want to pray that God grant me the grace to be a good church member. Oh, I was glad. I was glad when they said unto me that the veil has been torn and we have access into God's presence. Oh, I find it more joy to spend a thousand days in God's presence. I'll spend the rest of my days in your presence, Lord. I'll spend the rest of my days tabernacling in your presence, in the name of Jesus, that we may find ourselves in the Holy of Holies, where we have encounters with God. May we see you, oh God, as we decide to become faithful members in the name of Jesus. May we not cause division, may we not be lazy. Father, we pray that you grant us grace, grant us strength. In the name of Jesus. Father, we thank you this evening. We pray that as we have heard your word. These are the eternal verities, these are the eternal truths in your word. We have seen that this is your very word for us. These are God's breath, these are inspired writings. As we have seen this, we pray, oh God, that may our hearts be quickened, that we become effective members of your body. In Jesus' name we pray, thanks given.