The Highest and Utimate Trophy to Win Ii.

[Background music and chanting] [Speaker 1] Church and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God always desires a godly fruit. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness on Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] This matter of the ultimate trophy to win. Life at its best. No, beyond. Beyond life. Beyond life's encounters. Grant us, oh Lord, a fresh encounter into Your truth in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, eternal Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So last week, we began the topic "The Ultimate Trophy to Win," and in that discussion, we were able to see that ultimately, that which is the highest, the highest of the highest. Trophy talks about that which is a symbol of great achievement. And winning it, we're saying that it becomes very crucial for us to know that while there are several achievements, there are several things that could be defined as a mark of success and achievement, there's an ultimate one. And in doing that last week, our first consideration was to look at the book of 2nd Timothy, how the Bible says God called us according to His own purpose and grace in Christ, and that the revelation of that purpose and grace is what we call eternal life. In other words, eternal life simply means having purpose and grace. That's eternal life. That's the summary of eternal life. Eternal life, as we concluded last week, if you say you have eternal life, what you actually meant is that you have been able to come to an understanding, there's a clear revelation of purpose and grace that has been given to you in Christ. If you're not able to come to that standing, then you don't understand what eternal life is all about. Eternal life is not something that is a philosophy or vacuum. It's not just a particular experience. It's God beyond the experience. Eternal life is living daily in a definite and particular way. That definite and particular way that you are living has to do with the purpose that you have come to discover, to realize, and that you have grace to fulfill that purpose. That's eternal life. That's from where I want to move on from that point today. In moving on from that point, I want us to look at something together, something that I emphasized on last week. The Bible says this was revealed by the gospel. The Bible says Christ revealed this life by the gospel, which abolished death and brought immortality to light. So actual encounter with the true gospel brings a man into a definite purpose and grace. Now when you look at Ephesians, that's where I want to start from today, trying to establish this matter of purpose and grace. Ephesians chapter 2. We want to look at a few texts there just to establish further where we're going. The Bible begins Ephesians chapter 2 from verse 1, speaking to us believers. It says, "And you He made alive, you who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince and the power of the air, the spirit which now works in the sons of disobedience. Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as others." Ephesians 2:1-3 Now verse 4: "But," there was an intervention in our situation. But what? "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us." Ephesians 2:4 Please note, He loved us not as holy, not as godly, but while we were sinners. There was a great love of God for us when we were sinners. And through that love, He birthed the mercy. Now, "Even when we were dead in trespasses, He made us alive" Ephesians 2:5 That's eternal life. He made us alive. That's the eternal life "together with Christ. By grace you have been saved." Now what did He do? "And He raised us up together and made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ. Why? Why did He do that? That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:6-8 Now please notice something. That means we receive eternal life, that's everything that I was trying to say, by the mercies of God, by the giftness of God. What did we receive? Eternal life. As against death that was our position before, we received life. But look at what it now says in verse 10. What is the nature of that eternal life? That grace, that life that we receive, what is it? Do you notice that verse 10 began with a "for"? "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ" Ephesians 2:10 For what? Look at that. Eternal life is about works. Eternal life is about doing something. Eternal life is for works. There is a work. Eternal life is not just that "I have the life of God in me." It is not just something inside. It's not just an experience that is inside you. It is something that is articulated, practical. On a daily basis, it comes to doing certain kinds of things. There is something you will do physically in this life. If it does not come to a physical practical thing that you are doing, then you don't have eternal life. There is a practical doing. So of the things that God was doing when He saved us, He raised us up together with Christ, He made us sit in heavenly places, He gave us this for the love which He loved us, He brought us alive. What He was doing actually was that He was creating work men for works. Now look at it: "For we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Have you seen it? So what is eternal life? Eternal life simply means becoming a laborer doing a work that God has prepared before. Is there any other way to define eternal life? Eternal life simply means that there is a work that God has prepared before for me to do. And I've come to discover the works. That's what it means to be saved. I was doing one kind of thing before in my life. I was living one way before. I was doing one thing before. But now in Christ Jesus, I've come to see why I was created, why I was chosen. God chose me in Christ, chose me created in Christ. And that is why I tell you this. If anybody don't come to realize a definite work that has been prepared for him eternally, then that salvation is not in Christ. In Christ, what happened to you? Like I tell some people, the Samuel salvation, before there was a real salvation. Look at the Samuel salvation, not yours, because Samuel is already old. [background noise] When I say the Samuel salvation, you'll be saying, "Daddy, I don't have any salvation." What I'm trying to illustrate is just a terminology for something I saw in the Bible. Remember that the consecration of Samuel to the temple was actually the consecration of the mother. Samuel himself didn't know God. No encounter between God and Samuel. The encounter was between God and the mother. It was on that consecration that Samuel entered the temple. So the service of God that Samuel understood and the God that he used to serve is only epitomized, that is, it's only captured in real life. So as long as he was doing service to Eli, for him, that is the fullness of God. Such that when God now came and said "Samuel, Samuel," God was a stranger. Eli was the correct God. He was running after him. He said, "Master, you call me?" "I didn't call you." He called again. "I say, 'Master, you are calling me!'" because that was the savior that he knows. What I mean is that when a man says he's saved and does not come to a deep realization of an understanding of something that God prepared for him before the foundations of the world, and he begins to put all his life into that, and all he knows about salvation is running around on errands in one assembly or one fellowship, all that he knows about God, his salvation is not in Christ, it's inside church. What he was introduced into was not Christ originally. He only came to church. He entered into church, he did not enter into Christ. And I'm not saying there's any problem attending church. But I'm saying that what makes church not to just amount to vanity? Because religiousity is vanity except there is salvation. Church attendance, praying, all of that, look at those words, "Cornelius." He was prayerful and his alms went up before God, a memorial, yet he was not saved. So a man can be prayerful, a man can be this, a man can fast, a man can pray, a man can, oh, can give alms, can do all of that, can read Bible, can be Bishop, can be Pastor, can be elder, can be priest, can be elder, can be disciple, can be all of that and yet all of that is just about the institution. It's not about eternity. It's not about eternal life. What we're trying to say is that eternal life, once we begin to look at what is the ultimate trophy to win in life, the ultimate trophy, what is it? What is the peak of a man's achievement? There are achievements and there are achievements. We want to look at what is the peak of all achievement, what is the peak of all success. That's what we're trying to look at, particularly for a man who has come into salvation in Christ. If a man has not come into salvation in Christ, they're outside the kingdom, it's a different ball game. But if a man says, "I've encountered salvation in Christ," what is the ultimate trophy? What is the ultimate thing to go for? What is the primary thing to go for? Beyond that is the ultimate of all achievement, that's what we're trying to look at. And in order to look at that, we're trying to define what eternal life is. We're collecting it together. Last week, we saw that there was purpose and grace. Now we're seeing that actually when God was busy saving us, when God was busy redeeming, when God was doing all those things, actually what God was doing was that there was work which God prepared before. And God wants people to work in them. So what God did actually was that when you were dead in sin, what did God do? What did God do? God woke you up out of sleep, get out of sleep, come into the work. If you don't come into the work that was prepared for you, come into Jesus, into the work, I have chosen, I chose you for something. And like I said, that chosen, we must get it very clear. You will see that in Ephesians chapter 1. That chosen of people, look at Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4 so that you see how everything connects together. Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 2:10, let's connect it. In Ephesians 1:4, what are we told? In Ephesians 1:4, what are we told? We're told, King James says, "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Ephesians 1:4 That's King James. NLT says, "Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ." So are you getting something? We were dead in sin, but however, before the world began, God did a choosing. Before the world began, there was a choosing. Now, that choosing, what happened in the time you gave your life was that God actually woke you up, "Get up! Come into that thing that you are supposed to do." That is eternal life. That's the reality of eternal life. So eternal life is not just that "I am saved." No, it's that I've discovered, "Ah, hallelujah! Hallelujah! Oh, I was supposed to be doing this and I've left it undone all this while. I'm alive now, I can see them." If you cannot see them, then you are dead. If you cannot see them, you are not alive. If you cannot realize them, you are not alive. So eternal life is not just that "I have salvation experience" as some people normally say. Yes, but it's not just an experience, it also brings you to a realization. A realization of when God was choosing us before time began, it was also in that choosing, it was to some work. And that work, please listen, that work was to be done what? Not in eternity. It was to be done here in time. The work was ordained in eternity, but it was ordained for time. That is why the Bible says but is now revealed in Christ. So it was in eternity. What came to reveal it? Time, by the gospel. So what Christ actually brought into time is the work that was ordained in eternity. And that work, please listen, this work that we are talking about, it is time-specific. I want us to note that. It is time-specific. That is, it has a starting time, it has a finishing time. That's number one. Number two, this matter of eternal life, this matter of eternal life that brings us into work in time, that work that eternal life oh I've gotten this life, we enter into a work, that work has a starting time and a finishing time. Number two, that work, it is a work that has a starting point and a finishing point. The work is not just for example. The work can be as specific as you are to save 200 people. And those 200 people are 1, 2, 3, 4, located in different places. It is true as you work with God, then you begin to realize them. It can be that specific as you begin to understand. And that is why I tell people God is in charge of who people are born, and where people are born, and when people are born. All of these things God is in charge. God told Jeremiah, "Before you were born I knew you. While you were in your mother's womb, I've ordained you." Knowing that the circumstances and the time and the place that will bring Jeremiah must be something God was working behind. God is in charge of every sexuality. God in God control all of these things. Once we begin to understand that things have been programmed from timelessness and manifested in time. God was the womb that was to carry Jesus in time was specific, not just any womb. These are specific things in time. So what we're saying is that the work has a starting time, a starting point, and a finishing point. But there's more is that the job is not only specific but precise. The job is not just this work that you are to do, is not only specific, it's also precise. It's precise. It's precise. Now, because it's like this, let us look at some two scriptures to bring something to light. Let me open my study, Judges. I want us to look at two scriptures, I want you to look at two personalities on this matter that brings this matter to light. Two personalities. I want you to look at two passages of the scriptures and then we'll bring them together. The ultimate, let me open my my jottings, the highest and the ultimate trophy to win. Now look at something Apostle Paul, Apostle Paul said first in Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. Let's go to Philippians chapter 3. Let's read between verse 6 and verse 11. Philippians chapter 3, we want to read between verse 6 and verse 11. Philippians 3, want to take it from verse 7. "But what things were gain to me, these I counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ my Lord, for whom I have suffered" Philippians 3:7-8 the loss of how many things? Of how many things? Paul did not count everything that went off, but he said, "I count them as loss." Rubbish. NLT says, "rubbish." I count them as rubbish that I may do what? That I may gain Christ. I count every other thing as rubbish. Talk about attitude towards this matter. Attitude towards this trophy that we're talking about. He says, "I count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ." Now look at verse 9: "And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." Philippians 3:9 Verse 10: "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." Philippians 3:10 Why? Why is he wanting to know Him? Why is he wanting to dig and dig and dig? We're talking about this work is not something that has to do with intellectual capacity. Revelation is the key. You must cry God for revelation. You must seek to know Him. You must seek to enter into deep and intimate fellowship with Him. Why? Why? Verse 11: "If by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on" that what? Why is he pressing on? "That I may lay hold of that for which Christ has also laid hold of me." When you see Paul counting everything but loss, why is he pressing on, pressing on, pressing on for that revelation, for that work, for that understanding, for power? Why is he pressing? So that he may lay hold of what? Of that for which Christ has laid hold of him. What is that? The works that was prepared for him to do. Are you understanding me? Are you understanding me? I'm telling you that the correct attitude of somebody who understands this matter of eternal life is that, number one, everything becomes nothing to that person. If something begins to matter to you above that work, you don't understand what we're talking about. "I count all things but loss." Everything that I love, everything that was a loss, what were they? I count them as what? Rubbish! Rubbish! If by any means I may just know Him, I want to know Him. I want to have the fellowship of His suffering. I want to go deeper and deeper and deeper. The reason why I'm doing all these things is not because I've already attained, I've not yet attained. What I want to do with all of this digging, digging, digging is that I want to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. He's talking about what? Purpose. He's talking about what? Works. I want to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. I want to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. I want to do everything so that I can I can I can lay hold of that thing for which Christ has laid hold of me. Now look at Acts chapter 21. Acts 21. We need to look at Paul. We're trying to study Paul. Then we'll now come to study Jesus. You will see complete similar pattern in these two people. I'm studying Paul because Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles. I'm studying Jesus because that is our perfect example, our Lord and Savior. Now look at Paul, Acts chapter 21. Let's go to around we can take it from verse 10. Actually we're going to around verse 13, but we can take it from verse 10. Acts chapter 21, the book of Acts chapter 21. Acts 21, let's go to around verse 10. Now as we stayed and as we stayed many days, look at something, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he has come to us, he took Paul's belt, the belt, some will say girdle, depending on the translation, bound his hands and his feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit," please note something, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him up into the hands of the Gentiles." Now verse 12: "Now when we have heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him," pleaded with Paul, "not to go up to Jerusalem." Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping? What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of Jesus Christ." So when we would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." Am I making you understand something? Why is this man pressing and pressing and pressing towards what looks like towards what is clear is going to be suffering and death? Why is he pressing? So that he may lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of him. And what is that? The works that was prepared for him to do. If it has been clear to you that, look, you must get to Rome. God has revealed this to you long ago that you must get to Rome. And so He knows that there are some work, so whether it is death that is there, whether whatever is there is not an issue. Do you not know that, please, I must finish my work. There is a work! Whether death is there you're talking about imprisonment and the rest, imprisonment I've even given my mind. If it is by dying that the work will finish, so be it. I'm talking of men who had what? Who had what? Eternal life. This is what it means to have eternal life. Eternal life brings a man into a purpose and a grace to fulfill that purpose. That is why I agree with Martin Luther when he said, "A man who has not seen something for which he can die in God is not fit to live." A man who has not seen something in God for which he can die is not fit to live. Do you know why? That man would be a coward. That man will be fearful. Are you getting the point I'm trying to bring out? He will be so fearful. And fear, remember, if you look at Revelation, He says those that will be cast into the lake of fire, He said, "Who are those? The liars, the adulterers." Among them you'll find there the fearful. They fear men, they fear circumstances. They will not, they will not be men like Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, that will say, "Look, if you don't do this thing, see, the fire is ready." "Ah! Ah! Ah! Master, you see actually I made a mistake in what I said. When I said that Jesus is Lord, no, I wanted to say that Jesus is not Lord, no, it was just a slip of tongue. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Don't kill me. Relax, you see my family they are still there, ha, ha, ha, ha." These people become fearful. If you remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, what was at stake was not their job. What was at stake was their life. Today, even not to lose our job, we tell all kind of lies. I need to go and bring this, I'm doing this so that they will not promote me. Ah, if I go and do this, ah, they might not want to give me next promotion. I might not be promoted. Let me just join them. Just so that you don't lose promotion. Some people so that you don't lose job, and in terms of that, they compromise. But there were men even when they were told they will die. This is what it means to have eternal life. To have a clear understanding of eternal life. A man who has not seen something into God, that's why Paul said, "Ah, that I may know You!" So I want to understand the fellowship of His suffering. I want to go deeper and deeper and deeper. The reason why I am doing all these things is not because I've already attained, I've not yet attained. What I want to do with all of this digging, digging, digging is that I want to lay hold of that thing for which Christ has laid hold of me. I want to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. I want to do everything so that I can I can I can lay hold of that thing for which Christ has laid hold of me. He's talking about what? Purpose. He's talking about what? Works. I want to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. I want to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. I want to do everything so that I can I can I can lay hold of that thing for which Christ has laid hold of me. Now when he finished it, look at what he said. Let's read on. When he finished it, what followed? When he finished it, what followed? Look at what he said. Let's read what he said. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Finally, hallelujah! "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness." You can see why they want to lay hold for that of that for which Christ laid hold of them. Because until the work is finished, there's no crown. There is no crown. And that's why eternal life is not just about "I attend church, I read Bible, I pray." All of these things are to contribute into a definite purpose that is clear. It is church, Bible, all those things should build you into a desire to dig deep and deep into Jesus because before time began, there was a work, there was something to be done. It was for that reason that you were chosen and you were made alive. So that that work can be done. Until that work is finished, there is what? There is a crown for that work. I want our eyes to be opened to know the hope of our calling. Our eyes must be opened to know the hope of this calling. This calling has a hope. There is something God hopes to do. God did not just call. God calls for assignment. So He says that your eyes of understanding will be enlightened. If God don't open your eyes, you will remain blind. You will not know death. If you don't find time to be with God, to spend time with Him, that's how the culture of quiet time develops. That's how we now call quiet time this new culture. That is why you don't joke with this. You must find time to be with God as a priest with Him because if you don't do, the spirit now won't be able to know the work. You won't be able to understand step by step because it's a continuous revelation. You don't know all at once. It's a continuous revelation. Do you know how you do? Then, number two, there are different levels of the spirit. Go and read Ezekiel, He said the water was first at my feet, then at my knee, then at my thigh, then to different levels of drinking into the spirit until you come to the level where death is nothing. You think, "Oh, how is that?" People will be wondering, "How? Is this not a human being?" It's a human being, it's just because he's powered by the Spirit of God. He's actually a human being. It's only human being but powered by God's Spirit. We must be powered by the Spirit of God. In the name of Jesus, we must enter into more power in Christ. We must make up our minds. He said, "I must work the work of Him that has sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work." Look at what He said, verse 5: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." This is specific, He's come here to be light. It's specific, what am I to do to the world? What are you to the world? What are you to your generation? Come as the light of the world. While He has said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva. And He anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay. And He said to him, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam," which is translated "Sent." So he went and washed and came back seeing. So the work of God is manifested. It's not Paul that will come and open the eyes of this one later. It must be Jesus. It must be Jesus, part of His own work. We'll take it from here next week. We'll look at the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. We've looked at the life of Paul, the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, and come to point building up a prayer. Let us talk to the Lord for that which we have learned today. Just speak to the Lord. I want you to talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord. Eternal life. Eternal life. I want to live eternally. God saved my soul. I want to live eternally. God saved my soul. Eternal life, eternal life. I want to live eternally. God saved my soul. I want to live eternally. God saved my soul. Oh my Savior. Oh my Savior. Oh when You come to collect Your people, oh remember me, oh Lord. Oh remember me, oh Lord. When You come to collect Your people. I will be in the number, oh Lord. Oh, I will be in the number, oh Lord. Everybody want us to close this meeting with prayers. [Speaker 2] Father, in Jesus' name, thank You Lord for another time in Your presence. Thank You for Your word that You've spoken to us. Lord, establish us in this truth in Jesus' name. The Bible says You send Your word, Your word heals and delivers us from all our afflictions. This word again has delivered and will continue to deliver in the name of Jesus. Help us to know that we are a masterpiece, the masterpiece created in Christ for every good work. The Lord, the essence of our salvation all about eternal package is that we do the good work that has been prepared for us to do. Lord, as You remind us again, please help us to work at it. Help us now to set it as a goal. Help us now to go and mind this only business and nothing more in the name of Jesus. If there is anyone who does not even know what God has prepared for him or her to do, Lord, it is to Your glory to conceal a matter and to the honor of kings to search it out. As they seek Your face, Lord, please make it known to them in Jesus' name. This word oh Lord that You have spoken to us, may it not only bring us understanding but open our heart and cause us to arise. If we don't know what to arise to do, the work has not been completed. We also said that the grace and the power of this word will go forth and reveal to everyone who does not know what he has been created in Christ Jesus to do. Lord, reveal to them in the name of Jesus. Let grace and mercy Lord work it out so that they get understanding in the name of Jesus. And as they get understanding Lord, cause us not to only arise, arise and awake, arise and awake, if we were sleep. Even if we were dead, You are the Lord the resurrection and the life, cause us all to arise to work the work of eternal life which You have ordained before time that we could walk and walk through in the name of Jesus. And we pray Lord that You will cause us to finish it. We will not leave it halfway. We will not be distracted. We will not abandon it. Oh Lord please help us in the name of Jesus. Thank You Father for Your servant You have used tonight. We pray Lord, more than ever before, the work that You have ordained that he will do as Your masterpiece. God, work it in him to do and to finish. We pray Lord, He will not leave anything undone. Oh Lord, we pray for more grace, more of the unction, utterance, revelation, inspiration, even as he does this work in the name of Jesus. More of the working of Your spirit upon him and upon us all in the name of Jesus. Holy Spirit, You have been left with us to do the work of God here on earth. Finish this work, find us and cause us to work it out in the name of Jesus. Thank You faithful God. As we go, Your presence go with us. Cause us to gather again on Monday to be blessed by You. In Jesus' most holy name we pray. Amen. [Speaker 3] Let's share the grace in fellowship. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. Surely, goodness and mercies shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class, every Monday 5 PM; Adolescent and Singles Club, every first Saturday of every month at 10 AM; Marriage Forum, second Saturdays of every month at 10 AM; Family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilaro community opposite Very Joy Filling Station along Idji Road, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are: 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you.