Cdc 11th Nov 2019 Silent Fears

[Voiceover] Churchy fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God rightly desires a godly home from... These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tech Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] Matthew... Matthew 25. Sorry, Matthew 24. I was looking at the conversation of Jesus with his disciples. And the more I looked at it, the more I felt that the church of God, and when I mean the church of God, I mean we believers. I hope you understand me. We still have a lot of rubbing on God. We still need a lot of rubbing to rub on God, for God to rub on us so that so many things happening around us today, we will have the correct outlook to these things. In Matthew 24, the disciples of Jesus, they were asking him important questions that pertains to the end. And Jesus was giving response to those questions. [Speaker 2] Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and the disciples came up to show him the building of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down." Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and of rumors of wars. See to it that you are not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famine, pestilence, and earthquake in various places. All these things are the beginning of sorrow." Praise the Lord. [Speaker 1] Now, the disciples of Jesus, they were asking him, they wanted to know what would be the sign of the end of the age? How will things look like? I've been conversant with this verse of the scripture. But somehow, I want us to look at it again vis-à-vis the many things that are happening around us today. Jesus said that, "Take heed that no one deceive you. For many will come in my name, saying 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of war and of rumors of war. See that you are not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Now, if you look at the state of the nation. Let's take Nigeria, our nation. I'm looking at, as I move from church to church, as I speak with believers, I noticed that there is something that Isaiah says in Isaiah chapter 8. Maybe let us read that too. I will come back to this Matthew. Let's see Isaiah chapter 8. Look at the verse from verse 11. Isaiah 8 from verse 11. "For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: 'Do not say a conspiracy concerning all that this people call a conspiracy. Do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He shall be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall fall; they shall be broken, be snared and be taken.'" Now, what do you notice that God is telling Isaiah here? What is God trying to tell Isaiah? That generally, the nations, the people, don't call conspiracy or conspiracy what they call conspiracy. Don't fear what they fear. Don't dread what they dread. In fact, when they threaten you, you don't need to be afraid. But there's one thing to make your fear. What is that thing that Isaiah should make his fear? He said, "Just make me your fear and your dread, and then I will be a sanctuary." I want to move closer to each other. Let me move closer so that we can hear ourselves better. Now, he said, "Don't fear what they fear." For when you don't fear it, what will happen? What will God be to Isaiah? What will God be? Or we didn't read it together? Let's check it. Let's read it together please. From verse 11. Maybe let us try a different translation. Simple translation from 11. [Speaker 2] The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand, warning me not to think like everyone else does. And do not be afraid of what frightens them. Don't live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of heaven's armies holy in your life. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must make your dread. He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah, he will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem, he will be a trap and a snare. [Speaker 1] Yeah. Now, do we get the message of that passage? What is the message? Is that for anybody that had a walk with God, Isaiah was having a walk with God. At this time there was trouble in the land. There was so much sinfulness. There was so much wickedness. There was so much atrocity in the land. I don't know whether that of Israel at this time surpasses that of Nigeria or that of Nigeria surpasses that of Israel. But in any case, it was clear that the people of the land were not worshipping God as they ought. You understand me? And so God was speaking to somebody. That person has a walk with God. God was speaking to him with a strong hand, a very strong one. He was giving him a very solemn warning. That look Isaiah, don't call conspiracy what they call conspiracy. Isaiah, look, don't fear what they fear. You don't need to dread what they dread. Make me your dread and I will be a protection for you. As for these people, they will be snared, they will stumble, they will be taken. Now, the point I'm trying to bring out of this is that I was just reflecting some two weeks ago, whether two or three weeks ago. And my attention was just called to the situation of the church today in our land. There is so much sinfulness. There is so much wickedness. And as a result of the sinfulness, result of the wickedness, honestly, there is so much perversity in the land. In fact, it's like every week there's a new method of evil that is emerging. By the time you read your WhatsApp, they will tell you there's now a new method now that they are using. Be careful if somebody come and buy perfume, that you should smell it, don't smell it. Once you smell it you will sleep off. They will kidnap you and you will be gone. After waking up the following day you see another one. They have changed their method. If somebody throw egg on your car, don't use the wiper. It is kidnappers. Once you wipe, the car will, you will not have the visibility. Once you come out to clean it, then they will get you. Another method has come again. If somebody call your registration number in a party and say registration number please you are blocking somebody, don't go alone. Am I the only one reading this thing? Have you been reading them too? Now what I'm trying to bring out is that the wickedness in the land and the perversity in the land, wickedness is taking a height that the average, when you talk with believers today, there is fear in the heart. There is a silent fear. There's a silent fear. [local language]. I don't know what is your silent fear. A silent fear is just there. [local language]. That could be a silent fear. [background noise: baby crying] What I'm saying is that there is something happening to you, there's something happening around you, but because of reports that you have heard before or reports that you are hearing now or some knowledge that you have by the reason of some information that came around your way, there is this silent fear. There's this inner dread. There's this thing inside you. For some of us, the dimension is in the form of "you shall hear of war and of rumors of war." One time, I was in the house one day when my wife called my attention that did I see what was posted, that Boko Haram want to attack banks in Akure, banks in Ondo state. I don't know how you saw that circular. It was publicized by police and everything. And when she told me about it, I just said anyway, I said I hope it's not a rumor. And then we just left the matter. But two days later on the radio, I just hear [local language]. When that report was given, some people I don't know whether they would have run to the bank maybe withdraw their money or "throughout this week I'll not go near a bank so that I may live, I can preserve my life a little better." What I'm trying to bring out is that some of the fear, they are coming because of information that are flying, and I'm telling you, the information they are not getting smaller. They are not reducing. The things are increasing. And so I'm talking about different things that could bring silent fear. Silent fear, inner fear. Fear of something today that is ravaging the people of God. [local language]. Silent fear on different things that are just there. And you know, I was just ruminating when the Holy Ghost was just calling my attention that the church, today's church, still has a long way to go. That was just the thing because so many of us are under the influence of one kind of fear or the other. One kind of fear. There's a silent fear. There's a fear, one fear or the other. Different types of fear. And you know what tried to make me feel that the reason why silent fear persists in the heart of Christians, persists in the heart of believers, is because the extent of God rubbing on us, the extent to which God is rubbing on us, rubbing on us, we still have a long way to go. God still need to rub on us much more the more than where we have today. God still need to rub on us. And he said it's because our experience of peace and quietness is always short-lived because the Prince of Peace, the Prince of Peace, we have not fully known. We are not interacting in a way that the peace of God will garnish our heart. The peace of God, the peace of God is not taking deep root down because God is not, the extent to which God is rubbing on us or God has rubbed on us is still not enough to handle the perversity that we are facing today. The extent of what I mean is that these things, the reason why they are affecting us and they are coming to us is because the extent to which we are rubbing on God is not strong enough to overshadow what is outside. And so what is outside is greater than what is inside. And that is why inside there is no quietness. Inside, quietness is not there because inside, in the inside, in the inside, the way, the way of God, the person of God is still not known enough to be able to deal with the pressure that is pressing us from outside. And so the average Christian today live under some element of silent fear. Silent fear. There's this silent fear in your heart. Silent fear about tomorrow, silent fear about your health, silent fear about some information going around. You want to travel, there's silent fear. You want to do this, there's silent fear. Fear, fear, fear, fear, fear here and there. There's this silent fear. And you know what? Let us rise up. Let's come to a place where our knowledge of Him will swallow up our silent fears. Our knowledge of God will swallow it up. It will take away, it will remove, it will deal with, it will garnish our heart. Do you know one thing that God first called my attention to? Look at Philippians chapter 4. Look at Philippians chapter 4 verse 6. It's a very popular scripture. We should be able to quote it offhand. Philippians 4:6. Offhand. [Speaker 2] Be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication, let your request be made known to God. [Speaker 1] And what will now happen? [Speaker 2] And the peace of God that passes all understanding. [Speaker 1] Now, "And the peace of God that passes all understanding." Do you understand that when the peace of God garnishes a heart, you will not even understand why you have peace. People will be looking at you. "Peace, what peace? Haven't you heard? Haven't they told you they have Boko Haram in this area? No, there's no problem. Everything is okay." Peace! I don't know whether you understand what I'm trying to bring. There is a way the peace of God, there is a way we rub on God and God rubs on us such that there is a peace that passes understanding. That when people hear what is happening to you or what is happening about you, they will be wondering how you are able to live peacefully. Why? The possibility was there, or the possibility is there because God is rubbing so much on you that his peace that passeth understanding is at work. It has garnished your heart. [local language]. Fear will not just be there. Fear. Not as if there are no issues. If you read that Philippians chapter 4, it says "be anxious about nothing." It means there are issues that cause anxiety. But in everything by prayer and supplication and then the peace of God that pass understanding, which means while ordinarily speaking, there is no reason why you should have peace, but there will be peace. You are just at peace. This peace is lacking so much in the church today. This peace is lacking. It is this peace that Jesus was talking about in that Matthew 24. That's why I said let me first go round then I will come back there. He said you will hear of war and of rumors of war. What did he say? What follows that statement? [Speaker 2] See that you be not troubled. [Speaker 1] See that you be not troubled. See that you be not troubled. Is it possible to hear of war and rumors of war and not be troubled? Is it possible? [Speaker 2] With God, it's possible. [Speaker 1] With God, it's possible. Look at what he said, "See to it." Where is God putting the responsibility? Is it not in us? He's putting it in us. But I want to ask you, [local language]. Naturally, what causes fear you will fear. You will fear. But the Lord is saying that "see to it." It means it is possible to see what makes afraid and not fear. It's possible. But then you will be operating not at the level of fear. Not at the level of the natural. It is not natural to see fear and not fear. It is not natural. It is not natural. But I want to ask us, who are we? Are we not spiritual? Are we not? Are we not spiritual? The second thing the Lord called my attention to about this matter of peace is in Hebrews. In Hebrews 11. He said faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen. By which the elder obtained a good report. He said by faith we understand that what? That the world was framed by the word of God. So that the things that are seen were not created from the things which appear. What does that mean literally? The things that are seen are created not from the things that appear. What does that mean literally? He said by faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God. So that the things that are seen are not created from the things that appear. He says they are supernatural created, even though we can logically explain them. A man sleeps with a woman, that's why there is pregnancy. Is that not? That's the logic. But he's saying that by faith we understand that that is not what made the child to be. What made the child to be is that God said let there be a child. The things that are seen are not created from the things that appear. Even though you tell people read and work hard, but that you read and pass, you better not begin to rejoice that it was because you read. It should be because God wanted you to pass and he said let this person pass. He said by faith we understand that the things that are seen are not created from the things that appear. That's how we don't trust in ourselves and we don't glory in ourselves. Because we understand that this thing that are seen, even though you can logically explain it, it is not the logic that brought it about. It is by the word of God. Now, that is the basis. I want to bring this meeting to a close. The Lord told me that because we don't live by faith, for us, why do we have fear? Why does the things around us give us fear? Because for us, the things that are seen are created from the things that appear. So you believe if somebody carry gun and say denial Jesus or live, you believe that if you say Jesus, you will die because by gun, gun can kill. You will not believe that except God say you should die, you can never die. Are you getting the point I'm trying to bring out? That there are two things. That one, we have not known God enough for his peace that pass understanding to rule our heart. That is one major cause of our silent fears. And so the peace of God that pass understanding is not there because we cannot understand. We look at it, we look at it. That peace that pass understanding is not there. Number two, we are not children of faith. We are not working by faith so much with God, drinking so much into God so that we will become children of faith, who deeply understand, who daily realize that the things that are seen are not created from the things that appear. And so even if kidnappers are on this road, that I will be kidnapped is not because kidnappers are there. It is because God wanted me kidnapped. If God does not, they can wait there, they will not operate until I have passed. They cannot just operate. That is. The people of God today are not putting, you see, because we are not knowing him enough for our life to be seen as secured in him. We still look at our life just the way every other person look at their life. So you fear what they fear. You dread what they dread because your relationship is not taking you deeper. The challenges this evening is that let us drink deeper into God. More things are still going to happen that if you are not careful, because your heart is troubled, you will not remain in the faith. Because your heart is troubled, you will abandon the faith. You will leave the faith. So that as we conclude this evening, I just want to call the attention to some very unusual things that have happened. Some very unusual things that have happened in the Bible. And those things, you know that is because these people, they are no more seeing the physical. They are seeing something supernatural. I want to ask you. Let us take instance in the New Testament. Look at Simon the prophet that came to where Jesus was to be dedicated. I hope you remember that Simon. Remember that Simon? Who came by the power of the Holy Ghost to where Jesus was to be dedicated. For everybody that day, what was going on? Child dedication of just a child that was born. For Simon, what was going on? For him, he was on a different, different plane. Completely different plane from every other person. I'm talking the kind of life that we need to deliberately begin to get into. We begin to need to begin to know God enough that we will be among people but we will be operating from a different level entirely. Even though we are among people. I show you another one. What do you think would have happened that they took John and Peter, they gave them lashes of cane and as they got up, they were rejoicing? I hope you know the shame and the embarrassment that go with that. [local language]. There was a peace that passeth understanding. Another one in the New Testament. You remember when Paul was in the ship and everything was doing, and everybody was sure it's going to be death? I hope you know the case I'm referring to now. [background noise: baby crying] And then the captain of the ship, they could not eat. Everybody could not eat. They were certain that death is imminent. Somebody got up and say "Hey, brethren, [local language]". Who was that? Paul. What did he tell them? He said the Lord that I serve have told me this night that there will be no death. They could not eat. They were under the dread of death today. What did Paul do? He took bread, [local language]. They took courage and they began to eat. When they got near to the ship again, when the ship was almost getting where the land will hook it, and then they wanted to quickly kill all the other prisoners and then take lifeboats, cut it and then move and run away. Paul told them look, nobody should get out of this ship. Anybody that get out of this ship will die. Stay here and we will live. For them, outside that ship is life. I'm showing you people, I'm showing you human beings. These people, they are not spirit, but they were working in a realm that is not natural. Can you be in the midst of an accident? Everyone "help! help!" and you say "no, calm down. The bus is going to capsize three times but nothing will happen." Can you be that peaceful? These are not things that are natural. Do you agree with me, brethren? Things that are natural. But we are showing you people who have suffered shipwreck, who have suffered accident. And look at how these people because of their fellowship, how much God have rub on them. I'm just saying that brethren, let us covet higher things. Let us look at examples and covet these examples. Don't let us choose to remain at everybody just level themselves there. Let's go beyond that level. [local language]. In the Island of Patmos, [local language]. Receiving revelation. He could even be receiving revelation. I'm just talking about how some men have lived. Let us, the point, my point this evening is that your silent fears, the Lord said, "See to it that your heart be not troubled." The Lord want us to climb higher. If he's the far we climb, that we come to where fear will not hold our heart. Different silent fear, silent fear of tomorrow, silent fear will our life be alright, silent fear of this one, silent fear of that one, different fear. Let's say, "God that I may know you." God, I want to drink deeper. There is a peace that passes understanding. It's possible. A peace that pass understanding. There is a faith that knows that the things that are seen are not created from the things which do appear. There is a faith in God that knows that. Oh, the matter says "See to it that you are not troubled." See to it. [local language]. Take time to know the Lord better and better. See to it. See to it that you are not troubled. See to it that you are not troubled. See to it that you are not troubled. Thank you, Father. Blessed be your holy name. [Singing in local language].