Be Ye Holy for I Am Holy; Dynamics of Holiness 2

[Background singing] [Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May ye be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] The blessing for his mercies, we bless him for his love, and we thank him for his goodness. As we start again today, gathering together, connecting together, we trust the Lord that it will be a blessed time in his presence in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us have the prayer as we begin this evening. Precious Father, we are grateful unto you. We thank you for your love. We thank you for your mercies. We thank you for all who you are and for all that you are. We bless your holy name. Lord God Almighty, as we gather unto you again this evening, Lord God, we pray that as we all connect from different points, we who are here physically, our brethren who are on Mislr, our brethren who are on Telegram, Lord, as we all fellowship together this evening, Lord we pray that your spirit will work in our midst in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, we look up unto you. Speak to our hearts again. Lord God, we are asking that for all of us at the level of individuals, you will meet us where we need you most in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Almighty Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We will take the matter from where we left it two weeks ago. Last week was our prayer time, so we took time last week to pray on the various things that we have been considering since January through February, and then we took time to pray. As we commence again in this month of March, we trust the Lord that indeed, as a friend said, it was on the third day that there was a resurrection. I also pray that this third month, we will experience the power of God afresh and new in every area of our life in Jesus' name, and particularly for the fellowship, may we experience his power and his life in the name of Jesus Christ. So we'll be taking the matter from where we left it, "Be ye holy for I am holy," the dynamics of God's holiness. Our selected text is Leviticus chapter 19. We are reflecting on that book as the selected text to see how the holiness of God reflects in the word of God. The various things that come into that which God described for his holy people, the various things that God described as proper conduct for God's holy people. Just like we said earlier, Apostle Peter, referring to Leviticus chapter 19, said, "Be ye holy in all manners of your conduct." And we want to look at the various manners, the various areas. What are the manners? What are the table manners? What are the things to learn? What are the behavioral patterns that should be found with God's holy people? And we look through, we stopped at verse 12 of Leviticus chapter 19. Today, we are taking it from verse 13, trying to see what is proper for God's holy people. And from verse 13, God was trying to make them see another dimension, another area of what should form proper conduct for his people, that he would describe for his holy people, that should characterize God's holy people. And in verse 13, the Bible says, "You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until the morning." We are looking at conduct here that has to do with our neighbors, that has to do with fellow believers, that has to do with our business, our career, our handling of our business, the business we run. Whatever things you are doing to make money, we are looking at here, relationship between employee and employer. And as we read Leviticus chapter 19, verse 13, I want us to note something very similar to this in Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4, can we see something very similar to that in Ephesians 4? Ephesians chapter 4, if you look at it from around verse 21, look at what the Bible says. It says, "If indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus Christ." If any man actually have heard Jesus, if any man have experienced being taught by the Lord Jesus, as the truth is in Jesus, "that you put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." Now, what are the conduct? "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness." Now, if that actually happened, if that actually happened to anybody that is a believer, look at what the Bible says. "Therefore, if you have been taught by God, if you have heard from Jesus, if you have put off the old man, if you have put on the new man, if you have put on the righteousness of God, there is a proper way to conduct yourself." Look at the conduct, verse 25. He said, "Therefore, putting away lying, let each man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another." And when you go down to verse 28, "Let him who stole steal no longer." Now, when you compare this with where we are coming from, Leviticus chapter 19, you will see that the matter that God was raising in Leviticus chapter 19 is not just an Old Testament teaching. No, but it is the dynamics of God's holiness. That is, the way anybody that identify with God should conduct himself or herself. Anybody who have encountered Jesus, anybody who truly have been taught by Christ, anybody who truly have a relationship with Christ, there is a conduct that befits or that proves that encounter. The conduct that prove that encounter displays itself. Verse 13 of Leviticus chapter 19: "You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him." Do not lie to your neighbor. Ephesians, "Let him who stole steal no more." He said you should conduct yourself as those who have put on Christ. So, what I'm trying to make you see is the dynamics of God's holiness, that is, the dynamics of the proper way to conduct your life. If as a believer you still cheat people, then your salvation is questionable. If as a believer... and I want us to look at something about this matter. Do not cheat your neighbor. Cheating comes in different ways. Nor rob him. Look at what the Bible says in Proverbs. I want us to see something in Proverbs chapter 11. "Be ye holy for I am holy." Without holiness no man can see God, because holiness is the proof that actually we became righteous. Holiness is the proof that we became righteous. So, if we don't see holy conduct, we can strongly say that that person have not put off the old man. He is still a sinner. He has not put on the new man if we don't see holy conduct. Proverbs chapter 11, dynamics of God's holiness. Look at what the Bible says in Proverbs 11, verse 1. It says, "Dishonest scales are abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight." I take that in NLT: "The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty." The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty. That's NLT. NIV: "The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight." The Message: "God hates cheating in the marketplace. He loves when business is above board." God hates cheating in the marketplace. It means a Christianity that does not get to the marketplace is not true Christianity. And that is why I tell believers, there's nothing like sacred and secular. For the believer, everything is sacred. Everything is sacred. We don't have a secular life. Secular means without God. And every day what society is doing through the process of globalization and the spread of democracy—don't forget that the four countries pushing these things is the Western countries, spearheaded by the US. The push for globalization, democracy, and liberalization is also an emphasis on secularization, acting and dealing and relating to people on the basis of secularization, without God. But we must be careful as believers. The believer does not relate in anything without God. The Bible says whether you eat or you drink, in whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord. So, the believers don't have a secular life. He says, "God hates cheating in the marketplace. He loves when business is above board." Amplified: "A false balance, unrighteous dealings are extremely offensive and shamefully sinful to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight." So what's the point that we are making this evening? What's the point that we are trying to draw out? I'm bringing this matter particularly as it relates to the state of our own nation today. Let's look at our nation. How do we explain... we say in Nigeria, the most corrupt institution, which one is the most corrupt now? Is it NEPA again or Police? Which one? I don't know by 2023 gauge. I don't know which one. But formally they will say immediately after Police comes NEPA, then the Civil Service. But maybe by 2023 now, maybe things have changed. Maybe NEPA now come first, Police follows because of EndSARS wahala. I don't know. Or whether Civil Service come first, and then NEPA follows, then Police, whichever way. Brethren, the issue we want to discuss on this matter is that how do we explain that when you say Civil Service, when you say Police, when you say NEPA, when you say civil servant, are there no Christians? Are there no those... you will say not all of them are true Christians, some are just churchgoers. Yes, I agree with you that some are churchgoers. But are you saying that every civil servant in Nigeria who is not a Muslim, all other ones are churchgoers? Is that what we are saying? Are we saying that there are no believers? Now, the point I'm trying to bring out is this. There seems to be a divide between living for God and our career, our businesses, the things we do for daily living. It is important for us to see that for God's holy people, holiness unto God goes beyond the four walls of fellowship. It goes beyond the four walls of church. It comes to everything we do everywhere. How we run our businesses, what we do, what we say. And the bottom line that God is emphasizing in business is what? Cheating. Cheating. Cheating. Artisans today, what do we say about artisans in Nigeria? Awon nise owo. What do we say about them? Ah, they are terrible people. But the question is, are we saying that all of these nise owos, all of these artisans, there are no believers among them? Is that what we are saying? These are issues, these are critical issues for us as believers. These are things to think about because the holiness of God extends to... it extends fully to our businesses. It extends to all of that. He says do not cheat your neighbor. God hates a false balance. It's offensive to him, it's abominable to him. And it's important to see this, to notice, and to beware what we do and how we do them. Moving on from that point, he says still about wages. Some people do with salary, still about business. People work for you, you will not pay them. People work for you, you have a way of cutting down on the money you ought to pay. People work and it happens diversely today, in different ways, taking advantage of laborers in different... let's just be careful. All of these things have to do with God's... how God expects people to conduct themselves. When people, laborers are dealing with us, they should be able to see the difference. "You shall not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God, I am the Lord." You shall not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear the Lord your God. Please, what is this saying about holiness? About conduct? You shall not curse the deaf. Why are you not to curse the deaf? Because he can't hear you. He says you are not to put a stumbling block before the blind. Talking about conduct. Now, how does this relate to us in our conduct? Now, to be deaf, to be a deaf person, it's talking about an inability, lack of capacity. Am I correct? Lack of capacity. Somebody cannot hear. And so because the person cannot hear, when you curse the person, the person don't have the capacity to hear what you're saying so as to even be able to respond to you. As a result, no matter what happens, relate with a deaf person, no matter what the person does, you don't do what? You don't curse the person. What is it teaching us about God's holiness? What is it making us to say? What is it making us to see? It's making us to see that as God's holy people, we must learn to relate to people based on their capacity. It is important for us as Christians to notice this. It is important in relating to people. For example, you are hungry... that an unbeliever, both of you are driving and something happened and the unbeliever insulted you, that you must be a stupid crazy person. And then you are angry. Who has the problem? The unbeliever or you? You are the one that has a problem, because you are not dealing with the person based on what? The person's capacity. What it's talking about here is about capacity. That in our conduct with people, we should be careful to be sure that we deal with people based on the capacity that they have, or else our judgment will be faulty. Our relationship with people will not be straightforward, will not be God-like. It's just like when the Bible says, "Love your enemy, do good to them that hate you." Now, if somebody hates you... I remember this example... something that happened. A neighbor wanted to start his car in the morning and the car did not start. So he walked over to the other neighbor and said, "Please, I need your battery. Just to start the car. I needed to get to office." And that person said, "Sorry, I don't want a situation where my battery too has problem. Are you sure that your car don't have problem? Is it not the car that drained the battery? Maybe this and that." He began to say so many things. "Are you sure it's not the car that drained the battery? Maybe this and that." He said, "Look, there's nothing... I just want... if it does not start it once or twice, then I will return your battery." He said, "No, no, no, he doesn't give out his battery for such thing. He doesn't want to be inconvenienced, he doesn't want, he doesn't want that." That episode went. But you know the way situation will have it, that month did not end. It was the other way around. The neighbor who did not give his battery wanted to start the car in the morning, the car did not start. Wanting to approach the third neighbor, that person traveled, is not around. It's this one that remained. So he didn't know what to do. All the same, because he was desperate, he went to him to ask for battery. What should that person do? You get the point. It depends on who he is. That is the point that God is trying to score. That is the point. If he's a believer, God will expect that he does not curse the deaf. He will expect that he should realize that look, this unbeliever cannot do otherwise. This person could not do otherwise. He's not like you who have been commanded to do good. You don't say, "Ah, even if you claim that the person is a Christian, then you know the kind of Christian that he is." Then you ought to live a better Christian life. But if you now say, "No, you do me, I do you back," then you don't understand this principle that you shall not curse the deaf. You don't need to curse the deaf, and you don't put a stumbling block before the blind. And this is another thing I want us to... I want to make you see. That as far as God is concerned in conducting ourselves, we must be careful that our lives don't become a stumbling block for people. He says in our conduct, we must be careful that the way we conduct ourselves... he said don't place a stumbling block before the blind. There are several people who don't know God, who don't know the truth, and you are the light of the world. You must be able to conduct yourself in such a way that your life don't become a stumbling block for people. Your life don't become a reason why an unbeliever will not come to God. Your life don't become a reason why people don't want to become a Christian, why people don't appreciate Christianity. That is why if you go back to where we read about grace, please let's see that place quickly. Titus, please let's see that scripture. You will notice something that the Bible says that grace should do in our life. Titus chapter 2, please let's quickly go there. I will just read for us to get to that place. When we were reading Titus chapter 2 at the beginning of this series, "Be ye holy for I am holy," and I was talking about the difference between righteousness and holiness and the purpose of grace in our life. Titus 2 from verse 1: "But as for you, speak things which are proper for sound doctrine. That older men should be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. And the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. That they may admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands." Please, what is the reason? What is the reason? He says "that the word of God be not blasphemed." Who want to blaspheme the word of God? Is it not the blind? Am I not correct? So the way we conduct our marriages, our home, should be such that those who have not come to Christ, they don't begin to say, "I thought these people say they go to church. We normally hear them speak in tongues. We hear them do morning devotion. Ah, nawa o. Are these ones...?" Our life... it's talking about the home. But look at other things. It says likewise young men should be sober-minded. In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works. In doctrine showing integrity and reverence, incorruptibility. Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. Are you seeing that? He says "for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." So brethren, what is the essence of grace in the life of the believer? Is it not to make sure that the doctrine about God our Savior is beautified? That's the purpose of grace in our life. Isn't it not for people to say, "Wow, in fact, the Christian life is this. Ah, ah, ah." That is the purpose of grace. Grace is to bring holy conduct. He says "for grace has appeared." Grace has appeared so that we can adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. So that people who are outside... and that is the point. God is not just talking about blind people. The Old Testament is a shadow of the new. Am I right? So it's not just about physically blind people that we are talking about. If as a believer you don't conduct yourself in such a way that unbelievers appreciate God, your life is questionable. You must conduct yourself in such a way that those who are not believers, those who are... they should begin to see beauty in being a Christian. They begin to see, "Ah, ah, ah, something make these people different. There is something about the life of these people. There is something about the life of this sister. There is something about the life of this brother." When our life don't speak like this, don't tell yourself whether you like it or not I'm a Christian, my Christianity is in my heart. That is not what the Bible says. A Christianity that is in the heart that cannot be seen by the world is useless to God. Because what God said is let your light so shine that who should see it? Is it angels that want to see your light or Holy Spirit that want to see your light? It is so that the Holy Spirit will see it. The Holy Spirit knows that you are born again. They know, even if the world don't see anything. God knows his own. But God want you to live in a way that those who are outside... and these are the things we need to emphasize and teach today. And the way those who are outside can see these things has to do with what? I tell people, three important things come to play. The way we talk. The way we talk. Number two, the way we comport ourselves towards the things of this world. Our behavior, our behavior. The way we comport ourselves, the way we behave, the way we respond to things. Do we respond like them? Something happened, how do we respond? Our responses should be different. The way we respond to issues, the way we respond to money, the way we respond to provocation, the way we respond to insult, the way we respond... the way we respond to these things. Anyhow you like it, drag it up or bring it down, the way you dress. The way you dress is vital to your Christian conduct. You cannot separate it. I tell people... where was I illustrating that? It was in a youth meeting. I told them that is there anything wrong with wearing slippers? Is there anything wrong in wearing, I said the normal bedroom slipper. They said there's nothing wrong with wearing it. I said okay, what of if I have come to this meeting with this native that I'm wearing now but with bedroom slippers? I said even though let's take it that I'm seriously anointed, but as I'm coming, you see me in this native that I'm dressed but the next thing is that you saw in my leg is bedroom slippers. I said when I walk into the assembly, what will be in your mind? But isn't it my liberty to wear my bedroom slippers? So you see, there are... it is very, very important for us to see these things. The way we talk, our responses to issues, the way we dress, they are crucial things in being light to the blind. I want to challenge us, I want to encourage us. This matter become very crucial today because if we are if we keep placing a stumbling block before the blind... it is not only represented here, it is overwhelmingly represented in the New Testament in two ways. For those who are not believers, the Bible says that we should make sure our light shine so that men can see our good work and glorify God. That is for men. But beyond men, even for those who are all believers, now talking about level of maturity, look at what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. This matter of the blind, this matter of the blind. Matthew chapter 18, look at what the Lord said. At that time, I'm reading from verse 1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Then Jesus called a little child to him, set him in the midst of them and said, "Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receive one little child like this in my name receive me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for that person if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Are you seeing something? That on one hand, for those who are outside, in Matthew chapter 5, verse 16, he said, "You are the light of the world. Let men see your good work and glorify your Father." So we should not put a stumbling block before the blind. But another way this thing applies has to do with Christian maturity. All believers are not at the same level of maturity. And Jesus was talking about little ones. He was talking about those who now believe in him. And he said whosoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better... please, is it better? I hope you know what is a millstone. They tie it to your neck and you are made to drown in the sea. But that is a better thing. Better than what then? Please, what is better in that? Better to what? If you look at it, if you go down, you will get it very clear. Why is that better? I want to explain what Jesus was trying to say very, very well. If you look at the next verse, he said "Woe to the world," he was now treating that matter. He said, "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." Are you seeing it? So some people will make some believers to stumble. Some people will make little people to miss their ways. Some people will make young convert not to get certain things right. Some people will make believers who are still trying to grow, who are trying to learn the truth of God, because it is one thing to be saved, it is another thing to come to the knowledge of the truth. And the essence of discipleship, that's what Jesus was telling Peter. He said, "Feed my lambs. Feed them. Feed them." That is what God was saying about David. That I will raise a king, that king will do what? He will guide my people. He will take care of them. God is always concerned about his people. And that is why Jesus was telling Peter, after you have been converted, do what? Strengthen the brethren. The point that I'm making, I want us to see clearly, is that when people get born again, when people become believers and they're trying to learn the truth, they're trying to come to the knowledge of the truth, there are those who will make them miss their ways. There are those who will not instruct them properly. I am telling you, those people, it is better that they put rope upon their neck and they push stone to that rope and they throw them into the sea. Because Jesus said woe to the world because of offenses. Offenses must come. Are you seeing that? Some people will be misled. Some people will be made not to get it right. There are believers who will not come into church because some unbelievers who will be hardened because of the behaviors of some believers. What I'm saying is that look, whichever way you look at this thing, he has said don't put a stumbling block before the blind. Once your life constitute this thing, Jesus said look, that's why he was saying that if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, that is if the thing that will make you to be a source of offense, if the thing that will make you to be a source of offense is your hand or your eye, you better settle it somewhere, because it is better to enter into life lame or maimed than to have your two hands and your feet and be cast into everlasting fire. So what Jesus is saying, such people, it is better that they make them just die physically and not eternally. That's what he's saying. Just kill them, let them die. If that can just be all of the death, it should have been better, but there's a serious death that they're still going to die. That's why he said, "Look, don't fear them who kill the body. I will tell you who to fear. Fear him who after he has killed the body will do what? Will cast the soul into hell." Fear him. So what he's saying is that you must be very, very careful. We must be careful for our life not to be a source of offense, either to unbelievers... they were telling me a story. We were just discussing somebody and they said the person have never entered into church before. So we were just talking around, talking, talking, talking, and then later I learned from somebody now very close to that person that when this person, when he was still a young man, he's an elderly person now. When he was still a young man, he wanted to serve God with all his heart. So, but the unfortunate thing for him was that that service, he submitted himself to a church system. That church system, the leader to whom he submitted himself in that church system, he later found out that the girlfriend that he left so that he can serve God, that person happens to be dating that girlfriend and in fact, I think impregnated that girlfriend. So the young man vowed, thinking that everybody is like that, that everything about Christianity is a lie, that he will never enter into church again. They said he said that as a young man. I met him as an elderly man and he had never entered back into church again. These are the points that God is making. Let us be careful to conduct our life in such a way that to the blind we are not a stumbling block. But I'm adding something to it. To fellow believers, be careful not to mislead anybody who believe in God by the way you do things, by the way you talk, by the things you say, by your teachings, by your life. Be careful not to mislead people. And beyond that, beyond dealing with young believers, look at how the Bible also handled that matter again in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. This matter of stumbling block, not being a stumbling block to others. This matter of stumbling block. I read the scripture. "Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But anyone who loves God, this one is known by him. Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in this world and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or earth, as there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is one God, the Father of whom are all things and we for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live." However, look at the point: however, there is not in everyone that knowledge. For some with conscience of idols until now eat it as a thing offered to idols, and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food does not commend us to God, for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware, lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. You see it again, coming in in another way. Either to those who are not believers or to those who are young believers or to those who are not young believers, but who have not come to some level of some deep revelation. If you are not careful, your revelation may lead you to offend God. If you are not careful with how you carry the revelation that God gives you. Not everybody have deep insight into some things the way you may have it. And if you are not careful, what may destroy you is that knowledge that God gives you. And that is why the Bible says knowledge is puffed up. Let us be careful with revelations that God is giving us. We saw it with Paul. Paul said so that he will not be puffed up, God gave him a thorn in his flesh because of the abundance of revelation that he had. It means God saw that this man is going to hell and God, so that he will not err, he will not miss his step, God quickly did something to help him. So even the revelations from God can become a matter that makes us a stumbling block to other believers. These are important things about Christian conduct. You see, this thing they're having to do with how to conduct ourselves in this life. And that is the matter of holiness. And that is our focus this year: how do we conduct ourselves as Christians? The kingdom is about people. The kingdom of God is about people. Jesus died so that humanity can live. Jesus died so that people will not die. The heart of God is about human beings. And anybody whose attitude and action is not about human beings, that person is not knowing God. When we say seek first the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God is that seek first that which relates to human life. The kingdom of God is about human life. The kingdom of God is about how human beings can return back to God. That is the kingdom. Look at how Jesus put it. He said repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. So the matter of the kingdom is about how people can turn back to God. Honestly. So when we say seek first the kingdom of God, the matter that we are addressing is about how human beings, how people, how human beings, how people can respond correctly to God. Honestly. So when character and behavior is not about people, is not about how the unbelievers can be saved, how the young believer will not miss it, how the believer who don't know as much as I know, how they don't stumble. If that is not the focus of our life, if it is not an integral thing about us, then I can boldly tell you, you are not having a deep sense of fellowship with God. All about the kingdom is about human life. And so as we round up this evening, as we bring the matter together, brethren, what I am saying is that one important journey about holiness, one crucial thing about holiness, is the ability of believers to conduct themselves in such a way that unbelievers can be saved, that young believers don't miss their ways, that less matured believers don't stumble. One important dynamics of God's holiness, holy living in this life is centered around this: how unbelievers can be saved, how young believers don't miss their ways, how believers with less maturity than us, how they don't stumble. If this is not the focus of what we call holiness, then I doubt whether our conduct is proper. Let's see how we conduct ourselves and our life accordingly so that at the end of the day, that which God said in Leviticus chapter 19, which is our concern this evening, Leviticus chapter 19, verse 13 and 14, verse 14: "You shall not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear the Lord. I am the Lord." May we in all our conduct fear the Lord. May we fear him. We must not curse the deaf. We must not put a stumbling block before the blind. In all we say, in all we think, in all we do, may we live correctly in the name of Jesus Christ. As we close this evening, let's begin to talk to the Lord. Let's talk to the Lord. Let's talk to the Lord. Let's talk to the Lord. The matter this evening is, "Lord, enlarge my heart. Enlarge my heart." Sometimes our life is just about me, about myself, about where I'm going, about what I want to become, about what I want to get, about... sometimes we don't look beyond us. I just want us to pray, "Lord enlarge my heart. Lord enlarge my heart. Lord enlarge my heart. Lord enlarge my heart. Lord enlarge my heart. Lord enlarge my heart. Lord enlarge my heart in my thoughts to people, in my response to issues, attitudinal issues, behavioral issues. It will be that I'm looking at life beyond myself, beyond myself, beyond myself." Thank you, everlasting Father. Blessed be your holy name, our God. Let me ask Sister Comfort to close the meeting for us. Sister Comfort, please come and close the meeting for us. [Speaker 3] Our dear Lord, we are grateful to you for the power of your word. Thank you, Lord, for the word that you have sent to us. Thank you for this path you are taking us through, taking us deeper into your purpose. Heavenly Lord God Almighty, we acknowledge the fact that what you are showing us is almost lost in our generation. But Lord, it pleases you to open our eyes to see it, that all that matters about Christianity is how we resemble you, how men are able to perceive you in us, how transparent we are so that people can see through us into you and who you are. Almighty God, we fall back upon you again, even as we have heard your word again this evening. We are asking that Lord, you will help us in the name of Jesus Christ. The scripture says that you are the one that work in us, both to will and to do of your good pleasure. Father, please work in us. Let your grace do an outworking in our heart that Lord, this thing we are talking about will become a default in us in the name of Jesus. That Lord, unconsciously, consciously, it will become our lifestyle, our normal attribute, Lord, wherever we find ourselves in the name of Jesus. This thing has so many sides to it. It almost look technical. But Lord, by the outworking of your spirit, it is possible. You will never, never give us a task that is not possible. Father, we are asking, oh Lord, that you will help our hearts to adjust to these truths that you are showing us in the name of Jesus. Thank you, everlasting Father. We give you praise, honor, and adoration for your son that you have used again, as you are opening his eyes to set his life, reflect it in the name of Jesus. We are praying that he will not just be a signpost pointing others to Jesus while he remain behind in the name of Jesus. We are asking that Lord, this husbandman will be the first partaker of the fruit thereof in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers. Keep teaching us these matters. Give us no rest, give us no peace until this become our lifestyles in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord, for hearing us pray. In Jesus' name we have prayed. Amen. The grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. Our regular activities are: discipleship class every Monday, 5 p.m.; adolescent and singles club, every first Saturday of every month at 10 a.m.; marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. Family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp, by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite very joyful filling station along Ijegun road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk; familytentministry01@gmail.com; www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are: 080833861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.