Tent Dwellers

[0:00] Thanks for checking in on this podcast. You are about to hear an inspirational teaching from Caris Ministries. If God has used this ministry to bless you in any way, please take a moment and write to us at amen at caris.org.

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[0:38] Oh, our God, the Father Almighty, who loved us and gave yourself for us, teach us your word. Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus to us.

[0:48] As we hear your word, we pray that we will see Jesus. That's all we want, that we will see Jesus and have an encounter with you and our lives will not be the same again.

[0:59] Thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Hallelujah. Today is 2nd of April and this month is our month of divine encounters.

[1:11] Amen. Divine encounters. Divine encounters, our month of divine encounters. When you have encounters, when God meets you, he does not leave you the same.

[1:24] Practically every testimony in the Bible was a function of divine encounter. I'm standing here today not because of my education, not because of my acquaintances or my intelligence.

[1:40] I'm not any exceptional. But I stand here today because of my encounters with God. Encounters with God. I met him and he sent me.

[1:54] Hallelujah. So, this is a month of divine encounters. Many people's destinies and testimonies will emerge this month. And I'm so sure that right from today after the service, some people's testimonies are going to show.

[2:07] Now, today I want to, and I'll be teaching on, either you can call it tent dwellers or dwelling in tents. Tent dwellers is what I want to do.

[2:20] Tent dwellers. Tent dwellers. T-E-N-T. Not N-T-H. Tent. Tent. I found out in the Bible that God didn't make us to just be around, to be enjoying physical things.

[2:42] He actually created us to enjoy him. Tent dwellers. And I'm going to talk more particularly about Abraham.

[2:55] Father Abraham. In Galatians chapter 3 verse 29. In Galatians chapter 3 verse 29. He points us to all of us, to Abraham, those who are believers.

[3:06] He said that if you are Christ's, in other words, if you belong to Christ, okay, then ye are the seed, ye are Abraham's seed.

[3:17] And as according to a promise, a particular promise. If you are Christ's, then ye are Abraham's seed.

[3:39] The children of Abraham. And so anyone who is born again and a Christian, God says that he sees you as a child of Abraham.

[3:52] And a child of Abraham is not just genealogical. It has to do with heritage. Your inheritance. To thee and your children, your seed, will I give this land.

[4:08] So the promise God made to Abraham was not just to him, but to him on all the seed of Abraham. And it says that if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. Indirectly telling you that if you are Christ, then the promise God gave to Abraham is valid in your life.

[4:25] Amen. Let me just have to do a little bit of exploration of Abraham. I told you that God created, Satan corrupted, and God decided in the time of Abraham, this time he will not create again.

[4:42] Because when he created first, Satan corrupted, and man fell the first fall. His spirit became disconnected from God. And then man went further to create religion, to create their own society.

[4:56] And the first thing man built was to build a city. Genesis chapter 4, verse 17. And called the city the city of Enoch. King, the first murderer in human history, built a city.

[5:12] So physical acquisition is not an endorsement on who you actually are. You can be driving a nice car, yet you are a wife abuser.

[5:26] You can be living in a seven-bedroom house with three swimming pools, one on the roof, one in the basement, and one in the garden. And yet you are a pedophile.

[5:41] You can be driving a Bentley, and you are a thief. Yeah. You can be wearing a very nice dress and expensive jewelry, and yet you are somebody's husband's snatcher.

[5:59] Hey! Hey! I'm coming home, don't worry. We'll come. We'll come. So physical acquisition is not a reflection of authentic character.

[6:19] You can have so much. Jesus said this to me, what does a man gain if he gains the whole well and loses his soul? So they built cities, and yet they were godless.

[6:33] The church can be so prosperous, but it doesn't mean it is Christ-centered. Prosperity is not a sign of Christ-centeredness. Okay?

[6:45] So, but prosperity is not bad. All the other things I've said, they are good. Okay? But in the human terms, they are good, but it does not necessarily make you godless.

[6:58] So they built cities, but the cities didn't make them, they were godless. They invented religion. They invented human culture. Genesis chapter 4.

[7:08] They invented music. They invented weapons. They were making inventions, but they were godless because they were full of themselves and their soul. And then in Genesis chapter 6, it went physical.

[7:20] They began to mess up. Big time. Mess up. And the human race, I heard something yesterday or the day before that.

[7:34] Now, the next level of sexual perversion is people sleeping with dogs. In Africa and other places.

[7:47] Dogs. I'm finding it difficult to believe. I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe it, but I can't conceptualize it. I don't know how it can be possible, but I told you sometime ago, Satan, where there is sexual perversion, Satan works better.

[8:07] You check every, every occultic practice. Everywhere there is Satanism and all those. You check. Even this gang culture. There is so satanic activity behind it.

[8:18] Everywhere there is very grim, evil activities or perpetration of evil things. When you check, there is this sexual perversion to its highest order.

[8:33] There are people here who might have attempted Satanism before and you know what I'm talking about. So, then Satan entered in with sexual perversion and every sexual perversion is aimed at the entire human existence.

[8:51] It destroys the social fabric. Sexual perversion. When people begin to sleep with dogs, cats, and all kinds of things.

[9:03] Father sleeping with their daughters, mother sleeping with their grandchildren. See, today it looks very, it's coming. But it is necessary for evil to take hold.

[9:18] So, it happened in the days of Noah. Genesis chapter 6. And that one, even spirit beings took on human flesh and started having sexual relations with human beings and then the women started conceiving and God said, no, this is an attack against entire humanity.

[9:35] So, I'm going to erase humanity and then choose one man who is righteous and then with him and his family start something. That's how we got Noah.

[9:45] So, Noah was the reason God could preserve humanity but all the rest of humanity was rubbish. God, so God wiped them and Noah had faith in what God said and Noah listened to God, obeyed God and God preserved humanity.

[9:59] But afterwards, Noah, when they came out of the flood, issues started, human, because humanity has been polluted so they started messing up again. So, the corruption Satan brought on humanity affected humanity so much that it doesn't come genealogically.

[10:18] Because Noah was a good man, one of his sons was bad and he himself messed up a little bit and so it became murky. So now, God created Satan corrupted, God said, I'm not going to create again, now I'm going to call.

[10:35] So, he called Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. He didn't create, he called and he said, when I call you now, you and your descendants and actually the descendants of Abraham are those who are in Christ.

[10:52] Is everyone getting what I'm saying? And so, God called Abraham and in Genesis, let's go to Genesis chapter 11. This is interesting.

[11:02] I'm excited about what we are going to talk about. Are you ready for this? It's going to, it's going to get a little bit meaty. I am a servant of God, not a public speaker.

[11:13] So, my job here is to teach God's word. I'll teach you how to become rich in God.

[11:26] God rich. So, you don't end up building cities, godless cities. Genesis chapter 11 verse 26. Thank you, Jesus.

[11:39] Thank you, Jesus. So, let's do the best one and the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. Verse 2. And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east that they found, I'm reading from King James, they found a plain in the land of Shina and they dwelt there.

[11:58] Verse 3 is the dangerous one. And they said one to another, let us make what? Let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly and they had bricks for stone and slime had they for mortar.

[12:15] They had bricks for stone. For what? What do they need the bricks for? And they said, go to, let us build a city and a tower.

[12:30] Two things. They said, let us build a city and a tower whose top may reach unto the heavens and let's read this from here.

[12:43] Let's go. Everyone, read it loud. Let's go. Let us build one more time. One more time. So, their purpose for building a city and a tower which top reach the heavens is to make themselves a name.

[13:01] Let us make us a name. Don't forget that. We'll come to that. But first of all, as I told you, they said, verse 3, it says that, they said that, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.

[13:14] How do you make bricks? You have to take the soil and burn it. Burn the life out of it so that it becomes lifeless.

[13:25] Bricks are man-made. Stones are God-made or natural. Bricks are not natural. stones are natural.

[13:38] God does not build, as I told you, with bricks. He builds with stones. And they said, let us make bricks. When you have to make bricks, you have to take the earth or the soil.

[13:52] According to Genesis chapter 2, verse 7, Genesis chapter 2, the Lord God formed man out of where? Out of where? The dust of the ground and breathe into it.

[14:04] So, he took the soil, the clay, the dust of the ground and then he formed man. He formed man out of the dust.

[14:15] Something, look at Genesis chapter 1 verse 11. And God said, let the earth bring forth grass. Let's all say together. Let the earth bring forth.

[14:26] Leave the grass out. Say it again. Let the earth bring forth. I can't hear you. Let the earth bring forth. The earth is supposed to bring forth. Life is supposed to be coming out of the earth.

[14:40] The earth is supposed to bring forth. God made the earth to bring forth. The Bible said, before when it was about to make man, he actually picked the earth, the dust, and made man. And when man fell, look at Genesis 3, verse 19.

[14:58] till thou return to the ground. Why? For out of it you were taken. For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return.

[15:11] And these human beings took the earth that God made. God made the earth for life to come out of the earth. They took the earth and they burned the life out of it to make a city.

[15:28] Listen, many people who work in the city they have manual. And most of them don't have life. Does that mean it's wrong to work in the city?

[15:41] No, I'm not talking about physical city. But sometimes even when you look at physical city, it's so busy when you live in the city, sometimes you don't have time for God. City life, most city lives is built for human security.

[15:55] It's built for human pleasure. It's built for human comfort. It's built for human prosperity. City lives are not built for godliness. Thank God for the United Kingdom.

[16:07] Before cities started being built, churches were everywhere. But now even the churches in the cities are being converted. The nice ones are just there as monuments. So it's interesting that God has brought us in the city of learning to be having a church here.

[16:22] city life usually is a godless life. So why? God has always had a plan to build a city.

[16:35] He started by making a garden. Oh, watch this. God started by making a garden and then as the garden proceeds it becomes a house. So he had a garden.

[16:45] He started with a garden. The next stop is a house. God's house. And then from there a city. But these guys, once they became so godless, Satan influenced them, said, come on, let's build, let's build, let's build, let's build a city and make a name for ourselves quickly.

[17:00] Let's build it. Mimicking what God had. Because in the book of Revelations, Revelations chapter 21 verse 18 and 19 particularly, oh, okay, let's look at Revelation, let's rather go to Revelation chapter 3 verse 12.

[17:18] Revelation chapter 3 verse 12, it talks about, he that overcomes, I will make, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God.

[17:38] God has got a city. Watch this, God has got a city. In the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22, Hebrews 12, 22, it talks about, but here I come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God.

[17:58] But the city of God, watch this, the city of God has not actualized yet. The city of God is the plan of God. Revelations is when everything ends. So when everything ends, you know what finally there was?

[18:13] Revelation chapter 21, verse 2. Look at this. Let's all read it together. Let's all go. Let's go. I saw what?

[18:23] I can't hear you. I saw a holy city. He was seeing the end times. And you know what he saw? When everything was finished and everything was being ended, so long as life on earth and human life is concerned, he said, I saw there, not a city, but there is a city there.

[18:42] There is a holy city. Let's read it together. It's the Bible. It's the Bible. Okay. Let's read it together. Let's go. Holy city. Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned forever.

[18:59] The city came down from God. So God has got a city. It says that coming down from God look at verse 3. Let's go to verse 3. And I heard a great voice in heaven saying behold the tabernacle also means sanctuary.

[19:18] Tabernacle same. It's a temporal structure. The tabernacle of God is with man. And he will dwell with them and they shall be with his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God.

[19:32] Now God and man humanity became a city together. Now watch this. That's why God created us. created us for a city. And so when man fell guess what the first thing they built was a city.

[19:46] But God said no. And then after Noah's flood when they came out of the flood in Genesis chapter after Bible gives the genealogy of man in Genesis chapter 11 he said come on let's come together let's make bricks and build city.

[20:05] The cities they were building was being made just as it happened in the days of Moses Exodus chapter 1 Exodus chapter 1 verse 11 look at this this is very interesting this is what Pharaoh made the children of Israel do he says that therefore they did set over the children of Israel task masters to afflict them with their burdens and they built for Pharaoh treasure cities this python and Ramses they built how did they build it look at the next verse 14 14 verse 14 says and they made their lives bitter the slave master made the Jews the Israelites they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and in bricks and in all manner of service they were building mortar and bricks for the city I pray that your life will not be made so hard that you become a brick maker to build their cities of many people are working working working working you don't have a family life working working working your children don't even know you people are raising your children for you that's not life but

[21:26] I need to pay my rent I need to and so you have gone and bought a Mercedes Mercedes big one bigger than you instead of cutting down possibly cutting down your working hours or mother father husband wife one of you maybe may have to cut down so that you can have enough time for the children and inject some good parental care and parental nature into the child you do you are busy earning and chasing money getting money building cities with bricks your life is going to these cities pharaoh laboring for pharaoh so much that you don't even have time for god you don't have time for god yes you are a city builder you look successful but very godless still you are godless you are godless and time will prove it it is a miserable lifetime to be godless because satan will ruin your life and when it time you ruin your life you ruin your life to ruin your life satan is a wicked devil but god is a good god shout yes build cities they work their life out of them to build cities for pharaoh ramses and pharaoh were feeling very good with bricks but god never builds with bricks god builds with stones stones god made brick is man made stones so when it comes to the house of god when it was time for god to build it in fact god that shot david david i keep talking about david loved god so much and he fell in love with god he felt god has blessed him with prosperity so much sad that he said god your blessing is so good but you know what i want grace one day i may have to see the difference between blessing and grace because in the new testament you hardly find any book that ends the blessing of god be with you grace if the whole bible ends with grace be with you not blessing be with you blessing is good but grace is better so so so it's very interesting god does not build with bricks because bricks is man made he builds with stone even when they were building the temple all right so after watch this after the flood they tried to build a city and

[24:17] Abraham grew up in that time but before i go further into Abraham let me show you something so it's a garden god's plan is a garden a house and a city and everything god builds even the garden bible talks about there were precious stones precious stones in the garden so god builds with stones not bricks david loved god so much he told god god you know what i think i want to build you a house god said oh boy you really touched my heart david he loved me that much do you know it wasn't because of the nice things he wanted to do for god but because of the fact that he accessed what was important in god's heart it wasn't because he was a nice man he wanted to do good things most of us have replaced godliness with being nice going to do somebody shopping for them it's good opening your or trying to clear your neighbor's lawn it's good it's nice nice nice nice nice nice to do nice things but it doesn't mean it's godly so whilst your focus should be godly and when you are godly you invariably will be nice but being nice doesn't mean anybody

[25:41] I talk can be nice I'm telling you even someone been landed it's nice to some people why have we reduced godliness to oh he's a nice man but he's a nice person he's a nice when you going out with him you knew you should have left him but he's a nice man he's a nice person he left his job so I can get a job he's a nice man but that man is now chasing other women sleeping with different men and he's sick he's going to bring sickness he's a nice man now he's a nice man has brought you a nasty situation hey hey oh I'll preach you I'm preaching so and so David said God you've been so good to me I want to build a house for you somebody's talking about a house David because you said this I'll secure your throne your reign your throne will be forever and he said yet it's not for you to build me a house but a seed 2nd

[26:51] Samuel chapter 7 verse 12 I like this and when this God speaking okay listen he said and when thy days be fulfilled give me new king James unless I'm reading from my bible then he says that when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers I will set up your what seed I'm being tempted to preach a message Easter message on the Christ the three dimensional seed the seed of the woman the seed of Abraham and the seed of David I'll put you on the screen please God said I will set up a seed your seed after you who will come from your body and I will establish his kingdom go to the next verse see David said I want to build God a house see what God he shall build me he shall build a house for my name they were building city for their names David wanted to build a house for

[27:52] God's name God said I will bless you I will bless you your generations will remain in your house forever because you want to build for my name I'll bless you and the one who is going to build my house the house I want to build which no human being can build but it's going to come as a human being to build me a house it's going to come from your body now so he said that many people think it was Solomon and I will establish the throne of his kingdom Solomon's kingdom is not forever so when he said actually in the physical terms it was Solomon who built the temple David prepared so Solomon built a physical temple but according to Acts chapter 7 verse 48 and verse 49 particularly it says that look from verse 44 44 44 44 our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness when they were in the wilderness they didn't have a building they had a structure which was a tabernacle it was a tent in the wilderness they had a tent but they didn't have a house for God so that's why when

[28:57] David said I want to build a house it was wondering where do you get this idea from because since you were born I've been living in tents and how did you know it was by the spirit of God and so our fathers lived in tabernacles and appointed in the wilderness as he appointed instructing Moses to make it according to the path so even the tabernacle God said do it by way don't build anything for yourself build it my way now go to verse 48 so however let's go to 47 there's something I want to show you 46 that's where we should have started for David found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob so David told God can I build your house I want to get you a dwelling place that's another he wanted a dwelling where I can build so that God can be there and listen to what happened the next verse but

[29:59] Solomon built him a house so the temple of Solomon was David who prepared for it David didn't get a chance to build it physically so Solomon built it physically but the physical building Solomon built was not what God was saying David your son will build me a house how do you know that the Bible said it look at the next verse let's read the next verse together let's go louder let's go so you can build so you can't build temple for God it doesn't live inside it so when he was talking about house then it wasn't this house go to the next verse verse 49 heaven because the heaven is my throne the earth is my foodstool what house will you build for me says the Lord or what is it what is the place of my rest so the building Solomon built is not the house he said one from your body will build the house that's not what he actually said because the Solomon built it however

[31:00] God doesn't dwell in temples made by hands go to the next verse has my hand not made all this go to the 51 then he left it and started at 10 Stephen Stephen preached a very long message from how God called Abraham started by Abraham and he spoke all the history of the Old Testament is summarized in one chapter in the New Testament which is Acts chapter 7 after summarizing it all do you know how it ended it ended by God's plan was for a house but Solomon couldn't build it and now Jesus has come to build it Jesus in Matthew chapter 16 he said I will build my church I will build my church Matthew chapter 16 verse 19 I will build my church and the gates of hell also I say to you that okay this okay yeah this is the one I'm looking for actually and also

[32:03] I say to you that you are Peter and on this what on this what not break on this rock I'll build my church and the gates of hell who will build the church Jesus he's the builder of the church amen but he does not build with bricks he builds with stone pastor I even found out that the temple of Solomon the temple Solomon built it wasn't they didn't use bricks they used stones according to 1st Kings chapter 6 verse 7 look at it 1st Kings 6 7 and the temple when it was being built was built with stones finished at the quarry so there was no noise they brought the stones from the quarry they cut it everything was it's like prefab but it was not bricks the temple was built with stones so when God called Peter when Jesus met Peter and called Peter in the book of John chapter 1 verse 42 look at this you will like this

[33:06] John 1 I told you I have a lot of scriptures I have to do this quickly John 1 42 look at this he says that and he brought him to Jesus and when when Jesus looked at him he said you are Simon son of Jonah you shall be called Cephas which by translation is what a stone you shall be because God only uses stone to build no bricks no bricks so all of us where do we fit in are you a stone oh yes if you are born again God sees you a stone in fact in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 verse 12 it talks about how everyone built you have to be careful the way you build with gold silver or precious stones now anyone who builds on the foundation that Paul has laid so long as church is concerned gold silver or precious stone we are supposed to use stones to build in 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 5 I like this one 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 5 this is amazing he said you also say you also alright say me also me also in French we say moi aussi is it alright friend guys moi aussi me also you also as what living not lively living stones stones that are alive stones that have life inside no bricks we are living stones look at this

[34:33] I have been built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God we are being built the church is the house of God and you know the components of the church living stones anyone who is born again is the living stone for the building of the house of God the house of God is not a physical structure the house of God I told you some time ago when we talk about the house of God it's not in heaven it's on earth it's on earth here and the house of God now on earth is the church of God it says that take care of the church which is the house of God which is the church of the living God I think first Timothy chapter 3 verse 15 it says that you ought to know how to conduct yourself in the house of God where the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and the grounds of truth the truth of God is handed to the church if the church doesn't speak out society will be messed up the pillar the pillar of truth the grounds of truth the church it's the house of God and he said we all as living stones have been built up into a spiritual house shardiness

[35:52] God never builds with bricks but moving on from there they built a city with bricks and God said no no no no I won't allow this so he confused their language so when someone is telling oh hold I'm down I'm trying to move and he said hold that don't bring it he also hears throw it throw it so God confused their language husband and wife make sure other people don't confuse your language most of marital problems is because of third party interference sometimes they may not speak it your friends are influencing you your marriage because your friends keep changing their hair you also think you must change now you begin to put pressure on your husband I need to change my hair and that thing too it's not your hair it's a cap so interference anyway

[37:03] God confused their language now this is my main message and then this so they were and God confused their language and now God said I'm not going to recreate I'm going to call so before we go to the calling of Abraham look at Genesis chapter 11 verse 27 let's get from verse 27 thank you Jesus Genesis chapter 11 from verse 27 now these are the generations of Terah Terah begat Abraham Nahor and Haran and Haran begat Lot and Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity in Ur of the child that's where they used to live they used to live in a place called Ur of the child okay and Abraham and Nahor took them wives the name of Abraham's wife was Sarai and the name of

[38:03] Nahor's wife was Milca and the daughter of Haran the father of Milca and the father of Milca and the father of Isca now verse 13 but Sarai was barren she had no child before God called Sarah Abraham Sarah didn't have a child don't forget about that and Terah took Abraham his son and Lot the son of Haran who took watch this this is very interesting Terah say Terah Terah took Abraham his son and Lot the son of Haran his son's son and Sarai his daughter in law his son Abraham's wife and they went forth with them okay and they went with them from air of the child to go into the land of Canaan and they came to Haran and Haran and dwelt there and the days of Terah was 205 years and Terah died in Haran who took them from air

[39:08] Terah Terah who is Terah Abraham's father he took them from air the child let's go where we are going to Canaan who Terah Terah he took his family before he took them his son died Haran and I'm sure their problem was with Abraham because look at Acts chapter 7 from the screen Acts chapter 7 verse 2 I'll show you something Acts chapter 7 verse 2 look at this he said and verse 2 and he said brethren and fathers listen that's Stephen talking to them the God of glory did what don't forget that God actually where did he appear to him God of Abraham appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Haran so when he was in the air of the child he was in the air of the child and God appeared to him there and said to him get out of your country and from your relatives and come to a land which I will show you

[40:21] God told him when he was in air of the child in the regions of Mesopotamia that leave your country leave your relatives and leave your land to a place where I will show you what we read what we see it was Terah who took them and said let's go to Canaan but God didn't appear to Terah he appeared to Abraham so Abraham was disobedient he didn't want to leave till his brother died and the father said you know what let's go this area is too terrible for us let's go so he took them Abraham when God spoke to him he didn't move quickly like most of us we all do it the first appearance we don't obey most of the first we don't obey God if it is really you let all my hair begin to stand like this then you begin to give God major if you choose it's okay if okay see don't do this okay God if this is really a man of God let him mention my name let him come and stand near me and tell me no no no he won't do it

[41:27] God you can't hijack God he doesn't have anything to prove to you sometimes you know God is speaking to you why don't you obey instead of giving conditions oh God if it is really you if it is really you people like that because we are so self-centered it must be around us God taught Abraham leave and he left without a road map Hebrew said he went he didn't have road map he didn't know where he was going after his father okay so his father died in Haran his father Terah because he said let's go to Canaan but when you go to Haran he liked it he liked Haran you are in church but you still like a certain lifestyle God is calling you but you know you have to you know this day I don't want to go too deep

[42:28] I don't want to go too deep Haran is okay for me you are either in El of the Chardian or Haran or in Canaan and in Haran people died there some of us if you have not lost your job you wouldn't have started coming to church if you have not if that boy hasn't broken your heart you wouldn't have come to church I'm very happy you broke your heart big very happy you came looking for Christ with a broken hearted but I said he has sent me to heal the broken hearted so some people will wait to trouble before they come to him so he has medicine for broken hearts that would be a nice message medicine for broken hearts so Tara died look at Genesis chapter 12 that's what most of us knew about Abraham but Abraham was there before chapter 12 God spoke to him when he was in air but he didn't move did you read verse 3 of

[43:33] Acts chapter 7 let's go to the verse 3 sorry before we go to said yeah go a country from your natives and come to the land where now chapter 12 verse 1 said now the Lord said unto Abraham get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land I will show you and I will make of thee a great nation and I bless thee and make thy name great and thou shall be blessed Abraham had a commandment and a promise he didn't have a road map he just left and Abraham obeyed so verse 4 so Abraham departed and the Lord had spoken to him and Lot God told him leave your family and Lot his brother's son and Lot went with him and Abraham was seventy and five years old when he departed from where meanwhile God spoke to him in

[44:34] Abraham the child he waited for his father was the one who said let's go they go to Haran and his father said let's stay here I think he was a daddy's boy everything daddy must make a decision for him and he stayed there and his father died and God came and spoke to him leave so he left Hebrews chapter 11 verse this is now getting interesting now are you ready for I like this so much I think it would just be good if we all read it do you enjoy reading the Bible at all reading it out loud it does something because when the word comes it said this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth when you read the word it is different from when you read it with your eyes and don't speak it so let's speak it out Hebrew chapter 11 verse 9 let's go by faith he dwelt in the land of promise as a foreign all right so let's go from verse 8 it makes sense let's go by faith

[45:36] Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he would receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where did you see that he just left and was going where are you going I just don't know so what's the road map there's no road map we are just like Abraham and you know our road map Christ is our road map Christ is our road map by faith verse 9 by faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise they were dwelling with him they were living in tents they never lived in a physical structure like a permanent structure God when he's working with you doesn't want you to live in a permanent structure because

[46:36] God is always moving if you build a city you'll miss him he'll leave you behind you can't move with the city you can fold your tent and move look at it go to the next verse for he waited for her Abraham had an insight so when he's living normal life in London his eyes were beyond the natural life his eyes were beyond he was living as a sojourner not a tourist there's a difference between a tourist and a sojourner or a pilgrim he lived as a pilgrim according to 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 11 he said we are pilgrims 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 11 he said behold I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust which war against your stone you are traveling you are a tent dweller you are a tent dweller don't settle in just one state of life walk with

[47:47] God keep your eye on God don't go with just the normal social norms go with the godly norms go with the purpose of God go with the plan of God if you miss out on the plan of God you'll be missing in life go with God we are sojourners I mean you know where sojourners you know a pilgrim is someone who is traveling from very far going somewhere very far for religious reasons and you don't get somewhere and suddenly you have built a house you are settled no you are an immigrant then and I even know in certain communities in UK they are immigrants here but they see themselves as sojourners they always talk back back I building three houses back home I dream back home every night there are a lot of back home people here they are here but your mind is back home you are here your mind is back home buying things based on the prices back home this thing is very expensive how one deodorant hey no no no no no no no it's too expensive it can pick me a cab here even mint just mint that

[49:16] I'll put in my mouth why back home back home until you live in the system for a long time and it washes the back home out of you listen if you are a pilgrim you don't lose track with where you are going because of where you are most of us are not pilgrims we are setless setless setless don't live in tents but Abraham lived in tents and when he was living in tent he moved from place to place even in the promised land he got to Cana and still he wasn't settled but I'm taking you to Cana yes but he wasn't settled because he knew that this is not the Cana God meant he knew that there must be when I met God when God came to me when God appeared to me I knew he had a city so Abraham even though he was living in tents he was in

[50:17] Cana he was looking for a city you know when God called him just when men were building cities and godless cities to make name for themselves that's when God called Abraham and when God God must have showed himself to Abraham in such a way that Abraham realized that this city these guys are trying to mimic the thing is in God he didn't have a road map he had a mental picture of where he must settle so he was living moving look and when he was moving from 10 to 10 do you know what he was looking for not looking for a land he was looking for a city go put you on the screen Hebrews 11 again verse 10 10 for he waited for the city which a foundation whose builder was not man but God himself is the book so Abraham didn't live in permanent structures he lived in tents he taught Isaac Isaac lived in tents into the

[51:17] God like tent God like tent that's why Bible says that I saw the heavens the tabernacle of God is with men when he brought them out of Egypt he told them make me a tent make me a tabernacle in the book of 25 verse 7 8 and 9 and let them make me a sanctuary that's a tent it's not permanent structure that I may dwell amongst them God always wants us to create a space in your life so he can show up don't depend on the pastor's prayer or you want to say one for me pray for me go say create space in your life so that I can come there don't go around begging for prayers pray for me pray for me create a space for God in your life in your family in your finances create space for God so tell them let them make me a tabernacle so I can dwell with them if

[52:17] God is not dwelling with you when you need him you always have to travel and get him listen if you don't make space for God in your life the day you need God you have to travel you have to travel you you have become so powerful so posh so intelligent I'm very wise oh come on it's not a sign of wisdom I'm very wise yeah I'm a guy most of us were better guys than you you are a fake one you don't know it's true this gentleman was telling us yesterday in the service that one he came to courage the first time with his wife to be rise up rise up forward he was interested in this is not for me some of you went to the case this is not for me this is not for me you tell me God is not for you the devil will stay there and the time you when you realize you need God things have gone so bad all the best we do is receive it receive it receive it you become a prayer project because by the time you realize what you actually need is God

[53:19] Satan has bought a lot of things be smart and be wise me judge is not for me it's because of the city we live in we live in UK it has made everything like you don't need God you actually you know some of us here you can't even sleep Satan is tormenting you you are living in fear you are not a happy person because something is missing in your life I dare you to tell me you are happy you are not you are not you are not your life is uncertain what you need is no more money it's no more girls it's no more men it's no more houses what you need bro what you need is God what you need is God what you need is God yes you need God slap somebody on the shoulder they are talking about you I feel like preaching Abraham God said leave and he left he was going but according to Hebrews chapter 11 verse 10 he was looking for a city he waited for a city

[54:28] I told you God has got a city and I saw the new Jerusalem the city coming from heaven he waited for a city which are a foundation that there must be a foundation and when you read Revelation chapter 19 sorry chapter 21 verse 19 it tells you the foundation of the city was precious stones Revelation chapter so it says that and the foundation and the walls of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones not bricks God's city the city of God the city of the living God that is where it's taking us but now we live in tents what is the tent?

[55:09] Christ is our tent the Christ-like life a time is coming when we arrive where God has planned for us and it's not Bible says that these guys look at verse 13 image of 11 from verse 13 it said these guys they look at the way they lived all these died in faith not having received the promise but having seen them afar off were assured of them embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth that means whilst they were going they kept an eye on what God has prepared for them don't let your current situations change your focus don't let it change where you are going you may at the moment you may be homeless you may be jobless you may be penniless but that's not your destiny that's not your destiny that's not your destiny even you may be sick but that's not your destiny healing is coming in the name of Jesus go to the next verse see the next verse for those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland go to the next verse quickly a homeland and truly if they had called they had called to mind that country for which they had come out they would have had the opportunity to return because there are some good stuff remember the way your girlfriend used to treat you sometimes you miss it though and so

[56:30] Bible says that if they had had the chance they would have if they had considered where they were coming from they would have had the opportunity to return because sometimes you find out that it's not getting boring it's not good every time I'm going to church I'm praying and you look at your friends some of them have changed and they've got a sugar daddy they bought a sugar mommy they bought them a house someone has just bought them a house and you are thinking even you are more beautiful more pretty than daddy your friend when you are genuinely born again there are times you look at unbelievers and it looks like hey what's going on with you he said my heart sank when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Psalm 73 until I entered the tabernacle and I saw their end never be jealous of somebody who doesn't work with God don't be jealous don't be jealous of a godly person a godless person don't be jealous don't be jealous because life is a long journey long life life is not about today it's a long journey next 20 years is coming next 35 years is coming you will see me you will see but the times people are telling you

[57:47] I should have gone to church and served God the way you are serving it's too late they spoil so much of their life that they may be 48 but they may be looking like 72 because the life city life has drained life and they have become bricks bricks bricks they burnt the life out of you burnt the life sex is good free sex it can drive all the life out of you you don't want me to talk about it I will I will I will because about 85% or sorry 92% of people here like it think about it always watch it I will Master why are you talking about all these things because I am trying to talk to you praise the Lord but I am speaking about these things because God has remembered you your story is radically changing you can't be the same again you have good news to tell you have a good story to tell you have an amazing story to tell in the mighty name of Jesus as I finish

[59:04] Abraham when he went finally let me finish on this he lived in tents but he came from a city among people who were building a city God told him Genesis chapter 12 leave and go when he left chapter 12 verse 4 Bible says that and Abraham went Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken and do you know what he did look at verse 7 when he left then the Lord appeared to Abraham sometimes the second appearance is based on obedience the first appearance is just based on God's goodness some of the appearance the initial ones is God's initiative you are being here listening to me is God's initiative but the blessing that will follow the subsequent ones is based on your steps when you step out he will appear to you when you obey him then he will show you the next step when you obey him most of the other appearances in Abraham's life had to do with his obedience first

[60:06] God showed up to him now let's finish this and then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to your descendant will I give this land and what happened let's read that what did he do let's read it from the end louder please listen Abraham came from a place the people built cities to make name for themselves he built an altar to the Lord to make a name for God that's what God is looking for Abraham when he was called the first thing he built was an altar an altar is a meeting place between me and God a place where you bring everything to God you lay everything in your life to God sacrifice to God is an altar he built an altar in the tabernacle even told them that there must be an altar in the tabernacle when you are coming built an altar there

[61:08] Abraham built an altar but I found out he came from a place where they were building city and tower he didn't build city and tower when God called him the first thing he built an altar and look at what he built look at the next verse verse 8 and he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord now watch this two things he built he built what he pitched a tent and he built an altar he pitched a tent they were building cities and erecting towers Abraham when God called him he built an altar and he pitched a tent just somewhere he can just cover himself and stay there temporarily so he didn't settle he built a tent but altar unto the

[62:09] Lord where he created a room where he can constantly meet God that was the kind of people God is calling us to be the people he came from amongst they were building cities without God building towers to make a name for themselves don't be like that if you want to get the attention of heaven learn how to build an altar in other words get a meeting place with God always make sure that you prioritize God in your life give God a priority in your life give God a priority make him a priority in your life and don't settle that's what I'm looking for I'm just looking for settlement for me to be no don't look for settlement as long as you are connected with God the Bible says that godliness with contentment is great gain he said gain is not necessarily godliness you may have a house you may have a husband you may have a child you may have a certificate you may have some money you may have all those things they are good for your information they are good but it does not necessarily mean godliness but when you have

[63:11] God it doesn't matter what you don't have if you have God and you are happy with God Bible said that is great gain 2nd 1st Timothy chapter 6 verse 4 5 and 6 or 6 and 7 or 4 5 6 it says that gain gain godliness with great gain now godliness with contentment is great gain not the other way gain it says some people in verse 5 some people will be teaching that gain is godliness this is useless people who will be teaching who suppose that godliness is a means of gain from such people turn away because godliness with contentment is actually great gain it's not a means of gain don't come use God to get a husband for you don't come use God it will come it will come but look for God that God God will will have find an expression in your life and that your life will be a dedication to God that God can use you any way he wants excuse me that shows that you have built a tent and I came to challenge somebody build a tent and build an altar you will need it tomorrow it may look like you don't need it don't think the city is more important than an altar the altar is more important than the city if you are not saved you are not safe because life is dangerous life is not under your command

[64:32] 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 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 you I say Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner I have 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 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 will save you all the days of my life 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 no one can come to you except your father brings him

[65:39] 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 and help you to be a strong Christian in Jesus mighty name Amen Thank you for listening for more resources please visit charis.org or call us on 0207 740 9960 God bless you