Implication of the Secret Path for Our Lives As Disciples

To look at the implications of the secret path for our lives as disciples. I will show you the position of the life of some men who walked with God in the Old Testament and then we will go to the word of our Lord Jesus Christ just to properly understand. I said something last week. Gradually, wittily—what I and I used the word *conny-conny*, *wayo-wayo*—gradually the enemy pushed many of us away from this lifestyle. Our lives should be that we are never assuming. We are never doing anything without acknowledging God. Bible says: > Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. Not in some of your ways, not even in most of your ways, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. (Proverbs 3:5–6) The Lord want to direct our every path. Everything about us. The Lord wants us to be people who come into his temple to inquire, men of one thing. And I did mention last week that somehow wittily, the enemy has succeeded in pushing us out of that lifestyle. That we have become many times too experienced to be led by God. Too intelligent to be guided by him. Too knowledgeable to be instructed to follow the seemingly foolishness of God. The Bible says we preach the gospel. The message of the cross is like foolishness. To follow that simplicity of the gospel becomes so complicated for us. And we ended last week saying that how wonderful and blessed it is, because when the Lord is our light and our salvation, then in the time of trouble he will hide us in his pavilion. He is that rock that can never be moved. He is that rock. He says, "He who hear my word and do it is building his house on a rock." Hearing him and doing it is building to last. Building to remain. Building to endure storm, wind, and rain. Because the psalmist said, "In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion." Now, let's look at the implications of this thing for this secret path for our lives as disciples. And I will show you a Old Testament disciple before I go to the New Testament. Can we look at 2nd Chronicles? 2nd Chronicles chapter—it is a long reading but as much as possible we would skip some of the chapters so that we will be able to get to the point of the lesson. But please when you get back home, I want us to read chapter 14, chapter 15 and chapter 16. The person we want to talk about is King Asa. King Asa. His story started in chapter 14, run through 15, 16 and on like that. And it ended towards 16 and partly 17. Now in chapter 14, like I said I will be skipping many of the verses. You can read up the story later on a personal note and please make sure you read. It says: > So Abijah rested with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for 10 years. (2nd Chronicles 14:1) In the days of Asa, the land was quiet for 10 years. 2nd Chronicles chapter 14 from verse 1. Now, so Asa became king after King Abijah his father. Verse 2: "Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God." Don't forget the Bible said that there was quietness in the land for how many years? 10 years. A decade. Can you imagine quietness? No war, nothing. Everything was quiet. The Bible is now trying to make us see how the whole thing went. For he did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord. Of course that was why the land was quiet. For he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places and broke down the sacred pillar and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and he observed the law and the commandment. I want you to be looking at the life of this disciple. This man was somebody who followed God. He also removed the high places and the incense altar from all the cities of Judah and the kingdom was quiet under him. You see it? The effect of righteousness shall be peace. Peace and quietness is the effect of righteousness. So when the Bible said the land had quietness for 10 years, the Bible is trying to make you see the life of this man. May we be right, may we live right enough for us to have quietness around and about our life in Jesus' name. Now, the Bible says also in verse 6: > And he built fortified cities in Judah for the land had rest. He had no war in those years because the Lord had given him rest. (2nd Chronicles 14:6) For you to know how the rest came. So this man, is he not a disciple? He was a follower of the Lord. We are looking at the implication of this secret path to rest for our lives as disciples. And we want to take someone in the Old Testament where the Bible talk about rest, rest, rest in his life. Now therefore he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and make walls around them and towers and gates and bars while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him and he has given us rest on every side." So what happened? So they built and prospered. And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah who carry shield and spear, and from Benjamin 285,000 men who carry shield and draw bow. All of these were mighty men of valor. So verse 9. Like we said last week, even though you have built on the rock, it does not stop the wind and the storm and the rain from coming. That we are following the Lord does not mean there will be no trouble. But David said, "In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion." There is a hiding place when we follow the Lord. So we want to look at this matter. Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots. Do you get why we are having that number? Go up again. Verse 8: "And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah who carry shield and spear, and from Benjamin 285,000 men." 300,000 plus 285,000, what is that? 585,000. That is a little above half a million. The person coming against him came against him with an army of 1 million men! That is 1 million. And 300 chariots. So we have the foot-people who are marching on the ground, 1 million. Then the ones on chariots, 300. That is 1,000,300. Now, even if you plus that of Asa by two, this man army is twice the army of Judah. And at this time, warfare was based on number. Today just two people can kill 3 million people, they just press one button and then it explode. But in those days, it is fighting directly. So the higher the number, the higher the chance of winning. The chances are higher. Now look at it. He had a million and 300 chariots. He came to Mareshah. So Asa went out against him and they set the troops in battle array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa, please look at verse 11, what did the Bible say? And Asa cried out to the Lord his God and said, "Lord, it is nothing to you to help whether with many or with those that have no power. Help us, oh Lord our God, for we rest on you and in your name we go against this multitude." Of course they are more than them in number. "Oh Lord, you are our God. Do not let man prevail against you." Do you see that this brother understand a walk with the Lord? That the battle is between the Lord and the people that are coming against them. He said don't let man—he was not talking about us—he says, "Do not let man prevail against you." And so what did the Bible say in verse 12? It says: > So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah and the Ethiopians fled. (2nd Chronicles 14:12) It was the Lord! It was the Lord! The Lord will fight for us this year and we will hold our peace. But I beg you please know this secret path. We are talking about the implication of this path for our lives as disciples. You must know this path. Men who were in this path know how to cry to the Lord their God. Men who were in this path, it is the Lord that gives them rest. It is the Lord that fight their battles. Now says the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah and they fled. And Asa and his people who were with him pursued them together so the Ethiopians were overthrown and they could not recover. So they were broken before the Lord and his army. Did you see what the Bible is saying? The Bible is calling the army of Asa the army of the Lord. They were broken before the Lord. May it be that everywhere we are present the Lord is present in the name of Jesus Christ. May our works be with him in the name of Jesus. It says: > So they were broken before the Lord and his army and they carried away much spoil. Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar for the fear of the Lord came upon them and they plundered all the cities for there was exceedingly much spoil in them. They also attacked the livestock enclosures and carried off sheep and camel in abundance and returned to Jerusalem. What a beautiful story. What a beautiful life. What a beautiful experience. May our life experience abundance in the name of Jesus Christ. Now we get to chapter 15. The spirit of Lord came upon Azariah the son of Oded and he went out to meet Asa and said to him: > Hear oh Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him he will be found by you. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you. (2nd Chronicles 15:2) For a long time Israel had been without the true God, without a teaching priest and without the law. But when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel and sought him, he was found by them. And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out nor to the one that came in, but great tumult was all over inhabitants of the land. So nations were destroyed by nation and city by city for God troubled them with every adversity. "But you be strong and not let your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded." A prophecy came again to strengthen the hand of Asa. When Asa heard this prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and then he did more work again. More and more he did more reform. He gathered Israel, they worshipped God on and on. He made the covenant, they did so many things again. Asa did more reform. So I move to chapter 16. You can read the whole of 15 later yourself. What I just want you to see was that a prophecy came and Asa did more reform. Chapter 16. Look at what happened. In the 36th year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came against Judah and built Ramah that he might let none go out or come into Asa king of Judah. Please follow the story. Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king house and sent them to Ben-Hadad king of Syria who dwell in Damascus, saying, "Let there be a treaty," that is an agreement, "between you and me as there was between my father and your father. See I have sent you silver and gold. Come break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me." Are you following what is going on? So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa and sent the captain of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the storage cities of Naphtali. Now it happened when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. Then King Asa took all Judah and carried away the stone and timber of Ramah which Baasha had used for building and with them he built Geba and Mizpah. At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: > Because you have relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart are loyal to him. In this you have done foolishly. Therefore from now you shall have war. Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at this time. Are you following what happened? Verse 11: > Now the acts of Asa first and last, indeed they are written in the books of the kings of Judah and Israel. And in the 39th year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet and his malady was severe. Yet in his disease, he did not seek the Lord but the physicians. (2nd Chronicles 16:11-12) Are you following the story, brethren? I believe you are getting the implication that we are talking about even if I do not give much explanation. I believe what we are discussing is clear from this story. Now our brother said something at the beginning. He said sometimes you feel some decisions are major decision, those ones we call upon God. But there are some minor decisions, we do not bother to ask God, we just feel we know what God want us to do, we just do things. When Asa was attacked by an army that was more than his army times two, he was afraid. This was a major decision. What did he do? Like many of us will do today, today Christianity. It is only when we want to marry a brother or a sister that the will of God becomes important. Outside that, in our business, in our whatever we are doing, God's will is not important. It is when we now want to marry, "Father, Father, reveal your mind, reveal your mind." As if it is only in marriage that God says you should seek after my will. Now there was a major battle for Asa. He went to seek God and ask God for direction and God helped him. Now there was a minor battle. This time Israel was coming against Asa. It was no more a major battle. It was a minor battle. So Asa just felt workover *lele* workover, workover, workover. *Kosi* problem at all. Let me just do something. He just took some gold and silver from the Lord's house, sent it to the king of Syria, "Please break your treaty with that person. Establish agreement with me so that he can leave me." And he did that, of course he got result. But God was angry. And God said, "A-ah! I thought it is me and you that normally go to battle. Is it not me and you that normally go to battle? When you wanted to start this business and you were calling me, 'God, how will I do it? What will I do?' I gave you victory. Now the business is growing. You now want to sign another contract. This time you think it is by bribery." You know many times people begin their business with God then at some point they now feel that no, if you do not bribe the officer in charge they will not sign it for you. "Let me quickly bribe that, let me bribe that." It was a minor battle as far as Asa was concerned. There was no need to seek God. And God want to make us see the implication of these things for us as disciples. And eventually it was the minor battle that brought the great downfall. The major battles, he felt he needed God. It is in those ones that he thinks he knows what he can do. I can handle it. *Mo mo nkan ti ma se.* I know what I am doing. This is what I will do. It is in those things that Asa destroyed himself. And God said, "My eyes run to and fro to show himself strong to those whose heart are loyal to me." What does that tell you? For every man who consistently seek God, God sees them as loyal to him. But for every man who today seek God, tomorrow he walk by his understanding, tomorrow he walk by this, he walk by that, God does not see them as loyal to him. God say, "Look, you are not loyal to me. Your heart is not loyal. You should have relied on me." Now what I just want you to see in this thing is that God always want his own to seek him. God always want his people to seek him for direction. God desire—it is a desire in God—that when you want to do something, rely on me. When you do not rely on God as a disciple, you are walking against God. Because you will notice that as far as God was concerned, not relying on God, it was evil. That is why you notice that Proverbs 3:5–7 says, "In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil." It means every time you do not acknowledge him as a disciple, what are you doing? You are doing evil. So this is under the law. Can we see how these things come to play out itself under grace? Let's see how this matter play out itself under grace. Let's look at this matter we once looked at. We just want to look at it again now in the light of what we have been discussing. Because our concern this evening is the implication of the secret path for our lives as disciples. We have seen a Old Testament saint who missed it. He was first getting it right but at a point he missed it. Now we want to look at this in the New Testament. Let's look at Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter 9. I want us to read from verse 57: > Now it happened as they journeyed on the road that someone said to him, "Lord, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Then he said to another, "Follow me." But he said, "Let me first go and bury my father." Then Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." And also to another he said... and another said, "Lord, I will follow you but let me first go and bid them farewell who at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one having put his hand to the plow, looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:57–62) If you remember this matter when we were looking at one of our topics, I can't remember the topic now, but I remember reference to these verses of the scripture. That Jesus told somebody, "Follow me." But the person said, "Let me first go and bury my father." Then Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom." If you remember that discussion then, we made a point very clear. Jesus is not, was not and is not against we burying our dead. You remember very well on that teaching, we did come to a point when we look at these verses very clear and we said the matter here was that the person said, "Let me first go." That the matter here was a matter of first. "Let me first go." So the matter and then the other person who said, "I will follow you but let me first go and bid them farewell at home." There is nothing wrong if a boy or anybody want to decide for the Lord and he first go home and tell his parents, "Look as for me oh, I am following the Lord." And then he goes into ministry. There is nothing wrong about that. But again the matter we are looking at here is this matter of first, if you remember then. That as far as Jesus was concerned, the issue of burying his father ought not to come first. What ought to come first was the Lord. Then in following the Lord, the Lord will now tell him when and how the father should be buried. But because, "Let me first, let me first," Jesus said no. "No man laying hand on the plow and look back is worthy of me." So you cannot first go. You are to first follow me and then I tell you what to do. Now if you leave that and go back again to the word of our Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 6. The popular scripture 6:33. I believe we can all say that offhand, can't we? > Seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) So you notice therefore that in the matters of our life, how things ought to be done and when they ought to be done should be a thing that came out of our first asking the Lord. He said, "Let me first go." Jesus said no. No man laying hand on the plow and look back is worthy of me. So you cannot first go. You have to first follow me and then I tell you what to do. So the point we are making is that how we ought to handle projects in our life should not come first. How we ought to handle decisions of our life should not come first. How we ought to handle matters in our life should not be the first thing. What should come first for us as disciples is the Lord. Is the Lord. The Lord comes first and then it is in his presence that we now know how things ought to be done. Now why is this matter? This bit I want us to look at that Matthew and then we will look at it vis-à-vis Jude. Matthew, that Matthew 6. Let's see that Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6. Now I read from verse 30: > Now if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, oh you of little faith? Therefore do not worry saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" Now look at those look at this statement. (Matthew 6:30–31) The statement is not saying that we should not work or we should not be concerned about what to eat. I believe you understand that. > For after these things the gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own thing. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:32–34) Now what I am trying to make you see that there's a pattern of life. The Lord is addressing a life pattern of two groups of people. There is one group of people who does not have an understanding that they have a father. Asa called upon the Lord his God. There is a group of people who don't personally know God. So they don't bring things before the Lord. Whatever is their problem, whatever is their challenges, is a matter of their own battle. It's a matter of their own trying to see how they solve their problem. The concept of God, their life is completely secular, that is without God. Are you getting this? These people the Lord refer to them as the gentiles. But there is another group of people who have this understanding that there is a father, there is a God, and that God is their personal father. And he is somebody that when they seek him, whatever they need in life will be added to them. In other words, they see whatever they get in life as coming from his hand. He fights their battles. He goes ahead of them. They have this clear understanding that a man cannot receive anything. That even the gentiles that receive, it is because God gave them out of his goodness as God. That they did not acknowledge God and God gave them is because God normally do good to both the wicked and the good. They have this clear understanding that even the gentiles cannot get things until these things are released by God. And so their primary concern in life is to be where this God is. Their primary focus in life is "Baba where are you?" Their concern, what they are concerned with primarily in life, is God. They know that once the case of God is settled, whatsoever they need in life will be added to them. There is a clear understanding of Psalm 84:12 that he will not withhold anything good from them that walks uprightly. There is this clear understanding in their heart. Now, the implication of the secret path that I am trying to make you see is this. Is that we are not living a normal Christian life. Our Christian life is contrary to the life to which we are called when we don't go in which path? In the secret path. As disciples of the Lord, as disciples of Jesus, the Lord made it clear that "I am the good shepherd. I am at the forefront and I do keep and to lead and to direct my sheep." They can't be at the forefront, it is not possible. Now look at the book of Jude. Jude, of course having no chapter apart from just one chapter, look at Jude, verse 24. What did the Bible says? > It says, "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior who alone is wise. To him who is able to keep you from stumbling." (Jude 1:24–25) I want to explain this matter, this implication of this secret path of rest. That's what we are considering. And we are looking at it for our lives as disciples. Brethren, I want you to just think, let's just reflect on this. Adam. Adam was in the garden alongside Eve and Adam was in which type of communion with God? Good. The communion was perfect. Is that not true? It was a perfect communion. It is not as if he was not in communion with God. He was in a perfect communion. A communion that could make a man just wake up and could declare the mind of God: "This is the bone of my bone, the flesh of my flesh. She was taken out of me. She shall be called woman." That communion was perfect. But do you notice that Adam could not keep himself from falling? Adam could not keep himself from falling. I want—we are looking at the implication of this secret path for our lives as disciples. You see, we need to have a clear understanding about our life. Because many times as disciples we don't even know that we have a false impression about who we really are and about our abilities and capabilities. Sometimes we have a false impression and we tend to be wise in our own eyes. Adam could not keep himself from falling. What of the holy angels? Look at 2nd Peter please, 2nd Peter. Look at 2nd Peter. I want to look at what the Lord say, what Peter was trying to explain in this epistle about false teachers. And something he said about angels. Now look at 2nd Peter chapter 2. I want to read verse 11: > Whereas angels who are greater in power and might did not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. But these but these like natural brute birds made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil things of things they do not understand and will utterly perish in their own corruption. (2nd Peter 2:11–12) Now what's that place telling us about these same angels? Just as Adam could not keep himself, what happened to holy angels? Were they able to keep themselves? When Satan was rebelling, he was even able to get not only man to his side, he also got angels also to his side. You see I'm trying to make you get something very clear why the implication of this secret path for our life. Something must become very very clear to us and that is that we are not able to keep ourselves. We are not able to keep ourselves. There is somebody that is actually keeping us from stumbling. There is someone. That person may not keep us from temptation, but he will keep us in temptation. Are you getting what what I mean by that? That person may not keep us from trouble, but he will keep us in trouble. That person will not keep us from sometimes being buffeted by Satan, but he will keep us from being overwhelmed by him. You remember God said to Satan, "Go and take Job, but don't touch his life." If God did not put that clause, Job is finished. There is someone, you see, it is important for you to understand the implication of this secret path. The reason why we must stay in the secret path is not only because it makes us victorious, not only because we have rest, not only because in the times of trouble we'll be in his pavilion. But much more importantly, that is our means to be presented faultless in his presence at last. That is our means to be presented faultless at last. He is the one that will raise us up and he is the one that will present us faultless before his throne. It is not about us. That is why you will notice that Apostle Paul will be speaking many times. He say confident of this very thing, that he who began the good work in me will finish it. If you look again in Thessalonians, he say he who is able to sanctify your spirit, your soul and your body. Who is able to keep them faultless until that day. So beyond financial prosperity, beyond material prosperity, beyond marital prosperity, beyond career prosperity, all of those ones they are just *jaras, jaras, jaras, jaras*. It is beyond all of that. The real thing is that our eternity rests on the secret path. What did I say? Our eternity rests on this secret path. Our eternity rests on the secret path. We cannot keep ourselves. I repeat it again. If you read that scripture closely in Jude, it says, "And to him who is able to keep you and to present you and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory." Now to him that is able to keep you from stumbling. Somebody keep us from stumbling. From stumbling financially. From stumbling materially. From stumbling maritally. From stumbling academically. From stumbling, just count all the stumbling. From stumbling in our career. Somebody keeps us, or else we will stumble and we will fall. There is somebody who keeps us from stumbling. That person to him that is able to keep us from stumbling, but more importantly, look at it here, "And to present you faultless before the presence of his glory." Who is that person? Who is he speaking about specifically here? Jesus. He is speaking specifically about Jesus. If you want to get that very clear, Ephesians chapter 5, "Husband love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might purify it and present him unto himself a glorious church without spot and wrinkle." So it is the Lord Jesus they talking about here. If you remember again in John chapter 6, the Lord said, "All that the Father had given me, I will do what with them?" You are not familiar with that scripture. "I will do what with them?" [preacher chants lyrics]: "I will raise them up on the last day. I will..." If you look again in John chapter 10, what did he say? He says none can pluck them from my hand because none can pluck them from my Father's hand. The Father who gave them to me is greater than I and none can pluck them from his hand. Are you seeing what he is trying to say? Who is our keeper? Our keeper is the Lord. The Lord is our keeper. One reason, major reason why we must stay in the secret path is not only because it makes us victorious, not only because we have rest, not only because in the times of trouble we'll be in his pavilion. But much more importantly, that is our means to be presented faultless in his presence at last. That is our means to be presented faultless at last. He is the one that will raise us up. He is the one that will present us faultless before his throne. It is not about us. That is why you will notice that Apostle Paul will be speaking many times. Say confident of this very thing, that he who began the good work in me will finish it. If you look again in Thessalonians, he say, "He who is able to sanctify your spirit, your soul and your body. Who is able to keep them faultless until that day." So beyond financial prosperity, beyond material prosperity, beyond marital prosperity, beyond career prosperity, beyond all of these prosperity is that our eternity rests on the secret path. Our eternity rests on the secret path. We cannot keep ourselves. I repeat it again. Some times, even some physical things that happen around me make me to even be afraid about myself. I will hold key, a bunch of key in my hand and I will be looking for it. That tells you how helpless, vulnerable and pitiable man is. How will I be holding a key and I will be looking for the key? After I searched and searched and searched inside, people thought I was holding this key just now. Where did I even put this key? The brother know do like this, "Ah, so the key is even in my hand." I'm trying to make you see how pitiable man is. Always remember, we are men and not God. We are flesh and not spirit. We are mortal and not immortal. These three things, they are very important every time we think. That was what God told them in the Old Testament, in Isaiah. He said the people that you are trusting in, remember that they are men and not God. They are flesh and not spirit. Somebody is saying, "Ah but we that is born of spirit, are we not spirit?" I am not doubting that. That which is born of spirit is spirit and that which is born of flesh is flesh. We are spirit, sir. We are spirit. But I am saying we still live in a body. We are not bodiless spirits, that is what I mean. And many times we are surrounded by the infirmities of this flesh, this physical body. That is why one time ago when I saw a young man, the young man was—I don't know who who is who in who—but the young lady was sitting on the lap of the young man. And then they were seated and then I approached them because I felt they were believers from what I've known about them. I said, "Young man what is your problem? When did your leg become chair or stool that ladies normally sit upon? Do you know what you are doing? This is not decent. It is not even morally right." He say, "Ah sir, sir actually that which is born of the spirit is spirit. We do not feel that thing, we do not feel what you are thinking. We do not feel that thing. I know what you are trying to say sir, but you see, we are spirit. We are spirit. The Bible says that which is born of the spirit is spirit as that which is born of the flesh is flesh. We are spirit, sir. We are spirit." I just look at him and I shook my head. I say, "Young man, you are playing with fire." You are on the path of misunderstanding and that is a path of death. If you have been taught that you are spirit in that your church, why do you people marry? I say in that your church, you are taught that you are spirit, why do you people marry? Why do you people go into marriage at all? Spirits don't marry, are you aware? He could not answer my question. He was just looking at me. But I am trying to bring out from what I've just said is that always let us remember that yes, we have been born of God, but we are encompassed, many times we are carried about by the weakness of this body. And so the Lord is our keeper. Let us dwell in the secret path because our eternity rests on the secret path. The Lord is your keeper. We are flesh and not spirit. I am trying to explain that very clearly so that it can be clear. That is, we are men and not God. We are mortal and not immortal. A time will come when we will put down this body and then immortality will put on immortality and then some will have power over us. A time will come when we will not be thinking again that I am hungry, I am thirsty and all of that. Those things they will pass away, but that time has not come. And so for now we have a keeper and that keeper is the Lord. He said, "I will raise you." The person that want to raise you on the last day, how come you are going ahead of him? How come you are acting outside him? How come you are making your life without God? I tell you, brethren, there's nothing secular about us. Everything about us is spiritual. There's nothing about us that is without God. All we do is with God. Let's have a word of prayer as we close this evening. The implication of the secret path for our lives as disciples. We have seen an Old Testament saint who missed it. He was first getting it right but at a point he missed it. Now we want to look at this, the Lord, you are my keeper. Lord, help me not to go ahead of you. You are the one that will raise me on the last day. You are the one that will present me faultless before the throne, before the holy angels. You are the one who is keeping me. You are the one who is upholding my life. I can't do anything outside you. Nothing about me is secular. Nothing about me is without God. Nothing about me, Lord, for you are my keeper. If you are my keeper, as you keep me, you add to me. Your design for my life is to add things to me. Lord, help me. Help me, Lord. That like the psalmist, I will cry: one thing have I desire of the Lord and this one thing I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord and that I may inquire in his temple. In the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Almighty God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more. Amen. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen.