Jesus - God or Just Good

Welcome to the prolific teaching ministry of Pastor Immanuel Erad, lead pastor of Celebration Church International. It is his vision to partner with you for your progress and joy in the faith. Ready? Set? Grow. Anyway, welcome to church everybody. Did you have a blessed week? So we are continuing our teaching series on landmarks. This is a very important theological month. You know someone was describing the church in this generation and it says it is seven kilometers wide meaning it has a lot of vava home, a lot of trees, a lot of programs, a lot of drama, but it is half an inch thick. If you pick anybody at random from any church and ask them, explain the gospel. For lead someone to Christ, you be surprised. Not many people know how to even present the gospel or to lead someone to Christ. You know it is an irony that you can be going to church for 30 years and still not know the Bible. It is a fact. It is a fact. And what is even worse is we see no problem in it. We see no problem. A lot of people are still ignorant when it comes to the things of the word of God. And so we have chosen this teaching series specifically to draw your attention to more theological concepts. This is what we believe. Especially for those of you who just joined celebration church. You didn't join the time when we didn't get our lights and planted screens. You might have been carried away. You have not done your research. What this ministry is really about. And I just want to announce to you, we are very serious when it comes to the word of God. And if you are a member of this church, that must be your number one priority. Please, are you getting what I am saying? Your number one priority. Forever. Forever. Tango for excellence. We just like to do things where that is not the selling point of this ministry. What we are really putting forth is the gospel of Christ. And so as a member of this church, you must be serious with doctrine. Serious with the word of God. And so we started last week by talking about the final authority of the scriptures and by that, we mean that for all people of faith, the word of God must be the ultimate, length through which you see and judge matters of truth and faith and doctrine in the world, in the world. You can't be a Christian, I'm saying your truth, my truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth. Are you getting what I'm saying? This is not the matter of the way you see it, the way I see it, we don't, we do respect, we don't care your opinion, your experiences, let God be true and all men liars. The final authority of scriptures, amen? And so we are also going to go on to talk on all the matters of orthodoxy. What the one we are talking about today is the most important because you see, as important as the final authority of scriptures are, there are some dividing lines when it comes to salvific faith. There are some things that, if you don't believe, we just know you are not disciples. So there might be someone who might be ignorant enough to think, well, I believe some things in the Bible, I believe that Jesus is my Lord and my Savior. I believe He died and rose again for me, but there are other things in the Bible I don't believe. When you see someone talk like that, there are many things, maybe they were not properly disciples, or they have malaria, or they are high on something that's not the Holy Ghost, but guess what? As long as they believe in Jesus as Savior, His death was evocations for their sanctification and that he rose again, they are saved. They might be babes spiritually but they are saved. But there is one thing that is a dividing line. If you don't believe, this one, we can tell you you are not a Christian. And that's why we want to talk about that important subject, Jesus, who is Jesus to you? That is the dividing line. Who is Jesus to you? A lot of people agree that He is good, but that doesn't mean they agree that He is God. So this is the dividing line. Do you believe that He died for your sins? And that His death wasn't just from heroic acts. It was something that was evocations for the built-in of sins of all believers and that He rose again the third day and that everyone who places faith in Him will never die. This is the dividing line. If you don't believe this, you are not a believer. It's very simple. You can believe that Jesus heals and not believe that Jesus is Lord. I hope you know that, the folks in John 6 came to Him because they knew that He could provide. They wanted Him to multiply more loaves so that they can eat. Wow, you did it the first time. That's nice. Do it again. Provide for us. But the moment He came to call theology, I am the bread come down from heaven. They were not interested. So you can be interested in what Jesus can give and not be interested in who Jesus is. I hope you- are you listening to me? This is very important. It was a response now, I'm also thinking. And so in Matthew chapter 16, from verse 13 to 15, Jesus came to His disciples and He said, "Who do men say that I, the son of man am? What are they saying about me? I'm not on social media but you have social media accounts. What are they saying? What are they saying on Twitter? What are they saying on YouTube? You know every public figure, you know as this dilemma, sometimes I go online to learn new things about myself. Some things, you know, they've said there are some cars they said I have that I didn't know I had. I said, wow, yeah, I didn't know. I've seen different networks and I said, amen. You know, there's some I would say and I would say that's wrong, I would say, amen. You know. And of course. So Jesus is saying, well, I don't have any I.G. account, I don't have all this, but who do men say that I, the son of man am? It matters what you think about Jesus. It matters what you say about Jesus. And it's also noteworthy that nobody said anything but some say you are John the Baptist. See, Rama Dale, don't joke with Rama. You don't know how deep this is because John the Baptist and Jesus lived in the same era. They were related. They're parents knew which other. Yeah, so some people somehow thought that Jesus is, you never see revelation, mysteries. How could you think that Jesus is John the Baptist? When John the Baptist baptized Jesus? Like they were in the water at the same time, but yeah, they are the same. That's another dimension of Trinity. You know, their mysteries, you have no secrets. Some say you are John the Baptist. Some say you are Elijah. Others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets. All these things are nice things or they are not truth. Are you listening to me? And you don't know how notable this is as if Jesus knew prophetically that will come to an era where many things will be said about Jesus, that aren't the truth and they will be said with conviction. And I want to say this, for instance, in the most respectful way possible. Think about this 300 years after Jesus, a new sects, religious sect rose up, our brothers and sisters, Muslims, Islam was born 300 years after Jesus and they had a different historical opinion about Jesus. They said Jesus didn't actually die. Now, even according to pagan records, unbelieving records, Jesus died, but they said Jesus didn't actually die. Whether they are sincerely wrong or not, they were writing history, they said Jesus didn't die. But guess what? There are a lot of things, honorable things they have to say about Jesus. They believe that he was born of a virgin, that he was a great prophet, that he performed miracles. Guess what? They believe that he is Al-Mashihu, he is Messiah. How many of you did not know that Muslims believe Jesus is Messiah? Raise your hand. Be honest. Thank you for your honesty. Now, what does he say people from, they won't tell you or they don't know, but he is Messiah. Are you following this? But at the end of the day, as far as honor is concerned, they honor Jesus, they revert Jesus. They call him Issa, that's a little bit complicated, you know, but that's a conversation for another day. Are you following what I'm saying, all I'm saying is this. They honor and revert Jesus to say he is born of a virgin and he performed miracles and that he is a great prophet, that's a big deal. Just like Matthew 16, all the things they said, Jesus was the good things. In those believe that he was a holy man, a guru or an avatar, maybe because he walked on water. He was a water bender, you know what I'm saying? Because he spoke to the trees, it's bender, was an avatar, Buddhist saw him as a wise teacher, saw him as someone compassionate, you know, and they saw a lot to learn about his humility and his selflessness. So Mahatma Gandhi, for instance, who was not a believer, could see the selflessness of Jesus and he could apply it to political revolution, that I don't have to pick up weapons to stack the revolution. Just by depriving myself of food, I can force the whole nation to listen to me. Now, that was his own, and you get to what I'm saying here. So I am saying that when you look at Jesus, what you can pick from him could be political concepts, or philosophical ideas, or moral principles, or like some culturally helpful tips. But Jesus said, "But who do you say that I, the son of Manam, and one by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said you are, the son of God, the Christs, you are the Christs?" I know that when you study Jesus, you may learn some things that can move your business forward, but that's not why he came. I know you can learn some things that will improve society, moral standards, and that's great. But he has told you why he came. He said, "I am calm that you may have life and have it to the fullest." So whatever else you believe about Jesus, if you have not placed your faith in him for eternal life, you have missed the point. And that's exactly what this is about. That is the dividing line, to be a true believer, to really accept what Jesus is offering. You must believe that without him you are nothing, and that we are all dead in trespasses and sins, and that he offers eternal life. That my friends is the dividing line. I believe in Jesus. What do you believe exactly? Look at James chapter 2 verse 19, James chapter 2 verse 19 very quickly, James chapter 2 verse 19. Powerful text. He said, "You believe that there is one God, well you do well." This is where Pigeon English started. This is where Pigeon English started. You do well. You do well. You know that song well? Anyway. I'm just playing. What is it? You do well. You believe there is one God? Well done. He said, "But even demons believe and travel." There's a reason why at the name of Jesus, this campar. So that's not enough. Even demons believe and travel. So it means for what you believe to be efficacious for the saving of your soul, it must be a specificity to it that God took on flesh, took your place, dived your death, and that everyone who believes in his resurrection will not perish, but have everlasting life. Not just I believe in God, who is God, what did he do? Practice his name. Come on, are you getting this? That's what Paul told the church at Rome, that if you believe in your heart, the Lord Jesus, and confess with your mouth that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with a heart, mouth believes on the righteousness. And with the mouth confession is made on to salvation. Say a loud amen if you believe. So beware of false substitutes of saving faith. Beware of false substitutes for saving faith. Admiresion without allegiance, morality without regeneration, philosophy without repentance. You will have well-meaning people, but when you listen carefully, respectable people in society like Jordan Peterson, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a lot of good concepts, but when you look at the way he redefines the Bible, you look, listen to his hypnotics well. So when you read in the Bible that Jesus died for our sins, he sees a deeper metaphorical interpretation to it that you see. This is a metaphor, an archetype of how good battles evil. And that sometimes to conquer evil is not by drawing out a sword, it's by surrendering yourself and offering, I mean, giving yourself and paying the ultimate sacrifice, that that is how you conquer evil. He has, now, with your respect, he might be a closet Christian, but his open hypnotics is not what the Bible teaches, are you getting what I'm saying? So you might get deep philosophical ideas. You might accept Jesus as an idea, not as God who took on flesh and died for you. What Jesus asked 2,000 years ago, he's still asking today, who do you see? That I, the Son of Man, and your response will be the difference between life and death. It's a serious, serious question that everyone must answer, who is Jesus? There's a very powerful story in the Bible, and we don't see the prophetic symbolism of it. It's the story of Jesus and Barabas. The first thing that throws us off is that we don't know who Barabas is, because all of our modern translation simply tells us that he was a robber. So when you're reading John chapter 18 verse 40, when you look at it from the end case of it, he says, then they all cried again and saying, not this man, but Barabas. Now the Bible says, Barabas was a robber, so now you see him as just some new sons. Magnumistic he was, but that wasn't all there was to know about him. Maybe going about killing people, taking their money, that's what you thought about him. So I don't know about you, but growing up, I never really understood. I know people didn't like Jesus, but why on earth will they choose a notorious criminal over him? It never made sense to me. But look at the NIV of the same text, look at the NIV, he says they shouted back, not, no, not him, give us Barabas. Now Barabas had taken part in the uprising, meaning, listen, for context, the Jewish people had been colonized by the Roman Empire, they had been subjugated, they didn't have freedom, and they were paying a lot of taxes to the Roman Empire. And the people wanted the economic freedom, political independence. And Barabas was one of the revolutionaries that was fighting for that independence. In the process, he might have killed people, he might have done things, but he was fighting for independence. So understand it now, because many of you would have fallen for it. I like Jesus, Jesus is nice, he heals the sick, he raises the dead, put in the scale of preference. Somebody who can move the nation forward, he's fighting for our freedom, give us Barabas, some of you here, maybe before this ceremony, you would have chosen Barabas. Look at the NLT. The NLT actually tells us Barabas was a revolutionary. You hear some so-called Christians saying things like, "What playing church and the nation is like this." And make no mistake, as a true believer in Jesus, he must not be silent about the plight of the vulnerable in your society, you have a civic responsibility. But what is the core responsibility of the church? It's not politics. You can't become a nationalist to the degree that you don't see any point of the church, say for the fact that they are helping the economy group. Imagine you see people praying, have you seen people like that online, maybe you see a group of people praying and they are saying you are praying and the economy is the way it is. What is the correlation? Why can people serve their God in peace? Are you following what I'm saying? And the reason why this is especially noteworthy is because of what Barabas' last name was. A lot of people don't know. Look at Matthew 27, verses 16 to 17. I want us to use the NET, the NET, all right? The reason I'm using the NET is because this particular Bible used some ancient manuscripts that put a detail that is missing in many modern Bibles. It tells you Barabas is full name. It says at that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Hu, Jesus Barabas, listen. So his full name was accidentally, they were both named Jesus. His full name was Jesus Barabas. Are you listening to this? And so understand this, that on that day they were choosing between Jesus and Jesus. And I think it is noteworthy today because some people don't belong to them. They have chosen a version of Jesus that is pragmatic and that is about political revolution. They want to come to church and all they want to hear is how the nation can move forward. All this praying, what are we doing? So now, listen, before you knew all these details, you wonder why did the people choose Barabas? For the question is, are there Christians today who can see so much plight in a nation and go, where where is all our worshiping and prayer, leading us? Any message that is not pragmatic, that is not always speaking truth to power, that's not what we want, take Jesus and give us Barabas. I'm telling you, you can be a committed Christian making that arrow. Again, oh my God, I'm going to take a whole month very soon to talk about justice and what the Word of God has to say about it. You cannot be a believer and close your eyes to the plight of the poor, the plight of the vulnerable, but I am saying as a believer, as a believer in Jesus Christ, you understand the role of the church to be the emphasis of the message that brings salvation. You know, anytime we are streaming, all sorts of people, stream our services, some bloggers just trying to trend. You know, so when we put up a video of the new property, some people caught it, you know, I was wondering, people that I have not spoken to in years were calling me from US from different parts of the world, saying congratulations and I'm wondering how did you hear? And so somebody put it on Twitter, "Celebration George buys new property." Now, somebody said, instead of them to build factories and create jobs, first and foremost, I was flattered, that wow, I powerful so I can just create factories, and make the nation's lives better. No problem, next election just vote for me. See, let me tell you, even if they force me, I will never agree. You know, they try to force Jesus, they want me to remember that to make him king, John I see he escaped, Nigeria, he wants to rule, he wants to lead Nigeria, Nigeria, anyway, maybe because he is not my calling, even among the body of Christ, born in the game people so called, the unity, we see the manager, okay, let's move on, let's move on, let's move on. Hallelujah, what is the irony for me, you pay taxes to the government, you don't hold them accountable, then you come to a church that you don't attend, and tell them how to use donations that were given specifically for something. Oh, George, and they said, you said they should create jobs for you, you are not started, what is looking you, I bought you, I bought you, you lost weight for me, lost weight, I'll create you for you, I'm coming, be patient, just do like this, I'm coming, hallelujah, Paul said, I desire to know nothing amongst you, except Christ and him crucified, amen somebody, so when it crosses the line of matters of justice, the church will speak out, the church will stand against it, you know, you have to understand, stop trying to politicize the church, let me surprise you, we don't have to speak about everything, we don't, we don't, and let me also say this, don't put pastos in trouble, some pastos are not as influential as you think, these same people, they don't speak out, they are set for you, they arrest you now, you don't see them, even Jesus said, I know man, I know man, nobody needs to tell me about man, I know, hallelujah, glory be to God, look at 1 Corinthians 1 from 22, do you love the word of God? 1 Corinthians 1 from 22, it says, for the Jews request a sign, this is what they are interested in, you know, even in the incarnation, they were telling Jesus, if you are the son of God, show signs in the heaven, just be demonstrating, or at least, we are impressed that you don't five loves to feed 5,000 people, boy, hey guess what, Moses did it every year for 40 good years, what's the big deal, if you can't do it, show up for the boys, do this thing more, give us a sign, and listen, and some people here like that, they just want churches, you're not interested in hearing about God, it's just what Jesus can do for you, this year, this son they break through this, and miracle that you will not sat down in 20 years of church membership, to say what does the Bible really say, who is Jesus, what does it mean to me, that he died, he rose again the thought, you don't understand it, if we ask you, explain the date you have Christ to me, you can't do it, but give me 15 scriptures on prosperity, I only 15, you start shooting like a machine gun, the Jews seek a sign, the Greeks seek wisdom, if it cannot move the country forward, obviously people always want in to apply, when they read anything in the Bible, how does this transcend to economic impact, left to you, every Sunday should be finance seminar, or something, or marriage seminar, I've told you even in a serious church like this, we have the highest attendance in February, I wonder what, because when we are talking about marriage, even people when they go church, we will see you, he says, for the Jews request the sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, and if you are not careful, you will fall, for this as a church, you will start adjusting your programs to meet the needs to respond to what people want, but not Paul, Paul said, "Bot, we preach Christ crucified, it says to the Jews, a stumbling block, let me tell you something, if you choose to be serious as a church, there are some people who will not come, and that's okay, do you mean I'm saying yes I, it's like I want of them, say yes I will, the food just let me get you now, it says, "Bot, we preach Christ crucified, it says to the Jews, a stumbling block, and to the Greeks, foolishness, have you seen people who don't see the point of anything we are doing, no matter what we do, they will always criticize it, it says that's okay, look at verse 24, yeah it's foolishness to some people, it says, "Bot to those who are called, anybody like that in this place, it says, "Bot to those who are called, "Bot the Jews and the Greek, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God, we see the power of God in raising Jesus from the dead, he was dead for three days, and he was raised back never to die again, we see the power of God in that, and we see the wisdom of God, it's foolishness to men, but it's wisdom to those who are called, "Are you listening to me, you're not wasting time when you spend time praying, spend time fellowshiping with God, spend time, don't let anybody deceive you, see, you know, study the hypocrisy, you can see a crowd in a stadium attending a concert, I'm not saying there is anything wrong in that, but in that same stadium the next week let a church gather there, they say the nation is strong and people are filling yourself praying, see it for the hypocrisy that it is, they don't just think what you are doing is the importance, hallelujah, but no problem, for us we see the power of God and the wisdom of God in the gospel say, "Allow, they men." Who do men say that I, the son of Manam, it's not about saying nice things about Jesus, Albert Einstein said as a child that received the instructions, both in the Bible and in the Talmud, he says, "I'm a Jew, but I'm enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene." He said, "Jesus had reason." That, Jesus was just inspiring, but he was no born again, "Come on, are you following this?" Mahatma Gandhi said, "I like Christ, but I do not like your Christmas." You know, I hope you know that there are some so-called Christmas who talk like this. I don't like church, but I like Christ. Mahatma Gandhi. I recognize you, I recognize you, it's like telling a man, "I like you but I hate your wife and thinking that's a compliment." I like you but I hate your children. What are you going to think about that? Second serve is any problem. I say, "What do you think about that?" Mahatma Gandhi is always giving weird remarks about your children, "Ah, why is your son's head like that?" Just imagine, "Ah, the other one is fine, let me do it, no fine at all." Just imagine someone expressing himself like that in your sitting room, just sitting down, I hope you know there are people like that. I hope you know relatives, some relatives that will come to your house and look at your wife that carried your baby nine months, will come two months or three months or four months after she just put to bed and say, "Ah, why is your stomach still big?" There is no marriage seminar, but let me tell you, don't allow foolishness in your house. You won't come to my house and talk to my wife anyhow. We don't observe that there's no access again. We'll tell the Blitzman, we'll show them your picture if you see this person. You say, "She stole my child at last time, don't allow her head to him." Aliluya, as some things your relatives say, "Your wife shouldn't be the one to reply." You say, "No, don't talk to my wife like that. Are you listening to me?" That's not to say there aren't many luminous things about Jesus. Many beautiful things to glean from Him. I'm simply saying, "That is not what makes us believe us." There's an interesting quote I want to read to you. You are going to like this one. Look at this statement, "This bringer of glad tidings died as he had lived, as he taught to show how one must live. It is thus that he bequitted his life to mankind as an example, an example of the right way to live. He did not resist the executioners. He did not defend his rights before the court of justice. He was made of no effort to avoid the worst that might happen to him. More, he invited it and besotted it and endured it. He loved it and all this was to show us how to live." Now, when you hear a statement like this, you think the person is a believer. We do like to know who made this statement, Patrick Nietzsche, who also wrote a book, "God is dead." Are you guys the one I'm saying? So again, I am telling you that admiration is not regeneration. Who do men say that I is Son of Man? So even when they say nice things, "Oh, Son of Man said you are Jeremiah, you are one of the prophets, that's not enough." Who do you say that I am? And then one full of the Spirit said, "You are the Christ, you are God's anointed substitute to die for us." Come on, I get what I'm saying, so that we will place our faith in you for salvation and for justification. And that's why in today's day and age, we see a lot of morally-sound people, well-behaved people that are not born again, and you can feel Paul's sentiment and heartbreak about this. In Romans chapter 10, from verse 1, "When he said, 'My heart designed and prayed to God for Israel is that they may be saved.'" He says, "For I bear record that they have a zeal for God, yet not according to knowledge." So it means it is possible for you to be zealos for God and not be saved. This is the bane of every religion, every other religion in the world. They are zealos for God, but not according to knowledge. It says, "For they been ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness which is of God." And all the religions in the world tell you what to do. Christianity tells you what Christ has done. And that's what he said, "Say not in your heart. We shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ down or to descend into the deep, to bring Him up again. It's not about activity. It's at the world is 90, even in your heart and in your mouth, which is the world of faith that we preach, that if you confess to your mouth to Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." And then he tells you what you should believe, that God raised him from the dead. He must believe that, He must believe that, this is the dividing line. I did a video years ago, I think some two and a half years ago, to reach out to Muslims and to answer questions they have about Christianity. And I did a video explaining the deity of Christ. Guess what? It is some ignorant, so-called Christians that were contradicting me in the comments. Teaching Christians are doing the deity of Christ with me saying Jesus is no God. Go beta-church and I know, go, go. You will be frustrating evangelical efforts. I'm reaching out to, just imagine how confused they would have considered those to be, confused. I'm right, I did a video to Muslims, Christians are contradicting me. And don't get me started on Christian unity, you know, one of us was working as a brand executive in a bank, an Islamic bank, and in a boardroom meeting, he was sharing ideas because they were the number two bank in their states. The number two Islamic bank in their states. So he said, if we do this, do this, do this, we can position ourselves to be number one, they shot him down. This is not in a mosque, in a business boardroom meeting. No, leave the other bank, it's an Islamic bank, why not competing with them? In a boardroom meeting, they shot him down. Me and I charged the competitive with church, you know, not Christian business. I'm not going to increase them business, church, they compete with church, trying to outdo the next passive, trying to even contradicts. You know, they're saying, why is it, what, put your phone down, put your phone down. Which block do you walk from, show me what I do guys, and let's go. Since you know the record, what record is my every, I love you, you're welcome. Anyway. I know, I love to, where was I, Johnny? I get a experience, you know how it's so strange when I don't need to do this walk. I'm sure they doesn't have to remember what I was saying but watch online, okay? So, it's important, I listen to what I'm saying. The concept of the deity of Christ is something that I've taught on many times but there was something I shared on the island that I just want to share with you because I know a couple of people don't know this. Thank you, Jesus. Some say that the Trinity was a little invention invented by the church at the Council of Nigeria. You hear a lot of funny things and people who don't know history will be swayed by all those arrows. I want you to know it's a lie and check what I'm saying, and you get what I'm saying. Some will tell you silly things like, well, the word Trinity is not in the Bible. Let me ask you a question, is God omniscience, is God omnipotent? Show me those words in the Bible, show me those words in the Bible. Those words are not in the Bible but what he is. So if we come up with terms to describe something that is true in the word of God, it's not an invention, it's a description, are you getting what I'm saying? And so what you should do is to check the word of God and see if it is true. Some will quote text like, due to the number 6 verse 4, they think it's a contradiction where Moses said, "Here, O Israel, the Lord, your God is one God," and they say, you see? There's only one God, Trinity is a little invention. What they do not know is this text that they think is a contradiction, actually confirms and proves the Trinity. How you see? The word translated one here is the Hebrew word Eckhart. And this word actually describes compound unity. Let me give you an example of where it was used. The Bible says, "For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and their twain shall be one flesh," Eckhart, their twain shall be Eckhart. Someone, I get what I'm saying, they shall be one, two shall become one. So Eckhart is used to describe compound unity like a bunch of bananas. I get what I'm saying. So there is one God, one, listen to this, one was and three who's. I'm trying to break it down so that you can explain it because one day someone will ask you. Look, a provost of the testivus 4, provost of the testivus 4, very quickly, provost of the testivus 4. He says, "Who has ascended into the heaven or descended, who has gathered the wind in his face, who has bound the waters in his garment, who has established all the ends of the earth, what is his name and what is his son's name?" The doctrine of the Sonship of Jesus was not the latter invention. You just need to know your Bible well, you know, if I know, unfortunately, a lot of presents don't know. I'll give you one more. Daniel chapter 7, verse 9, Daniel chapter 7, verse 9, did I say one more? Where are you starting? Daniel chapter 7, verse 9, it says, "I watched till thrones." Did he say, "I watched till a throne?" He said, "Trones, you studied simple and plural, plural in school, I hope, right?" Some do not answer, they don't want to lie, okay, that's fine. I watched till thrones were put in place and the ancient of this was seated, his garment was as white as snow, his hair, the hair on his head was pure like wool, his throne was a fiery flame and a wheel bond, bonding with fire. Now, verse 13, look at verse 13. So now there were thrones, but he talked about just the ancient of this. Now we're verse 13, he says, "I was watching in night visions and behold, one like the Son of man, one like the Son of man, coming in the clouds of heaven and he came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him, verse 14, then to him was giving dominion and glory and the kingdom that all peoples and nations and languages should serve him." His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom don't that shall not be destroyed, say, "Low, they men." And to the favorite one I've been sharing recently, talk about those to Genesis chapter 15, I want to show you something interesting. You know, when we talk about the world of the Lord, there may be a patriarch of faith says the world of the Lord came to me. We see it from a prophetic standpoint. We think that it was something auditory, like they heard something, but this is what the Bible says in Genesis chapter 15 from this one, it says, "After these things, the world of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. It means that the world of the Lord was not just something you heard, it was someone you saw." So in this big, close attention now, this is the Old Testament. It wasn't just something you heard, it was someone you saw. The world of the Lord came to him in a vision and said, "Do not be afraid of Abram. I'm your shield and your exceeding great reward." And then what did Abram see? The Bible says, "But Abram said, 'Lord, what will you give me, seeing I go, childless, and the air of my house is aliased of Damascus.'" Look at verse 4, "Everybody." And behold, the world of the Lord came to him, the world of the Lord did what? Came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your air, but one who comes from your own body shall be your air." Everybody read verse 5 together, "I want to go." Then he brought him outside and said, "Listen to me." So was the world of the Lord something you heard or a blessing that he encountered? Follow this closely. I'll show you another example. Look at verse 1, chapter 3, verse 1, chapter 3. Now the boy, somewhere, ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the world of the Lord was rare in those days and he explains what he means. There were no widespread revelations. The world of the Lord wasn't just something you heard. It was a blessing you encountered. People were not seeing the person called the world of the Lord. Are you following what I'm saying here? Verse 4, "The Lord called somewhere and the answer here I am." And he ran to Eli to say, "You called me." And Eli said, "I didn't call you." So, "Well, this happened twice." And the Bible tells us why. He says, "For somewhere over seven." Now, somewhere did not yet know the Lord. Now, was the world of the Lord yet revealed to him. Look at verse 7, "Everybody read it to get I want to go." Now, somewhere did not yet know the Lord. Now, was the world of the Lord yet? Now, let's read on from there. Listen, pay close attention. Verse 8, "And the Lord called somewhere again the total money rose. I went to Eli and said, "Here I am." Then, some were perceived that the Lord was calling him and he said, "Go back. Lie down when you hear his voice again." Say, "Speak Lord for your servants." Now, look at verse 10 carefully. He says, "Now the Lord came and stood." Came and stood and called us at the other times, somewhere, somewhere. So the world of the Lord was in just something he heard. It was someone he encountered. So now, it tells you that the patriarchs of faith actually encountered a passing who was the world of the Lord and who was God. Follow closely, and so John now says, "In the beginning was the world." The world was with God and the world was God. Verse 14 says, "The world became flesh." The world was a person that Abraham actually encountered and so when Jesus, thousands of years later, tells the Pharisees, "Abraham rejoiced to see my date. They thought he was joking." They said, "You are still in your Tetis and you are saying you know Abraham. How old are you?" And they said, "Before Abraham was I am." It's true. They had met. They had met. It is okay for the people outside not to know the world of God enough to know that the Trinity wasn't a new revelation you began to see in the New Testament. It's not true. But you, you must know the word of God enough to defend this. Again, Jesus is asking you, "Who do you say that I, the Son of Man, who do you say?" It matters your response. Your response to that question is the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation. If you believe in your heart, the Lord Jesus, and confess with your mouth that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. The shortest song I ever wrote, the whole song is about two sentences, but very powerful. And I want to declare it. It says, "I believe your word, precious Jesus, I believe your word, precious Jesus, I believe your died, I believe your rose, I believe your word." Welcome to the prolific teaching ministry of Pastor Emanuel Iren, lead pastor of Celebration Church International.