Sc Aug 4 2018 Walking Acceptably

Trustees and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly homefront. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Life Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] We thank God again for bringing us together for the month of August, first Saturday in the month of August 2018. Singles Club. I wasn't around for that of July 2018. Automatically Bisola should be around for that of July 2018. So what are some of the echoes from July 2018? Bisola, what are some of the echoes from July 2018? Some of the major takeaway from July 2018? [Speaker 2] Okay, building according to pattern. That was the emphasis last month. We look at Moses, the pattern that God gave to Moses concerning the building of the tabernacle. And we went to Exodus 25:8-9 and Exodus 25:15, which means that we were bringing out the building according to pattern, according to pattern. Which means that there is a pattern in which God expects us to do things. For instance, if God says that you have to build this tabernacle, the length of the window should be this and this should be that, the foundation should be this by this, and so on and so forth. The blocks to use and so on and so forth. That is building according to pattern. Not building according to pattern might lead to a collapse. For instance, if God says build according to pattern, but instead of ten windows you decide to build fifteen windows, it might lead to a collapse, partial collapse, not according to pattern. And we were trying to build it up into how people have gone astray and not building according to pattern that has already been laid down in the Bible. Even in the church, so-called Christians in the church are not building according to pattern in the church. In what we eat, in what we wear, our dressing is not according to what the scriptures describe our dressing to be. And so many other things in this world which we are not building according to pattern which is in the Bible. [Speaker 1] The major emphasis from that is the need for believers to understand that there is a pattern and the need for them to be sure. I don't know whether I have given this example before. I remember when I was building our house. There is the wall, the wardrobe, the dimension for the wardrobe wall, then the dimension for the room wall. So when the bricklayer wanted to raise the wall, not the wardrobe wall, the wardrobe wall will be after the room wall. The room wall will be bigger, then before you now bring wardrobe on, the wardrobe wall might just be two feet of that line. Do you get the point I am making? Do you understand what I am trying to say? Take this line to be for one room, this side to another room. Inside this room, we have located two feet like this for the wardrobe wall. You understand? This is the main wall. This is another room again that also has from here to here as the wardrobe wall. Do you get it? So the bricklayer that wanted to build this place, instead of putting the room wall at this place, he went to the wardrobe wall and put the room wall here. This room is now bigger than usual. Do you get what I am trying to say? Do you understand what I am trying to say? I now told him, no, that when you put this room wall, it is where the wardrobe door and everything, so it has to be. I told him bring down the wall. That was a lot of work. He had raised it up. He just called me that he is on site that he is working. That day I was not around. I said, okay, when I come back evening, I will come and see what he has done. When I came by evening to see what he has done, he has used cement, he has used labor, he has finished. I now called him, I said, sorry, that wall is not, just a movement of two feet, just look at the small movement. I said no, it cannot be. He should come and raise the wall down. So he now came back, brought down the wall and now shifted it back to where it ought to be and then raised it up. For that day I did not pay workmanship. I did not pay because I said that is not the work I gave you. So he now looked at what is in his hand, that if you see what I gave you and what you have built, they are different. And so, sorry, I will not pay for workmanship, although I have lost materials. That is my own loss. So you too your workmanship is your own loss. So you come back to redo it and there will be no money. I will only rebuy the material. I hope you get the point. I will rebuy the material. You too you have lost your that day job. But I am trying to look at if physical things could be as serious as that when talking about this matter of pattern. That is why I just remember that example. That is just a physical house. What of when it comes to the matter of building righteousness, building holiness, building integrity? Do you get the point I am making? How much more serious that will be for us to build according to pattern. I am looking at because many times, you know what I have come to learn is that the invisible things of God, they are made known by the visible things that are seen. Have you seen that before in the Bible? Have you come across that scripture in Romans 1:20? He said the invisible, God is so big, so wide, so infinite, that to discover God, to realize God, is something that, but the physical thing can help you to comprehend God. Pattern. Pattern. I remember coming back from Akungba one day and I just got there and you saw people weeping. Adults weeping. You ask what happened? Just immediately after Ogbese, there is this curve, a very long curve. So a vehicle coming from, I think this vehicle from Akungba, this Almera Nissan, that type of my former car, that green former car, that is what they use for transport between Akure and Akungba. Leaving Ogbese, you can imagine you have left Akungba, after Ogbese you are coming to Akure. You know from Ogbese to Akure is just ten minutes. You have passed Ogbese then you have this long curve. So at that curve he decided to quickly overtake. Unfortunately, what came out of the corner was a trailer. The trailer could not swerve, trailer can't swerve like car to his side, so the trailer just went on it. Everybody died on the spot in the small car because the trailer could not swerve. What is it? Driving according to pattern. The driving rule is you don't overtake in bend or corner. I am talking of if physical thing can have such costly consequences. That is why I fear the things of God. [Yoruba: Ọlọrun sọ bayii, iwọ o ni o l'aiya diẹ. Ọlọrun sọ bayii, o ni ko le matter.] Is it that heads of people have turned today or that we are spiritual bastards? Why would you take God, even when men speak and men try to create new pattern, look at deadly consequences. How much more of God has spoken, you are talking of improving, you are talking of adding or removing to what God has said. These are very, very important things about the matter why we must. I was speaking with my daughter this morning and I said, look, let me tell you one thing. It is better to err on the path of caution than on the path of [Yoruba: adainọ]. [Yoruba: Koda k'o mọ dọn dọn, k'ọ n'aah, Bisọla ko le tẹ le, o ba ti ẹ ṣiṣe de diẹ, haa, o ko le tẹ yẹn, o ba eyi t'o ba ṣe yẹn naa iyẹn o ṣẹṣẹ. Anyway, o mọ pe tori pe you love me so much, that's why you are trying to make sure.] Better to say, sorry, this is wrong as you have done. You should have added. It is good to be, I was always saying that it will be good to say, [Yoruba: haa, holiness ti tiẹ ti wa pọju, juko tọ.] I don't know whether you get what I am trying to say. Juko tọ. Better because is this life not just a temporary place? And our main focus is heaven. Everything is temporary. Even if we lose some things because we are trying to be careful to enter. Is it not better than not putting enough caution and then you are toast. Sorry you cannot enter because at that point you cannot reverse it. But okay, that point is reversible. [Yoruba: Oh ba a, no. Oh a, so o ti ẹ tun jẹ rice, haa, ki n ba le d'ọrun ni, a o ba ti jẹ rice o le.] Or like you jẹ rice, sorry, Vada retro, [Yoruba: t'o ba ti jẹ rice o le wọn bi.] So I tell people think of, is this thing correct? Is it not correct? It is better not to be involved. That is my principle about life until I become very clear about the matter. And that will give me a clear conscience because once you are involved, you don't know whether it is right or wrong. One thing will just be praying, then you say that thing is wrong now, but it is not wrong. I don't know whether you have experienced what I am trying to say? So over time, so that I can have a clear conscience, I will just leave the matter until where I can be clear that it is right. So we are talking about this matter of pattern. It is a serious matter. That is my exhortation to people. It is good that we err on the side of caution than on the side of [Yoruba: adainọ]. [Yoruba: Ko si bo ṣe pẹpẹpẹ to l'aye yi, ta a ma fi pe ni now.] I don't know whether I have not gone beyond half of the years that we live in this life. I must have gone beyond half, I don't know, God determined. If it is 120 then I have not reached half. But if it is 90 I have far passed half. Do you get the point? Can you compare 120 years to eternity? Better to err on just 120 years [Yoruba: a o ba ti ṣe, ko le.] Just of enduring something because you are not clear about it. Unlike we now get here, say, ah sorry, away from me for doing it. And that will be for all eternity, that you cannot reverse. So I tell people let us think deeply. [Yoruba: T'a ba n dagba, k'a ma danu.] Sobriety, to think deeply about matters that look, hey, hey, is it not better I stay off this matter if I am not clear about it, than to say God understands. Saul too said God will understand. He said, ah I waited and waited and waited, you see the soldiers scattering away, that was when I now forced myself. What was he told? In 1 Samuel 13:13-14, 'In this you have done foolishly. If you have not done this, your kingdom will have endured forever. But now you have given it to a neighbor that is better than you.' He tried to give explanation. So I tell people don't let us think that we can use God. God is sovereign. Let's stay within the limit of His words so that we can enjoy His goodness than to go beyond the limit of His words. And that is why today many Christians don't have clear conscience. Not because they sinned, but some things they involved themselves in what we call doubtful action. Action that are doubtful. [Yoruba: Wọn o wa, wọn o mọ boya wọn ṣẹ abi wọn o ṣẹ abi wọn o ṣẹ.] So the conscience is not at peace. They have a conscience that is not void of offense before God and man. So we should endeavor to have a clear conscience. This is a very important thing so that you are always at peace with yourself. Many people are not at peace with themselves, honestly. They are divided inside. [Yoruba: Wọn ni yio gba rẹ, o ba n tẹṣẹ l'o mọ, o tun duro, ṣe mi o ṣe bayii, o tun rẹ ninu.] People are just becoming a pattern today among believers, not having clear conscience. One of these days we will handle the matter of, maybe in discipleship class too, the matter of clear conscience. It is good to have a clear conscience. Paul said in Acts 24:16, 'I struggle to have a conscience that is void of offense towards man and towards God.' These are serious patterns we need to establish in our life and I believe the Lord will help us in the name of Jesus Christ. Let's move on. I always like making reference to what we have learned before because it is a continuity. What I have come to realize about the Spirit of God is that even if you say somebody else to do it, there will still be a continuity. That's what I find about God. If the Spirit of God is working among people, even if you preach this Sunday, you preach next Sunday, even if they don't hear themselves preach, you'll find that when that person come and preach, there will be some continuity in what was said before and what follows subsequently because it is the same Lord and one God that work in all and through all. Most of the people are not following God, they are following something else. Singles Club for August, I just felt I will call our attention of our youth to some things in the Bible about God and His people. And we will see something about God and His people and other nations. That's what we want to look at. You will always notice that God always want to make a difference between His people and other nations. And that's the topic. The topic we want to look at is walking acceptably. Walking acceptably. That's why deliberately I emphasized what was said before because it's part of the dimension I want to go this morning. Walking acceptably with God is understanding this principle that God want to make a difference. There are several ways of walking acceptably with God, but the direction we are going today is God want to draw a difference. Let's take our Bible, let's go to Leviticus chapter 18. Leviticus chapter 18. Which translation do you have with you? [Speaker 2] NIV. [Speaker 1] Good. Which one do you have with you? [Speaker 3] King James. [Speaker 1] Okay, let me take Amplified and NLT so that we can really look at a lot of things today. Let me read from the NLT translation, the New Living Translation. Leviticus 18:1-2 says, "Give the following instruction to the people of Israel: I am the Lord your God." What does that mean? "I am the Lord your God." What's He trying to tell them? Didn't they know before? [Speaker 2] A reminder. [Speaker 1] But there's another reason why God normally say that. Why is He creator of everything? They should remember that for them, He was the one that specially brought them to Himself. They are His own specially. He didn't redeem the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Amorites. Those ones, He's their God, He's the Lord of the earth, He's the creator of the universe. But for Israel, they should remember that they were slaves somewhere and then somebody came and took them. It's just like if you have a dog, you went to the market, you bought a dog, you brought it home. If the dog bark at every other person, will it bark at you? Why? Because you are his owner. So there's a different relationship between the owner and others. That's what He's trying to tell them. "I am the Lord your God." [Yoruba: Emi l'o ni yin.] I own you. I bought you. I brought you to myself. You are my own. Not as if you are not my own when you were in Egypt because according to Psalm 24:1, the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. But again beyond that, it's not on that ground now. On this ground that look, I brought you to myself. And that is what believers must realize. Those who were redeemed not by silver and gold. You were redeemed by the blood of God. God purchased us. We have been bought. Somebody owns us. This life of "it is my life" is a wrong way of living. You have been bought. [Yoruba: Eyan ki n ra nkan b'olẹtọki, ab'ẹẹ ti ri chicken k'o ni no you can't kill me this December, why, go and kill the other black one this December, kill me next year. Ọgọ t'o ba sọ yẹn, ọgọ t'o ba ti sọ yẹn.] So to say "I am the Lord your God," that is why you will notice that many times when He says this thing, He will say, as in Exodus 20:2, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt." He would remind you "I brought you." So let's read on now. Give the following instruction to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. Look at the next thing that God will say in verse 3. "Do not act like the people in Egypt where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life." [Leviticus 18:3]. Do you see the opening introduction? "Do not act like people of Egypt from where you used to live, or live like people of Canaan where I am taking you to. You must not imitate their way of life." Other one says you must not walk in their ordinance. Other one says, how did NIV put it? NIV? [Speaker 2] "You must not follow their practices." [Speaker 1] You must not follow their practices. So they have lived among the Egyptians. They are going among the Canaanites. And look, let me tell you something special that came out of this place for me particularly when I was thinking of things I want to share in this meeting. Is it not amazing? Canaan is the Promised Land where they are going. Egypt is the world where they are coming from. If you translate it to our time, what is God saying? You are leaving the world, you are coming into the church, the people of God. God is saying, look, Egypt where you are coming from, don't follow their practice. In the church where you are going again, be careful how you are going to walk. You know He's taking them to Canaan. Again even where I'm taking you to, you still need to be careful. Why should we be careful? Matthew chapter 13, verse 47. [Yoruba: T'o ba kọ t'e ka, lẹẹkan-kan Bisola.] [Speaker 2] "Once again the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish." [Matthew 13:47]. [Speaker 1] So but the nature of the kingdom, all kinds of fish. So inside the place where you are coming, be careful. All the kinds of fish are not acceptable fish. All the kinds that you will meet. You will meet some pastors, you will meet some sisters, you will meet some brothers, you will meet some disciplers. It is all kinds [Yoruba: l'o ma ba.] I was discussing with somebody sometimes ago and it just occurred to me to ask me very, very serious question. Said, "Sir, there's something she really want to understand, that when it comes to learning submission in submitting to the person who is mentoring you, must you obey everything?" You are laughing. [Yoruba: Nkan t'o mọ to ri nọ.] Maybe you were in one of the meetings when I gave the example. And then the discipler or the pastor, I'm going to use that term because that's what I'm more familiar with, or the mentor, the person bringing up the lady, came and said, "Okay, unbutton your blouse." She said, "Ah, no." And he said he told her that, "You see, you are not learning submission. You have a stubborn heart." Talking about this is somebody well-known. In fact it was the leader of their church that said they can work with him as evangelism outreach team they were going. [Yoruba: Oun n'ipe o ya wọn lẹsẹ kan k'ọun kọọ ma wo, iṣẹ amazement pe ah ki l'o n go on. Submission nọ leleyi.] The point I'm trying to bring out of that, that's a kind of fish also. That's why you will see all kinds of mentors, all kinds of teachers, all kinds of people you are discipling. [Yoruba: Eto t'o ma gbori duro, eto ti o ni gbori duro.] So don't think that even those you are discipling, you will have a hundred percent harvest. That's why Jesus said when people gathered unto him, "look, the kingdom of God is like a sower that went to sow. As he sows some fell by the wayside, some fell on the rock, some fell." Even for Jesus, what harvest was he expecting? One of quarter. 75% he wasn't expecting harvest from. So that you don't even think that everybody that seems to sit down and listening to you. That is if Jesus himself is saying that with all my anointing, with all my preaching, let me take the nature of my kingdom. I'm a sower that is sowing. 75% will be lost of the things I'm sowing, 25% is what I will gather inside. That's why He never minced word. He said in Matthew 7:13-14, "broad is the way that leads to destruction, narrow the one that leads to life, few will find it." Even though multitude are gathering around, He knows that few will find it. So that's the nature of the kingdom. Even as He was taking them to Canaan, He was telling them, Egypt where you are coming, be careful not to follow their ways. The Canaan where you are going to, there are men you must not follow their practices even though I'm calling it Promised Land. You will find people there that you are not to follow their way. So even though you are coming into the kingdom, we are taking you out of the world, we are bringing you into the church. It doesn't mean when you enter the church, you have left all practice. [Yoruba: o wa ri ẹ fẹni t'o ni why, let me just know I will not embrace you to the front, oh dẹ silẹ kọọ ofiṣi just embrace you to the side.] You'll meet all kinds of things. There are people you must not follow their practices even in the Promised Land. You don't follow their practices. God is warning ahead because the nature of the kingdom is that the kingdom catches all kinds. You'll meet pastors that are rascals just as you meet disciples that are rascals. So as you look among the disciples and you look among the disciplers, as you look among the congregation, you look among the people, you'll begin to look at people you must not follow their practices. You must not imitate them. Don't let us deceive ourselves by that he's a pastor, he's a mentor, he's a discipler, he's a preacher, he has been in faith for long, he's a committed member of the church, he's the founder of the group. Those are nonsense. There are things, there are people regardless of how they are placed. There are things not to imitate even in the church. There are people you must look at to imitate and not to imitate in the kingdom. Paul himself said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "follow me as I follow Christ." So if you notice that I'm not following Christ, what should you do? You'd better leave my back and go elsewhere. It's not rebellion. It's being correct with your own life. I discussed with somebody sometimes ago and it just occurred to me to ask me very, very serious question. [Yoruba: Ọkọ t'o mọ t'o ri nọ, bẹ pe ohun ni leader gbogbo wọn, a dabi ẹni pe eeyan wa rebellious, haa, mo ni sister, eleyi o le ṣẹlọ re rebellion. Eleyi o ṣẹlọ re rebellion. It's about being correct with your own life.] If men don't submit to God, we don't submit to them. These men are living sinful life and they're telling you that because they are your leader, follow me. No, don't follow them. There are people not to imitate. If you are to be with Jesus and you are imitating Judas, don't you know your end? If you are imitating Judas in telling lies, in stealing money, don't you know where you will end? When Sapphira decided to imitate Ananias and follow her husband into the foolishness and they both conspired together. And then they gave her the opportunity again. They were asking her, is it true that you people sold this thing for this? If at that point she had said, "Sir, I told my husband, oh, that this thing is not correct. We sold this for 2,000. We took 1,000 out of it. Tell the leader that we have need." You could have need why you could not give all the money? According to 2 Corinthians 9:7, "He said every man should sow as he purposeth in his heart." [Yoruba: Gbogbo ẹ silẹ s'o wa kọọ wa parọ.] There is nothing like "ah, if I have I've told my husband, oh, that this thing, part of the money should be for we tell the leader that we sold the house for 20,000 but we needed 10,000 for so we brought 10,000." If she has said, "I told him but he didn't listen, but you know as a woman, I can't force myself on him. He has said that is what he's going to do, but I told him but he did not listen to me." Would she have died? She would not have died. That was why God gave her the opportunity again to know where she stand. "Is it true that you people sold this thing for...?" and your husband is not there. You are before the Lord. So if you are not part of something, that is the place to say, ah, actually this is the amount we sold it and I tried to tell my husband that he said but he insists that we should tell the church this. And since he's a spokesman for the house, there was nothing I could do about that. That woman would not have died. But rather she followed her husband into that example. She followed. She too cooperated. [Yoruba: Bẹẹ ni, o fẹ t'ata yẹn, o fẹ t'ata yẹn, o fẹ t'ata yẹn, ohun nọ fẹ cover ẹ. That was why she died.] She doesn't need to scatter her marriage. But when God gave her opportunity to express her individual, she has said no, actually this is the amount we sold it. And actually this is the amount we took out. But I told my husband, he felt so, there was nothing I could do at that point. You don't know what happened to the husband yet. "Your husband too has just died, join him." So I tell people let us think deeply. [Yoruba: T'a ba n dagba, k'a ma danu.] [Yoruba: Aro jinlẹ o ni babọ gbọn, ki n l'aro jinlẹ.] Sobriety, to think deeply about matters that look, hey, hey, is it not better I stay off this matter if I am not clear about it, than to say God understands. Saul too said God will understand. Saul was told in 1 Samuel 13:13-14, "In this you have done foolishly. If you have not done this, your kingdom will have endured forever. But now you have given it to a neighbor that is better than you." He tried to give explanation. So I tell people don't let us think that we can use God. God is sovereign. Let's stay within the limit of His words so that we can enjoy His goodness than to go beyond the limit of His words. And that is why today many Christians don't have clear conscience. Not because they sinned, but some things they involved themselves in action that are doubtful. [Yoruba: Wọn o wa, wọn o mọ boya wọn ṣẹ abi wọn o ṣẹ abi wọn o ṣẹ.] So the conscience is not at peace. They have a conscience that is not void of offense before God and man. So we should endeavor to have a clear conscience. This is a very important thing so that you are always at peace with yourself. Many people are not at peace with themselves, honestly. They are divided inside. [Yoruba: Wọn ni yio gba rẹ, o ba n tẹṣẹ l'o mọ, o tun duro, ṣe mi o ṣe bayii, o tun rẹ ninu.] People are just becoming a pattern today among believers, not having clear conscience. Maybe in discipleship class too, the matter of clear conscience. It is good to have a clear conscience. Paul said, "I struggle to have a conscience that is void of offense towards man and towards God." These are serious patterns we need to establish in our life and I believe the Lord will help us in the name of Jesus Christ. I always like making reference to what we have learned before because it is a continuity. What I have come to realize about the Spirit of God is that even if you say somebody else to do it, there will still be a continuity. If the Spirit of God is working among people, even if you preach this Sunday, you preach next Sunday, even if they don't hear themselves preach, you'll find that when that person come and preach, there will be some continuity in what was said before and what follows subsequently because it is the same Lord and one God that work in all and through all. Most of the people are not following God, they are following something else. So it's very, very important for us to know that. The reason why I said that is because we have not spoken about what we shared. Singles Club for August, I just felt I will call our attention of our youth to some things in the Bible about God and His people. And we will see something about God and His people and other nations. You will always notice that God always want to make a difference between His people and other nations. The topic we want to look at is walking acceptably. Walking acceptably with God is understanding this principle that God want to make a difference. There are several ways, in praying, in this, several dimension. Let's take our Bible, Leviticus chapter 18. Let's see something. Let's read. We'll read 18, we'll check some things again in 19 and in 20. But let's begin from 18. Let me read from the NLT translation, the New Living Translation. Leviticus 18:1-2 said, "Give the following instruction to the people of Israel: I am the Lord your God." What does that mean? "I am the Lord your God." What's He trying to tell them? Didn't they know before? [Speaker 2] A reminder. [Speaker 1] But there's another reason why God normally say that. Why is He creator of everything? They should remember that for them, He was the one that specially brought them to Himself. They are His own specially. He didn't redeem the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Amorites. Those ones, He's their God, He's the Lord of the earth, He's the creator of the universe. But for Israel, they should remember that they were slaves somewhere and then somebody came and took them. It's just like if you have a dog, you went to the market, you bought a dog, you brought it home. If the dog bark at every other person, will it bark at you? Why? Because you are his owner. So there's a different relationship between the owner and others. That's what He's trying to tell them. "I am the Lord your God." [Yoruba: Emi l'o ni yin.] I own you. I bought you. I brought you to myself. You are my own. Not as if you were not my own when you were in Egypt because according to Psalm 24:1, the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. But again beyond that, on this ground that look, I brought you to myself. And that is what believers must realize. Those who were redeemed not by silver and gold. You were redeemed by the blood of God. God purchased us. We have been bought. Somebody owns us. This life of "it is my life" is a wrong way of living. You have been bought. [Yoruba: Eyan ki n ra nkan b'olẹtọki, ab'ẹẹ ti ri chicken k'o ni no you can't kill me this December, why, go and kill the other black one this December, kill me next year. Ọgọ t'o ba sọ yẹn, ọgọ t'o ba ti sọ yẹn.] That is why you will notice that many times when He says this thing, as in Exodus 20:2, He will say, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt." He would remind you "I brought you." So let's read on now. Give the following instruction to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. Look at the next thing that God will say in verse 3. "Do not act like the people in Egypt where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life." [Leviticus 18:3]. Do you see the opening introduction? "Do not act like people of Egypt from where you used to live, or live like people of Canaan where I am taking you to. You must not imitate their way of life." Other one says you must not walk in their ordinance. Other one says, how did NIV put it? NIV? [Speaker 2] "You must not follow their practices." [Speaker 1] You must not follow their practices. So they have lived among the Egyptians. They are going among the Canaanites. And look, let me tell you something special that came out of this place for me particularly when I was thinking of things I want to share in this meeting. Is it not amazing? Canaan is the Promised Land where they are going. Egypt is the world where they are coming from. If you translate it to our time, what is God saying? You are leaving the world, you are coming into the church, the people of God. God is saying, look, Egypt where you are coming from, don't follow their practice. In the church where you are going again, be careful how you are going to walk. You know He's taking them to Canaan. Again even where I'm taking you to, you still need to be careful. Why should we be careful? Matthew chapter 13, verse 47. [Yoruba: T'o ba kọ t'e ka, lẹẹkan-kan Bisola.] "Once again the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish." [Matthew 13:47]. It's a popular story. But at the end what will they do? So but the nature of the kingdom, all kinds of fish. So inside the place where you are coming, be careful. All the kinds of fish are not acceptable fish. All the kinds that you will meet. You will meet some pastors, you will meet some sisters, you will meet some brothers, you will meet some disciplers. It is all kinds [Yoruba: l'o ma ba.] I was discussing with somebody sometimes ago and it just occurred to me to ask me very, very serious question. Said, "Sir, there's something you really want to understand, she really want to understand, that when it comes to learning submission in submitting to the person who is mentoring you, must you obey everything?" You are laughing. [Yoruba: Nkan t'o mọ to ri nọ.] Maybe you were in one of the meetings when I gave the example. And then the discipler or the pastor, I'm going to use that term because that's what I'm more familiar with, or the mentor, the person bringing up the lady, came and said, "Okay, unbutton your blouse." I said, "Ah, no." And he said he told her that, "You see, you are not learning submission. You have a stubborn heart." And the story goes that in one of the days when after he had unbuttoned her blouse, after he had fought at that. But you know somebody that is your leader in the group, you will not even think that he want to, I don't know whether you get the point I am making. And then he forced and then unbuttoned the blouse and then he wanted to touch the, and you see, "You learn to sub, that is still not part of submission." And she still was, that was where I faulted at that too. She should have informed others. She must have informed some people. You know because she was confused. I said confused about what? Talking about this is somebody well-known. In fact it was the leader of their church that said they can work with him as evangelism outreach team they were going. [Yoruba: Oun n'ipe o ya wọn lẹsẹ kan k'ọun kọọ ma wo, iṣẹ amazement pe ah ki l'o n go on. Submission nọ leleyi.] The point I am trying to bring out of that, that's a kind of fish also in the, that's why you will see all kinds of mentors, all kinds of teachers, all kinds of people you are discipling. [Yoruba: Eto t'o ma gbori duro, eto ti o ni gbori duro.] So don't think that even those you are discipling, you will have a hundred percent harvest. That's why Jesus said when people gathered unto him, he said "look, the kingdom of God is like a sower that went to sow. As he sows some fell by the wayside, some fell on the rock, some fell." Even for Jesus, what harvest was he expecting? One of quarter. 75% he wasn't expecting harvest from. So that you don't even think that everybody that seems to sit down and listening to you. That is if Jesus himself is saying that with all my anointing, with all my preaching, let me take the nature of my kingdom. I'm a sower that is sowing. 75% will be lost of the things I'm sowing, 25% is what I will gather inside. That's why He never minced word. He said "look, broad is the way that leads to destruction, narrow the one that leads to life, few will find it." [Matthew 7:13-14]. Even though multitude are gathering around, He knows that few will find it. So that's the nature of the kingdom. That's the way the kingdom is. And that is why it calls for carefulness, so that you don't fall from your own work with God. The Holy Ghost is pointing to you this thing is not correct. Then you do like this, you do like this, "is it not Bisola doing it now, is it not correct?" The Holy Ghost is pointing it to you again, somebody is telling you something. It is pointing it to you, "but I don't think it matters, everybody is doing it." It is important to understand these things. The Egypt where we are coming from, there are defilements. The Canaan where we are going to, there are men we must not follow their practices. There are men we must not imitate. So we must learn in our work with God that the nature of the kingdom is something that catches all kinds of fish. And so it becomes important for us in the kingdom to be able to follow, He said in Matthew 13:48 "the good fish that they were gathered into the vessel." First for me to be a good fish because birds of the same feather they will flock together. First for me to be a good one, for me to be true in my work with God, having a conscience void of offense towards God and man. And then to be sure that my followership is with men whom heaven will look at as good fish. I want us to leave that there today because it is already just a few minutes to 12:00. People can know that when we start by 10:00, we finish for 12:00. Two hours meeting for Singles Club. I want us to take time to pray now. Just take time to pray. Just respond to God in prayer. I don't know what you have learned, what occurred to you in particular, what you are seeing, just talk to the Lord. You have just listened to words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Life Ministry. May the Lord help you to keep these words in your heart. For counseling and other inquiries, please contact 0803 358 1238 or visit us at our office at 15, Oke-Aro, Akure. Join us again for another soul-stirring message. God bless you.