I call you friends

(Battle Hymn of the Republic music) Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on. [Speaker 1] Church fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home for these words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Circle Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. (Music fades) [Speaker 2] We have to walk into what the Lord has planned for us. I want to point attention to John. Let's look at John, John chapter 15. Take your reading from verse 13. [Reader 1] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants— [Speaker 2] Stop at verse 15. [Reader 1] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. [Speaker 2] Please, what does that communicate to your mind? We are looking at the ordinances of the gospel, the relationship that Jesus brought that we're looking at. Please, what does that communicate to your mind? Nobody is speaking? What does it communicate to you? Greater love can be more than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friend. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no more call you servant, but I call you friend. A servant don't know what his master is doing, but I call you friend so that you can know what I'm doing. Please, what is Jesus ordaining for us? We are looking at this matter of fatherhood, the fatherhood of God. What is Jesus communicating? Maybe to get a better understanding, let us see Romans chapter 8. Read from 28, read it to around verse 30. [Reader 2] And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. [Speaker 2] Compare it with what we just read. That it all works together for good so that Jesus can be the firstborn among many brethren. Are you following me? He can be the firstborn among many brethren. When he was leaving, he said, "I'm not calling you servant. I call you friend." A servant don't know what his master is doing. "But I want you to know everything that I'm doing, so I'm no calling you servant, I'm calling you friend." What is Jesus ordaining for us? We are looking at this matter of fatherhood, the fatherhood of God. Do you get the picture very well now? Can you pick that picture? Jesus is trying to make us see a very serious thing. When he said, "I don't call servants, we are friends." Who are friends? People of equality. People that can relate freely. People that can say, "So that you can know everything that I'm doing." And he said, "The things that I'm doing, my Father has revealed to me, so I also reveal everything to you." And when we come to Romans, it wants us to understand what the matter is. Jesus is firstborn among many brethren. So he is the firstborn. We don't know who is the second born, who is the third born, who is the fourth born, who is the fifth born, who is the seventh born. I don't know what is my position. I will ask God when I get there. I will ask him. I will ask him my position. But I just want to bring out... now, he's defining something for us. Now, do you notice that Jesus is making us to see that... you must have read this scripture, that we are joint heirs with Christ. Have you read that scripture before? Some even go to say we are co-heirs with Christ. Jesus is making us see that in this ordinance, in this new ordinance, this revelation of God as Father, the kind of access you have, you don't begin to say, "If only I can have the kind of thing that Brother Wale has." That is not the standard of measurement. What is the standard of measurement? The standard of measurement is Christ. He's saying, "The kind of access I have to the Father is what you have been brought into." That looks too big. Can your mind conceive that? Can your mind conceive it? We never realize that. But I'm telling you what the gospel made available for us. He's saying, "I don't have more access to God than you." Why are you trying to measure yourself with Adeboye, with Kumuyi? That is not the standard of measurement. So you'll be like, "God, look at Brother Wale, look at how he knows God. If I can just know small like that." But that is not the standard. Even me, I am still pressing towards the mark. Of course, I can be a challenge and I can be something to challenge you, but I am not the standard of what God has made available for you. What God made available, in fact, the way the Son has access to the Father, all the other sons, they are not less sons. We are not less sons of God than Jesus. That sounds something like... that sounds like we are no more human. Does that mean we are no more human? No. But he's defining the... how will I put it now? Okay, something just occurred to my mind now. If you buy a phone, a very sophisticated one, sometimes everything that the phone can possibly do, till you die, you may not use it. Why? Because you don't know it. What I am saying is that what we needed to know... because one thing about working with God is that the first and foremost thing with God is that you must first know the truth. Because once you don't know the truth, I keep telling people, you can never operate liberty with God beyond the level of revelation that you have. It is not possible. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, then the truth will make you free." Now, the truth I am quoting is that many times we don't have an understanding that what Jesus is offering us... that is why men who have understanding, they keep saying, "What manner of love is this?" That we, I mean, fisherman. You know, they understood the matter. That we become sons of God. We, man, fisherman. You call one man, who used to be a local boy, who was busy doing all kinds of things on the road. I am talking about myself. Just suddenly, you are given the same access with Jesus. Iṣẹ́ wo lo ṣe? [What is the labor?]. That is why the gospel, the gospel... I keep telling people, the truth of the gospel, they are more real than they are apparent. They are more real than they are apparent. That is, the reality of them is not the thing we see easily. What is more apparent to us are our culture, our tradition, religion. The reality of the gospel, they are not apparent to us. I mean what Jesus made available. They are not... they are not very apparent. I was speaking in a GSF something, and I gave a very good example. If you look at the sun, if you look up at the sun, except that we have scientific knowledge, nobody can convince you that the sun is bigger than the earth. Some of them believe, walk by faith. "Come on, the earth, the earth is smaller than the sun." Okay, you say, "Yes, yes, now." But what will be going through you? You look at the sun again. You look at the size of the earth. Ayé yìí kéré sí oòrùn. [The earth is smaller than the sun]. You will say, "How? We will remove many suns inside the size of the earth." Is that not true? But except that against what is so apparent to us, what is so clear to us, we have a knowledge that the sun is bigger in size, and it is many times the size of the earth. You get the point? We will be struggling. Or somebody tells you, "Brother, don't let anybody deceive you. The star is larger than the earth." (Singing) Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Stop telling me lie. That is the kind of problem we have with God and the truth. The things that the gospel makes available, they are not real to us. By the time we want to put it on our mental capacity, it... And that is why he said the gospel is foolishness. Foolishness. He said, "But to those of us who..." No, not what you say. To those of us who believe. Before they are saved, he said they do something. Those of us who believe. The gospel is what? The wisdom of God and what? The power of God. But it is only to those who believe. What I am saying is that, you see, if you don't begin to believe... let me tell you something that happened many, many years ago. Anytime I am trying to hear God, I say, "Oh, I hope Satan will not speak to me. Satan, see, Satan, don't speak to me. I only want to hear God." Until one day, God had to call my attention. He said, "Until you believe that you can hear my voice, you will never hear it." He said, "A double-minded man should never think he will receive anything from me." If you want to hear my voice, the first thing is to know. So I now went to the gospel. He said, "My sheep hear my voice." He said, "My sheep hear my voice." I said, "But God, I am not hearing." He said, "That is your problem. My sheep hear my voice. Are you my sheep?" I said, "Yes." He said, "My sheep hear my voice." I said, "But I am not hearing." "My sheep hear my voice! Are you a sheep?" I said, "Yes." Something just dawned on me that everything about this life that is intruding to hear God, I break it in Jesus' name. I begin to realize that it is not trying to say, "God help me to hear, God help me." It is to believe. And not only that, you see, the gospel is for those that will believe. How did you get saved? Are you sure you are saved? How did you get saved? Somebody just preached, "Jesus died for you," and you believed. Now, after you believed, did you experience something in your life? But that man that died on the cross, he died for your sin. If you can just believe it. So you are sure he is not a thief. He's not a thief. They just mistook him with them. He's the Savior. His own death is different. He said he died for my sin and you believe. Doesn't that look like something to believe? But when you believe, what happened? You see the wisdom of God. What do you see? The power of God. The reason why we are not seeing these things operate in our life is because we doubt the realities of them. It is not because they are not real. You see, what I am showing us this evening is that while you may say, "God, Brother Wale's life is a challenge to me. Baba Kumuyi's life is a challenge to me," they are not the standard of the sanctuary. The standard of the sanctuary is that boy we formed, is taking off. The standard of the sanctuary is that we have equal access with God as Christ. Some of you are afraid now. "Is this really true?" It's not so. It's not so. We are supposed to be praying through Jesus. You know, the Holy Ghost intermediary. You pray through Jesus. Is that the picture of what Jesus gave us? Are we praying through Jesus? I want answer. Are we praying through Jesus? Praying through Jesus to the Father. Like Catholics are praying through Mary. Like our bábáláwo, they are praying through Ifá. Ifá, talk to Olódùmarè. They must go through some god. Olódùmarè, talk to God. Òrìṣàlá, talk to God. Are you understanding? You must pray through a medium to God. Are we praying through Jesus to God? I want you to answer. What the Bible reveals... he said, "Whatever you ask in my name." The matter is, we pray in his name. We don't pray through him. Like in John when he was saying that they will have access to the Father. When people want to pray, "Answer us through Jesus Christ." That is not what the Bible established. That's your religion. "Father, hear us because we are praying..." We are not praying through Jesus! Rather, there is nothing the Father can do for us except in his name. The Father exalted the man and gave him a name. That in his name... he said, "Whatever you ask the Father in my name." Jesus never gave an impression that when we want to access the Father, we first tell Jesus, like people come to Mary. "Holy Mary, Mother of God, help us talk to God so that God can give us..." Yes, now! You know my wife is a Catholic. I'm an Anglican. You go through her because... and when you want to get special favor, you know what they normally say? They will take you to the story of the marriage in Cana. That look at what happened in that place. If not for the mother, there would have been no miracle. It was the mother that compelled him when he said it was not yet my time. But because of the mother's figure, the answer came. So there are things God would not want to do for you, but when you come through the mother, God will be compelled to do it for you. Are you getting the picture? You see, what I am trying to make you understand is something very close, but a little bit different. Our access to God is... our access to God is similar as Christ's access to God. But none of us have a name. That is why we normally say there are no two saviors. There are no two messiahs. And that is why nobody can take the place of Jesus in anybody's life. Nobody. Nobody can replace Jesus. "Oh, this my spiritual father is my mentor, is my this, is my dad, he's the one that guides my life." It is not correct. As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. They are supposed to counsel us. They are supposed to guide us. But they cannot take the place of Jesus. There is only one Lord, and that Lord is Jesus. But when it comes to our access with God, one thing he did for us when he came... do you know what he did? Let me tell you plainly what Jesus did. There was a wall. This is God, this is man. There was a wall of separation between God and man. Jesus Christ came in between. You know what he did? He removed the wall and joined these two together. He removed the wall and joined these two together. And that is why, I keep telling people, the only way to know a true religion... is how you place Jesus. The way you place Jesus determines whether your religion is true or is false. The only way to place Jesus is as revealed in the gospel. As revealed by what he said and what the apostles said about him. Any other thing anybody want to talk about this Jesus is not true. The Bible gave us the record of what Jesus said and what the apostles taught. And that is why the Bible said the church is founded on the foundation of what? Of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus being the chief cornerstone. Why the apostles and the prophets? I've explained that before. All that Jesus did was in conformity with what the prophets prophesied. He could not do anything apart from what was prophesied, even though he could do otherwise. But he could not, because he came primarily to fulfill what was prophesied. Having fulfilled it, he now said, "Go and preach it." And in fulfilling it, what he simply fulfilled was that man formally shared such an intimacy with the Father that the two of them, they talked. You know what Adam and God was? Did Adam need to pray to know that Eve was the bone of his bone? (Speaking Yoruba) Ọlọ́run, kí nìyí tí o mú wá? Ọlọ́run, tani eléyìí? [God, what is this you have brought? God, who is she?]. Immediately he saw her, there was so much connection. "This is the bone of my bone." There was so much light. That was what man lost. But listen, listen, listen. When man lost that, man lost it as a creation of God, not as a son of God. Are you understanding me? When Jesus was to bring the restoration, what Jesus did... I think I've explained this thing before at one of our meetings. I think right here. Is it not here? What Jesus restored to us was not that he gave us exactly what Adam lost. No. What he did was that he gave us much, much more than what Adam lost. That is why the Bible says, "If by the sin of one man, all men are condemned, how much more those that receive..." Romans chapter 5:17. Romans 5:17. [Reader 3] For if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. [Speaker 2] You see? We reign in life through this one man. We reign in life. So what Jesus did for us was that just as when Adam was reproducing man, what did Adam reproduce? After his kind, mortal men. When Jesus, when we also came into Jesus, what he was reproducing is also what? Children of God. So he is the firstborn among many brethren. What Jesus did is mind-blowing. What Jesus did is mind-blowing, if you really understand what he did. Many of us don't even know what he did. And that is because religion plays on our mentality many times. Religion plays on our mentality, religion plays on our mentality, several several times it plays. But what Jesus did actually is a thing that, if you read first Peter, he says even angels desire to look into these things. Because even angels themselves were confused. What is confusing them is the fact that sonship, man moved from the creation of God to what? To the children of God. Now what Jesus is now giving man is not exactly what man lost. It is far more than what they lost. So that you can get it a little better, so that you can understand this thing, you can understand this, you can have a better picture of this understanding. If you look very closely into scripture, Ephesians chapter 2:6 and 7. You will notice it says that and we who were dead in trespasses and sins... can somebody read that? Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2. If you read from around verse 4. [Reader 4] But God, who is rich in mercy— [Speaker 2] Now, God who is what? Rich! And that is where the problem is. That's what man finds very difficult to comprehend. God is not just merciful. God is rich in mercy. [Reader 4] ...because of his great love with which— [Speaker 2] Because of love! His great love. I'm trying to make you see the basis for which God did what he did. God did not do what he did because of anything in man. God did all he did because of who he is. So that you don't think that it's because men were good. No. One, he was rich in mercy. That has nothing to do with man. Two, because of the great love for which he loved. When did he love? When we were sinners. So God was not trying to love you when you became a child, when you are obeyer. God had a great love for which he loved man. What did he now do? [Reader 4] Even when we were dead in trespasses— [Speaker 2] Yes! [Reader 4] —made us alive together with Christ. [Speaker 2] Wait! What did God do? What did God do exactly? He made us alive. That is what this means. We were dead. He gave us the same life as Christ has. That is why he could tell you that at that day at the final judgment and I say I was hungry, you didn't give me to eat. I will say I was thirsty, you didn't give me to drink. You will say, "When?" And he said, "When you didn't do it to the least of the brethren, it was not done to me." And he was saying that at the final judgment. He didn't make us something similar to Christ. No. He made us alive with Christ. So that anybody who touches the believer, whatever you have done to the believer is directly against Jesus. Not as if it is like against Jesus. No. It is directly. That is why what Jesus did for us is stronger than what we have by siblings. It is stronger. It is a very very strong thing. But many times we don't understand it. I say to people, the reason why we do so many things to believers, we cheat believers, we lie to believers, we fornicate with... you don't know who you are. Ẹni ọpọlọ ikú. [You are dead person]. You don't know who you are dealing with. Because there is no clear understanding of who a Christian is. We don't understand it. He says he made us alive with him. And I think in this meeting that I was discussing one day, I said that when Saul was persecuting the church and Jesus was to appear to them, what did he say? Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Was that what he was supposed to say? Was Saul persecuting Jesus? What was he persecuting? The church. What should have been the correct... if he had to use mental thinking, what should Jesus ought to say? "Why are you persecuting my followers?" So he must have told a lie when he said you are persecuting me. Was he that... does Jesus exaggerate? Can God exaggerate? Is he try to exaggerate the sin of Saul? You know we men we know how to exaggerate. Ìròyìn ó ta pọ̀ ju bí nǹkan bá ṣe rí lọ. [The news is more exaggerated than it really is]. You know, because the person who told the news may have added or removed or done something. But do you know that it is impossible for God to lie? That God don't exaggerate? That God don't try to create a picture that is not there? He says perversion is not in my lips. Go and read Proverbs chapter 8. He says you cannot find perversion on my lips. He said when I speak, I speak truth. So when he said, "Saul, why are you persecuting me?" he was not trying to exaggerate the sin of Saul. He was speaking exactly what it is. This thing that you're persecuting, we were raised together with him. For you to have an understanding. You know, sometimes he uses literal things to show spiritual things. When did you become a sinner? "I was born in sin." When did you become a sinner? At birth! You became a sinner when Adam sinned. It was not when you were born! At his death. You don't understand me at all. It means when Adam ate that thing, you ate it. So that you can understand what Christ did. I just want you to understand what Christ did for us. He said we are the heirs. He said no, he said in Adam, all men sinned. He said no, was I there when Adam sinned? I didn't see when Adam sinned. But is it true that when Adam sinned, you sinned? Is it true or a lie? [Group] True. [Speaker 2] But were you there? No. But as far as God is concerned, when Adam sinned, who sinned? Humanity sinned. When Christ became alive, anybody who believed in him became alive too at that time. I was crucified with Christ. When he was dying, I was dead. I just understand these things. He says, "I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live." When Christ was being crucified, when all those things were going on... that is why we can say his righteousness is your righteousness. That is why we can say we sinned with Adam. When Adam sinned, we sinned. I am only using what you know to teach you what you don't understand. So Christ did not make us less than Christ, just as Adam did not make us less than Adam. That is why the Bible was talking in second Corinthians chapter 6. He said do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what has light got to do with darkness? Listen again. What is the temple of God has to do with Belial? Then what he did? What has Christ got to do with Belial? Who is he calling Christ? Do you understand that you are Christ? That's the mentality that makes you say I can't continue in sin. You see, until we look up, we can never go up. It's just as simple as that. As long as you are looking down, you will be going downward. That is why the problem of these things. If you are not looking up... so because I am not experiencing it, you say it's not true. Whatever is written in the gospel, when you become a believer, it must be true. You need to rise up from this place with an understanding that all that pertain to life and godliness has been... has been given unto us. Not that they will be given. They have been given. It is God help us to understand this thing, help us to see this thing, help us to know it so that we can walk in it. The more we know this truth, what happens? The more we become free. The more we become free. Can you imagine how some Christians are under the fear of so many things today? Some fear the one that fly in the night. If a bird just fly over your house, "That's it! Maybe they don't want me to graduate. I am supposed to write my last paper tomorrow." We live in so much fear. We live in... why? We don't know who we are. Let us pray. Let's pray for today. We just looked at... I thought we'll look at some verses of the scripture today, and about... it's good that we have looked at that of John, where Jesus himself said, "I no longer call you servant, I call you friend." He laid down his life for his friends. When Jesus was made alive and was made to sit in the right hand of God, sister, you were there. Not that you will be there. Just as you died in Adam. You ate that fruit when Eve was eating it, so you died. Anytime your mother gave birth to you, you are dead because you ate it with Eve. Can you also believe this evening that when Christ was obeying God, I was there with him? I was crucified with him. When God was bringing him alive, I was made alive. When God was making him to sit, I was there too. I sat together with him. I want you to see the access. I want you to see the access we have. We are looking at the access. We are looking at this implication of when you pray say, "Father." He sees you are so close with the Father, and that is why I enjoy what Madam was saying the other time. Can you see, just look at the way you relate to your father. Look at your earthly father, the way you say, "Ah daddy, this time let's pray." You know that Jesus said, "Except you are converted and become like a child, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven." You must be converted and become like a child. Look at the way children deal with their father. Look at the way they just rest on their father. You just tell the boy, "Don't worry, I will buy airplane for you." The boy will not be saying, "Airplane? How will they buy airplane? How will daddy carry it?" The boy will just believe whatever you say. Jesus said, "Except you are converted and become like a child." Can you just believe whatever God says about you? Instead of keep wondering, "How can it be true? How can I be seated with Christ? How can I... am I sure I have the power? How can I...?" Why are you wondering? Why are you allowing thoughts to arise in your heart? Can you just believe God like the way children just believe their parents? You don't leave even two-years-old boy, "Don't worry, when I'm coming, I will bring helicopter for you." He will not begin to ponder, "How will daddy do it? How will he carry helicopter?" He just believes daddy can do whatever daddy says. Can you believe God can do whatever God says? Can you leave this place with a childlike faith? With a childlike faith in God. That whatsoever God has said, he can do it. Whatsoever he says about you, you are what God says you are. You are who God says you are. You are who God says you are. You're not trying to be it, you are that thing. Begin to look into that mirror. Begin to look into what God has said you are. Begin to look and you will see that by the Spirit you will be changed into that same image. You will see that by the... don't worry, don't begin to think of how you will change. He says we are transformed by the Spirit. It is only God that will do the changing. That is why the Holy Ghost is here with us. Our being changed is by the Holy Ghost. It is not by our effort. He said we are being changed by the Spirit. The Spirit will change you, if you will believe. Begin to believe. (Singing) I am fearfully made. I am wonderfully made. I belong to God. I resemble Him. Oh, I am fearfully made. I am wonderfully made. Oh, I belong to Jesus. Oh, I resemble Him. That's why the devil trembles, he trembles, he trembles. When he hears me say, say, say, say, Oh, I am made, I am made, I am made, Oh, Jesus is in me. Oh, that's why the devil trembles, he trembles, he trembles. When he hears me say, say, say, say, Oh, I am made, I have been made, I am made. Oh, Jesus is in me. Oh Lord we thank you. So thank you Lord. Oh Lord we thank you. By the new, in your flesh, you consecrated a new and living way. A new and living way by which we can access God. Oh, by your death, ah Lord, the wall of partition has been broken. The wall of partition has been broken. The wall of partition has been broken. The wall of partition has been broken. The wall of partition has been broken. The wall of partition has been broken. The wall of partition has been broken. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Thank you Father. Oh blessed be your name. Blessed be your name our Father. Blessed be your name our Jesus. Blessed be your name. Blessed be your name. Oh blessed be your name. Our Savior, our Redeemer, our Advocate. Hey! Thank you Lord Jesus. Thank you Lord Jesus. Thank you Lord Jesus. Hallelujah! In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.