Biblical Concept of Faith (28)

[Speaker 1] Our Father we are grateful unto You. We thank You our God for this time again in Your presence. We bless Your holy name. We give You glory, we give You honor, we give You adoration. We appreciate You for all who You are. We appreciate You for all that You are. We thank You again for bringing us into this Monday again, another time to look into Scriptures, to learn from Your word. We pray, oh Lord, for us who are here physically. We connect with our brethren who are joining us on Mixlr. We connect with our brethren who are joining us on Telegram. Lord, we all together, we commit ourselves into Your hand. Lord, we pray, let Your Spirit work within us. Let Your Spirit work among us. Lord, meet each and every one of us where we need You most. Oh Lord, our eyes on You. It is unto You that we gather. Lord God Almighty, don't let us come here in vain in the name of Jesus. As we gather, our worship will not be in vain. Rather Lord God, it will be a time of refreshment. It will be a time of instruction. It will be a time of encounter. It will be a time of transformation in the name of Jesus. We pray darkness will give way for light. Confusion will give way for direction in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord we'll be made better, we’ll be more conformed to the image of Your Son in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, eternal Father. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Last week we were able to enter into verse 11 more properly of Hebrews, of Hebrews chapter 11. And we were able to look together at what the Bible says in verse 1. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). So we saw that actually faith have evidence. Faith has evidence. There is evidence for faith. Because faith is not just something that came suddenly. Faith is actually something that grows. We saw Asa, we saw David. And God was telling Asa, "Were the Ethiopians not more than this? And you trusted me and I delivered I delivered you? Why didn't you rely on me? Why do you go and rely on the king of Syria? Why do you call on Ben-hadad and you did not rely on me?" He said, "You have done foolishly. Henceforth you will have war. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart are loyal to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:8-9). And we prayed the Lord last week that God would help us not to do foolishly. May we always remember the evidence. There is evidence for our faith. The God who did it yesterday can do it today. That is the evidence. That's the evidence. Now we have taken our step into the verse 2. Having told us that faith is about a confidence that grew from our walk with God, faith is actually a relationship with a God. There is a personal relationship. Asa called upon the Lord his God. Faith is a personal relationship. There's this personal relationship where God tells you something, where God does something in your life, and God expects you to rest on that thing that He has done in your life and be able to say, "Yes, since God has done this, then God can do it again." And so that was our focus last week. Now we want to step into verse 2. Having said this, He now said it is by this thing that elders obtained a good testimony. It is by it. By what? By that personal walk, by that daily growing confidence that elders obtained good report. Before who? Of course before God. Before God. We notice that for Joshua and for Caleb, God said they had a different spirit because they believe God for all that God has done. They said, "Since God delivered us, He's able to make us escape with these Canaanites and we can take over the land." The others were crying, "God has brought us to die." And God said, "Okay, all of you who said you will die, you will all die." Joshua and Caleb have a different spirit. So it was by that. All that Joshua and Caleb said was that, "If God is with us, then He's able to do this one. Don't let us be afraid. They are bread to us." It was by that that they obtain a good testimony. It was by it. It was by it. And I'm trying to make you see how to get good testimony before God. Because actually faith, if you look at what we discussed last week, it is still as fresh in my spirit like we did the matter yesterday. Now if you look at what we said last week, you notice that when God told Asa that, "Were the Ethiopians not a great multitude and you trusted me and I delivered I delivered you? Why didn't you rely on me? Why do you go and rely on the king of Syria? Why do you call on Ben-hadad and you did not rely on me?" He said, "You have done foolishly. Henceforth you will have war. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart are loyal to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:8-9). Now what I want to what I want you to see is this. You see every confession of faith when we say, "God who did this is able to do this." Actually the Bible says the eyes of the Lord is going to and fro the earth. And I want you to get something very well. Something many times when I read this Scripture it jumps at me. When God was speaking to Satan in Job, the book of Job. And he said, "Satan, where are you coming from?" What was the response? He said, "From going to and fro the earth and from walking up and down in it." (Job 1:7). Do you get the implication of that? "From going to and fro the earth..." that is the east and the west. "...And from walking up and down in it," the north, the south. When you come to 1 Peter 5, it says, "Be vigilant, be sober, for your adversary the devil like a roaring lion goeth about seeking who to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). I want you to note something. The eyes of God, because Satan is not omnipresent, he has to run to and fro the earth. He runs to and fro. He goes to and fro. But God is omnipresent. For God it is His eyes that goes to and fro the earth. Not God going to and fro. No. Just... it's not a movement. Now but what I want to bring out is the matter of the eyes of God, they are going round the earth. The devil goes round the earth. And notice something about going round. One is looking for who to devour. It says, "Be vigilant, be sober." He said, "Resist him steadfastly where? In the faith." (1 Peter 5:9). Resist him steadfastly in the faith. James says, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). Now what I want to make you see very very well is that there is a going round. There is a going round. The eyes of God, they are going round, and what God wants to do is to do what? Is to show that He is what? "I am able to do again and again in your life what I have done before, no matter the situation and the circumstance. I am able." But I'm expecting something. What was he telling Asa? That "your heart whose heart are loyal." So what does it mean for a heart to be loyal to God? It simply means trusting God is loyalty. Relying on God is loyalty. Now what I want to make you see is that the Bible says the elders obtained good report. Because actually you need to get something clear. The reason why the eyes of God is moving to and fro the earth is that God want to prove that, "Everybody who trust in Me, I will keep that person in perfect peace." God eyes is going round. Where is that girl? Where is that boy? Where is that man? Where is that family? Where is that lady? Where is that man? Where is that old or young? Where is where is that person? Is there somebody whose heart trust in Me? What will I do? I will show that I am what? I am strong. Do you get something? God want to parade His majesty. God desire to showcase His glory. God desire to show forth His might. And God want to use those whose heart trust in Him to showcase it. What I'm trying to make you understand, look at what the Bible said in Ephesians. It says we are the workmanship of God so that God can use us to show His what? His manifold wisdom. To who? To principalities and to powers. (Ephesians 2:10, 3:10). You see one thing I want to make you get... I want you to get clear is that the desire of God is to showcase His glory in the life of His own. God desire to show forth His glory. To who? To principalities and powers. Why? Because on the other camp they are going to and fro looking for who to devour. And you will notice that thing when God said, "Have you seen My servant Job? A man who fear God and eschew evil." And Satan said, "Is it not because..." Now I want to make you see something about the gate... the gate of hell and the working of God. When the Bible says by faith the elders obtain a good testimony, the Bible is trying to make us to see that, look, it is paramount. It is important. It is crucial for us as a people to know that through us, what does God want to do? Showcase His glory. God want to showcase His glory. And to do that, there is something: ability to be loyal to God. And then God will begin to showcase His glory through your life. And my prayer is that may you be a vessel of reference for the showcasing of the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ. You see people talk to you, say, "Ah, in fact, it is something Daniel entered the lion's den and he came out." And you see all kinds of songs taking from that. Why? Because somebody was loyal to God and God showcase His glory. Now I want you to get something because I'm going somewhere today. Now having said by it the elders obtained a good report, he now gave some general discussion. I will come back to that verse 2. He said, "By faith we understand that the world were framed by what? By the word of God. So that the things which are seen are not made of the things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3). By faith. By faith we understand. Let me read some other translation. "By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we see now did not come from anything that can be seen." So what are we understanding by faith? What are we understanding by faith? That there is something about the word of God. There is something about when God speaks. There is something about when God says something. There is something about it. When God say something, that something comes to pass. Now because we understand that, we were able to grasp that this universe is not created by the things that are seen. What is sustaining the universe? What is keeping it in place? The word that God spoke. He now moved on. Look at it. He said, "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gift and through it he being dead still speak. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found because God had taken him. For before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God." When we got to the verse 6, it said, "But without faith it is what? It is impossible to please God." I believe now that is clear from our last week discussion. Asa could not please God because he didn't walk by faith. I believe that is very clear. "For he who comes to God must believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:4-6). Then he moved on. He said, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned..." I will still come to all of these what happened with them. I'll come to it later. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called... by faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive... therefore she was able to give birth to multitude. By faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob when he was dying blessed each of Joseph's sons. By faith Joseph... by faith Moses... by faith..." Now what is he doing here? I'm coming back to those elders. What do you look at that he was doing here? He was outlining different elders. He has said that it is by faith that these elders obtain good report. He now began to align different elders. Now when you go to chapter 12... please we still come back to these elders. Let's look at chapter 12. Let's look at chapter 12. He now said in chapter 12 that what? "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight..." (Hebrews 12:1). Now do you get something? Do you get something I'm trying to make you see? In the chapter 11, what did he do? What did he do? He listed different people. I'm still coming back to what each they did, but that's not what I want to look at today. I'm trying to point you to something very very crucial about faith. Now he listed several people. When he got to chapter 12 verse 1, he now give us the reason for that list. What is the reason? He says "Therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." Please, who is a witness? Who is a witness? Yes, who is a witness? I think that is the most fundamental definition. Someone who was present at a particular incident. He was physically there. That's why the Yorubas will say "eronyo-ta-fojuba," like the person who saw it. It's different from telling somebody what happened. So please, what did he call all of these elders? Witnesses. Are you getting something? He said, "We are surrounded by witnesses." What is that telling you? I'm trying to call your attention to something very crucial. Something very very crucial. Look at Isaiah. Please let's go to the book of Isaiah, chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40, then we will come to Mark chapter 16. Isaiah chapter 40. Look at it from around... I think that should be around verse 28, if that's what I want. Yes, I'm correct. That's what I want. Verse 28. Can we look at different translation for that verse 28? Please if you are reading your translation, you try and use the microphone. [Speaker 2] NLT. "Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depth of His understanding." [Speaker 1] No, just verse 28. Can we have any other translation? Isaiah 40:28. [Speaker 3] New King James. "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth. Neither faint nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable." [Speaker 1] Are you seen something? Let me I actually want to read the Amplified. "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary. There is no searching of His understanding." (Isaiah 40:28). Now do you notice the two things here? What are the two things that God first asks them? Have you not known? What's the second thing? Have you not heard? Do you see that? What's the difference between known and heard? To know something is that you had an experience of it. What about "have you not heard"? Somebody told you. Are you getting it? Why was God challenging them like this? Look at verse 27. He says, "Why, oh Jacob, did you say and declare, oh Israel, my way and my lot are hidden from the Lord and my right is passed over without regard from my God? Have you not known? Have you not heard?" (Isaiah 40:27). So who is God talking to? He was talking to His people, to Jacob, abi? And what was the question he had Jacob? "Have you not known? Have you not heard?" Are you seen the two things? I'm taking you back to Hebrews, that chapter 11 and 12. So what do you notice about God? If for any reason you have not been able to know, do you want to tell me that you have not heard? Are you getting it? Have you not known? Have you not heard? God takes this very serious. How do I know? Look at Mark chapter 16. Mark chapter 16. Are you there? Mark chapter 16. Look at what happened. I'm going straight to verse 14. Verse 14. What do you notice here about the Lord Jesus? Let me read Amplified. "Afterward, He appeared to the eleven apostles themselves as they reclined at the table and He reproved and reproached them for their unbelief, their lack of faith and their hardness of heart, because they did not believe the testimony of those who had seen Him after He had risen." (Mark 16:14). So they did not know personally, but they refuse the other experience. They had heard. I want to make you understand why that list was given to you. That list, why God created that long list is not because God don't have better things to say. Baba has a lot to say, but God was creating a list for you. That even if you have not personally experienced some things, I have witnesses to My power. These are My witnesses. Are you getting something? I'm trying to make you understand why that list was given to you. You know in a law court, the first thing is what? Bring your evidence. Am I correct? Am I correct in a law court? You bring your evidence. What is your own evidence? What is evidence? You know we have dealt with the matter of evidence. How does faith have evidence? Your personal track record of what He did in your life. That's your own evidence. Do you get it? That's just to look at last week. That why did He say it's the evidence of things not seen? You can say, "Ah, God who did it yesterday, I have evidence that He can do it again today." That's evidence. But we are going beyond evidence today. We are going to the second thing you need. There's another leg. The leg of what? Witnesses. After you have supplied your evidence, you will now say, "My Lord, so-and-so people were there to witness to this." Am I correct? So this is what God is... this is what heaven is saying. Perhaps as you are seated with us here, or perhaps as you are hearing us either on Telegram or Mixlr and this message is coming to you and you have checked your life after we looked at last week and you say, "Ah, me I don't have evidence of my faith oh. I cannot point to one thing that God did that I cannot begin to build on. I cannot really pick anything. Everything still look I just got born again yesterday. I've not really experienced God to know what He's doing in my life. My conversion was very recent." Maybe that is your situation. Or perhaps you have just been in church all your life. You have not been made to see that faith is a personal walk that make you to have a track record with God. So you can begin to make reference to that record which is your evidence for your faith. You get the point I'm making? Now what God is saying is that, look, you don't need to be discouraged. You don't need to feel that ah, what about my own life? You can start your walk from where? Witness. You can look at what He has done, what He did in the life of these elders. You can look at the record and then stand and say, "Wow! If God did this, then God can do it." So He said that, "since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." That is Christianity even if you have not been able to have an unusual experience with God. God is saying, "See, I have witnesses from where you can start." That is why God rebuke the apostles. They did not go to the tomb. Even the two that went to the tomb, they became confusionists. You remember the two that went to the tomb? Who were the two that went to the tomb? Peter and and that young person. Some said it's John, some said a young person. Whichever way you look at it, but two people were there. And when they got there, what did they see? They see nothing. They saw linen cloth, they didn't see the body. So when they went back, they said, "Ah, even me I was inside the sepulcher. Shut up Mary Magdalene, you did not see anything you are just telling a lie." Those did not even help the other apostles with their own with their own blindness. But when Jesus came, Jesus said, "Okay, all of you who have not experienced, but you are foolish people." Bible says that's why I read the Amplified, "He rebuked, He reproached them." Why? Why do you lack faith? Why can't you take personal experience from there? Why can't you draw from what they told you? If you have not known, have you not heard? If you have not personally experienced it, will you say you have not heard? If you have not personally experienced it, will you say you have not heard? Do you know that that was why Thomas was specially dealt with again. He was not there when he first appeared even to the apostles. They have now believed, but Thomas was not there. And when they told him, for you to know that even when we speak God hear us. Jesus wasn't there. He hear. And He respond to us. That's what people don't know. Be careful what you say about your faith, about your life. He who give ear hears. He gave us ear, and so He hears. He gave us eye He see. You must understand that. Thomas said, "No, don't tell me cat and bull story. Somebody just say He rose up, Jesus, and so the dead person they come alive? Abeg don't tell me what is not there. If me I don't put my hand here, me I I need to experience something and I put I will never believe all of you people. Maybe you just saw the ghost of one fathers, one of your fathers. Abeg don't believe nonsense." Some people are like that, they are skeptical people. May you not be skeptical where you need to quickly believe. Jesus heard. The same thing the way God said in the Old Testament where we read, "All of you who said to My hearing that you will die, you will die." Jesus heard. So He came. He said, "Thomas, ohya, put your hand." He was responding directly to him. Then he put his hand. And then he said, "Ah! My Lord and my God!" He said, "Thomas, because you now see you believe. Let me tell you, blessed are those who took their faith from what they heard not what they have experienced." Are you understanding me? Blessed are those who took faith. That was what I wanted to make you understand, this biblical faith. Blessed are individuals they have not experienced that dimension in God, "Ah, me I've not experienced so God cannot use this one in my life." Ah! That's not the Bible. That's not the God that the Bible reveal. The God the Bible reveal He has witnesses. Witnesses. And He expects you to start your faith. That's what He expected from Thomas. He said, "Blessed are those who did not see but they believed." They did not see it. They did not experience it. They were not at the tomb. They did not put their hand. They did not do anything. But they stood on it that, "Eh, Jesus is resurrected! You have seen it, I believe" and they began to run by it. Blessed are those people. Blessed are men let me tell you something. When you begin to find it difficult to believe the record of Scripture, you will not become anything in God. Look, there is records. There are things that God has written. When you read a Bible story, what do you make out of them? When you read Bible stories, you just read those stories and you say, "Ah! Eh! Eh!" That is not what God want you to make out of those stories. God is not expecting you to make out of those stories that you "Oh! You see how God delivered Daniel from lion? Hey! This God nawa oh!" If that is all you took, then you are foolish. What did He want you to take further? What did He want you to take further? That if I am thrown into lion's den, what will happen? That same God who delivered Daniel is alive. He can also do it in my life. That is why there is a long list. That is why there is a list. A list of witnesses. God is saying, "Look, don't wait until you experience before you begin to grow faith. Don't wait until you experience before you begin to grow faith. No. You can also grow faith from what others have experienced about God and they have testified to you." And in case you are doubting the testimony of recent people, you are doubting the testimony of your contemporaries, "Maybe it's exaggerated. She said she saw angel and the angel just pull her out of the well. Hmm. Hmm. That girl she may just be telling us fabu oh. Hmm. This one that they just said they were sleeping, as they were sleeping they just saw Jesus came with sword and deliver them. Hmm." Learn to look beyond the stories oh. There could be more details oh. Maybe they have some powers other powers oh. Eh! Don't try it oh. You may be in doubt. That is why God said, "Look at my written records. If you cannot believe contemporary stories, these things they are written down for your learning." I'm quoting Romans chapter 15 verse 4. Romans chapter 15 verse 4. Romans 15:4, what did the Bible says there? Romans chapter 15 verse 4. What did the Bible make us to see in that place? That there is something... yes... please use the mic if you are reading for us. "Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us, and the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled." (Romans 15:4). Are you seeing that? It says such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises. So the reason why these things are written, why are they written? They are written to give you hope. They are written to give you encouragement. So that look, if you cannot if you are the doubting Thomas that cannot believe the stories of your brethren... because you need to understand, the Bible say we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11). The word of our... say I believe in testimony. I believe people should share their story. People should talk about what God did in their life. I believe in believing the report of people. It is scriptural. You take what God did in their life and you run with it. You look at their testimony and you build up. So testimony comes in which way? What God did in your life. You overcome by your testimony. The one God did you say He can do it again. That's evidence. If you don't go that way, you say, "Ah, God did this for Paul. He can do it again." The way of witnesses. In all how are we overcoming? By the word of our testimony. Because when you don't take the report of those that God have dealt with, the day Jesus will appear to you, He will tell you, "Oh foolish boy! Oh stupid girl! Why didn't you believe the testimony of those?" And I can show you one thousand and one people in the Bible that this thing is based upon what we are talking about. But because I want to finish the matter of witnesses today, I'll just be making reference to them. Number one. Naaman. Has he experienced God before? Did he have any experience of God? No. No experience. He was the captain of the Syrian army. It was a slave girl. Ah! Look at unbeliever. An unbeliever, an unbeliever, complete unbeliever. It was a slave girl that they captured. Not even a mighty man, not a prophet, not a priest. May you not die in unbelief oh. I'm talking about building your faith based on witnesses. The reason why God gave you a long list is so that you can stand up, say, "Eh! God did it for Sarah, Abel, Abraham, Daniel!" So that your faith can come up. That is why we have all of these witnesses. You don't need to wait to experience them to join the chariot of God's army and say, "No, I can march with this God." You don't need to wait! You can start your faith, you can build your faith on the testimony of men who have experienced God. Naaman had a boss in his life. He had every other thing but there was leprosy. And because he was a champion, they captured some people from Israel. And there was this slave girl. A slave girl, a slave girl. You know what women is in that under that in ancient times. Not to talk of a slave girl, not even his wife. The girl just said to the wife, "Eh! I don't even know..." Even reported speech again. Reported speech. That's why I said that Naaman is better than many Christians. An unbeliever complete. He believe reported speech of a slave girl! "If only my master will just go to Israel. We have prophet in our land oh." Maybe there were prophet in your land, how were you people captured and destroyed? Couldn't that man have been thinking that way? "He will heal him of this leprosy!" And he took it up. He went to the king. They didn't know who exactly where exactly to go. They sent message to... that's why I tell people, you don't need to have all it takes to be successful. Start from somewhere, God will make way for you. He didn't know who to go and meet, but he believed the testimony. He began to take step. The first step was a wrong way. He thought it was through the king. They sent to the king. He say, "I'm sending Naaman to you oh. They say the king... there is healing in your land." When the king saw it, the king said, "See oh! See oh! Eh! He's looking for how to make trouble with me oh! He's looking for how to make trouble with me! Am I God? Am I God? He's starting to make trouble with me." I tell people start from somewhere. You have believed God. You have seen something. Begin to run! Just begin to run with that thing God is showing you. God will make the way. While the king was trying to to be confused, that was how Elisha heard. He say, "Ah! Tell him to come to me." So he didn't even know where he was going or who he was going to meet. He was just going to Israel. And so he went to the king. That was how he was linked up, eh, with the his miracle source. So he moved to the place. When he got there again, there was another problem. He was thinking that the man of God would just come out... since he is he is a respected man, he wanted to be honored. He wanted respect. Instead, the man of God did not even come out. He just said tell him to go and wash himself somewhere. When he saw that, he say, "Which kind of disrespect is this? He could not even come out and I thought he would come out. I thought he's going to call upon his God... God!" He was trying to determine how God will heal him. And many times we do like that too. God will just do it like this. You begin to calculate and you begin to plan. Leave out God will heal you. Leave out God will deliver you. Leave out God will complete it. Just follow God. And what happened? He got angry and he was turning back again because he was not he was not respected. Because he was not respected, he wanted to go back. But his servant came to him again and said, "Ah ah! It should not be like this. We have come all the way from Syria. What if he have asked you to go and kill goat? What if he have asked you to jump off seven times? What what he asked you to do is very simple now. Ah! Is it not just to bath and then you you go back? What if he asked you to go and bring all the all the money in Syria?" And he said, "Okay." The testimony of people again. And he went to try. And when he tried it, eh, that was how he became a believer. That is why he became a believer that he took the soil of Israel. "Ah! I'm going with this soil so I can be remembering this God." But he begged Elisha that, "You know, if my master is going to the to worship the idol, I must go there now and I'll bow down with him." Elisha said, "No problem. But forever I'm going to worship this God." He said, "Yes, go." The point I'm trying to bring out is that somebody got his miracle, he experienced the God of Israel by the testimony of his slave. I'm talking about witnesses. Which is easier to believe, what elders have experienced and what a slave told to a man? Which is easier to believe? You know what elders have experienced. Is it not a good record for us to note and then run by it? I show you another person again. I will be picking them like that, I just noted them. Look at the woman with the issue of blood. Has she experienced Jesus before? Was there any personal walk? No. No personal walk. She has just been hearing that Jesus has been healing people and he had been doing miracle. He had been doing this. So while Jesus was passing, eheh! This man that had been doing it, my case will be resolved. I'm going to I'm going there! If Jesus was passing, in my own case will be settled. What type of faith is that? Is that not foolishness? No. What do you call that ordinarily? Somebody you don't know personally. You have not experienced. I'm trying to make you see that faith, if you are waiting for faith to start from everything personal, you will never get anywhere. That's why I'm showing you the two leg. Having talked about evidence, He came to witnesses. Witnesses. And so he and you know why the kind of that woman gave me so much surprise? The Bible said she has spent all she has on physician and there was no remedy. Please if there is something that you have gone you have gone through the whole Nigeria, you have consulted all the best of doctors and there was no remedy. And now one person is coming you hear that He's doing something, He has done for this, He has done for that. And you took that to heart so seriously. Look at where the woman was coming from. And you know the funny thing? You know the funny thing about this woman? Eh? One thing that keep shocking me till today... nobody knows her name. But all we know, eh, a woman with the issue of blood. May your testimony become a national anthem. We don't know her name but we know her testimony. We don't even know her name. We don't even know her tribe. We don't know where she is from. We don't know whether she is rich or poor. But her testimony, eh, there are all kinds of song about it. [Musical refrain] "I was a child when I began to hear [Sings in Yoruba] if I can touch the the hem of His garment [Sings in Yoruba] I would be well." I've been hearing song about that woman and I was thinking that one day when I grow up I will know the woman, I will know her name, I will know where she is from. Everything about the woman is just that the woman with the issue of blood. May your testimony travel. May your testimony travel. May your testimony give encouragement to others. May your testimony become a reference for people. May men hear about what God has done for you and may their faith rise. May you become a light to those in darkness. May you become a miracle reference in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. We are talking about witnesses. Witnesses. I show you another person again, Blind Bartimaeus. Is he among is he among the disciples? No. He was a blind man who normally beg. But he had been hearing, "Ah, there's one Jesus, He did this, He did that, He did that." So they said one day Jesus was passing His way. Eh? And what did he do? Bible say he free himself from his entanglement, the rug. And that's the first thing he did. He made effort. The second thing, he began to shout, "Son of David! Have mercy on me!" because he did not know how to call him. He didn't even know the best way, he didn't even know how to thread the prayer. That's why I tell people, don't wait for one perfect prayer to say, "Ah how do I pray?" Look, just start your prayer life from somewhere. Start your prayer life. Start your prayer life. As you start and you are studying the word of God, you will know how to pray much much better. But start! Start! "Son of David, have mercy on me! Son of David have mercy me too I need mercy I need mercy Son of David!" That was what he called and then the people said, "Shut up! Shut up! You are disturbing. Shut up! Shut up!" What did the Bible say this man did? Bible say in fact he cry yet the more. May the crowd not shut you from your miracle. May what people will say, eh, not cut you off from God. "I don't want them to think, I don't want them to feel, I don't want them to say, I don't want them to... I don't want they will be thinking, they might be saying, they might be... Look!" Put all those things beside! "Shut up! What is your own? Who told you that He's the kind of you that Jesus want to deal with? You blind... who told you that your kind of person is even among the least, a very busy man like this? He have a heart for people like you?" Ah, I don't know what they were telling him. But he just said that you are a disturbance to this mighty man who is going everywhere. "Shut up!" He shout much more the more. Eh? You know what amazed me? Jesus said they should call him. The same people who tried to shut you will serve you if you persist. The same people who tried to shut you off, they will serve you. I know what I'm talking about. I know what God has done in my life with this kind of situation. People who tried to shut us off came back later to become those who were serving us. He persisted. His persecutors became his messengers. His persecutor became those who served him. They said, "Ah, eheh, Mr. Blindman, Mr. Ra... he's calling you oh! He's calling you! He's calling you!" And when he got there, he was helped to pray correctly. Bible say the Holy Spirit help us to pray even as we should pray. Am I not correct? Am I not correct? The Holy Spirit help us to pray, eh, because many times we don't even know we don't even know what to pray or how to pray. We don't we sometimes we don't even know how to go about it. You are just disturbed. You don't know what to do. You say, "God help me! God help me!" if that is all you can say in the prayer: "God!" The Holy Spirit will take it up from there. So Jesus told him, "What exactly... now put your prayer like this. Tell me exactly what you want." Okay, eheh! It's no more "have mercy." It's no more what I want is that "I want to see." I'm talking about people who heard. They heard and then they believed. They heard. Witnesses. I don't know where you stand today but I want us to go to Luke chapter 18 as we close this evening. Let's go to Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. I will read but I'm concerned about the last verse. But let me just read then go to the last verse. I will read some of the verses from the beginning then I will go to the last verse. "Then He spoke a parable to them that men ought always to pray and not to lose heart. Saying: There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city and she came to him saying: Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterward he said within himself: Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily." (Luke 18:1-8). Nevertheless... nevertheless when the Son of Man comes... eh? What is the question? What is the question? "When He will really find faith on earth?" NLT: "I tell you He will grant justice to them quickly. But when I the Son of Man return, will I find who have faith?" NIV: "I tell you He will quickly get justice for them. He will see that he gets justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" The Message: "I assure you He will. He will not drag His feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on earth when He returns?" TJB: "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on earth?" Amplified: "I tell you He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith, persistent... will He find persistence in faith on the earth?" Jesus was talking about His return in this place. But I am bringing you to an understanding as we pray tonight. The Bible says "do not be weary in doing." (Galatians 6:9). "In due season you will what? You will reap if you do not faint." I want you to pray. He say "when He will come." I'm not talking of when Jesus will return. I'm talking of a heart that is loyal to God. That eye the eyes of God they are running to and fro the earth. And by the time God intend to visit, to do wonder. God want to do something eh in family tent, or God want to do something in your street, in your compound, God want to do something in your assembly, God want to do something eh where you are. Will there be will there be faith in you? I want you to pray. He say, "will He find faith?" Faith is a crucial thing. When the Lord visit, faith is a crucial thing. Faith is a crucial thing. And I'm showing you I've shown you the second leg of faith building, the witnesses. What you have heard. What you have heard. What you have read, what you have heard. Can you pray? He say, "when I will come, when I will come, when I will come." By the time God will show up, Asa have done foolishly. By the time Samuel will show up, Saul have done foolishly. By the time God was showing up, the Israelites have done foolishly. It was only Joshua and Caleb, eh, that experience that power. The others have done foolishly. By the time He comes, Jesus spoke to to Jairus, eh, when he was to heal his daughter. He said, "Only believe, only believe, only believe." When Jesus encountered the centurion, he said, "Oh never in Israel have I find such a faith." Say Jesus marvel. Look, faith can be seen. Jesus can see your faith. The Lord can see whether you have faith in Him. That what I'm trying to make you see. He can see it. It's something He wants to see. It's something when He wow when He look at Asa say, "You have done foolishly. I did not see faith." When He come up for Saul he say, "Ah because you did not come on time I quickly sacrifice." He say, "Oh you have done foolishly. I told you to wait for me." I want you to pray. By the time my visitation will come, ah, I will be there standing. I will be there waiting. I will be persistent in my faith. I will not have changed my confession. I will be there waiting. Oh! When I wait upon the Lord, I will renew my strength. I will mount up with wings as eagle. I will run and not be weary. I will walk and not faint. Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait. When I wait, when I wait upon the Lord, I will renew my strength. I will mount up with wings as eagle. I will run and not be weary. I will walk and not faint. Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait. When I wait, when I wait for the Lord. Oh! I will renew my strength. I will mount up with wings as eagle. I will walk and not be weary. I will run and not faint. Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait. When I wait, teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait. Oh when I wait, teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait. Everlasting Father, we thank You. We thank You for this time again in Your presence. We thank You, Lord. We thank You for the elders. We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness. We are surrounded by so great a cloud. We are surrounded by such a cloud. A cloud that can make us to have hope. A cloud of witnesses that can make us not to be discouraged. A cloud of witnesses that can build our faith. A cloud... this cloud is a a sure cloud. When we begin to think of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of David, of Daniel, of Samson, of Sarah, of Joseph, when we look at these your witnesses, Lord our heart is encouraged. Our hearts they are encouraged. Lord our heart are encouraged. Our our prayer tonight, Lord we are just begging You, teach us to wait. Our generation is becoming so faithless. Oh by the things we confess, by our attitude to challenges, by our attitude... oh Lord God You are still doing miracle. Miracle they are still possible. Wonders are still possible. Supernatural they are still there. The miraculous they are still there. God is not dead. God is alive. God can still repeat the things that He has done before. He can do them over and over and over and over and over again. Oh Lord cause our heart to be encouraged. Thank You, eternal Father. None of us will do foolishly in the name of Jesus. Thank You our Father. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Let's share 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. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord now and forevermore. 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 heat. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday 5 PM, adolescents and singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10 AM. Marriage forum second Saturday of every month at 10 AM. Family life seminars, regular school outreaches and everyday counseling. For further counseling you can reach us at our location Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community opposite Very Joy Filling Station along Idjare 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 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.