Dying For Christ (Life Within Death)

[0:00] Well, last week I was talking about a suffering church, which is the church of Smyna. The churches of Revelation are seven churches.

[0:12] The church of Ephesus, the church of Smyna, the church of Pergamos, the church of Titeria, the church of Sardis, the church of Philadelphia, and the church of Laodicea.

[0:24] These are seven churches in seven cities which Christ from heaven sent a letter to. The book of Revelation is history and prophecy.

[0:39] So particularly, these churches we are talking about, these letters were written to actual churches that existed at the time of the writing.

[0:50] And from there, when you look back, most of what was written as well relates to the church of Christ after Christ has left.

[1:01] So actually, it was church history being said, being spoken. Much as it is historic, it is also prophetic. So it was a historic prophecy.

[1:17] I know it will take some people some time to understand this. It was a historic prophecy that was given to John. And it says the letter is to the church. Last week, I took my time.

[1:29] I took a lot of time to explain why the church is important, why the local church. And Christ, if Christ has anything for anybody, he distributes and disseminates and supplies it through the local church.

[1:49] So the local church is a very important aspect of God's program for your life. God can't help you as a Christian outside of a local church.

[2:00] So in Hebrews, this is how he puts it in Hebrews. The Hebrews writer said that, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24, do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the manner of some.

[2:15] Okay? Let's start with it. Let us consider one another in order to stay up. King James used to say, I think King James said, provoke one another. To provoke unto souls. You have to be provocative intentionally in church.

[2:29] Not provocative to make people get aroused into negative things, but provoking people to do their right thing. You have to be a provoker.

[2:41] When people come around, when they have a lot of complaints about church, after talking to you, they really want, they go and repent. God, forgive me. You have, and now they even want, when they said that I didn't like the way the usher spoke to me, the way they put at me to sit, I don't like it.

[2:56] Next time, they upset. And then you help them. No, they are just doing the work of God is actually maybe using that to build character in you. And you explain it to them. And you challenge them. Next time they say, usher, where can I sit?

[3:08] The usher sit there. So are you sure? I'm happy. You have provoked them unto good works and unto love. You have provoked them. But you say, and that usher, that's how she is.

[3:19] That usher, and those ushers, those ushers. I'm waiting for one day someone to come. Now, you have actually been a synagogue of Satan. So I spoke extensively about the church.

[3:36] And how the local church is the means through which God can establish people, is the means through which God blesses his people, is the means through which Christ can be seen.

[3:48] All right? Christ was the express or immediate expression of God. True? True? Oh, true. Did you know that? Yeah. According to Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3, he was the express image of God.

[4:02] Okay? So Christ came to reflect God, represent God. So John chapter 14 verse 6 to 8, no, verse 8 and 9. He says that, have I been all along with you and you don't know me?

[4:14] Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. They asked him, show us the Father. And he said, from verse 8. He said, show us the Father. And he said, whoever has seen me has seen the Father. All right?

[4:24] So he said, I am, I am. So Christ is the, watch this, Christ is the image of the invisible God. The church is the image of the invisible Christ.

[4:37] So we are the physical expression of God on earth. And then when he left it to us, and then we become the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12, 12.

[4:48] He says, as the body, there are many members in one body. And all members, he said, for us the body is one and has many members. But all the members are one body. All the many are one body.

[5:01] So is Christ. So Christ is one body. We are the body of Christ. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 12. He says, for the equipping of the church, for the building of the body of Christ.

[5:13] So the body of Christ, the church is the body of Christ. If they want to see Christ, they have to look at the church. You can't be a, oh, you can't be a Christian without being part of, an effective Christian without being part of a church.

[5:31] A local church. For that matter. Watch this. Watch this. I'm about to make a statement which will be a blessing to many of you because you have never heard it.

[5:43] We keep saying that I have a personal relationship with Christ. And as for me, this thing, what matters is my relationship with Christ. Because we are coming to church, not just listening to anybody or following leaders.

[5:55] What matters is my relationship with Christ. When you are Christian, the most important thing is you have a personal relationship with Christ. Oh, sorry. Every human being on earth has a personal relationship with Christ.

[6:06] Because Christ is a person. You either don't like him or you like him. It's a personal relationship. Everybody has a personal relationship with Christ.

[6:18] But, so what is the difference between Christianity and those who are not Christian? Christianity is to have a corporate relationship with Christ. You don't need a personal relationship with Christ because you already have it.

[6:32] When you become a Christian, you are born into one body. You are baptized into one body. You are introduced into a body. And corporately, we have a corporate relationship with Christ. That is Christianity.

[6:44] So, those long-ranger Christians are not actually practicing Christianity. Read your Bible. There is no way in the New Testament you saw a Christian operating as a long-ranger.

[6:55] Paul, Paul, Saul of Tarsus, according to Acts chapter 9, when he met Jesus, verse 5, he asked Jesus from verse 6, Lord, what do you want me to do? Jesus told him that, go. The Lord said, I am one of you are persecuted.

[7:08] And then verse 6, he said, what do you want me to do? Jesus said, arise and go to the city and you will be told what you must do. That means there are people there. You don't have to say, I just have an ass of Jesus, just like leadership in church.

[7:22] Some of you, your target is to build a special relationship with pastor. So, you can walk over every other person. When ushers tell you, I told pastor, pastor, please.

[7:34] Even if you have told me personally, or you have told the ushers, it's their job. Let whoever is telling you, tell the ushers that this one let them. Until then, please, obey the ushers. Obey the leader.

[7:46] Obey the leader. So, Paul said, I want to have a personal relationship with you. Tell me. He said, no, I don't pray like that. Christianity is not a personal relationship. It's a corporate relationship.

[7:58] So, go to the city. The people you are going to kill, go there. They will tell you what to do. Because you are now part of them. In fact, he tried. Bible said, he assayed to join himself with the believers.

[8:09] I think in Acts chapter 9, towards the end. So, Acts chapter 11, one of them. And everyone was afraid of him from verse 20 down where I suppose to. Everyone was afraid of him because they thought he was a killer.

[8:21] So, he took Barnabas. Barnabas took him and held his hands and introduced Paul, who is Saul of Tarsus. He introduced him to the apostles and said, listen, accept this guy.

[8:33] He's one of us. Why? Because Christianity is an us thing. Verse 20. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join. He did what?

[8:45] Oh, come on. Preach with me. He did what? He did what? Why are you? He met Jesus in person and he was trying to join disciples in Jerusalem. You haven't met Jesus. But you are not bothering to join yourself.

[8:58] You must be part of a local church where you are forgiven. You are taught. You are loved. You are cared for.

[9:09] You are encouraged. You are prayed for. You belong. You are not called only to believe, but to belong. So, he tried.

[9:20] I like the key. He said he assayed. I like those old Shakespearean English. He tried to join to the disciples. Tell someone, join yourself to disciples.

[9:33] Some of us, the only thing is we just come to church, we sneak out. No one actually knows you. You come to church, you sneak out. Church has become a function because obviously, modern day church, the way we have programmed it, it's like a function.

[9:45] You come and sit down. Okay, I'm a sicker. I'm watching what's going on. And then you sneak out. You haven't joined yourself. And yet, your alliance is unbelievers. You have joined yourself. You have strong ties with unbelievers just that you slip in and go out.

[9:59] That is not Christian life. Wow. He assayed. He tried to join himself. They are not receiving you. When I, in my early days of Christianity, in my church, I tried to join the choir, the youth choir.

[10:15] They said, no. We are going to recruit later. Now we are too many members in the choir. So we are going to do a recruitment later. I tried. But I was part of other things, outreach and other things.

[10:26] But I like singing. You could tell. I like singing. So I wanted to join the choir. And the head of the choir said, no, no, no.

[10:37] And because I looked actually too rough and I looked like a prayer warrior. But I attempted. And I attempted. I was always trying to join something. Why have you attempted and stopped?

[10:47] You don't have to stop. We are one body. And the whole body functions corporately. We are a body.

[10:58] Body functions together. Your talk has decided today. It's been a long day yesterday. So today can I stay at home and let you and the rest of the fingers and others go to church and come.

[11:08] It doesn't happen. It doesn't happen. Your talk cannot just get up and say that I've been down too long. Now can I also be an ear? So it's an ear. Let's swap.

[11:19] No. He's there forever. Permanently. Your heart has never decided to change position with your liver. It's a body.

[11:30] It's a body. If we should understand it. It's a body. Christianity. It's a body. It's a corporate life. It's life. Read the New Testament. It's full of love one another. Forgive one another.

[11:41] Bear with one another. Pray for one another. Lie not to one another. Some of you didn't know it's in the Bible. Lie not to one another. Lie not to one another. Forgive one another. Bear with one another. I like that one.

[11:51] Bear with one another. Sometimes you come to church and you realize that this member of this department or my care group really, he gets on my nerves. How many of you have had a nice feeling for people who get to it?

[12:02] Yeah. And sometimes you don't. You have to bear with them. It doesn't mean it's okay, but bear with them. Because if we don't bear with them, we'll bear with them. By this, people will know you are my disciples.

[12:13] The way you love one another. John chapter 13, verse 35. He said, by this, people will know you are my disciples. By this, all will know that you are my disciples.

[12:24] If you have love for one another. You have love for what? For what? For what? Because it's a one another life. It's not as for me.

[12:35] I'm just happy. It's about Jesus. I love Jesus. I come. Oh, come on. You don't love Jesus. You don't. If you love Jesus, you actually love what he loves. Jesus loves the church and gave himself for the church.

[12:50] And after he birthed the church, Bible says, yes, last Thursday, I was quoting it. In Acts chapter 20, verse 28. Separate the church of God, the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

[13:05] Because God has not got blood, for information. God has not got blood. Jesus came. He's God in the flesh. So God can have blood. And Bible says that he purchased the church of God, which he purchased, take care of the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

[13:23] God's own blood. Jesus came. He's God. So he purchased the church. If something that is so valuable to me, I've left it in your hands. If you really care about me, you take good care of it.

[13:35] And forget about, some of you, you have somebody you are in a relationship with. You don't like the way their sister is.

[13:46] And even your partner, your husband, your wife actually finds it a problem when their sister is coming here. You don't like it. But you know what? Because of them, sometimes you accommodate that person.

[14:01] You really didn't like, you know sometimes you marry a person, and you marry into a very strange family. Yeah, your in-laws look very interesting people. They are interesting. Because your family, the way your family, the way you were raised, the way you behave in your family, your in-laws are very strange.

[14:17] They are always fighting. They are always doing this. The way even they talk, when they meet you, hey, they can just get up and show up in your house. They open the door. I want to spend a day. Hey, how you're wondering? But that's how they do it.

[14:29] When you look at them, they do it with everybody. So, something that is not normal with you, you are not brought up like that. Because of the one you have joined yourself to now, you have authorized them to become part of your life.

[14:42] But because you love your wife so much, that's okay. Their behavior is not okay, but you are part of them. That's okay. Jesus said that to the church, Ms. Minor, so all the letters were written to local churches.

[15:03] And the one main thing I wanted to underscore and establish here is that you must have a corporate relationship with Christ. So, once you are detached, either in heart or you are really detaching yourself from the grace of God.

[15:21] Because the grace of God flows and the truth of God flows through the local church. You only grow in grace when you are part of the local church.

[15:36] It's very important. So, now he wrote to the church of Smyrna. As I told you, Smyrna comes from a Greek word which means, Smyrna comes from a Greek word which means, M-Y-R-R-H, M-E-R.

[15:57] So, you remember when Jesus was born according to Matthew chapter 2 verse 11? The Bible says, these Magi or these wise men, they fell down and worshipped him.

[16:10] And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to him. What are the gifts they presented? Gold, frankincense. One more time. Gold, frankincense.

[16:21] Louder please. Gold, frankincense. And M-E-R. And I told you because M-E-R is actually a type of, it has a type of fragrance that you put on your, it's nice, it smells good.

[16:36] So, in songs of Solomon chapter 5, he said, my lover, come, I have put M-E-R. There's M-E-R all around me. I smell, he said, verse 1, he said, my sister, my sister, my lover, I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse.

[16:51] I have gathered my M-E-R with my spices. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey. Oh, my God. I have drunk wine with my milk.

[17:04] Eat, oh, my friends. Drink, yes. Drink deeply, oh, loved ones. M-E-R. So, he said, M-E-R.

[17:15] M-E-R is something that attracts. But you know how to get M-E-R? You get M-E-R by crushing, you get the great smell and scent of M-E-R by crushing it.

[17:26] So, M-E-R stands for suffering. In the New Testament, anytime you see M-E-R, so when they gave Jesus M-E-R, they gave him gold. Gold stands for the nature of God, divine nature.

[17:37] They felt that this one is divine. They are making a prophetic statement that this child is divine, is God in the flesh. They gave him frankincense. Frankincense stands for the resurrection.

[17:47] They said this one will defeat death. He will resurrect. But how about M-E-R? M-E-R stands for this one is going to die. He's going to suffer. He's going to be persecuted.

[17:58] And so, when he says that the church of Smyrna, he's talking about the church of M-E-R or the church of suffering. Smyrna, the church of Smyrna, is the suffering church. And so, let's go to Revelation chapter 2.

[18:14] Thank you, Jesus. Revelation chapter 2 verse 8, he says that, And to the angel of the church at Smyrna, write, These things says the first and the last.

[18:26] Watch this. He said, I am the first and the last. That means that nothing precedes me and nothing succeeds me. Everything consists within my sphere.

[18:40] So, there's nothing that comes against you, that comes at you, that can be beyond the power of Christ. He said, I'm the first and the last. And look at what he said.

[18:52] He said, I'm the first and the last. I'm he who was dead. So, he spoke about his death. I was dead and came to life.

[19:05] When you read other translations, give me an Amplified. Let's see how Amplified puts it. He said, and to the angel, the messenger of the assembly, the church, okay, the church in Smyrna, write, These are the words of the first and the last.

[19:17] He who died and came to life again. So, now, he's talking about a life I have which has defied death. So, what is it that you'll be going through?

[19:29] The worst ever they can do to you is death. But me, I'm outside of death now and I'm talking to you. I've passed through death.

[19:39] So, the worst persecution and suffering can do to you is to kill you. The end of suffering, human suffering, is death.

[19:50] You know, that's why euthanasia has always become a big issue. Because somebody is suffering. You may know somebody. The person is in the hospital and the person is now suffering.

[20:02] Death has never been understood. Human beings don't have what it takes to accommodate death. You can't. Somebody you know just vanishes. What is it?

[20:13] You can't find. It's close to death but it's gone. She's gone. All you have is memories of the person. But most people, when people are with death, sometimes they say, no, I don't think it's death.

[20:23] It's dead. No, it can't be. How? Because human nature cannot metaphysically, cannot comprehend and appreciate and grasp the mystery of death.

[20:36] Death has always been a mystery and remains a mystery. Pharaoh didn't kill people who are dying until his first time died. He said, leave Egypt. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Death. God brought death.

[20:46] He said, leave Egypt. Wow. Suicide bombers try to avoid it until they want to. They are at a time when they are now going to venge on you and then they do it. But even if they can kill you without dying, they will prefer that one.

[20:58] The reason why they die is that's the ultimate. When they die, you can't punish them anymore. Death is the end. You can't suffer more than death. And Jesus said, he was talking to the suffering church. He said, listen, I died and now I'm alive forevermore.

[21:11] So I'm on the other side. I have conquered death. I have the answer to death. So be faithful. That's why he told them you have to be faithful unto death.

[21:25] He said, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, Philippians chapter 2, verse 7 and 8, despising the shame and became obedient, verse 8, even unto death.

[21:41] Philippians chapter 2, verse 8. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. Revelation chapter 12, verse 11.

[21:54] He said, they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. And by the blood of the Lamb and the word of the Lamb. And they did not love their lives unto death.

[22:04] Watch this, watch this. Our calling is a calling to suffer. And the suffering is suffering for Christ, even if it means death. That's Christian, Christian call.

[22:19] So Revelation chapter 2, verse 8. It said, I am he who was dead. And at that verse, she said, behold, I'm alive forevermore.

[22:30] Verse 9. I know your works. Your tribulation. Say tribulation. Tribulation. As I explained, they are suffering the things they were subjected to.

[22:41] The things they were being afflicted by. Your tribulations, your poverty. Some of them have been, their properties have been confiscated because of their service to Christ.

[22:56] So if you lose your job because of your Christian conviction, it has always been part of the deal. It's always been part of the deal.

[23:10] One of our sisters came to me on Friday. She said that because of her Christian conviction, now she's being subjected or referred to disciplinary, whatever. And she said, so do you not consider my religious belief?

[23:22] Listen, it doesn't work for Christians. We have to be inclusive of everybody, but others don't have the responsibility to include us.

[23:34] Now listen, we know we live in a fair society, okay? Don't we? We do. We live in a fair society. But human nature, human nature cannot and has never been fair to Christianity.

[23:49] Even people who were religious leaders were the ones who were killing Jesus. So what makes us think that because of good laws, suddenly we will be accommodated?

[24:04] If you live the actual life, people who even want to accommodate you won't understand why they can't take you. Those of you who have businesses, you have to stand for, suffer for Christ.

[24:23] Either than that, we will not see revival. Let me tell you something. The more Christians who are willing to sacrifice, the more we can see God's hand in the move of God in our society.

[24:36] The reason why churches are shutting down and churches are not doing well and they say some other religions are growing. I don't believe it. It is not true. It's all political propaganda.

[24:46] Some other religions are growing, are growing better than Christianity. It is with the churches that have lost their testimony. Any church that loses its testimony, you can have all the infrastructure, the finances.

[24:58] You will not be relevant. The essence of church is to bear the witness of Christ. Once we lose that, we can do every other thing that makes us look glorious and yet we will be ineffective.

[25:14] And we will be declining. Next, when I go on the church of Pergamos, I will show you what happened. Because of the church of Semina, the more they were killing them, the more the church was growing.

[25:27] Persecution and suffering grows the church. Jesus himself, our Lord, this is how he put it. In John chapter 12 verse 24, he said, Except a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone.

[25:43] But if it dies, what happens? What happens if it dies? It produces much grain. The life, life comes in Christianity.

[25:54] Life comes through death. Through dying, we must always take on the dying. Paul puts it this way. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 31.

[26:07] He said, I die daily. I die daily. I'm preaching a Christian message. He said, I die daily.

[26:18] Because in our dying is when the life of Christ, glorious life of Christ in us released.

[26:30] Not physical death, but something must be deadened. Something must be dying. Something must be conformed. I like the word conformed.

[26:41] Something must have the dying of Christ as its model. I die daily. This message is not for everybody.

[26:54] It's for Christians. Yeah. I die daily. This is how Paul puts it. I need to talk about this dying thing and this suffering thing very importantly.

[27:05] In Colossians chapter 1 verse 24. You got to know this.

[27:18] If you can see it from the screen. Is it okay if we already are together? Including those who are sleeping. Can we already are together? Amen. Let's go. Can I have a new living translation?

[27:37] Let's see how he puts it. Then NIV. All right. Let's read it. Let's go. Oh, okay.

[27:51] That's interesting. I am sharing in the suffering of. We thought Christ suffered and finished. He said, no, no, no. I'm sharing in the Christ suffering that continues for what?

[28:02] For the body. The church. That's why I said the more they were killing them, the more the church was growing. The more they were persecuting them, the more the church was growing. Amplified, please.

[28:17] Amplified version. Even now, I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. Can you imagine? Church life is to suffer on the behalf of other people. I won't allow anybody to.

[28:28] No, no. Suffer for others. Because Jesus suffered for us. According to 1 John 3.16. I know you know John 3.16. But 1 John 3.16. 1 John 3.16 says that Christ died, suffered, and give us an example.

[28:42] Notice, because he laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. For the brethren. Not human beings.

[28:53] For the brethren. Brethren here means the fellowship. The people in the fellowship. That's what I was talking about. Colossians. Thank you.

[29:05] On your behalf. And in my own person, I am making up. Can you say make up? Make up. All right. Let me calm down. Go up again. I am making up.

[29:17] You know make up? Yeah. Why do you make up? Why do you do make up? Because some deficiencies might be covered. Make up. Put the make up on.

[29:30] And in my own person, I am making up what is still lacking and remaining to be completed.

[29:41] Think about it. Completed where? Completed. On our part. Of Christ. So, something that's... You know what affliction is?

[29:51] Suffering. The suffering Christ underwent, it wasn't complete. Something was left undone. Ah. If he didn't pay the full price, how could he have saved us?

[30:05] Because I taught on the cross in John chapter 19 verse 30, he said it is finished. So, if it is finished, how come there still is something remaining? Paul, what kind of Christology is this?

[30:18] In John chapter 19 verse 30, so when Jesus had received the salt wine, he said it is finished. And bowed his head and gave up his spirit and died. Because he paid the price in full.

[30:29] What price? The price for our salvation. The price for our redemption. The price for us being... Remember, we read Acts 20, 28. The church which he bought, he purchased with his own blood.

[30:43] So, he paid the price for our purchasing. He purchased us. So, he didn't pay, if it was 300 pounds, he didn't pay 299 pounds.

[30:56] For Paul to come and say, okay, let me add the rest. No. So, what did he mean by saying, Colossians, thank you. What did he mean by saying that, I am making up. You, you, you.

[31:06] Okay, so before you became born again, what was happening then? I am making up. Paul, who are you to think I am making up whatever is still lacking?

[31:18] He had the audacity to say something is lacking and remaining to be completed of Christ's affliction for the sake of his body. What is he talking about?

[31:30] Making up. So, there were deficiencies in Christ's suffering. Not necessarily so. But Christ's suffering is in two ways. Look at John chapter 19, verse 34.

[31:41] You will like this. Shall we all read it from the screen, please? John 19, verse 34. Let's go. So, on the cross, they wanted him to die quickly.

[31:58] No, he's dead. He was dead. They wanted to check if he was really dead. And then the soldier took a sword and pierced his side. When he pierced his side, something came out of him.

[32:09] Remember, I quoted the scripture, John chapter 12, verse 24. Except a grain of which falls to the ground and dies. So, if he doesn't die, something will not be released from him. So, when he was going to the cross, he said, the time has come for the son of man, verse 23.

[32:22] He said, for the time has come. The time has come for the, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 23. John chapter 12, verse 23. The time has come for the son of man to be glorified. The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified.

[32:33] Look at verse 24. Verse 24. And then he said, most assuredly, I say unto you, I say unto you, except a grain of which falls to the ground. Talking, he's describing himself as a grain of which falls to the ground and that's what? Dies.

[32:44] So, he said, I'm about to die. If I don't die, I remain alone. But if I die, the body can be birthed. So, that's why we are, oh, little Christ. Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ.

[32:56] Because he has birthed us. Now, so on the cross, when he was dying, they pierced his side. Because he died, they pierced his side after he has died. They wanted to make sure he's dead.

[33:09] So, they pierced his side and then immediately, not the thieves, him alone. And when they pierced his side, immediately what came out? Blood first and water. Blood is for redemption.

[33:21] The usefulness of blood is to pay for sin. Read the Bible. Blood. That's why when God created Adam and Eve and he was telling them what food to eat, he told them in Genesis chapter 2, verse 16, that you can eat of every tree.

[33:36] He never asked him to eat animals. Verse 18, and God said that it was not good for, it was not good for man to be alone. And he says that I'll make for him a helpmate.

[33:46] And then he brought the animals for Adam to name them, not to eat them. It's in the Bible. Yeah, he brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.

[33:59] Not what he would call him to eat them. So, watch this. Animal, watch this, watch this. I don't have time, so I need you to follow this. Are you following it? Animals were not part of the original diet of humanity.

[34:12] We are not meant to eat animals. So, now, are we free to eat animals? So, when God blessed them, said, have dominion, gave them the food to eat. He didn't add animals. But after Noah's ark, when men sinned and they fell, look at Genesis chapter 9, verse 1 and 2.

[34:29] I think it should be 1 and 2, I suppose so. And God blessed Noah, be fruitful and multiply. The next verse. The next verse. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast and on every bed of the air.

[34:42] And every movement of the air. I've given, they are given to your hands. I think, go to the next verse. And, yeah. Every movement of the air. I have given to you even the, so for food.

[34:55] Now he has added the animals. Because you need the blood of the lamb. Eat the lamb and give me the blood. Eat the lamb. So, when Exodus chapter 12, before they left Egypt, it said, kill the lamb.

[35:05] You eat the flesh in the house, but give the blood to mark your house. So, the blood was not for eating. The blood was for paying the price of life. Because the life is in the blood. So, now that we need blood, you might as well eat the flesh.

[35:20] So, God blessed them and said, I've given, he said, every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. You can eat snakes if you want to. Wow. That's given to you.

[35:32] But he didn't give us pigs to eat. When he gave them there, when he was with them in the wilderness, there were people, he gave them some instructions about what to do and what not to do. And it was all ritual and ceremonial laws.

[35:44] There were moral laws. There were ritual laws. And there were ritual laws. Moral laws, the Ten Commandments. There were ceremonial laws and there were ritual laws.

[35:55] Ritual laws as how to organize services and meetings and all that. And then the moral, that shall not kill, that shall not do this. God gave them. But he, when he gave them the commandment, he told them some things not to eat.

[36:09] It was one for his, for their health and safety. And some animals were considered unclean for them to be eaten. After now, there are certain things that is not good for human beings to eat.

[36:20] But anyway, it depends on where you come from. But there are certain things it's not really good. Yeah. It's not really good for human beings to eat. It's not everything human beings must eat. Certain type of meat can bring certain type of sicknesses.

[36:32] That's true. So he protected them. All right. That's why he gave them restrictions not to eat. And some of it were assigned, some of the animals are symbols of evil.

[36:43] Yeah. So you don't have to eat those things. Like can't be eaten an owl. An owl. You know, there's some symbols, some, some, there are symbols of evil.

[36:54] So there are snakes. They were not meant for eating. So, but now that Christ has come, if you want to eat here, it's up to you. If you want to eat, it's up to you.

[37:05] Because we are not under the ritual laws. All right. Let me go on. Does that make sense? So watch this. Back to redemption. So the blood was for redemption. So when they pierced his side and the blood came, he said, I paid the price for the redemption.

[37:17] And then something else came out. What else came out? Water. That's life. There can't be life without water. So life. So when he died, unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground, the first one is just to pay for sins.

[37:30] But we are not only alive. We are not only living because of his death. Oh, he didn't just die for us to be forgiven. He died for us to live. Does that make sense?

[37:41] So in Romans chapter 5 verse 10, it talks about how we are saved by his life as well. Romans chapter 5 verse 10.

[37:54] And much more, having been recused, shall we be saved by what? By what? His life. So Christ, watch this. Christ died.

[38:05] Christ died to release his life for us. He gave his life for us. So we live by his life through the death.

[38:16] Now watch this. So the blood is for redemption. Now, and he released the life to us. Now, the way this life can spread, the way this life can spread is by someone now also taking his share.

[38:29] A human being, Paul said, Galatians, a Colossians one, said, in my body, in my body, my physical life. For his body's sake, he says that, and in my own person.

[38:42] When he read the King James, he said, my own body. Physically, my living is a seed to suffer for the building of the church. The serving of the church is only Christ who can suffer for that.

[38:57] But the building of the church, he left the part of the suffering for us to take care of. And I, I like this. The suffering is not only individualistic, but it's a corporate suffering.

[39:11] So when they were killing the Christians, Jesus appeared to Saul. He said, why do you persecute me? You think you are killing Christians, but you are making me suffer. It's me you are attacking, but it's a Christian who is suffering.

[39:23] The Christian suffering is Christ's suffering. So Paul said, now I'm, I'm, I'm also in my body. I'm making up for what is left to build a church. Church cannot be built without suffering.

[39:36] Somebody must physically be suffering. When I say suffering, not because you want to gossip, you're going to steal, you want to do some bad things. No, I'm not talking about suffering for evil. I'm talking about suffering for his name and suffering for the church.

[39:54] In, in Philippians chapter three, verse 10 and verse 11. Oh, I've got, I told you I've got a lot. I haven't gone anywhere. I wanted to tell you about the synagogues. Synagogue of Satan.

[40:05] I wanted to tell you about 10 days. He said you, you, Satan will try some of you for 10 days. That's very interesting. He said he will try you. And you try something to check his value.

[40:18] He's testing you for 10 days. Some of you will be thrown into prison for 10 days. Why 10 days? You want to know, let's, let's, what, if it happened to get him. Put on the screen, the back, the scripture I quoted.

[40:29] Philippians 9 said, that I may know him. And, ah, ah, ah. Verse 9, verse 9. Oh man, this is good. This is good, good, good.

[40:41] Good. He said, verse 9. And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ.

[40:55] The righteousness which is of God by faith. The next verse. That I may know Christ. I've given up a lot of things, all this. That I may know him.

[41:07] Not just knowing him, but, and the power of his resurrection. And the fellowship. Say fellowship. Fellowship. The Greek word is koinonia.

[41:18] Other translations use partnership. It's partnership. We are one. We are moving together. We are one. Partnership. Now, he says that I want to know him.

[41:29] Know the power of his resurrection. And the fellowship. The partnership. I'm sharing in his suffering. We are together in this. Why have you only focused on, you can't know Christ without sharing in his suffering.

[41:45] But before you can share in his suffering, you must know the resurrection power. The life. Okay. To know the power of his resurrection. This resurrection power is life.

[41:57] It's life. So, that life of Christ in you is what will help you to be able now to share in his suffering. And I like that word. Being made conformable to his death.

[42:11] Many people don't see this. The power of resurrection is only where we stop. It's that you yourself, you have to be made conformable. You have to. So, it's like you are being cloned.

[42:23] His death becomes a model for you. So, all your life, your role model is Christ's death. Being made conformable to his death.

[42:39] Go to the next verse. If my enemies, I may attend unto the resurrection of the dead. So, number one. We have, it's not just knowing him.

[42:51] When we know him, we must also target to know the resurrection, the power of the resurrection. And the fellowship of his suffering. Suffering unto death.

[43:02] So, as I told you, something must be dying. Sometimes some relationships must be dying.

[43:14] Unhealthy relationships. Unhealthy associations. They must be dying. They must be dying. Unhealthy koinonia.

[43:25] Unhealthy koinonia. Sir. You must believe God for certain days to die. I was listening to a preacher, a senior man, one preacher I readily respect.

[43:38] And he made a statement. He says that a dying man, 78-year-old man, he was dying on his deathbed. He was a Christian. And I think he was a preacher. So, this man was dying.

[43:50] And the preacher was called to go. And he was going to visit him because he's like somebody new. The man, 78-year-old. And then, so, just in the process of dying, the pastor, the other guy, asked him, What in your Christian life, what is it that has been left that you wish you could have done?

[44:09] Or you could have, you know, you couldn't deal with it in your Christian, something that has been the downside of your Christian life. On his dying bed, 78-year-old man, he said, I tried, I never could get over the desire for pornography.

[44:28] 78-year-old. So, that is very bad news for you, 22-year-old man. That means you've got a long way to continue suffering.

[44:39] A long journey of battling. Most of you, when you are not Christians and you see people like pastors who look fiery.

[44:51] Hallelujah! Hey, hallelujah! You think they are free. Listen, please, come and do a survey of all the guys in front here.

[45:03] Hey! No. Come and do a survey. You will be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised that this powerful man of God, this strong anointed who is always in the spirit, has something he struggles with, not something that overcomes him.

[45:23] You see, struggling doesn't mean you are being overcome. I die daily. I'm not struggling. That's not one of my struggles. Do you know why it's not one of my struggles? Because what you don't know, you don't miss.

[45:34] Yes, sir. I know why you are struggling. Because you've watched it too much. You've been there too much. Now, you actually don't want to do it.

[45:44] But it's just recently. So every now and then, the test has not left you. Sometimes it comes so strong. A gentleman told me that he and his friends decided that no porn again.

[45:55] Some three guys in this church, they decided they are not going to do porn again. No one. So they block all porn sites on their phones, on their iPads and computers. This gentleman came to me a while ago, about a long time ago, came to me and he said, Pastor, something happened to me.

[46:15] Because we have decided, we have made a pact that none of us will watch, whether you are with them, because you need accountability, relationship, partners like that.

[46:26] And the other time I was sharing it, one of the partners was there, and he knew about it, that their brother has gone to watch porn. He knew it. Even though, I thought that he wouldn't know it.

[46:38] He was so honest, that when it happened, he went into, I've done it again. You must have some Christians in your life, who you can run to go and report, I've gone to fornicate again. I've gone to watch pornography again.

[46:51] They've kissed me again. You have to go and tell somebody. But in other words, you are secretive. You are secretive, hiding so many things, looking like a powerful Christian. That's why you are struggling. You must be accountable to somebody.

[47:04] You see, this Christian life I'm talking about, is not a private living. Read your Bible, you'll find out, Paul was mentioning names. Romans chapter 16, he said, greet Priscilla, greet Aquila, greet Phoebe, greet Ampliatus, mentioning them.

[47:19] They were members of the church. They knew them by names. How can you be a church member? Nobody knows your name. You must be part of a fellowship. They must know you. You must know. Whoa. What's your name?

[47:33] So, so, so, so, people, maybe, you need somebody you can be open to. To go and tell, tell, tell the brother, have a brother, not everybody, you need second.

[47:48] Tell the brother, I don't know why that lady, one gentleman came to me about a year ago. He said, pastor, he's married man, young man, he's married.

[47:59] He said, pastor, I don't know what's wrong with him. I'm struggling, that sister, I mentioned the sister's name. He said, pastor, it's troubling me. And we work, I think, care group or we have, and he's bothering me.

[48:10] Wow. Struggling. He said, sister, I don't want to see her. I'm married. Wow. See, that's what you, you hypocrites pretend. You pretend that you, you still don't have human living.

[48:23] The fact that you are in church doesn't mean you're okay, excuse me. You're not. You're every day in church, you're having a classroom on another person. You are not.

[48:34] Are you getting what I'm saying? You need somebody to be accountable. You don't need, it doesn't always have to be a pastor. It's to be a trusted Christian who is also pursuing God.

[48:49] Both of you are, because we are all weak. We are, we are not strong. This flesh, don't trust it. Don't trust it, because it can disgrace you brutally.

[49:00] If you are married, you are feeling, you are having infatuation towards, maybe you are a man, not a woman. You, maybe you may not tell your wife, because she may not handle it well.

[49:15] So, but, you have to tell somebody. Not everybody, you will regret, you will regret it. Please, you will be hurt.

[49:26] So, start building the relationship. Some of you are in relationship with a man, you are a woman, you are in relationship with a man or your husband, and that's the only close person you have in the church. There are times, there are things you can't tell him, because he may not understand.

[49:42] But you answer what I'm talking about. You are not dodgy, but some of the things are not healthy to speak about. But you need to, thank you, you need to speak about it. You look, all put together, but you are not at all.

[49:54] You are struggling. You are struggling. Unforgiveness, bitterness, lust, all kinds of things.

[50:05] So, this gentleman, they have, and it's normal. This gentleman came to me, he said, Pastor, I didn't actually, I called him, it's my son's, every now I talk to them. I said, when was the last time you had a problem, an episode, pornography, or masturbation episode?

[50:19] And he can't lie to you, why would you lie to me? So, those of you who want to come close, I'll ask you questions. Right, right, right. I have to, I have to, I asked him, when was the last time you had an episode, porn, he said, Pastor, not too long ago, about, and I mentioned, I said, what happened?

[50:38] He said, Pastor, I'm telling you, oh, no, because me and my friends, he mentioned that we have made a pact that none of us, we blocked. He said, one day I was, every now and then he comes, but this one day, it came so strong on me, I was so charged, it's like, so around 5 a.m., I woke up, I'm telling you a true story, the brother is here as I'm talking, he said, around 5 a.m., I woke up, I couldn't sleep, it was so strong on me, one hour to burn morning prayer, so, he said, I took my phone, I blocked it, I took my, iPad is blocked, I couldn't, I just wanted something to watch, so, I went to my, sister's room, and took her iPad, and, because that one is not blocked, I came to my room, I logged on, I watched, and watched, and watched, and I said, what happened, when you finished, you must have been, he said, oh, yes, and I said, Pastor, and as soon as I finished, why, why, I struck me like this, some of you afterwards, you cry, that is what I like about you, you are a genuine Christian, my problem is not what you did, my problem is what you feel, after you did it, right, that's the problem, that's the problem, if you don't have a sense, any sense of remorse, after committing, after killing somebody, you are a psychopath, that's the problem, you have a mental illness, that's the problem, it's not, the killing is not as severe, as your mental state, yeah, yeah, you sin, you went with your boyfriend, and ended up doing, some serious stuff, meanwhile, every time, you are the one preaching everybody,

[52:21] I told them, I was teaching them, the other time, I said, when it happens like that, repent, and go and start preaching again, go and save lives, go, continue, and keep fighting daily, daily, die daily, die daily, fight, to have the victory, fight, to have the victory, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, you don't become a Christian, because you are just sitting in church, you don't become a Christian, because a powerful man of God, there is no powerful man of God, who can lay hands on you, for your flesh, to be subdued, no, even the man of God, is dealing with his own flesh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, don't be afraid of the suffering, can I add one more scripture, yes, yes, there are so many, I have not gone to the synagogue,

[53:23] I have not gone to the Pharisees, I have not gone to what they did to Jesus, I have not gone to 10 days, I have not gone to the crown of life, so much. But I think we are here next week, so we will continue.

[53:37] But let me add this scripture. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 11. 2 Timothy. This is such a powerful scripture. Wow. It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.

[54:00] If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. What does the verse 10 say? Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of, I endure all things for the legs sake, that they may also obtain, you see, he's going through all this so that somebody can be saved.

[54:20] So, in Christianity, life gets birthed by someone else's death. terrible. Wow.

[54:32] Does that make sense? Yeah. Somebody must die for life to be birthed, for someone to live. So, he said that, I go through all these things for the sake of those God has elected, that they may also obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

[54:51] Now, second, this will be a blessing. Second Corinthians chapter 4, verse 10 and 11. This amazing text. I saw it. It blessed me so much. It said, always bearing in my, ah, look at this.

[55:04] Hey, look at it. This is interesting. He said, always bearing about in the body, the what? The body. What are we bearing in our body? The dying. The dying of the Lord Jesus.

[55:17] Why? That the life also of Jesus might be made manifested in us. So, you need to die for the life to be manifested. Until you die, something, until something dies in you, you are a Christian, but the life of Christ will never be manifested in you.

[55:34] Embrace suffering for Christ. Pay the price by the power of the resurrection. God will help you.

[55:45] That's why His Spirit is giving us His Spirit. Pay the price. We may not know you because you look very decent. You are sitting in church. But you see, Bible says, don't be deceived.

[55:56] God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, so shall you. Look at the next verse, verse 11. Look at verse 11. You will like this. For we which live are always delivered, where?

[56:09] Oh. Do you see that? We are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake. Why? That the life also of Jesus might be made manifested in our mortal flesh.

[56:22] So, you need to die. In your dying is when the life is released. Because when you are born again, you have the zoe, the life of God, but it cannot be manifested until you begin to die.

[56:35] You have to die with Christ. Bear the cross. He said, being conformable unto his death. I die daily. He said, be faithful unto death.

[56:47] Why are you afraid of suffering? Look at the next verse, verse 12. I like that one too. Verse 12 is even stronger for me. So then, death works well in us, but what?

[56:57] Life in you. Whilst we are dying, others are living. We can't build the church with living people. The church can only be built by dying people.

[57:11] Because as we are dying, Jesus said, except a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies. Yeah, but when you die, the life in you is released into others. So, if you are, whatever you are doing in church.

[57:26] I'm not just saying coming to church. But there are things you have to also do in church. The scripture I quoted, Colossians 1.24, it says that, I continue in my flesh the remaining, what is left behind in the afflictions of Christ, okay, in my flesh.

[57:43] For the, why? For the body's sake, that is the church. So, I have, I'm suffering, I'm going through all the pain because of the church. You have to go through something just so church can go on.

[57:57] Oh, let me say that again. You have to go through something so church can go on. So, if it's your pride and arrogance, ah, my former boyfriend has come to church, I'm upset, I have to leave.

[58:11] Excuse me. Humble yourself. Pastor, I'm going through so much. Yeah, go through it. Die daily for the sake of the body. I don't like it. When Asher speak to me like that or my departmental leader, I don't like, please die daily for the sake of the church.

[58:29] For the sake of the church. No, when I come to church, sometimes, you know, I'm very quiet, but really, I've been quiet for too long. I've been quiet for too long.

[58:40] Sometimes the way that leader, sometimes the way he talks to me, I've been quiet, I'm tired. Pastor, I don't want, I don't want to bring my character here. Excuse me. If you are good, if you are good at passing gas, don't do it in town for God's sake.

[58:56] Don't let us know that you can pass nasty gas. Do it in your room. But, but people don't know me, the things I can do.

[59:06] You ask my family, we don't have to know you because it's not pleasant about you. We don't have to know that sometimes you smell. We don't have to know it. Do you understand what I'm saying?

[59:16] So why do you say I have a nasty character and I don't want anyone to make me, we don't want to know, die! So we can build a church. Let's build a church.

[59:31] Somebody must suffer. As a pastor, you don't know what I've been through in the hands of human beings who I have sacrificed a lot for. But for the sake of the church, I have to die daily.

[59:43] I have to bear it and still continue doing good to people. who may also look like them. Because maybe if I do good for people and it's hurting me, it's hurting me, now you feel like maybe out of the one, two, three, four, five, six people, you'll do good.

[60:02] Maybe one will work. So if you suffer for one to work, what's wrong with it? Why do you want all the five to work? Did you have 100% always at school?

[60:12] No. Five. Wow. Right to work. Amen. Amen. But what I'm talking about, you can never taste it truly if you are not part of a local church.

[60:26] Yeah. You can never taste it truly unless you are part of a local church. Somebody say amen. Amen. Well, have you received something?

[60:37] Yes. Shut up. Thank God for using the sermon, Reverend Dr. David Entry to share this awesome word.

[60:52] If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at charis.org. Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Charis Ministries.

[61:08] Stay blessed.