The Life Giving Gospel

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Rev. Dr. David Entry. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:13] Be blessed. The psalmist said unto you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O Lord, I trust in you. Let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me.

[0:26] In Psalm 107 verse 6, Actually, let me read from verse 3. And gather them. All right, verse 2. Let the redeemer of the Lord say so.

[0:38] Who has redeemed them from the hand of the enemy? God is redeeming you from the hands of your enemies. Who has redeemed them from the hands of the enemy?

[0:49] And gather them out of the land from the east and from the west and from the north and from the south. God has gathered us from all over.

[1:01] So, God. They wandered in the wilderness in solitary way. They found no city to dwell in. So, now you can see after a certain deliverance have come into their life, there was a wilderness life.

[1:16] They were wandering in the wilderness. And this is not one day. This is not two days. This is not one year. This is not two years. A long period of time from wilderness, from place to place. Verse 5 says that hungry and thirsty, their souls fainted in them.

[1:32] Sometimes you go through a process and it's like, so, God, when am I going to get rest? God, when am I going to get a change or a relief?

[1:43] Relief. Just a relief from this affliction in my health. Affliction in my career. Trouble in my family. God, when?

[1:54] When? This financial coma situation. Listen, it's like God went. The Bible says that they hungered and thirsted. Their souls fainted in them.

[2:06] Listen, if you walk with God, one of the things that might happen to you every now and then or once in a while or some people, depending on your association and how much you are feeding yourself the word, it will always happen to somebody.

[2:23] If, if, listen, if Jesus, Jesus, Psalm 22, if Jesus said, my father, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

[2:39] Jesus, Jesus. Jesus. He, even him, he felt the abandonment of God. He felt in his life that it looks like there was a gap in his life where God was missing.

[2:54] And no, I'm not talking about those of us who are caught in sin. And no, no, I'm talking, I'm not talking about sin. I'm talking about when you are actually working with God, but things are so dry.

[3:09] There's a gap in your life that is, it's like God. And you have prayed. You have, you are a faithful tither. People who are not faithful tithers, sometimes they allow some of these things to happen.

[3:21] You have faithful tither. You are a faithful giver. You are a church worker. Some people are church workers. You have, you, you sacrifice your life to do ghost work by guests to a time.

[3:33] It's like a portion of your life. Something is missing. Something is not right. My personal testimony, which I will always share. I have a lot of ones, but I normally don't talk about them.

[3:45] But this one, which you all know, I mean, for, for almost seven years, two virgins who have been born again from their youth. Born again for their youth.

[3:55] They get married. And for seven years, no child. Whilst they are busy doing ghost work. You see, that's what I'm talking about. Sometimes there's a missing gap. It's like, God, where are you in this matter?

[4:06] Where are you regarding this? God. Early. Early. Maybe somebody's on this platform for some time now. You have been feeling. Early. Early.

[4:17] Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. Early. It's part of the game.

[4:29] It's part of the journey. God will never forsake you. Even though he will never forsake you, there'll be times it will feel like you have been forsaken. So they tested and their hearts fainted in them.

[4:46] Watch this. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. And he delivered them out of their distress. You see, when the trouble got to a certain level, they said, no, this, we won't take it anymore.

[5:00] They cried out unto God. That's what we are going to pray. I want you to pray and cry out unto God about this early, early, La Max Abattani moment. You want to pray and cry out unto God, unto something.

[5:12] Lord, don't let me be put to shame. The way my health has been feeling nowadays, God, the way this, we are all of a sudden, even though I've told people, family members, I'm about to get married, things are looking very funny.

[5:25] Because the relationship is, I started breaking down. Lord, Lord, help me. They were laughing. I know they've been waiting to laugh at me. And I lost my job.

[5:36] And it looks like now my enemy is laughing. You want to say God. The Bible says that, verse 6 again, then they cried unto the Lord and they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distress.

[5:53] Listen, listen. God is delivering you out of your distress in the name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distress.

[6:13] Today, as we read, I just want to show you something. As we read in 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 8 says that, Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.

[6:34] Don't be ashamed of the testimony of some of us. God has done something for you. Don't be ashamed to share your testimony. Don't sit on it. But don't be ashamed of the testimony, the goodness, the message of the kindness God has shown you.

[6:48] And the message of God that you know you will stand by. Don't be ashamed of it. He said, don't be ashamed. Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me, his prisoner.

[7:02] Sometimes when you are a pastor, there are times where you can be in a state. People, you are not popular. People don't like you. He said, don't be ashamed of me. When people are saying things against me, when people are not on my side, don't be ashamed to take a stand for me.

[7:19] Two things you shouldn't be ashamed of. The testimony of the Lord, and don't be ashamed of the servant of God. Don't be ashamed of your man of God. But what should you rather do?

[7:30] Be thou partaker of me, of the, partaker, so be thou partaker of the affliction of the gospel according to the power of God.

[7:41] In other words, join in suffering. If you have to suffer for the gospel, join it. Join it. We live in a generation and a society and times where people call themselves Christians, but they like, they crave the admiration and the agreement of the world more than the word.

[8:02] So they don't mind being in conflict with the word of God as long as it's in agreement with the world. And yet they still want to maintain, I'm a Christian.

[8:14] And it's those people who normally will even stand against other Christians who are being faithful to God's word. They are the ones who call the radio stations and blast these other ones.

[8:25] They're the ones who put it on social media very quickly. All these people, they are not strong Christians. They are just, they will blast you. They will blast you for saying that this is what God's word is saying, and I'm going to stand by it.

[8:38] We have a lot of them. In fact, some of them are even leading radio stations. Wow. Oh, Lord have mercy.

[8:50] So he says that, Don't be ashamed of me, of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but be that partaker of the gospel according to the power of God.

[9:00] Watch this. This God, God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works. So he saved you not because of the good stuff you have done.

[9:11] He saves you. So what was the basis of your salvation? But according to his own purpose and grace, how does God save us? What is the platform for our salvation? God's purpose and his grace.

[9:23] So that means that there is a, watch this. This is a good one. That means that there is a reason why God saved you. He also has an agenda for your salvation. He has an agenda for your salvation.

[9:36] God has an agenda, a personal agenda for your particular salvation. There is a reason why he saved you. He saved you by his purpose and his grace.

[9:46] If you are saved, then it's because of God's purpose and grace. That is why you can't be born again and you are in church and then you go to church anytime you want.

[9:57] You live anyhow and you ask for me. It's between me and God. No, no, no, no, no, no. God saved you for a purpose. He saved you. That's why the other time when I was teaching, I said that we have been saved to serve.

[10:09] We have been saved to serve. You are not safe outside of service. I don't mean church service. I mean serving the body of Christ and the interest of God.

[10:22] Watch this. So he says that, but he has saved us according to his own purpose and grace. Watch this is getting interesting. Which was given, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

[10:40] What saves us? He saved us according to what? His grace and his purpose. How did he save us? According to his grace and his purpose.

[10:52] How did he save us? His grace and his purpose. And when did we receive this grace and purpose? How? In Christ Jesus when?

[11:03] Before the world began. So way before your great grandfather was born, God has actually saved you already. His purpose was given to you. The purpose that belongs to you and the grace that belongs to your life was released into your life before the world began.

[11:20] But when? In Christ. But Christ, when did he show up? Isn't it about 2,000 years ago? Christ in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was there.

[11:31] So your purpose and my purpose, the grace for my salvation and grace for your salvation were all packaged in Christ before God began the world. So your salvation is not an accident.

[11:42] It's a plan. That is why it has a purpose attached to it. You are saved on purpose. God saved us on purpose and he saved us according to his purpose and his grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

[12:02] Oh, but I wasn't around. Yes. God knew you were coming. You didn't show up. He sent you. That's why Paul said, war is me if I preach not the gospel.

[12:14] Because I didn't just show up. I'm here on assignment. Can you imagine if you are part of the Team GB Olympics? And let's say the Olympics is in China. And you are going to represent the Great Britain Olympic team.

[12:29] And then as soon as you go to China, like what the Cameroonians did, as soon as they arrived in the UK, they ran away. They went into hiding. The government sent you here to come and represent us.

[12:43] And then you came and you ran away and represented yourself. You might be laughing at the Cameroonians. Is it Cameroonians? Yeah. Yeah, Cameroonians.

[12:54] You might be laughing at the Cameroonians, but you are potentially a worse version of it because you have been saved into church and now you are just in church. Hallelujah. That's it. But there's an assignment and an agenda for your life.

[13:07] So Paul said, woe is me if I don't do that assignment. Wow. I know I'm talking. See, don't be in church because you are looking for a husband. I know there are some girls are like that.

[13:21] In fact, when Pastor Apollo was married, some girls left the church. I remember. We didn't realize that they were in church because of him. Wow. Not because of Jesus.

[13:32] Not because of Jesus. There are people who are in church not because of Jesus, but because of a boy says, a boy, boy says, boy says, boy. A man.

[13:42] A man or a woman. Some people have followed some ladies into church because you are coming because the lady said, you know, in our church, you have to be coming to church so that pastor, whatever pastor says, so when pastor says yes, then so you have to come to church so pastor will say yes.

[13:58] You have to be advising this guy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Show him how to, she'll catch you. It will be at your detriment. But you have come to church and now you have, like some people, when they go to UK, they run away.

[14:14] They run away. They run away. They said, don't worry. I don't mind being an illegal immigrant in the church. You are, you are, you are, you are an overstayer in the church.

[14:29] In what way? Because you don't have leave to remain because you are not doing the, you came as a student. You have not gone for one lectures. Wow. You have students visa, but you are working at Bandonas 40 hours a week.

[14:45] All right. We don't have much time. Wow. So, but let me finish this.

[14:58] This purpose was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began. The 10 is, is the, is a very powerful one. It says, but now, but sorry, but it's now made manifested.

[15:12] Oh, the grace and purpose that was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began is now made manifested by the appearing of us as our Savior Jesus Christ.

[15:24] Oh. So, when Jesus appeared, all these things now became a reality. There are things that are in Christ, are in God. God has some great things for people which will never happen until they find themselves in Christ.

[15:38] Because it will only be manifested when Christ appears. You see, the way you have kicked God out of your relationship, you have kicked Christ out of your relationship because you are in love.

[15:50] Please. The marital promise God has given you, all the promises you have received. Wow. God, it can't manifest you until Christ appears. Wow. Wow. Because he's the bedrock, you remember.

[16:03] Mm-hmm. He's the stone that the builders rejected. Wow. He says that, be made manifested at the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. Watch this. Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

[16:23] Through the gospel. So, you would think Christ did it 2,000 years ago. Yeah, it has been done, but it will never come to light outside of the gospel. Everything Christ has to do for your life.

[16:36] That's why you don't have to joke with preaching and teaching. It's sound teaching. Sound teaching is an aspect of the gospel. And it takes the gospel to bring to light the death that Christ has abolished through his death.

[16:53] Bible says that who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Verse 12. Which has been committed to me.

[17:04] Yes. Through the gospel. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. These things have been appointed to preach.

[17:16] When I preach, this is what it means. When I preach, whatever Christ has brought to light, which is life and immortality, as we preach the gospel, begins to manifest.

[17:28] It comes to light. All the miracles and the promises of God can only be materialized in your life through the preaching of God's word. That's why the people who don't listen to preaching, and I'm always listening to Bob Marley, they don't know what they are doing to themselves.

[17:44] Always listening to Rihanna. Hey, my umbrella! Ella! Ella! Hey! Hey! My friend, there's no rain on your life for you to even need umbrella. Ella! Your heavens are dry!

[18:03] Open yourself. Give yourself to the teaching of God's word. That's why we can be praying all night. But listen, the teaching of God's word is, the gospel is what brings to light.

[18:15] God's word brings to light, life and immortality, which Christ has secured for us. We thank God for using His servant, Reverend Dr. David Entry, to share this awesome word.

[18:28] If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at karis.org. Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Karis Ministries.

[18:45] Stay blessed.