The Difference Between Blessing And Grace

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[0:45] All right, I got so much to. Nowadays, I tend to have so much to share because there's so much grounds to cover looking at how far you have come from.

[0:56] Much of your lifetime has been spent wastefully and the remaining time span left is not enough, naturally speaking, to be able to grasp and to bring to fruition God's purpose for your life.

[1:12] So it means that you are being shortchanged. And so we have to, it's like, your Christian life should be like an intensive course because a lot already has been wasted.

[1:22] And not too wasted. Not the fact that you were not in Christ early. Not being in Christ is automatic wastage. You automatically wasted it, not being in Christ.

[1:36] But much more, some of us, before we came to Christ, we, instead of, you were supposed to build, you didn't build, so you wasted time building. But you actually started destroying, spoiling the ground.

[1:51] So negative equity. The number of boyfriends and girlfriends that have exited your life is so great. And the number of things you have been able to achieve with those boyfriends and girlfriends and the places you have been and the things you have seen and the amount of porn you have watched.

[2:12] You need us, every service, because of you, every service we have to at least spend five hours just teaching and teaching and teaching so we can wash your brains of dead.

[2:25] A lot of negative equity. Because he said the only thing that can wash is the pure word of the Lord. So there's a lot of grounds to cover. And I thank God he has given me the grace to be able to connect with him to a certain dimension to receive fresh bread, fresh manna from above so that you don't eat stale meat or bad meat but you eat fresh bread.

[2:50] God created the heavens and the earth. You see, Pastor Charles, as I was growing up, some of you didn't have the privilege of growing up hearing, knowing Bible stories. Wow, sad. But it doesn't matter, we are all here.

[3:01] I remember those days I would sing a hymn and Pastor Joshua doesn't know how to play it. He hasn't heard it. No, common hymns. Oh, so what happened?

[3:12] No, we didn't get a... When I was a child, I knew... In my school, not a religious... It was just a secular, normal school. Every morning we sing hymns. It wasn't a...

[3:22] It wasn't like a religious school, no. Normal school. Normal school. Circular school. Normal, circular school. We sing every morning.

[3:33] We sing hymns, morning assembly, and then in our class, sometime before the class starts, they teach us memory verses. Yes. So right before I was 10, I knew more memory verses, which I was taught in school, not church.

[3:48] Yes. So most of the churches, they won't teach a child anything, no memory verse, nothing. You actually go and sleep near your father and mother, waiting for the service to close. And they go out of religious duties and just to take the boxes, and it was a social club.

[4:02] But I learned more verses in school. And hymns. That's what church we would sing hymns in. So it's interesting. Some of us have not known something.

[4:13] So some of you actually don't know that God created Adam and Eve. It's like this new to you. It's very new to you.

[4:26] You have been made to believe that your great, great, great, great grandfather was a monkey. But that's why we are in church. So we can start from somewhere.

[4:36] But for your information, God created the heavens and the earth. In Genesis chapter 1, verse 26, from verse 1, from verse 3, actually, Genesis chapter 1, verse 3, God said, let us make man. Sorry, I'm sorry.

[4:48] God said, let there be. Then God said, let there be. Verse 6, God said, let there be. Verse 9, God said, let there be. Verse 11, God said, let there be. Verse 14, God said, let there be.

[4:58] Verse 16, God said, let there be. Verse 20, God said, let there be. Verse 24, God said, let there be. Verse 26, God said, let us. So when you get to verse 26, God said, let us.

[5:10] All the times he kept saying, let there be, let there be, let there be, let there be. Eight times, let there be. But when he got to the last one, he said, no, I can't just say let there be.

[5:22] I need to have a conference first. So God had to call a conference, made a conference call, had a conference, had an executive council meeting. So God said, this one is different.

[5:34] I can't just say let there be. Let's have a plan. Let's sit down and let us have. So God said, let us. That tells you God had to involve not just one.

[5:46] He had to involve himself in the Trinity. The Trinity comes to play when it comes to man. So he said, let us make man.

[5:57] Huh? Let us make who? Man. Man. Those of you who Beijing, is it Beijing? Beijing conference have damaged your minds. When you see this, you're thinking it's gender sensitive.

[6:10] No, it's not gender sensitive. It's just a word. Like very soon you'll be saying man, you should be chained to you, man, you. You see, that's how sickly is getting.

[6:21] Because it's no God to do with gender. Money is not gender. It's just the man seems to be there just to communicate something. So this one, when God said, let us make man, he's talking about let us make. I can't even say humanity for the sick minds.

[6:34] If you say humanity, they'll say no, it should be humanity. That's how dangerous that premise can be. All right. And so let us make human beings.

[6:47] Ah, human beings. You see, they say man. Human. Human. Human. Let us make people. Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?

[6:57] Huh? Huh? Huh? So let us make man. So I found out that he had a plan in mind. Let us make man. And he is specific. In our image.

[7:08] And then he said, they should look like us. And then let them have dominion over the fish. So he said, let us make man to look a certain way.

[7:22] Just the way we look. Hmm. And that, so that they can exercise. Let us show you. Let us make man to eat. Let us make man to eat. Let us make man to wear nice clothes.

[7:40] Let us make man to work. Let us make man to marry. Let us make man to marry. He didn't say that. Let us make man in our image. According to our likeness, that's to represent God, okay, or to manifest or to reflect God.

[7:57] And then let them have dominion. So to exercise the authority of God. So let's make man to express us. And then in their expression, let them reflect us or represent us in authority.

[8:14] So we are made for reflection and representation. Once you live below that, you are actually not living the purpose for your existence.

[8:25] You can buy shoes. You can get married. You can do courses. You can earn money. You can do everything. Outside that, you are not actually living. You are wasting.

[8:35] Whether you are a Christian, whether you are born again, you are not born again. Actually, listen, that's why you got born again. So that you can be recovered. Back. Redemption. Brought back into the creation assignment or creation mandate.

[8:48] So, but we fell away from that. So God created. But when he was created, he had an agenda. He created. We fell away from the agenda of creation.

[9:01] The purpose of creation. It got so bad. But the Bible says that in the words of scripture, God said, I've regretted for creating man.

[9:12] And God, it went so, pastor, it got so bad. God decided, I'm going to just end everything. Wipe everything. Stop everything.

[9:23] But God realized there's one man, Noah. Noah was there. He said, okay, if I can find Noah, I can start something with his family and get rid of all. So he did exactly that.

[9:33] Noah found grace in that shameful age. He found grace so he will not perish in the age. So God pulled him out. He said, I wanted to end.

[9:45] I'm going to end everything. But I'm going to start it again with Noah. And then when Noah came out of the flood, he said, he blessed them. Read your Bible again. In Genesis chapter 9. When after the flood from verse 1, the Bible said, and God blessed Noah and his sons and said, be fruitful and multiply.

[10:02] Look at Genesis chapter 1, verse 28. Genesis 1, 28. Then God blessed them and God said, be fruitful and multiply.

[10:13] He blessed them. Is this not the same thing he said to Noah? Thank you, Jesus. Look at verse 26. There are two things I want you to notice. This is the purpose of creation.

[10:25] Look at verse 27. So God made human beings. But when he made human beings, he made them for a purpose. But he didn't say that this is what you're supposed to do.

[10:36] Because that's how they are wired to operate. Okay? It's a robot. It's wired or a car. It's programmed to drive. Forward, backwards. Cars don't drive sideways.

[10:47] Forward, backwards. All right? So once you finish the car, you put a driver in, put a fuel in, put the driver in, and you begin to do that. So verse 28 was now like turning on the ignition.

[11:02] So God blessed them and said, be fruitful and multiply. Their blessing said, fruitfulness, multiply, fill the earth, subdue, and have dominion. So he, the dominion is what we created to reflect us.

[11:16] Have dominion. So he told them, be fruitful and multiply, have dominion. That's what he said to man. But he created man to do what? To express him and to represent him.

[11:27] Okay? So he created man to explain. But when he finished creating, he blessed them. Or because the expression and representation is already in his mind, his plan. That's why he showed up. But to do that, he blessed them.

[11:38] To do what God had in mind, he had to bless them to be able to go ahead. All right. Why did God bless them? After he created them, why did he bless them? So that they will carry out his creation purpose.

[11:48] So blessing is not, I didn't tell you my title today. The difference between blessing and grace. He blessed them. So he blessed, he said, let us make man in our own image.

[12:00] And our likeness, let them have dominion. So when God made man, man shows up. He blessed man. So what is the purpose of the blessing? The creation. To carry out.

[12:13] Carry out the creation purpose. Creation mandate. Why would you put a driver in a car? So that the car can begin to drive. Does that make sense? Why was God, man created?

[12:26] And what was God's purpose? To reflect God. And to represent him. Reflect or express God and to represent him. Image expresses.

[12:38] Okay. Dominion. Or having rule, dominion represents. Okay. So he created man to reflect him. And to represent him.

[12:51] Now watch this. So one, that was before he said, let's create man. Now when he finished creating man, he blessed them. So that they can go and do what? Reflect him. Does that make sense?

[13:01] Yes. So now when they came out of the flood in Genesis chapter 9, verse 1. God blessed Noah and said, is it not the same thing he did to them when he was now commissioning them to go and reflect him and represent?

[13:14] He repeated it. Because the first purpose, the first set of human beings was so messed up. When these ones came out of the flood, it was like resurrection. New set of people.

[13:25] Everything new. So he blessed them. God is not creation. Their creation purpose already exists. So now he blessed them to do the purpose. So have you thought the way you are crying about bless me, bless me, bless me.

[13:38] For what? God has an agenda for the blessing. You know, when I was growing up, that's why I brought these old children when you are growing up. When I was growing up, I thought God created us just to be around and be walking.

[13:50] You see that way that you make toys and toys there and the children play. No, there's a major assignment for our lives here. Many people think that when I die, one day when I die, I'm going to go to heaven.

[14:01] One day when I die, once you are Christian. Yes, that's true. But, so why are you here? Do you think God is aimless? Ah, most of us, that's what I used to think.

[14:13] But now I realize that I was wrong. Most of us think that we have become a Christian so that just God can be blessing us, blessing us, and blessing us, blessing us. It's necessary.

[14:24] But we, so because of that, we miss his agenda. We got it in some way. And so, God created man, God created, Satan corrupted, and then God tried to restart it with Noah.

[14:41] But, you know, man has become so fallen and corrupted. It can't happen to everybody. They think they don't have the life, the zoe of God. And even though Noah was the first person to have faith, okay?

[14:55] No, sorry. Was the first person to be accounted righteousness by faith. Sorry, according to Hebrews. His faith was accounted to him for righteousness. Okay, go to Genesis chapter 9 again, verse 2.

[15:10] Verse 2. And the fear of you shall fall on all the, everything that I've created. And he said, the fish, they are given into your hands. All right, verse 3.

[15:20] And he said, eat them. Every moving thing, eat it. The other time, my wife was telling me something, which was very true. That how this whole, how this whole eating and gyming, gym, exercise.

[15:36] How many of you know exercise is good? How many of you know healthy eating is good? Balanced diet does not guarantee balanced health. Remember that. Samipu exercise more than you do, and they will die earlier than you. Samipu eat very well.

[15:47] Now, Samipu are becoming like horses. I only eat veg. I only eat veg. I only eat veg. You can't live on veg alone. You need some carbohydrates. Okay, those who don't eat me, that's okay.

[15:59] That's okay. But I found it in Timothy. He says that God created for it to be received. Listen, I will eat meat in moderation. But please, don't follow me, because some of you have eaten all your meat already.

[16:12] Because looking at your health condition, you have to be careful what you eat. You just, you have to.

[16:23] But actually, everything in moderation, a bit of walking, a bit of exercising, a bit of eating well, water, everything.

[16:37] You'll be okay. Unless you are sick. But if you are just normal. All right, so, so the truth is that sometimes it's very easy. In our days, have you realized how gyms are springing up everywhere?

[16:49] It's a new craze, new religion. Pure gym. Everywhere. I'm not saying it's not good to go to gym. But many people, I know a guy, I doubt I say, I don't see him. I say, I'm so busy. I'm so busy.

[17:00] But guess what? He goes to gym. Josh, remember the gentleman, how many times does he? Five times a week or every day. Five times a week. But does he have time for church? And when he's in trouble, he wants to come and see me to pray for him.

[17:12] You have time to take care of your physical body. So now, this whole thing is beginning to enter into body worship. Body worship, how you look. How he. And many women are so dissatisfied about their bodies.

[17:24] The better. The earlier you thank God you're content with your body. And just eat well and keep a good. The better. Because, listen. Listen.

[17:35] You don't have the money to go and dress it up. A lot of women you see after a certain age. Some even by 20. Others by 25. They need support.

[17:46] So the point I'm making here is if you're going to beat yourself so much about the looks of your hips, you'll be very sad. Oh. Yes. They are important things in life. There are people who have worse hips than you and are very happy, happily living their life.

[18:00] Very happy. Simple. Simple. Simple. What's this? When I was growing up, where I grew up, they insult you and they tease you with everything about your body. Every part of your body.

[18:12] So I grew up knowing that my head has a very interesting shape. So one of the things I never expected in life and I prayed against it early days of my life before I became mature.

[18:25] For my hair never to go. Because if I lose my hair and I get a bit bored, then the actual contours on my head. To be on exhibition. To be on exhibition is not nice.

[18:36] Because in fact, they told me my head was like the double decker bus. Oh. Why? It's nice. So, when I was growing up, I don't like people looking at me from my side because I have to look forward.

[18:53] But now I'm looking. I can't be bothered though. It's your problem. But me, I'm fulfilling. How long will I keep going? Nothing will change. I'm telling you, this thing, it will never change. It will never change.

[19:04] And you know, it's likely my daughters will think that's how father's head is supposed to be. Very normal for them. Because very normal for them. That's what they dream up seeing.

[19:15] And so when they see someone like Kuyoku, they think that his head is funny. They think mine is better. Yes, yes, yes. The point is, don't get so fixed by your body, especially women.

[19:30] Most of you are unsatisfied and very bitter by your body. That is a very irresponsible lifestyle. Why would you be bitter by your body? What can you do about it? And unfortunately, you don't even have money.

[19:41] So you can't do plastic. You can't do plastic surgery. You don't have money. And the government will not pay for you to go and take or do that thing they pump into. You don't pay for it.

[19:53] And some of us are doing so much to our bodies. But our spirits and our souls are very, very bad. Very bad. No one can actually live with you. Because your attitude, your behavior, your temper.

[20:09] You are better of going to a soul gym. Because no one keeps you as a friend because of your body. The reason why you have some people as friends is, why do you like those as a friend?

[20:21] No one talks about her because her legs are long. Or her nose is long. No, no, no, no. Or her, no. It's because of the way she talks to me. Because of the way she's nice.

[20:33] She's affable. She's, you know, supportive. Attitude. Attitude. So why don't we spend more time building good attitude instead of building nice bodies which really people don't really care.

[20:46] All right. Let's get back to Noah. I don't know how I entered into this body. Okay. The food. It. So, okay. And I think it's again Timothy chapter 4 or first Timothy chapter 4, verse 3 and 4.

[20:59] It talks about how God has created everything for us to receive it with. I said, for every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused. If it is, see the if, if. Don't forget the if.

[21:10] If it is received with thanksgiving. Go to the next verse. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[21:20] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[21:30] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[21:45] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. And God said, this thing is getting bad. He said, confuse their language, scatter them.

[21:57] But then, Genesis chapter 12, God decided not to create again, but decided to call this time. So you call out the people through whom he will be expressed and he can have dominion.

[22:12] So why did God call Abraham? So that Abraham will be his expression and Abraham will be his reflection. Does that make sense? Most of us are fixed on, hey, just call Abraham to give him a child.

[22:27] I'll show you something in a minute. So in Genesis chapter 12, let's look at Genesis chapter 12 from verse 1 and 2. Can't everyone see? All right, let's go.

[22:38] Now the Lord has said to Abraham, get out of your country, from your family and from your house, to the land which I will show you. I will make you a great nation.

[22:51] I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. Now, is it a blessing? Go to verse 1. One thing I want to, a few things.

[23:02] Number 1 is the heart. This is what God said. God had already told him before his father died. You know, I was explaining last week. He told him when he was living in the area of the child and he didn't do it.

[23:14] And his father said, let's go. And his father moved him to Haran. And then when his father died in Haran, God appeared to him again and then he moved. Okay. So, God had told Abraham, what did he tell him to do?

[23:29] What did he tell him to do? Get out. To do what? Get out. To do what? Get out. Get out. Get out of here. From where? Your country.

[23:39] Is that my country? No. Your family. Is that my family? No. Your father's house. He said, get out. To where? A land. A land I will show you. Which one? Get out. Which land?

[23:49] I told you last week, Abraham didn't have a map. He left without a road map because he didn't know where he was going. So, actually, look at Hebrews chapter 11, verse 9. I want to show you something and we'll go back to Genesis.

[24:02] Hebrews 11, 9. Let's all read it together. Let's go. By faith. By faith. By faith. In the land of promise. As in the foreign country. Dwelling in tents. Isaac and Jacob.

[24:14] The rest of the people. That's where I spoke about he was dwelling in tents. Now, let's go to verse 8. Look at verse 8. Let's go. By faith. Abraham obeyed when he was. Some of you are not reading.

[24:25] Let's read it out loud. Let's go. By faith. Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he will receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing.

[24:38] He went out not knowing. So, he left. What was the instruction? Leave your land. Leave your father's house. Okay. Okay. Leave your. Genesis chapter 12.

[24:51] Said, get out of your country from your family and your father's house. Leave. And he left not knowing where he was going. So, do you know what became of Abraham? He became a landless man.

[25:04] And God shall make you a great nation. A landless man. Minister. The crux of the message is actually here. Landless. But before he became landless, he was something else less.

[25:16] Before God called Abraham, he was actually. Let's look at Genesis chapter 11. Let's go back. 11. Genesis chapter 11, verse 29. Look at 29 and 30. Let's read it out loud.

[25:27] Let's go. Then Abraham and Nahum took wives. The name of Abraham's wife was Sarai. And the name of Nahum's wife was Mecca. The daughter of Haran.

[25:38] The father of Mecca. And the father of us. Now, look at verse 13. Let it out loud. But Sarai was married. She had no children. They didn't have a child. Oh. All they had was family and land.

[25:51] And then God came and removed him from the land. So, God made him landless. And what? Childless. The main reason why God made him childless. Oh, Jesus. This is interesting.

[26:03] Betra. The main reason why God made him childless and landless was in Genesis, a Hebrew. The Bible says that he was traveling. Hebrew chapter 11, verse 10. The land.

[26:14] The land. The Bible said. For he waited for a city which had foundation whose builder was. So, there was a certain city when he left he was looking for. And that city, according to Jesus.

[26:25] According to Hebrews chapter 11, verse 39. Look at verse 39. Verse 39. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.

[26:37] Abraham died having not received, even though he saw it afar off. That actual land. Oh, I know you think, you believe it's Kena land. In the physical terms, I will explain why it was Kena land, physically.

[26:51] But he actually didn't receive the land. God gave him, physically it's right. He received it. Like the way God told David that, son, your seed will build me a temple.

[27:02] Okay. According to the second, someone who has been 12, build me a temple. And Solomon built a temple. So, it fulfilled what God told David. But God's, according to God's creation economy, that was a shadow.

[27:14] That was a type. Now, watch this. I want to let you know something. In theology, there is something called allegorism. Or allegorization. What is not good is to over-allegorize scripture.

[27:28] What does it mean to over-allegorize scripture? Jesus turned water into all. Okay. The devil took him to the mountain and came and said, and then there are people who said, no, he was just having hallucination.

[27:43] It was, I mean, the devil didn't talk, or the devil, it was just hallucination. And his mind was. You see, now they are watering it down and giving it and making it an allegory. So, over-allegorizing scripture.

[27:56] But scripture, the Old Testament is full of allegories. So, to understand, it's a picture in the Old Testament. When you look at the pictures, the New Testament is the reality.

[28:06] But you look at the pictures to understand how we should live. And so, let me show you that Bible endorses allegorization. Actually, it speaks about how Enoch was a type.

[28:17] It's not Enoch. Abel. It was a type of Christ. How the ark was a type of Christ. So, when you look at the ark, in a certain way, the ark is the type.

[28:30] But when we talk about allegories, allegories is like a storyline. Whilst types are actual objects. So, allegories is like somebody was like this and then he became sick and then he did this.

[28:45] That's an allegory. And you are trying to pull a story. Use it to mean something else. Which, in itself, it doesn't necessarily mean that. But you can pull the point.

[28:57] Does that make sense? Yes. And so, when you look at the way Abraham went to kill Isaac, was going to kill Isaac through the journey. Or the way Israel left.

[29:08] There are types and allegories. Now, I found out that Sarah, Abraham's wife, and Hagar, they were allegories. The fact that Hagar had Ishmael is a statement.

[29:22] Okay, Galatians. Just before. Galatians chapter 4 verse 23. Look at this. On the screen, please. Galatians 4 verse 23. But he who was of the born woman.

[29:35] That slave woman. Hagar. This is talking about Hagar. Okay. Was born according to the flesh. Okay, go back. Go back so that it makes sense. Verse 23. So, for it is written that Abraham had two sons.

[29:46] The one by the born woman. That is the slave woman. The other one by the free woman. So, we are talking about Abraham's two wives. Okay. How?

[29:56] But Hagar was not his wife. Concubine. Concubine is classified as wife. In those days, if your wife is not conceiving and having a child, it's okay.

[30:07] It's acceptable to go for the maid in the house with your wife's agreement. And then, watch this. The maid will produce children for you and your wife.

[30:18] The children are not hers per se. But technically, the children are your children. And so, then she becomes your concubine. All right. So, Abraham Hagar became his concubine.

[30:29] Genesis chapter 16 verse 1. I'll come back to this. Genesis chapter 16 verse 1. Watch this. Bible said, now Sarai. Say, Sarai. Sarai. Abraham's wife had borne him no children.

[30:41] And she had an Egyptian maid servant whose name was Hagar. Thank you, Lord. And what happened? Verse 2. Look at verse 2. Look at verse 2. So, Sarai said to Abraham.

[30:53] See now. The Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please. He begs. Please. Please. Go into my maid. Perhaps I shall obtain what?

[31:03] So, the children that the maid will give. Who should technically belong to Sarah. That's the culture of the day. I shall perhaps obtain children by her. And Abraham.

[31:19] He says, Sarai. Give me five. Give me five. That's why I'm married to you. You have spoken. Because why? My main message is Genesis chapter 15. Okay? Because why?

[31:30] In Genesis chapter 15. God appeared to Abraham and said, I'm going to give you a child. And then in chapter 16. They have been waiting for 10 years. The child hasn't come. And now Abraham was 85 years old.

[31:40] He was becoming weak. He was becoming weak. Sarah noticed that power is going down. So, he said, at least let's help fulfill God's plan. Let's help fulfill.

[31:52] Me now, it looks like it can't happen with me. But God said, you shall have a child. You, Abraham. So, go to. Let's. Isn't that a good deal? So, that God will look good. So, it doesn't look like God was lying.

[32:06] Oh. So, it was a good idea. That's why. It wasn't like Abraham was last. I'll ask some of you. The men. I know that's where your mind is going. So, Abraham went and fulfilled that.

[32:17] And guess what? What does verse 3 say? So, Abraham. So, Sarai. Abraham's wife took Hagar and made Egyptian. Gave her to Abraham. And after Abraham dwelt in the tent.

[32:30] Abraham to be his wife. You see, to be his wife. After he dwelt in the land of Cana. Go to the next verse. And she went. And he went into Hagar. She conceived. Once there's concession, she should understand.

[32:42] He went. And Abraham went into Hagar. And she conceived. So, Abraham was active. He was actually fertile. His sperm count was okay. Hagar was a sign that Abraham was active.

[32:53] And so, and she conceived and had a child called Ishmael. All right. Let's go to Galatians chapter 4. Is that not what we're reading?

[33:04] Galatians chapter. And I want to prove to you that this story is not about them. It's about us. But the woman, but he who was of the born woman, that's Ishmael, was born according to the flesh.

[33:17] Be careful what you are producing by yourself outside of God. And of the free woman through the promise. Go to the next verse. Look at the next verse. Let's all read it together. I can't hear you.

[33:31] I can't hear you. What things are we talking about? Ishmael, Hagar and Ishmael. Sarah and Isaac.

[33:43] They are symbolic. They are what? Symbolic. When you read some other translation, it said they are an allegory. Allegory. They are, for these are the, okay, what verse is that?

[33:56] Amplified. It says, these, and now all this is an allegory. These two women represent two. Haggai and Sarah, they represented two covenants.

[34:08] One covenant originated from Mount Sinai where the law, so law has come in. Law was given and bear children destined for slavery.

[34:19] This is Hagar. But the other one, the next verse. Now, Hagar is, Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. And she corresponds to and belongs in the same category with the present Jerusalem.

[34:34] For she is in bondage together with her children. The physical one is not the actual one God was talking about. Go to the next verse. But the Jerusalem, the city above.

[34:46] The land, the land Abraham was looking at. The Jerusalem above. The Messianic kingdom of Christ is free. And she is our mother. We are all inhabitants of the city of God.

[35:00] I spoke about it last week. If you are not, you listened to last week's message. The tent dwellers. Was it last week? Yeah, the tent dwellers. The Messianic kingdom. The, the Jerusalem. Go to the next verse. Look at this.

[35:10] Look at this. The next verse. For, give me new key, James. Because this one is too long. For it is written. Rejoice, O barren. You who do not bear. And blah, blah, blah. And then, this is trying to say that we who are under grace.

[35:23] Right. Okay. We are the sons. The actual children of promise God spoke to Abraham about. And those who are not under grace. And under normal, natural birth.

[35:35] Physical. Are Hagar. It's very interesting. And yet, God's covenant with Abraham. Physical covenant with Abraham still stands. So, the Jews are blessed. Still stands.

[35:46] Yeah. However, when we talk about the eternal program of God. Right. It doesn't, it didn't stop with the Jews. They are just a temporal thing. The eternal program of God is about the church.

[35:59] So, they are, in the church, we have Jews and, it's in the Bible, Jews and Gentile. So, when it comes to the church, it has not got to do with your natural birth. It has to do with your calling. Amen.

[36:12] Thank you. So, having understood this. Are you getting where I'm coming from? Yes. Now, let's go back to where I was talking. So, Abraham was childless, remember? Yes.

[36:22] Abraham was childless. And God made him landless. Why? Why would God do that? Why? Yeah. Where he was living, full of idols.

[36:34] Evil land. Full of idols. But that's not. God did, it wasn't deliverance. God asking him to leave his country was not deliverance because of, like, Sodom and Gomorrah.

[36:45] A lot had to leave so that their place was going to be destroyed. No, it wasn't deliverance. There's no, we didn't hear that later on God destroyed Elveter. No. But he called him out for a certain God's personal assignment and agenda.

[36:58] Remember, what was God's initial intent of creating man? Initial purpose. To express him and to represent him. So, God created them to express him and to represent him.

[37:10] So, Genesis chapter 12, God came to a childless man. Actually, let me just tell you why God came to a childless man. Because, you want to know? Yes. Why did, why am I saying he's childless?

[37:21] Because God, what God had in mind was a sin. Let me put it this way. In a modern day language, it may not be so, let me put it this way. God took advantage of Abraham's weakness because of his personal interest.

[37:36] Because of God's personal interest and agenda, God's plan to fulfill his creation mandate was to get a seed. But I found out that it's not only a seed he wanted.

[37:47] So, Abraham's a less man, God came and made him landless. So that in his less position, something less position, when he didn't have anything, he can then excuse himself for God now to step in and do what he has to do.

[38:04] So, God called, watch this. God called Abraham. God created Adam. But God called Abraham. Out of the created ones.

[38:16] Everyone alive is created. But if you're a Christian born again, God has called you. So, so long as God is concerned, there are only two races on earth.

[38:29] The created race and the called out race. That is why he says, for we are a chosen generation, a royal people. 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 8 and 9, verse 9 particularly.

[38:43] For we are a chosen generation. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy. Oh, that's even interesting. Say royal priesthood. Royal priesthood. You know what a priest does. A priest actually is a reflection of God.

[38:55] It's just a reflection of God. And how about royalty, a king? Dominion. Dominion. Wow. Wow. So, kings and priests. Created to preach, reflect, and then to rule.

[39:07] So, when Jesus saved us, according to Revelation, I think Revelation chapter 5, verse 10, it says that, For you have made us kings, and you have made us kings and priests to our God. We are kings.

[39:17] We are the royal priesthood. We have royalty. We have royalty, and we are in the priestly lightening age. So, priests, we are supposed to reflect God. So, wherever you go, you are supposed to be a representation of God as a Christian.

[39:29] And it's not only representing God in goody, goody, goodies. But you're, ah, thank you, Jesus. Ah. I'm going to show you something where we, when I got born again, and I've been in Scripture Union for several years, and in church for so many years, where I got it wrong, and where most of us have got it wrong.

[39:48] That WWJD thing, really, God doesn't need it. What's WWJD? What would Jesus do? So, they tell you that, okay, if it was Jesus in this, what would he do?

[39:59] If it was Jesus, so look at what, think of what Jesus would do, and react like that. That's the Christian life. No. God didn't call you to do. He never called you to do. That's interesting. For us, for, for, um, um, um, as many as believe in him, they, he gave them the power to become.

[40:17] To become. We are not a Christian, or we are not, actually, God didn't create human beings just as human doings. We are human beings. What you are is more important than.

[40:31] Don't marry a person for what they do. Marry a person for what, who they are. Is he a thief? Yeah, he was stealing. But maybe he's not a thief. Nature. Is this theft thing running through the family line?

[40:43] That means your children are also going to be thieves. Who they are. Some of you are so happy about this guy you found, or this woman you found, because she looks so nice, or because he looks so nice, he works in the city.

[40:59] He does this, does this, that. But maybe there is the spirit of kleptomania in his family line. The spirit of theft. Everywhere he goes, he will steal. And it's not about him.

[41:10] But your children are going to grow up to be thieves. And so if I were you, you're already married. Please, try and be coming to church often and bring your children so that the word of God can go into them and neutralize that negative pattern.

[41:31] You are busy fighting your ex-husband. You are forgotten that your son is almost like him. And you love this son so much. Your son is very much like his dad, like Wanda, is like your dad. And chances are that he's about to very soon mimic.

[41:44] Already sometimes you see the traits of the man in him. That's why I say, look at your head like your father said. Yes. It's not just the head though. It's nature. Watch, let me tell you. There are some things people do because of nature.

[41:57] Other things people do because of nature. Nature. Nature influences people in a stronger way most of us don't realize.

[42:08] So, nature and nature is important. So, consider who a person is before you get distracted by what they do. God has never dealt with us fundamentally and purely on what we are.

[42:23] But he's dealt with us much more on who, no, what we do. Dealt with us more on who we are, which influences what we do. See the way I talk. It's not because I was trained in Bible school.

[42:35] It's my nature. I just like to share the weather. And I'm so excited. Some people, when they are excited, they still stand very quiet. Isn't this not a Bible school thing? It's a nature thing. My twin sister may not behave like that.

[42:46] All right. Let's get back to Abraham because I need to tell you the difference between blessing and grace. Is someone learning something at all? Today is very calm. It's good you are not shouting. God, you need to learn something. Because most of us, my worry is that too much of your life is being wasted.

[43:00] Too much in pursuit of pleasure, comfort, and prestige. Prestige, pleasure, and power.

[43:10] We've been everywhere looking for pleasure. Which country haven't you been? You're counting. You're planning next month. You know where you're going. This year, you're planning, you're going here, you're going here. You see, that is not what fulfills your purpose.

[43:22] Which party haven't you been? You've been to Abiza. You've been to Ayanape. Morocco. Tunisia. Indonesia.

[43:36] Ghana. Nigeria. Jamaica. Your passport is showing everywhere. But really, you are still unfulfilled. Unfulfilled.

[43:46] What's the purpose of life? Let's go ahead. Let me just run this down. Look at Genesis chapter 12. Is that what you just read? What did he tell Abraham? The Lord said, get out. And then, and then verse 2.

[43:58] He said, when you get out, what will I do? I'll make you a great nation and I'll bless you. Say, bless you. Bless you. So, it looks like this is where our focus got hijacked. Abraham was called tohika.

[44:09] He just obeyed God. God will bless you. Obeyed God and he'll bless you. So, just move. God said, move. Move and he'll bless you. That's the blessing. What blessing? Blessing is what makes physical living convenient.

[44:21] You can't live on earth without blessing. Blessing brings you prosperity. Blessing, it gives you bounty. Blessing makes things work. Blessing gives you good health.

[44:31] How many of you want blessing? May it be so for you. Amen. Never, never underestimate blessing because blessing will make it. When people don't like you, believe God he'll bless you.

[44:43] Amen. And people who don't like you begin to look for you to help them. Amen. Because you are blessed. Amen. Someone shout, I am blessed. I am blessed. So, God called Abraham and he said, I'll bless you.

[44:55] So, we always look for the blessing. God bless me. God do something in my life. God do this for me. God do this for me. God do, it's not wrong. But that is not God's agenda.

[45:08] Why would you also pause to ask God, what would you want to do in my life? As I told you, WWJD, he wants to actually do it by himself or inside you. The Christian life is when Christ is lived out of your life.

[45:23] He's living through you. That's the Christian life. It's not when you are ticking boxes. Most religious people get distracted by Ten Commandments and to come on. Forget about those kind of commandments, Ten Commandments.

[45:35] Christ himself wants to live inside you and live out the commandments or live out anything. Not from God. So, your existence must be the living of God. And now, that is the greater assignment. That is the greater agenda.

[45:47] Genesis chapter 15. I'll come back to this. Genesis chapter 15. May God bless you. Jabez prayed and he said, God bless me indeed. And Bible says, God granted his request.

[45:59] Because God is a God of blessing. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3 says that, for he has blessed us. Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places through Christ Jesus.

[46:12] Through Christ Jesus. Or in Christ Jesus. In heavenly places. In Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus. Where do you live? I live in Christ.

[46:23] Genesis chapter 15. I'm reading from King James Version. After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abraham. In a vision. Saying, fear not, Abraham. I am your shield and receiving great reward.

[46:35] And Abraham said, Lord. Lord God. What will thou give me? Seeing I go child. Did you see that? I go childless. What will you give me?

[46:45] Seeing I go childless. And the steward of my house. Is this a laser of Damascus? Remember. When God told him. In Genesis chapter 12. I think from verse 4, 5.

[46:55] Somewhere there. When God told him to leave his father's house and mother's house. Bible says that. And Lot went with him. Alright. Genesis chapter 12. Verse 4. Unto him. Go to the next verse.

[47:07] Let's see. And then somewhere. It says that. And then. So. They went. They left there. Took Sarah and Lot his brother. You see. So Abraham took Sarai his wife.

[47:18] And Lot his brother's son. He said, leave everything. But your wife is not one of the everythings. But I took Lot. So Abraham seems to be gathering everything where he goes. And when he got to Damascus.

[47:30] Guess what? He got Eliezer. Of Damascus. And so when God appeared to him. He said, I want to bless you. He said, what I have is Eliezer. He's going to inherit all the physical things I have.

[47:41] So. But Abraham said, Lord. What will you give me? Seeing I'm childless. And an heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. What did God say? Don't say Eliezer. And Abraham said.

[47:53] The next verse. Look. You have given me no offspring. Indeed. One born in my house is my heir. Go to the next verse. And behold. The word of the Lord came to Abraham saying.

[48:05] This one shall not be your heir. Forget about Eliezer of Damascus. But one. Who will come from your own body shall be. My body.

[48:17] At this age. No. Before God. Before you called me. I didn't have a child. And now. Years after I've been working with you. I still don't have a child. And you appear to me.

[48:27] And Bible says that. Abraham went and defeated some kings. Because some people came to. Verse chapter 14. Some people came and. Three kings. Came and attacked where Lot was.

[48:39] And they took Lot. And someone came and told Abraham. And Abraham raised 300 servants. In the south. Three kings. 300 servants raised in his house. Born seven. He trained them.

[48:50] He raised them. And they went. And fought against these three kings. With 300 people. And God gave him the victory. And when God gave him the victory. He returned home.

[49:01] With joy. And he met the high priest. Called Melchizedek. And Melchizedek. Bible said. And he gave Melchizedek his tithe. And Melchizedek blessed him. And then the king of Salem.

[49:12] Came to Abraham. And he says that. And you know what. Let me bless you. Give me this thing. Let me bless you. He said no. I will. Verse. Chapter 14. Verse 22. 23. He said. I will not take anything from you.

[49:22] So that you will not say that. I have made Abraham rich. Abraham at that time was wealthy. He was loaded. He was loaded. He went to Egypt. And he was breaking through there.

[49:33] Chapter 13. He was breaking through. Because he used his wife as collateral for breakthrough. He traded his wife for breakthrough. He traded his wife for breakthrough.

[49:45] He was breaking through. And then God visited the man who took his wife. And the man said. I didn't know. He said. Return his wife to him. And then. The man realized that no.

[49:57] Abraham. You deceived me. And took the wife back. And then he got his blessing. He left Egypt. That's where he got the Egyptian concubine. He picked that woman from Egypt. Hagar.

[50:08] Picked. He picked Hagar from Egypt. So. In Genesis chapter 14. When God appeared to Abraham. And he said. I'm going to bless you. He said. A lazer of the man's cause is going to be my heir. God said. No.

[50:18] One born from your own loins. Your body. A child is your body. Me? Me? Ah! But you know what? All God is looking for from you.

[50:29] Is not what you are able to do. Someone came to Jesus. He said. Jesus. Help my son. My son is dying. Mark chapter 9. And then Jesus.

[50:40] Asked him. Do you believe that I'm able to do these things? The man said. Yes Lord. Verse 22. Yes Lord. I believe. Is it verse 22? Put it on. Mark 9.22. He said that.

[50:52] Often trust him. Have compassion on us. Look at verse 23. Have compassion. Jesus said. If you can believe all things are possible. Jesus said. No. Alright.

[51:02] Let's go. Let's go to. The one before. The one before. Okay. That's why that is. I think. I've missed the text. I think.

[51:12] Mark 141. Where the people who were crippled. Blind men. Came to. He said. Do you believe I can do this? They said. Yeah Lord. And he said. Be it unto you according to your faith. If it's not that one. Then it's Matthew chapter 9.

[51:24] Verse 28. Verse 28. Yeah. Let's go back to it. Maybe if there's not. I'll move on. Matthew 28. When he had come in the blind man cave. Jesus said to them. Do you believe? Do you believe that I'm able to do this?

[51:36] And they said. Yes Lord. Now. When God told Abraham. Watch it. Please watch this. Watch this. This way I'm going. When God told Abraham. I'm going to give you a son. At an old age. Look at verse 5 of Genesis chapter 15.

[51:50] Look at it. Then. God brought Abraham outside. And said. Look. Now. Towards heaven. And count the stars. If you are able to number them.

[52:01] And God. Look at what God said. God said. So shall thy seed be. I wish. I wish I had a better translation. But better translation.

[52:12] Use the word seed. Yeah. He didn't say seeds. He said.

[52:24] So that translation. Descendants. Is not really accurate. This one. So shall thy seed. Thy seed. Thy seed.

[52:34] Say thy seed. Thy seed. Say thy seed. Thy seed. The seed God had in mind. Was not the seed Abraham had in mind. But he managed to get Abraham to the place.

[52:47] Where he was so seedless. He was looking for seed. Because God wanted a seed. Easter. I'm going to preach. Jesus. Or Christ. The three-fold seed.

[52:58] The seed of Abraham. Now watch this. God said. So shall thy seed be. Look at the next verse. Let's all read it together. I like this. Let's read. Let's go. Loud.

[53:08] And he believed in the law. And in our deity. For righteousness. At the age. And it's in a vision.

[53:20] God told him. You are going to have children. And he's showing the stars. You are going to have a seed. But your seed is a lot. Your seed is a lot.

[53:30] Though we are many. We are one body. According to 1 Corinthians 12 verse 12. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 4. What does it say? For as the body is one. And has many members. And all the members of that one body.

[53:42] Be many are one. So also is Christ. Christ has many members. But one. We are the many members. Of the body of Christ. But we are one body.

[53:52] When God called Abraham. He was thinking about Christ. And he was thinking about the church. Where does grace come in? You'll find out very soon. Let's go back to that place. I had to jump ahead of myself. I have so much to say.

[54:04] But I want to be a bit systematic. So someone can grasp this. But watch this. This is serious. When God came to Abraham. At that age. And he told him. I'm going to give you a seed.

[54:14] What God was looking for. Was Abraham's faith. So Abraham believed. And God accounted it. For righteousness. Righteousness connotes kind of an action. What you have done.

[54:25] You have done. But God said. Don't do anything. If you can believe. He does it. Your faith. His faith was accounted to him. For righteousness. Because at the time. God told him.

[54:35] You're going to have a child. And your child. Will be like the stars of heaven. He was completely childless. But he's believing. It authorized God. To start the program.

[54:46] It's like. Go to. Somebody you know. Goes to the hospital. And they say. We have to do surgery. And they bring consent form. Until you sign. Or your nurse of kings. The surgery will not be done.

[54:58] So Abraham. If he had not believed God. The program couldn't have started. So. How do you get into this belief thing. This calling thing. This race thing. It's your faith. Now I'm going to show you something.

[55:09] Go to the next verse. And then we can leave this step. And then I'll go into grace. And he said unto him. I am the Lord. That brought thee out of the air. That's where he used to. His land. His native land.

[55:20] To give this land. To. Sorry. To give thee this land to inherit. Now watch this. Have you realized that? God has spoken about seed. Now he's talking about land. I brought you out.

[55:32] To give you this land to inherit. And I'm going to give you a seed. And Abraham accepted it. And that's all God was looking for. Now. When we talk about.

[55:43] Let me define for you. Blessing. Blessing is prosperity. Blessing is what will make life possible on earth for you. What will make things work for you. Your good health.

[55:53] Your financial prosperity. Your good marriage. Your children doing well. That's blessing. Shout bless me Lord. Bless me Lord. Most of the time. When we say grace.

[56:04] We mean blessing. What is grace? First. When people say grace. They are actually talking about blessing. But they call it grace. Grace is not necessarily the things we are enjoying.

[56:16] Or physical things that is happening. Grace is when God's purpose. Begins to be fulfilled in you. When you. You can talk about. You are working in grace.

[56:27] When you are fulfilling God's purpose. Or let me put it this way. When Christ begins to live in you. Because the seed. God promised Abraham. For your information. Was Christ.

[56:39] According to Galatians. Look. Let me show you. Galatians 3.16. Quickly. Now I have to run to. Galatians 3.16. Let's read it from the screen. When the guys put it up. Galatians 3.16. Let's read it. Now. I have to see.

[56:51] Well. The promise made. He does not say. To seize. You see. And to see. As of many. But what? As of one. And to your seed.

[57:03] So. The seed God spoke about. To Abraham. Is not the many. Paul you are talking about. Here. He said that. This. Galatians. Allegory. What happened was an allegory.

[57:14] It says that. When he said. I'm going to. Bless you. And I'm going to. The promise was made. And he said. To your seed. He didn't say. To your seeds.

[57:25] He said. To your seed. And he said. One. And that seed is Christ. That seed is Christ. That seed is Christ. I said. That seed is Christ. Look at this.

[57:35] Let me finish this. See. Look at this. Look at. Verse 29. Oh. Would you believe this? 29. And. That's already out loud. I believe you are Christ.

[57:46] Then you are your Christ. Hey. What are you. What are you. If you are Christ? Ah. Not Abraham's seeds. You are the. Come on. You are the seed. We together. Collectively.

[57:57] We are the seed. Christ is the seed. We are the seed. Why? because we are the body of... Oh, boy, this is a bit deep.

[58:14] But as you grow, don't worry, you will understand it. Watch this. When God caught Abraham, what he had in his mind was a seed. A seed.

[58:27] We think about a blessing. No. God has always wanted a seed. Right from Genesis. He spoke about a seed of the woman. He called Abraham. And he said, I'm going to bless you.

[58:40] And I'm going to give you a seed. Because Abraham was looking for a seed. But not what he was looking for. And do you know what God did? When Sarai said, go to Hagar.

[58:50] And Abraham went into Hagar. And had his child. Bible said, that's not a seed I'm looking for. And so it brought... I can't use this word. I wanted to say a rift.

[59:02] But no enmity. It brought a pause. As long as God's dealing with Abraham was concerned. God went... Look at chapter 16, the last verse.

[59:13] Chapter 16. Genesis chapter 16 verse... What's the last verse? 18 or so. 18 something. Let's put it. The last verse. Ooh. I want to show you something. Abraham, because he went for...

[59:25] Look at this. And Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael. Look at the next verse. The next verse. That's chapter 17 verse 1. And when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared.

[59:38] So for 13 years, God stood back. You are doing your own thing. Because you can't do it, he was stood back. Until he was 99 years. Why did he wait for 99 years? Because when he was 99, now there was no hope.

[59:50] According to Romans chapter 4 verse 19. Abraham's body was dead. Now you can't even use Hagar. Romans 4. And did not consider his own but Abraham.

[60:02] His own but which was already dead. Since he was what? A hundred years old. And the deadness of Sarah's womb. So God waited when there was no hope. Sometimes God will wait.

[60:14] Because you are too strong. You are too strong. You can do it by yourself. You are too strong. But he wants to be your expression. Now, when he blesses you, things will go okay.

[60:25] But for him to fulfill his purpose in your life, he himself must step in. Now watch this. A man who has lost his function in his male strength.

[60:38] And a woman whose womb is dead. How would they produce a child? No. It must take the hand of God. So now God stepped in and Abraham received life.

[60:49] The wife's womb received life. Because Isaac was a promise. It wasn't Abraham's child. It was a supernatural child. God was trying to teach. Some of you, God is teaching you a message, a lesson.

[61:00] Get it quickly. You are too strong for God. You can do too many things. Abraham, when God said, leave. He came with lots. He came with one lot. You know one lot. A lot of lots. You've come with a lot of lots.

[61:13] We have to learn how to believe God and open up for God's purpose. Now what is this thing I'm talking about? When God called Paul, Saul, he was busy trying to do the work.

[61:31] He was busy doing things for God. And he said, sit down. And God called him. And then suddenly he said, everything I was doing and everything I know was dung. Not dung. Dung is cheap and smaller.

[61:43] Dung. D-U-N-G. It's like cow droppings. Animal droppings. All this. He's uneducated. I don't know why people say God used Paul because of his education. Read your Bible.

[61:55] It's not his education that made God use him. Because all his human attainments were dung. Philippians chapter 3, verse 7, 8, 9, 10. It talks about whatever things were attained to me.

[62:06] I don't know. It wasn't matter. It didn't matter. It said, yet, indeed, I also count all these things to loss. For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, to whom I have suffered all. For the loss of all these things.

[62:17] I count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. Hallelujah. And when you read from this one, that guy is talking about, I'm a Jew. Born of Thessalonians.

[62:28] These are my credentials. I've done this. But it says that when it came to Christ, I realized that all these things are rubbish. So that I can gain Christ. God will wait until some things become rubbish to you.

[62:39] Because you think the promise he gave you is going to depend on you to do it. He's not going to do it. All he's looking for is going to count on your faith. In him. Do you know what Abraham believed? Abraham believed that God would do what he has said.

[62:52] Not the fact that he's going to have children. But if God said this is going to. He believed that word. So he gave the responsibility and the honor to God that it doesn't matter the hopelessness of the situation.

[63:03] God will do it. He believed that. And now he created the room for God to step in. So Paul. Paul. An erudite scholar. Astute academic.

[63:15] Intelligent man. Very religious. Bible says that. He says that concerning the law. A Pharisee. He said a Hebrew of Hebrews. Come on. He says.

[63:26] Circumcised on the eighth day. Okay. That's Philippians. Okay. Let's look at his credentials. This will help. Okay. Circumcised on the eighth day. Of the stock of Israel. Of the tribe of Benjamin. A Hebrew of Hebrews.

[63:38] Concerning the law. A Pharisee. Go to the next verse. Concerning zeal. Persecuting the church. Concerning the righteous and witches are for the law. Are blameless. Paul. Paul.

[63:48] Blameless. Paul. What have you got to bring on the table? He has got so much. But he said that. Go to the next verse. Look at this. But. What things were gained to me.

[63:59] These things have counted loss for Christ. Go to the next verse. Why do you have to do that? Yet. Yet. Yet. Indeed. I count them all. I count all things. Lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ.

[64:10] Jesus my Lord. For. For whom I have suffered. The loss of all these things. You have to suffer some loss. Suffer the loss of your boyfriend. Why are you trying to bring lots in?

[64:25] God has called you. You are trying to bring lots in. The lots. The lots of. That dodgy deals. The loss of your pride. You have to be.

[64:37] Drop it. Drop it. Drop it. Drop it. Don't bring it to God. It's a countdown rubbish. That I may gain Christ. Look at the next verse. God. And be found in him. Be found in him.

[64:47] Not having my own righteousness. Which is from the law. But that which is through faith. You see faith? You see faith? Which you see where faith comes in? Anything that is from Hagar.

[64:58] Is of the law. Grace only comes by faith. Grace. Grace. Someone shout grace.

[65:09] So. Paul suddenly shows up on the scene. He was called. He received Christ. Christ was revealed to him. Christ lived in him.

[65:23] Alright. He had Christ. Now watch this. Then he got to the stage. That's where God was trying to get him to. He said. Now. It's not that Christ is in me. Now.

[65:33] Christ has become my living. Galatians chapter 2. Verse 20. He said. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless. I live. Yet not I. And the life I now lead.

[65:45] I live by faith. Of the son. So this life I'm living. I live Christ out. Christ. It's not me. Christ is living. He said. Christ. Who lives in me? What is this? Christ lives in me.

[65:56] Christ lives. That is the Christian life. The seed. The seed that God promised to Abraham. That seed. Is Christ. And once you. Christ is in you.

[66:07] Or the other way around. Any way works. Once you are in Christ. When you are in Christ. Christ becomes your land. When he's in you. Christ becomes the seed. You see. When Christ is in you.

[66:19] That is where the Christian life actually starts. Most of us are doing a lot of good things. But by ourselves. By ourselves. You are on your own. And you believe that God must.

[66:30] That's religion. And that's Hagar. That's according to the law. You are doing it by law. Not by grace. Not by faith in Jesus. Paul. Paul. This man. Listen to this.

[66:40] I made a statement. Some of you didn't get it. I'm going to go back to it. As I'm beginning to run up. Blessing makes life possible to live. Grace. Grace makes it possible for God to do his work in you.

[66:52] So what is grace? When God has actually supplied you with God himself. Watch this. Grace is nothing less than God himself.

[67:03] So when the grace of God is in you. That means that God is actually in you. For carrying his own creation purpose agenda. So it's not like you are. I'm so blessed.

[67:13] I'm so blessed. Yes. It's good. He blessed you. So that he's done this for you. So that you can be able to allow your life. For him to do. What is grace?

[67:24] Grace is when you are fulfilled. Or when God is fulfilling his assignment in you. For your enjoyment. So you are flowing with God. Fulfilling God's purpose.

[67:35] Working in God's purpose. And as you are doing that. It's this enjoyment. It's this deep. Seated enjoyment. You are enjoying God. You actually have. So grace. At the other hand I said this.

[67:46] Grace is the supply of God to us for our enjoyment. So you may not have this. You may not have that. Because in the Old Testament. It was all about blessing. Blessing. Blessing. Blessing. Blessing. Blessing.

[67:56] But in the New Testament. The Old Testament. The blessing was more about. Get this. That's what blessing. But in the New Testament. He actually said in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3. That bless us with God. Who has blessed you with all spiritual blessings.

[68:08] In heavenly places. Not just the physical things. Spiritual blessings. In heavenly places. In Christ Jesus. Now watch this. So when we talk about grace. It's about you receiving a supply of God. Into your life.

[68:19] So that you can end up becoming the expression. We are created to reflect and express God. So you can be God's expression. As he carries out his purpose in your life.

[68:30] Because we the seed of Abraham. For those who are of faith. The same are blessed with Abraham. And he said that if you are in Christ. Or if you are Christ. Then you are the seed of Abraham.

[68:42] Abraham. So you. Who are born again. You. You. You. You. You. You. You and me. We are all seed. Seed. Not seeds. Seed. Together. We are seed of Abraham.

[68:52] You are a seed. And we are seed. That's what God was looking for. When he called Abraham. His purpose. So he blessed him. Now Abraham was talking about. Eliezer. He said forget about that.

[69:04] I'm going to. I have a plan for my seed. A seed for you. That's why he said your seed. Will be as the stars. Are we not as the stars? Maybe. The seed is actually Christ.

[69:14] We saw it in Galatians. Sammy. The seed is actually Christ. We saw it in Galatians. But. Thank you Jesus. Now. I was saying something earlier on.

[69:26] I was saying something earlier on. Grace. Okay. Grace is for the fulfillment of God's purpose. We need the blessing of God to live. But grace. Grace.

[69:36] Grace. When we talk about grace. That means that what we have does not count. Grace and what you have doesn't count. It's what I give and what I do in you. That counts. That's grace. So that it can be God's fulfillment on the boss.

[69:49] And pastor. You know what I just found out. Thank you Jesus. Watch this. In fact. Before I say that. In. John chapter 1. Verse. Verse 14. He says that. He says that.

[70:00] And the word became flesh. And dwelt amongst us. And we beheld the glory thereof. As the glory of the. One. We begotten of the father. Watch this.

[70:12] Full of grace. Christ came. Full of grace. Someone shout full of grace. Full of grace. Shout it. Full of grace. Give me a break. It's not Mary.

[70:23] How can Mary be full of grace? Christ. Came full of grace. Because in verse 17. He said. The law came by Moses. But grace. The law was given through Moses.

[70:33] By grace and truth. Came through Jesus. When Jesus came. Grace came. When Jesus came. What does that mean? The seed. That means that when Jesus showed up. Now God can do his work in you. Grace is when God has supplied himself to you.

[70:45] That he can be your expression. And this is what I wanted to say. He said. I found out from the scriptures. That Old Testament. Was practically blessings. Blessings. Grace was not an Old Testament thing.

[70:56] This has brought grace in the New Testament. And so when you read the New Testament. I never saw one chapter. One book. One book. Out of the 27 books.

[71:08] One book. No book ends with. Blessing be with you. No book ends with. Blessing be with you. Blessing. No. It always ends. With grace. In fact.

[71:18] The whole Bible. Revelation chapter 22 verse 21. It ends with. Watch this. Let's read it out loud. Let's go. Revelation 22 verse 21. Let's go. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[71:29] He is with you. Amen. The grace of our Lord. It ends with grace. Grace. God called Abraham. The called out people.

[71:41] And the people who have the seed. Inside us. As grace. To carry out God's purpose. And so. What you have doesn't count. Is what God has placed.

[71:52] What God has placed in you. Is what counts. What grace says. That what you have doesn't matter. What you have attained. What you have achieved. Your physical abilities. Your attainment. Really don't count. That is why when you come to church.

[72:04] Give me a break. Don't come. I am very beautiful lady. Don't come. And be talking about. What kind of job you do. Who you are. I am a big man. I am a big woman. I am this. I am that. I am this. In the church.

[72:14] Nobody is anything. It is only Christ. That matters. And when you are in Christ. When Christ is in you. That means that you are a child of grace. You are a child of grace. And you can fulfill.

[72:25] God's purpose. By grace. Shall grace. Grace. Listen. Paul. Said. I am finishing this. I need to say this. Paul said.

[72:36] Ephesians. Chapter 3. Verse 7. He said. I am the least of the saints. Verse 7. Go to verse 7. Go to verse 7. Of which I became a minister.

[72:46] According to the gift of God. Giving to me. Verse 6. Quickly. The Gentiles. Partakers. Through the gospel. All right. Go to verse 7. That's that's that. Of which I became a minister.

[72:57] According to the gift of the grace of God. Giving to me. That way. By the way. Effectual way. Keep up his power. Go to the next. Verse 7. See this. To me. Who am less than the least of the saints.

[73:08] This grace was given. For what? To buy cars. To buy shoes. To get married. No. The grace was given. Okay. That I should preach Christ.

[73:19] It has to do with the purpose of God. Grace has to do with the purpose of God. Blessing has to do with your own benefits. Blessing is for your benefit.

[73:31] So that grace can work. Amen. To me. I was given this grace. And so. In 1st Corinthians. Chapter 15.

[73:42] Verse 10. Is a good text. He didn't say. I. I. Do what I do. He never said. I have what I have. But he said. I am.

[73:52] What I am. By the grace. Of God. I am. What I am. Grace. Makes you. Not gives you.

[74:04] What you get. Blessing is what you get. Grace. Is what God does through you. God created us for an assignment. So he can do something through you. But you. In yourself. In spite of your qualification.

[74:16] In spite of your intelligence. In spite of your beauty. You can't do it. It's all rubbish. It's grace alone. Put all that aside. And let grace. Find an expression.

[74:28] In you. So that you have become. This vessel of God. By grace. It's grace that makes you. Become what you are supposed to be. For God. Blessing makes you enjoy.

[74:38] Life. How do you feel like blessing? But if you are. You are alive. So you can fulfill an assignment. And it's the grace. That you need. To do the assignment.

[74:49] Yeah. Of God. For your life. Never. Did he end. Any. By any. Book in the New Testament. With blessings. I was. I was trying. Coming through the scriptures.

[75:01] I was coming. I think. In Romans chapter. 16 verse 24. You can look that down. When you go and check it. Romans chapter 16 verse 24. He said what. Grace of our Lord Jesus.

[75:11] Be with you. First Corinthians. The same thing. Chapter 58. Chapter 16 actually. Verse 23 I suppose. First Corinthians. 16. 23. What does it say? Grace.

[75:22] Be with you. I like. The big one is the one coming. The big one is. Second Corinthians chapter. Chapter 13. Verse 14. Is the big one. Can we all say that together? Second Corinthians chapter 13.

[75:32] Verse 1. Let's go. Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The love of God. And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Be with you all. Amen. That's the end of Corinthians.

[75:44] Grace be with you. Grace be with you. In Galatians chapter 6. Verse 18. I suppose. Galatians chapter 6. Verse 18. It talks about grace. Be with you.

[75:55] Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you. In Ephesians chapter 6. Again. Verse 24. I suppose. Ephesians 6. 24. Yes. It says. Grace be with you.

[76:06] Did you see that? Very wonderful. In Colossians. Philippians chapter 4. Verse 23. It talks about grace. Be with you. Philippians 4. Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you.

[76:17] Colossians chapter 5. Verse 20. Colossians chapter 4. Verse 18. Sorry. Colossians chapter 4. Verse 18. It talks. I salute you.

[76:29] And grace. Be with you. It's amazing. 1 Thessalonians 5. 28. 1 Thessalonians 5. 28. What does it say? Grace of our Lord Jesus.

[76:40] Be with you. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. Verse 18. What does it say? The grace of our Lord Jesus. Every book ends. It has been written.

[76:50] So grace. God's purpose. The New Testament. Is a grace testament. God must be able to do his plan in your life. Isn't it interesting that even people who don't know Christ and don't understand grace.

[77:06] Religion has made them want to die for the purpose of their gods. For the purpose of their gods. But we who are objects of grace want to just leave the blessing. Give me the blessing.

[77:17] You wait. Give me the blessing. And we have redefined the blessing as grace. Just the grace. Grace be. I'm enjoying. For what? For what? For what? Why will UK send you to America to go and represent UK?

[77:29] Now you go there sending everything you have just there in a hotel to be enjoyed. Why would they send you to go? No. It's not an award. You are on earth. You are alive. For God's agenda.

[77:40] For God's assignment. For God's assignment. Listen. You cannot claim you don't know. I've told you. It's not because of what I'm going to get from this. But it's because of what God is going to get from you.

[77:51] Amen. And then the blessing actually flows better. Amen. Because some of us, we are not useful to God. Not useful.

[78:04] Look so nice. So intelligent. So posh. So sophisticated. But really unuseful to God. Because you have so much for yourself.

[78:15] You don't need God. You can do it for him. God. Just show him what to do. Show me what to do and I'll do it. Don't take over. No. God wants to actually take over by grace.

[78:26] So when he's doing it. Paul. He said, I'm going to Jerusalem. They are going to kill me. But that's fine. Because I'm actually enjoying it. Some of you. Some of you. You don't have a choice.

[78:36] You want to stop church. You can't. You have attempted leaving church a few times. You can't. Some of you have come back here because you left some other church for a long time. Stopped going to church.

[78:46] But you can't. You can't. Because there's a call on your life. God has a vested interest in your life. It's too late boy. It's too late girl. Someone did this to me at church some time ago.

[78:59] And I stopped going to church. You're back. You're back. You're back. Maybe you left that church A. But you have showed up this morning. It's still the same church. It's still the same church.

[79:11] Because you don't have a choice. You have been called. God's hand is on you. That's why you don't have peace when you stay away from Christ. We are the people of grace. We are. The world does not know us.

[79:22] They think we are ordinary citizens. Ordinary immigrants. Ordinary. Ordinary employee. Ordinary road user. Your children are in school. Ordinary. Ordinary dryetts.

[79:32] Ordinary lawyers. Ordinary enferings. Ordinary british... Ordinary providers. Ordinary license. Ordinary Listeners. Ordinary�'. Ordinary Fire. Ordinary Dingäv marginal... Ordinary Evet... Ordinary Corner Kurse. Ordinary Dingävarea...

[79:52] Ordinary ایک Mediterranean опас Ordinaryarius. Ordinary universities. Ordinary glass thatceu alla reine failliins... Ordinary��?. It says that where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.

[80:06] There's enough grace to cover your enough mess. Amen. Your plenty mess. There's enough grace. So don't stare outside and say, as for me, I've messed up. I've done so many bad things.

[80:18] God can't use me and God is very upset. You are upset with yourself, but God is not upset with you. Because did you think he's surprised about what you did? No, he's not. He knew you would do it. He knew you would do it.

[80:29] But that's okay. If you can come, he doesn't want you to do it for him. He himself will do it through you. So you can't claim the credit. You can't say it's me. You can't say it's me.

[80:40] Yesterday, I met someone who, he said, some time ago, no. Come on, he came to me. So, Pastor, please forgive me. I said, no, no, no, no, no. I don't have a problem with you for what I did to you. They said, don't worry.

[80:50] Actually, when someone does something against me, it's an opportunity for me to show God how grateful I am to him. For him forgiving me. So, any time to forgive somebody is an opportunity.

[81:02] God, I'll forgive this person. Just to let you know I'm grateful. I forgive this one. Just to let you know I'm grateful. I forgive this one. Because of what you are, how much you are forgiving me. How much you have done for me. How much you have done for me. Religion, religion doesn't have place for wrong behavior.

[81:17] If you trespass out, disqualified. But God, because it's not you who will do it. All he needs is if you can believe that he can enter into your death situation and produce a living child.

[81:33] That's grace. So, don't let anybody beat you to it. Even if last night you were on the wrong bed and you were doing all kinds of things. And you came to church by accident. It doesn't matter.

[81:43] Listen to what I didn't say. I didn't say messing up doesn't matter. Because it can set you back. It can affect you. It can undermine the blessing you enjoy. But when it comes to grace, no one can disqualify you.

[81:56] Apart from you in the condition of your heart. No one. Not even the things you have done can stop grace from working for you. That's, in fact, those with some funny past.

[82:07] God likes them because then everybody knows. Ha! This person, Paul, said, me, who I am the chief of sinners. God called me. He said, I persecuted the church beyond measure.

[82:20] And yes, look, I'm the greatest preacher. He killed more people. He was killing them, attacking them for the church. Now he was the one preaching. And God said, that's what.

[82:31] That's why, sister, in 1 Corinthians, he says that. In fact, Ephesians says that by grace, not of works, lest any man can boast. God doesn't want anyone to boast that you say, I can do it.

[82:42] No! Because he doesn't need what you can do. He will wait for your body to die. All you can do is Ishmael. All you can get is Ishmael. And Ishmael is law. Do send off. It's law. But Isaac is just a promise.

[82:53] Your body is dead. Your white body is dead. You can't produce it. You can't. And then God suddenly steps in. That's why in 1 Corinthians 1, it talks about that God has chosen the best things.

[83:04] Verse 27 and 29. God has chosen the best things of this world. Can you imagine? Some of you, I used to think like that. Can you imagine if suddenly Beyonce begins to preach Jesus? If suddenly Prince Charles begins to say, Jesus is Lord.

[83:17] Everybody might. Don't you think many people will listen? Yes. People, oh, people will believe easily. But God has chosen that he will not use the nobles. He said, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise.

[83:30] God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty. Go to the next verse. Go to the next verse. Go to the next verse.

[83:48] Look. That no flesh will glory in his presence. You can't say because I'm a miloneer. Because I'm a celebrity. Everybody listens to me.

[83:59] That's why people are coming to Christ. He said, does he need that? That's not grace. That's not grace. That's law. Grace is when he doesn't want anything of you, of yours.

[84:09] But he himself comes in and is beginning to work. So that when people look at you, they are confused. You are so disqualified yet you are producing something that is above qualification. Sunrise!

[84:22] Sunrise! Hey, hallelujah! If you are not saved, you are not safe. Because life is dangerous. Life is not under your command. I don't see why I should end this service without giving you an opportunity to say, Yes, Lord.

[84:37] Pastor, pray with me because I want to have this bread. It means I want to put all my confidence in him. All my hope in him. I want to give my life to Jesus. If that is your genuine desire, just lift up your hand and say this after me.

[84:49] Say it genuinely from your heart. Say, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I've sinned against you. I ask you to forgive my sins. Wash me with your blood.

[85:00] Thank you, Lord, for dying on the cross to save me. From today, I will serve you. If you are not saved, you are not safe. Because life is dangerous.

[85:11] Life is not under your command. I don't see why I should end this service without giving you an opportunity to say, Yes, Lord. Pastor, pray with me because I want to have this bread. It means I want to put all my confidence in him.

[85:23] All my hope in him. I want to give my life to Jesus. If that is your genuine desire, just lift up your hand and say this after me. Say it genuinely from your heart. Say, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner.

[85:35] I've sinned against you. I ask you to forgive my sins. Wash me with your blood. Thank you, Lord, for dying on the cross to save me. From today, I will serve you.

[85:47] I believe in you. I put all my hope in you. I put my faith in you. As my Lord and personal Savior. I receive you into my life. I make a vow with you that I'll save you all the days of my life.

[86:03] Satan, get behind me. I don't belong to you. I belong to Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for saving me in Jesus' name. Father, I thank you. Your word says that you know your sheep and your sheep know your voice.

[86:17] No one can come to you except your father brings him. I pray that let your grace be upon them. Help them to be strong. I pray that the grace of God will come upon you. The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you.

[86:28] And help you to be a strong Christian. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Thank you for listening. For more resources, please visit caris.org.

[86:38] Or call us on 0207-740-9960. God bless you.