Transcript: Christ Formed In You Part 1
Prepared from the audio, so small errors are possible.
God's word is alive and powerful. It is sharper than any double edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and our joints and marrow until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. Join apostle Emmanuel as he takes us on a journey into the word of God. It is time to encounter God, be transformed by his word, and empowered by his spirit. You see, God intends for every believer to be a reflection of the glory of the Christ in experience tangibly. It is in our prophetic destiny corporately as believers to step into this realm in the spirit where our life becomes a worthy capture of the abundance of the life of God. Where we become envoys of the glory of God. But a lot of believers, unfortunately will never come into this experience of being reflections of the glory of the Christ experientially. And the reason is because not everyone has grown into maturity.
In this kingdom, you must understand that just because we are heirs with Christ does not make the things that belong to us legally by reason of us being heirs automatically our experience. So there are things that Christ has died for that are yours because you have believed Christ for those of us who are saved. There are blessings. The bible says we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Have you read your bible like that? The bible says he has given us all things that pertains onto life and godliness. Look at... The bible says we are seated with Christ in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This our this our inheritances in Christ. In fact, in Ephesians one, Paul was praying and he said that your eyes of your understanding might be enlightened that you may know, verse 17.
18, that you may know what is the hope of his calling. Look at this. What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints? So you see that there are inheritance that belong to the saint. In the book of Psalms chapter two and verse eight, it was... See, God... It was the psalmist that was speaking and God was speaking to the psalmist. Can we read this together if you can see it everybody? One, two, three, go. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance.
It means part of your inheritance is nation. It means Nigeria can be your inheritance. Somebody did not see that. Some people are traveling to The US to go and also. Some people are going there because US have been given to them. You didn't see that. You didn't see that. You didn't see that. That God comes to meet you and tells you, I'll be sending you over to Canada to complete your studies, but this is the mandate I've given to you. The moment God tells you that kind of a thing, this scripture comes to your mind.
I will give you the nations for your inheritance. So you know the moment I step foot on this land, I'm not coming to beg. I'm not coming to do the work of a slave because this nation has been given to me. It has been willed to me like a father writes a will for his son. Do you understand what I'm saying? There are there are inheritances that the believer has in Christ. But guess what? A lot of believers... As a matter of fact, 80% of believers, if not more than that, will never come into the fullness of this inheritance. That's the dangerous thing.
They will never come into the fullness of this inheritance. Is it not true that Christ has died for our sickness? Is it not true that by his stripes, we were healed? Were there not people today who are still sick despite they quote that scripture? Is that not an inheritance? You're not getting what I'm saying. Are you with me? Yes, sir. That is an inheritance. The bible says, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper.
That is an inheritance. The bible says, whom for our sake became poor that we might be rich. It means prosperity is an inheritance of the saints. How many believers work in prosperity? How many believers work in healing? You see, what I'm telling you is that it is yours legally does not mean that it will be given to you. Does not mean that you will work in the experience of it. What is the problem? Why is it that many people have are heirs of these inheritances but never come to the fullness of the same? Never experienced the same.
Live beggarly lives whilst they were there on earth. Yet they are Christians, yet they are believers. Galatians chapter four, Paul was speaking to us and that is where my title for this teaching has gotten from. I hope I'm able to finish today. If I'm not able to finish, we'll conclude on Sunday. Next week, we'll make it a series. From verse one, Paul is speaking and he says, now I say that the heir... So the bible says we are heirs together with Christ. So who is the heir? I am the heir.
You are the heir. Everybody sitting down here who has received Christ, we are all the heirs. We are heirs of the inheritance of Christ. Are you with me? Yes, sir. But the bible now says the heir, as long as he's a child, differ not from a slave. Are you seeing the problem now? Yes, sir. So the problem is not that you are the heir. The problem is that you are a child.
Yes, sir. It means there is... It is dangerous for a believer not to grow spiritually. The reason why many will never enter into the fullness of their inheritance is because they've not grown. And the bible is telling you that the lot of the child in this kingdom is the same as the lot of the slave. So think about it. What is the lot of the slave? The slave, there is an unbeliever. Can demons press an unbeliever? Can an unbeliever fall sick?
Can demons oppress his soul? Are these things looking like things that believers go through? You see why they go through it. Is an instant instant diagnosis of where you are as a believer. If I look at my life and I see realities in my life that is not different from an unbeliever, I can't tell the life I'm living what exactly... Where exactly is the glory that makes me a believer. Where is the advantage that makes me a believer? An unbeliever can read for an exam and forget. Is that not so? Yes, sir.
A believer also read for an exam and forget with the holy ghost on his inside. There is spirit in man. The inspiration of the almighty giveth him understanding. The bible said I will send you aloes pracletos, and part of his responsibilities is that he will bring you... He will bring to your remembrance all things that you have been taught. It means a believer cannot forget an example. What I'm saying now is strange. It is not your experience. This is the reason. It is not your experience and this is the reason.
The heir means you are legally entitled to this, but the heir cannot remain a child. The heir needs to grow. Being the heir does not automatically transfer your inheritance to you. It is growing in maturity that does. So it's like a clause that a father writes in his will. It's like a clause a father includes in his will and the father says, this is my child. Everything I have, give it to him when he's 18. Are you seeing the air? So what... Before he's 18, does he own anything?
Does he own anything? So if he's age five, the house belongs to him legally. Yes or no? The cars belong to him, the estate, the organization, the money, the bank account, everything belongs to him. Yes or no? Yes. But does he work in the experience of any of them? No. Can he carry the car out legally in his name? So what is the difference between that child and a slave in the man's house?
Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. It means that the clause to receiving this is when he's 18, when he's mature, when he's... The problem now is all it takes for the child to be 18 in time is for time to pass. That's not all it takes in the realm of the spirit. So a child can be a child for thirty years. A child can be 50 years old and he's a child. A man can be 70 years old and he's a child. The way things work in the realm of the spirit is quite different from how it works in the physical realm. Now when you continue reading the book of Galatians, Paul now captures what this growth is and what it exemplifies.
What is this maturity that Paul is talking about? In Galatians chapter four and verse 19, Paul now shows us what he's talking about exactly. He says, my little children. Did you see children? So these are young believers in Christ. Remember verse one, he says, the heir as long as he's a child. So it's referring to these people that are children. Are you with me? In verse 19, it says, you are children. And because you are children, I am laboring in birth.
In other words, the kind of labor I am making on your behalf, it can be compared to a woman in child labor. Have you seen a woman in childbirth before? Do you know the pain that woman undergoes? Every pastor under the sound of my voice hear me. If you cannot labor like this for the people you are called to, stop what you are doing. Close it down. To have a people and to pastor them is to labor like a woman in childbirth. There are many times you will not be able to sleep because you are thinking this person shared this with me. You are concerned. You are burdened.
These people must grow. There are times people will share problems with you and you will see you will see a reflection of their lack of growth in the questions they are asking. Again, you are burdened. Now you have to go and study, preparing messages, preparing sermons, reading books, studying studying concordance, praying for them, investing in them in prayers, investing in them in study so that you can bring the accurate counsel of God and build them in doctrine. This is what Paul calls those that I labor over. Now what what is the essence of his labor? How you know you have found a church is a man of God... As a matter of fact, when the bible says I will give you pastors after my own heart, this is the responsibility of a shepherd after the heart of God. You must be willing to labor for the people of God. That's why the bible says, give them that labor over you double or no because that work is a serious work.
Many people think pastors are lazy. Become one first. If you ever have to lead one people, one person or lead two persons, you will know how difficult people can be. Now you are leading five, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100. Come on now. Are you with me? Yes. Until Christ be formed in you. So the essence of my label is for Christ to be formed in you. It means this is actually what defines maturity for a believer.
It's not enough that you have encountered Christ. There is now the next process. The next process is the formation of Christ in you. The formation of Christ in you is the proof of growth and maturity. This is ultimately what makes you a reflection of God's glory, God's presence, and God's power. The quality of the believer eventually in his faith work is not just dependent on the truthfulness of his new birth experience, but the degree to which Christ is formed in that believer. It means you can be saved sincerely, But if Christ has not been formed in you, there are many things that will be lacking in your life because it means you are not growing as a believer. And according to scriptures, with respect to the formation of Christ in the believer and the experience of Christ for a human being or for a man, there are three planes of existence that a man can exist according to scriptures. And you will need to study these three planes of existence and the symptoms of these planes of existence so that you know where you belong ultimately. You need to study so that you know where you are and where you are now shows you how far you are from being a reflection of the glory of the Christ experientially.
Yesterday, for those that were around, I was speaking to you about how that God has decided that believers can be wealthy in him. It was the psalmist that prayed, satisfy us early. It means God is not against early satisfaction. God came to people in scriptures when they were 12 years old, before they were teenagers. Is the 12 year old boy a teenager? And God made him a prophet. So much so, Eli, who was in his seventies, was consulting from a 12 years old what God is saying. And God did not mind his age. It shows you God does not mind lifting people regardless of their age. Don't place a age limit on God.
Somebody thinks, well, this young thing, me, I'm already old. God does not mind using people regardless of their age. He started with Abraham when he was 75. When he was 75. So you think you have wasted time. Guess what? He didn't say I will restore the things the woman has stolen. He said I will restore the years the Kankan woman has stolen. It means years can be stolen. A man can waste five years and not know where it went.
All he knows is he's not able to account for five years of his life. He has no idea what he was doing. And I found that during the process, you will not know. Is when you are 30, you will now say, how did I get here? Why am I poor? When you are taking friends up and down and you are jumping from one party to the next party, you won't think about it. It don't come to your mind. When you should study and read your books or pay attention to your business and to God and to commit yourself in church, you're not doing that. You are hopping from one place to place, from one street to street, from one disc to disc. It won't come to your mind at that moment.
But the... That's why the bible says there's a way that symmetry. The end thereof, it means it is at the end you know. You now get to the end, you now realize that, ah, oh, why? You can't even explain. Why? Because seven years was stolen. There are people who gained admission with many of you who just get admission now and the four years they will spend in school. Six years they will spend in school. By the time they are done, they will realize it was stolen from them.
A friend of mine was telling me about an acquaintance of both of us and the lady already had a vision of where he wants to walk. She wanted to walk by the time she was done with school according to our purpose. God has already shown her. And when she studied, she realized that she can't... She cannot walk there unless she has at least six years of experience. She checked the course she was studying in school, it was six years. What... When will she finish and then gain six years of experience? At 100 level, she got the job. She retained the job to 200 level.
200 level got another job. Did that to 400 level. 400 level got... Till she finished 600 level, she was working while she was a student. By the time she was done to 700 level, she had six years experience. Guess what? She got the employment because she was the youngest person. She got the employment because she was the youngest person. Whilst that six years she used, do you know what others were using it to do? They were...
It was stolen. Let me not deviate too much. Glory to God. So I said, there are three types of men you can be. Three types of people that the bible shows us and the first one is in first Corinthians two and verse 14. Can everybody hear me? Upstairs, can you hear me? Yes. First Corinthians two fourteen. First Corinthians two and verse 14.
The bible says, but the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God. So the first man we see in scripture is what? The natural man. Please, as I begin to show you these things, the aim of this is so you can begin to look at yourself and check where am I in this equation. Where am I in this equation? Because where you are shows you how far you are from experiencing the life and the glory that your life should represent in Christ. Where mind this equation? The first is the natural man. And the bible says of the natural man that he does not receive the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness to him. Nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.
The natural man, according to this scripture, is an unsaved person. He does not have the holy spirit on his inside, and so he cannot receive the things of God. The natural man is the man that has not encountered Christ. He has not gone through the new birth experience. The man can be a nice man. He can be someone who is societally accepted as a good man, as an excellent man, but the moment you have not come into Christ by receiving the life of Christ, the bible says you are a natural man. The man does not have the faculty of receiving the things of the spirit of God because they are foolishness to him. Neither can he know them because spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. Stay with me. Stay with me.
There are many good people in this place who would listen to a good sermon. And as much as they appreciate the intelligence that comes with the teaching, the core of the tenets of kingdom living and spirit living does not make sense to them. When it has to do with kingdom living or spirit living, it is not just something that is hinged and stops on intellect. There is an engineering that the holy spirit, the life of God on your inside does to an individual that gives you the faculty to perceive, to appreciate, and to believe spiritual things. It is only possible through the spirit of God that tabernacles the heart of a man who has given his life to Christ. It means the man can appreciate what I'm saying intelligently, but the spiritual essence of what I'm saying, he cannot understand. So when we start doing spiritual things, the man is lost in oblivion. For instance, we are worshiping God now and somebody's crying. The natural man will say she's foolish. You are not getting what I'm saying.
If spiritual things look foolish to you, you are not saved. I'm I'm telling you the truth. The point of this teaching is to know where you are. It doesn't matter if you have come out for altar call. Altar call is not what saves people. I will show you what salespeople. Many people come out for Otter call for religious reasons and they come there and they're just... There there is no belief in their heart. Their mouth is saying what the speaker is saying but their heart does not believe. So they leave the place thinking they are saved.
How they will know they are not saved is that this experience still remains with them. The holy ghost does not kabana cool their inside. There's no difference in their life. The guy can still smoke. The guy can still drink. He doesn't see anything wrong with it. He can go to club on Friday and come to church on Sunday and nothing convicts him. Do you understand what I'm saying? The lady can have three boyfriends and and come to church. The fact that you were born in church does not mean you are saved.
The fact that your parents are Christians does not mean they are saved. Tell you you are saved. There's an equation for salvation, a pattern for salvation. If And I've not passed through that pattern, then you are a natural man. Your life will not exemplify the glory of God. You can begin to sit down there and wonder, why are people crying? Why is somebody running on the floor? In this meeting, we give expression for the allowance of the Holy Ghost and he can let cause whenever he wants to let cause. As I'm speaking now, somebody can shout under the power because the because the person has received light or an impartation or as a sign or an healing or the holy ghost is working on the person's heart or a mantle has dropped on the So many things are happening right now as I'm speaking. And it can become very violent and somebody can start screaming.
Another person can start shouting. Someone can be drunk in the spirit and he's laughing. The natural man will say, believers, foolish people, foolish people. Are you seeing what I'm saying now? Yes, sir. I was in a meeting and we're praying and all of a sudden, all of a sudden, Hey. Nobody cracked a joke. We were just laughing. We were just laughing. You think that what we were doing was nonsense.
This was years... Some years back. You will think what we were doing was just nonsense as though we're not excited people. An atheist walked amongst... Walked into that meeting. Were you there? Do you remember this? I don't think he remembers. An atheist... There was a popular atheist there in that fellowship...
In that school rather. The guy was popular. Everybody knew the guy. So when he saw that, we were laughing. He was reading in the following class. He now came to the class where we were to come and check what was going on. He was not looking. He was looking. He said, look. He brought out his phone and wanted to record us.
The phone fell and cracked and the screen broke. In anger, he wanted to come inside to come and challenge us. He fell out straight under the power. Nobody spoke to him. Nobody. We didn't even know he was there. Funny enough, we were still laughing. It's when the first person recovered that we saw somebody lying down. We thought he was dead. We woke him up.
That kind of a thing where believers are just laughing in the spirit. Drunk in... Have you seen drunk believers before? Some of you have never been drunk. Don't give it time. Are you with me? Yes, sir. We... I was I was in I was in Owo. In a meeting in Owo.
In a school, I was invited. It was your school. Somebody was listening to me online. One of my guys was listening to me online. Following the meeting online. And as the testimonies were coming, they were on hanging testimonies. All sorts of testimonies. The guy was intoxicated in his room. Woke up, went to his hostel, dragged two of his friends, and they went on the Street Of Bodija. What were they looking for?
A madman. They found one, sat him down, got him saved, healed him on the spot. It is, sir, I don't know what came over me. It's it's it's the wine of the spirit. The bible says, do not be drunk with wine, wearing in excess, but being filled with the spirit. It means there is an experience a believer can have when he is filled with the spirit that looks like what a drunk person has. Do you understand what I'm saying? I'm telling you that the natural man will have problem with it. There will be foolishness unto him. So if as you are sitting down, whilst you were worshiping God, your eyes were open and you are looking, can you not just speak?
You are here for the intelligence that comes when the man of God is speaking. You probably came yesterday and you heard the intelligence that came with the the articulation, the eloquence, the proof of research and study. And you say, my God, this man has stuff. I can benefit from this. And you came to church, so whilst they were praising God, whilst they were worshiping, you just sat down there and you were saying, let's let's get straight to the point. You are natural. I'm sorry, but I love you and it is important I communicate this to you. Have you seen believers that mock other believers praying and they claim to be saved? Ask him what is his name? Say Matthew.
How can you be Matthew? Bishop Oedepo is speaking online and he's saying and he's saying, when I built my first church, when we built this church, we came by the instruction of the spirit. It was a wilderness, goose everywhere, but we came and look at what it is now. Check the comment. You will see Luke, James, Abraham. He said, all these men are liars. All these men are... Why why you... You don't argue with them. Why?
Because they are natural men. The things of the spirit are foolishness unto them. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That is what the bible says. The natural man does not receive the things of the spirit. They are foolishness to him. So imagine you meet a natural man and you are arguing things of the spirit with him. Have you not seen heroin now? What you are saying is foolishness to him.
He can't... You see, you know you have to pray. Pray prayer. Ah, guy. If you don't pray, hey. Hey. Hey. Life is spiritual. Oh, guy. Ah, guy.
Life is... Calm down. This guy cannot understand anything you are saying. There are even more intricate things in the spirit. How about when we start talking about the trinity? And we say, God is three and yet one. Try unity. Then they will ask you, so how can God be on earth? And whilst he was on earth, he was still in heaven. They will ask you, how can...
I asked if did God not come down to come and impregnate the woman? So are you seeing that God is a rapist? Now you are trying to explain to them. You say, you know, it's the same way you have water. Water can exist in three states as liquid, solid, and gas. And it's still water. You see? Three in one. So God can be spirit, son, and father. And you would think you have made sense.
What I said now, does it make sense to you? Go and take naturama. You'll be shocked. You now realize that what made it make sense to you is the holy ghost on your inside. It's not because you have brain. Do you understand what I'm saying? Listen. You will you will have problem with almost everything in the bible. And the reason is because you are only looking at it as literature, as an archaeological or an historical artifact. Good for research, but not good for spiritual communication.
The spirit component of scripture cannot profit you. You read things like there is e that scatter it and yet increaseth. There is he that withholdeth more than his meat and it profiteth, it tended to poverty. And you're wondering, can I scatter and increase? Does he make... No. No. No. No. These pastors are thieves.
Laws that are backed up by the integrity of God. Spiritual laws cannot make sense to a man. The law of honor, how that through honor, men can contact and access grace. So when you see when you see honor, maybe a man of God demonstrating honor to another man of God or members of a church demonstrating honor to their pastor. Natural man will say, ah. Is it God? Is it God? Is it God? Why are you doing that? Why...
He's a natural man. The things of the spirit are foolishness to him. Do you know what the prophet... What's what's Saul told the servant? He said we cannot go to the prophet empty handed. We understand that in the realm of the spirit, if we want to access grace, we must carry something. Isaac wanted to bless his children. He didn't just say neither let me bless you and my children. He said go and get me venison. Go and let something leave you and come to me.
It is a law of honor. Take a posture in the name of the spirit that allows the blessing to flow because blessing cannot flow to gracemates. If we are mates, then the blessing cannot flow to you. Do you understand what I'm saying now? Somebody would need to take a posture that makes him lesser. The bible says in Hebrews chapter seven and verse seven, for this, without all contradiction, without all argument, the less is blessed by the better. It means in the equation of blessings and transparency of graces, somebody must choose to be the less. That is honor. Do you understand what I'm saying? So if I meet the man of God and shake him and say, ah, how are you doing?
The man can sincerely bless me. But because in my heart, I've equated myself to him, to mean we are colleagues, nothing can flow from him to him to... For to me. It is the law of honor. Somebody has to intentionally recognize that this is the better. I have something to receive from this man. There's a grace I don't have. So if I meet Job Uedepo, my goodness, the honor. If I meet the man of God who is grace, the honor. I don't see him as my mate.
I don't see him as a colleague, the honor. But these things I'm saying is foolishness to the naturama. So when we gather believers and we teach scriptures and we are building them, a natural man cannot benefit except in being intellectual. So if I'm teaching you for instance in in church now, alright, so you have to invest in stocks if you wanna prosper. There's the one that's called the law of investment. You know, in the parable of the talents, Jesus told the the master told those servants, take these bags of silver and invest them. Do business with them. So a believer who is not doing business cannot prosper. So you have to do business. The guy will be shaking his head.
He said, yes. He was talking. And now say, you wanna prosper? You have to give. He said, no. Are you with me? Yes. Our world is full of many natural men. There are natural men listening to me right now who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Listen to me.
Painfully speaking and truthfully speaking, the destiny of the natural man, the man without Christ is eternal damnation. In spite of his good works, in spite of his sincerity, in spite of whatever mansion he built, the destiny of the man without Christ is hell. It can be your father. It can be your roommate. It can be anybody whom you know. The destiny. So I will teach you that the most important need of an unbeliever is Christ, not money. Christ. Jesus came and made a way through his death, his burial, his resurrection, his ascension so that everyone who is not in Christ can now find his way through that new birth experience. Jesus is the way.
It's not one of the ways. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. When you find a man that believes Jesus is one of the ways, he has not given his life to Christ. No matter what he professes. Do you know you can be a pastor and be natural? Do you know this? You can be a pastor and be natural. You have leadership capacity.
You you can... You are bold. You know, there are people like that. They're just bold. They can just approach people and start talking to them. And that person comes to church, maybe somebody brings him and, you know, he's... He he he he stays there, he's committed, and he never at any time give his life to Christ. He can even be born in church and grow there. And gradually, they start seeing his leadership potential. He said that whenever we put this guy to head anything, he does it very well.
And by reason of that, he's put in a position of leadership and that's someone who has never at any point, he knows scriptures. He can even teach scriptures but he's a natural man. Are you with me brothers and sisters? Romans chapter 10 and verse nine to verse 10. The bible shows us how to transit from that point of natural, from that point of normalcy. You see, the bible says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus... Are you seeing this? That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart. So when we give... When we do altar call, what makes you saved is not the fact that you left your seat and came out.
Do you understand what I'm saying? What made you save... Saved is that you confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that Jesus is the Lord. He died, was buried, and was resurrected. If you believe this and you confess this, then when these two things come together, the bible says, you will be saved. Are you with me? Yes. It means if you come out and these two things did not happen, you are not saved. You're not saved. So it's not a joke when we say put your hands and say with me, Lord Jesus.
No. We're not joking. That is as simple as it is. That is the principle by which a natural man becomes a believer, becomes saved. There must be a confession in his mouth and a sincerity to believe in the Lord Jesus. Heaven is real. Hell is real. A day of judgment is coming where every argument, every intellectual argument, every intellectual debate will come to an end. Whether you believe there is a God or you don't believe there is a God, a time is coming. It will be obvious to everybody.
The end of the argument is coming. Are you with me? Yes. And the time is coming where everybody will face that great white throne and stand before judgement. And imagine the shock if all your life you have believed there is no God, only to stand before one. You debated, hardly with people, became an atheist. This is why we preach the gospel. This is why we get souls saved. There is such a man called the natural man. He can be natural as a distinguished professor.
It can be natural as a successful career person. It can be natural as a head of state or a governor. It can be natural as an excellent student. Yet it's natural. Are you with me? He can be a millionaire yet is natural. Any man that is without Christ, unregenerate is called the natural man. The faith of such a man is eternal damnation. The solution to that problem is a surrendering of your heart to the Lord Jesus through the new birth experience. There is nothing to be ashamed about.
The moment we give an altar call, if this has not been your experience, come out because this is the most important decision a man can make. Are you with me? Yes. Number two. Number two. Thank you, Jesus. Romans chapter eight and verse six, we see number two and three there. Let's do number two first. Can we read us the first sentence everybody? One, two, three, go.
Pause. So what is the second man? The second man is the canal man. The third is the spiritual man. That's where I'm going to. But let's do the canal man because it's important to know whether you are canal. The moment the problem of being natural is solved, the realm a believer moves into immediately is canality. It means the next problem that needs to be solved is the problem of the canal man. I will tell you what the canal man is. Stay with me.
It will shock you that this is where a lot of believers are. And when the bible says, I will show you in scriptures but let me just say it now. When the bible says, the heir as long as he's a child differed not from the slave. What makes a man a child is that he's canal. The definition of a child is a canal man. This is a scripture I will show you. Are you with me? The canal man is saved but he is not transformed. Are you seeing that? The canal man is saved.
He has accepted Jesus as his Lord and savior but he is not transformed. Saved, but not under the submission of the word of God. Saved, but not under the submission to the lordship of the holy spirit. A man that is driven by his senses. The canon man has accepted the life of God, but something is still wrong with him. The administration of eternal life has not yet been experienced in such a man. So this person has received the life of Jesus, but the outworking of that life has not found expression in the man. There are a few things that characterizes a a canal man. Number one is seen in the first statement there. The bible says, for to be carnally minded.
It means the first way you know a carnal man is the state of his mind. A carnal man is an untransformed mind. Are you with me? The absence of transformation by the word is the first way to know a man that is carnal. A believer but carnal. He has not sustained... You'll be so blessed. What is known as the mind of Christ has not yet been built in his heart. He's not spiritually minded. His thinking pattern has not yet been influenced by the word and by the spirit.
The carnal man is alive to the flesh. Are you with me? But before I even go there, that's another point entirely. To be carnally minded. So the principle way that a carnal man is known and defined is the quality of his mindset. Canality begins from the state of a believer's mind, how he thinks and what he believes. He has not allowed the word of God to influence his mind and his thinking. Do you know the in... Do you know the import of this? The import of this is this.
Hear me. Because he has not allowed the word of God to influence his thinking, there will be no difference between that man that is saved and the unbeliever. Remember, before he was saved, he too was an unbeliever. As an unbeliever, there there was a way he was thinking before. There was a way he was living life before. There was a way he was doing things before. There was a way his life was lived before. Now that he has become a believer, the advantage now is he now has the holy ghost on his inside. In partnership with the holy ghost and the word, he must now begin to experience transformation so that the way he thinks, the way he talks, the way he behaves, the things he does are no longer the things that he now does. Are you with me?
If this mission is not successful, it means there will be no difference between when he was unsaved and when he's saved. So have you seen pastors that when they are off pulpit, you won't know they are believers? You have seen somebody lead worship before and you met the person on the street. The person was fighting someone holding the person's chest. In church on Sunday, you will see him. Can you lift your hands and worship? Now you begin to wonder why is it that there is no difference between this guy that is a Christian? And many people now hate Christians because they believe they are hypocrites. It's not a matter of hypocrisy. It's a matter of canality.
It's a matter of canality. It is that the word the holy spirit has not yet... They've not submitted their mind to be transformed to the thinking pattern of the holy spirit. So the way an unbeliever will talk is the way the believer will talk. So if an unbeliever is talking and he's saying, why is why are pastors speaking against... Speaking about prosperity? Why are they saying giving giving giving? Why are they talking this and that? The guy too will choke his mouth. It will say, I've always known it now.
Don't mind them. They are thieves. The difference is the following Sunday, he will still go to church to go and listen to the sermon of the man he called the thief. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. He's a canal man. He can talk. He doesn't care what values he has. He can go to a woman's house and then frolic with the woman, do all kinds of things with the woman and you say, brother. Say, what happened?
But you know the firewood. When you challenge him, you know what he will say? Even your pastors, even all your pastors, nobody is perfect. You don't know what they are doing at the back. And you say, guy, but you are a Christian. He is. Are you with me? But you can't... That's why the heir, as long as it's a child... His mind has not yet been transformed.
Her mind has not yet been transformed. She still thinks like a slave. She still behaves like a slave. She still does like a slave. Her character has not yet been influenced by the word of God. The anger is still there. The lust is still there. The pride is still there. She still has issues loving people. Now the pastor comes to church and says, you must love.
Love is patience. Love has forbearance. When somebody talks to you in a way you don't like, don't be quick to respond. Follow peace with all men. Are you with me? How you know someone whose mind is under transformation, who the holy ghost is working on, is by the time she goes back home, she will now find out that the moment she gets back, the bed she laid properly before she left put pillowcase there. The roommate brought seven friends into the hostels. They had groundnut and put on the bed. They drank garia and garia on the bed. They used her pot, used her spoons, used everything and put it on her bed.
Put some under the floor, put some under there, and she came... She come inside the thing. It's it's it's it's it's it's it's The it's the thing is boiling like like 100 degrees Celsius boiling water. She's about to lose the knot in her brain, and all of a sudden, a weakness in her spirit. She knows what she's about to do is wrong. Are you seeing how you know this is a believer? A natural man does not know anything. If you give him one, he'll give you left. He doesn't care. Suddenly, she can tell this thing I'm about to do is wrong.
If you are in an inordinate relationship and you meet Christ, the first proof the holy ghost is in you is you will feel uncomfortable the next time the boy calls you. You can't explain the source of your uncomfortability. It's not as though anybody told you anything. It's not when I gave my life to Christ some years back, many years ago. This was... I'll tell my stories on one of these. When I gave my life to Christ, I had over 1,500 worldly music on my phone. I had that time was when was that media and this lights and lights came out. I had all this happen. I knew them.
I I crammed it in. You will think we enter studio together as the song is playing. When Jesus came and I started shaking on my bed, nobody preached the sermon to me. He's bringing everything in obedience to Christ. It's bringing everything in obedience to Christ. It's changing everything in obedience to Christ. Listen. Nobody preached a sermon to me. I took all the songs and deleted them. Playing them just...
It just felt wrong. I didn't hear any message on whether whether to listen to this kind of song is wrong or not. The holy ghost just tabernacle my inside. I was uncomfortable with the kind of friend I was moving with. There are times I will meet people and I will I will feel choked being in their presence. I knew. But I can ignore it. I can choose to... Are you seeing that now? That's what makes the kana man kana.
So when I feel that restriction in my spirit, is my childhood friends, but I'm not going the same path. You have made life. You have received life. What business does the living have with the grave? If you see a man flurlicking in the grave, won't you think something is wrong with that man? So I met Jesus and this boy who I'm dating, obviously doesn't know Jesus. After I I give him my body, we do nonsense every time. We do nonsense every time. But if the holy ghost is inside you, you will know something is wrong. In choosing to listen is now what makes you transformed.
That is the process of transformation. Now you read the bible and you are being attuned. I will get there first. Let me not go ahead of myself. The second way you know a natural man is that he's a man that is alive to the flesh. Romans eight seven to verse eight. When we go on reading, the bible says, still speaking about the natural man. The carnal... Sorry, the carnal man. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God.
Can you see this? It is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be. Next verse. Watch this. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. In other words, a carnal man is a man in the flesh. What did I say? There are three problems your man with the faces. I'll give you two today. However...
Yeah. Two today. The first problem is the problem of sin. I'll give you three. I'll only do two. The first problem is the problem of what? Is the problem of sin. Every man is a sinner. That is why we're all born natural. The solution to the sin problem is the blood that was shed on the cross.
You declare the salvation prayer. You believe in your heart. You confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus. The same problem is instantly solved. Are you with me? Yes, sir. The second problem is the flesh problem. The problem of the flesh. The third problem is the problem of the self. Self is quite different from flesh.
You see the old man, the old nature, everything the old nature craves for, every craving of the old nature. Before you found Christ, some of you have awoken in the flesh. Some of you were introduced to pornography at a very young age, some at the age of seven, eight years old. And the flesh now started desiring sexual experiences outside of the context of marriage. And because there was no regeneration in your heart, and for some people, they even killed regeneration by consistent practice in the flesh. Are you with me? So the guy gave himself to masturbation and for 16, he has been there. For thirteen years, he has been there. For ten years, he has been there. When he becomes saved, the yoke of sin over his life is broken.
He is no longer a slave to sin. Are you with me? However, there is still a flesh problem. The flesh problem is not solved just because you became slave. You can you can you became saved. The difference now is you now have by reason of your salvation and the grace that has been made available. You did not have the ability to say no before because you were a slave. I'm no longer slave to sin. I am a child. Boss, so because you were a slave, you could not say no.
Anytime the desire comes, you have you have fallen and it was consistent. But the moment you now receive the life of God, the problem of sin is destroyed. The believer can now say no. However, the flesh does not stop... Your salvation experience does not stop the flesh from becoming harassed. So you can still see a woman and your eyes was... Was in the woman like this and you have given your life to Christ. You understand what I'm saying? Your problem is no longer sin. Your problem is now flesh.
Holy spirit come and tell you fast. He said, will fast today. I'll pray by 6PM. You go for your prayer meeting. Speak powerfully on revival. He say, ah, I have to be fasting. I have to be fasting. On Monday, I will fast. On Monday, I will fast. By 10AM, you smell puff puff.
You will not be able to explain where the hunger came from. It is as though your intestines are tying themselves and you are wondering, ah, I'm about to die. You are not about to die. It is called flesh. That's the name for it. You realize if you don't eat, you will still be alive. Yes, sir. It is it is the flesh. The flesh just wants to do his own. The flesh has no the flesh has no sense of consequence.
What did I say? If the flesh sees the opportunity to exhibit, it will it will jump at it because it has no sense of consequence. So when somebody offends you, you are holding onto your heart. You you are envying someone. You are angry without control. You have issue with lust. Lust for money. Some people will see money and start salivating. 10,000 naira, the guy is salivating. People can miss church because somebody promised them 20,000 naira if they come and play football.
The guy will say no to church. His problem is the flesh. He's saved what he's canal. Are you with me? The guy can choose mundane things. Mundane things over God because he has a lust for relevance, a lust for success, a heavy lust problem, bitterness in her heart, anger in her heart, offense in her heart. And perhaps she has now read books that have solidified these things as normal experiences. They've told her you are cancer. You are HIV. And because of this, it does not matter.
Cancer people are always hungry. HIV people are always bitter. Listen. Listen. And the guy there, yeah, I see. I knew it. I knew it. And when somebody corrects her, why you answer? She say I'm cancer. Listen, if people are able to tell which tribe you are from by your behavior, you are canal.
Because the kingdom you are subscribed to has a culture. And if truly you have been ingrained into that kingdom, we should not be able to tell where you came from simply by your behavior. We should only be able to reference you to Christ. In other words, if you call an Ahusa man, a Yoruba man, an Igbo man, a thief, wherever you are from, are you with me? We should think you are siblings. If truly the holy ghost has worked in your eyes, if truly the kingdom has been made established in your heart, we shouldn't tell where you are from so you don't say ah. Have you seen people say ah? You you go to market and you are speaking to someone. Is it a brother? I knew it.
They said, why? In other words, they are very stingy. They are very stingy. If people can tell these things, they see how much you love money. They... You you have a grace for money. Your friends call you to talk to say, ah, you got that guy. I'm trading. I'm trading. I don't have time.
I'll come. I'll come. When we come to Christ, the kingdom culture unifies us all. The character of Christ has been formed in us. You see, Christ has been formed in us. The mind of Christ has been formed in us. Let me go ahead of myself. Are you with me? Many believers don't understand this. So when people become born again, they just believe that because the sin problem has been solved, then the flesh nature has also been solved.
The lifestyle of the old man is also gone. A large percentage of believers are still canal because the education, the enlightenment, the mentorship, and the system of transition that grounds you to become spiritual in experience, Most people have not accessed it. So you can be safe for thirty years and only transit from a natural man to a carnal man and remain there. You can keep questioning your spiritual life. You can keep questioning your salvation because after many years, you cannot see the value of growth. Nothing in your life justifies your loving God, serving God, living for God. When I see people come and talk to me, I can tell immediately where they are in this spectrum. Are they canal or are they natural? You with me? Yes.
A young man came to me some time ago and he was sharing a problem with me and I told him, no problem. Let me pray with you. And he looked at me and smiled as though, is that what you want to do? Is that all? Just prayer after all I've said? That's a natural man. After all you have said, what should I now do? Why do you come and meet the pastor? Did I call myself life coach? Even though I'm one.
But if you came to meet the pastor, it's not prayer you came to come and collect. The guy probably thought what I would give to him is money. So when I said let me pray, he has not con... He does not conceptualize how prayer can be the answer to his problem. Whereas the same words have been spoken to the lives of others that has shifted them overnight. Somebody brought three cans of condensed milk to my house and told me, my mother listens to your messages and she she has been so blessed. She's, know, she she was telling me that you fast a lot, you must know that you fast a lot and because you fast a lot, I... She just said I should give you thee that it will be very healthy and all. And I took the condensed milk, I said, my God, look at this. I've never met a woman before but I said this is how cars will be given.
This is how houses will be given. That evening, the young man called me and said, sir, my father just told me now that they want to get the car. He said, sir, for ten years, we have been thinking of getting the car and we have not gotten it. Said, come here. This is how cars will be given. Is that how it is? Yes. But the natural man cannot understand it. Are you with me? Somebody came to meet me and gave me a seed and I touched the seed.
I said, is this a sacrifice? How long did it take to to to save up to save up for this? He said, I just insisted I wanted to sow my first six digits. How long did it take? Told me it took her six months to save up for it. This was last year. It took her six months to save up for it. To save up for 100,000 naira? My God, hold my hands. What you have saved up for in six months, earn it in one day.
She left me and somebody called her and for the first time in her life, they called her to come and be a vendor in an event. And she sold over 300,000 naira worth of goods in one day. Listen. Listen. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. How did it come? It is called prophecy.
The words of the prophet. A natural man does not understand that. That a man can speak a word and fully free you say amen and jump at it. That the power of God can come upon you as a confirmation of the word that was spoken and your life changes. One of my daughters called me and she told me that she has been sick and she has not... And because she has been sick, she has not been able to prepare for over... For a four unit course that was coming up. And if she failed if she failed that course, it's a rerun for her over the phone and I told her, you are strengthened. It was a text message, you are strengthened. God gives you speed.
That night, she read for sixteen hours stretch and finished the entire semester. Went to the exam hall and had 98. A natural man does not understand that. Let me come and tell you be diligent. Be hardworking and I teach it oh. Go and go and get my messages, you would hear plenty diligence there. But is that all there is to it? How about the source of advantage? Are you with me? How about the systems of advantage?
Are you with me? The carnal mind's problem is that his own mind has not been renewed. It means if a man can be a believer and not believe these things I'm saying because his mind has not been renewed. So you can tell him that God can favor you and he cannot see the possibility of God favoring him because he grew up in hardship. And because he grew up in hardship, saying God will favor you and he's thinking, will somebody will somebody just come and help me like that? Is that is that what will just happen? That somebody will just come and help me like that. And he's just thinking, he can't lash on it because all through his years, he has had to do everything by himself. He watched his father labor. He's more than labor.
He grew up in poverty. Now he's saved, but his mind cannot conceptualize that God can help a man. So his mind is fighting it. His mind is fighting it. Are you with me? The carnal man, this is the problem. And then the problem of the flesh. Listen. You look at your life and you look at the life of an unbeliever and everything is the same. Your impulses are fleshy and sensual and people have to remind you, are you not a pastor?
Are you not a Christian? Because when you act like this, the character of Christ not seen. The love of God is not seen in you. The way you speak to people, the way you talk to people and address people. The words you find yourself using, do you know there are believers who don't have an issue using curse words? Curse words. They throw it all around. The... Is guy is safe though? Swear words because he has watched movie and his mind has not been renewed.
That now that you are saved, there's a way you should talk in the kingdom. Do you know that if you meet a Nigerian, you have an accent. If you meet a South African, they have an accent. If you meet a Ghanaian, you have an accent. Is that not so? One of my interesting daughters in Ghana would always speak to me. She she grew up in Nigeria. You know, I went to Ghana to go and study. She will now be telling me. So I was telling I was telling he's a pastor.
I said, who's your pastor? Go and buy pastor. I'm your pastor. Glory to God. Why? Because she heard several people speaking that language, speaking in that accent. Are you with me? That is the same way if you are in the kingdom, that's the way we speak. By your communication, people should be able to tell where you come from. By our communication.
Somebody is saying, there is mass failure. Everybody's default reaction is fear and anxiety. How will we do? Should we go and meet this lecturer? Should we go and meet... And you're just sitting down? You say, you are not even more afraid. But you don't you know that there's mass failure? You say, I can't feel. I shall be the head and not the tail.
Above, holy, I'm not beneath. Listen. Listen. The moment you... They say, ah. You guys are Christian. It's it's good. It don't... Don't say, them not... They don't think I'm an SEO.
So the fact that you don't want them to think you're an SEO means you should identify with problems that normal men face. My place is above. The bible says he that is above is above all. I don't care what is happening with the economy. He that is above. Did I come from above? Oh, yes. I did. Because when I became born again, I became born of God. So when I speak, my speech would reflect these things.
I can't confess doubt. I can't confess fear. I can't say I will fail. You are working with your friends. I know them are... They are mocking themselves because of the nonsense they wrote in the exam wall. They are saying, Asparagitis, Microsonia. People have caused themselves unknowingly. My world show where I'm from. When I was...
Hi. I had a friend. He was more social than I was when we were in school. We were classmates. When we were in school, he was more social than I was. And our colleagues would come and say, ah, guy. How far now? You don't come and meet me. But they come and meet him. I don't talk to anybody.
You know, I'm just a strange man. But he was very social with both pastors. They come and meet him. They say, hi, guy. How far do the exam now? He said, unread me. Unread me. That was too short. He said, why why not? Why not?
There's a spirit in man. The inspiration of the almighty giveth more understanding. We might be... We're having past questions together and they'll come and say, what's up, guy? How far now? How is it that I'm gonna be now? He said, unread knee. Normal a now. Normal stuff. Do you get my point now?
That's how he speaks. A reflection of where we are from. Let me ask you a question. Can Jesus talk like you? Can Jesus talk like you? I expect greatness. I expect favor. I... I'm not going ahead of myself. The danger of canality and then we close.
I can't even do the spiritual man. Maybe it becomes a series. Let me close here. The danger of canality. I must do the spiritual man next week Sunday. You'll be you'll be shocked. The problem you will have is to think you know what I want to say. The danger of canality... The first danger of canality is that your life becomes a consistent misrepresentation of the image of the Christ. That's the first danger.
Your life becomes a consistent misrepresentation of the image of the Christ because you are carrying a title that cannot be defended by your life. You are carrying the title believer or Christian, but it cannot be defended through your life. So if people are going to learn God through the lens of your life, you become a consistent misrepresentation of the Christ. Another consequence of remaining a canal believer is that your experience in terms of results that a believer should have and that of the unbeliever will not be different. So if you remain canal, you will read promises in scripture and not be able to understand why those promises are not finding expression in your life because they're hair as long as it's a child. So canal believers will still... I'm not go ahead of myself. Your life and that of your unbeliever will be exactly the same. The profit of your being saved cannot be demonstrated in your life as a canal believer. You cannot see any profit that should come with the believer that is saved.
Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. That is why we must ensure that we don't remain at this point as believers. This is the explanation behind the frustration of many people because you have not allowed the spirit of God to transit you. The potential of this life we have received is only seen clearest when it is viewed through the lens of a spiritual man. In other words, not until you find a genuinely spiritual man, you will not know the beauty of the life we have received as believers. If you use just any believer to measure the life of a person who has received Christ, you will not want to be a Christian because their life is a misrepresentation. But when you find someone who has grown and matured to be a spiritual man, we'll do this on Sunday, and mature to be a spiritual man, their life will be the perfect example of the victory that is in Christ. You will see excellence in their life. You will see counsel and wisdom in their life.
You will see character in their lives. You will see their finances prospering and blooming. You will see their their... Even their relationship and their communication with people prospering and blooming. I will love you. I will love you till the very end. I will love you. I will serve you till the very end. I will First Corinthians three and verse one. Let's read this.
I told you that the carnal man is a child. Is that is that not so? Let's do it in scripture and see. Can we read this together everybody? One, two, three. Go. Can you see this? I could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to canal. It means there is a way you speak to spiritual people and there's a way you speak to canal men. It is the reason why there are many believers who cannot understand many things that are taught because they are still canal minded.
They may laugh. They may they may they may be excited. They may carry all the gestures of knowledge and assimilation, but the truth is they are not understanding what is being said. And that under... That lack of understanding will eventually be exemplified in their lives. So they may shout, preacher. Yes, sir. Be shouting when you are preaching, but the fact that they are canal makes what you are saying too deep for them to understand. You're not getting what I'm saying. Are you with me?
Yes, sir. There are certain discussions that you really have to be spiritual to understand. Babes in Christ, he calls them. This is a reality that a man can be in Christ but be a babe, be a child, and he would need to grow and to transit from that... Listen. Look at verse two. Verse two says, I fed you with milk and not with solid food For until now, you were not able to receive it. And even now, you are still not able. Can you see the reality of the canal man? These are believers.
Paul is writing to believers. I hope you know the Corinthian church. Paul is expressing his frustration. Paul is saying, there are weightier things to teach in the spirit every time I meet you. But when I examine you, I find that you are still carnal. That means there is a system of examining the state of a believer. You can know that this believer is still a child. This is a lesson for men of God. Hear me. When you go to minister to people, try to gauge the spiritual state of the people so you don't waste your time discussing what will fall on deaf ears.
It is possible to very much have prepared a sermon and you think, my goodness, this is it. And you get there and the moment you get there, you stand, you look at the people, you can immediately examine, immediately tell from their response to the presence of God, their attitude in the presence of God, their attitude to worship, their attitude to prayer, their honor in receiving the word of God, their honor in receiving the man of God, you can immediately tell these people are not mature in the spirit. To come with the weight of what you have brought will be to have wasted investment. People might fall under the power. People might... All kind of things might happen but you realize that there will be no lasting impact of your presence in that place. You will go and as you go, your impact goes with you. When I get such a place, I will drop my teaching. If where the people are is tongues, my sermon that day will be how to receive the tongues, How to speak in tongues? When I find out that 90 of the auditorium does not speak in tongues, what mystery do I want to communicate?
What is the faculty that you use and receive it? Are you are you with me? I can't even... You know, I went to a place like that and I prepared my... The man of God told me, come and give us a quantity... Sorry, qualified sermon on the kingdom. We want a mature kingdom man. And since they know that that is my emphasis at the man of God, they called me over and I went there. Some of my people were there. I started the kingdom.
I realized that I was speaking to dead people. I said, open your bible to John three sixteen. That was what we did. John three sixteen. My people were there. John three sixteen. For God so loved the world. You can... It was powerful. That was what the people needed.
I would have come and spoken big English and used big grammar and shared deep revelation and people would have said, ah. But the ability to practice and to apply would not be there because these are carnal people that have no reason in maturity. That is the purpose of the Disciples Bible Academy is to grow you to maturity. Are you with me? Yes. So that the basis of bible faith can be taught to you. Many of you are coming to join us at the Disciples Christian Network and you have no idea where we currently are in the syllabus of things. So you enter like that, that is why I even want to teach this today. Do you wanna stop? This is not what I would have thought.
So as you took your head and tied it in like that, now you are wondering, mysteries of the kingdom. And you are coming from a place, the corridors of power. And you are wondering, what is this? The exchange market system. Now you're wondering where I... Where I coming from? It's Abraham's story they used and teach me what? Are you with brothers and sisters? Yes. The disciples bible at Kedal was organized for this reason.
So that as you come and you catch up to where we are, we can also ensure that your foundation is secured. Is this beneficial? How do you know a canal man? See this thing I just said now about coming to church. A canal man does not have value for the things of God. A canal man does not have what? Do you know that it is only it is only in church that a man can wake up and say I don't feel like going to church? You get employed. And now use your feeling to go to work. You know you know the meaning of that?
It means you value 30,000 naira salary more than God. That's the meaning. The diagnosis is that your priority... Do you use freedom to go to class? You say, ah, class this morning. Some people are hungry but they are going. That that that lecturer. Annoying but they will stay there. They will be complaining, you have been queuing here for one hour now. They have not answered us.
Go. Go. He said all the anger, stayed there. Even if it's 6PM, answer them. He will stay there. Because he know I must collect my x-ray result. I must do my judder registration. I must do my course registration. So he will say, I entered the office. The lecturer just shouted at me.
He just came at me. You will go back there the following day. Sir, you have not signed my custom because the usher shouted at you. You went... You you left the church. But you're a canal believer. You go to hospital, nurse look at you and say, hey, come here. You will not go and say, what is it going on? The same person will you off clothed for and give injection. But you come to church, why why?
These are these are expressions of carnality. It's it's it's a show of your priority. It's a show of what matters to you. Somebody this morning is expecting you to come and knock his door before he comes out and he said, boss has arrived. You now say, okay. Tell the boss to wait too. Tell the boss to wait. When you hurry up, don't don't worry me. And the person is just waiting there, we love you with the love of Christ. We love you with the love of Christ.
You have bank appointment. Bank appointment. You get there by 8AM in the morning. Bank appointment. Because you know there will be a queue. But when it comes to God, the way we value God shows is a is a reflection of our camality. And many of us is because of how we grew up. Some of you grew up in homes where there's no value for God in your home. Father never went to church. Mother never had value for church.
Maybe only the mother was spiritual. Maybe only the mother valued God. And you never saw an example in a father that loved Jesus and loved God. And you are saved, but with a wrong perspective, a wrong mentality. If the holy ghost does not work on you, that lack of value for God will be the reason why you cannot be entrusted with kingdom resources. Because it means if God ever blesses you, you will leave God. I cast my crowns before your highest royalty. I am on top Listen, you know I sang that song? Because this is the expression of what the elders do everyday. The bible says they cast their crowns before him and they bow to worship him, crying holy, holy, holy.
Do you know what it means to be an elder? An elder has a crown. You don't even have money. Talk less a crown. You are worshiping God. You are doing like this. I ground before your royal majesty. I haven't done before. Your highest royal. Listen.
It's dangerous to be canal because you remain a child. I've thought here before that whenever kingdoms clash, whenever there's a clash of kingdoms, the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God, the people that become casualties of that clash are always children. When Moses was born, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness started colliding as to whose throne will be established. What was the order the king gave? To kill all the children. When Jesus was born, there's another clash of kingdoms. Kingdoms. What was the order that was given? Kill all the children. When there was famine in Israel, what were the parents eating?
Their children. Were they eating themselves? It is a canal believer that should not be oppressed that can be oppressed. The devil cannot oppress. He's hearing me. We don't make these these these claims empty. I can't die in an accident. Hey, this is not. This is not. They are demons.
You know what I'm saying? And guess what? They are helplessly helpless. Yes, sir. Sir. Yes. All they can do is look from afar. Look at my confessions and be like this. The guy will do nothing. I'm too defended.
We are... Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes. It's not because I'm a man of God. It's the reality of a believer. It's what a believer exemplifies. In in the book of John chapter four, Jesus met a woman. They're done already. Jesus met a woman and told the woman, who is your... Where is your husband?
The woman said, I'm not. I don't have a husband. You say, right, I don't have a husband. And then the conversation began. And they entered into the spirit of worship. And the woman being a Samaritan woman told Jesus that you Jews are very particular about all of these things. We Samaritans have our own way of doing things. And when Jesus would reply her, Jesus replied in verse 22. Can we read this again everybody? Pause.
You worship what you do not know. Powerful. He says, the difference between we and you is that we know what we worship. This is one... That is why he said, you can look at the people and tell their maturity. This is one of the indices. How do they worship? Because the expression of their worship will show whether they know God or not. What's their... What sponsors a life of worship is revelation.
We worship what we know. It means when you see a man lying down because we are worshiping, there's a revelation, a knowledge sponsoring that posture. Are you with me? Yes, sir. When you see a man say, let us pray, and the guy is taking a dangerous posture to pray and contend for destiny. There's a revelation that is sponsoring sponsoring what he's doing. Let us give and he's giving like a like a like a crazy man. A revelation is sponsoring that life of worship. We worship what we know. It means if we have known God, it will be expressed in our worship.
Both in our worship to him in church, in songs, in praise. When I mastered this, it doesn't matter who is leading. If it is worship, I can lie down post straight flat. Even if it's a two year old, what matters is is God there. Guess what? We are in the presence of God and a guy a guy wants to worship. He wants to, but he looks around him and he says, ah. And he just stands. He's looking around. All people think of me.
What would they say? I'm not free. I'm not this. I'm not that. I'm not this. It's carnality. That's the third expression of carnality. It's called self. I don't have time to do it now. It's called self.
When a man has a problem with self, God cannot find expression in that man's life. It means all that man's motivation is himself. Self was the problem of Lucifer. I will exalt my throne. I will exalt... When it becomes about high, me, myself, and high. The holy spirit give the instruction. Go and give that food to your friend. Share it with him. He does not have anything to eat.
Ah, what will high now eat tomorrow? You see that now? Go and preach the gospel to that woman. Ah, what will they now think of me? Self is a problem. It all... It is all... It also shows a man that is canal. On Sunday, next week when we come, I will show you how a man transit from canality into spirituality. I've shown you how a man transit from being natural into...
Are you with me? Being a believer. But once you are a believer, you must then be transformed because by default, you are canal, because of the problem of the flesh. The flesh is ancient. Are you with me brothers and sisters? Yes, sir. Can you make a decision in your heart tonight, this morning, and say, I will not be a canal believer? The prayer is simple. I ask for grace. Father, supply the grace to submit myself to transformation.
Father, supply grace to submit myself to transformation. I can't be a canal believer. I can't make decisions by how I feel, by my sexuality. If I feel angry, I act angrily. If I feel lost, I act lustfully. If I feel offended or bitter, I act I act like that. This can't be my experience as a believer. Give me the grace, Jesus. Can you pray? Can you pray?
Come on, pray. Come on, pray. Listen. Amen. Second prayer. Amen. The second prayer that will be prayed. Being carnal means being driven by your senses. It means you are moved by your feelings. You are moved by your emotions.
When I feel like praying, I pray. You are a canal believer. In this kingdom, life is not governed by our feelings because you will find that your feelings can many times be wrong. Are you with me? When I feel like worshiping, I worship. When I feel like being in church, I go to church. When I feel like committing myself, I commit myself. When I feel like... So life must transit from a place of feelings to a place where it is now governed by the principles of God's word. I don't do it because I feel like it.
I do it because God says to do it. Give me the grace to obey. That's the prayer. Father, I ask for... Please be sincere in your prayers. I ask for the grace to obey. Can you lift your voice and pray? In Jesus mighty name we have prayed. We believe you were blessed by this message to connect with the Disciples Christian Network and get more from Apostle Emmanuel. Follow us on our social media platforms.
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