Transcript: Go Ye Into The World Part 3

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The entrance of God's word gives light. It gives understanding even to the simple. Sharper than any two edged sword, it discerns the thoughts and the intents of the heart. The word of God shapes, it heals, it corrects, it instructs, and it transforms. An apostle Emmanuel Obolo Atefei has been given a mandate from God to propagate the gospel of the kingdom and to raise an army of kingdom minded believers. Men who will be movers and shakers across all spheres and across all mountains of influence. Kingdom minded believers scattered across all the mountains of influence. All the mountains of influence. Sitting on the thrones of this world, holding the pillars of dominion, movers and shakers. That's what you are becoming.

A kingdom minded army moving into conquering business, moving into entertainment and conquer entertainment, moving into all structure of influence. And like David with the 400 men in the cave, he's raising an army of mighty men, not just in the numbers, but in the quality of men who can be sent to aroud heaven's mandate upon the earth. This is where mighty men are made. So join us every Tuesday for believers equipped and be a part of the making of great and mighty men. Luke chapter 15. We're to be studying from verse one. And we're to be continuing the discussion go into the world part three. There's a sound of joy I'm hearing. It's a note of victory. A note of Thank you Jesus.

When you read Luke chapter 15 the chapter, the entire chapter, it opens you into the heart of God to us through the unfolding revelation that is presented in three pictures that Jesus used. Jesus tells the story about a ship that wandered a coin that was lost and a son that departed from the father. All in that chapter. But before we enter into the parables, we must see the conversation that caused Jesus to tell them. Because the parables weren't spoken in isolation. There was a conversation that led to Jesus them speaking the parables or teaching the parables. Jesus was using the parables to answer the attitude of the religious people towards sinners in his days. That was how the conversation began. From verse one. Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drawn near to him to hear him.

So the Bible calls them sinners. The tax collectors and the sinners. Glory to God. Amen. The tax collectors and the sinners drew near to him to hear him. The tax collectors and the sinners drew near to him to hear him. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord. And the Pharisees and the scribes complained. Now this was after seeing that tax of Jesus's day, the Pharisees, the scribes, the Sadducees, they just stood afar looking at what was unfolding and seeing that sinners were approaching Jesus and Jesus was not turning them away.

That tax collectors were approaching Jesus and these were people that were considered evil. And Jesus wasn't turning them away. Jesus was entertaining them. He was breaking bread with them. He was fellowshipping with them. And as they saw what was happening from a distance, they said to themselves, they were complaining, they were saying to themselves. This man receives sinners and then he even hits with them. Are you with me? Yes sir. So in response to what they were saying to themselves, verse three then says, he spoke this parable to them.

Say, do you understand that now? Yes sir. The tax collectors and the sinners came to Jesus because they wanted to hear it. That's the context. The Pharisees and the scribes is too that the distance they were complaining about Jesus breaking bread with sinners. They were offended. They were offended that holiness could come to broken people without becoming contaminated by them. That thought had not crossed their mind before. They didn't think that that was a thing that was possible. Because they believed that separation from sinners was proof of their own righteousness.

Was proof of their own holiness. They they thought that the most separated they were from those that they tagged to be sinners, the more righteous they were. They thought that the most separated they were from those that they thought to be sinners, the more holy they were. Are you with me? But Jesus was revealing something else in this context. Jesus was showing them that the holiness of God does not avoid the lost. The holiness of God does not avoid sinners. That the holiness of God goes after the lost. To rescue them from what would have destroyed them or from what has destroyed them even. And this was what Jesus was showing and demonstrating with his life.

Whereas, these religious people didn't see the need for the lost to come to Christ. They were okay in their own holiness. They were okay in their own righteousness. They were content in that they were righteous. And they thought themselves to be accepted by God already. And they were content by that. They weren't buying into the idea of Jesus teaching sinners, teaching wicked people and telling them that you know, you can be saved as well. More so even eating with them. More so even breaking bread with them. More so even being friends with them.

The thought was, how can you call yourself a Christian and be eating with this kind of person? You'd agree with me that the Pharisees and the scribes still exist in our time. You'd agree with me that there are still believers today who think it wrong to associate with unbelievers, to associate with sinners, to associate with people who would not share the same preferences as you. Are you with me? Who think it's wrong? And if you seek Jesus today, those believers would judge Jesus in the same way that the Pharisees and the scribes judged Jesus. They would ask Jesus, why are you eating with these people? Why are you fellowshipping with these people? And there is also the other extreme. The other extreme is where believers take this out of context to mean that because Jesus ate with sinners, our values as believers no longer matter.

So we can eat with sinners and do what they do. So in bid of some people to become tolerant of unbelievers, we now start living like unbeliever. We now start, you know, compromising our values in the name of evangelism. And we use scriptures of all kinds, so much so you'd see people go to club houses with their unbelieving friends and they would say, you know, we're just trying to be friends with unbelievers so that we can win them. The bible never said that Jesus followed them to where they sin. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? What the bible says is that the sinners drew near to him to hear him. He didn't go to the club houses because he wanted to win them. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? However, the other extreme is those that completely avoid this discussion, completely avoid relating with those that consider to be unbelievers and sinners because they do not want to corrupt themselves or you know, taint themselves.

And you wonder then how do we win the world back to Christ? Glory to God. Amen. I work in a place where the sociocultural definition of inclusion is practiced to the fullest measure. And so there are people who are proud to be different things. Transgender, gays, and all sorts. Are you with me? And yeah, because the conduct of the office and the modus operandi of the office allows for such expression. Everybody is proud of their, it's not something that they hide. Everybody is proud of their expressions.

Are you with me? When you find yourself in such a place as a believer, you know, I was talking to a particular brother here in church and sharing with him some of the things I experienced in my office and I see in my office and you could see the disgust on his face. I was telling him how that you know some of them are full blown gay brothers. And they would come to you you know, looking at you and you know that, I mean, they're not hiding it. And you... When they meet you and say, hey, hello, how are you doing? And then they wanna give you a hug. The guy said, heal. He said, heal. You could see the disgust in his face.

And the question becomes then how do you win them to Christ? With the disgust on your face? Is that how you would share the gospel with them? With the disgust on your face? That's a Pharisee. That's a Phariseical understanding. A Phariseical mentality. Glory to God. Amen. As we go on, would see several things.

Please stay with me. You know, we we've raised Pharisees in church, and it's terrible that the church is the most judgmental place a person can go. One of my brothers was telling me as well in church here that he he was... He's been to several churches and he's never been a serious believer. The reason for that is because he wears studs, the earrings that guys wear. And every church that he had gone to, there's just this look of condemnation and judgement that how can a man wear hearings? That means you are irresponsible. And it's common. It's not just one denomination. It's common.

It's common. Even some of you are guilty of it. If not most of you. Are guilty of the same. We see someone who look different from us and then we immediately judge the person. And instantly it affects the quality of our relationship and the extent of our ability to preach the gospel and to witness to the people because we've already short circuited the relationship by judging the people. You understand what I'm trying to say? Jesus did not do that. Jesus did not do that. Now in response to these Pharisees, Jesus then shares the parables.

Jesus then begin to talk, to teach on this parable. Are you with me? Now I want you to see, he shares three parables in Luke chapter 15. But look at how the bible introduces it. It says, so he spoke this parable to them. Can you see that this is singular? Not this parables. It says, this parable. That means Jesus is actually giving one revelation in three pictures. It's one revelation.

It's one thing he's communicating, but he's using three different pictures to communicate the same thing. Do you understand what I'm Yes sir. So the parable is one. But the parable that is one has three pictures inside of it to communicate the same revelation. That means you must not pick them and isolate them and build something around them separate from the contextual revelation and the contextual definition and the contextual build up enough to understand what Jesus was trying to communicate in these scriptures. Are you with me brothers and sisters? Yes. So the shepherd, the woman, and the father in these stories that we'll consider very soon are revealing the same heart that God has to the world, to men, to women. The sheep, the coin, and the sons are revealing the different categories of valuables that can be lost about different ways in which God rescues them. Are you with me?

Or let me say the different ways that they can become lost. That better explains it. So every moment in this chapter is exposing the heart of God towards the lost. And in exposing the heartlessness of people who no longer care whether the lost are restored or whether they are not restored. And as we study, we need to ask a more direct question even as we look at the stories. The first question we need to ask is who is the sheep? The second is who is the coin? Because Jesus speaks of a lost coin. What is the coin? Or who is the coin?

Because there's a context. You see, that's why we cannot leave the context alone. There is a context. Are you with me? Yes, sir. There's a context. So you see the coin is a type of lust. It's a type of lost persons. Are you with me? What the...

Jesus calls the coins. The sheep is also a type of lost persons. Are you with me? Yes, sir. And then lastly, the sons Also a type of lost persons. So whether it be sheep, whether it be coins, whether it be son, it is different categories of lost persons. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. Yes. So it's not just telling us an interesting story.

It's showing us four kinds of people and four different ways in which a person can become lost. So let's study this and let's see. Because I made a statement to us last week, Tuesday, I believe, that it is possible for a man to be in church and be lost. You're about to see what I mean by that statement. Because as we look outward, we also have to be careful to look inward. Even though our major concern is how to work. We also must be careful to look inward. Otherwise, we would lose people. When it is too late, we will now realize that we've lost them. Whereas they've been on the process of being lost.

We just did not observe. Are you with me? Sir. So in as much as our attention is to the world, right? We must also be careful to look within ourselves. And to see brothers and sisters amidst ourselves. Within the church. It might be this church. It might be any church. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Who might also be lost? So let's see. Luke 15 that we are reading, then we go to next verse four. We see the first story there, four to seven. It says, what man of you having a 100 sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it. Next verse. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you that likewise, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance. Do you remember the context of this story?

Jesus is speaking to the lost. Your self righteous brother and sister that are standing at one corner wondering why Jesus can be eating with them. And sharing with them. And Jesus tells them this parable. In this parable, there are three stories. The first story is the parable of the lost sheep. And Jesus says in this parable, that the shepherd goes after the one that is lost. Until he finds it. Do you know that that first statement suppose one of you had a 100 sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the 99?

Give me NLT. If a man has a ownership and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave? I want you to see that the statement does not have certainty to it. Are you with me? Jesus is speaking not on behalf of every man. That's why what he's doing is posing a question. In every context. Because if you're reading NKJV alone, it will look as though Jesus is saying this is the character of all men. Do you understand transy?

But that's not the case. It's a question because it's not the character of all men. It's actually revealing the heart of Jesus as shepherd. In fact, if you're a businessman, it might not be a wise business decision to leave nine sheep unattended to go look for one. If you lost a sheep, the wiser thing to do would be to protect the remaining so that nothing happens to them. But in this parable, Jesus says, there is a type of man that lives 99 knowing that they are secured in righteousness and goes after the one. But there's a word that interests me until he finds it. You see that? That means there's some level of persistence to whatever love is motivating this shepherd to go after his sheep. He's not doing what he's doing to fulfill all righteousness.

He's not doing what he's doing to satisfy his conscience. That let not be as though I'd not go. So he then searches briefly and then he doesn't find then he comes back. Are you with me? So that at least I still have 99. He said no. He searches with only one outcome in mind that the sheep must be found. It means the reason why he's going out is I'm not coming back until I find this sheep. Do you understand what I'm saying? The ship represents the wanderer.

Stay with me. It represents what now? The wanderer. The wanderer. Who is the wanderer? The wanderer is the man that has turned away from the shepherd to follow his own way. And I want you to see how it happens because it it looks similar to the parable of the lost sons. But it's not entirely the same. Are you with me? Because how the first one gets lost is quite different from how the second gets lost.

What is similar about both of them from this context is that they are believers. Because they are not wolves. He's a sheep. And is a sheep means that he used to be under the shepherd. It was not a sheep that the shepherd had not yet purchased. It was already one of the shepherd's sheep. It was amidst his 100. Do you understand what I'm saying? And then he wandered off from the fold. So the first story Jesus tells is actually one of a brother in Christ that wonders.

That's the first story Jesus tells. He once belonged to the flock. He once believed in the leadership of the shepherd. He once lived under the direction, the protection, the provision of the shepherd. But then a time came that it began to move according to its own appetite. It began to wander. And it wandered so far off that I did not know when he was so lost that I didn't even know the way back again. His wandering might just be that he saw grass somewhere else. And while the shepherd was leading his sheep, he just saw grass somewhere else and saw a field somewhere. I said, let me quickly go and taste that one over there.

And as he quickly drifted to follow his own appetite, the shepherd was still moving. Do you understand what I'm saying? It saw grass somewhere, and then it saw another one again. It saw another one again. And then it continued from one attraction to another attraction until it became so separated from the shepherd I could not find its way back home again. It explains the life of a wanderer. That means that they didn't rebel. It's not as though these ones outrightly rebelled against God. How they became lost isn't that they rebelled against God. Let me show you a picture of this.

Isaiah 53 verse six. I want you to read this. One, two, three, go. Pause. How do we, like sheep, go astray? Go on. We are one. Pause. That's it. Everyone to his own way.

Everyone to his own way. Everyone to his own way. That's what makes the sheep a clear picture of a man that has chosen his own way. Are you with me? Yes, sir. The emphasis is not only that they made one terrible decision. Mm-mm. Is that they gradually just turned. They drifted. It was a drift in another direction.

They still want to be Christians, but they no longer want to be led. They want the shepherd's protection, but they don't want the shepherd's direction. Because sometimes, the shepherd is directing them where their appetite is not going. Are you with me? Yes sir. Or they want God to preserve their lives. To answer their prayers. To bless their plans. But they want to decide for themselves where they should go. How they should go.

How they should live. How they should go about their lives. So when the shepherd starts to direct with his rod and with his staff, there is something else within them that is their appetite, their own desires that wants to turn their own way, that wants to go their own way, and they start giving into it. They stop following the instructions of the shepherd. They stop listening to the corrections of the shepherd. In so doing, the Bible says, they turned. This one is alive, but he's wondering. The problem that this sheep has is that it has left the safety, the direction, the provision of the shepherd. A sheep can continue eating even when it is lost. It can find another patch of grass.

Is that not so? He can feel satisfied for a moment, but he doesn't know that every step that he's taken is taking him farther away from protection, farther away from protection. And he can be so focused on his own desire and what he's pursuing and what he wants to eat that he does not even know that he has left the flock. Is when trouble comes, maybe there's a predator that suddenly roars from a corner that he then turns back to say, where is the flock? And they are nowhere to be found. Because whilst they were moving, something else was pushing him not to follow again, but to move after his own lust, to move after his own appetite. That's how some people become lost. That's no dramatic day on which they announce that they are rejecting God. Mm-mm. Mm-mm.

They just follow one appetite, then another appetite, then another appetite. Then before you know it, they neglect prayer. They ignore correction. They withdraw from spiritual relationships. They begin to isolate themselves within the flock. They become comfortable with compromise. They continue moving until they can't recognize their way back again. It was as though it is now they've gone too far to connect back to God. So they are in church, but it looks as though God does not love them again. Because they realized too late how far they've drifted.

So they don't want the way back again. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. Holy ghost, give us utterance. Some of these people were once active believers. If not all of them. It means they prayed once oh. They served once oh. They listened to the word of God with all diligence once. They used to believe in the call of the man of God once.

They were once accountable. But gradually, it's just gradually. That's the thing about the sheep that becomes lost. It's gradually. Gradually. Gradually. They stop listening to correction. They stop following instructions. They want to live life how they want to live life. The word of God is being taught them.

But they say, no. I wanna go about this thing my own way. For instance, the lady is young, just a small girl. Just a small girl. And they are telling that small girl, she's listening to the word of God. She's being taught that there's greatness ahead of you. Watch how you conduct yourself. Maintain a kind of relationship with men. Boys are not the focus right now. No wonder.

Proverbs says, my son. It says pay attention to my words. Because a sheep becomes lost. When he refuses to pay attention to the words of the shepherd. Incline your ears to my sins. Usually it's because there is something the has seen. It might be a rat. And he has been so trained that whenever he goes on hunting with the order, with the hunter. Or in in English it means that there's something he has seen that catches his attention. Usually before that time, when he goes hunting, the hunter had saw training.

And the dog comes, is that not so? Sometimes he will just his name. Sometimes he can be anywhere, also hunting with the hunter and then they blow a whistle from wherever he is, he runs back. But on this day, he sees a white rat. All the time they've been hunting is black rat he has been hunting. Now he's seen... He said, what is this? What? And then he starts pursuing. It is catching his interest.

He's... He fancies what he's seen. The hunter loves. But there's a white rat in front of him. Wants to get it. He wants to cut it. And the father he runs. Two things happen. The father, he runs. What's the first thing that happens?

The greater distance between himself and the whistle. It means his ability to incline his ear is gone. That's the first danger. The second danger is the further he runs, the more complicated the way back. It's a problem with many believers. It's why he said, even as we are turning our attention to the world, we look within and we see that there are some brothers and sisters who are lost across denominations. When you function in the gift of the word of knowledge, sometimes you go and minister to someone and you say, do you know Jesus? I said, I'm a Christian. And as you're about to say, oh, I'm sorry and you're going, something weaknesses on your inside. Instantly you know, this one is lost.

So you come back and then you have not placed your hand on how and where. But you know something is wrong. So you just start talking and say, you know, the Bible says iron sharpens iron. Is it okay if we just encourage ourselves in the Lord? And you start speaking and telling about prayer and the altar and the priest mounting the altar and the fire must keep on burning. And then as you're speaking, the holy ghost is directing your words. And cutting through the corners of where you became lost, how it drifted. And you just think you are speaking, but something is moving your words. Something is cutting him deep. There are many like that within the church, and you tell them.

Some people are inside illicit relationships in church. Young girls and young boys. But That's how he begins to drift. There's pleasures he wants to satisfy. So when we come to church and we are singing, only him can satisfy. The girl too is singing, the guy too is singing. But he knows that there is one pleasure that he wants to have by 2AM in the night. He can't call on Jesus to come after this light. And he has been taught when such things happen, rebuke the devil. Flee.

Don't pray in tongues. Flee. It has been taught. Delete these things from your phone. Break break hold of these several instructions, but no. He wants to drift. It's just one night. It's just one time. It's just a day. And then it begins to drift.

The whole flock is going this way. But then at some point, it begins to go that way. She's still serious in church. This one has not lost commitment. She has not lost fervent. Night by 11PM, she will meet the guy. The guy too will meet her. In fact, both of them can be in church. And they will have appointments to meet each other. When they meet with other, then they will kiss and they will press.

And after pressing, they will dissociate. Come to workers meeting the following day. Stand somewhere at the back. Prayer. Knock on now. That mind is coming again, and he is he is saying, I want to do the right thing. I want to do the right thing. I want to do the right thing. Then he leaves the church. As he's leaving the church, the guy comes, ah, powerful meeting.

Powerful meeting. Holds her hands. Powerful meeting. As he's holding the hands, there's a feeling of pleasure or the thing comes again, wrestling again. And she's been taught, oh, yeah, go and be accountable about this thing. This thing... I said no now, but there's a fine poet beside me. Oh, who will now kiss me tonight? They were amongst us, but they were lost. Is why we watch out for our brethren.

Is the offense of Cain? When God came and asked him, where is Abel, your brother? What did Cain say? He said, am I my brother's keeper? Then what are you? What are you? What are you? Is why we tell people that even whilst we are in church, we have a responsibility to one another. Because the devil locks, he locks. He's not just in the world.

Sometimes he locks on windows looking for whom. And there is a way it scans. It scans for people with bright destinies. And it checks for the greatest way it can distract that sister's soul, that brother's soul, away from the glorious destiny that the flock is heading towards. Sometimes it goes to the scrolls and it begins to check. Sometimes they measure when prophet is spoken over your life. When you receive the vision and wrote it down, it too came to peep. It didn't know what it was until you wrote it. Now you have written it. He knows.

Hey, this one. His his greatness. The Bible says he came for Jesus. If he came for Jesus, he will come for you. He will come for you. He will come for you. And let me tell you how it comes. It comes flashing. Your heart desire in front of you. And says, you can get this before his appointed time.

That's what he told Jesus. He says look, this is the kingdoms of this world. Just bow to me and I will give it to you. It will eventually become his. It will eventually become his. Because when Jesus met John, Jesus showed him the keys that they had collected. The same keys that the devil was flashing in his front and saying, I will give you this thing. Just bow. When Jesus was meeting John, he says stay, I have the keys of life and death. And this was what this guy was flashing.

But what he was telling him is, you can get this thing by skipping process. You don't have all this weight, weight, weight. They're just telling you to wait. What if you can have it now? How good is it to have it now? I know you'll be a millionaire, but see money in front of you now. See money. See your friend is making it big. Just just ask him. Let him cut more soap for you.

And then you say, guy, I'm not like that, but the way I am right now, really need I really need some amount of money. So if you can just just help me. And I'm... Actually, you you you people do it when they do. When you say, you're not a Christian, I I know. I know. Doesn't stop anything. Don't worry. Don't worry. I know.

And then he's fighting every resistance in his spirit because there's a greater desire in his front. Greater desire in his front. Hung by him, it is even the quest for relevance and significance. The quest for relevance and significance. He wants to have a good result. He wants to make plenty money. He wants to make a good name for himself. And the devil starts flashing things. Before him. Planting distractions around him.

To separate him from those who can help him. To lure him out of the flock. So that he is still in church but he's isolated in church. He's there but nobody knows him. Nobody knows what he's going through. Nobody knows what he's fighting through. And the devil convinces him and convinces her that that's the perfect way to be. Because if they know, they will judge you. Not never they will help you. Never they will build you.

And the only the only reason why he's doing all of these things, let me tell you why. Is because this destiny that you are getting to, he doesn't want you to get there. He says so the Bible says, like sheep, we have turned. They have gone astray, we have turned. Like you are, you are leading a people towards this direction and I think that's the way to destiny you. And then he says turn and he knows that no matter how fast you go in that way you have turned you can't get to destiny it's not the way it's not the way And you start finding now that consecration starts to die. Everything that makes him or her a believer starts to die. Everything that makes him or her a believer starts to die. Conviction starts to become weary and become weary and become weary. Are you with me?

Yes sir. Because the guy has drifted. He didn't wake up one morning to announce that he's leaving God oh. He was simply following one desire after another. Until he could no longer recognize the person that he had become. First Peter chapter two verse 25. The Bible says, for you were like sheep again. Gone astray. You were like sheep gone astray. So the sheep shows us the guy that is lost because he's wandering.

He's making movement but he has directionless movement. He's alive, he's active, he's still making decisions. But he's moving without the shepherd. He may be busy oh, he might even be successful. Are you with me? He might be surrounded by people. But spiritually he's wandering. He's lost. He's lost. And the fact that Jesus himself tells or speaks this parable is the reason why some kind of doctrines become dangerous when preached in the church.

Doctrines that makes men believe that don't matter what a man do. He's eternally secured. Regardless of his actions. There are no consequences whatsoever. Yet Jesus says, it is possible for a sheep to be inside the fold. But to turn away. Jesus. Do the words of Jesus not matter again? Are you with me brothers and sisters? And Isaiah explains how the lust happened.

He says we have turned everyone to his own way. Lostness begins in this dimension. When your own way becomes more important than the way of the shepherd. The bible says there is a way that symmetric. The hand thereof is the way of destruction, is the way of death. I would normally say that there are two ways a man can walk. There is the way that leads to life. And there is the way that symmetric. There is a way that leads to what? Life.

Life. And there is a way that symmetric. It's why sin is deceptive. The sheep does not need to hate the shepherd to become lost. It only needs to keep on following itself. It sees something that attract it and it moves in that direction. It sees something else that attracts it. It moves in that direction. Each moment of the ship's journey might appear small. But those small movement in the wrong direction eventually becomes a great distance.

Without notice. Is why sin is deceptive. Because people imagine that becoming lost involves one terrible decision that a a man must make. But many people become lost through collections of small permissions they've given themselves. They permit what they once resisted. They remain in places from which they once fled. They silence the convictions that they once obeyed. And it's just little little compromises like that. Until after some time, what once troubled them becomes normal. They didn't arrive there in one stable.

But every small step was carrying them somewhere. Every small step. It wasn't the damn step that led them there. And as a pastor over young people, you hear things like this a lot. You hear things like this a lot. And we can deceive ourselves to teach a powerful message on evangelism and think that we don't need it. Thank you, Jesus. Ezekiel 34. When a man begins to turn like that, just know that like the sheep, you are becoming lost. You are becoming lost, like the sheep.

Like the sheep. And becoming lost. And you should run back to God. You should run back to God. You should run back to the shepherd. For he's the only one that can satisfy. He should run back to the shepherd. That's why I'm here. Because there's something that I found that the holy spirit was showing me in this scripture. And it is that a sheep also lacks the ability to map its own route home.

The one that has wandered far enough sincerity can no longer guide that ship back. That means the sheep can cry, the sheep can struggle. The sheep can journey, it can move. But movement is not the same as direction. This is why the shepherd must go after it. In this story, the shepherd is the one that goes after the sheep. The hopelessness of the sheep does not produce indifference in the shepherd. It produces pursuit in the shepherd. In Ezekiel chapter eleven four from verse 11, the Bible says thus says the Lord God, indeed I, myself, will set for my sheep. And seek them out.

Verse 12 says, as a shepherd seeks out his flock, on the days among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out my sheep. And delivered them from all the places where they were scattered. It is high, I will seek out. The responsibility that God confers upon us. Because when God says he's seeking out, God is not doing that by himself. He uses men. I cannot touch it this again and again. Would mean with these men. So the responsibility confers upon us is that we become we become individuals seeking after. The sheep.

So that's why if you are a leader for instance in the department, your eyes must be open to see. Because there might be sheep that are drifting. And you must seek out the flock. Must seek out the flock. In Luke chapter 15 verse five, that Luke 15 we are reading. The next verse, verse five, it says what the shepherd does when the shepherd now founds the sheep. He says, when he has found the sheep, he lays the sheep on his shoulders. You see that? He doesn't stand at a distance shouting directions. Yeah, turn left.

Turn right. Mm-mm. He places the sheep on his shoulder. Are you with me? Because the sheep is not brought back home by its knowledge of the road. It is brought back home on the strength of the shepherd. Because at the point where you would have found the sheep, the sheep can't even journey again. Sometimes they can't even pray again. It's been so far gone. Every of his convictions are weary than weak.

And sometimes like a shepherd, you'd have to carry some people on your shoulders. Well, by the time you find them, they might not even be capable of movement. Some of them you will find them, you will say, oh yeah, go and report yourself. They can't go. Some of them you will carry them like this. You carry them and say hold my hands. This thing you have told me, I can't help you alone. Come. Pastor, hear this. No matter how many times you tell him, go and report.

Have you told the apostle? Have you told the pastor? You don't shout at a distance telling the sheep, move. Go. You carry the sheep on your shoulders. The moment you find this one is lost because even the willpower might not be there at that point. Remember it was desired that moved him away in the first instance. Sometimes some of them will be so grateful that they would follow you wholeheartedly with tears in their eyes. I'm tired of this way that I'm going. Sometimes they will not.

Sometimes they will look like goats. But you will carry them and bundle them all the way. Sometimes it's Ramo. You find the guy lost. And you say no. You want to carry him. He wants to headbutt you. You'll find strong rope. Tie the leg. Tie the hand.

Yes, sir. So you will not die on me, brother. You won't die on me. Come. Come. Come. Yes. Are you with me, brothers and sisters? Yes, sir. Paul told Timothy, do the work of an evangelist.

This is the work of an evangelist. This work pertains to every believer. Pertains to every believer. The Bible says, the shepherd upon carrying the sheep on his shoulder, then returns rejoicing. Gives him joy. Doesn't carry the sheep and then he's coming angrily. No. He's not complaining about the inconvenience that that sheep has caused him. The weight of the ship does not remove his joy. The burden that the ship places upon him doesn't remove his joy.

There's joy in his heart when he finds that the sheep is willing to return. Jesus is showing us that God does not receive a repentant sinner reluctantly. Heaven doesn't look at someone coming back after they've been lost and then heaven says, look at all the trouble that this person caused us. Look at all the trouble you caused us. Look at how far we went for your sake. Mashi oh. Thank God you are back. Mm-mm. It says right on the way coming, the shepherd is already rejoicing. He's not considering the stress, the weight, the effort that it took.

Already rejoicing. The fighting of the sheep produces joy because restoration always reveals to all the success of love. Somebody with me? So even as we go out must not forget that it is possible for a sheep amongst the flock to wander. And the moment you notice a wandering sheep, responsibility falls on you. So that when God comes to you and say where is your brother? You won't say am I my brother's keeper? Am I my brother's keeper? I was talking to someone some weeks ago and the person said, I was asking the person a few questions. You know, this new generation people have this audacity.

That they stand before me and they lie. Unfortunately. At least if somebody walks in the world of knowledge, give the best in the benefit of the doubt. That maybe they will know if you are lying. And just maybe. Just maybe. And as I was talking to young sister, it was obvious that the whole thing, there's nothing to cover anymore. Young sister said I know that this person will be angry. I mean they will be hungry. But let me just say the truth.

I know they will be hungry. But ehm, let me say this truth. And then said something that we are not even, I don't think that we had known about somebody else. And we said, I know she will be hungry. You see, when we are saving our brothers and sisters, we don't care whether they are hungry or not. Your anger is the least of my concern. Your soul is. What did I say? Your soul is. Can't tell me that both of you come to church together.

And one day you just see him return by 11:30PM in the night. Which is not his culture. And hunting will not push you to ask him. Where are you coming from brother? Lest somebody start becoming lost. Where are you coming from, brother? I just went to go and drop one of my friends. Your friends? Really? Wow.

Where? And it was somewhere in Ajibodi. Ajibodi, by this time, male or female? Is that my friend now in class? Which one of them? Sorry, I just want to know, you know. You know, we no fit they live together, man. I don't know where they come from now. So what can they sub guy? And another girl now, another girl, nothing there, nothing the sub, nothing the sub oh.

I don't go drop her name. God. God. It only takes a white mouse. Only a white mouse. And you are gone. So you might say there is nothing there because it's still a black one. It is where? Are you with me brothers and sisters? Yes, sir.

Though when you read from verse eight to verse 10, you see the second story there, still the same parable. It's a parable. We've already gone through that anyways. Or what woman having 10 silver coins, if she loses a coin, does not light a lamp. Sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. Verse nine, and when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together saying rejoice with me. For I found this peace which I lost. Likewise I said to you, there's joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. So we come to the second, the coin. The sheep is alive.

The sheep is wandering. But the coin is an inanimate object. It means even when it was lost, it has no idea that it is lost. It is helpless. It cannot shout. It cannot cry. It can't retrace its steps. It can't make itself visible to you. It means if the woman does not search, the coin will remain where it is forever. The value of the coin is unchanged.

But the value is unprofitable because it is bred in darkness. Are you with me? It shows you another dimension of lustiness. The coin represents the person that is lost in darkness. Note. Note. Note. That the instrument needed to search for the coin is a lamp. It means where it is lost is in darkness. This one is dead.

This one is in her name. It's why it's not a living thing that was used. It's why it's a coin that was used. But why it ripped a coin? Why not a plate? Why a coin? Because a coin is valuable. It means something can be valuable and be dead. It means there are souls that can be of value to the kingdom of God, but does not change the fact that they are dead. And as long as they are dead, they are useless.

Useless to God, useless to the kingdom of God. Are you with me? Yes, sir. You're all I want. You're all I need. I want to hold you close to me. You're all I want. You're all I need to see a kingdom's my heart cry. You're all I want. As the person who was born into darkness, who was raised inside darkness, as a person that grew up where truth was never taught.

Many of you know people like this. Many of you know people that are talented but they don't know Jesus. People that are doing business well and the guy is making money but doesn't know Jesus. Of what value is the money he's making them? But it's not his fault because he inherited beliefs. When he was young, when he had no opportunity to question what he was being taught. He was introduced to sin before he understood what sin was. He was abused or he was rejected or he was neglected. Or abused even by those who should have protected him. So he's lost in darkness.

The guy is... He learned everything he learned from the world. Learned immorality by being exposed to immorality. Learned false worship, and I don't worship by being exposed to those who rest him, who taught him these things. Now by the time he became old enough to make his own decisions, that man had already helped him to shape what he considered to be normal. So now he's walking the wrong way. Even though he did not choose it. Do you agree with me that it is easier for someone born into a Christian family to find the way of Christ? Than for someone who is born into a Muslim family. And it's not his fault.

It's just the result of where he was birthed. And the more he grows, the more he's been indoctrinated. So that when he grows up, he has chosen a path that was chosen for him, yet he believe he's the one making the choice consciously. You know that there are people that say things like, if you were not born into a Christian home, would you have been a Christian? If your father wasn't a Christian, if your mother wasn't a Christian, what are the chances that you would have been a Christian? Are you with me? In other words, you're a Christian because you inherited a belief. In the same way someone is a Muslim because they inherited a belief. If the father was a Muslim and the mother was a Muslim, they inherited the belief. Is that not so?

Now both children have grown together honing their own beliefs. So the question is, you who is a Christian, how do you know yours is the right way? Sinner is also a belief that you inherited from when you were young. Do you understand what I'm saying? How do you know? How do you stand in the place where you can say that someone else is going to hell because they've mastered Jesus? Because they told you these things growing up. In the same way that they told the other party too. That there are seven virgins waiting in heaven. Glory to God.

So what's to say that your own path is right? Listen, if you're a believer, hear me and hear me well. Especially for those of you who were born into Christian homes. It might be that you were born into that family. It might be that you were born into the right path into the Christian family and you grew up with Christian beliefs. Are you with me? A time must come where your convictions are rooted beyond the fact that you were born into a Christian home. It must be. Otherwise, you can't talk Jesus with conviction as to what? You can't teach Christ with conviction.

You can't preach Christ with conviction if you have not had an encounter with the Christ that we preach. It has not become real to you beyond what you were taught in school, beyond the devotion you had growing up, beyond what was a ritual to you. You would lose the ability to speak with conviction. And you would entertain such thoughts because you don't know yourself what is the right path. But if you stand in that gap and you are saying for instance that, okay, one is this, one is that, both of them, how do you know yours? One will shall be the way. We cannot help where we were born. Are you with me? Let me give an example. If someone was born from a rich home and someone was born from a poor home, it's like asking how do we know which one is the right way.

So the one that was born from a poor home must struggle to become rich. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. It means if by birth you were disadvantaged, it doesn't mean that the thing that you call normal is right. I don't know if you get me. This is logical for crying out loud. Because historically, Jesus came. Historically, It means Jesus can be an historical figure taught in history. His birth is being studied. His burial is studied.

His resurrection is undisputed. Are you with me? Yes sir. This is more than enough claim for a man to know. That the Jesus of the worship is not dead. That the claims in scripture are true. That the holy spirit lives within the believer. And you must have such deep fellowship with the holy spirit that solidifies your conviction more and more. You must have encounters upon encounters as a believer that solidifies your conviction more and more. That makes it real to you beyond just what you were told, beyond those claims so that the God you know is not the God you were told, but the God that has been revealed to you, the God that has revealed himself to you.

Do you understand what I'm saying? Otherwise, you would see people that would gaslight you to make you doubt even what you believe. And when you have no conviction, you will fall prey to these things. Are you with me? So the point is there are people that are born into darkness, and they grow up indoctrinated into darkness. So much so they have no knowledge of the way, so no knowledge of the truth. Some of them were born Muslims. Some of them were born, you know, a fat priest and all of that. And by God's grace, we've seen people like this come to Christ again and again and again. We've seen Jesus reveal himself to people like this again and again and again.

Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. Thank you, Jesus. It's possible for instance for some of us. Even the first category of people, when a man begins to wonder, he can identify decisions through which he wondered from God. But the coin, the one that is dead, has already been shaped by the conditions that they were born into. It means it cannot identify anything. Glory to God. Glory. And these people are valuable to God.

That's why the coin was used. They are valuable to God but they are helpless. The value of the coin cannot save the coin. It is valuable yet it is lost. It can do nothing by itself in that condition. In the same way a man can be gifted, a man can be talented, a man can be intelligent, a man can be educated, a man can be a lecturer even. Full of potential but remains spiritually lost. Understand this, talent is not salvation. Good behavior is not salvation. Growing up in church is not even salvation.

Being surrounded by believers is not salvation. It is meeting Jesus. Accepting him as Lord and savior. Believing with your heart and confessing with your mouth. That is what makes a man saved. Believing in this glorious gospel. That is what makes a man saved. Paul says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation. To them that believe.

Are you still with me? Yes sir. Yes. The coin was silver before it was lost. It remained silver after it was lost. Yet it was still lost. Because some people say things like, how do you preach the gospel to Dangote, seeing that Dangote is already rich. And they think that what we have to offer to people is Jesus gives you money. Where did you hear these things from? They say people, rich people, wealthy people who are unbelievers, they cannot be bamboozled by all this religious talk.

Remember it was a coin oh. Yet it was lost. The fact that it was lost did not change the coin into wood. It was still a coin. People can build relevance outside of God. It doesn't change the fact that they can be lost. Or that they are lost. That they need salvation. That they need Jesus. Are you with me brothers and sisters?

Yes. Yes. And when you find someone who is lost in this manner, what they need is someone to light a lamp. Because darkness must be confronted. Before even himself can see his own condition. The bible says the woman lights a lamp. He lights a lamp. It's when you light a lamp that what is hidden becomes exposed. That's what the gospel does. Remember second Corinthians four?

That we read from verse four to verse six that the bible says that whose minds the God of his age, right, as blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them. Verse six says, for it is God who commands light to shine out in darkness. Who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Who is this person that shines light in darkness? Are you with me? Yes, sir. So why is Jesus using the typology of a woman who is searching? Because that is the holy spirit. Stay with me. His responsibility is to reveal Christ in the heart of men.

It's why the bible calls him helper. Then I will send you another comforter. So Judah is using this ministry to typify. It is typology of the ministry of the holy spirit that lights and reveals Christ within the unbeliever. And everybody who is safe today, second Corinthians eight, says that it is God. It is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness. Are you with me? Yes sir. Yes. So people that are lost in this manner don't need better instructions, don't need behavioral modification.

What they need is the gospel of of Christ. What they need is the glorious gospel. Someone needs to sit them down and preach this gospel to them. Tell them about Jesus. Are you with me? First Corinthians 15 from verse one explains what the gospel is. What the gospel is. The next thing the woman does is that the woman also sweeps the house. When you sweep, you disturb what is settled. Is that not so?

Yes. Dust that has remained undisturbed for a long while becomes disturbed. You start moving things when you sweep. Is that not so? Yes. When you are sweeping, you you may have to move furniture. You may have to move to hidden corners that you have never swept in a long time. And start moving things up, start shaking things up. Is that not so? Yes.

That's the same way restoration will involve disturbance. When the word of God entered into a person's life to save that person, it begins to move things. It begins to disturb things. It begins to confront inherited beliefs, inherited mentalities. Are you with me? It begins to expose wounds. It challenges habits that have been there for some time. It reviews what has been buried, wounds that have been buried that has not been healed. And people sometimes resist this process because they want to be found without wanting anything to be disturbed in their lives. I was speaking to young lady sometime recently, and I told the lady, I said, listen, if I involve myself in your restoration, just expect there will be mighty disturbance.

The way you are currently going about life will be heavily disturbed. It's what the word of God comes to Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes. Some things must be moved for what is buried to become visible. The Bible says the woman searches carefully. She searches carefully. The love of God is not careless in its search. God knows where the darkness has entered. God knows where the wound is. God knows what lie has been believed.

What experience has shaped a person's understanding. And the church must learn to search carefully. You cannot minister to every lost person that we see. As though everybody was lost in the same way. The woman searches carefully. Are you with me? Yeah. Somebody might need a very stern warning because you know he's consciously rebelling. Another person might need to be taught patiently because he's never understood the truth before. Nobody's told him.

He doesn't know. He might be acting foolish, but he's acting foolish sincerely. Are you with me? Somebody else needs to see the love of God expressed consistently because every authority figure they've ever seen in their life have abused them. And now you are bringing them truth. They would need to see the love of God experience tangibly Before they even begin to open their hearts to allow you speak to them. Are you with me? Searching carefully is understanding. The wisdom required when we are speaking to people. Glory to God.

The sheep can cry. Because it knows that it's in danger. The coin cannot cry. There are people around us that will never ask us to preach to them. They will never ask us to preach to them because they don't know that they are lost. They will not come looking for light Because they don't know that they are in darkness. Are you with me? If the woman does not search, the coin just remains where it is. That's why the church must go. We must carry the lamp to where the coin is.

We must carry the lamp to where the coin is. This glorious gospel of the kingdom of salvation. To where the lost is. And seek them out. This is what Jesus said when he says he has made a great feast, go and bring everybody. He says compel them to come. Compel them to come. Is a mandate that everybody who has been saved in Christ has. Everybody. It's called the ministry of reconciliation.

Reconciling men back to God. That's what Paul calls it. He called it the ministry of reconciliation. That men are lost and they become children of wrath. And we have been reconciled to God. It becomes our ministry as believers to reconcile men back to God. Are you with me? Yes. We've been given that ministry of reconciliation. To reconcile men back to God.

Glory to God. Amen. It is now all things of God who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. So if God has reconciled you to himself through Jesus Christ, then it... He has also given to you the ministry of reconciliation. And every believer in Christ, every believer in Christ has this ministry. Listening to me under the sound of my voice, every believer in Christ. Take it upon yourself that a week will not go by when you will not witness to someone. Put your biases by the side. If you're not bold enough, carry somebody with you.

Tell one of your believing friends. Let's go and preach the gospel to someone. Let's bring somebody to church. Let someone receive this glorious gospel because of us. I used to give an example every time I teach this. I would say that imagine that you were alive during the time of Noah. Right? And the whole earth had been judged. And Noah was floating on his ark. Enjoying.

Because he's the only one that obeyed. You and your family did not obey. You and the whole world did not obey. So everybody has died. Some people that have not died are floating on the ocean, hanging onto branches and logs that are floating. There's no food, there's nothing, expecting when they will die. Is that not so? Not expecting death. And then Noah is floating and enjoying himself on his on his hark and sees you holding on to your life, holding on to a branch like this floating, not expecting when you will die. Contemplating.

Should I hold on or should I just leave this thing alone and just die? Whilst you are contemplating, you are seeing several people that are also floating on things just giving up. Some of them are just dying. And the oceans carry you. And then you see the ark. And Noah comes and says, ah, is that not a brother? And then stretches a rope down. And lifts you up. Immediately, you that thought you would die before. What becomes a emotion?

You rejoice, you are happy. As they are bringing you out of the water, they now put you in front of fire. They say you must be cold. They bring fresh clothes. They bring food. They bring everything there. I say say rest, rest, brother, rest. Thus, about five minutes ago, you thought you would die. Now you wake up the following morning, and they come to you, they say, oh yeah, take this rope. We are helping people, anyone we see who was hanging like you on a branch.

We want you to help us pull them up. You say, I'm I'm too shy. How... Can you reason it? Just think about it for a minute. How you sound. Think about it. Because that's precisely what we do. It is we've received the ministry of reconciliation. It's just God has reconciled us to himself.

So having reconciled us to himself, he has now given us the same ministry of reconciliation to reconcile the word back to him. But the believer says, I can't go. You know I cannot speak. You know I cannot do this. You know I cannot do that. I am too shy. I'm too disampt to that. Is that about how shy you are? About a life that must not perish. About a soul that must not perish?

Wise are you when you understand what gives heaven joy? And when you commit your life to doing what gives heaven joy? Wise are you? Let it be a consecration. You see, there are four things that must be a consecration to the believer. But we've reduced it to two, And I don't know why. I don't know why. What are the two? Prayer and the word. Is that not so?

Okay, let's add fasting to it. A lot of people know fasting towards a consecration, so let's add fasting to it. Are you with me? But are you aware that giving is also a consecration? Giving. Are you aware that it's a consecration? That in the book of Matthew chapter six, Jesus places giving in the same place he places prayer and fasting. Do not be like the Pharisees when they pray, when they fast, when they give. Those are the three things Jesus addresses as the consecrations of the believer. Are you with me?

The last one is evangelism. Make it a consecration that if you decide to pray everyday and fast once a week and you study your word everyday and you have regimented all of these things, regiment saving souls. What did I say? Regiment saving souls. Yes. Regimented. Regimented that once a day, once a week, I will go out with my friends. We are not just going to save two or three people. We ensure that they abide. We'll preach the gospel to them.

There is no Sunday you will not have testimonies. Because you'll be seeing the gift of the spirit walking through you like water. You can't say that you desire the gift of the spirit. We are not moving to obey the instructions of God. The signs follow. The signs don't stay with. The signs follow. It means it's as you move in obedience to Mark sixteen fifteen, that Mark sixteen seventeen becomes a reality in your life. Mark fifteen fifteen says, go into the world. Mark fifteen seventeen says, signs will follow.

So as you go, the signs follow. The easiest place to see miracles, signs, wonders is on the field. On the field. On the field. You'd walk in the world of molecules. There people tell you... You would see testimonies happening through your hands. Through your hands. Met someone on Sunday and the person was sharing with me how that they are doing business and the step they wanted to take in their business and all of that, and I was so touched. The person told me, oh, I was invited by someone to this church.

My God, look at the transformation already happening in this person's life. Because someone stepped out. He was telling me by himself that, I don't remember the person's name. Can show the person's picture. I was just going and the person approached me, and here I am. Glory to God. Open your feet. Glory to God. So make it a regiment. Make it a regiment.

You have prayer partners. Have evangelism partners. Have people you go out together just to preach the gospel, just to win souls to Christ. Make it a consecration. Did you know that winning souls to Christ consistently has a way of keeping you on fire? Has a way of keeping you on fire. Has a way of sustaining your own altar. Because even whilst you have not discovered purpose or anything, there is something you're already living for. Let's stop here. Thank God for what you've heard.

Thank God for the word you've received. Thank you for listening. We believe you've been blessed. To be a part of this vision, you can connect with us on YouTube at Disciples Television, on Instagram at DCN underscore Nations, and on Telegram at DCN media channel. We love you. Stay blessed.