God Always Shows Up

[0:00] Genesis chapter 15, verse 1 to 6. After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram. In a vision saying, do not be afraid, Abram.

[0:14] ! I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. But Abram said, Lord God, what would you give me?

[0:25] Seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. Then Abram said, look, you have given me no offspring.

[0:38] Indeed, one born in my own house as my heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, this one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.

[0:54] Then he brought him outside and said, look now towards heaven and count to the stars. If you are able to number them. And he said to him, so shall your descendants be.

[1:09] And he believed in the Lord. And he accounted it to him for righteousness. Amen. Well, this is a very interesting and significant chapter in the life of Abram.

[1:31] At this time, he's not Abraham yet. But please pardon me if I every now and then call him Abraham. He's the same person, okay. He's the same person. I'm just used to calling him Abraham.

[1:43] We know him in the present more than in his past. But the Bible says that after these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.

[1:54] Okay, let me take the advantage and just go about a bit into after these things. After what things? So Abraham in Genesis chapter 13, that was when he was, he parted company with Lot.

[2:09] And Lot had chosen the best parts of the land. A nephew he brought with him when they were coming out of era of the childings. And he had been with him, raised him like his own.

[2:23] And he had come of age. And he was also progressing, doing well. And it came to a point where their headsmen were fighting. So Lot has his own cattle.

[2:34] Abraham has his own cattle. So the Bible describes Abraham to be having come very rich. And Lot was also doing well. So that means that their headsmen seemed to be having issues with their fields and grounds available for their cattle.

[2:49] So they decided to, okay, let's go a bit separately. But the Bible talks about Lot choosing the best parts of the land. I mean, it's a bit rude, isn't it?

[3:01] It's actually rude. You are with your uncle who has helped you, raised you. And if there's time for choosing, you should have said, uncle, you choose. And whatever is left, I'll be happy to take.

[3:13] Because so far, you can see your uncle doesn't even have children. Okay. So even you are likely to inherit. You see, you can plan ahead. So it's only common sense for you to know.

[3:25] It is only honorable for you to give him the option to pick first. Well, Lot thinks that he's smarter and wiser. So he decided to take the best parts where the fields look so luscious.

[3:38] And he made that decision. And that decision sent him to a certain location. And in chapter 14, that location was about to experience a bit of war. So, yeah.

[3:50] So what seemed right in his eyes was not necessarily right in God's plan. And the interesting thing about that is, Lot had forgotten that he was never the one.

[4:00] He was never the one who was called out. It was Abraham who was called out. So even in wisdom, you should have said, I'm not going anywhere. Let's sort out the headsmen. I will follow you. Where you go, I will go.

[4:11] Your people shall be my people. That's where his prosperity really would have been. But anyway, he decided to go his separate ways from. And then where he decided to locate, which was in this area of Sodom, war came in chapter 14.

[4:30] And then his king got defeated. And then all the goods were and cattle, everything was ransacked. And so a message came to Abraham that this is what has happened.

[4:43] And for the sake of Lot, Abraham gathered men, 318, of his own household to go to war in order to go and rescue Lot. And so this is what Abraham had done.

[4:55] So this is what he means after these things. And from verse 17, verse 18. So they have come back from war. Abraham has come back from war. He has defeated the people he has.

[5:07] He's brought back from verse 16. So he brought back all the goods and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as all the women and the people. So mission accomplished.

[5:18] And the king of Sodom, so he went on to give his tithe. I don't know what he got really, but he gave his tithe to Melchizedek.

[5:30] And then he was blessed at that point. And now verse 21. So the king of Sodom said to Abraham, Give me the persons and take the goods for yourself. But Abraham said to the king of Sodom, I have raised my hand to the Lord God most high, the possessor of heaven and earth.

[5:48] That I will take nothing from a thread to a sandal strap. And that I will not take anything that is yours. Lest you say, I have made Abraham rich.

[6:01] Except only what the young men, so the people he went to battle with, have eaten and the portion of the men that went with me. And they, Eshlaw and Mamre.

[6:13] Let them take their portion. So this is where Abraham, Abraham is at the moment. Okay, so he's gone to battle. He's fought with his men. He's rescued Lot who had parted company with him.

[6:28] He still went, rescued him. He's brought, given his tithe and still got nothing. Empty handed because he said he will not collect anything from the king of Sodom.

[6:40] And so Abraham has done all these things. And he's sitting down, I don't know whether under a tree or whatever, minding his business. It can be a very funny state to be in.

[6:51] And sometimes we find ourselves in that state. That you have given to the Lord. You have served God for a long time. And it looks like your miracle is delayed.

[7:04] Everybody would have experienced that moment every now and then. And if you haven't, maybe you just started your journey. But rest assured, you have moments like that. Where you really think I have given my best.

[7:17] But I haven't seen the hand of God the way I expect to see the hand of God. It is okay because the Bible says after these things. After he has gone out of his way to serve others.

[7:30] Yes, there was a visitation. God himself visited him. The Bible says after these things, The word of the Lord came to Abraham.

[7:43] In a vision. We can dwell here a little bit. The word of the Lord. Usually the Bible will say that the word of the Lord came. Saying. That is usually what it is.

[7:53] But this one, it said it came. In a vision. The word of the Lord came to me. In a vision. It comes across like it is a personality. That is appearing.

[8:06] The word of the Lord. Because you don't need a vision to hear from God. But this one, it looks like he saw the word. So the word of the Lord came to me.

[8:18] There is a movement. In a vision. And saying. So the word spoke.

[8:31] And we understand. In John chapter 1. The word became flesh. So the word who has already existed.

[8:46] And always existed. Has a personality. Has a form. And he came to Abraham. In a vision. He saw it. He saw it. He saw him.

[8:58] He saw him. So that is why you will see. Jesus say. In John chapter 8. Verse 56.

[9:09] It said. Abraham. Desired to see my days. Yeah. After Abraham rejoiced to see my day.

[9:23] And he saw it. And he was glad. After these things. The word of the Lord. Came to me. In a vision. Came to me in a vision.

[9:34] It was after a certain season. After a season where you feel you have given your all. After you feel like. I have given everything. And I seem to have gotten nothing.

[9:47] God shows up. God shows up. He hasn't allowed Israel to seek him in vain. He has never left himself without a witness.

[10:00] He shows up. That is the God we serve. He showed up. We don't know how Abraham felt at that time.

[10:12] But clearly. He felt empty handed. And the actual promise. Had also not been fulfilled. You would think that at least. By now. Let me get something. But oh no.

[10:23] God was going to show him something more. He had not yet seen. His descendants. Are the stars in the heavens. That had not been shown him yet. He literally had to see.

[10:33] But it required for it to be. After a certain season. After a certain season. Listen. Don't fear. When you go through hard seasons.

[10:44] Don't be afraid. Don't be dismayed. When you go through hard seasons. Because there will come a time. When that hard season will pass. And your God will show up.

[10:57] He shows up. Our God is faithful. He said even if we are unfaithful. He remains faithful. If God doesn't show up. He is a liar.

[11:07] And he said he is not a man that he should lie. Not a son of a man that he should. He cannot lie. He cannot lie. The devil is rather the liar.

[11:17] And he is the father of all liars. He cannot lie. He cannot lie. After a certain season. He shows up. We don't go and seek God in vain. We don't follow him in vain.

[11:29] He shows up. And if he feels like he hasn't shown up yet. The time hasn't come yet. It's just a matter of time.

[11:42] The time hasn't come yet. For him to show up. Because when the time is up. He will show up. He will show up. I mean it's beautiful.

[11:56] When you see God at work. God has to do it in a way that we know that it could never have been us. That is when we know God is at work.

[12:08] Of course he works in little things. But there has to be evidences and monuments in our lives. That is evidence of our work with him. That says this one it took only God.

[12:22] And those don't come cheap. It comes after a certain season. Be strong in the Lord. And in the power of his might. You have to be.

[12:33] Because that season will pass. Will they pass you standing? Or will they pass you having failed? That season will pass. Even the heavens and the earth will pass away.

[12:50] And so we see. He shows up. He's committed himself to us. When he shows up.

[13:03] In the midst of the storm. He shows up to calm it. In the midst of the storm. He shows up. And he's at peace. He's at peace.

[13:13] When he shows up in the midst of the storm. He's at peace. When he met Jairus. He said do not be afraid. He said do not be afraid.

[13:25] Why? He knew he's the healer. He knew. That's why he gave an instruction. Do not be afraid. He told Simon.

[13:36] Fear not. Today you are a fisherman. I'm going to make you a fisher of men. Fear not. Fear not. He's in the making business. He makes men and women.

[13:49] It doesn't cost God anything to lift any one of us. He's a maker of destinies. He's a determiner of destinies. God can change your story.

[14:00] It doesn't cost him anything. God can change our story. In this church. It doesn't cost him anything. He said fear not.

[14:14] He told his disciples. Fear not. Because you have more value. Than the sparrows. Because he knew. He's the provider. Jehovah Jireh is his name.

[14:27] He said don't fear. Don't care about your hair. Don't care about what your clothes. What clothes you wear. Even the sparrows don't have to bother. And they are provided for. Fear not. Fear not. Fear not.

[14:39] Fear not. Fear not. Fear not. He told Abraham. In a vision saying.

[14:52] His first statement. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. It doesn't matter what you have seen. And what you have experienced. Do not be afraid.

[15:03] Don't let fear take over. Don't let fear be in charge. Do not be afraid. It tells you. It was a personality. That Abraham saw.

[15:17] Because really. I felt like. I'm supposed to be afraid. I haven't seen this thing before. On the month of transfiguration. After. When the people saw what had happened.

[15:29] Peter, James and John. They fell on their faces. When Jesus had finished. He said. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. He said. I am the God of the supernatural.

[15:41] I am in charge of the supernatural. When you're with me. I reign. I reign. This is not an evil thing. What you are experiencing. It's of God. Do not be afraid.

[15:53] Don't fear. Don't fear. I am the God of the supernatural. Don't be afraid. At his resurrection.

[16:05] He told the brethren. Do not be afraid. Did he not say. I am the resurrection. And the life. His first response to them is.

[16:16] Don't be afraid. Rather go and tell your brethren. That I am risen. Don't be afraid. He knew eternity is in his hands. All power. Has been given to him.

[16:27] So he said. Don't be afraid. Do not be afraid. Abraham. As soon as the word of the Lord. Came to me in a vision. The first instruction.

[16:38] Don't be afraid. If you are fearful. You will not experience God. You will not experience God. You will let fear.

[16:49] Make decisions for you. You will let fear. Make you do things. You are not supposed to do. Stop. When God enters his instruction, fear not, do not be afraid.

[17:04] I don't know what some of you are facing, but God is speaking to somebody here. Do not be afraid. Fear not. In UK, it doesn't matter what is happening.

[17:17] We, the people of God, we are not afraid. The Lord is telling us, fear not, do not be afraid. It doesn't matter what the news say. Fear not, do not be afraid.

[17:29] Look, some of us will be intimidated. I can't wear yellow t-shirt anymore. That's okay if you still preach the gospel. But in preaching the gospel, he said, do not be afraid. Fear not.

[17:42] Fear not. That's intimidation of the enemy. That is what is called terrorism. Terrorizing you with one case so that all Christians will back off. But the word of the Lord to us, that if we will see revival, it will take more than people hiding in rooms.

[18:01] It will take more than people hiding in churches. The revival is not happening in churches. It is going to happen out there. Fear not. Fear not.

[18:13] Fear not. We come to church to be empowered. But it happens out there. It will happen out there.

[18:24] Fear not. Doesn't matter what's in the news. Fear not. Fear not. So he said, do not be afraid.

[18:35] Abraham, why? First, I am your shield. I am your shield. Shield is for protection. So before we go into anything, I'm just telling you, don't be afraid because I surround you.

[18:51] Don't be afraid because I cover you. Don't be afraid because there is no arrow bar that flies by night. That will get you. He said, me, God, I'm your shield.

[19:02] I am your shield. We are covered, people of God. It doesn't matter the news you hear. We are covered. You have to believe that the Lord God is your shield.

[19:13] The Lord God is your protection. The Lord God is your covering. He said, I am your shield. If God says he's your shield, who can get you? Who can get you?

[19:26] You have to go to bed knowing that the Lord is your shield. He covers me. The Lord is my shield. He is my shield. He covers me. He covers me.

[19:37] He said, I am your shield. Psalm 3 verse 3. But thou, O Lord, are the shield for me. You are my glory.

[19:49] You lift up my head. You lift up my head. Because the Lord is our shield. Our glory will not depart from us. A cupboard will be far away from us.

[20:00] And he will lift up our heads. In the mighty name of Jesus. Psalm 28 verse 7. The Lord is my strength and my shield. Hallelujah. If he's my shield, I'm not going down.

[20:13] My heart trusted in him. And I am held. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices. And with a song, I will praise him. Why? He is my strength and my shield.

[20:25] We will cross 50 with ease. We are crossing 60 with ease. 70 with no struggle.

[20:38] 80 with ease. We are crossing 90. If you want 100, you are crossing it with ease. Everything intact.

[20:49] The body functioning. The mind functioning. Because the Lord is your shield. The Lord is your shield.

[21:00] The devil will try to threaten you. With all manner of issues. And I bet you, scripture helps us to understand. That the way of the world is not going to get better.

[21:12] The evil news will increase. So believers must know who they serve. And what he is to us. If you don't know it, you are in trouble.

[21:23] You are subject to the wings of the enemy. You must believe it. You must believe it. Deuteronomy chapter 33 verse 12 says, Let the beloved of the Lord rest in him.

[21:38] For he is a shield for him all day. The Lord is my shield and the horn of my salvation. Psalm 119 verse 14.

[21:49] Psalm 119 verse 14. He said, You are my hiding place and my shield. I hope in your word. We fear no foe. We are not intimidated by what the enemy wants to do.

[22:01] The Lord himself is our shield. Proverbs chapter 30 verse 5. He said, Every word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to those who put your trust in him.

[22:13] The Lord, he said to Abraham, Do not be afraid. One, I am your shield. God, I cover you. He may have had intimidations because he's gone to battle against five kings and he's defeated them.

[22:27] Who knows what they were plotting against him. But the word of the Lord came to him in a vision and said, Do not be afraid. Never mind those kings. Me, I am your shield.

[22:39] The Lord God is our shield. God is our shield. And he said, Not just that. Oh, this one, It just makes me melt. I am your shield. Your exceedingly great reward.

[22:54] God said, I am your shield. Thank you, Lord. You will protect us. But I am your exceedingly. I am your overflow.

[23:07] Of a great reward. It is a great thing to serve the Lord. It's a great thing to serve the Lord. We won't have any other way.

[23:19] We won't have it any other way. Our lives is given and given forever. All the days of our lives, we are given to serve the Lord. When I look back, sometimes when I hear stories of people backsliding, my point is, was it worth it?

[23:35] Was it worth it? Was it worth aboundling your Lord for this? What? Drinking? What? Smoking? What? Having sex? Was it worth it?

[23:47] It's never worth it. Never. Nobody's gone out and said, It's better out there. Many people, depression is what awaits them.

[23:59] Confusion is what awaits them in the world. All manner of things. And some of us, we don't take a mile. We just take a step away. God is calling you back. Take a step back. Take a step back.

[24:12] When you see people who have walked a mile, you think, Oh, that person is so backslidden. But you, you have taken a step back and it's still one step away from God. He calls all of us back.

[24:24] Whether it's a step or a mile, He calls us all back. To himself. He said, I am your exceeding. Exceeding means you are abundant. Exceeding means you are overflow.

[24:35] Exceeding means you are going above and beyond. Great. It wasn't just exceeding. But He said, This reward is great. But He didn't say, The children.

[24:46] He didn't say, The riches. He said, Me God, I am your reward. Oh my days. Some of us will be disappointed with that. Because you are looking for the job.

[24:59] Oh, it's all good. I'm not saying you shouldn't get it. But God didn't say, The job is the reward. God didn't say, The marriage is the reward. God didn't say, The riches is the reward. God didn't say, Your good health even is your reward.

[25:10] God didn't say, Everything else I'll give you is the reward. He said, I am your reward. Sometimes, Those who don't like it, I wonder what you're going to do in heaven. What are you going to do?

[25:22] All will be gone. There will be no cars. There will be no houses. There will be no, Even marriage is not in heaven. What are you going to do? All you've got is Jesus.

[25:34] So if he can't satisfy you, What are you going to heaven for? That is why the world will say, Heaven will be boring. Because they don't have Jesus. Because they don't have Jesus.

[25:44] They don't know Jesus. They don't love Jesus. Because you are wondering, What is going to be there? So people have to make up stories. There will be mansions, We'll be driving cans of gold or whatever.

[25:55] I'm telling you, He said, I, I am your reward. The God said, Yes, All the other things, You may have them.

[26:08] But, Your satisfaction, Should be that, You have him. That should be enough. Is it enough for you? Is having Jesus enough for you?

[26:21] Do you sit and think, Say, God, I'm satisfied, Because I've got you. Is Christ enough? Is Christ sufficient?

[26:32] Does Christ satisfy you? Is your relationship with him, Does it make you sit down and smile, And say, I am content?

[26:43] I am full and overflowing with joy, Because I have a relationship with him. Is your heart warmed up, When you think of him? Where is your heart?

[26:57] Where is it? Do you really see him? That if I have got Jesus, I've got everything. That I've laid hold on him, And that indeed, That is my joy, And my satisfaction.

[27:11] That if I spend 10 minutes with him, It makes all the difference. And that if I haven't done that, I miss him. I miss him. I want to stay at his feet.

[27:22] I want to be with him. I can't wait, To actually finish, The congregational bit, And have one on one with him. I can't wait, For the morning to break, And say, Lord, thank you.

[27:40] I have another opportunity, To save you, And call you God. I may not have all the time today, But God, We can still do 10 minutes. God, We can still do 20 minutes.

[27:51] I'm happy to spend it with you. I'm happy to have fellowship with you. Is God enough? Is Jesus enough? Is the yearning of your soul for him?

[28:05] Is he really, Your exceedingly great reward? Is it Abraam? I am your shield.

[28:16] But it doesn't matter, All that you've walked away from. I present myself to you. I am your reward. If you have me, Abraam, You have everything.

[28:30] If we have each other, We're good. We will sail through. We'll come to the other end. We'll cross every river. We'll ride every storm.

[28:41] We will get there. We will get there. I am your reward. If you have me, Abraam, Be satisfied. Don't think about all the cattle you missed out on.

[28:53] If you have me, You've got everything. The Bible says, Heaven and earth Shall pass away. Even his word, Not a title or a title, Nothing will be by enemies.

[29:06] Pass away. He is the Lord of the world. Yes, The devil seems to be roaming around. But this is his creation. What are you talking about?

[29:18] The devil already has his destination settled. He is Your exceedingly great Lord.

[29:29] And that should satisfy you. That should be enough for you. Whatever things that come after that, We are grateful.

[29:40] Thank you, Lord. We are grateful. We are grateful. The reward Is Infinite.

[29:52] I would say Limitless. This reward God talks about, Which is himself. Is limitless. There's no limit in our God.

[30:04] Don't limit him Because of your needs. He's above that. Don't limit him Because of your challenges. He's above that. Don't limit God.

[30:16] I have come to a point to realize It doesn't cost God anything To do great things in the lives of his people. I am more than convinced. So when we stand here and we say that We believe there are great people amongst us.

[30:28] It's not a lie. We are convinced. It is settled. We believe it because it doesn't cost God anything. There's no limit in him. If you have him as your reward, There's no limit to your life.

[30:42] The only limitation you have is his will. That's the only limitation you have. But God likes good things, you know. That's why he chose you. That's why he picked you.

[30:55] Yeah, you look good in his kingdom. Oh yes. He chose you for a reason. He picked you up for a reason. There's no limit. There's no limit. Is there your academic limitations?

[31:06] Is there a lie? There's no limit. I don't take it when people say, I'm no good at it. You know what you mean you're not good at this? There's no limit. You don't limit God. Is it your career?

[31:17] There's no limit. Maybe there's laziness on our side, But there's no limit. How far do you want to go? It's already in him.

[31:27] He is limitless. So if you have him, You have everything. And there's no limit to what you have. If you can limit God, Then you can limit your reward.

[31:41] There's no limit to your reward. Your reward is not only on this earth, But it's eternal as well. When God comes into our lives, He plays honor on us.

[31:56] When we ascribe glory to God, We know he's exceedingly above us. That's why we say he's holy, Meaning highly separated. He's not in our league.

[32:08] But he says, I make myself available to you, That I will be your reward. The honor he has, He has placed on us. So if you embrace that reward, You embrace a good thing.

[32:23] You embrace honor. None of us thought we would be here today. Neither myself or God's servant. We didn't plan this.

[32:35] But it's even only the beginning. God's servant had been ridiculed for a long time, Now all he knows is Bible studies. But his colleagues, They say he can't even raise money.

[32:45] So you don't invite David, Because he can't raise money. He can't raise offering. All manner of things we said, That's what you Bible study, Bible study. You can't even do a program. But with our programs, God has honored us.

[33:02] Because he was enough, And he is enough for us. If it's his will, It is okay. Whether it looks powerful, Baecious, Whatever.

[33:13] It didn't matter. It didn't matter. Provided it's what he wants. It brings honor to your life.

[33:25] The reward is not just physical, It's spiritual. It's a spiritual reward. In the parable of the rich fool, In Luke chapter 12, The Bible says, That a man's life, Does not consist in the abundance, Of his possessions.

[33:42] But he thought his life, Consisted in the abundance, Of his possessions. He only saw the physical. He didn't have an eye, Into the supernatural. To know that, Yes, I have, I'm surrounded by riches.

[33:55] I'm surrounded by a good harvest. However, There's something more, To life, Than the things, That I have received. He missed that.

[34:06] And the scripture says that, That same night, His life, Was required of him. Demanded of him. That now, Let's see how you are going to enjoy, All these treasures, That you have amassed for yourself.

[34:18] Isn't it not interesting? Your loved ones, As much as they love you, They don't give you, Give the best of your possessions, To you when you're going to. They are thinking, How they will use it themselves. It's not evil. It is just normal.

[34:29] Because there's no point, In burying you, With all your riches, Your gold, Whatever. It is not true. As much as they love you, They won't do that for you. Oh yes, They will say goodbye, And we'll give you one nice suit, Even the one they've slid the back.

[34:44] Yeah, The fabric is usually not nice, The best quality. Some funny thing, But then they'll put you inside. Yeah, And you'll be lying down. He, he, he, People will cry a little bit. They'll go home, And then they'll go and open your stuff.

[34:57] And they'll start sharing it. Yeah, Yeah, All your secret stash of money, Your gold, Your silver, All those things. In life, It felt like it was something good to have.

[35:09] I'm not saying it's not good to have. However, The day you die, You realize that actually, You didn't have it. It was never yours. You thought it was yours. But you really didn't have it.

[35:22] Because guess what? You couldn't collect it, Put it in yourself, And say, I'm going to lie in my coffin, Go and bury me. Or me, I'll go and bury myself. You, You can't. You can't. So the earlier you set your priorities, In life, The better.

[35:37] The better. I don't believe in poverty. But I'm not chasing for riches. No, No, No, No, I can't be poverty. God, Just supply. Supply my needs, According to your riches in glory.

[35:51] His riches are many, And his glory is supply. That's enough for me. I cannot bring myself to fighting for, Ethly possessions. No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, Life is to be lived, With better value, Than just earthly possessions.

[36:08] I am, I am, I like making things happen. But my priorities are very clear to me. Very clear to me. I encourage my children, Do well in school, But above all, Save God.

[36:25] It's way more important to me, Than doing well in school, Even though you will do well. Yeah, You will do well. I know you will do well. But I prefer, My children seeing them, To read their Bible.

[36:37] Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Reading their Bible, Is more important to me. Reading your books are important, Because what is your job? What are you doing? I'm feeding you, I'm including you, You put on lights, Free, You pull free, Everything free.

[36:50] What else are you doing with your life? So please, Study your books, That's your full time job for now. But oh no, We're not going to trade that, For your relationship with God.

[37:01] We're not going to trade that. Because if God calls me today, I must have done a good job. If I stand before God, What will matter to Him? Yeah, So you make your priorities, Based on that.

[37:15] So your reward is not just physical, It's eternal. And don't let, It look like, Gain is godliness, Because it's not.

[37:27] What shall it profit a man, To gain the whole world, And lose his soul? It's not worth it. Ecclesiastes chapter 5 verse 10, It said, There's no satisfaction in man or all wealth. No satisfaction.

[37:38] Having seen the rich, Continue to work so hard, To maintain their riches. Yes. The other time I look at someone, I say, It's not easy to be rich, You know. People who think, It's easy to be rich, You are poor.

[37:51] That's why. You haven't gotten there. That's why. It's true. When you see people have done worse, Oh, Me, It's just because of chance. Oh, Get the chance and see, Whether you can convert it to opportunities. It's not the same. Whether you can convert it to success, It's a different story.

[38:04] It's not automatic like that. But even that, It said, Even that does not satisfy. It doesn't satisfy. They're always looking for more. Isaiah 55, Verse 1 and 2, Helps us to understand that, Not all that money buys is bread.

[38:20] Say, Whoa, Everyone with us, Come to the waters, And you will have no money. Come, Buy and eat. How are you coming to buy and eat without money? Yes, Come, Buy wine and milk, Without money and without price.

[38:35] It's more than what physical things can do for you. It said, Let him be your exceedingly great reward. You can't buy God with money. You can't.

[38:45] So he's telling us, Come, Come and eat. Come and buy. But not with money. Christ, If he's our reward, Then he'll be enough for us.

[39:02] Matthew, Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 21 and verse 23. I took note of it. That, When we talk about the parable of the talents, We talk about faithfulness, Serving the Lord with what God has given you.

[39:20] And we also know that we all want to hear, Well done, Good and faithful servants. But this is what he says, You were faithful with few things. I will make you ruler of many.

[39:30] What does it say? Enter into the joy of your Lord. That is the end of the reward, To enter into the joy of your Lord. That's where it's challenging for a lot of us Christians.

[39:45] Because it doesn't seem powerful enough. You prefer, You have been a ruler of few things. I will make you ruler of many things. That one, That's where you like that one.

[39:56] There is no emphasis in entering into the joy of your Lord. That's the end of your reward, To enter into the joy of your Lord, That you made him happy.

[40:11] That is the final reward, To enter into the joy of your Lord. It says the same for the one who, With two brought four, 23. It says the same, That's the reward.

[40:21] Enter into the joy of your Lord. Your Lord is happy. He said, Come, Let's have that fellowship of happiness, Of joy. Enter. A lot of you, You won't know what to do with Jesus, When you get to heaven.

[40:35] Yeah, You won't know. Because there's no, There's no proper relationship. You won't know what to do. You, Some of you will be the most boring people in heaven. You are there, Because you just wanted to escape hell.

[40:48] Yeah. Because the opposite of heaven is hell. So you think, Let me just at least make it. But you will enjoy heaven. Because he will be our heaven.

[41:04] He will be our heaven. And even now, You don't know how to enjoy him. What are you going to do in eternity? I feel for you. Eternity. It's forever and ever and ever.

[41:15] And ever and ever. All the way. If we continue, We enter into eternity, Continue saying it. So if you can't enjoy God now.

[41:29] If you can't enjoy God. Look at, So you see, When a man is walking about, And you see, Abraham had become very rich. Finally, He was making some decisions. He was able to sacrifice his son.

[41:40] All these things. It is coming from a certain source. A certain place. Of settlements that God, I have received you. As my reward. And my exceedingly great reward.

[41:51] My shield and my exceedingly great reward. He has, He's okay with that. He's settled with that. On that basis, He can sacrifice his son. How can you give your best treasure?

[42:04] If what you have, How can you exchange? If what you are going to exchange with, You don't think it's worth it. If he didn't think God was worth, Doing that exchange and transaction with him.

[42:15] You didn't have done it. He's not a fool. You didn't have done it. But he knew, That he was sufficient.

[42:26] He knew, God was his satisfaction. He had it, And he believed it. And we worked with God accordingly. Knowing this, Settled in it.

[42:39] This is establishing, It's part of the foundation of his life. It has to be part of the foundation of your life. That the Lord is my shield. But not just that.

[42:51] The Lord is my exceedingly great reward. I walk with him. I'm aware. I'm satisfied. I'm okay. I will do this journey with him all the days of my life.

[43:06] My life is committed. I'm committed to this. To my last breath. On this earth. And when I see him. We will be like him.

[43:17] We will be like him. We will be like him. And this brings joy in our hearts. That we can't wait to see him. As his appearing, We will be caught up with him.

[43:28] And we will be like him. Jesus. We can't wait. Come Lord Jesus. Come. We can't wait. He has to be.

[43:41] Or you won't be able to enjoy him. This will be a chore. And take box exercise. He will be your satisfaction. You will walk with him.

[43:55] You will be a chippery for the enemy. Settle this in you. Settle this in you.

[44:10] The reward is eternal. I've spoken about Jesus Christ as the same yesterday, today and forever. He has committed himself to us. Like in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25. It said.

[44:21] Husbands love your wives. As Christ loved the church. And gave himself for her. He's committed himself to us. Said he gave himself for her.

[44:33] Just an example. He's all satisfying. The Lord gives an example to us. In Numbers chapter 18 verse 20. We all do agree.

[44:44] That in 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9. Talks about we being a royal priesthood. That one we gladly say amen. But sometimes we may not really understand the priesthood of that royalty.

[44:55] Because it talks about. When it talks about royal priesthood. The Bible says that in Numbers chapter 18 verse 20. God did not give an inheritance to the Levites. He did not.

[45:10] Then the Lord said to Aaron. You shall have no inheritance in their land. Nor shall you have any portion amongst them. I am your portion.

[45:23] And your inheritance. Among the children of Israel. So those who were called into the priesthood. The Bible says. God is your portion.

[45:34] Yeah. When they are taking land. He said. What is called land? Yours is. Have God. He said.

[45:45] I am your portion. I am your inheritance. They were the people who enjoyed the most. Oh. They were the ones who enjoyed the most. Because people would go and labor.

[45:57] And come and give their sacrifices. And God said. Take the meat. People would come and give their tithe. God said. Spend it as you wish. You get into God's abundance.

[46:10] When he becomes your portion. And your inheritance. He takes ownership on your provision. On your supply. He takes ownership for that.

[46:27] So for the Levites. He was the focus of your service. The source of your sustenance. And the significance of your calling. God's backing.

[46:38] Made them important. What God said about them. Made them important. Elkanah looked at Hannah. And said. Am I not better to you. Than ten sons. Some of us.

[46:49] God looks at you. And say. Am I not better to you. Am I not better. Than all the things you seek for. Am I not better. Am I not worth spending time with.

[47:01] Am I not better. What will your answer be? If God asks you. Am I not better. Am I not. Most of us here. We say yes Lord you are.

[47:13] But the evidence is in our living. In our day to day. That's where the evidence will be. So yes we say it. But in our day to day. Does it show. That he is better.

[47:25] He is better. He is better. He is better. Having him is better. Having him is better. He is better.

[47:36] The Bible says that. He who comes to God. Must believe that he is. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 16. He is a rewarder. Or those who diligently seek him.

[47:50] He is not just the reward. He is also a reward. All compassion. All and compassion. You cannot miss your reward.

[48:01] He said you have me. I am the reward. I am your reward. But also. I also pay. That's why when we say it's a great thing to serve the Lord.

[48:12] It is one of the best songs that we have. It is the greatest thing in life. To serve the Lord. Serving the Lord. Is the greatest privilege we all have. He is only the reward.

[48:26] He is also a reward. So he said have me. But even on the back of that. I give you extra. I give you extra. The rewarder comes with all the other things that follow.

[48:38] You know. The other things. You make sure. You are enjoying me. But I have sorted this out for you. I have sorted that out for you. I have sorted that out for you. I have sorted that. I have answered that question. I am dealing with that. I am dealing with that.

[48:49] Just enjoy me. Focus on me. Looking on to Jesus. Just do it. I will be sorting many things for you. I will be prompting you. Study this time. It will be good for you. You need. That is when your brain is fresh.

[48:59] Sometimes you do not even know. But he will tell you. This is the best time. Do it this way. Do it that way. Focus here. Do that. The reward that comes after. The things that we see. Comes after. He will lead us.

[49:11] He will teach us. We will hear a voice. From behind us. This is the way. He will be consistently. Ordering our steps. Yes. We are the sons of God. We will be led by him. Consistently. Consistently.

[49:23] Just have him. Exceedingly. Great. Reward. We can't end God. But we see. That when the scripture said.

[49:33] If you come to God. You must believe. Your faith comes alive. To connect. To enjoying that reward. So. In verse 2.

[49:44] He said. Abraham said. Lord. What will you give me? Seeing I go childless. And the heir of my house. Is Eliezer of Damascus. Then Abraham said. Look. You have given me no offspring.

[49:56] Indeed. One born in my house. Is my heir. And. Behold. The word of the Lord. Came to him. Saying. This time. You see. It's not in a vision. So. All the other times.

[50:08] The word of the Lord. Came to Micah. Micah chapter 1. Verse 1. Zechariah chapter 1. Verse 1. Zephaniah chapter 1. Verse 1. The word of the Lord. Came. Saying. The word of the Lord. Exactly the same. But previously. He came to him.

[50:19] In a vision. So he said. Behold. The word of the Lord. Came to him. Saying. This one. Shall not be your heir. But one who will. Come from your own body. Shall be your heir.

[50:31] Then he brought him. Outside and said. Look now. Towards heaven. And count the stars. If you are able. To number them. Now he was moving. Into the abundance. And to the overflow.

[50:43] To the overflow. He is asking for one heir. God said. I am taking you to. The overflow. And.

[50:54] He said to him. So shall your descendants be. This is it. This is the key. And he believed in him. He believed the Lord.

[51:05] He believed the Lord. And the scripture says. It was accounted unto him. For righteousness. Now we can. Deal.

[51:15] Because we are in the same space. You have become righteous. Now you are able to enter. The realm of God. You can. You are now. We can. Exchange. We can. You can deal with me.

[51:25] Because now. You are righteous. The righteousness came. On the basis of his faith. That's why God said. Don't be afraid.

[51:37] Rather walk by faith. And not by sight. Walking with God. The just shall live by faith. All of this. The premise of it.

[51:48] Is faith. Even your obedience. Must be done in faith. And your faith has to be. Towards God. Enjoy your reward.

[51:59] Treasure your reward. Hold him dear. Hold on fast. But enjoy him. Walk with him.

[52:11] He is supposed to be our enjoyment. Yes. He is supposed to satisfy us. But you know. You can eat something. That satisfies you. But you didn't really enjoy it. Uh huh.

[52:23] You have to top up. The satisfaction. With enjoyment. That you find pleasure in him. Just as he finds pleasure in you. You don't mind.

[52:34] Spending time with him. You don't mind. Coming to church. You don't mind. Fellowship with one another. Fellow Christians. Because it's a time. Where he has promised. That if we gather in his name. He is there. So you can't wait to meet him.

[52:47] When you come to church. That is why you can't have an attitude. When you're coming to church. That's why when you come into the house of God. You have to forget about whatever you have experienced.

[52:59] And just recognize that. He indeed said. Where to offer. I've got to remind him. There I am in the midst. So whatever you're doing. The audience of one matters. And he's the most important. He's the most important.

[53:10] So your praise and worship. Is not waiting for somebody. To make you dance. And lift your hand. You lift your hand. Because you enjoy him anyway. Whether the beat was good or not. You enjoy him anyway.

[53:21] You have your. You came with your own enjoyment. I was glad when they said unto me. Let us go into the house of the Lord. I was glad. I came with joy. I came with joy.

[53:32] I entered with a package of my joy. My heart was already overflowing. From the relationship I have with him. From the work I have with him. My heart was already overflowing. Before I entered. If we all come to church with that state.

[53:44] You can imagine. What power will be released. In our fellowships. In our gatherings. We limit him. But our reward is limitless.

[53:57] Our reward is eternal. Our reward is supernatural. Our reward is honorable. Enjoy him. In Jesus name. Amen. Let's pray.

[54:08] Let's pray. Amen.