Love Life Light

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Reverend Dr. David Etrie. 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. What's today's message? Let's all say that together. One more time please.

[0:23] Love, life and life. Yes. Love, life and light. Picking up from where we ended last time, Revelations chapter 2.

[0:40] Let's go to Revelations chapter 2. Please turn your Bibles with me to Revelations chapter 2 from verse 1. To the angel of the church of Ephesus. Write. These things say he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.

[1:05] And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars. And you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for my name's sake, and have not become weary.

[1:22] Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first lamp.

[1:33] Remember therefore from whence you have fallen. Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.

[1:45] Unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

[2:01] To him who overcomes, I will give to it from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Now, a few things the Bible mentioned about this great church, church of Ephesus.

[2:19] He said, number one, I know your works. Then he said, I know your labor. Then he says, I know your perseverance or your patience. So I know your works, your labor, your patience.

[2:32] And then he continues to say that you cannot bear those who are evil. Are all these good traits of Christianity? Good traits of Christianity.

[2:43] If you are a Christian, these things should be manifesting in your life. We should see works. Works that befits a Christian.

[2:55] Bible talks about how, I think Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1 and 2.

[3:07] I think so. Ephesians chapter 5, therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Right? Verse 2 says that, and walk in love as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.

[3:28] Verse 3. But fornication and all this, let it not be made, named amongst you as is fitting for saints. So we have to conduct ourselves that befits our status, in a way that befits our status as Christians.

[3:46] And so it says that there are works that is, these are Christian works. Or when you are Christian, there are things you do, the works you produce should be Christian, the work themselves should depict a Christian lifestyle.

[4:00] And then he says, I know your works and I know your labor. Labor. You have to suffer. You have to invest energy.

[4:15] Invest. And so it's not just, I wish I was doing something for God. But you have to work so much that you can tell that sometimes you are doing a lot. You are doing a lot for God.

[4:29] May I submit to you, if you claim to be doing God's work, and you haven't come to a place where you can tell that you have drained yourself into it, you are not actually doing the work.

[4:42] Because the work by nature is very demanding. The work of God will demand every bit of you. It will demand your strength.

[4:56] It will demand your mind. It will demand your heart. It will demand your soul. It's so demanding that if you do God's work, and see, if you have been serving a department in your church, and it's not having a bearing on you, you can feel that in fact, sometimes you sacrifice more than your actual work.

[5:21] If you can't have that testimony, you are not doing enough for God. You are not doing enough for God. You are just a Christian by convenience.

[5:38] Guess what? When you are born again, you are actually called to suffer for his name. And to labor. Labor. Labor is different from working. And labor is certainly different from toiling.

[5:52] Christians are not meant to toil, but we are meant to labor. In fact, it calls it in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, sorry, sorry, Hebrews chapter 6 verse 10, it calls it your labor of love.

[6:03] You are suffering like this because of Christ. Some people can say, but why? Why? Is the church for my father? Of course. Of course.

[6:18] Jesus said, I have to be about my father's business, which, I thought you agree, if you are a Christian, then it's your father's business. It's more important than other things you do.

[6:32] There are people who sit here, who don't have any, it's like every Sunday upon Sunday. There are other people here who Sundays, it's actually time for relaxation, and so you are like a Pharisee.

[6:49] A Pharisee, Saturdays, they go to the synagogue, because that is their time for God. You know, so there's a certain aspect of your life, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then that Sunday, some people even go as far as saying things like, huh, I can't sit in church for more than two hours, but you can stay in hospital for five hours.

[7:25] I took the children to a theme park recently. One of the places, not the whole park, just the rides, I was in a queue for about 45 minutes.

[7:35] Yes. And some of you, it's nice because your child is happy. Your child is happy. So, some of us, all your life is anything that can make my children happy, that's what I live for.

[7:47] You have missed God. Who gave you the children? And you think you can protect the children? Oh, excuse me. Commit them to God and work for God.

[8:01] I found out, sir, yesterday, as I was, I want to home, I'm always listening to messages and listening to preaching and listening to Bible. And then something hit my spirit yesterday. Suddenly, I realized my life mission.

[8:13] Wow. And I realized my life mission. And I said, these all are my life for. My life mission, sir, my life mission is to preach the gospel for the building of the church.

[8:24] Yes. Wow. That. Very clear. So, any other thing, I'm not a motivational speaker. No. My life, assignment is to preach the gospel, not for, to build, have a local, no, for the building of the church, the church of Christ.

[8:43] The gospel, anything that doesn't build it, and it's only, it takes only the preaching of gospel that can build the church of Christ. So, the purpose of the church is to build the church. The reason why you are in church is to build the church.

[8:58] It's not to get a testimony. The reason why your testimony has delayed is because you have not focused on what God is focusing on. It happens a lot to many husbands. You want your wife in a certain way, but she's not really interested.

[9:16] Because, you've taken her to the restaurant, but you are on your phone. You've taken her to the restaurant because you are trying to take pictures to send to your friends that this way I've done, or you know, I've taken my wife out.

[9:29] But it's not because she was so valuable. You are trying to tick a box. And so, even though you have spent so much money, you are thinking she should be happy, she's not really happy that way because she knows that you are not doing it for her.

[9:39] You are doing it for yourself. So, most of us are in church for yourself. That thing delays testimony more than anything.

[9:52] It's very interesting. My life's mission is to preach the gospel for the building of the body of Christ.

[10:08] That's my life mission. And so, I was thinking, so how about, you're supposed to raise children. No, I've realized that God gave me the children for us to do it. He gave me the children for my life mission.

[10:26] He said, as for me and my house, I was studying my Bible, please. And I found out in Genesis that Noah and his household, I found out that Rahab and her household, I found out that Judah in Philippians, him, believe in the Lord and you shall be saved and your household, Cornelius and his household.

[10:50] Jesus went to Zacchaeus, Luke chapter 19, he said, today, you and your household. I saw it, I saw the trend of household, household, household, household, and his house, and his house, right from Genesis.

[11:05] When God called Abraham, he said, I'm choosing Abraham because he knows how to command his house. You can't command your children to be in line with what God has assigned you to do because you want your children also to look a certain way in life.

[11:21] So your failure, because you couldn't become a medical doctor, your daughter must definitely become a doctor. So, you think you are doing well as a Christian because you are not fornicating.

[11:42] Those works are good, but you are not laboring. Then, so, once you are laboring, I thought it's a good achievement. At least you are laboring. People are working for God.

[11:53] These are the things God watches. And when he starts to pay, he doesn't pay tomorrow. Like, by next week, the pay is carried. Most of the payment is in the next 10 years. When it begins to blossom, sir, when it begins to manifest, you will realize that the complaint was not necessary.

[12:10] Really? When God begins to color you, I see God remembering your labor. So, remember.

[12:21] So, there are people who are laboring, sir. People are laboring. The way some of you, sometimes you come and sit in front, you look very powerful. Me, I know you are not that powerful because you are not laboring.

[12:32] I celebrate people who labor.

[12:49] Because, sir, all my life, from my teenage years, there has never been a week I was in all my all is in the work of God.

[13:00] It's about a lifetime of investment and labor and God said, okay, I will use you for this. Because, there are certain things you can't use someone who hasn't paid a certain price.

[13:13] Let me put it this way. There are certain things that you can't be qualified to be used if you haven't been around long. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[13:23] You have to be around a long time. You cannot be a professor or an emeritus when you are 25 years old. God takes a long period off. You can't be a medical doctor after one year in medical school because you are a genius.

[13:39] No, no, no, no, no. Some things take time. It doesn't matter how big and fat you are going to grow. You still have to be, your mother must carry you for nine months or within that time.

[13:53] It can't be two weeks. No, two weeks doesn't make a baby. So why is it that your two weeks labor thinks that everything must stop for you because God has tried?

[14:05] Are you getting where I'm coming from? I am meeting people at the point of their needs because most of us are just religious. We are not spiritual and not Christian in approach because a Christian's mindset is labor for Christ.

[14:23] Labor for Christ. You have to feel like I'm really suffering for this thing. Not because you went to gossip or you went to take somebody's husband, somebody's wife, but it's because you are so dedicated from work.

[14:36] You are rushing to go and sort out some things that is pertaining to church. Monday to Friday, every day there must be something you must be doing about church. There must be something you must be doing. You don't have to be a pastor to know that.

[14:53] You just have to be a Christian to do that. I don't know everybody will clap, but that's okay. All right, let me go back to my message.

[15:04] So, he said, the scripture said that, I know your labor, I know your works, I know your labor, I know that you cannot, your patience, and I know that you can't bear those who are evil.

[15:18] And then you have tested those who say they are prophets and are not, and you have found them to be liars. Great, great traits of Christian life. Then he went on to say that you have persevered, and you have patience, and you have laid bed for my name's sake, and have not become weary.

[15:38] That means that when you are doing it, it gets to a time sometimes. How many of you have tried to do a bit more for God, and it gets to a time you feel that I think I've done enough, it's okay. Those who can't raise your hand, you haven't done anything for God, because the nature of God's work is like that.

[15:54] When it gets to a time you feel it, I think, no, it's okay. I've tried, I've tried, I've tried, I've tried, and you have so many different things to sort out. And the demand of God's work too, God's work is very demanding.

[16:11] It's very demanding. If you attempt to do a bit of it, you realize that it's very demanding, it will affect you and your comfort, your relaxation, your children, everything.

[16:27] Everything. Everything. If you're a pastor in a church, and Monday to Friday, there's nothing about the church, apart from service. Oh, you are not a proper pastor.

[16:40] I'm telling you something. Why did you know all these things? When I started growing, I realized how the spiritual things are. It's not what we taught. Being a pastor has no ability to preach. It's not just the ability to preach.

[16:54] It's not that I've been a Christian for a long time and I'm a Christian guru. A Christian guru. So, there are people in churches, they don't have a church, and they go to a church, and they know, okay, maybe I want to, this must be my church, and they feel like, listen, I've been a pastor before, so I need to be giving pastoral to, hey, hey, hey.

[17:22] You must work hard. You must give God your mind. Those of us, after, who are privileged to have normal nine-to-five, or, after work, there's work.

[17:40] Bishop I said, when he leaves his work, now my life is starting. Now my life is starting. So, those of you who hope to be a pastor, and you think it's about wearing off-suits, maybe one day, our church, we won't be wearing suits for pastors.

[18:00] Bishop Doug says that you only wear the regalia for the ceremony, after I remove it, wear t-shirt, and start working as a pastor. Hey, I'm preaching to the church.

[18:17] First, we are about to ordain some people, appoint some people, but it's now going to be based on their labors. And then we are going to intensify the heat.

[18:30] Anyone who carries a title in this church, you will pay for the title. You will pay for it. You will pay for it. You will pay for it. Is it a good policy? I know your labor.

[18:49] I know your works. I know your labor. I know your patience. I know that you can't tolerate those who are evil. I know you have tested those who are false prophets. I know your patience. I know your perseverance.

[19:01] And he says that you have suffering for my name. you have persevered and you have suffered for my name. Labored for my name's sake. And have not become weary.

[19:12] Then verse four. He said, but nevertheless I have something against you. So in other words, your Christian activities, all the things you do, your labor, your work, the way you reject people who are evil, all those things, don't get God's approval if this essential thing is missing.

[19:39] Your love for God. So he said, with all that you have done, really, you know, it reminds me of what Paul said. He said, if I give my body to be burnt, if I give all my possessions to the poor, I do this, 1 Corinthians chapter 13, if I do it, and I, he said, even if I speak in tongues of angels, angels, your tongues, people who know that angels have descended, he said, even if I speak in tongues of angels, men and angels, but have no love, I have become a sounding brass and a clanging cymbal.

[20:16] So it is just noise in the ears of God. In other words, what validates anything we do as a Christian is first and foremost, your love for God. Wow.

[20:29] Wow. So he said, yet you have missed one thing, your love, because it's your love for God that validates your works for him.

[20:44] So that means that if he's going to reward you for what you are doing, he's keeping an eye over your love, the love that made you do it. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, I think verse 14, it says that the love of Christ constrains us.

[21:02] The love of Christ, all that we are doing, he says that the love of Christ compels, we have this love for him that compels us. Now, one of the things I want you to understand is the Bible says God demonstrated or commenced, Romans 5, 8, God commenced his love or demonstrated, displayed his love towards us in this way, that whilst we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

[21:25] So, when it comes to the love of God for us, Romans Ephesians chapter 2, verse 4, I think verse 4, it says, but God, who is rich in mercy? Because of what?

[21:37] Because of what? Because of what? Because of what? His great love, which he loved us, what did he do? Verse 5, verse 5, even when we are dead in our tribe, made us alive together.

[21:50] So, the reason why he made us alive is because of his love. So, if you're a Christian, being a Christian, it's a sign that because you are the object of God's love, John 3, 16, for God's whole love.

[22:01] So, when it comes to the love of God towards us, it's not questionable. It's evident. The evidence is all around us. But when it comes to our love for him, that's what he's talking about.

[22:17] He said, I love you enough, and I did all this for you. And he said, all I'm asking for you, from you, is if you can love me back first, don't be in a hurry to do.

[22:29] Love me first. So, it's a love thing. Because, see, when you are in love, you do so much that some of us, the sacrifices you do for your children, you don't feel it.

[22:44] It's sweet because you just love this child. You bought this shoe so expensive, you never thought in your life you ever buy a certain shoe. But for that you're a girl, for that your boy, and the girl is so happy and you look at her, you are happy.

[22:57] Even though your account is suffering. What am I trying to say? When you are in love, nothing is too much. You want to check whether you are really in love with God?

[23:12] Check the things about church. Some of us we find it so easy to miss church. church. I've been born again for almost 30 years now. 30 years.

[23:23] I've missed church only one Sunday in my entire life. Only one Sunday. So this is not that we are standing here and just talking. All the things I do, discipling people, sharing the word, it's because I have this love for God.

[23:39] It makes me vulnerable to even people who are crooks, who don't love God, and they come and hang around us like, but the way they are, once we feel you love God, we feel that you are a friend. I love God.

[23:53] Because everything in Christianity rises and falls, not based on your righteousness, not based on your good behavior, your prim and properness.

[24:04] No, it's not. It rises and falls based on your love for God. So when God came, he said, I know you have done this, I know you are not, but I'm not impressed. I have something against you.

[24:16] You have left your first love. And he said, remember from where verse 5, remember from where you are falling. Missing your first love means you are falling. Falling from some heights.

[24:28] In spite of all the things you are doing, giving big seeds, giving big offerings and tithes, but your love for God has gone down. He said, remember and repent, else I will come quickly.

[24:45] He won't take his time. He said, I will come quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place unless you repent. So God himself came to them.

[25:00] He says that you have left your first love, return to your first love, else I'll come and take your lamp stand. Now verse 7. He said, he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

[25:14] And what did he say? He said, to him who overcomes, say overcome. You remember we discussed this game. Overcome what? Overcome the degradation.

[25:26] Overcome the falling from first love. It's not overcoming the world. No. It's not overcoming temptation. Excuse me. It's not talking about overcoming temptation. The reason why you can't overcome temptation is because of your love problem.

[25:40] He said, he who overcomes, if you can recover your first love, Jesus says, I'm going to give you a certain attention. So, now he starts to address the overcomers.

[25:55] Look at somebody, tell the person, you look like an overcomer. Somebody near you is an overcomer. Am I talking to an overcomer in the house?

[26:08] Shout hallelujah. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat. You are overcoming to eat. Think about it.

[26:20] Think about it. Can you imagine your, they said, if you win this award, you'll be giving food to eat. Oh, let somebody else win it.

[26:32] Food, I can buy food. this is overcoming, this is a hard one. It's like a boxer. And they say, if you, if you, if you win this context, heavyweight championship, if you, if you win this context, they said, oh, you'll be giving a ticket to Nando's to eat for two days.

[26:56] To him who overcomes, he said, I will give to eat. So, this one must be a special type of meal. I submit to you that the first thing God thought of us when he created us, the first thing he wanted us to do was to eat.

[27:15] So, Genesis chapter 2 verse 8, the Bible says that the Lord God planted a garden in the east of Eden. Okay, east of Eden. And there he put man who here, look at verse 9, and God commanded, and out of the ground, the Lord God made every tree grow.

[27:31] That is pleasant to the sight and what? Good for food. The trees that are pleasant to the sight flowers and good for food. He made them grow. So, the trees, God had food in mind.

[27:43] That's why he made the trees grow. Not the animals. The animals were not meant for food initially. we were not created to eat animals.

[27:56] Okay, you. So, watch this. Watch this. God calls the tree, and then he says, the tree of life. Say the tree of life. Say it again.

[28:08] Say it louder. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was there. Look at verse 16. And the Lord God commanded man, saying, of every tree of the garden, that means the tree of life inclusive.

[28:25] Of every tree of the garden, you may freely say the tree of life. So, the tree of life, when God created man, before he told man to do anything, he made sure that there was tree of life there, and man had access to the tree of life.

[28:39] Then he came to man, he put man where the garden was, and where the tree, other trees, including the tree of life, and he said, freely eat. That's the first commandment God gave.

[28:50] Before he gave him work to do, he asked him to go and eat. Before he gave him work to do, he said eat. And so God put man in the garden to eat.

[29:02] So, he commanded him, of every tree, freely eat, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, only one. But he didn't add the tree of life, because the tree of life, he was supposed to eat it. That was the key thing.

[29:14] And guess what? Man didn't eat the tree of life, went and ate the other trees, and then added the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Guess what? What's the fruit of that tree? And guess what? And because of that, man was driven out of the garden in Genesis chapter 3, verse 22 to 24.

[29:29] And guess what? The Bible says that God commanded, behold, man, God said man has become like us, so he drove him out of the garden. He said, he knows between good and evil.

[29:41] And now lest he put his hand and take of the tree of life and eat forever, and live forever. So if we allow him around the tree of life, he'll go and take that one too.

[29:54] So God says that, so look at the next verse, verse 23, therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground. So why did he send him out of the garden? He didn't want him to touch the tree of life.

[30:05] So that means that the reason why he put him in the garden of Eden was the tree of life. That's where I put him and because of the tree of life, he drove him out. So the central thing in the garden was the tree of life.

[30:19] He put him there to eat it. Because he couldn't, now he disqualified himself. God said move him out. Guess what? And God moved him out. Look at verse 24, and God commanded, and so the Lord drove out the man, and he placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and the flaming sword that turns everywhere to guard, to do what?

[30:39] To guard their way to the tree of life. So that means, it's very interesting. Why did he drive them out of the tree, out of the garden? So they couldn't go and eat the tree of life.

[30:50] And when he drove them out, he put bodyguards and security guards by the tree. So that, because there was something unique about the tree. So when he drove them out, please come, sit here.

[31:04] So that's the garden. But because they went to touch the other thing, God, they disobeyed God, God drove them out because he didn't want them to touch this. So he drove them out, just sit anyway.

[31:14] He drove them out and not just drove, security, sir. And then he put security in front of the tree so that he would prevent anybody to have access to this.

[31:27] Why? Because that's why he created us. He created us so we can eat this thing. That's why the first thing he did, put man in the garden, he said, eat. He drove them out and he said, no one is coming here.

[31:40] God, this tree of life is not just an ordinary tree. Because that tree of life, when it enters you, just like the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it stays in your system permanently and changes something.

[31:53] So when they had the tree of knowledge of evil, good and evil, the human flesh became contaminated. So Jesus had to come as flesh as well, to come and deliver man from the contamination of flesh.

[32:10] Not to deliver us from the flesh, but to deliver us from the judgment of God and the control of the flesh. But as for the flesh, it is never saved.

[32:22] Let me explain this. So he protects, he stopped man from going because there's something about the tree. Then he says that, I have packaged this thing anyone who overcomes. If you keep your first love, he said, to him who overcomes, I will give to it, what is this, from what?

[32:41] The tree of life. Think about it. The tree of life is Jesus himself. In him is life.

[32:54] Because now this takes me a little bit into something that I want you to understand. God wants, I said it earlier on, God wants us to eat him.

[33:08] The word of God, Jeremiah chapter 15 verse 16. Let's go. Wow.

[33:23] I'm called by your name, oh Lord. He said, I found your word. Okay. I found your words. And what did I do to your words? What did you do to God's word?

[33:35] What did you do to God's word? The word of God is not just for reading. I know a man is an apostle.

[33:49] Or a man, he's a man of God, big man of God. He grew up in Malaysia. And I think he was practicing Buddhism or something, I've forgotten.

[34:00] And then later on he became born again. And then when he became born again, his disciple, the one who was helping him grow in the Lord, gave him a book, gave him the Bible to go and read. He went home, the guy is a good reader.

[34:12] He went home with reading three days, he came back, he said, I finished, do you have another one? Because he said in his former religion, there are a lot of books that you have to keep reading different ones.

[34:24] So when they gave him the Bible, he thought it's just read it. So he just went and read and read and read. When he finished the Bible, he said, do you have another one to read? He said, no, this one is not like that.

[34:37] It's not just for reading. It's for feeding. It's for feeding. Matthew 4, 4, man must not live by bread alone, but by what?

[34:49] What do you do with bread? What do you do with bread? And if he says that you eat bread to keep going, to sustain yourself, and he says bread is not the only thing to eat to sustain, but the word of God too is there.

[35:02] That's trying to tell you that if bread is for eating, the word is for eating. Paul, Paul said, 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 2, he said, I fed you with milk and not with solid food, for until now you are not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.

[35:19] The preacher said, when I come to you, do you know what the preacher is supposed to be doing? Feed. Why should the preacher be feeding? Because God's plan for us is to be eating.

[35:31] That's where I'm going. God's ultimate plan for us is to eat. And so when Jesus came, he said, I am the bread of life. John chapter 6 verse 35. He said, I am the bread of life.

[35:43] That means I am for eating. He didn't come to teach us, he came to feed us. This is very important because he taught his disciples. Yeah, his feeding was the way he was teaching them, not just for their minds, but it's to feed them.

[35:59] Listen, you can't walk in faith if you are not feeding. You can't overcome that struggle. You are struggling. I don't know why. I don't know why this temptation, this woman is the devil.

[36:09] It's not the woman that is the devil, but you are malnourished spiritually. It's not the man who is the devil. It's not the computer which is the devil. Computer is not a devil. You are not feeding.

[36:25] And so the devil is using the computer. He's using your ex-boyfriend. He's using that girlfriend. He's using that sister. in church who is sitting in front of you. He's using that even though you are hearing preaching.

[36:40] Am I communicating something? So, you are struggling with temptation, bro, feed. Don't say, pastor, pray for me. I can pray for you, but if you are not feeding, can you imagine if you have not slept for three days and you are traveling to Birmingham on the motorway driving?

[36:59] No, it doesn't matter how much we pray for you. It's likely you may not arrive. It's basic things you have to do. And brother, the reason why your spiritual life has gone so cold and so low, sister, the reason why things have gone so low in your walk with God, your prayer life is so bad, you can't even pray properly because there's not enough feeding.

[37:20] He said, I found your words and I did eat them and when I ate your word, no, in Jeremiah, Jeremiah 15, 16, said, your words were found and I ate them and your words, your word was to me, the joy, you see, that's talking about sweetness, that's some enjoyment in reading your word.

[37:42] Now watch this, watch this, he wants us to feed on him and to enjoy him. Am I communicating something? So what does that mean?

[37:52] Watch this, if you love God, if your love for Christ is there, you end up feeding on him because he says that if you overcome, I will give you of the tree of life.

[38:10] Oh, someone is not getting this. If you overcome, if the love situation is in place, you end up being open to starting enjoying Christ himself.

[38:25] The tree of life is Christ, you take him in. You take him in. I was studying and I found out that, and I said it last two weeks, people didn't get it properly. The Bible is not fundamentally for doctrine, it's fundamentally for feeding.

[38:43] God wants us to feed. God wants us to feed. So, the point I'm trying to make is, he said that if you overcome, those who overcome, they'll be given to eat.

[39:04] And the tree of life we eat is Jesus. Okay, so when your love, watch this, when your love is in place, there the life comes into you.

[39:20] Oh, you didn't get it. If you don't have love for God, you can't enjoy Christ. Church becomes a chore. How many of you have read your Bible and it was so much a chore before?

[39:35] It happens to all of us every now and then. When your heart beat is low, reading the Bible, sometimes you don't even know where to read. And sometimes you are trying to read, you sleep, you actually sleep.

[39:49] How many of you have slept on your Bibles before? A few of that. Some of you, you've wet it with your sweat. It does happen, at least you are trying. It happens.

[40:01] But how many of you have also read the Bible and you couldn't put it down? And you practically feel some sweetness. You can't explain it. How many of you have come to church and you can't explain the way you feel about God?

[40:18] It's the sweetness. God wants us to enjoy him more than to just do work for him. That's the key thing. And so when you overcome, when you start having a heart for him, the first thing he does is he begins to feed you so you can enjoy him.

[40:35] And when you are enjoying him, he feeds you with himself and his life. And so your love entitles you to the life of God. As you are loving him, you are beginning to feed on him and you are receiving the life of God.

[40:53] He comes into you as life. Suddenly you have life to be able to say temptation, no way. You have life enough to be able to say I'm going to do more for God. I'm preaching for God.

[41:04] Put me on the M1. I'm going to take one of the towns. You have you have because sometimes you have the wish but the life to do what you wish for you can't do it.

[41:15] You don't have the life. Listen, it takes the life of God to do the work of God. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

[41:28] If you are with a baby, an infant, a baby, if the mother is not there and the mother maybe is travel or maybe is not there and you have the baby for three days, you better make sure you find milk.

[41:46] And you are a man, even if you are a woman. You must have milk. If you don't have milk, the child will die because it takes milk to sustain a child.

[42:02] That's why normally when you are mother, the first thing God gives you is milk so that you can feed the child. Because children live, babies, they live on milk.

[42:14] Is somebody getting what I'm trying to say? It's such a profound thing I'm trying to teach. First of all, the point is God created us to eat. To eat what?

[42:24] He wants us to eat him. That's what Jesus said in John 6 verse 57 that unless you eat the, as the living father send me and I live because of him.

[42:37] So he who does what? He who does what? He who does what? If you feed on Christ, you will live because of him. So how are we feeding on him?

[42:48] You have to eat him. You have to receive but you can't feed on him if your love for God is cold. God is and when you feed on him, guess what happens?

[43:00] You receive the life of God to do the things of God. And when you have the life of God or you begin to do the things of God, you become like a light in the world.

[43:15] So he shines, you become his testimony. You become the testimony of Christ. He doesn't have to show up physically.

[43:25] Since you are there. But you can't be his testimony if you don't have his life. And you can't have his life if you can't love him. So it starts with your loving him and as you love him, you begin to feed him with his life or you feed on him and you begin to receive his life.

[43:43] So Christ comes to us as life. Watch this. In fact, I think Colossians chapter 3 verse 4, it says that when Christ, who is our life? When Christ, who is what?

[43:55] our life when he appears. So the Christian life, Christ is the life of the Christian life. In fact, it puts it in another way, Colossians, it's the same Colossians, interesting.

[44:05] I think verse 11. It says, when Christ, but Christ, who is all in all, where there is no, verse 10, it starts from verse 10, he says that, and having put on the new man who is renewed in the knowledge according to the image of him who created him, go on, it said, where there is no Greek, no Jew, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, nor free, but Christ, what?

[44:29] All. No, no, no, take your time. Christ what? Is all. Oh, wait, Christ what? Is all. One more time, Christ what? Is all. Christ what?

[44:40] Is all. All of us in church, if we are born again, we are Christian, the Christian life, Christ is all of us. Oh, you didn't get it. Christ is all, and not just his, so where is Christ?

[44:53] Christ is you, Christ is me, Christ is them, Christ is all, and Christ is in all. This whole thing is about Christ. Christ is all of us, and Christ is in all of us, and now, you can't have him the way he should be in you, when you are not loving him to enjoy him.

[45:10] Most of us, you enjoy Christian music, but not Christ. Christ. Not Christ. Enjoy Christ. The more, pastor, the more we are enjoying Christ, the more we are receiving the life of Christ, and the more the life of Christ is coming in us, the more we begin to shine for him.

[45:31] So we become the light. We shine. The love will lead to the life, and the life in us is what makes us shine. If you don't have the life, you can't shine, and you can't have the life without your love for him.

[45:48] So what I'm trying to say, that's why in verse 5, he says that if you don't repent, verse 5, look at verse 5. Revelation 2, 5.

[45:59] Let's all read it out loud. Let's go. Remember that you're for where you are and your good. Prepare that you're and your good. For else I will come to you with me and to you with us and to you with us and to you with us and to you with us I will come quickly and remove your lampstand.

[46:17] What is making your light shine? I will come and because you are not bearing witness for me anymore. You don't have any light to shine. You don't have any light to shine.

[46:29] Jesus said, Matthew chapter 5, verse 14, he said, ye are the light of the world. A city that is dead on a hill.

[46:41] Do you know what it means? Do you know what it means? When you are traveling, when you are traveling from far, in fact, when you look at the horizon of London, the city of London, there are some iconic buildings you always see.

[46:52] like the London Eye and the Shard has come to join and the one like the egg, what is the? The Gherkins. So there are some iconic buildings, Crystal Palace, the Tower.

[47:09] There are some iconic, you see on the horizon, you can't hide it, we can't hide it. We can't make people, we can't make them pay to watch those buildings because a city is set on a hill.

[47:20] Sorry, you can't hide it. But, when your light begins to shine, people will become affected by your Christian testimony.

[47:32] You don't have to share testimony. Your life is testimony for Christ. Your life itself is a testimony. Some of you, your ex-friends will conclude and confirm that because of her, because of him, I know I've changed my life.

[47:51] This lady has really changed. This lady has affected me. This gentleman has really affected me. See, when you are shining for Christ, you know what happens. You do things and people notice without you even knowing that they took notice of something.

[48:06] The people who want to do something for others to see, I'm a Christian, that's why I'm doing it. They are not shining. They are just trying to, you know, pause.

[48:17] But when you are a Christian, you won't tell people. You won't tell people I'm a Christian. They will ask you, what church do you attend? They will ask you, are you a Christian? They'll say, what church do you ask for a Christian?

[48:28] We can't tell. You are a witness for Christ. In your office, they are about to swear or say something. Then he says, yes, let's talk. Your boss will stop talking rubbish when you are around.

[48:40] Your boss is undermining somebody who wants the person to be fired from the company and he says, you know, because of you, I couldn't do it. Please, prioritize your worship life.

[48:51] That way, you commit God to your life. You commit God to your life. Is someone getting what I'm saying? So, your loving God will make you enjoy him as life into you and when the life comes into you, guess what?

[49:13] You shine. He said, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. You have to make a lot of attempts to let people know you are a Christian. Your neighbors by now, they should have known a long time ago.

[49:28] Your work colleagues by now, they should have known a long time ago that you bear witness for Christ. I'm not talking, I'm not teaching religion. Oh, you know, you don't have to wear it on your seat.

[49:40] I'm not talking, I'm just saying what Jesus said. A city that is on a hill cannot be hidden. You can't hide your identity. If you, how many of you have sisters and brothers who fell in love and you can tell my sister is in love?

[49:55] You just go, oh, sometimes you look at them quietly. Hey. Some of you, even in church, I can tell when you fell in love, it changed a lot of things about you.

[50:07] It changed a lot of things about you. May the love you are about to fall in not kick you or make you fall out of love for God.

[50:17] Amen. See your sisters I'm talking about. Go after the sisters, they'll be crying, oh, I love you, I love you, you let a man show up.

[50:30] And their first love usually will go to a man unless they are really definitely connected to Christ and eating Christ. They don't mind. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

[50:43] Look at the next verse, verse 15. It says that, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket. They put it under a lamp stand.

[50:55] Lamp is not hidden in a basket. But if there's a lamp, nor do they light a lamp. So if the lamp is not lighted, there's no point. You can put it under a basket.

[51:06] Remove the lamp stand. It doesn't make any difference. That's why he said, if you don't repent, I will come and take away, I will take your lamp stand.

[51:16] What is putting you, giving you a voice? What is making people want to listen to you? What is making people want to see you? The reason why I elevated you so you can shine for me, I removed my, it's like, you are always, you borrow someone's shoes.

[51:32] And if they fell out with you, they said, excuse me, can I have my shoes? So they come to your house, take their shoes, and then they are gone.

[51:43] So whatever you do, God said, if you do not repent and go to your first love, I will come and collect my high heels. my wig.

[51:56] God said, I will come and collect my khakis. Because I gave you this car to be riding around picking people, picking my children to school, but sometimes they walk from school.

[52:08] And when I'm looking for you, so I'm busy, I'm looking, give me my khakis. maybe there's a reason why God kept you in UK.

[52:20] Maybe there's a reason why God kept you, gave you access to that course. Maybe there's a reason why you got that promotion at work. There is a reason why you bought that car.

[52:33] There is a reason. He says that if you don't repent and go back to your first love, I will come and take the lampstand.

[52:43] I said, and how is he going to go? He said, I'm going to come very quickly. I'm going to come and collect some of the contracts that I gave you. You know, sometimes you have a contract, like someone was sharing a testimony, the child was giving admission.

[52:57] Then later they said, sorry, it was, it was, that will not be your testimony. You say, I said, that will not be your testimony. Your loving God will lead to your life in him.

[53:11] Your life in him will lead to your light in him. So it's about love first, life and light. I see somebody shining.

[53:23] I see somebody shining. So shall he be in the mighty name of Jesus. I see somebody shining. Your light will shine. Your love will not grow cold.

[53:36] Your love for God is going to grow hotter and hotter and hotter and hotter and hotter in the name of Jesus. So shall he be in Jesus' name.

[53:48] We thank God for using this server, Reverend Dr. David Entry to share this awesome word. 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.

[54:01] Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Karis Ministries. Stay blessed.