Biblical Concept of Faith (23) (heb 6)

[Music] Glory, glory, hallelujah! The King of kings and the Lord of lords! He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords! In his matchless show! He's the marching on! Churchy fellowship cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God always desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness with Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Music] Good hallelujah, sing unto the Lord a joyful song and praise His name for the Lord is good. Oh, what a mighty God we serve. What a mighty God we serve. Heaven and earth adore Him, angels bow before Him. What a mighty God we serve. Everlasting Father, we are grateful unto You. We give You glory, we give You honor, we give You praise. We appreciate You for Your mercies, we appreciate You for Your love. We thank You for all who You are and for all that You are. Lord, we are really, really grateful. Thank You, our Father. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You for life. Thank You for preservation. Thank You for all who You are to us and all that You are to us. Lord, as we gather together again this evening, we commit ourselves into Your hand, we who are here physically, our brethren who are connecting with us online on Mixlr, on Telegram. Lord, we pray. Lord, meet with each and every one of us in our individual ways where we need You most in the name of Jesus. Lord, our eyes on You. The Bible says the gathering of Your people shall be unto You. Let our gathering indeed be unto You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, as You walk in our midst. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. [Speaker 1] Last week Monday, it was relatively challenging because of the storming rain, but we thank God that we were able to hold the program. Finally, Telegram, our brethren were able to join us on Telegram. They couldn't join us on Mixlr because it was so stormy. But we thank God that today we are all here. We want to just do a quick revision because I know most of us couldn't gather last week because of the rain, we who normally gather physically. We were looking at our concern last week, was to look at Hebrews chapter 8, chapter 9, 10 through 11, into 12. But what we did last week was to begin the matter taking it from the end to the beginning. We went to look at Hebrews chapter 12, where the Bible says: > **Hebrews 12:1** > Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses... Some version of King James says "seeing," other translation said "since." We were able to establish that for it to be a "since," it is because there is a "seeing," that the biblical faith is a faith that has eyes. Biblical faith is a faith that has eyes. It can see. Because it can see, it is that seeing that makes faith a settled fact. If you cannot see, faith will not be a settled thing. We are not talking of a physical seeing. We gave example last week of Elisha. Elisha could see the hosts of heaven surrounding them. The young man could not see it, so Elisha had to pray, "Lord, open his eyes." And of course, the Lord did so. When the Lord did so, the Lord opened his eyes, what happened? He became settled. We said many of us, we are not settled in our faith because we have not prayed, "God, open my eyes." There is this eyes of understanding that must be opened. If it is not opened, you will not be able to properly practice the biblical faith. He said "seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and every sin that easily besets us. Let us run the race with perseverance." Please, let's look at that Hebrews 12 again. Let's turn to Hebrews 12 this evening. Hebrews chapter 12. Let's turn to Hebrews 12. I just want to bring something together as we move on today, before we now go back to chapter 8, chapter 9, chapter 10, 11. Now, it says: > **Hebrews 12:1-2** > Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Now, when you look at that scripture, once the eyes of faith can see, what happens is that it has a direct implication on the way saints live their lives. You see, the way the believers, I'm talking about believers, the way the believers live their life actually has a direct connection with what they can see. Now, he said, "seeing we also are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness." Seeing. And we said we must pray for our eyes of faith to be opened. Now, when your eyes of faith, when they are opened, when God opens your eyes, and as I'm speaking now, something just come into my mind. I would like us to go to that scripture. Can we just quickly open our Bible to look at John chapter 20? That scripture just keep popping up in my mind and honestly, I want us to go and look at it. John chapter 20. If you are there, please use the mic. I want somebody to read. We want to look at something very, very important. Please take the mic and read from verse one. That story just keep coming to my mind. The more I want to leave it, the more it kept coming. So please, let us look at it. [Speaker 2] > **John 20:1-11** > Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.” Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home. Mary was standing outside the tomb crying. [Speaker 1] Are you following that story? Let me just throw a little light before she reads further. Mary Magdalene, it was resurrection morning. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. When she got there early that morning, resurrection had taken place. Jesus had risen. So when she got there, you know, for Jesus to come out of that place, the power of God went and rolled the stone away and Jesus came out in power and glory. It is that same power that raised Jesus from the dead, it is that power that is at work in us, that same power. Now, when that had taken place, Mary Magdalene got there. She saw that something had happened. What happened she did not know. But what she could understand from what she saw was that some people came, they rolled the stone, and they took Jesus' body away. Because ordinarily, since somebody had been buried, nobody should have rolled that stone away. That stone was to secure the body. So she couldn't go into the sepulcher and the body of Jesus was not there. So quickly, as a young convert, don't forget it was Jesus that cast out seven demons from her. So she ran to the elders, to Peter, who was standing as the leader and the elder of the church. Going to them, she quickly reported what she saw, that some people came and they have taken the body of Jesus away. She reported that to them. So that was what brought them to the sepulcher. When they came, the younger one had outran Peter of course, because of age, the glory of the youth is in their strength. He had outran Peter and got to the tomb first. But he was not courageous enough to go inside. When Peter got there, Peter entered. So he too entered and they examined what they saw. They didn't see the body of Jesus, but they saw the cloth which confirmed that, "Okay, this was the cloth that was on his head, this was the wrapping, everything." So they believed. They believed Mary Magdalene that the body had been taken away, that is their believe. It said they believed because they were yet to understand that Jesus will rise again. What I just quickly want to show something in that place is that may we have correct understanding in the face of experience. Because if your understanding is not correct, your experience will become your faith, and your experience may not be correct. What you are experiencing may become your faith. But you may not know that the reason why it's becoming your faith is because you lack understanding. Some people experience some things and that thing becomes their faith. They say, "I had one experience, it was when my elder brother divorced his wife, that was when he prospered." They have some kind of experience. I know somebody like that who said that he was made to understand that except he divorces his wife, his life cannot prosper because there's something about his wife that bring him down. And I said, "Look, if there is something about her that brings you down, that thing is already inside you. Don't let anybody deceive you. Even if you take her away, that thing is already with you." So the solution is not divorce, the solution is rising up to save your marriage. Now, I'm talking about understanding. Now, they believed because they did not understand. So they went home. That was why Mary Magdalene stood there and this time, what was she now doing? Why was she now crying? You know initially she did not cry. She thought that before, but she did not cry. That was her thought. That was what she went to report to the elders. Why was she now crying? What made her hope to go? The elders came to confirm her suspicion. The elders said, "Magdalene, hmm, what you said is correct. Peter, what you said is correct. What you saw is true." May wrong men not lead us. May wrong men not validate our foolishness. May we have correct men that will say, "Sorry, Magdalene, what you have seen is not correct because there is a scripture which says..." So the elders were not spiritually ahead of the people they were to lead. It's a bad thing when elders cannot discern and elders cannot see. One thing you must pray, let me tell you one thing, one thing you must pray as a person, because let me tell you, in whichever way you are a leader. As a young person, you will marry and lead your home. I became a father at the age of 29. You get the point I'm making? So don't be thinking of when you become like Kumuyi, that is when you will need discernment, when you become like Adeboye. In your workplace, you will need discernment. The people that you are preaching to, are you not doing evangelism? Please don't have a life that doesn't evangelize. Don't have a life that doesn't evangelize. In a way, you should have somebody you are preaching to, somebody you are preaching the Word of God to. Your neighbor, your colleague, your roommate, somebody you are converting. To that person you are converting, you have become an elder. The person may run to you and say, "Sister Tobi, there's this thing I experienced. I had this dream." You have become an elder. I tell people, always pray for the gift of discernment. Pray for understanding. Don't think it has to do with men who are old. Eldership has nothing to do with biological age. There are men who are 60 and they are still children. They were growing old, but they were not growing up. And there are people who are just 25 and they are already elders because they are not just growing old, they are growing up. So please, it has nothing to do with biological age. It has to do with your level of encounter, your level of revelation, your level of discernment. You get the point I'm making? Anyway, they told her and then she began to cry. So when she began to cry, what now happened? What now happened when she began to cry? [Speaker 2] > **John 20:11-17** > Mary was standing outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” [Speaker 1] Thank you. Which message is Magdalene taking to the elders now? Which message is she taking to the elder? That she saw angels. The angels said Jesus had risen. Then while she was still converting with the angel, something else happened. What happened? Her eyes was opened again. That is what we mean by the eyes of faith. That's what we are calling the eyes of faith. It's not a physical eye that we are talking about. Her faith was shattered. To restore that faith, God opened the eyes of her faith. When God opened the eyes of her faith, the Lord did not stop there. What happened again further? The Jesus she saw, she was not supposed to have seen Jesus at that point because Jesus had not yet gone to the Father. But I don't know, but perhaps because she was weeping, she was crying. "Where is Jesus? Where is Jesus? What has happened to Jesus? Who took my master?" Maybe the Lord felt that if we don't quickly solve the problem of this woman, we don't know what will become of her. Or the Lord felt that the desperate cry in her heart needed an answer. And that is why I tell people, if you seek God with all your heart, you will find God. You see, many times when people say that they cannot find God, it may just be that they are not seeking God with all their heart. Because one thing I know about God, one thing I've come to realize from scriptures about God, is that God will rather take all or He will take none. He said, "You will seek Me and you will find Me when you seek for Me with all your heart." So when you are seeking God with some part of your heart, when you are seeking God with most part of your heart, you may not find God. It is when you seek God with what? With all your heart. Now, I just felt perhaps, because it is not written, so we don't know the mind of the Lord, that's why I said "perhaps." The Lord just felt that this is a desperate cry. I needed to answer to this cry. So the Lord was ascending to the Father. Let me attend to this girl because her cry was desperate. She wanted her master. She wanted Jesus. Her question needed to be answered. Mind you, the elders had given wrong answer. And it was the wrong answer that got her twisted, that got her confused, that got her shattered and battered. So the Lord needed to help her faith. And what did the Lord do? What was done? Her eyes, do you see it again? Her eyes of faith was opened. Now please, please brethren, I'm talking about the eyes of faith. By the time Magdalene gets to Peter, because when you read the book of Mark, the book of Mark after the resurrection, the Bible says Jesus came and he scolded them. Please, let's see that scripture. That should be Mark after the resurrection. That should be Mark chapter 16. Please let's look at Mark chapter 16. Verse 14. Please, I want you to note that please look at verse nine. Look at verse nine first. What you see in verse nine? [Speaker 2] > **Mark 16:9** > After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene... [Speaker 1] So are you seeing it now? So he first appeared to Mary Magdalene. That's what I want you to see. It's confirming what we read in John. Do you get it? Now, please read from there, read on. [Speaker 2] > **Mark 16:10-14** > the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her. Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief... [Speaker 1] He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief! I'm trying to explain something to you. When Magdalene came back to those elders and said Jesus has risen, what will they tell her? "For their stubborn unbelief." That's what I'm trying to bring out. I want you to get what, it is not recorded, but we can start inferring something. Jesus came and he had to rebuke them. "I appeared to somebody. I told the person to come and tell you. You did not believe." Now, Mark gave us a background that actually Jesus cast seven demons out of Magdalene. So those elders and those brethren, what will they be thinking about Magdalene? The demons are back. You have started again. This demonic operation of causing confusion among the brethren. We thought you have been delivered. I don't know whether they said exactly that, but I'm trying to make the point that the Bible gave us a background. They say he appeared first to her, the person from when seven demons were cast. So looking at her own background, that it was a bad background, moreover, what made them so difficult, Peter had gone to the sepulcher to confirm that Jesus had been stolen. So he must have stood as elder, said "Brethren, let me put matter straight. Magdalene came to me this morning and I was at the sepulcher. I was not just there, I went into the sepulcher. I saw all the clothes, all the evidences were there. But the body was gone. And mind you, with my two eyes, the stone that would have protected the body of the Lord had been taken away. So for somebody to now come and be saying that she saw Jesus, please don't mind this stupid girl. She must be confused." Because the Bible said when they went there, they believed. There was already a belief. And the belief is from somebody like Peter who is very vocal. You know Peter is very vocal. He's a very vocal person. And I'll just looking at how she would have talked down Magdalene. "Mary, shut up! When men like us are talking you don't speak." So I don't know whether that was what led to the rebuke. But the background that they had, what I'm trying to make you see, was the other side of the people that Magdalene went to. But for Magdalene, please, can anything make her to believe the elders again? That's my question. Why do you think she cannot believe the elders? What gave Magdalene a strong confidence that since Jesus has risen, these elders are just saying nonsense? What make the matter for Magdalene since Jesus has risen? Because of what she saw. See, until the eyes of faith becomes open, you will be going here and there. You will not be stable in your faith. You will not be stable in your faith. Magdalene was able to now withstand the eleven. Hallelujah! I don't know whether you are understanding me. You know the eleven they are the eleven, but Magdalene will say, "Sorry, you can't reconvince me." Magdalene will say, "I'm too convinced, I'm too convinced to be confused. Hallelujah!" May you be too convinced to be confused. Magdalene will say, "Look, whether you believe me or you don't believe me, I am telling you, demons are working in me, you may say that if you choose to say that. You may say anything elders, but I have this to tell you, the Lord is risen. That is the message me I'm carrying. Hallelujah!" And Magdalene will keep going. So she will be preaching a different gospel. The elders will be doing what? They will be preaching a different gospel. When you see men who stand tall for their faith, it's because of their encounter. When you see men who stand tall for their faith, when you see people doing what looks like, "Heh, you better stay," those, it is this kind of things that make the three Hebrew boys to be different. It is that their eyes of understanding, the eyes of their faith had been opened. And that is why last week we really took time to pray. Don't be satisfied with a faith that don't have a eye. Don't be contented with a faith that don't have a eye. Faith has eyes. The things about Christian faith is not just an idea. It's not just theoretical. Please, when Magdalene want to talk, will Magdalene be talking about a reality or an ideology? Why is it a reality? She will say, "Oju mi ti ri, eti mi ti gbo, enu mi a soro npa ase ajinde Oluwa o." I'm talking about the song that Sister Magdalene will be singing. "My eyes have seen, my ears have heard, my mouth will talk about the resurrection of Jesus. Whatever you like you say, whatever you like you think, my mouth will talk about what my eyes have seen." That is the reality. My mouth will declare what my eyes have seen. When your mouth is muted where you ought to speak, it is because the eyes of faith is blind. Are you listening to me, brethren? When your mouth is muted where you ought to speak, it is because the eyes of faith has not been opened. When you see men stand and they stand correctly, it's because something has happened to them. The difference between ordinary men and extraordinary men is the eyes of faith. Are you listening to me, brethren? The difference between ordinary men and extraordinary men is this matter of the eyes of faith. That's the difference. And if you are to take the example from where we left it last week, if you take the example from what we looked at last week, please is it ordinarily possible, brethren, let's be factual, is it ordinarily possible for you to see, you know Elisha became such a magnified being for the Syrians that they did not send some soldier to go and kidnap him. They sent the whole army to go and bring one man. Now, please let's look at the fact of it. Is it ordinarily in the ordinary sense of it possible for you to see enemies with bow, with arrow, with sword, with chariots already they have barricade everywhere, nowhere to escape, and you are just relaxed? You just wake up in the morning, you came out of the house, and you saw left us take our own reality, kidnappers with guns and they are all set, they want to kidnap and take away, and you just came out of the house you want to go to office, and you just saw them like that with their gun. In the ordinary fact of it, can a man just say, "They that be with us are more than they that be with them." And then, he just spoke, "Okay, my son, God please open his eyes, open his eyes." Please, ordinarily can a man be that relaxed? I want us to look at it ordinarily. Can a man be relaxed? Can he be calm? That's why I tell people, faith is not a struggle. You are not struggling to, you see faith is not, "Let me try and do it." No, faith is a reality. May God increase us. May God increase us. Where we are right now cannot face what is coming. I keep telling believers. Where we are right now and the things that are coming, what we are practicing now cannot face them. Cannot face the battles that are coming. We'll soon go and look at these heroes. You will see the kind of things they did. You will see that they were not ordinary men. But actually they were ordinary men. The extraordinary thing about them was the eyes of faith. That's what I'm trying to make you see. The reason why a girl, a girl from whom Jesus removed seven demons and the story was among the brethren. We suddenly face the elders and say, "Look, my eyes have seen, my ears have heard, my mouth will talk about the resurrection of the Lord. Whatever you like you say, whatever you like you say, my mouth must talk about what my eyes have seen." Was because something happened to her. Ordinarily, she ran to those elders to confirm her faith. Do you understand me? It was those elders that normally confirm her convictions. So when she was confused, she ran to them, "Elders, I'm confused, I don't understand, something happened." And when they came, they said, "Ah, Magdalene, you are very correct. They have stolen the body of the Lord." Ah, she now began crying. "Oh, so what I thought actually happened." To tell you her level before. May God change your level. May God change your level. May God change your level. It's a change. It is something moving from one level to another. Faith is in levels. That's what I'm trying to make you see. And what I'm trying to make you understand is that brethren, we must come to the level of these people. That's why I said I'm beginning the message from the back to the front. I'm beginning from the end to the back. Before we go and look at the people, I'm trying to make you see what made them like that. I'm trying to make you see that there is a need for us to become like them. That is really what I want to address today. There is a need for us to become like them, because if we don't come to this their level, I'm telling you we will not be able to stand because let me tell you something, there will be nothing new under heaven. What they have experienced before is still coming to pass again. When the time of their calling, their situation was winding up, different things happened that needed men who can see to deal with it. As we are rounding up, are you understanding me? We are going to face nothing too different. Decrees will soon come. Policies will soon come that will say look, anybody that enter this place, it may be enter church, should be thrown into furnace of fire. It may be look, if you talk about Jesus, then your head will be cut off. I'm just giving example. Those were the things they faced. It may be in your office. You may encounter situation that says look, except you compromise Jesus, you can't get that promotion. Except you compromise Jesus, you can't retain that job. If your faith, if the eyes of your faith have not been opened, you will quickly choose your job and you will throw away Jesus. It's already happening. People are throwing, some are even throwing away Jesus to enter America. Just to enter U.S. Brethren, are you not hearing stories? People you call brethren, people you call believers. They will say they are going for conference and then they will abscond, the visa was to go for conference. And after the conference, they don't return back to Nigeria. They become illegal immigrant, turning round, turning round, turning round, until they are looking for how to perfect their papers. And this was our brother, our pastor, our leader that was leading our fellowship before. I'm saying look, we are just still hearing sound of rain. We are hearing rumor, men are dying. What of when the thing comes? God told Jeremiah, he said if you run with men and they weary you, then how will you contend with chariots? We are running with men and we are getting wearied. When the real battle is to contend with chariots, do you see how men they were on their feet? But they outran chariot. You remember Elijah? The Bible says he got, he got to the gate of Jezreel ahead of Ahab because the Spirit of God transported him. You think those things they are for the Old Testament? There are still brethren, God is going to work in a way that brethren will travel faster than plane. Look, things are going to happen. Things, what is coming, what is coming, this ordinariness we have cannot handle it. It cannot handle it. It cannot. Brethren, wake up from your slumber. Don't be contented with "I'm a member of Anglican," "I'm a member of Baptist," "I'm a member of Redeemed," "I'm a member of," just mention them, Four Square. We are so many, I don't even know the number. The one that just come into my mind is the one I'm mentioning. I'm not saying whether one is better than one. But whatever denomination you belong, you say "I'm very active, I do this." Look, the matter we are going to confront, they are beyond this. We need men who can be normal in abnormal situation. We need men who can be completely calm in the face of extreme danger. We need men who can proclaim life in the face of complete death. You remember when they told somebody that be prepared, get set, you will be thrown into the lion den if you continue with this prayer life? Please, what did the person do when he wanted to pray? He went to close the window? He opened the window, continued with his prayer life, as if nothing had been said. Do you think it is ordinary to go to when they oh, they didn't say that they will take his job from him. They didn't say that they will take he will lose his promotion. For some of us not to lose promotion, we compromise Jesus. For some of us not to fail exam, we compromise Jesus. For some of us not to lose our job, we compromise Jesus. It was not at that level that this man was operating. It was at the level of they will throw you to lion. And the man said, the Bible says when Daniel heard the decree, oh Lord change our level. Lord change our level. Lord change our level. Holy Ghost, do it again. Do it again in our life. Open our eyes to see Jesus who is seated upon the throne. Holy Ghost do it for me, personalize it. Holy Ghost do it again in my life, do it again in my life. Open my eyes to see Jesus who is seated upon the throne. They said, "Daniel, Daniel, you will be thrown to the lions' den." When Daniel heard the decree, after he heard that the decree had been made, the Bible say he opened his window as his custom used to be. Nothing moderated his practice. Nothing moved him, as if what they said is that you will pay twenty naira that you can just pay. As if what they said is that you will not be allowed to greet the king. You get the point? What they said is that you will be thrown into the lions' den, as if nothing was said. As if nothing. Are you understanding me? These men they were looking very strange because for them faith was a reality. Faith was a reality. And then when everything was done, the man prayed and everything and they took him to the lions' den. I don't know whether he was expecting deliverance. I don't know. But by the time he got into the den, you know why I'm saying I don't know whether he was expecting deliverance? Is because there are two ways God delivers us. God deliverance is in two ways. God deliver us from, and God deliver us in. Do you get it? God can deliver you from something such that before they will throw into the lion, God will just appear. Angel Gabriel will just do something or a light will just shine and the enemy will be scattered, and then they could not throw him. Or when they were going there, they will just see a, they will just see an angel that will say "return him back." In that case, what has God done? God had delivered him from. But God didn't deliver from. And the people did not care. And I just saw everything they got to the place. You know if you have been praying "God do something, God do something, God do something," nothing was happening. Nothing was happening. They opened the den, nothing was happening. He went inside, so by the time he was going inside, what would have been his mind? That is the end. So they saw enough that dying for it was nothing. And that is why I'm telling you something, I'm quoting the word of Martin Luther. He said, "A man who have not seen something in God that he can die for is not fit to live." That's Martin Luther. A man, you see these elders, the faith they practice is not what we are practicing. Martin Luther said, "A man who have not seen something in God, an individual who have not seen something in God, he have not seen something in God enough for him to die for, such an individual is not fit to live." Ask yourself, are you really fit to live? Are you fit to be alive? Are you fit? Are you somebody who is fit to live? All this "God preserve me, preserve me," what is God preserving you for? Are you even fit to live? If your answer is that "Ah, even me I'm not fit to live," then cry to God, "God change my level. God change my level." I don't just want to be a church person. I just want to be an ordinary person. I don't just want to be there, doing nothing, hearing nothing. Lord, Mary Magdalene became somebody that became the preacher to the eleven. And when the Lord Jesus appeared, the Lord Jesus came to the eleven and did what? He rebuked them for their unbelief. What's wrong with you? What do you think you believe? But Magdalene stood firm in her faith because her eyes have seen, her ears have heard, something has happened to her. Now, when you look at that Hebrews 12, sister please pick the microphone. Go back to that Hebrews 12. I want to show you a connection in that 12 verse 1 to 2. Now read. [Speaker 2] > **Hebrews 12:1-2** > Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame... [Speaker 1] Thank you. And today what has happened to Jesus? He is seated where? At the right hand of God. Please, did you notice something about our master? What made him endure the cross? Do you see that he was seeing something? Are you seeing something in that place? "Who because of the joy that was set before him." Who because of the joy that was set before him. Brethren, what are you seeing ahead of this physical life? If all you are seeing is money, job, family, success, riches, church, activity group, if that is all you are seeing, you will not be able to follow through. Jesus was seeing the joy that was set before him. I want you to notice that, that even for our Lord Jesus, it was that there was a joy. Now, go back to that verse 1. It said, "Seeing that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and every sin that so easily beset us. Let us run with what? With perseverance." Now, what is that scripture trying to say? When you see a believer who cannot set aside weight, please I want you to note that weight is not a sin. Weight is not a sin. But when you see a believer who cannot set aside what is lawful, because it is not helpful. When the Bible says all things are lawful but what? But not all things are helpful. When you see a believer who cannot set aside what is lawful because it is not helpful, it's that they are still saying "but I'm not sinning, is it a sin? Is it a sin? After all it's not a sin." But that matter is not helpful. When you see men who cannot rise above that level, what is their problem? They cannot see. They cannot see. The Bible says "seeing we are surrounded," it is because they could not see. When you see men struggling, different kind of struggle, some are struggling with drunkenness, some are struggling with alcohol, some are struggling with immorality, some are struggling with lying, hypocrisy, different things, "God must just help me over come this sin, it's because of my background, God will just help me." And he keeps saying "because I easily fall into it." What is actually their problem? Is it the sin? Is it because they cannot see? Once you begin to see, once you begin to see, weight will naturally fall away, besetting sin will find their way. They will naturally fall away, they will naturally fall away. So many things are holding some people today. Some people what is holding them from God is fashion. For some is dressing. For some is money. For some is riches. For some is poverty. I don't know, different weights today, things that are not sin but they are not allowing people to serve God. They are not allowing them to be committed to be able to follow God. Paul said, "No, nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus." Telling yourself, "I don't want to be a man that is not fit to live. I don't want to be a man who is not fit to live." An elder said, an individual who have not seen something in God, he have not seen something in God enough for him to die for God, such an individual is not fit to live. Ask yourself, are you really fit to live? If your answer is that "Ah, even me I'm not fit to live," then cry to God, "God change my level. God change my level. God change my level. I don't just want to be a church person. I just want to be an ordinary person. I just want to be there. Lord, change my level. Level. Take me from ordinariness to extraordinariness." Lord, our eyes on You. Beyond my voice this evening, Lord I beg You come to the brethren personally. Thank You eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name this morning, this evening our Father. Let's share the grace together in fellowship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen. 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 aid. Our regular activities are: discipleship class, every Monday 5:00 PM; adolescent and singles club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp, 25th Bridge, Illiri community, opposite Very Joy Filling Station along Ijare Road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.com. Our phone numbers are: 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.