His Cross (let Him Deny Himself 4)

[Music playing] [Narrator] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Music playing] [Speaker 1] Our Father, we are grateful. Almighty God, we thank You. We bless Your holy name again for bringing us together again for another time of discipleship class, to look into scriptures and particularly again, this being the last Monday of the month, the opportunity to pray. Our Father, we are praying this evening that for us who are here physically, for our brethren who are joining us online, Lord, together as one people, You will bless us in Jesus’ name. Lord, as one people, You will meet with us in Jesus’ name. Lord our God, Your spirit will attend to our individual situations, our individual needs and circumstances in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, our eyes are on You. Let nothing prevail against Your purposes in our lives. Thank You, Lord our Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. So, we will try to take the matter a little from where we left it and then raise some one or two important issues that relate to the burden for prayer today. Last week, we were looking at the matter of letting him deny himself. And we were checking it from what is our Christian call, why we need to endure, the place of good works, the place of living honorably, sensibly, and correctly before the Gentiles, the place of suffering for doing good, the understanding that this is even our Christian call. That is in 1 Peter 2. We took our reading from verse 18. We were looking at the instruction of God that many times it's easier to submit to good people, but to live correctly when the people who are around you are not upright and just, it becomes a little difficult and challenging. But we saw God's approach to such situations, that we should silence the ignorance of foolish men by doing good. And that good is the ability to live as we ought to live regardless of the situation, regardless of who is the master, whether the master is good and considerate, or the person you're dealing with is not like that. So before I quickly move on to zero in on one or two things, I don't know if anybody has anything to reflect on from last week, our last week's Bible study. This reflection from last week Bible study as a way of high point of lessons, as a way of testimony, as a way of something to learn from you. You will need this or let me understand. Okay. [Speaker 2] You have summarized my take home. Last week was wonderful. One of the words that came to me was the fact you mentioned that if we want to please the flesh, our lives may not be honorable before our unbelieving neighbor. And that one got to me, that if I have to live my life to please everybody so that they won't have anything to say against me, my life may not be pleasing to God. And number two, you made mention that our unbelieving neighbor, at times they may not understand the way we live our life. They may be wondering, but our good works—and that word I captured—our good works will silence them. That I have learned that in any environment I found myself, if at all they don't know me, they don't understand how or what I do, they are angry, they are envious of me, they have this envy against me, just keep doing the good work. And from the testimony shared about this Christian environment in the North, it really touched me that I think I should not compromise no matter what happens, just keep doing the good work. And the good work will continue to speak. And you also mentioned about this scripture that we read about our boss, our master, servants, and the masters. If at all, from NLV or NIV, you made mention that if at all your boss is harsh or good, you still have to accord that respect that is due and we must submit to them. And that also really caught my attention that where I work, no matter the behavior of my boss, the Bible has said it. And one of the words that you said, that "This is the will of God," and you asked, "What does that mean?" That that is what God wants. Exactly in that environment that we found ourselves, we must obey our boss, whether he is harsh or nice to us. [Speaker 1] Yeah, thank you very much. Thank you very, very much. And don't forget that we are looking at all of this under the caption, "let him deny himself." And you know one thing about the word of God? You know it's a two-edged sword? It's a two-edged sword. One thing about it is that as the Lord ministered seed to the sower and bread to the eaters, at the same time, even the sower also gets blessed in the bread of the eaters. You know one thing that became a matter even after last week's meeting, one thing that became a very important matter was the statement that the Lord said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your soul." (Matthew 11:29) The truth that many times the reason why we don't find rest for our soul, why our soul is busy, bitter, anger, murmuring, grumbling, is not because of the situation that we are facing. It's because the self, what is really troubling us is the self we refuse to deny. You know that matter went—even after the meeting, I was the one who said it, but it was something I kept on meditating. That the real troubler of a man's soul is himself. And when we say himself, we mean that self he refused to forget. He begins to think, "Ah, this person took my right away. No, God will punish him." You see the person and then bitterness and then envy and then this and then that. You see the person panting, grumbling, this, that. But do you know that—I just began to reflect on the example of the Lord when His right was taken away because He understood it as the will of God. The Bible says, "Like a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so He was before His shearers." (Isaiah 53:7) And He was not perturbed. He was not disturbed because He knew He was doing the will of God. You see, it's a very important thing for Christianity today, for us as believers to really take time to meditate on. If a man must find rest for his soul, there is a rest of salvation, but rest for the soul comes with taking the yoke of the Lord. Any man who doesn't take that yoke—and the yoke of the Lord is clear. "If any man will follow Me, let him deny himself." It's clear. Then, "Take up the cross daily." We are just looking at this one of letting him deny himself. We will later come to letting him take up the cross. But this denying, this self-denial, this forgetting self, this setting self behind, it sounds so simple, but to me, it's the core. It's the core of our Christian call. That is what helps us to display good works. That's what helps us to do good consistently even when there is no reason for it. I hope you get the point I'm making. That's why he said, "Honor your masters, even those that are harsh." It means there is no reason for that honor if you are to take judgment into your hand, if you are to fight it out. There's no reason for that honor. But the honor is coming because there is a consciousness of God. And that conscience is saying that, "Let him deny himself." And I did mention some things very clear last week that—but I would like to read that scripture today. Where I left the matter last week was for to this you are called. I believe I'm right. This suffering is—yes, we stopped at verse 21. "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving an example, that we should follow in His steps: 'Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth'; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Peter 2:21-25) I will come back to this last two words here. But before I come back to these last two words, I want us to just quickly take a look at that Matthew that we made reference to last week. Matthew 5. Where we made reference to last week, let's just quickly look at some things here. I begin to read from where the whole matter connects together, from the verse 14. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14) Now, ordinarily, it means if you remove us from the world, what happens to the world? So if the Bible says we are the light of the world, what does it mean? What is the essence of light in a place? To illuminate? Okay. So when it illuminates, what does it do naturally? Once light illuminates a place, what happens to people? People see clearly. So if we say we are the light of the world, what is the scripture saying? We help the world to see itself. That's true. Which other way of looking at it? We are the light of the world. It means ordinarily, without us, the world don't know how to see how things should be done. They cannot see it. It's when you introduce us to the world that the world will go, "Oh, okay. Okay." Then they will see how it ought to be against what they thought it was. But you know, for some of us today, it's the other way around. It's like the world is the light of the church. Are you understanding me at all? Look at practically today. It looks like the other way around. "Look at how things are done in Nigeria. Look at if you don't do this..." But we are—but look at how things are moving now. But how? Are you understanding me? That it looks like the other way around. It looks more like the world is the light of the church. It looks more like they determine how it is to be done, then we feel left out if we don't do it like them. So it's like they know the right thing we should do, rather than we telling them the right thing that they should do. I hope you're understanding me. So he said, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14) That is, if actually we live correctly, we cannot but be that light. If we actually live correctly. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. So if it is hidden, it's not on the hill. So that just looking at the example of this place where we are now, this place can only be dark if you don't switch on the light. You know when night falls now, this place can only be dark if and only if you don't switch on the light. But once you put on the light, it cannot be dark. If it is dark, the light is not on. You can't say the light is on and the place is dark. It's contradictory. What I'm trying to say is that when our unbelieving neighbors cannot see the right way of doing it, is that we also began to live like them. We did not live differently. Are you getting the point I'm making now? If they cannot see the right way of doing it, it must be like where we left the matter, where we—you know we were reading Psalm 37 last week. "Fret not yourself because of the evildoer, neither be envious because of the man that brings evil to come to pass. Trust in the Lord, keep doing good. Set aside anger, it only leads to evil. Wait for the Lord, wait patiently for Him." It only means that we too became like them and then were moving on like them and so the light was not on. If the light is actually on, the place cannot be dark. That's the point I'm trying to draw. Now, when he said that, he now says, "Let your light so shine"—look at the matter—"let your light so shine before men." (Matthew 5:16) So God don't actually need the light. The essence of God making us light is not for the sake of God. The essence of making us light is for the sake of men. But what comes back to God is this: "Let your light so shine for men, that they may see your good works, and then they will glorify your Father." (Matthew 5:16) So what comes back to God is glory. It's still the same thing he's talking about. Good works. He's talking about how we live. How we live is the light that the world needs. It's not when you go to church and read Bible and pray and speak in tongues. No. It is so much how we live among them that that is where the matter of light is important. Now, when he moved on, the Master said, "Do not think that I come to destroy the law or the prophet. I did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will by any means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." (Matthew 5:17-18) I want us to note that matter is "all is fulfilled," not "all is obeyed." "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19-20) So, talking about the law, talking about the prophet, you know the Lord is not talking about the literalness of the law. He's talking about what the law is trying to say. That's what He came to fulfill. Now, when He finished that, He now began something in connection with the matter He was saying. He said, "You have heard that it was said of old, 'You shall not murder, whoever murders will be in danger of judgment.' But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment." (Matthew 5:21-22) So, hate and murder is the same. "Whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hellfire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny." (Matthew 5:22-26) "You have heard that it was said of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." He's talking about fulfilling the law. I hope you see how the law is being fulfilled in this thing that we are saying. "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than your whole body be cast into hell. And if your right hand..." like that again for the hand. And then he came to divorce. "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman that is divorced commits adultery." (Matthew 5:27-32) So, certificate does not work. Again, you have heard that it was said of those of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord." But I say to you, "Do not swear at all." On and on and on and on. I'm just showing points about Jesus’ relation to the law. Not the literalness of the law, but the implication, the mind of the law. Then, finally, He came to something that relates to where we are going. He says—don't forget that this matter is coming from what: "You are the light of the world." "You have heard that it has been said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to them who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:38-44) Is it different from where we read in Peter? Is it different? There is no difference. Spiteful masters who are not good, who spitefully use you and persecute you. "That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes the sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and the rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brethren, what do you do more than others? Do not even tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:45-48) Now, the matter of "perfect" has been diversely discussed, but that's not my focus. If he had said, "Be perfect, but be you perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect," it's coming from what he had been saying. Am I correct? So if he had said, "Be perfect as God is perfect," what are we saying? We are not talking about sinless perfection. We are talking about responses toward those who hate you. You get the point I'm making now? Toward those who spitefully use you. Not giving tit-for-tat. That is the point he's making about being like God. Now, what I want to do before I read this thing is that I want to tie it with where we read in 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 2. I want to tie it together. Now, look at where we read. He now said, "For to this you are called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should walk in His steps." (1 Peter 2:21) Now, to what are we called? "For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and you suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable to God. For to this you are called, because Christ also suffered for leaving us an example that we should follow in His steps." (1 Peter 2:20-21) Now, he said so many things. Now, in concluding that chapter, he now said we have come to where? Who have we returned to? Who have we returned to in verse 25? We have returned to who? The Shepherd and the Overseer of what? Our souls. Now, please, who is the Shepherd of our soul? Jesus. Who is the Overseer of our soul? Same Jesus. Who is telling us that, "Look, when we do good and we suffer, we should take it patiently, for to this you are called"? Who is saying the same thing? Whose example are we following? Jesus. You see, what I'm trying to make you understand, it is the inability of the average Christian today to understand that when it comes to the matter of their soul, they are not the Shepherd nor the Overseer. The Shepherd of your soul, the Overseer of the soul, that that—you know when you talk about the soul, I want you to get something very, very well. We are not just talking about a man existing. We are talking about the totality of what make you you. Do you understand what I'm trying to bring out? Your spiritual life, your marital life, your financial life, your career, your—that is what that entity—when he says he will find it, his soul was in torment. What are we talking about? We're talking about what makes him him. You see, what makes you you that you are over—that many times you become unnecessarily obsessed about, it is because you are losing a clear picture. There is a bigger picture about your life. We are always on the small picture of our life. The small picture we are always looking at, how you can shepherd your soul and oversee your soul. And so many times, what happens to us? We lose the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that you fail to realize that the person who said "deny yourself" is not taking your soul for granted. The person who is giving the instruction did not just give it on a blank check. He is giving that instruction on the basis that He is what? He's the Bishop and the Shepherd of your soul. I don't know whether you understand. And that's why many times I like giving the example of Joseph. Everything that Joseph passed through should have cut off his soul. But the person who was allowing him, exposing him to those things, was also doing what? Was overseeing that nothing happens to the soul because He was going somewhere. So, the person who is putting your life into the fire, please, I want you to understand, is like the goldsmith and the blacksmith. As He puts it into the fire, He only wants to remove the dross. It is not to destroy the precious gold. No. No. No. When He puts it into the fire, He is watching seriously over it to make sure that the heat is not too much and the heat is not too little. It is what is needed to make it purer that He exposed it to. So, the person who is exposing us—who is saying, "Look, forget about yourself, just be conscious of My interest, be conscious of pleasing Me, be conscious of doing what pleases Me, be conscious of following Me, be conscious of what I said," the person who is saying that is also the same person who is the actual Bishop and the Overseer of the soul. So, you see, many times, you know what we do? We want to—we normally think we can be the shepherd of our soul. And so, in a bid to shepherd it and to oversee it, we—no, I don't want to lose out. I don't want to—I don't—in a bid of "I don't want to be cheated, I don't want to lose out, no, I want to do this, I want to do that," many times we now compromise the soul. Many times we compromise the soul. And that is a very crucial thing for us as believers. And I can give—I can give examples, examples, plenty, plenty examples of these things. And we can check them through in scriptures and you will see them, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. If you go—if you take yourself back to the Old Testament, I give you the example of Jeroboam. Do you remember Jeroboam? Who was Jeroboam? The king that rebelled, that Israel followed against who? Against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. You remember how that thing happened? You remember that it was God that called Ahijah to anoint Jeroboam, that God is going to tear the kingdom because of the sin of Solomon and He is going to give him ten tribes, but for the sake of David, God will leave one tribe for Judah and that was Benjamin had to go with Judah, they stayed with them. But the other ten tribes, they went away. Now, do you follow the story carefully? When they went away, you know something happened. The seat of worship was still Jerusalem. The Northern Kingdom had broken away from the Southern Kingdom. Mind you, Jerusalem is with Rehoboam and yearly, Passover is in Jerusalem. Towards the Passover, Jeroboam thought in himself that if the people go to Jerusalem for the Passover, they may end up rebelling against him and go with the Southern Kingdom, go with Rehoboam. He now went—the Bible says he went and he sought counsel and took counsel. May blind men not be your counselors. You know, he sought counsel and took counsel. What was the counsel they gave him? They gave him the counsel of what happened in Exodus 32. You know, in Exodus 32, the people made a golden calf and they said, "O Israel, behold the God that brought you out of Egypt when they did not see Moses for forty days." You remember? Go and check the words of Jeroboam. They said they also made a golden calf. When they made that calf, what did they say? The same—go and check it—the same statement. They said, "Behold, O Israel, the God that brought you out of Egypt. It is useless for you to go to Jerusalem to do any worship. Do your worship here in Samaria." You get the point I'm making. Now, when they made that, he now went ahead again taking counsel. He now anointed, he now appointed people who are not Levites to become priests of that altar. The Bible says, "And this became a sin against Jeroboam, the son of Nebat and the house of Jeroboam." So that the Bible says that anytime they want to make reference to sin, they will say, "And he sinned according to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat." That is, he created something that was—you know, something that could not be—no, they could not out—no body could do more than that type of evil. Created a precedent that was for generations. What am I trying to say? He did that to secure the kingdom. But that was the very basis for which God sent Ahijah again back to him to tell him that, "Am I not the one that God used to anoint you as king? And then you turned against the Lord to make Israel worship golden calf." You know, God sent a young prophet that prophesied against that altar. "O Jeroboam, O Jeroboam," you know, "O altar, O altar, a child shall be born unto the house of David." You remember that incident? That was the very thing that took the kingdom away from Jeroboam. What am I trying to make you see? He wanted to secure a kingdom that was not of him nor from him. Who told you that you can oversee your soul and you can bishop your soul? Did your soul emanate from you? Who had more stake over your soul? When you were still a sinner and you were living useless life, who went all out to redeem you? Were you concerned about the soul then? Were you not just living a useless life and going your way? There's somebody interrupted us and said, "No, I will give you eternal life." Was not that eternal life that now makes your soul to have value? Now, the best—that's why he says that "Look, you have come to the Bishop." You should understand that there is a Bishop. The person who is giving the instruction is who? The Bishop and the Shepherd of the soul. That you need to understand that look, you don't have a greater stake over that soul than Him. You don't. You don't. You don't. You have returned to the Bishop and the Shepherd of your soul. Under that understanding this evening, I want us to respond to God. First, to worship the Lord and say, "God, You are the Bishop and You are the Shepherd of my soul." Lord, I actually came to the Bishop. I did not come to the taskmaster of my soul. No. God is not the taskmaster of my soul. No. God has not come to make it difficult for my soul. He said so that My soul can find rest. Can we worship God and say, "Lord, You are the Bishop. My soul has a Bishop. My soul, there's a Bishop, not just a Bishop, and also a Shepherd of your soul." There is somebody that wants to guide the soul, somebody that wants to put the soul in place. He said, "I'm the good shepherd, I lay down My life for the sheep." Your soul has this good shepherd that would rather die than you should die. He has this good shepherd. I want you to worship God this evening that my soul has a shepherd. A shepherd who will lay down his life for the sheep. Even when I did not count the soul as valuable, when I was living as miserable sinner, when I was living recklessly and uselessly, He was busy making plans for my redemption. He was calculating how I will come to Him because the Bible makes us to understand that God is the Author. He is the Author. That your faith that brought you to God was authored by God. The person who authored that faith is also the Finisher of the faith. That is why scripture says, "Be confident of this very thing, that He who began the good work is able to finish it." (Philippians 1:6) The person who began that work with your soul, who began that work with your soul, is monitoring and making sure that your soul is not wasted, that your soul is not useless, that your soul is not oppressed. Brethren, let us have this clear understanding that self-denial is not foolishness. It's a wisdom of God to conquer evil men. Self-denial is not foolishness. Self-denial is not being timid. Self-denial is a wisdom of God to silence the ignorance of foolish men, to make them see that we don't give a tooth for a tooth, we don't give eye for eye, we don't give—no, we don't do that. Rather, we do good to them that hate us. When they constrain us to go one mile, we can go two miles. When they slap on the right, on the left, we don't bother to—we are never revengeful. Rather we give place for us. When our enemy is hungry, we give them to eat. When they are thirsty, we give them to drink. That is who we are. We are operating a wisdom of God, a wisdom to conquer the world, to silence the ignorance of foolishness. It's a wisdom of God. It's a wisdom of God. It's a wisdom of God. Can't you see? Oh, hallelujah. Look at that wisdom in Jesus Christ. When they were busy whipping Him, Bible says by that stripes, you were healed. When He was busy suffering and falling, it is so that you will not fall. I'm making you to see how God by wickedness, returning back with good, how God by that was busy working redemption. Bible says, "The chastisement for your peace," the enemy thought they were doing that, the Lord was taking it calmly, the Lord was taking it, but they did not understand it was a wisdom. It's so that by His stripes you were healed, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. It's a wisdom of God. Suffering when doing good is a wisdom of God to silence the ignorance of foolishness. Respond to God this evening in prayer and say I just want us to worship God today and say, "God, You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop and the Shepherd of my soul." My soul has a Bishop, my soul has a shepherd, my soul has been redeemed, it has been purchased, there's a down payment for my soul, even the very hair of my head they are numbered, I worth more than many sparrows. That is what the Master said, that is who I am. I am too defended to be a victim. I cannot be abused. I cannot be molested. When it looks so, no, it is because it is the wisdom of God to work something. It's a wisdom of God to work towards something. It's a wisdom of God to bring forth something. And that is why God spoke in advance that you, servant, submit to your master, not only to the good one, but even to the bad one, because by the fire of their life, God will rather purify the gold of your own life. That is what God only wants to do. They cannot harm you. You know what the Bible says? The Bible says, "Who can harm you, if you are follower of what is good?" Who can harm you? Who can harm you? Who can harm you? It says "follower of what is good." Worship the Lord this evening that, "Lord, I thank You. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Shepherd of my soul." Look at that wisdom in Jesus Christ. When they were busy whipping Him, Bible says by that stripes, you were healed. When He was busy suffering and falling, it is so that you will not fall. I'm making you to see how God by wickedness, returning back with good, how God by that was busy working redemption. Bible says, "The chastisement for your peace," the enemy thought they were doing that, the Lord was taking it calmly, the Lord was taking it, but they did not understand it was a wisdom. It's so that by His stripes you were healed, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. God! It is a wisdom of God. Suffering when doing good is a wisdom of God to silence the ignorance of foolishness. Respond to God this evening in prayer and say I just want us to worship God today and say, "God, You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop and the Shepherd of my soul." My soul has a Bishop, my soul has a shepherd, my soul has been redeemed, it has been purchased, there's a down payment for my soul, even the very hair of my head they are numbered, I worth more than many sparrows. That is what the Master said, that is who I am. I am too defended to be a victim. I cannot be abused. I cannot be molested. When it looks so, no, it is because it is the wisdom of God to work something. It's a wisdom of God to work towards something. It's a wisdom of God to bring forth something. And that is why God spoke in advance that you, servant, submit to your master, not only to the good one, but even to the bad one, because by the fire of their life, God will rather purify the gold of your own life. That is what God only wants to do. They cannot harm you. You know what the Bible says? The Bible says, "Who can harm you, if you are follower of what is good?" Who can harm you? Who can harm you? Who can harm you? It says "follower of what is good." Worship the Lord this evening that, "Lord, I thank You. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Shepherd of my soul." And you will notice that it is because we don't understand this matter of forgetting ourselves. I'm telling you that it's one of the greatest bane of marriages today. People who enter into marriage don't understand self-denial. So that you will notice that immediately the Lord was through with the matter of servant, what did he jump into the next thing? Check that Peter. Please, brethren, check that Peter. When the Lord was through with the matter of servant, you will notice similar trend, similar pattern. What did He say? "In like manner..." In which manner? The manner that we have been discussing. In all that we have been talking about. "Wives, be submissive to your own husband, that even if some do not obey the word..." So what is that telling you? Whether they are good or evil. Is it not the same thing? Is it not the same thing? Is there anything different? It's the same thing. That is why I'm saying that the crux of the matter today, why it looks as if Christian marriages, things are scattering, is because most men who enter into marriage, they don't understand the principle of "let him deny himself." And so when they get there, they remember themselves. When they get there, it's about themselves. "I can't take that. I can't take this." If you are not working it, then it will not work. Was that what God said in working His covenant with Israel? Look at where we are coming from. Even when God made them blind, it is so that God can save the Gentiles and come back to still save them again. I am showing you very serious issues about this matter of letting him deny himself. He said, "Wives, in the same way, in the same way, in the same way," and that tells you that the Bible is making us to see, making us to see very, very clearly, very vividly, that one crucial thing we must understand about rest for our soul is the matter of self-denial. Why people enter into marriage and they are complaining, grumbling, fuming, revengeful, "This person is not making me this, this person is not making me that," the actual problem that they have in life is that they did not learn self-denial. Our spouses is not first and foremost the problem we have. It's not first and foremost. If you go back to the Master, is God justifying the master? Is he justifying the master? No. But he's raising a very practical issue. My emphasis today, the emphasis for today's meeting is: let us remember the person who gave us instruction is also the Bishop and the Shepherd of that soul. You don't have a greater stake than Him. You don't. You don't. You don't. You have returned to the Bishop and the Shepherd of your soul. Under that understanding this evening, I want us to respond to God. First to worship the Lord and say, "God, You are the Bishop and You are the Shepherd of my soul." Lord, I actually came to the Bishop. I did not come to the taskmaster of my soul. No. God is not the taskmaster of my soul. No. God has not come to make it difficult for my soul. No. It is so that my soul can find rest. Can we worship God and say, "Lord, You are the Bishop. My soul has a Bishop. My soul, You need to know who I am. You need to know who you are. There is a Bishop, not just a Bishop, and also a Shepherd of your soul." There is somebody that wants to guide the soul, somebody that wants to put the soul in place. He said, "I am the good shepherd, I lay down My life for the sheep." Your soul has this good shepherd that would rather die than you should die. He has this good shepherd. I want you to worship God this evening that my soul has a shepherd. A shepherd who will lay down his life for the sheep. Even when I did not count the soul as valuable, when I was living as miserable sinner, when I was living recklessly and uselessly, He was busy making plans for my redemption. He was calculating how I will come to Him because the Bible makes us to understand that God is the Author. He is the Author. That your faith that brought you to God was authored by God. The person who authored that faith is also the Finisher of the faith. That is why scripture says, "Be confident of this very thing, that He who began the good work is able to finish it." (Philippians 1:6) The person who began that work with your soul, who began that work with your soul, is monitoring and making sure that your soul is not wasted, that your soul is not useless, that your soul is not oppressed. Brethren, let us have this clear understanding that self-denial is not foolishness. It's a wisdom of God to conquer evil men. Self-denial is not foolishness. Self-denial is not being timid. Self-denial is a wisdom of God to silence the ignorance of foolish men, to make them see that we don't give a tooth for a tooth, we don't give eye for eye, we don't give—no, we don't do that. Rather, we do good to them that hate us. When they constrain us to go one mile, we can go two miles. When they slap on the right, on the left, we don't bother to—we are never revengeful. Rather we give place for us. When our enemy is hungry, we give them to eat. When they are thirsty, we give them to drink. That is who we are. We are operating a wisdom of God, a wisdom to conquer the world, to silence the ignorance of foolishness. It's a wisdom of God. It's a wisdom of God. It's a wisdom of God. Can't you see? Oh, hallelujah. Look at that wisdom in Jesus Christ. When they were busy whipping Him, Bible says by that stripes, you were healed. When He was busy suffering and falling, it is so that you will not fall. I'm making you to see how God by wickedness, returning back with good, how God by that was busy working redemption. Bible says, "The chastisement for your peace," the enemy thought they were doing that, the Lord was taking it calmly, the Lord was taking it, but they did not understand it was a wisdom. It's so that by His stripes you were healed, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. God! It is a wisdom of God. Suffering when doing good is a wisdom of God to silence the ignorance of foolishness. Respond to God this evening in prayer and say I just want us to worship God today and say, "God, You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop and the Shepherd of my soul." My soul has a Bishop, my soul has a shepherd, my soul has been redeemed, it has been purchased, there's a down payment for my soul, even the very hair of my head they are numbered, I worth more than many sparrows. That is what the Master said, that is who I am. I am too defended to be a victim. I cannot be abused. I cannot be molested. When it looks so, no, it is because it is the wisdom of God to work something. It's a wisdom of God to work towards something. It's a wisdom of God to bring forth something. And that is why God spoke in advance that you, servant, submit to your master, not only to the good one, but even to the bad one, because by the fire of their life, God will rather purify the gold of your own life. That is what God only wants to do. They cannot harm you. You know what the Bible says? The Bible says, "Who can harm you, if you are follower of what is good?" Who can harm you? Who can harm you? Who can harm you? It says "follower of what is good." Worship the Lord this evening that, "Lord, I thank You. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Bishop of my soul. You are the Shepherd of my soul." You can understand why He could tell you that "Look, even the very hair of your head they are numbered." Is that not what He told you? Is that not what He told us? He said even the very hair—He's trying to make you see, "Look, you are too defended to be a victim." That's what you need to understand. You are too defended to be a victim. If you understand this thing, you will know that you are too defended to be a victim. I give you an example. Something happened one day. I was to—an Okada man took me to a point and somehow, he could not take me to the agreed destination as agreed at the beginning of the journey. So I gave him the money with "Okay, give me the difference between where you took me to and where I'm supposed to go, as agreed at the beginning of the journey." When I gave the Okada man the money, he just looked at me and he said, "Look, what is the distance between here and where you are going to? I beg, watch the remaining," and he just zoomed off. And as I stood there looking at what he did, you know what the Holy Ghost just told me? "You don't need to curse the wicked for the wicked to be cursed. You don't need to curse the wicked. You don't need to operate My word for it to operate. You don't need to say, 'God curse you.' No, no, no, no, no. I watch over My word to perform it. You don't need all of that. But if you understand who you are, you will pray that I should have mercy on this life because he did not really understand who he is dealing with." I had to begin to pray that, "God, please have mercy on this man." You see, you need to pray that because he doesn't know who he is dealing with. He doesn't know who you are. He did what he did, he doesn't know who you are, but you know who you are. You see, many times we think we are victims. Many times we just look at ourselves—I've making you to understand that you have come to the Bishop. There is a Bishop of your soul. There is a Shepherd of your soul. And I'm saying that, particularly in reference to what we are going through as a nation. Can you worship God today that I am not like any other person on the street? I have returned to the Bishop of my soul. I don't have a greater stake over my soul than the Bishop of my soul. Some body redeemed this soul, somebody died for it, somebody purchased it. In fact, you know what God did again? God has made a down payment, and that down payment is the Holy Spirit. God has paid an advance. Who told you that anybody can waste my soul? Who told you? How can you waste my soul when the down payment for it is the Holy Spirit? The down payment for my soul is the Holy Spirit. To be sure that God is coming back for me, to be sure that my soul is not lost, God made a down payment. That soul cannot be oppressed. That soul cannot be abused. That soul cannot be useless. God has made a down payment over that soul. There is a Bishop. Somebody is overseeing that soul, and that person is the Lord. You know what the Bible says? He said, "Blessed is that man whose God is the Lord." (Psalm 33:12) Blessed is that people whose God is the Lord. Why? He said because the Lord will frustrate the counsel of the heathen. He will bring the thought of the nations to naught. He said the Lord—he said the counsel of God shall stand, no matter what the nation think over your life, their counsel cannot prosper, their thought cannot be established. He said God will frustrate their counsel, He will bring their thoughts to naught. But the counsel of the Lord shall stand and He will do all His pleasure. So, blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord. Your God, the Bishop of your soul, is also the Lord of the earth. The Bishop of your soul is also the Lord of the earth. Worship the Lord this evening and tell yourself it doesn't—it doesn't matter how dark Nigeria will be dark. Oh, the Bible says darkness may cover the earth and darkness the people, but the glory of God will shine upon me. The glory of God will shine upon me. In the midst of this confusion, there shall be glory for me. In the midst of this confusion, as I plug myself into the purpose of God, into the plan of God, into the place of God, into the things of God, what I will experience is a divine lifting. What I will experience is the hand of God lifting me, because God is committed to that which He has said. He's committed. Plug yourself into the plan of God. [Music playing] Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know, oh, He holds my future. And life is worth a living just Because He lives. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know, oh, He holds my future. And life is worth a living just Because He lives. [Speaker 1] Our Father, we thank You. Let me give the mic to Funmbi to close the meeting this evening. Please come and close the meeting. In the name of Jesus. [Speaker 3] Thank You, Father. Our God and our King, we are grateful to You. We worship You. We glorify You. We proclaim, Lord, You are King. You are God. The Shepherd of our soul, the Bishop of our souls, the Overseer of our lives. Ah, Lord... [Yoruba language]. Ah, thank You, Lord. Ah, thank You, Lord. Thank You because what concerns us matters to You. Thank You, Lord, because everything about us matters to You. Thank You, Lord, because You have the greater investment. Yes, Lord, You have the greater investment. You are more involved than we can ever imagine. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for the assurance of this, Lord. Thank You, Lord, for Your ownership of us. Thank You, Lord, for the stamp of Your Holy Spirit upon us. Thank You, Lord, for the mark of the Lord Jesus. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Ah, that You may help us, Lord, to forget ourselves. That You may help us, Lord, to forget ourselves. Ah, Lord, that You may become all-important. You may become all-consuming. Everything about You may become what begins to be a matter in our hearts, in our souls, in our spirits in the name of Jesus. Ah, Father, we pray and we ask, more of You and less of me. More of You and less of us. Ah, Baba, let us begin to see You in everything. Let us begin to see You in front. Let us begin to see You ahead. Let us begin to see You, You, You, Your counsel, Your intention, Your purpose, Your kingdom, Your plan, Your thoughts. Ah, Lord, let us—let us begin to see You in every situation, in everything. Lord, shift our eyes from ourselves. Teach us how to deny this self. Teach us how to live above it in the name of Jesus. Father, we are grateful to You for Your word today. Thank You for the encounter in Your presence. Lord, we just worship You because, Lord, You can do. You can do all that concerns us. You can perform it. You intend to do it. Lord, thank You because You can keep us. Lord, the times are hard and uncertain, Lord, we are sure that You can keep us. We are sure that, Lord, it matters to You to keep us. Thank You, Lord Jesus. We are grateful. We bless Your name, Lord. We worship at Your feet. Hallelujah. Father, we just ask that You will bless Your son and You will fill him up to overflowing again in the name of Jesus. We ask that You will bless all of Your children, both online and in the house tonight. We ask, O God, that this Your Spirit will just continue to minister these words to us, that You just continue to expose to our hearts life scenarios where self-denial is important, where, Lord, we need to—we need to just say no, I let go and I let God in the name of Jesus. Help us, Lord. For in Jesus’ name we have prayed. Amen. [All] Let's share the grace 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 forevermore. Amen. [Narrator] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching 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; adolescents and singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; marriage forum every 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 by the First Bridge, Ilere 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.org. Our phone numbers are 0803-386-1136, 0703-361-3848. God bless you all.