Agōnizomai: Striving for The Church

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for listening to this wholesome word by David Entry. The words you catch will change your world. May your story change from this message.

[0:11] Be blessed. Colossians chapter 2, reading from verse 1 to 10. For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

[0:53] And thus I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing ways. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

[1:13] As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

[1:32] Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

[1:45] For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principalities and power.

[1:58] Let's pray. Father, what we don't know teach us, who we are not make us, where we are not take us, to the glory of your name, as your word is taught, let Christ be revealed.

[2:11] Heal the sick, deliver the captives, convict the sinning, and let your name be glorified. Comfort the disturbed, and bring hope to the despondent.

[2:24] All to the glory of your majestic name, and for the building of the church. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. In our last session, coming towards the end of chapter one, Colossians 1, 26.

[2:43] Even the mystery which has been hit, Paul was talking about, the word of God, he was given the commission to complete.

[2:54] The complete gospel, has the complete gospel, has everything to do with, even the mystery.

[3:07] So, his commission, he has been given a ministry, based on the, oikonomaya of God, based on the dispensation of God, based on the administration of God.

[3:25] He's been given a mission, a ministry, to complete the word of God. So, his mission, is the economy of God.

[3:38] His ministry, is the economy of God, which is his stewardship. The, God's eternal plan, has been handed to a human being, to fulfill.

[3:54] And that is what is called, ministry. So, those of us who call ourselves, ministers, or when someone say, I am ministering, it simply means that, the plan, the eternal plan of God, for which reason, the earth exists.

[4:13] And the plan of God, goes beyond the existence, of the earth. The earth is in existence, towards, Bible talks about, I think, Ephesians chapter 1, verse 10, the fullness of time.

[4:28] One translation uses, the climax. When everything, so he talks about, in Eniuki James, Ephesians 1, 10, that, that in the dispensation, of the fullness, in the, oikonomaya, some, I think NIV uses, the plan, God's plan, towards the fullness of time.

[4:47] All right? As the plan, for the fullness of time. So, God has a plan, for the fullness, and he's working his plans, from the beginning of time, to the fullness of time.

[4:59] And we happen to be, within time. So, we are all in the plan. Even those, who are going to hell, are part of the plan. Just that, if you have not been taught, the full gospel, you wouldn't know that, people going to hell, is part of God's plan.

[5:14] In what way? It's meant to bring God glory. Let me digress, and tell you just a bit of, Romans chapter 9, verse 22 and 23, tells us, that, the suffering, or the vessels of wrath.

[5:28] And now, it says that, what if God, wanting to show, his wrath, and to make his power known. So, to show his wrath, and to make his power known, he endured with much suffering, the vessels of wrath, prepared unto this wrath.

[5:43] So, the people are messing up, and he's waiting, because he wants to show his power, and he wants to make his power known, and he wants to also make his wrath known, and all this for his own glory, so that he endured, with much long sufferings.

[5:56] There are vessels, who are meant for wrath. Yeah. Okay, when you see the word vessels there, he's not talking about, bulls. Or, jars, or, you know, water bottles.

[6:13] Okay. This is not what he's talking about. He's talking about human beings. We were made not to be instruments. We are made to be vessels. What's the job of a vessel? A vessel is meant to contain.

[6:25] So, what are we supposed to contain? I've taught you from the beginning. God made us to put himself into us. Yeah. So, every human being is a vessel. But some of us are vessels of wrath.

[6:37] Some, not some of us. Some are vessels of wrath. Yeah. Just to show his long suffering, and his power. And look at the next verse. Verse 23. And that he might make known, the riches of his glory, on the vessels of mercy.

[6:53] Who we are? We are the vessels of mercy. Yeah. To make known, the riches of his glory, on the vessel, because you don't qualify. Mercy is what has brought you in. Yes. So, when you get to heaven, you'll be feeling, what am I doing here?

[7:06] What on earth? How did I get in here? And every time, the Bible says that, they said, worthy is the lamb, seated on the throne. They kept, it says that, they sang a song.

[7:18] They sang a song. They said that, for you have redeemed man. You have redeemed us by your blood. In heaven, they are still singing about the blood. The theme of, what they are singing in heaven, is redemption.

[7:33] It's there. And they sang a new song, saying, you are worthy to take the throne, and open the seal, for you were slain. You were killed. Jesus. They sang the song to the lamb, who was sitting on the throne.

[7:46] And they said that, you were slain. This is after redemption. This is not pre-redemption scene. Because Revelation, in chapter four, is pre-redemption scene. Chapter five, is post-redemption scene in heaven.

[8:00] Chapter four, there was not a lamb. Chapter five, a lamb shows up. And when the lamb shows up, the elders fell down, and they sang. And they said, you have redeemed.

[8:12] Some translation said, for you have redeemed man. You have redeemed man. And it says that, and you have redeemed us, to God, by your blood, out of every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation.

[8:27] And I've made us priests, and kings to our God. Now, that's the song, that's the theme, of the song they sang in heaven. So, in heaven, it's that, the redemption, becomes a focal point.

[8:40] Because, that's our access, into God. Not our good behavior, and our perfection, and our niceness. But, it's our salvation, which was procured for us, in Christ.

[8:52] That's why you can't be a Christian, and forget about the cross. You are not living, you can't live, a good Christian life, or a proper Christian life, or a true Christian life, better still, an authentic Christian life, without you, the cross being on your mind.

[9:09] That's why it says, looking onto, you can only run the race, by looking onto Jesus, not on the tracks. You look, looking onto Jesus, the altar, and the finisher, of our faith.

[9:19] Who for the joy, that was set before him, cured the cross, despised him, and is not set, at the right hand of, the majesty, oh hi, praise God. So, so, God's wrath, he has chosen people, to show his wrath.

[9:33] Now, so from Genesis, he has got a plan. He has got, anyone who, every human being, who gets born, on this earth, was sent by God, as part of the plan.

[9:47] So, no one shows up by accident. He said, before I formed thee, in your mother's, I knew you. Everybody, on earth, is part of the plan. Those who are going to hell, are part of the plan.

[9:58] Those who are going to heaven, are part of the plan. And all this, to his own glory. So, in Ephesians chapter 1, verse 10, it talks about, that in the fullness, in the climax of time, that in the dispensation, of the fullness of time, God, he, God, might, gather together, in one, all things, in Christ.

[10:17] All right? Both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, in him. Everything God is doing, has to do with, in him. That brings him glory. So, the point I'm making here, is that, God has got a plan.

[10:31] It's called, it's, oiko nomaya. Oikos, and nomos. Oikos is house. Nomos, detronomy.

[10:43] Nomos is law. So, oiko nomaya, has to do with, household law. The noma, is translated in English, is economy. So, every nation has got, an economy.

[10:55] An economy is that, the way the, resources of the nation, is distributed, to run the nation. So, it must be a big house. A big house. God has a big house. And his economy, watch this, is to dispense himself, as grace, into his chosen people, for the building of the church.

[11:13] Can I say that again? God's eternal economy, his eternal plan, his eternal purpose, for our time, is to dispense himself, because we are vessels.

[11:24] He's pouring out himself, as grace, into us, for the purpose, of building, the church. So, then when you're a Christian, the reason why you are in church, and the reason why someone is preaching, is, a steward of grace must be preaching.

[11:41] He's a steward of, dispenser of grace. And as he's preaching, grace is being dispensed into you. And as you are catching grace, it's not for your own life, to look good. But the purpose is, for the building of the church.

[11:54] The power of God, we have two types of power of God. We have the creating power. That's what he does, the miracles. The creating power is what God uses to create. It's all power of creating power.

[12:06] And we also have the resurrection power. The creating power is to create things, is making things happen. The resurrection power is the power that works in you, to enable you to build the church.

[12:19] Resurrection power. Wow. So, when you look at what Paul is saying, he says that, this plan of God, is a completed plan, but it has always been kept hidden.

[12:32] A hidden inside God, from man. Until Christ came to die, and after Christ came to die, the church can now be built. The church can now be raised.

[12:43] And so, now in our times, God is beginning to reveal, this hidden mystery, that has been kept in him, from the beginning of times. He's revealing it, to his apostles, and his prophets, and which is, it's not something, so secret that you can't know.

[12:59] It's, in fact, that is what church teaching should be about. The revelation of the mystery, so that you can have the complete gospel. And so, Paul said that, having made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which was given to me, to complete the word of God, even the mystery.

[13:23] This economia, of completing the word of God, he said, the word of God is the mystery. He said, even the mystery, which has been hid from ages, and from generations, but now, we thank God for our generation, because we are living in the now.

[13:39] This but now. But now, it's made manifest to his people. And God is happy. God willed. The next verse, verse 10.

[13:49] God, to whom God would, give me New King James. New King James says that. To them, God willed. He was happy. It was part of his plan.

[14:01] To the saints, God willed to make known what are the riches of the glories of this mystery.

[14:12] You see, let me go back again. Permit me, because I'm trying to break the text, so you can get it. Now, watch this. Watch this. If it's 25 says that, of this church, that's interesting.

[14:24] I've been made a minister, verse 24. I'm going back, you see. Verse 24 talks about how, I rejoice in my sufferings. I rejoice in my sufferings.

[14:35] to fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Why? For the sake, watch this, for the sake of the church. Don't forget what he's talking about.

[14:46] He's been suffering, but his focus is not, some of us always, everybody knows you are suffering. Everything is about your suffering. Please. He said, I'm suffering, and I rejoice in my suffering, and fill up in my body the sufferings of Christ that is left.

[15:01] Why? For the sake of his body, which is the church. Watch this. So, his body is the church, and he says, of this church, I have made a minister.

[15:15] What kind of minister that is not related to a church? Of which I became a minister. I became a minister of the church, not of society.

[15:26] I minister. iPhone, I minister. I minister. So, I became a minister.

[15:37] Watch this. This is very important. Of this church, I became a minister, not because people like me, not because of my education, not because of my eloquence, but I became a minister according to the oikonomia of God, which was handed to me.

[15:55] What? So, it's like, it was handed to me. I go born again. When you get born again, God hands ministry to you. He said, I became a minister of the church based on God's economy, oikonomia, his own plan, then God entrusted the plan to me.

[16:17] Why won't I run? Then I became, that's why, he said, he said that even if I don't do it according to me, I have a stewardship that is entrusted to me. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 17. He said, this thing is stewardship.

[16:29] He said, for if I do it willingly, I have a, but if I guess my will, I have been, see that word there, entrusted with stewardship.

[16:40] And this stewardship is the same, I taught you, God's plan, in your hand, it becomes your stewardship. So, when God is referring to, he said, that's my plan. When you are referring to, he said, that's my stewardship.

[16:52] That's my assignment. My assignment is the plan of God. I've been made a steward based on the plan of God. God has entrusted this thing in my hands. He has handed it to, in 1 Timothy, chapter 1, verse 12, thanks be to Christ our Lord who counted me, oh, he enabled me because he counted me faithful.

[17:12] He himself, when you are given a ministry, it means you have been put into ministry. He puts me into the ministry. War, that's why Paul said, 1 Corinthians 9, 16, war is me if I preach not the gospel.

[17:27] You think you are serving in the choir because you are trying to favor somebody. War is you if you don't play that instrument. War is you if you don't preach.

[17:38] War is you if you don't serve in the capacity God has given you the ability to do. War is you. That's what it's going to judge us based on. Not your, not your academics or your earnings.

[17:50] Not your friendship and your niceness. It's going to judge us based on the, economy that has been entrusted into our hands. Now watch this. So, he said, of which, verse 25 again, I became a minister of the church.

[18:05] How? On what grounds? Not because I was ordained, but according to the stewardship that was given to me. Okay, now what am I supposed to do with this stewardship?

[18:17] To fulfill the word of God. To complete the word of God. To make sure the word of God is completed. The work of God. And when you talk about completing the word of God here, it's not so much as to doing something and cleaning something or doing ABC.

[18:34] It has everything to do with getting a full, proper, bringing to bear a holistic understanding of what the plan of God is, which is about the gospel. Because it's, completing the word of God, why?

[18:47] Because it has been hid. It has been hid. And fulfilling the word of God, which has been hid, the Greek word translated fulfilled, means complete. To bring it to completion.

[18:59] So it has been hid in God from ages. That's what the text is. Look at verse 25. I became a minister of the church based on the gift of God, the economy of God given to me, or the stewardship of God, or dispensation of God given to me to complete, to fulfill the word of God.

[19:15] Then it says, I like the King James, because he said, even, the word of God is even the mystery, that mystery, this whole thing that has been hid from ages and generations but has now been revealed to the saints, I have been made a minister to bring it to bear, to fulfill it, to complete it.

[19:35] It said, what I'm completing is actually the mystery because people don't know it. People don't know it. Not even the prophets got to know it fully. They spoke about what they didn't know.

[19:47] The prophets, Moses, but Jesus said in John chapter 8, he said, Abraham desired to see my days. Abraham desired to see my days and he saw it and he saw it and he was glad.

[20:03] All of them, they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. Moses spoke about the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah spoke about the coming of the Messiah. Messiah. All the prophets and the law, it's not only the prophets but even the law that was given, it was like a schoolmaster, you are holding the law and as long as you hold the law, it only takes you to one direction.

[20:24] It's guiding you until Christ comes. Then you can start to relate with Christ by faith. So the law was given to the people of God just to keep them on track.

[20:36] Bible says, it was like a schoolmaster. Galatians chapter 3. It says, well, the law was like a schoolmaster to bring us on. So the law was pointing to Christ. The prophets were talking about Christ.

[20:48] John the Baptist came and spoke about Christ. Everything in the Old Testament and whatever was done before Jesus Christ came, everything was talking about Christ and yet, none of it was complete.

[20:59] None of it was complete. and then the gospels come, Christ comes to live a full human life and dies and goes. Watch this. Church, watch this.

[21:10] And dies and goes and still the gospel was closed. Christ dies. That is why in Luke chapter 24 verse 45, Bible said, and he opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures.

[21:24] In the book of Acts chapter 13 verse 27, it talks about the people of Jerusalem and the elders. Even though they were reading Saturday after Saturday, Sabbath after Sabbath, they were reading this thing every day.

[21:37] They fulfill it in killing Christ because they did not know the voice of the prophets nor did they know him. They didn't know him. This team was talking about him.

[21:48] He came. They didn't know him. The voice of the prophets, they were hearing it but they didn't know what they were saying because even the prophets, they spoke and afterwards, when in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 9, 10 and 11, he says that these things angels desire to look into.

[22:06] And he says that, verse 10, of which salvation the prophets inquired and said carefully, some translation said, diligently, who these prophets prophesied of the grace that would come to you.

[22:20] Talking about the church. Say the church. Say the church. There was a certain type of grace coming to the church. It's called the ekonomia, the manifestation of God's full gospel.

[22:33] It can't happen outside of the church. And so, he says that these prophets prophesied about what is happening. My standing here preaching, you stand, you've been in church listening and we are in church.

[22:46] They spoke about it. But people who don't understand the voice of the prophets thought they only meant Christ. No, not Christ. Not Christ alone. Not Christ alone.

[22:58] You can't, you can't separate Christ from the church. Let me digress. I'll come back quickly. When we talk about the mystery, Colossians and Ephesians, they are two great books.

[23:14] Ephesians focuses on the mystery of Christ, which is the church, whilst Colossians focuses on the mystery of God, which is Christ. So, the mystery of God, this thing that has been hidden in God, the mystery.

[23:27] So, it keeps coming across the word, mystery, mystery, mystery. And in fact, Colossians chapter 2 verse 2, which is the next verse we are going to, chapter 2 verse 2, makes it very clear that the mystery, I think in the, one of the other translations, it makes it even clearer that the mystery is Christ, the mystery of God, which is Christ.

[23:45] So, Christ is the mystery of God, and the church, is the mystery of Christ. I'll explain it, I'll explain it better as we go on. I think English that I've been sure something might say, yeah.

[23:58] Their hearts might be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of the full assurance of the understanding of the knowledge of God's mystery. What is God's mystery?

[24:08] Which is Christ. Watch this. This is where I'm going. So, these prophets, they prophesied about the coming of Christ. and not only the coming of Christ, the Bible says, they spoke about the grace that should come to us.

[24:21] Look at the next verse. This is going to be interesting. Searching what's, what, or what manner of times. They wanted to know the time frame because prophets speak about things that are about to happen.

[24:34] They will prophesy and this thing looks so fantastic, so amazing, so not easy to understand. What is this? What am I talking about?

[24:44] This has never happened, ever happened in history. Why? They were speaking, their prophesying was about the mystery, about the economy of God. They were prophesying it and this thing has been, watch this, it's been hidden from generation until now, until Christ came.

[25:00] So, they prophesied about hidden things, so after prophesying, they started wondering, what, what manner of time, what, what are we talking about? That, and it was the spirit of Christ who was in them, who was indicating.

[25:13] So, as they spoke, every prophecy must be from the Holy Ghost, the spirit of Christ, the spirit of Christ, Christ, the Holy Ghost's singular job is to reveal Christ.

[25:24] That's his main job, not to make you speak in tongues. So, if you speak in tongues and Christ is not being revealed in your life, it makes us wonder, what, what spirit is really working in your life?

[25:35] So, it says that the spirit of Christ which was in them testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ.

[25:50] They only, sometimes, if you're in the New Testament church, you are likely to only stop at the sufferings of Christ. But it said, after the sufferings, glory was coming.

[26:02] Oh, foolish and slow of heart. Luke chapter 24, oh, this is the words of Jesus. After resurrection, he was calling people foolish. He said, foolish and slow of heart to believe.

[26:18] Believe what? All the prophets have spoken. Then he says, what are they? Ought not, Jesus said, ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and then the suffering was not the end of the story because the church is coming after the suffering.

[26:40] Hallelujah. The church is coming after the suffering and the church is the custodians of the glory of the risen Christ on earth.

[26:51] Amen. And the glories that should follow. And so, Bible says, Peter said, this prophet prophesied about what was the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.

[27:04] Look at verse 12, getting even interesting. To them, it was revealed. After they prophesied, they searched diligently trying to figure out what time the prophets were signifying.

[27:19] What time they were wondering after they prophesied, the Spirit of God is saying something, but then they go into the scribe, they start checking, doing research, doing research, upon research.

[27:29] What time is this thing talking about? Then they were told, if you are a genuine prophet, after you start research, the Holy Spirit will say, no, no, no, don't bother. It's not for you. It's not for you. You are prophesying about things that are heavier than you.

[27:43] You can't understand it. So, it's in verse 12. It said, to them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to the church.

[27:55] Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. But to us, they ministered these things which are now being, now the things I'm teaching, they were prophesying it. These things I'm now teaching, they were prophesying, and when they finished prophesying, they got confused.

[28:09] What am I talking about? What is this? What is this? God living in human beings, and all of them, there's not only one person, it's a corporate body, everywhere, and they represent Christ.

[28:20] Christ represents, Christ reflects, Christ defined, Christ expressed, Christ revealed God, who cannot be seen, who has never been seen anywhere. When Christ came, he said, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.

[28:32] He came to reveal God. Now, the church is fulfilling Christ. The church is reflecting Christ. The church is manifesting Christ. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. So, if you want to see Christ, go to the church.

[28:46] Yes, sir. Okay. All right. Go to the church. Those of us in church, you don't have a complete gospel. If you start thinking, the church is something different, from real Christ.

[28:59] You don't have a complete gospel. Yes, yes, yes, yes. You don't have a complete gospel. That's why you don't serve, the church. That's why you say, the people are funny. Who are the people?

[29:12] You mean the ones he died for? It's an affront against him. That his people he loved, and died for, they are funny people, so you don't want to relate with them.

[29:23] Just him. No wonder 1 John chapter 5, verse 1 says that. You can't say you love the one who begot, without loving the one begotting. You can't say, if you really love God, it will show in your attitude towards church.

[29:39] Mm-hmm. You are fake. Your love for God is fake. Stop telling me, I love God, I love God. Validate it through your service. Validate it through your relationship. So how much are you suffering for the church?

[29:52] For the building, I mean, for the building of the church. Simon, Simon, lavez dame, more than this thing. He said, feed my flock. Feed, the church is the flock of God.

[30:03] Oh, but pastor, he didn't mean, he didn't, the Lord said to him, feed my lamb. Look at the next verse. He asked him again, lavez dame, he said, feed my sheep. He asked him again, the third time, lavez dame, he said, feed my sheep.

[30:16] Some translation use the word, my flock. For those who are not aware, that flock is the same as sheep. So he tells, Paul calls the elders of the church, Acts chapter 20 verse 28, and he tells them, take it to yourself, and to the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you, an overseer, a bishop, to shepherd, that's the word feed.

[30:40] Poimen is a Greek word. To shepherd the flock, it's God's flock. The church is God's flock. The church is God's household. The church is the body of Christ.

[30:50] The church is the fullness of him, who fills all things. Hallelujah. So does that not make sense? When Paul said, I rejoice in my sufferings, for the church, for the building of the church, which is his body.

[31:08] Paul said, I'm happy to suffer for the building of the church, of which I become a minister. You want to be made a minister, or you are a minister, just based on your ego, based on how important you feel.

[31:20] You are doing things that can have detrimental impact on the church, but you don't care. You don't care. That is why you are playing instruments in church, and you can be upset, because it didn't pay you get up in the ministry.

[31:32] I'm not playing. You are not ministering for God. And a pastor shouldn't talk about it. Maybe he's not a mouthpiece of God, but if he's a mouthpiece of God, he will call you out for this kind of nonsense.

[31:49] Get all those people, who are not part of the church, out of the church, and let's build a church. Let's build a church. He said, I will build, up on this rock, will I build my church.

[32:02] He is the builder of the church. Let's build a church. If you love Christ, the immediate reflection is your attitude towards the church.

[32:17] If you love Jesus, your immediate reflection is not saving the climate. It's not alleviation of poverty. It's not about speaking for the underprivileged.

[32:31] Are those things important? Certainly, common sense tells us, it is. They are important things. It's not primary. But that's not primary. Yes. That's not fundamental. Yes. What's the point of a doctor who can't diagnose?

[32:46] Ah. They can't diagnose any sickness. What's the point? Like he serves tea. Yeah, well, he can't serve you tea.

[32:59] Please, let's get to the bottom of the matter. The bottom of the matter for the church is to build the church. Bishop Doug said this about a few years ago.

[33:10] I heard him preaching because I hardly hear preachers preaching heavily about building church. Amen. Heavily about building the church. Hmm.

[33:20] I hardly hear preachers preaching heavily about building the church. Bishop Doug made a statement a few years ago and I just loved it.

[33:33] It blessed me. He said, the job of the church is to build the church. That's the work of the church. That's all. The work of the church is to build the church. That's why God gives you grace.

[33:44] Oh, yes. Yeah. Ah. The resurrection power is to build the church. Yeah. Yeah. Ephesians 4 and to some he gives apostles.

[33:56] Ephesians 4, 11. To some he gives apostles. Some evangelists. Prophets. Some evangelists. Some teaching pastors. For what? For the equipping of the church. The saints.

[34:07] Wow. For the work of the... You see, ministry has appeared here. Yeah. The ministry is stewardship and stewardship is for the work. My job is not to make you rich.

[34:20] Hmm. Wow. And to add insult to injury so you can pay tight. God forbid. Who told you God can't sponsor his work? Those of you who say, I want to be really a millionaire to help the church.

[34:33] God doesn't need that. God doesn't need that. Wherever you are, start building the church with everything, with your energies, your human personal abilities and resources before your material things can follow it naturally.

[34:46] Why would you love a woman with just your money? You buy this for her, but you don't have time for it. When she calls, you say, I will talk later. You, you, that's not love.

[34:59] Yes, yes, yes. That's not love. Your child, you can buy designer wares for your child. That five-year-old boy, you can keep buying all the designer wares for them.

[35:09] They don't care if mommy is not. Mommy, can you, can you watch this? Can you play this game with me? They want mommy. They want daddy. They spell love, T-I-M-E-U.

[35:21] It's not resources. It's not resources. It's not resources. So in the same way, in the same way, if you love Jesus, he said, do you love me, Peter? Do you love me more than this?

[35:33] Feed. That flock, another way of saying build a church. No wonder he said, I've made a minister for the church. That's why I suffer these things. And he says that, I rejoice in my sufferings.

[35:45] I rejoice in my sufferings. Some of us rather rejoice in our complaining. Everybody will know how much, including unbelievers. They will know how much you are doing for the church and no one is appreciating you.

[35:59] And they are telling you, I'm telling you, the people are using you. They are using you. Can't you see? My friend, don't do it. Don't think people are bad.

[36:11] It's just that people are blind. And people, it's the understanding. It's the understanding. They don't have the full assurance of an, verse two is there. The full assurance of understanding.

[36:23] Yeah. It's there in your text. It says that, encourage me, need to gather in love and attaining unto all the riches of the full assurance. It brings certain levels of riches.

[36:33] Yes, yes. I'm not talking about material manipulation. No, no, no. To all the full, all the riches of the full, they lack full assurance of understanding.

[36:45] If you don't have understanding, you would think by giving your time for God, you are wasting your time. You think you are wasting your time. That's why some people want to sit at home and not come into fellowship.

[36:57] Right. What on earth are you looking for, a Christian? When Christians gather, you are not among them. What on earth are you looking for? What on earth are you seeking? That Christians can gather and you are not happy to be in the midst.

[37:13] What on earth are you looking for? Wow, wow. A Christian. What does a man gain if he gains the whole world and loses? What on earth are you seeking in life? That Christians can gather.

[37:23] Where he said that, where two or three gather in my name, there I am. I've committed my presence in a gathering that you said, I don't want to be there. And yet, God owes you everything.

[37:34] God owes you happiness. God owes you provision. God owes you everything. If God is good, why am I going to do this? Please stop that kind of language. As of God's goodness, it's a settled, done deal.

[37:47] Well, so, Paul, let me get back to, is someone catching something at all? So, he said, this ministry that has been given to me, he said, this ministry is actually, which is the mystery?

[38:01] Colossians chapter 1, verse 26. Even the mystery, this ministry that was given to me, it is the mystery. The word of God, which I'm completing, is the mystery.

[38:12] Right. Which is the mystery which has been hid. God actually hid it. Hid from all the ages, but now has been made known to reveal to the saints.

[38:24] Yes. And the new king James says that, who God was pleased. I said, verse 27, please. Verse 27, to them saints, God willed to make known, not to the old prophets, but to the saints.

[38:40] God willed. He willed. Now, I want to show this. After Christ came and church was born, God said, this is what I've waited for all times. Because once the church is born, now we can have what Adam didn't have.

[38:54] The main reason why I created man is to make a man a vessel for what? For what? To contain God, to put him.

[39:05] God wanted to be on earth, in man. And then Satan came inside man. And he says that, you, you, you, I got you. I got you, God.

[39:16] I got you, God. You can't come in anymore. The flesh is damaged. So, God said, there's already a lamb that has been slain before time began.

[39:29] She said, before time began. Second Timothy chapter two verse nine. before time began. And that lamb that was slain, it says that he's going to proceed out of the woman you deceived.

[39:43] And the seed of the woman will bruise your head. Because he's going to be a human being, he will have human tendencies and weaknesses. So, you'll be able to kill him.

[39:55] You'll be able to bruise his heel. But he will crush your head. The seed of the woman will crush your head. talking about Jesus. I taught a message.

[40:06] Jesus, the threefold seed. He's the seed of the woman. He's the seed of David. He's the seed of Abraham. And God kept making reference. When he called Abraham, he spoke to Abraham about seed. It's not Isaac he was talking about.

[40:18] He was talking about the coming Messiah. That's why the Messiah had to be the son of Abraham. Can you imagine when he started his genealogy Matthew chapter one verse two. He said, Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham.

[40:29] What? Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Then they start, Abraham begat. That's what history starts for.

[40:40] The redemption history, human history, Jesus becoming human, starts from Abraham. That's why I said, Abraham desired to see my day. And so, that's why God calls himself the God of Abraham.

[40:54] How about Noah, there was no, no, there's something about Abraham. It's the beginning of the coming of the human seed. That's why he waited till Abraham could not have a child. His body was dead.

[41:05] Sarah's womb was dead. This cannot produce a human being. So God sent a word and the word quickened his body and the word entered the womb of Sarah and life searched in the dead womb.

[41:17] God calls the things that be not as though he gives life to the Romans chapter four. He gives life to the dead and calls the things that be not. Abraham believed this God. So Sarah produced a child.

[41:28] That child Sarah produced didn't come from Sarah. It came from the word that God spoke to Abraham. And so, even the flesh of Jesus Christ that traveled through Abraham, that's what Matthew is about. It showed us where he traveled through.

[41:39] He traveled through. So Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac because Jacob, Jacob because the tribe, and then Judah begat this one and this one begat. Throughout, it got to, it always went through, watch this, I've digressed, but can I do that?

[41:54] It always went through men, men, men, until they were 16 and it showed up in Mary. That's why I said the seed of the woman. It showed up in Mary.

[42:07] The Bible says that it began Mary of whom was born Jesus. So it showed up in Mary. God has already planned it. So when the devil was messing things up, God has always planned to put himself.

[42:18] Now, so Christ came, watch this, I need to say this, his death on the cross was a recovery program. Do you understand?

[42:29] Redemption is a recovery program. God's recovery program because something was lost in the garden in Luke chapter 19 verse 10.

[42:40] It said the son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost. So he came for a recovery program. Now watch this. And we, the recovered people, became now, it's like where Adam fell, oh, good God, where Adam fell, God took us, recovered us, and took us higher by putting himself into us this time.

[43:04] Not in Adam. Adam was meant to eat the tree of life for God to enter him. But he ate the tree that God said he shouldn't eat and the nature of the devil entered him. And Christ came to do the recovery program.

[43:17] And on the cross, when he was on the cross, he dealt a blow to the head of this serpent that has entered man. And then he recovered man and now it says that Christ, Galatians chapter 3 verse 13, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having been made a curse for us.

[43:34] Why? For it is written, curse be anyone who hang on the tree. Why? Verse 14, that the blessing of Abraham might come. So it's now not only the Jews, the Gentiles have come.

[43:45] That's the mystery of the beautiful. The Gentiles have come into you. Now watch this. That having made a curse, that the blessing of Abraham could come and that we will receive the promise of the spirit.

[43:58] Now the spirit of Christ, the spirit of God dwells every believer. God lives in the church. God lives in his people. That's why he started from Genesis.

[44:09] Now that he has found the church, he can now facilitate things towards the climax of time. So now, the church is what God has always sought and he's got the church.

[44:20] He's building the church. He's building a house for himself. You can't move into a house you haven't finished building. He's building a house for himself. He said, my father's house. There are many mansions. Mansions mean abode.

[44:31] I'm building it. I'm building it. He's building a house for himself. He's building a house for himself. He's building a house for himself. God is building toward the climax of time When everything is finished, he himself, he says that, and the tabernacle of God is with men.

[44:45] And that's when the marriage of the lamb, the marriage supper of the lamb, Revelation chapter 19. He says, the marriage supper of the lamb. So when everything is ending, it's going to end in the culmination.

[44:59] The culmination of God and man in his full-fledged nature. So that we and God, now you can't separate God from us.

[45:11] Because 1 Corinthians 6, 17 says that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. But the time is coming when we are all one. You can't separate us. That is, watch this, that is working towards the end of time.

[45:23] But now what is God doing with the church? He's pouring more of himself. He's pouring more. How does he do it? By dispensing of grace through the teaching. As you hear the word of God and as you come to terms with the complete gospel of the word, the complete word of God, the complete gospel, God is downloading more of himself in you.

[45:42] God is downloading. That means you are growing in the knowledge. You are growing in the knowledge of Christ. You are growing in the knowledge of God. As you grow in the knowledge of God, you are becoming more like God. God is filling you with himself.

[45:53] That is now what God is doing. And the more you are being filled with himself, the more you build the church, the more you work for him. So Paul said, I rejoice in my sufferings for you. I have been made a minister for the church based on the word of God, to complete the word of God, which was given to me.

[46:09] It has been hit in all ages, but now has been revealed. And he may declare in verse 27 that Christ in you, which is the mystery, the mystery is Christ in you. The mystery is that God will to make known to all the saints the riches of the glory of this mystery.

[46:23] What is the mystery of the glory of this mystery? Which is Christ in you. Christ, someone say Christ in me. Christ in me. Say Christ in me. Christ in me. Say a lot of Christ in me.

[46:34] Christ in me. That's the greatest blessing on earth. Christ in me. God living in me. God living in me. God living in me.

[46:45] I might not have everything together, but God, I have this. God lives in me. That's why when we read it, it says that you are complete in Christ. Now, so as we go, let me move on to the, in a few minutes then I should end now.

[47:00] But I've taken my time to kind of capture that. That thing that I said is a vein. When you touch on it, so much is embedded in it. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[47:14] Whom we preach. Him we preach. Preacher. Who are you preaching? Him we preach. Teaching and admonishing every man.

[47:27] What's the purpose? To present every man or all men perfect. Every man perfect in Christ. That's full mature. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 13.

[47:40] So we all come to the unity of faith. Verse 11. He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. Verse 12. For the equipping of the saints, for the edifying of the church.

[47:51] Edifying means built. For the building of the church. Verse 13. Till we all come to the unity of faith. And to watch this. And to the knowledge of the son of God. Oh. To a perfect.

[48:01] Ah. Paul said. To whom we preach. So we can present everyone this level. Perfect man. We are preaching. The preaching is to make you perfect in Christ. Not perfect so long as behavior is concerned.

[48:14] If it covers that. But perfect so long as you are being in Christ. Your fullness. Your maturity in Christ. You are being saturated with Christ. On the inside.

[48:24] And it's beginning to show on your outside. Show on every aspect of your life. In your marriage. In your career. In your ministry. In your work. You are so saturated with Christ.

[48:34] That when you open your mouth. You don't have to tell people you are a Christian. Christ is oozing out. Saturated with Christ. Him we preach.

[48:45] To present every man matured. That's the agenda of every good preaching. To preach Christ. First. And the Christ that is preached. Ends up.

[48:55] Perfecting every man. Who listens. Now watch this. And it says that that's my job. This is what I'm doing. That's why we are doing this. Then the verse 29 talks about. For this. Unto this end.

[49:07] Hey. To this end I live by. He's telling you this. All these things I'm doing. And there's only one agenda. That agenda I just mentioned. To present every man. All this ministry I'm doing.

[49:19] Is not money. Is not social status. That is why they were willing to die for it. They were willing to lose their job for it.

[49:30] They were willing to even lose family for it. Because their agenda. Ultimate agenda. For what they were doing. Okay. Their purpose for living.

[49:40] Is to do some things. And the things they were doing. The agenda. Was that they will present man perfect. They will preach Christ. To present man perfect in Christ.

[49:52] That is genuine ministry. That is true ministry. And when you do true ministry. It shows in the lives of people. True ministry will show in the lives.

[50:03] The people know. You have changed their lives. Others know their lives. You have changed people's lives. What is a ministry that hasn't changed lives? Towards Christ.

[50:14] Let me add that one. Towards Christ. Sitting under a ministry for so long. And you are getting increasingly carnal. And carnal.

[50:25] And carnal. And materialistic. And materialistic. It's an aberration. Of the highest order. Presenting every man.

[50:37] Perfect in Christ. Instead to this end. I labor. Ah. To this end. Why are you singing in the choir?

[50:48] Just to get a husband? Why are you serving in the ashes? Just to show how. Because you work with BA. So you also want to show that. That's what I can do?

[51:00] To demonstrate your skill sets. Why are we doing? You see. We as human beings. Can always. Sometimes miss. So I can be preaching and sweating.

[51:12] And it's all to preach myself. So that's where spirituality comes in. Discipline comes in. Your discipline. Cannot help you. Unless you are spiritual.

[51:23] That people are very disciplined. But their discipline is still showing how disciplined they are. It's all themselves. I'm this. I'm this.

[51:33] But when you are spiritual. Christ begins to take the precedence. Our discipline is to make us spiritual. Your discipline that doesn't make you spiritual.

[51:46] Won't build a church. So. We are doing all these things. Instead. There's one aim. To this aim. So when I said. When Paul said. If I suffer for the building of the church.

[51:58] I rejoice in my suffering. He said. To this end. You have to go to. You have to go to the end of the chapter. To see why he said. I rejoice in my suffering. Not to look like a martyr. Not to.

[52:08] People are dying for. Like Araneas and Sapphira. People are giving money for the church. So it's okay. This seems fashionable. Let's also join it. So we can look important in the church. It's trending.

[52:19] It's trending. It's trending. It's trending. So let's also do it. So we can trend. So we can go viral.

[52:34] Viral. Who would like to go viral? Especially when people are praising you. Who would like to go viral? It's natural. It's human.

[52:45] It's human. So that's where the Christ element in us must be fed. Must be nurtured. Must grow. So that our humanity will overshadow our ministry.

[52:59] Everybody. And God never planned to save the flesh. The flesh is not redeemable. And he doesn't plan to redeem the flesh. So if you walk in the flesh, you are getting into trouble.

[53:09] Even though you look, you've been in church long. If you operate in the flesh, you are getting into trouble. Because the flesh is enmity with God. He said in Romans chapter 8, it's very clear.

[53:21] The enmity is enmity with God. Did you see that? Because the canal mind is against God. And it's not subject to the law of God. It cannot.

[53:32] The canal mind is enmity against God. So you see, I can be doing what I'm doing. Preaching. But enmity against God. Because I'm doing it in carnality.

[53:46] I'm doing it in carnality. Because it says that because canal mind is enmity against God. Because I've seen some posh guys here.

[53:57] And I want to impress them. So that they will give me seed. So you see, I'm using okonomia. Magistar veritatis.

[54:09] Magistar veritatis. Yes. Spiritualia spiritualite exterminatu. Subspecie itenitatis.

[54:23] Yes. Yes, that's what I was going to say. Appera Trinitatis adextra indivisa sanct. So you can be saying all these things.

[54:39] But drawing attention to yourself. So I'm preaching. But I've entered into carnality. Which becomes enmity against God. So you can be preaching by tearing down the church.

[54:53] Instead of building the church. That is why we have to do it under the auspices of the grace that has been given. And you see it here. Let me add the next Bible. I read from verse 2. Chapter 2.

[55:03] Let me just add. So he said, to this end I strive. The Greek word striving there is agonozomia. It's like agonize.

[55:15] Another one, isn't it? Buy a Bible app. You can get a spelling from it. Agonizing. I am striving.

[55:26] To this end I labor. Striving. How am I striving? On the basis of the working. So King James says that. To this end, King James.

[55:37] He says, to this way I labor. Striving. According to the workings. Which worketh in me. The Greek word translated workings is dunamis.

[55:51] So according to the dunamis. Something that's why I spoke about. The power of God. When it's the resurrection power working inside you. It produces the church. It builds the church.

[56:02] There's the creating power of God. That does material things and physical things. But the resurrection power. It works in you to produce. To build the church. According.

[56:14] And this one is the workings. That worketh in me mightily. Ephesians chapter 3 verse 7. It says. Paul refers to that again. He said. Whereof I made a minister.

[56:26] How? According to the gift of the grace of God. Which was given to me. By how? By the effectual working of his power. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 19.

[56:36] Says that. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us as who believe? According to the working. See. According to the working of his mighty power. So God's power is always at work in building the church.

[56:51] Hallelujah. Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20. It says. Unto him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all you ask or you can ask or think of.

[57:01] Oh. According to that power that worketh in us. The power that worketh in us. The power is the resurrection power.

[57:11] It worketh in us. To produce something of God. It worketh in us. It worketh in us. So here. Paul said. I'm striving. I'm battling. I'm agonizomiring.

[57:23] I'm pushing. I'm pushing by self. Listen. The two things that I want to bring to your attention. You can't build the church of God without pushing. That's why he dropped in earlier in the verse 24.

[57:36] That I rejoice in my suffering. Because you can't build the church without suffering. Excuse me. The church requires blood. It says.

[57:46] Take the church of God. Acts chapter 20 verse 28. Take it to yourself to shepherd the church of God. Which is purchased. Which is blood. It is blood.

[57:57] The church could never have been built without the shedding of the blood. That's why we take communion. And so the church thrives on blood. What's your sacrifices that have not got blood?

[58:07] Go and ask him. Vegetable is presented to God. And God doesn't like salad. He presented salad to God. He's not a vegan.

[58:22] Go say. Take the salad away. Take the salad away. Bring. Bring me lap chops. Lamb shank.

[58:41] Abel gave him until the fall. Man was not authorized to eat flesh. Yeah. So when he blessed them and said eat, eat, eat. He never added flesh.

[58:52] Read the Bible very carefully. Genesis chapter 1. Bless them. He never added flesh. Instead of the fruit of the eat. Chapter 2 verse 16. Come on. Eat. And eat. And eat. He had flesh.

[59:03] And when he blessed. In fact, chapter 1 verse. At the end of it. He blessed. But when man fell. Watch this. Yeah. It is very important. Yeah. When man fell.

[59:14] Yeah. And it's Genesis chapter 9 verse 1. And they came out of Noah's ark. And he was blessing it. God. Look at verse 2. And he says that. And the fear of every beast of the air.

[59:26] And all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hands. Look at verse 3. Given into your hands. And every moving thing that shall be. Food. Food for you.

[59:36] I give you all things. The great herbs. So food. Then he added the animals. Yes. Why? Because it is now blood is required. Ah. Now blood is required.

[59:50] In our relationship with God. Wow. So in Exodus chapter 12. When he told them to kill the lamb. He said apply the blood. But eat the flesh. They ate the flesh.

[60:02] The blood. They were instructed based on God's law. Don't eat blood. Yeah. Because the blood is sacred. It's representing something. That must be dedicated to God. If you trivialize the blood.

[60:14] You have trivialized the workings of God. In the human lives. Because after the fall. Blood is always required. To engage God. Bible says in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 22.

[60:26] Without the shedding of blood. There can be no remission. According to the law. So blood is required. So what am I trying to say? That ministry you are trying to build.

[60:36] Engage in. The work. That is not demanding blood. Not physical blood. It's not ministry. Ministry is demanding. Yesterday.

[60:47] Almost all day. From Friday. The whole week. Pastor was working on the materials. For the leaders meeting. So many materials. Working on it. Friday night. He didn't sleep well. He didn't sleep early.

[60:58] He woke up early morning. I had to go for the meeting. And I had to get the children ready. I also had to be in the meeting. The children wanted to go. I said my friend. I can't leave you home. Let's go. We all went. The whole day.

[61:09] We were there. And then we left. Went back home. This morning. Children have to come to church. And one other daughter. Whose course is quite demanding. Said I'm so tired. We shall go to church. But it demands blood.

[61:22] I'm not talking about irresponsibility. There are times you can't help. Because the demand. And assignment on you. You have to. I got to work the works of him. To send me whilst his day.

[61:32] For the night coming. When no man can wait. It demands. It's all inconvenience. What kind of ministry are you. You claim to be doing it. That's not inconvenience you.

[61:43] You are J-O-K-I-N-G. Don't be joking. Ministry is fundamentally. Exceptionally inconvenience. Let your wife understand it.

[61:56] Let your wife understand it. Let your children understand it. I'm doing ministry. I'm not talking about irresponsibility. I'm talking about. It's just. It's the nature of it. It is what it is.

[62:07] But all that striving. That agonozomiring. It's all that. Watch this. This is important. All that is not just all you need.

[62:18] If you have just the striving. And people are suffering. That's when you burn out. But all your laboring. There must be something actually. That is working effectually inside you.

[62:30] So you are not alone in your sacrifices. The Holy Ghost is actually working mightily. So verse 29 says that.

[62:41] To this end I strive. I labor. Striving according. I strive. But you know. Did you realize you didn't put the emphasis on his striving. But I put it on the working.

[62:55] Every time we must know. I've been fasting for eight days. I've been doing evangelism every day. And I just think it's not easy. Everybody knows how much you are investing in God's work.

[63:08] Everybody. But they hardly hear about how much God is working in you. How much God is working in you. For it is God who is at work in you.

[63:21] But to will. Philippians chapter 2. And to do according to his good pleasure. You can't do something for God to say. This is sweet smelling aroma.

[63:33] You can't give blood. If God does not get involved. Even Jesus going to the cross. He shed his blood.

[63:44] According to the eternal spirit. Hebrews chapter 9. From verse 14. His blood was shed. According to the eternal spirit.

[63:55] So Jesus couldn't go to the cross. Without the spirit's. Active working within him. Who through the eternal spirit. Offered himself.

[64:07] How is it that you are trying to. Do so much. Where is the Holy Spirit's work in it. Where is the working of the Holy Spirit in it. That's why you are burning out. That's why you are so discouraged.

[64:18] That I've done so much. Listen. I'm dying. This is killing me. They begin to advise people. You have to take your time. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's how come.

[64:29] You are a student. And you are failing your exam. And you are blaming it on church work. Other students are doing disco work. Other students are doing porn work.

[64:41] And they are still passing their exam. Students don't only study. They do other things. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes. Plenty. Plenty other things. Yes.

[64:52] Yes. Yes. So you can't say your engagement in God is what is making you fail. There is lack of balance, one, and there seems to be a lack of the influence of the Holy Spirit.

[65:05] When the Holy Spirit is involved, it doesn't burn you down. I've been doing this for many, most parts of my life, and I don't suffer health challenges. It doesn't burn you out.

[65:17] When the fire was on the bush, the bush was not consumed because God doesn't need human beings to fuel his fire. He doesn't need that to fuel.

[65:29] He himself is his own fuel. So if you are laboring and struggling, please take the attention of yourself and rejoice that you are building, you are suffering for the building.

[65:40] Because the Holy Ghost who is doing it. That's what Jesus told them. Don't step out. But wait until you're in jail with power. From on high. According to the factual working. Verse 2, chapter 2, verse 1.

[65:53] And I end in one minute. For, chapter 2, verse 1. For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you. That's driving.

[66:03] I have for you. And for them at Laodicea. And for as many as have not seen my face. I'm striving. Paul, when he's sleeping, he's still.

[66:14] All that is on his mind is church. Oh, minister of the gospel. How often is the church on your mind? It's your family. It's your job. It's every other thing but church.

[66:27] When we finish church, you close your thinking. Yesterday I was telling some people, I think much of my thinking is about how people are not thinking. So how can I compensate for the lack of thinking?

[66:46] Oh, God. I'm going to be on the path of others who have been entrusted with the same assignment. Still watching. I have to think fast. So when we are having a guest, I think fast.

[67:00] Because maybe the one who is supposed to do the protocol work might not do it the way it should be done. Because he's not thinking. Or she's not thinking. The way he should.

[67:11] You know what I'm saying? Not that bad. She don't confuse with a bad person. People are good. But it doesn't mean they are effective. I think I rest my case. Did you receive something today? Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry.

[67:29] You're welcome to Connect with David Entry on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also find more Spirit-filled messages from Karis Church on YouTube and all relevant streaming platforms.

[67:41] Don't forget to subscribe, like and share the message. Be blessed.