Sunday service left every attendee supremely blessed and inspired as Pastor began teaching from John 11:9-10,

“Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him”.

She showed us from this verse how Jesus moved from talking about natural things to talking about spiritual things. Firstly, Jesus acknowledged that as long as a man walks in the day time, he does not fall because he sees the light of the world. In the same breath, he taught that if the man walks in the night, he stumbles but rather than say the man stumbles because he does not see the light of the world, he showed that the reason the man stumbles is because there is no light in him teaching us that people stumble at night – when challenges arise because they deviated from the light of the word of God, that is, they stopped living by the light of the word and they started talking as those in the dark. She emphasized the necessity of holding on to the light of God’s word when it’s night time refusing to talk like the rest of the world.

Pastor further explained that the more matured the Christian gets, the more the word of God begins to influence his results and the more he begins to function like Jesus. Christians who don’t fully participate in the growth process would not experience the effective Christian life as their results would be no different from that of the natural man. Pastor highlighted the necessity of prayer and studying God’s word in the growth process. In illustrating how that praying is so important, she gave an example of how Jesus expressed displeasure with Peter, James and John in Matthew 26:40 at not being able to watch with him in prayer for one hour.

Pastor also highlighted church attendance as another necessary tool for spiritual growth. Hebrews 10:25 admonishes, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”. Pastor denounced those who claim to have Jesus inside them and not need to attend church as a sign of immaturity knowing that the word of God tells us to do so for our benefit.

In teaching the importance of studying the word, Pastor showed us what really takes place when we study the word. Reading from 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”, Pastor helped us to see what was being communicated in that scripture. It says that when we study the word, we behold, that is, see the glory of God in a mirror. A mirror only shows the reflection of what is placed before it, this implies that since what we see in the mirror which is the word, is the glory of the Lord, we are indeed the glory of the Lord. And the more we behold this glory, the more we are able to express it. Pastor buttressed this message by reading from James 1:23 “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass” further confirming that when we look at God’s word via studying or listening, what we see is a reflection of our real selves, our natural face. Pastor then taught us that knowing this, how we respond to what we see is of vital importance. We should never be found arguing with the word, rather, we should at all times agree with the word irrespective of how we feel about it. As an example, reading from 1 Peter 2:9 where it says “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”, it may feel good to talk about how undeserving we are to be called a chosen generation but that would be wrong. The right thing to do is agree with what the word says by acknowledging that you are a chosen generation.

Pastor illustrated the dangers of arguing with the word using Peter as an example. Jesus forewarned him and the other disciples that they would all abandon him. Knowing that Jesus was the word, the wisest thing they should have done was to seek counsel or help on what to do when that situation arises but Peter argued and by insisting implied that Jesus did not know what he was saying.

“And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because if me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered…But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I”. Mark 14: 27-29

After this confession, Jesus clearly told him that he would deny him three times before the cock crows yet Peter insisted that he would never do such. And so when Jesus was arrested, after initially running away, in trying to fulfil what he had said contrary to what the word said, he went to where Jesus was being held and ended up fulfilling what Jesus had said by denying Jesus three times before the cock crew. By arguing with the word, he got into trouble that he could have avoided if only he agreed with the word initially and sought a way out.

Pastor wrapped up the message by emphasizing the need to always agree with only what the word of God has said concerning us no matter how we feel about it knowing fully well that one with God is a majority.

Download the full audio message here
Watch snippets of the video here
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, to be notified when the full video is released.