Once again, welcome your neighbor left and right and tell them, I'm so glad to see you in the house of the Lord today. The joy of the Lord is your strength. I'm glad you're sitting next to me. I really like your perfume. And not your body odor.
Amen. Last Sunday, our focus was on obedience as the main legacy of Abraham. Today, by the grace of God, we'll focus on the hope of righteousness by obedience.
The hope of righteousness by obedience. Now, this particular theme with... take an intense study of the word of God and I do not intend to break the message into two. Today you hear it all, this particular subject, because I know that you are having challenges and struggles.
How do I know? Because I do too. Pastor, how do you know?
any struggle, any challenges. The reason a man becomes a shepherd is because he's been sheep. He knows the challenges that you are facing. The reason you are a father is because you are once a youth, so that you will know the challenges of youth and you'll be able to give direction, guidance. counsel to those who are coming behind you so that one generation can pass the baton of his praise to another generation.
He says, Lord, when I'm gray-headed, gray-headed, do not let me die, do not let me go until I make known to the next generation your power. The hope of righteousness known by performance. Not by any other thing other than obedience. When Jesus saw Peter, he said, follow me and I will make you. Before he left at the Sea of Tiberias, he said, follow me.
I told you repeatedly, between the first follow me and the last follow me, Peter did not fail to follow, yet he failed while following. So at the end of the day, the day of Pentecost came. It was the same Peter who denied three times. Who now stood and said, this is that.
That's where I'm taking you to. Abraham was an idolater. His descendants and himself were all idol worshipers.
The God of glory appeared to him and preached the first message called the gospel to him. And you, all the families of the earth, shall be blessed. I'm not sure you are. conscious of how loaded that is.
Now from one man, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Was God depending on his gold, on his silver, on his male servants? If God were to depend on that, when Jacob left home, he should have left home with 20 camels. Because when they were going to ask for a wife for the father Isaac, Eliezer took 10 camels, some carrying gold, to go pay dowry.
But when Jacob left home, he had just a bottle of oil. He could not even afford a motel. And yet, he left home with the blessing of Abraham.
He said, with my staff, I crossed this Jordan. Now I've become two companies. Do you understand me?
And he told his wives that the God of his fathers. Transfer the wealth of their father to him because he changed his wages 10 times in 20 years. Tell your neighbor, I can't hear you.
By means of strength, shall no man prevail. I trust that at the end of today's message, we all be empowered. empowered to shake off the dust. to become awake to righteousness and escape the corruption that is in the world through lost in the mighty name of Jesus. If you can recall it was at this note that we concluded the message last Sunday.
So let's again dig up Isaiah chapter 51 verse 1 to 3. This is a continuum. Isaiah 51 verse 1 to 3. Listen to me, you who are righteous, I've told you that you become what you think, you become what you say, you become what you eat and drink, you become what you follow. Be careful what you are becoming, as a man thinks in his heart. So is he.
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The power of life and death are in the tongue. You will eat the fruit of what you say. You keep on telling the whole world that insecurity is ravaging the land.
Poverty is everywhere. You get it. But I keep on declaring he that dwells in the secret place of the Most High. I will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Are you here? All right. Listen to me.
You will follow after righteousness. You will seek the Lord. Now, I want you to know, if you're following after righteousness, he had already concluded it in 2 Corinthians 5, 21, that he who knew no sin became sin for us. For what reason? It was exchanged at Calvary that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, not outside of him.
Your righteousness is like that of filthy rags. And the righteousness of the law will only produce bondage. God knew we couldn't make it.
He sent his son. And now you are trying to make it on your own. Good luck.
I'm not trying to call the name of the former president. Look to the rock from which you were healed. Now, to begin to...
bring you out of the rock will involve some work that God himself will have to do not you look to the rock from which you are hewn and to the hole of the pit from which you are dug look to who did he become Abraham overnight he was called out in chapter 11 a second call came in chapter 12 you Followed by chapter 13, chapter 14, chapter 15. When he was messing up with Agur, chapter 16. 13 years after, God said, you can't carry on this way. I need to change your name so that there's a change of nature. You are no longer Abram, you are Abraham. Did he finish just as Abraham?
No, he became a mighty prince among the sons of Abraham. Hit where he bought parcel ground for funeral. Can you imagine the man that God promised the whole entire landscape of the promised land could only get a burial spot.
Do you remember he planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called for the first time on the name of the everlasting God so that every part of his descendants that would get to Beersheba, God must show up. Welcome to my website. God is going to show up on your behalf.
Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you. How many sons of Adam are here? And how many daughters of Eve are here?
You are no longer daughters of Eve. You are daughters of Sarah. God has changed the production line.
And when I get to brass tacks, you are going to see that the whole world is full of two types of seed. The good, the bad. The wheat, the tears, Cain, Abel, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Esau.
You are one of the lines. And you are going to see where our struggle lies today because when the two now combining you, the good you want to do, you can't do. The evil you don't want to do, that's okay.
Is anybody having this struggle? How many times have you confessed the same sin and you go back to eat like a dog? Talk to me. uncountable thank you for being honest the rest of them are hypocrites hypocrites all of you hypocrites you're gonna pay the price one day look to abraham your father and to say i will bore you for i called him alone it is not good for man to be alone what he did with adam he now begin to do it abram you who became Abraham, who in the third final analysis became a mighty prince who gave birth to kings. For I called him alone and blessed him and increased him. For the Lord will comfort Zion.
He will comfort all our waste places. Can you imagine God saying to you, I'm restoring your wasted years. The years you have been waiting, hanging there and saying, I trust you, I trust you.
And everybody is looking down on you. I'm restoring your wasted years. I'm restoring all your wasted places.
Your desert will be like the garden of the Lord. I will make your wilderness like Eden. Isaiah 52. What are you going to do in order to plug into this?
Awake! Tell your neighbor you've been sleeping. One man slept. An enemy has done this.
Awake! Put on your strength, O Zion. Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you. You have been hanging around the unclean and the uncircumcised in their hearts, so they do not see the value you carry. They just want to use you and dump you.
You are going to shake off the dust and say not again. Shake yourself from the dust. Arise.
Sit down, O Jerusalem. Lose yourself. from the bones of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thou, says the Lord, you have sold yourself for nothing, so money come by you back. It's going to be my blood.
You shall be redeemed without money. What are you being awake to? Awake!
Awake to what? 1 Corinthians 15 34. That was where we closed last Sunday. Awake to what? To righteousness and do not sin. For some do not have the knowledge of God.
I speak this to your shame. In order for you and I to be awake to righteousness, I have carefully selected some powerful texts of scripture that will throw light on the three major areas about the life and times of Abraham and the mighty prince amongst the people. Abraham, to start with, was a man of deep humility.
Hello, I can't hear you. I said Abraham was a man of deep humility. If we carefully x-ray Abraham's life, you are going to find out that Abraham is truly humility personified. Because if you are not humble, how can God show up to you at the age of 75, when you are already settled, to ask you to relocate so that you don't suffocate?
Where else am I going to go? I'm 75. If I were to write a biographical sketch on Abraham, I would title it... From Abraham to Abraham and from Abraham to a mighty prince.
It would just be that. And from those three dimensions of his life as Abraham, Abraham, a mighty prince, as you begin to open scriptures today, you are going to see that God has not finished with you yet. What name were you given when you were born? Tell me your Muslim name, don't hide it. Huh?
Lucifat. Lucifat. Oh, Lucifat.
That's Latifatou. Lucifat. You're burning here, you're shabby.
Lucifat is You know my Muslim name was Sindikuf. The only reason I changed that name It's because of my classmate who was buried on Saturday. Anywhere he saw me, he said, Sindiku, Sundoku, Sandaka, Sandaka. Ah, we rise.
It means, side in a happily battery. It was the caliphate that succeeded Muhammad. So they put the name on me to be Siddique.
Are you still Latifatou? No. What name do you be announced on Lord Justice?
He's a judge of the ICO. What name do you be announced? Atinuke.
Okay. Atinuke Fadike. In your memory.
Atinuke Fadike. Okay. Okay. Okay.
Okay. And then, after LLB, LLM, it will mean nothing if you don't have MRS. The reason you have children is because you have MRS. So all my daughters who have acquired first degree, second degree, third degree, the latest one you need is MRS. That's what I'm looking for, doctor. MRS is the most qualified degree that can entitle you to descendants. Because you're going to find out pregnancy by compromise and pregnancy by covenant. As we go on, you see both in the life.
of Abraham. Genesis chapter 17, 1 to 8, that was where the name Abraham was changing to Abraham. Let's read it. I know you're in a hurry to go home. This is one message that is your preview of Wednesday so that you will understand project 16. When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am almighty God, walk before me and be blameless.
In the New Living Bible, it said, I am almighty God, obey me and live as you should. You are living below standard. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and we multiply you exceedingly.
Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You are messed up, but my covenant is with you. Moses, you are still my man for the job. David, I knew it before you started lusting after Bathsheba. I saw it when you sent for her.
You do not need to confess to me for me to know. I saw it when you slept with her. I saw it when you were trying to shorten the husband to go home and sleep with his wife so that he would think the pregnancy should be a pregnancy. He says, I put it in his heart not to go. I watched you when you wrote the first passage of the Bible in human history.
And gave it to Deleguerre. Oh, sorry. You gave it to... Sorry, that's a slip of tongue. And you gave it to the Hittite who became more righteous than you are.
How can I go to my wife when the Ark of the Covenant of God of Israel is in the battlefield? I saw it when strong men pulled away from him and you got him killed. It shows you're stupid. I gave you this, I gave you that.
You don't need to kill anybody. Just ask me to give you more. I'm going to show you the much more complete.
You can be in a hurry. You know, pastor, I want to message You were not here last Sunday, you traveled. I asked for your favorite meal. Who is making it? Sometimes.
She's a very good cook. But she makes it sometimes. To recook one day. Honey, I do. I want to argue.
I want to be a good person. Treat them like a fragile object. Like you hand wave so that your prayers will not be...
It's not Satan. It's the way you treat your wife that is hindering your prayers. You know why I said go back?
It was after God changed his name from Abraham to Abraham that he said, Hear the voice of your wife. If you are going to become a mighty prince. Okay, let me come back on track. As for me, behold, my covenant is with you.
And you shall be a father of many nations. By the time God showed up and said, Moses, you are mine for my joy. I am his.
Read your Bible and say, it was mighty in words. And indeed, suddenly, no longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abram. For I have made you. You are not becoming.
I made you. Oh, God. Is there anybody here? Oh, my God. I made you.
I have made you. So if God tells you you are number 16, were you doubting? I have made you.
I have made you a father. He changed the name here. Okay, let's find out how he became a mighty prince.
Genesis chapter 23 beginning from verse 1. You will see humility personally. I'm taking my time. I think I'll finish this message between 3 and 4 p.m.
and everybody say amen. That's all. They are used to it.
Sarah lived 127 years. These were the years of the life of Sarah. So Sarah died in Kajot Abba, that is, Abram, in the land of Canaan. And Abram came from where?
From Beersheba. Oh, Beersheba. He was born in Beersheba.
Oh, my God. When the visitor comes knocking like he knock at the door, David, and you are hungry, and they face you, la bule. So Sarah died in Kajak Abba, that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham stood up from before his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, Here is my Lord. It wasn't only Sarah that was calling him my Lord. Here is my Lord. You are a mighty prince among girls.
Bury your dead in the choices of our burial place. places. I said, no, no, no, no. Ah, they're just some big canal. I'm buying a place that is called Ringside.
You understand me? Because he's coming. I've seen him in the tent.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And he was glad when he saw it. I know exactly the position he will be hung on the cross.
I need a particular place so that when he says it is finished, the grave will open and we'll see him. None of us will withhold from you his burial place that you may bury your dead. You are mighty enough to command anything to be yours.
Humility personified. It was called the Lord. Then Abram stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.
And he spoke with them, saying, If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah. specific go and do your research on it that he may give me the cave of mcfella which he has which is at the end of his field let him give it to me at the full price as property for a barrier place among you i'm not asking this for free because one day you will say it's our father's land now ephron dwelt among the sons of head and ephron the hittite answered abraham in the presence of the sons of head All who entered at the gate of his city saying, No, my Lord, hear me. I give you the field and the cave that is in it.
I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead. Humility personified.
Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. It's called the Lord. He's negotiating for the future. He knows how to tap into all.
or the humility resources in him to negotiate for what will benefit him and his descendants after him. Because here Sarah was buried, there Abraham will be buried, there Rebekah will be buried, there Isaac will be buried, there Leah will be buried, and Jacob will be buried. The only person that will not be buried among the patriarchs and matriarchs was Rachel, because she imported foreign idols. into Isaac's home until they buried it in Genesis 35. Are you listening to me? Okay.
And he spoke to everyone in the hearing of the people of the land saying, if you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it from me and I will bury my dead there. And everyone answered Abraham saying to him, my Lord, listen to me. Are you listening to this?
The land is worth 400 shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead. Was he giving it free of charge?
I gave him 400 shekels. What a surprise. And Abraham listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed out the silver of Ephron, which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Herod.
400 shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. So the field of Abram, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave, which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were added to Abram as a possession in the presence of the sons of head before all who went in at the gate of his city. And what followed?
And after this, Abram buried Sarah, his wife, in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, that is Abram, in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that's in it were did to Abraham by the sons of head as property for a burial place. I wish I could take you through the journey to let you know why he bought this.
I wish I could show you Jacob when he would tell Joseph where he would be buried. And exactly the spot and how father Abraham acquired it. Don't invest even in real estate carelessly.
I will hold it for today until Dominion Partners Sunday. How to create generational wealth. Then I will bring some of these things to you because you are just investing anyhow. You must investigate before you invest.
Can you see how the mighty prince got up each time and bowed? to the people who called him Lord and still paid 400 shekels for the landing boat. Friends, humility goes before honor, just as pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before it falls. I want you to rise to your feet.
We are going to read these passages together, and you are going to pray. Proverbs chapter 15, verse 31 to 33. Proverbs 15, 31 to 33. Ready? Read.
The hearer that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise. That's why you don't have to argue when you are being corrected. Just stay still and receive declaration.
Don't answer back at all. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul. But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. Now read this with me. The fear of the Lord is instruction of wisdom.
And before honor is humility. Instead of looking for honor, be humble. Do you understand me? Instead of looking for honor, that's, you see, this is why you acquire titles, because you have no honor.
In the past, it was Otumba. Now, it's Are. Tomorrow, it's Balogun. Next week is Emasoituku, Emakubame.
You know, you acquire all the titles because your name is not good. We still call Abraham. Abraham today.
Jesus is Jesus. Isaac is Isaac. David is David.
They're your own prefixes, suffixes. Right reverend Dr. Kilo Deo. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor is humility. Proverbs 18 12. Proverbs 18 12. Before destruction the heart of a man is hearty and before honor is humility.
Proverbs 22 verse number four, by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. I can go on forever. In Acts of the Apostle, Paul the Apostle said, I came here three years ago and I saw before you all with humility.
If this is all I teach today, It will be sufficient to bring ethical adjustments to those who are puffed up over nothing and who quickly forget what the Yoruba people say. Ibiraga Nishuadu Ibanu. Last scripture and we'll pray.
Interpretation of Ibiraga Nishuadu Ibanu is found in Proverbs 16, 18 to 19. Proverbs 16, 18 to 19. Ready? Read. Pride goes before destruction.
and a haughty spirit before a fall better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoiled with the proud god receives the proud he gives grace to the humble god is saying you receive the devil i'm inside of you but leave the proud to me you can't resist i want you to ask anything that looks like pride haughty spirit lord or put them from my life come you completely let not knowledge pop me up that i can no longer listen to instruction deliver me oh lord from being proud from a prideful spirit a hearty spirit that looks down everybody apart from yourself you don't need that there is a fall waiting for you there's destruction ahead of you lord deliver us from destruction deliver us from being proud being arrogant looking down And everybody, as if the whole world is manufactured by you, created by you. And you can't listen to no one else. Father, this day we humble ourselves. Those who don't humble themselves will be humiliated.
We humble ourselves. Teach us, Lord, to have your kind of mind. To be meek.
To be lowly of spirit. That's how you find rest for your soul. Come unto me.
All ye that live are heaven-laden. Amen. I will give you rest.
Learn of me. I'm lowly. Spirit, I'm meek. I'm teachable. He learned obedience through the things which he suffered.
Lord, I submit and surrender myself to you today. Approach every form, shape, or pride in my life. Caught me to be humble.
To walk humbly before my God. This is all that you request from me. I follow you every inch of the way. Every second of the day.
Help me, Father, not to become haughty or become arrogant. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. You may be seated.
You're going to come with me as we look further and deeper into the rock from which we were hung by focusing on three major areas of Abraham's walk with God after he left his country, his family, and his father's house. Three major areas we need to focus attention on to know that it's not by walks of righteousness that you do, it is by grace. Hello.
I'm going to show you the areas of conflict in your life because I've experienced even greater conflicts than you can imagine. Do you know teachers will have greater condemnation? If they teach and they don't do it.
Those that they are taught will have few stripes. They that know and teach it and don't do it, they're not going to get fewer stripes. It will be much more.
So I will teach you what I know. I pray you'll be able to glean wisdom from it. Three areas of Abraham's walk with God that we are going to focus on. Number one, we'll look at how Abraham shifted gear from idolatrous background to his becoming the friend of God. When I was a young boy living in the brochure that I built.
I followed many masquerades because I love action. I won't tell you the whole story. I love the Akara.
Shit! Those people know how to fry Akara. I was a Muslim. Kill the coming. I can tell you all the...
Olojugo, can I be mentioning them? Biri, biri. Feku Danu. You know when you want to eat granite, you do like...
That's the name of that man's spirit. Feku Danu. I remember the day KwaJepo Lobby and Waya, I remember the day they jammed at Hitoko. They threw a spear.
It went by my side. And he commanded wire to disappear. He entered the ground right before us. And then he showed up in another place. Why did we follow these masquerades?
Not only for Akara, but demonstration of power. There's a hunger inside of you that is looking for power. May you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you.
Are you with me? Even the Christians in our neighborhood did not forbid us from following the masquerade because they will sing So if you hear a man called Ojekunle, Ojelabi, they are all Ilegogon. If you hear Aboyade, they are all worshipping Oya.
Ogundimu, the god of iron, is holding you. You may need to change from Abraham to Abraham. How did he change? How did he turn his back? to idolatry to the point of becoming a friend of God.
Joshua 24 1 to 3. Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to shake him and call for the elders of Israel for their heads for their judges and for their offices and they presented themselves before God and Joshua said to all the people thus says the Lord God of Israel who is telling the people of Israel this God Almighty is offered Okay. He wants to tell them that they are background. Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the river in old times and they served other gods.
Then I took, was it because of his prayer? Because of his sovereignty. I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river, led him, he's in the process of following God, led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.
So at this point when he was taken, he was an idol worshiper. You will notice that in the garden of Eden, one river parted into four river heads. Not so. Okay.
Right from the beginning, he had been telling the story of what you would do with mankind. Abraham was an idol worshiper. Through Abraham and Ishmael, Islam came into the world.
Another river. And through Moses, Aaron, Judaism came. All right.
Okay. So there was Ishmael. Before Judaism and out of Judaism came Christianity.
And you think God does not know how to bring all back to himself? All the families of the earth are watching before you. Wait and see. It's our year of evangelism, evangelism, evangelism.
So many, so many, so many. And God is to confirm. He's going to confirm his word with signs and word that's following when we step out to let others know. Now the work of reconciliation is completed already. You have no right to look down on anybody and call them unbelievers until you present the gospel in an intelligent manner to them and they choose to reject.
They are will-be believers. Are you listening to me? Don't run after the gold that the river produces.
And there was river, it was good. There was silver. Don't worship gold. You are going to use it to worship God.
Can I hear? Amen. Acts of the Apostles chapter 7 is not in my note. Give it to me. How did they turn away from idolatry?
Acts 7 beginning from verse 1. It was a submission of Stephen. His eyes were shining like that of an angel and they asked him, are these things so? Acts chapter 7 verse number 1. Then the high priest said, are these things so?
And he said, brethren and fathers, listen. The God God of glory appeared to her father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Heron and said to him, Get out of your country and from your relatives and come to a land that I will show you. Who appeared to Abraham?
God of glory. God of glory. God came with his majestic splendor.
And showed them what is greater than all idols of the world. He appeared in glory and said, get out of your country. Or alone in his glory. It's not possible.
See, the trouble of you and me is lack of genuine conversion. How many years did Peter follow Jesus? About three and a half years.
When he was about going to the cross. He turned to Simon. Simon, Simon, the devil has desired to have you and to shift you. But I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail.
And when you are converted, strengthen your brain. Was he not converted before? He had gotten power, delegated authority to cast out devils, to heal.
He had borrowed it. There is still a work of conversion that needs to take place in your life. What we lack is genuine conversion. Okay.
Let's leave it there. But I answered the altar call, no, you said after them, say after me. Psychological salvation.
Our style of cerebral soul. If God's word will cut through your heart, you'll be the one saying, man and brother, what shall we do to be saved? If you really want to receive Christ today, all eyes bowed, all heads closed.
Isn't that the same thing? Because your head is closed, your eyes are bowing, you came into the church in your brain but you left it outside. Okay, sorry, I'm not abusing you.
I'm just being honest with you. All eyes bowed and all eyes closed. Don't look anywhere.
Lift up one finger if you really want to receive Jesus today. Okay, I can see that hand there. Okay, I can see another hand there.
Please get Everybody keep on praying. They are coming in now and they come. Say after me, Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus. And then you baptize them, you put dry sinners into water, and you raise wet sinners after baptizing. Their fornication continues, their adultery continues, their receiving bribe continues, but they are still showing off.
And God is on a journey. He's taking them on a journey. They will have genuine conversion in the name of Jesus.
You don't really believe me? Okay. Galatians chapter 3, 7 to 9. Galatians 3, 7 to 9. Therefore know that only those who have faith are sons of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand saying, In you all the nations shall be blessed.
If God was to show up to you at the age of 13, and begin to weave Nigeria into your heart like it did to me. You understand me? And you carry Nigeria in your heart from that tender age to now, and somebody is coming around and saying, I have ambition. You say, I have vision.
The companion of ambition is? What is it? Anxiety.
The companion of ambition is anxiety. You have to be plugging the hole here, plugging it. But the companion of vision is peace. Just stay where you are.
They will have to call Solomon to come. They will have to call Joseph to come. They will have to call Daniel.
Do you understand me? Stay where you are. If he says it, he will do it. He has never lied. As he said it, will he not do it?
God is not a man that he will lie. Are you with me? Okay. I saw your application.
I want to know how to be part of Project 16. Wait till you know what it is before you join. He wrote to me. Adjaba.
Because he told me, I will never marry a Yoruba woman. I kept quiet. And then the Lord showed me the woman that he will marry, who speaks Yoruba better than I do.
He's already made you kings and priests. Why are you behaving? like somebody who does not know him. In James chapter 2 verse 23, the idolater became friend of God. How did he?
We need to establish this thing so that you do not write yourself off before you sinned, after you have sinned, and when you subsequently sin, he's paid for it and he's going to take you through to the point that sin will have no dominion over you. He will sort you out. Can I hear?
Amen. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God and was accounted to him or credited to him a righteousness. It was credit card. When you use your debit card, it's out of your account instantly.
But when you use your credit card, it's another person's money you are using. Who is going to pay? You.
So when they credit you with righteousness, it will now take you on training so that you become righteous. It is that training that is causing conflict. And he was called the friend of God. Remember, Jehoshaphat stood before God in the temple and said, Are you not the God of our father Abraham, your friend forever? So have you seen the process?
Okay. The second thing we look at, we look at what Abraham found regarding the flesh. It was after he left him at the age of 75. Well, how do you pay him more, Charlie? Chase baby more. You should understand.
I mean, at 75, because he didn't have more interest at all. And then Sarah took the forbidden fruit. from the garden of Eden and gave it to Adam through Abraham just as Eve did to Adam and Abraham eight again. Do you know how long he had left home?
Do you know how many altars he had built at this time? Calling upon God. Do you know?
And when Sarah, he suggested, look, we have been here for 10 years. all this, this, this God is going to give us. I'm tired.
This is my slave. She brought out a technology that will be copied by Rachel and Leah later. She's my slave.
Anything she has is mine. So go into her, Abraham, Mark, Obama. She's not my wife. He said, okay, ceremony.
I'm giving her to you as your wife. Bam! Wait till Wednesday when the project is unveiled before you.
The Middle East crisis today, terrorism generating from that area, is rooted in that just one moment of indiscretion, of listening to the counsel of a wife after God has spoken to you that the sun is coming from your loins. obeying God to obey your wife. What did he find concerning the flesh?
And what is the flesh? The hidden disposition in human being to do evil. That's flesh.
It's not upper epidermis and lower epidermis. Doctors can cut through that. No doctor can locate flesh. They can cut skin.
The hidden disposition to do evil. What did he find? Shall we? Romans chapter 4 verse 1 to 8. What day shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and was accounted to him for righteousness. Now to him who walks, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt. But to him who does not walk, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, just as Siv you have not seen, who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
Just as David also described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the law shall not impute sin.
You have just committed sin immediately now and Satan showed up to say you are a sinner. And God says he's a prophet. You're not following me.
Abimelech said, I did this in the innocence of my hands and integrity of my heart. He said, yes, I know you did. He told me, his sister, God, will you slay righteous nation? He said, that's why I showed up. I restrain you from sinning against me.
Restore his wife to him, he's a prophet. Will you call Abraham a prophet at this stage? What did our father Abraham find concerning the flesh?
We'll take some moment there. I've already started. Pastor, can you tell me what you're going to say?
I have a message for you. What is it? Number three.
Finally, we will look at the training in righteousness that God gave Abraham as he continually obeyed God. That's the training you lack when you run away from Bible study. That's the training you do not want to embrace when you are being corrected.
I'm putting it inside. We'll fix it at home. Dear friends, before the arrival of the sons of the concubines, that the concubines bore to Abraham. Before the arrival of the sons of the concubines, Abraham initially had two sons.
One by compromise, namely Ishmael who was born to the uncircumcised Abraham. The father of Isaac and the father of Ishmael are not the same. The father of Ishmael is uncircumcised Abraham. The father of Isaac is circumcised Abraham.
If you think H there is a waste of time, then Saul is not Paul, Simon is not Peter, and Jacob is not Israel. There's a process. The other son by covenant. Now by compromise was named Isaac.
May God fill your mouth with laughter in the name of Jesus. Now here is a critical challenge of our faith. I can stop here if you can't take anymore because if you don't understand this struggle you will be falling and rising and returning to your sin like a dog.
You will commingle righteousness with unrighteousness. You will be awake to guilt. And Satan will hinder your prayers easily.
Here's a critical challenge about faith. I will ask you a question and I want an answer. I will ask section by section.
So I'm starting with those on the far right. Was Abraham justified by faith or by works? I can't hear you. I cannot hear you. If you say by faith, lift up your hand, thank you.
If you say by works, lift up your hand, no hand. Do you agree with them? I can't hear you.
Was Abraham justified by faith or by works? By faith. Works only.
Works. Aha, some people are not. This is the conflict.
Do you understand? This is where the conflict comes from. What do you say here?
By both. What do you say over there? By faith, by faith, and by faith and works. Why not they?
Give me Romans chapter 4 verse 2 to 5. For if Abraham was justified by works, He has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and was accounted to him for righteousness.
Now to him who walks, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt. So if you read this and you're going away from church, what are you going to say? Abraham was justified by faith.
Okay, James chapter 2. James chapter 2, verse 14. I will take my time to read up to verse 26. Please pay attention. James 2 from 14 to 26. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
Are you changing your position already? Huh? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled.
The Lord bless you, the Lord keep his face shining upon you, and the Lord give you peace. Go home, peace will pay your house rent, will pay your school fees. And one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled.
But you do not give them the things which are needed for the body. What does it profit? Does it also fade by itself? Does also fade by itself. If it does not have works, it's dead.
But someone will say, you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works. And I will show you my faith by my works.
You believe there is one God, you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble and you don't even tremble. But do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? That was where the faith was tested.
Is your faith tested already? Do you see that faith was working together with his works? And by works, faith was made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled. It was credited before, after the test.
It was now fulfilled. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God and was accounted to him for righteousness and was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only.
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as a body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Can I repeat my questions?
Was Abraham justified by faith or by works? I can't hear you. By? Faith.
Faith and? Okay. Is that the final answer here?
Are you sure? One more time. How about here?
Both. Over there. Both.
Over there. Stand up and give him praise. Put your hands together.
Oh hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Now sit down. I can't finish this one message. This will continue almost till March.
The way it's going, I'm telling you, because I don't want to rush you over this thing. You have this struggle. You are crying at night, like the gathering demoniac.
If you're that powerful and they chain you and you break every chain, and at night you are crying, you are crying for help. You don't need condemnation. You need encouragement. And it would take men who have gone through, who have been broken themselves, to mend every other person who is broken.
The root of our struggle that we perpetually go through in our walk with God is located in between faith and works. On the one hand is justification by faith and on the other hand is works that we do to prove our faith, knowing that faith without work is dead. It is very important people of God that we strike a balance between the two.
And know the difference or else our faith like a pendulum will swing with extremity to both sides. Bam! Faith! And here you are exercising faith.
Abraham believed God. He was counted unto him by righteousness, by faith. Abraham obeyed God by faith.
Abraham did this, Sarah did this, Sarah did that, by faith, by faith. Now faith is a substance of things hoped for without being tested. You swing on that pendulum and everything is by faith.
by faith, by faith, I trust God, by faith, I trust God, by faith, I trust God, nothing can befall me, I trust God, I'm a man of faith, I'm a man of faith, I'm a man of faith, I'm a man of faith, I'm a man of faith, and so I fill a glass with water, that you are not well, but I've been this way before, this is the drink I had, that God used to heal me, take this glass and drink it, no, I'm a person of faith, I'm a drinker. I believe that if I drink this, I'll be well. I believe if I drink it, I'll be well. I believe if I drink it, I'll be well. I believe if I drink it, I'll be well.
Well, you do not drink. Five minutes to go, you are still saying, I believe, I believe, I believe, I believe. I believe, I believe, I believe.
The spirit leaves the body. Faith is dead. A clear example, are you ready? A clear example of this struggle is what happened when after 20 years of marriage, Isaac prayed for Rebekah and Rebekah conceived.
In a womb at the same time, both Esau and Jacob described as two nations and two manner of people inside your womb. Genesis 25 verse 20. This is the struggle we have. Okay.
Now your husband pray for you. You have now conceived and you are happy. But there was a struggle in your womb.
Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah's wife. The daughter of Bethuel, the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife because she was barren.
And the Lord granted his plea and Rebekah, his wife, conceived. How many of you know that both of them will be extremely happy? But the children struggled together within her. You are going to see the struggle between spirit and flesh. For the flesh lost against the spirit and spirit against the flesh.
And one is contrary to the other and they are both in you. But the children struggled together within her. And she said, if all is well, why am I like this?
So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, congratulations. Two nations are in your womb. Two people shall be separated.
Somebody say separated, not isolated. We are called into separation, not isolation. Two manner of people shall be separated from your... But the one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in the womb.
And the first came out red. It means flesh. It's edom. It was like a hairy garment all over.
So when you wear singlet and you open your chest to show us you are hairy, be careful. Please cover it, okay? And the first came out red. It was like a hairy garment all over.
So they called his name Esau. Afterward, his brother came out and his hand took hold of Esau's heel. So his name was called Jacob the supplanter, the cheat.
Isaac was 60 years old when she bore them. So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter. A man of the field. Just like Ishmael.
A wild man. But Jacob was a mild, not wild. A mild man dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game.
He has divided against himself, can't stand. But boy, he went up. I was asleep, I was awake yesterday.
And she said, Papa, Papa, I said, Huh? What did you say? I said, Ah! So I woke up, I didn't know you were talking to your mom at that time.
So she stopped talking. She went to warm the suya. I was eating sugar. come to give me an office venison i said afford you loan jess would you isaac reform but when you have any sin give me father's honor you japanese more are you still here oh god isaac loved isaac because he heard of his game but rebecca loved jacob why because of the prophecy she had received now jacob cooked a stew and Esau came in from the field and he was weary and Esau said to Jacob please feed me or lay down.
He didn't say give me food to eat. Feed me with that same red stew for I am weary. Therefore his name was called Adam, red flesh. But Jacob said tell me about right as of this day and Esau said look I'm about to die. What is this birthright?
to me. Then Jacob said, swear to me as of this day. So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils.
Then he ate and drank, arose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. This is what made him a fornicator. Did you hear me? One who disregards the standard of God is a fornicator.
It's more than you. Let's go and sleep in a corner. That's saying this is worse.
Hebrews chapter 12, verse number 7. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. You know how difficult it is to receive discipline. You know.
You know. And this man is shouting at the top of his voice. He's like, is this our father? Must we not have any rights? I'm choking in this house.
I want to go find my house. If you are in the earth chasing, God is with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chase? If you spare the rod, you don't spoil the child.
Read your Bible. You spare the rod, you hate the child. But if you are without chastening, Of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate. This is fine English. Read it in KJV and say you are bastards and not sons.
People without discipline who are not going through the training in righteousness, no matter how many times you call them saints, they will bring reproach to the name of God because they cannot withstand discipline. But if you are without chastening of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Father, we have had human fathers who corrected us and we pay them respect.
They don't pay any respect now. They will argue with you point by point. I must have my own point too.
Dad, you can't do that. Dad, don't try to manipulate me. Manipulate you? Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of Spirit and live? For they indeed for a few days chasing us, I sing best to them.
But even for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. Is God breaking your heart? Is he making things not to work for you? Are you hitting your head against the rock?
Is everything failing? Is God calling for your attention? One of my own came to me.
One of my daughters came to me. She said, this is the person that I intend to marry. I want you to pray about it. And I kept quiet.
Then he came. She came and said, have you prayed? I said, I don't know if you would like to hear what I'm about to tell you. All I see around him is death. He's going to die early and you are going to carry all the burden of the family.
But we can pray. No, should I go again? Why don't you throw your hands in the air and say, thank God that someone can see what I can see.
Affliction should not come a second time. Go and read your Bible. It can come a hundred times. If you don't obey, what should keep it away? I care about you all.
I want the best for you. That's what gives me peace. You don't know I'm watching you. Do you know my eyes are... all over you.
I see everything. The day I will see you now, I will say, how did you know? I will tell you there is a whisperer that is called the Holy Spirit. I read your mail, but I act like I don't know.
And I'm not talking evil because I will walk you down that aisle. Do you understand me? And when I'm about finishing, I will call, Shesan, we are Parishat Uberi.
The seed is yours, but the caring heart is mine. Because she would get up on the balcony when she was a baby. Bumi's daddy, Bumi's daddy, Bumi's daddy, I'm not only Bumi's daddy, I'm your daddy too.
Fear, fear. I said, go home and tell your parents that I beat you. She just confessed though. This was a few weeks when they came. She confessed for the first time.
The music I'm hearing is not gospel. They say it's gospel music. I was talking to a gospel music.
I saw, They were standing on the rock. Their name is on the roll. It's called rock and roll. Rock and roll. Let me continue to read.
Hebrews 12. I'll continue to read where I stop. It's time to go. I can't finish this. Now no chastity seems to be joyful for the present.
Heart weak. Tears. Cry.
I put in my best. No chastity seems to be joyful for the present. But painful. Nevertheless, afterward, he yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness. This is training.
This is where he's taking you. He yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down. That's in worship. And the feeble knees which no longer pray because you are tired.
And make straight paths to your feet. And make straight paths to your feet. So that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
Looking carefully, lest anyone fall short of the grace of God. All I've seen and come short. Lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by these many become defiled.
Lest there be... any fornicator or profane. Go check the word profanity. You are despising instruction of God. You do not regard God at all, lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one muscle of food sold his birthright.
For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, not blessings, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tear. Do you want to end up like this?
Brothers and sisters, just like Rebecca, we also have all the perpetual struggle between the flesh and the spirit till we are delivered from the struggle. And it is after that deliverance we can state or claim the same has no dominion over us. This perpetual struggle.
and conflict also occurs in us when the flesh lost against the spirit and the spirit lost against the flesh and they are contrary one to the other. Galatians 5 16 to 18. Galatians 5 16 to 18. I say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lost of the flesh. For the flesh lost against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do this. things that you wish. Apostle Paul, but if you are led by the Spirit, you're not under the law.
Apostle Paul wrote about this also in his epistle to the Romans. These struggles are real and should not be explained away. You must truly overcome them. Romans chapter 7, 15 to 25. For what I am doing, I don't understand.
You are going out to the person who is drunk all the time, who is always on the bottle, and you are saying it will change. What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, I will to do, that I do not practice.
What I hate, that I do. This is Apostle Paul using this to illustrate the struggle. If then I do what I will not do, I will not to do, I agree with the Lord that it is good.
But now it is no longer I who do it, but the hidden disposition to do evil that dwells within me. But now it is no longer I who do it. Go back to that verse. Thank you.
Who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me. Where?
That is in my flesh. Nothing would dwell. A perfume. A mascara.
A big legend. Mascara. Okay. A fish. But please just take a little water and rub it and smell.
It stinks. For I know that in me that is in my flesh nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me.
But to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do I do not do. But the evil I will not to do that I practice.
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I would do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find in a law that is evil is present with me. The one who wills to do good. Who carried Esau?
Rebekah. Who carried Jacob? Rebekah. Until they are separated, the struggle will continue.
For I delight in the Lord of God according to the inward man, my spirit man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. So if you find me in sin, all right, and my mind is crying to God, do you see the struggle? No, you condemn me because of the sin, but you do not know I'm going through process and that the day is coming that those things that I love, I will hate. You don't get it.
I'll give you an illustration. I will invite a man to come here. My friend, Dr. Kunle Onifade. He just, I was troubled all night that he's not giving his life to Christ. I did not want him to die without, he's now 74, 75. I'm going to witness to him.
I woke up early in the morning. I knocked at his door, Surulere, Falolu, and he opened. He said, it's too early. What are you doing here? I said, all night I've been praying for you.
I'm troubled. You are not born again. You must give your life to Jesus Christ.
He just took secret. He said, born what? Born again.
You want me to be? Are you born again? You're not getting me.
What are you doing that I'm not doing? You're drinking, I'm drinking. The only thing you don't do, you don't smoke. You're born again. instantly a death occurred in me.
The church I was attending then, they said, well as long as drink little wine because of your orphan infirmities. Do you understand me? Just a little wine because are you, do you have infirmities? Why are you still drinking it?
Huh? For your stomach's sake, he said, orphan infirmities is there. Is your stomach having infirmity? Uh-huh.
I can't condemn you. When he said that to me, something in me died. I went straight to my bath.
I took every alcoholic beverage. Egg of vain. Campari.
On Saturday morning, you will see me living like a big man. I will fill the bath. tall and I will put some you know uh and I will enter I will put BBC on my head and take Campari in my brother's house and I'll be this is life it dried up I broke every bottle and through my I will sell it I say you are not selling nothing I use my mind my hand to put it there I'll use my hand from that day to now if I smell alcohol my stomach is aching you Did I make it happen? No.
God used the mouth of the person I called ungodly to challenge me so that that thing can die. I can't stand alcohol today. Not even fruit juice that comes in bottle like it. I can't stand it. I can't smell it.
My stomach will be turning. I didn't do it. I made it happen.
You are a work in progress. Let God give you training in righteousness. Are you with me?
Okay. Romans chapter 8 verse 1 to 9. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are... So the first thing he did, I will explain this detailedly next week. The first thing he did was to rescue you and put you in Christ.
Then that training in righteousness will commence from then. So that... is seeing you in Christ, is seeing you through Christ, you have now become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
So the training will now commence. If your child is not born, can you portray the child? Was your child inside you?
Did the child we inside of you? Did the child pull inside of you? You are saying yes, so I want to say yes.
But God had put in now, whether it's chemicals or things there, that would diffuse it so that it cannot be contaminated while inside. But when it comes out, the weed and the poo continues and you are smelling it. Did you change the diapers of your children? Did the poo poo?
Did it smell nice? No. Did you throw the... Poopoo and the baby out. You threw the dapper out.
You changed the... Why do you think if you are righteous to do that with your children, God will not do it with you? Why are you hiding? He knew what you were doing. He knew the struggle.
He paid for it. There's therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that he was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.
That the righteous requirement of the law... might be fulfilled in who? In us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. If you are still being convicted by the Holy Spirit, and you are repenting of your sin, it's not over.
God is still dealing with you. God is still potty training you. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh.
I can hear you, amen. Because it's not by your work. So we are going to balance this faith and work thing in a way that you'll understand how to strike the balance.
But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. If indeed the spirit of God dwells in you, is the spirit of God in you? That's his deposit.
That's his earnest. Earnest. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not east.
He may be morally upright. He may not drink. He may not smoke. He may not womanize. He may not do anything evil.
But as long as he does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not east. But if you have the Spirit of Christ, as he is in heaven, so are you in this world. I read one more scripture. and I close.
The way out of the dilemma is to go through training in righteousness. This is the third area in Abraham's life that we'll focus on next week. But let me read it to you to whet your appetite so that you go home and study.
What did he receive? How did he receive this training? He was delivered from idolatry. He became Abraham.
Who became Abraham? who became mighty prince. He messed up big time.
He violated covenant. God will enter another one. He was asked to circumcise his foreskin so as to keep his body under in order to enjoy the blessing. But he will still separate himself from his wife. And one concubine will come, have six children.
Another concubine with limitless children will still be there. But God separated him from them all. And he gave gifts to the sons of the concubines and sent them away to the east.
And he gave all that he had to Isaac. And then he said, I'm not finishing well without succession plan. I need to get a wife for my son. And he's not going to be amongst these daughters of a strange land. I'm sending to my people.
And I will show you that there was exchange. He did not return there, but there was communication. He knew exactly Rebecca had been born.
And it was the eighth child, which means a new beginning is starting. And he sent his servant. He said, if I don't get the girl, he said, the God who sent me out of my father's house, his angel will go before you and will bring, will show you the woman. And he goddamn prayed, Lord, let this journey prosper. Let the will of my master that he has committed to my hand be done.
Any lady that comes here, young girl that comes here, and I say this, and I say this, and she said, let it be the girl. The angel of God that. Sent Abraham out, went to the neighborhood, and ensured that every other girl was sent away from the place.
Another woman came. She finished. I said, who are you?
I'm Rebecca, the son of Bethel. As God directed me to my master's house. May God direct every step, every inch of your way. May it fulfill you in 2022. This is the year of the Lord's action.
He's going to act on your behalf in this year in the name of Jesus Christ. I wish I can continue and not stop. but i know you am i the pastor sorry sorry are you awake romans chapter 4 remember 1 to 8 we have located he found out what the flesh would do to him So the training manual, here it is. Verse 13. For the promise that he will be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if those who have the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect. Because the law brings about wrath. For where there is no law, there is no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all their seed. All their seed. All their seed. One seed, many fruits.
All the seed. Not only to those who have the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, I've made you a father of many nations, in the presence of him whom he believed. God. Who gives life to the dead and calls these things we do not exist as though they did.
He did not call those things which exist as they don't exist. He called those things that be not as though they are. So who contrary to, who contrary to that is everything within sight that you can see is against hope.
Who contrary to hope in hope believe. So that he became the father of many nations. According to what was spoken, so shall your descendants be.
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead, since he was about a hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God. This is what training in righteousness does to you. Through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith before the manifestation of the Lord.
of the seed, he was given glory to God. He did not waver at the promise of God. And he was fully convinced that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.
He didn't believe that before, now he believed it. And therefore, he was accounted to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for Ezekiel that it was imputed to him, but also for us.
He shall be imputed to us who believe in him, who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered all because of our... Why was he hanging on the cross? Because of our offenses and he was raised up because of our justification.
Are you with me? So where is this leading us? Abraham believed God and was counted to him as righteousness. Then he was given training until he became strong in faith, until he did not doubt God through unbelief.
until he was convinced in his heart that what he had promised he was able to perform. That's why you look at projects as if a man is going to make it happen. Wait till I unveil it. Do you understand me? It's not by works of righteousness.
It's by grace alone. It's not what you have done or what you cannot do. It's what he wants to do. He's looking for a vessel to manifest himself through.
Are you with me? So what is the lesson here? Galatians chapter 5, verse 1 to 5. I close with this and I'll key into this next week and show you why the conflicts and the struggles continue because separation has not taken place.
You prefer isolation. No, you are going to maintain contact with the world without contamination. It's not isolation, it's separation. Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke or bondage. Indeed, I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised, that is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ. You who attempt to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace.
For we through who? I can't hear you. For we through the Spirit, eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by?
I can't hear you. We eagerly hope for righteousness by faith. How do we eagerly wait? Through the Spirit. It's only the Holy Spirit.
It's only God the Father. It's only God the Son. It's only God the Holy Spirit that can circumcise the foreskin of your heart.
Until Abraham was redeemed, he did not experience journey of conversion. So go and think. I will show you where he was redeemed. I will show you how David was redeemed. I will show you how Jacob was redeemed until their redemption.
There was no genuine conversion. What you need today is circumcision of the heart. Because of the first king, your parents did that. Only God can circumcise your heart.
Stand to your feet. Stand to your feet. I thank you, eternal rock of ages, for the word you have put in my heart and my mouth for my generation.
I thank you for helping me to come out of challenges and struggles and guilt, to plug into you and to surrender to you to do your work in me. Because by means of strength, I know I'm prevailed. I trust you that while I'm still here on this side of eternity, I will live strong, I will live well, I'll finish strong, and nothing will stop me from serving you all the days of my life.
By extension, let everyone under the sound of my voice... willingly come to the altar to surrender themselves so that you and you alone can circumcise the foreskin of their hearts. Thank you, Father.
In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen. Thank you for giving me some time. God bless you.