Righteous Invasion of Truth

Guest (Male): We honor you, Papa. We honor the word of God, and we honor the oracles of God committed to you. So this morning, we are excited and we are ready for the word. Lift your two hands above your head, put them together with a joyful shout. Let's receive our Papa, Dr. Abel Damina.

Dr. Abel Damina: Glory. Glory, glory, glory. Hallelujah. Are we excited? Glory to God. Lift your right hand above your head. Let's pray together.

Father, we rejoice and we thank you for this another opportunity to come before your holy, precious, written word. Thank you that the mighty Holy Spirit lives on our inside. Revelation knowledge is gifted us today, and as we study your word, light shines in our minds. Thank you that the entrance of your word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple.

Whatever is not planted by God is rooted out. We command that every form of oppression, depression, every satanic affliction, we command it terminated in the name of Jesus. Sick bodies be healed. Be healed. Be healed in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, that your word does not come back void, but accomplish what you please.

So we rejoice that by the end of this service, we will all be the better for it. In Jesus' name we pray, and every believer says a powerful amen. Glory. Lift your right hands to heaven. Let's release our faith together as we say these words.

I am born of God. I am born of the word. The word of God is my nature. I do not struggle to do the word. I do the word naturally. Therefore, today, I will understand the word of his grace. I will be built up. By the end of this service, I will never be the same. Never, ever be the same again in Jesus' name. And every believer says a powerful amen.

Glory. Are we excited to fellowship with one another this morning in this service? Can we celebrate our fellowship with a shout? Glory. I would like you to walk to three, four, or five people, shake somebody, greet somebody, love somebody. Tell them it's a joy to serve God together with you. I would like you to just fellowship.

You will be blessed because I came. You will be blessed. Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory. Go ahead and just serve God and just love God together with your brother, your sister over there. Glory to God. I said, glory to God. I said, glory to God. Hallelujah. Grab your pen, your notebook, your Bible. You can be seated with your sweet, smart self this morning as we get into the word of his grace.

Let's get into the word this morning. We're still looking at the church of God in service. The church of God in service. We're examining a subtopic of why you must be in a local church and be committed there. Why you must be in a local church and be committed in that local church.

Matthew 16:18, where Jesus and the disciples were having a discourse on, "Who do men say that I, the son of man, am?" Simon Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." Jesus said to Simon, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father, which is in heaven." Matthew 16:18, and then Jesus now said, "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I will build my church. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.

Now, the word "my church" there is the word "ekklesia" in the Greek. So he will build his church because the church, which is ekklesia, means to call out to gather. Ekklesia means to call out to gather. So he is saying, "I will build those whom I have called out to gather, my own called out ones, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Now, the church is the body of Jesus. It is the body of Christ. To explain means that as we are now, all of us, we are members of the body of Jesus. As we are seated here right this morning, in the book of Ephesians 1:20, which he wrote in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Pay attention.

Next verse, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come. Next verse, and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. What is the church? Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

So the church is the body of Christ. The church is the body of Christ. So when you say the church, you are referring to the body of Jesus Christ. Now, how many of you came to church this morning without your legs and without your hands? Anybody? You left your legs at home, you left your hands in your office, and you came to church. Is there anybody like that?

Everybody always carries his head, his legs, his hands together. There's nobody who wants his body to be scattered. Everybody wants his body to be together. That's why I told you when it comes to the church, a gathering is required. When it has to do with the church of Jesus, a gathering is required. You cannot identify with the church and not identify with the gathering. To identify with the church is to identify with the gathering.

In Ephesians 3:14, he says that the church is a family, a family, family of God. In Ephesians 2:18, he says through him we have access to the Father. Then he now says we are no more strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens and members of the household of God. So the church is the family of God or the household of God.

In Galatians 6:10, it is called the household of faith. The household of faith. So the church is called the body of Christ, the household of faith, the household of God. That implies that we must treat the body of Christ as a family. We must treat the church as a family. Please pay attention. Therefore, the church is the body of Christ, and then the body of Christ requires a gathering together.

If you are in the body of Christ, you must have a local gathering where you attend because the body of Christ is a gathering. I won't overemphasize this because we have to emphasize it until you understand it, that a gathering is required when it has to do with the church. So if there is a body, there must be a gathering. If there is a body, there must be a gathering.

Hebrews 2:10 and 11. Pay attention. Hebrews 2:10 and 11. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Pay attention. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

So if you're a son of God, that means you belong to the family of God. That also means that you belong to the brotherhood. Now, if you belong to the brotherhood, the brotherhood requires a gathering. There must be a gathering together.

We began to look at Brother Paul's major doctrines. We said number one, he emphasized pneumatology, the study of spirits, 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Number two, he emphasized majorly soteriology, a study of salvation, 2 Timothy 3:15, salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Brother Paul emphasized eschatology, a study of the events of the last days. Ecclesiology is the study of the church and the relationships in the church, a study of the church and the relationships in the church.

You will see that in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. You will also see that in Romans chapter 12, where Brother Paul took time to show that the body has members. You will see it in Ephesians chapter 4, where he talked about he gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the perfecting of the saints to do the work of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be edified. You also see it in Colossians chapter 3 and chapter 4, and you also see it in Ephesians chapter 6.

So you see the study of Christian relationships, where Christian relationships are studied. So the church, therefore, is a reality of our redemption. The church of Jesus is a reality of our redemption. So you are saved into the body. You are saved into the body. The gifts of Christ are to edify the body of Christ, which means that the body of Christ is a redemptive reality. The body of Christ is a redemptive reality.

You are saved into the body. You are not saved to stand aloof. You are not saved to be a free radical. You are saved into the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, 1 Corinthians 12:13. Pay attention. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. So salvation brings us into one spirit.

Can everybody say with me very loud, "I have been baptized into the church, which is the body of Christ." So you see that having seen that, the gathering as a redemptive reality, then Brother Paul's revelation is a key revelation in the Bible. In fact, without the Pauline Revelation, we would not know so many things in the Bible. In fact, I'm just trying to be modest. Without Brother Paul, we would not know anything.

That's the truth. Paul's revelation opens our minds to the church. So whenever I see people say they study the Bible but have no regard for the local church, I know that they are not studying the revelation of Paul. There's no way you will study any of the Pauline revelations and not see the importance of belonging to a local assembly. Because the revelation of Paul, which is important in understanding the Bible, opens our minds to see why and how we must function in the church, why we must function in the church.

We said the church is a place for supernatural relationships. I am your pastor, right? Hello? I am your pastor, right? Okay. That relationship is supernatural. I'm not your pastor because I came from your village. I'm not your pastor because we went to the same school. I'm not your pastor because we speak the same language. I'm not your pastor because we are of the same profession.

In fact, some of us here, nothing connects us in the natural in any way. Not profession, not school, not village, not state, not natural, nothing. The only thing that connects us is Christ. That makes our relationship between me and you, whether you're watching online or you're in the campuses or you're in the physical building here, supernatural.

You know, for instance, we refer to a pastor as a father. Brother Paul called Timothy "my son Timothy." Somebody said, "No, please don't spoil Dr. Damina. Don't be calling him father, my father, my father, my papa, my papa. Don't call him all those things." So call him what? Call him what? Some people just have an allergy to calling people father, maybe because they had a bad father or they had an experience with a bad father. But that you have a bad father doesn't cancel the fact that there are fathers. Father didn't come from the experience of you and your father. It predated your father.

You can't be attacking us because the spiritual father you had took advantage of you. We were not the ones. So don't transfer aggression. I'm your father, and if I'm not your father, then you may have to look for another pastor. If you hide in your bedroom and you watch me, I am your father. I father you, unless you refuse to listen to me and to listen to the people that are listening to me and teaching you.

Because even if you don't listen to me, if you are listening to somebody that is listening to me, I am still fathering you. I'm your papa. Some people, when they want to call me daddy, they are economical. "Pastor Damina, daddy, pastor." You can see they are doing it by force. Continue, it will soon be natural. You will soon understand the importance. It's not a title. Calling me father is not a title. Calling me father does not make me feel anything important. Calling me father just reminds me that I have a responsibility to oversee you, to feed you, to nourish you, and to make sure that you're growing very well in the Lord. It's a spiritual relationship.

Look at 2 Timothy 2:1, 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse number 1. "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Paul was not Timothy's father in any way. There was no biological connection whatsoever. This is spiritual. "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Remember, you don't choose your pastor. You don't choose your pastor. You only discover your pastor. Your pastor was chosen for you by God. God chose your pastor for you before you were born. Now that you're born, as you grow, you discover your pastor.

But you know, sonship also is supernatural. Sonship is supernatural. He won't say, "My son Timothy, where is your mother?" No, because it's supernatural. Look at 1 Corinthians 4:15, 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse number 15. Glory to God. 1 Corinthians. Who is on that computer? It's like they brought somebody who is not spiritual on that computer. "For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers." So there are fathers over people in Christ.

"Yet have you not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. I have begotten you through the gospel in Christ Jesus." So you don't have many fathers. You have just a father, but you have many babysitters. Instructors are babysitters. The Greek word "paidagogos," it means a babysitter.

So which means fatherhood in the kingdom is supernatural. Sonship in the kingdom is supernatural. For example, I am called your brother in Christ, and we differ in many natural things, but we are brothers. We are not brothers because of our hometown or family. You and that sister sitting by you are not biologically connected or anyway, but you are family.

Somebody shout, "We are family." Touch somebody by you and say, "We are members of the same family." Tell somebody beside you, "You are my brother." Don't call a sister "brother". Praise God. I said, praise God. Somebody asked me, "Which one comes first, natural relationship or supernatural?" And I said, "Listen to yourself. That's just simple. Supernatural comes before natural."

So this church is a platform for supernatural relationships that God has put together. We are bound by faith. We are bound by eternity. We are bound by purpose. We are bound by Jesus. We are bound by faith. We are bound by eternity. We are bound by purpose. We are bound by Jesus. The church is a place of supernatural relationships. The church is a place for godly, divine relationships.

For instance, if you have your deepest friendships outside the church, I can tell you that you are a backslidden Christian. If your deepest relationships are outside the church, you're a backslidden Christian. Your inner caucus, your closest allies should be people God brought to you through his Son, Jesus Christ.

One day they said to Jesus, "Your father and mother are looking for you." He said, "Who is my brother? Who is my brother? Who is my father? Who is my mother?" He said, "But these ones that do the will of God." He gave a definition to relationships. "These are my brothers and my sisters. This is my genuine family."

So the church, therefore, is a place for supernatural relationships. God put me here so that he can fulfill his plan for your life. God put me here over you so that God can fulfill his plan over your lives. You're not a member of this church by accident. You're not a member of this church by mistake. You're a member of this church by divine design. I'm not your pastor because I like you. I'm your pastor whether I like you or not by divine design.

And because divinity has made it possible for us to be in a relationship, eventually even if I didn't like you, I will get to like you because it's divine. Somebody shout, "Hallelujah." God put me here so that you can grow up and fulfill his plan for your life. Listen, your father at home is doing a great job, but you see, that relationship between you and your father does not fulfill God's plan for your life. The relationship between your biological father does not fulfill God's plan for your life. That's why in the kingdom, God gives you a spiritual father who now channels you into his plan for your life.

What fulfills God's plan for your life is the church. Somebody said, "But the Bible says call no one your father." I think it's Matthew 23, right? Matthew 23:13 or so. "Call no one your father." Put it up. Studio, Matthew chapter 23. "Call none of these your father." Is it Matthew 23 or something? I wasn't planning to talk about it, but it just came to my mind to further explain that scripture because some people, that's where they are stuck. So every time they want to call me father, they will go like, Matthew 23, right? 23, what? 9. Put it up.

Matthew 23:9. "And call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven." So they say, "No, you don't need a spiritual father. God is the father of everybody." Yes, he is. But look at it. "Call no man." In the original, it's "call none of these your father upon the earth." Call none of these. None of these who?

Go back to verse 1. Matthew 23 from verse 1 now. Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples. Next verse, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat." Who? The scribes and the Pharisees. Next verse, "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do, but do not ye after their works, for they say and do not."

Next verse, "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." Next verse, "But all their works they do for to be seen of men. They make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments." Next verse, "And love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues." Next verse, "And greetings in the markets and to be called of men 'Rabbi, Rabbi'."

Next verse, "But be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Next verse, "But call none of these your father." Don't call these Pharisees and Sadducees your father because these are hypocrites. So Jesus was actually exposing the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He wasn't saying you should deny calling people father.

Look at Ephesians chapter 6, verse 1, Ephesians chapter 6, verse number 1. Brother Paul teaching the church in Ephesus, "Children, obey your parents where? In the Lord." So there are parents where? In the Lord, for this is right. What do you call parents? Father and mother, okay? Next verse, "Honor thy father and mother." So if he said call none of these your father on the earth because there is only one father, he wouldn't still be asking you to honor your father and mother.

So if there are biological father and mother to honor, then there are spiritual parents to honor. I'm teaching good here. So that's why Brother Paul will say, "You are my son Timothy. I have begotten you through the gospel." That's why he said supernatural relationship, a supernatural relationship. So the church is a place of supernatural relationships, relationships that are ordained of God, relationships that are ordained of God.

And that's why we took time to establish very clearly that the church stops human selfishness. When you're committed to the church, you triumph over selfishness. And we said this morning, the opposite of selfishness is sacrifice. The local church helps you to live a sacrificial life, where you are blessed to be a blessing, where you are saved to serve God's purpose to the brethren, where you are not waiting to be ministered to, but you are saved to minister and lay down your life for the brethren.

If we're on the same page, can I have a powerful amen? Now, this morning, we began to say there are two critical reasons to finding a local church. Two critical reasons to finding a local church. How do I know this church is where God wants me to be? How do I know I have discovered my church?

Number one, where you received salvation is the first major reason why you should be in a local church, where you received salvation. The book of Acts gives us a historical foundation of the things we read in the Epistles. Look at Acts chapter 2, verse 41, Acts chapter 2, verse 41. Glory to God. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Three thousand souls were added to the church.

So these people Peter preached to and were saved, were added to the church. So salvation brings a man into the church. Salvation brings a man into the local church. That's why we said once you preach the gospel and somebody believes the message, what is the first thing to do? You bring him into the family. You bring him into the church.

Look at that Acts chapter 2, verse 42 and 43, Acts chapter 2, 42 and 43. Because they have now been added to the church, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. Next verse, "And fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles." Next verse, "And all that believed were together and had all things common."

So see that, they were saved, now they are added to the church, and they continued in the church. So salvation brought them into the church. The word "steadfastly" is the word "regularly." That means that place became their local church. Regularly they were in church.

Look at Acts chapter 2, verse 47, Acts of the Apostles chapter 2, verse 47. "Praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Why? Because they were evangelizing on daily basis and people are getting saved, and they were brought into the local church.

So when we go for evangelism, it's our responsibility to get people saved and bring them into Power City. Don't tell them, "I didn't come to preach church." No, church is part of what you came to preach. Church is part of it. It's not all of it, but it is part of what you came to preach. And once you're saved, that is where you will go. We can't save you and drop you on the street. We save you and bring you into the family, and the family of God is the church of Jesus. I didn't hear a powerful amen.

So that rules out those who say, "I love my mother's church." Nothing wrong with your mother's church as long as you received the gospel of salvation there. You don't join a church just because it's a church. It has to add eternal value to your life. You received the message of salvation. But you have been there for many years and somebody preached to you on the road and for the first time you are saved. If you don't follow the person that got you saved, something is wrong with you.

Because the person that got you saved now has the responsibility to help you discover your church. And your church will be his church. Because for him to have been built up to be able to get you saved, even though you were in a church where you were not saved, it means there is something in his church that your life needs. Am I communicating?

So where the gospel of salvation is preached to you, that's the first reason to consider a local assembly. Because if you were somewhere and you never received salvation, you don't belong there. The reason to be in church is because I received salvation. That's the first reason. That's the first reason.

Not because they have TV lights. Not because their pastor is on social media. Not because the church is full of Gen Zs. No, because there is salvation there. The message that is preached reveals Christ, and Christ saves men. That's the first reason. Not because they preach prosperity there. That's a wrong reason to look for a church. Breakthrough service. Zero to hero. Breaking of curses. That is not the reason why you join a church. You join a church to find salvation.

Now, the second reason there applies to many of us. The second reason applies to many of us. If there are times where you received salvation, or the church where you received salvation, you were in a particular church somewhere when you received salvation. They preached Christ died was buried, you believed the gospel, you received, you're born again in that church. You received salvation there, but that church may not have the capacity to promote spiritual growth in your life.

That church may preach salvation, but may not have the capacity to promote spiritual growth in your life. Because after salvation, the next thing is spiritual growth. 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 2. Brother Peter would say in 1 Peter 2:2, he says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby."

So after salvation is spiritual growth. So a church can get you saved but may not have what it takes to grow you. Which means after salvation, you have retired that church. The moment you are saved and you discover they cannot grow you, you have retired that church. The next thing is to move on to where you will grow.

The problem with many people is they get sentimental and they get stuck in a church because, "I was saved here, I will die here." So you die an old infant, an old infant that never outgrew Pampers and feeding bottle. So you never serve the purpose of God at all. As newborn babes, once you're saved, the next thing is to desire the sincere milk that you may grow thereby.

2 Peter 3:18, 2 Peter chapter 3, verse number 18. "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever, amen." Grow where? In grace. And that is to grow where? In knowledge, the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So if you're saved in a church and you're not growing, you have outgrown that church. Staying there will be detrimental to your spiritual purpose.

Now, there are spiritual precedents where people were in a church where that's not where they received salvation, but moved on. We have scriptural precedent where I received salvation is important, but I cannot be saved more than once. Where I received salvation is important, but I cannot be saved more than once.

So if all you have to offer me is salvation, God's plan for my life goes beyond salvation. It is the will of God to have all men number one, to be saved. Once you have removed that, then the next thing is and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Coming to the knowledge of the truth is as important as salvation. So if you got one and you cannot get two, you've got to move to where you will get two. You've got to relocate to where you will get two. I'm teaching good.

So after you're saved, you discover that you are not being fed the word of God. And that happens a lot in many churches. A lot of places where they know you need to believe in Jesus to be saved, and they pound that message. And sometimes that's all they know. So every Sunday, they preach salvation and make altar calls. Every Sunday, they preach salvation and make altar calls. And their altar calls come in different names.

Rededicate your life to Jesus. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. Deny yourself and follow Jesus. Come back to Jesus. Return to Jesus. Your fire has gone down, you want to rekindle the fire. You know you're here, you're not ready for the rapture, you want us to prepare you for the rapture. Come forward. All those are for salvation. They just gave it different names.

So you have gone out to the altar repeating the same prayer 60 times. That is, you have cheated 59 people of their altar call, all on your head. Because that's all they have in that church. It never goes beyond that. You keep coming out, you keep coming out. They keep recycling the salvation message to the wrong person because you're already saved. After salvation, what you need next is not another salvation message. The next thing you need is the word growth, to grow spiritually.

Now, I'm going to show you an example of where people got saved in one church and got committed to another in the scripture based on spiritual growth. In Acts chapter 11, verse 27, we see an example of a man called Silas. Acts 11:27, "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch."

So there was a church in Jerusalem, and there was another church in Antioch. Please don't miss this. There was a church in Jerusalem, there was another church in Antioch, and prophets came from Jerusalem to the assembly in Antioch. Are we in the building?

So Jerusalem and Antioch. Remember in Acts chapter 1:8, tarry where? In Jerusalem. So there was a church where? In Jerusalem. Acts chapter 2:4, on the Day of Pentecost, they were together in one place in Jerusalem. That's where the church was born. Then you see all of these brethren from the Jerusalem church.

Now, there was a church in Antioch, and that church had prophets who came from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of those prophets is Agabus. He wasn't the only one, but he was one of such prophets. Now, there were two others there, and they were sent from Jerusalem to Antioch. Acts chapter 15, verse 27.

Acts chapter 15, verse 27. I need somebody alive on that computer. Fastly, quickly, quickly. You guys should change somebody. I need somebody who is in the spirit with me on that computer. "We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth." We have sent who? Judas and who? Silas, who shall tell you the same things by mouth.

Now, remember in Acts 15 there was a dispute the apostles settled. Then they said they would send Judas and Silas to go to Antioch. To go where? From where? Jerusalem. Look at Acts 15:30 and 31. Acts 15:30. "So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch, and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle, which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation of what has happened where?"

What? What? Of what has happened where? Where did they come from? Where were they going to? Where did they arrive at? Where did they read the epistle? Where did they rejoice? Antioch. Very good. Now, remember the dispute. It allowed the apostles to discover that Paul had a revelation from God, okay? And that was not a common revelation that was found in the Jerusalem church.

The dispute was in Jerusalem. And in this dispute, Peter had to submit what he had discovered about Brother Paul. So now the Jerusalem church understood that there was something about Paul that the Jerusalem church did not have. And by this time, Paul was where? In Antioch. Paul was where? In Antioch. So the Pauline Revelation was taught where? In Antioch. And these people came from where? Jerusalem. Are we in the building?

So these brethren came and said that Paul wasn't preaching the word, so they sent Judas and Silas to Antioch to exhort the brethren. Then Judas went back to Jerusalem to report what he saw. Look at verse 34 and 35 of Acts 15. "Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to abide there still." Silas encountered Antioch and told Judas to go back alone.

Silas said, "This revelation I'm hearing here, we don't have it in Jerusalem. I'm going to stay here." Next verse, "Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also." So Silas now has relocated from the church where he received salvation to Antioch where there was spiritual growth.

What happened was that Silas got to Antioch and received the word and saw that there were too many things they were not taught in Jerusalem. So he waited. Look at verse 40 of Acts 15. Pay attention. "And Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God." So Silas in Antioch, because of his hunger, began to grow. And when the brethren saw the hunger of Silas, they now appointed Silas to be an assistant to Paul.

You don't have to be in a church for 10 years before you begin to have the access, the privilege of access to leadership. It is hunger and growth and desire to grow that gives you that kind of access to leadership. We don't allow people who are not spiritually hungry to be found around us.

The only people we want around us are people that are hungry, people that want to grow, people that are available, people that want to learn. We draw them close and we pour into them. Before you know it, say, "Ah, that brother is close to Pastor." No, it's not by eating puff-puff. That closeness came by a spiritual hunger, where Pastor will take interest in that brother because he's available and open and he hungers, and we begin to pour into him. Before you know it, he's new, but he's now assuming a leadership position because of spiritual growth.

It's not because you've been around the church for too long. No, you can even be around the church for too long and be the biggest problem of the church. I know what I'm talking about. So now you see Silas working with Paul in ministry. Now Silas has become a member of the Antioch church. He just went for a visit, and that was it.

There's a family in church this morning that came from Owerri, and the father walked up to me after the service with the mother and said, "Our son is a graduate, he specialized in this field. We the parents came to Uyo and hired a house for him to stay here, and we have asked him to join and stay in Power City because where we are, we are not sure he will grow like he will grow here. So he has been relocated here." And they introduced the young man to me, and I said to the parents, "Don't worry, he will catch fire."

So they relocated him from a city to another city, invested to set him up here because of church. There are so many of you in this audience, you are in Uyo because of church. True or false? You are in Uyo because of church, otherwise you would have relocated. But when you calculate, "Where will I go and hear this kind of word and have this ministry opportunity?" You say, "Let me stay here because ministry is more important to me than economy."

There are many of you that are here just because of Power City, otherwise you would have relocated. And there are more that are still coming. Amen. I'm not hearing that amen. There are more, they are still coming. Because people are placing a premium on their relationship with God above every other thing.

So Silas got saved in Jerusalem, obviously. Eventually he was in Jerusalem, but finally settled at the church in Antioch. Now you discover that that was not the first time Paul mentioned Silas. You will see Silas in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 1. Pay attention. 1 Thessalonians 1:1, "Paul, and Silvanus." Silvanus is Silas. That's another name for Silas, Silvanus. So when it says Paul and Silvanus, it means Paul and Silas and Timothy, see three of them: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. These are spiritual children of Paul.

"Unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ." Look at Silas. He just joined that camp not long ago. Now he has become prominent. Paul and Silas and Timotheus are writing a letter to the church in Thessalonica because Silvanus has grown. In fact, because Silas joined Paul in Antioch, Silas became prominent. Today we sing songs like "Paul and Silas." He is part of our song. "They prayed, they sang, the Holy Ghost came down. It was good for Paul and Silas. It was good for Paul and Silas. It was good for Paul and Silas. It's good enough for me. Give me that old-time religion."

See, Silas is inside all the songs. But the other day was when he went left Jerusalem, where he was saved, and relocated and became a member of the church in Antioch where spiritual growth took place. And as spiritual growth took place, ministry came forth. Are we teaching here? Okay. So Silvanus and Timothy, so he became an integral part of the church at Antioch. He worked with Paul in ministry.

So that's the example of someone who, based on insight, joined the church in Antioch. Based on insight, joined the church in Antioch. And what was peculiar about Paul was his insight in the word of God. What's peculiar about Power City is the insight in the word of God. And that's why anywhere a Power City is found, they think we're arrogant. No, it's not arrogance, it's insight. It's knowledge, it's revelation. First of all, we have no fear. Fear is gone. So we speak with audacity. Number two, we know who we are. Number three, we know what we have. Number four, we know what we carry. Glory to God. Leave that thing, leave that thing.

So Paul taught the Gentiles and Jews the message of the new creation, who you are in Christ. He taught the grace of God, he taught the substitutionary sacrifice, he taught the identification message: in Christ, in him, through whom, by whom. And Silas, who was Silvanus, received that and was committed to the church Brother Paul was overseeing.

Another person who left the church where he was saved to another church for spiritual growth is Timothy. Timothy. Now Timothy was not Paul's convert. Timothy was saved before he met Paul. Acts chapter 16, verse 1 to 3. Acts 16:1-3. Then came he to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple there was named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess and believed, but his father was a Greek.

So Timothy was already saved before he met Paul. Next verse, "Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium." Verse 3, "Him would Paul have to go forth with him, and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a Greek."

So Paul is meeting Timothy for the first time in chapter 16 of Acts. He met him in the church already saved, but then Paul adopted him as his son. So when he calls him "my son," he doesn't mean "my convert." In fact, what he called Timothy in Philippians 2 was the strongest word ever used for anybody.

Look at it, Philippians chapter 2, verse 19. Philippians 2:19, "But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state." Next verse, "For I have no man." This is the strongest word any preacher can use. "For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state." Next verse, "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Next verse, "But you know the proof of him," talking about Timothy, "that as a son with the father, he had served with me in the gospel."

"You know the proof of Timothy." That is, Timothy has been around me enough, when you see him, you see the sincerity of his heart. He said others around me are serving their stomach. Other preachers that are hanging around me as spiritual sons are around me for food to eat. He said, "But Timothy is a genuine laborer. When you look at him, you can tell that this one, what brought him is not food, it's genuine love for Christ, which is expressed in his love to serve in the ministry."

Brother Paul was very emphatic about that. So you will know a local church by where you can serve and where you can receive spiritual growth and ministry. If all you get in a local church is the message of salvation over and over, they are just trying to manage you and keep you there till Jesus comes. They are just trying to manage you.

Every Sunday is a program. You're in a church every Sunday there's a guest speaker, and you don't think something is wrong in that church? What is the pastor's work? Every Sunday is a guest speaker, and that guest speaker must raise money because he cannot go empty-handed. So there's pressure. And because it's a church where they're always raising money, they have to create all kinds of cock-and-bull visions and dreams.

They have to create all kinds of things, malhandle the scriptures, mangle the Bible, to be able to create a reason why they must collect that money because this visiting man of God shall not go. Every Sunday is a guest speaker. What is the job of your pastor? What's the job of your pastor? And you think everything is okay?

Imagine you're a student reading geography and every lecture, every lecture on geography is a different lecturer. Will you graduate? You don't even understand what the guys are saying. God put a pastor in a local church to be the gatekeeper of doctrine. The pastor is the gatekeeper of doctrine. He determines what the members will feed on.

It's the job of the pastor. He determines. Because he knows what it takes to grow you. So he looks at you and he knows what you need per time because that is his responsibility, and he will give account to Jesus for that responsibility. You'll be doing yourself a disservice where you already have a local pastor who has been assigned over you by Jesus to be perambulating like a mosquito Christian.

You're drinking blood from everybody. Drink blood from white garment church, drink blood from wickedness, drink blood from Mormon, drink blood from everywhere. Finally, we don't even know what you whether what you what you are. Because there's no shape with which to describe you that looks like anyone in the Bible. Even backsliders have more form than you. I'm teaching good.

Stay in the church where the word of God is taught and preached, where you receive that word and you are growing in it. You must make decisions like that, just like Timothy. I've told you Timothy was saved before he met Paul. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 2. 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse number 2. "To Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." My dearly beloved son. Paul is calling Timothy son, but Paul did not get Timothy born again.

Look at verse 5 of 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 5. "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that is in thee also." So you see, Timothy is not Paul's convert, but Timothy is Paul's disciple.

So where can I call my local church? Number one, where I have received salvation can qualify to be my local church. But if I receive salvation and I'm not growing spiritually, if I receive salvation and I'm not growing spiritually, then I must start to ask questions because there is growth after salvation.

So where am I receiving the word to grow? Just like Silas, just like Timothy, and others, even Titus. For instance, Judas came to Antioch and for whatever reason, he left. I believe that God orchestrated for Judas to be in Antioch, but Judas left. But Silas discovered that this is not ordinary. Silas discerned the times and knew what God's plan was for his life.

And that's why after Judas left, nobody heard of Judas again. That was the end of Judas in that entire context. But Silas saw the word of God, Silas saw the move of God, he saw ministry well defined. Then what was happening in Jerusalem didn't make sense to him much anymore. Then he stayed back.

What about Barnabas? You must never forsake supernatural relationships because you can't fulfill your assignment outside of where God has put you. You can't fulfill your assignment outside of where God has put you. Many folks today are struggling with the ministry because they are in the wrong place. When God put you in a church, you receive ministry.

Then you run out of that grace. You leave. You just come, you don't stay long. You think you have copied all our notes. Somebody attended our discipleship training online and went and started discipleship training. He has not even understood it. He thinks he's reading agriculture. "I have copied the textbook, I have copied the textbook." Discipleship is above and beyond copying notes.

That thing we do as discipleship online is not even 001. It's not even Nursery 1. Discipleship online is just a teaser to discipleship. All those 13 weeks of teaching is a teaser. You've not even started with introduction after 13 weeks. You've not started. So for somebody to copy those notes and say now he's ready to start discipling people, he's self-deceived. Because he himself...

I teach discipleship. That discipleship, I made the notes. I created the notes that I used. I'm the one telling you that those notes are not 001. Those notes are not even introduction. They are just teasers to discipleship. But so that you will be encouraged, we call it 001. But me, the curriculum developer, I knew that that one is a teaser, it's not even introduction.

It's when we start teaching and practicals that we now start discipleship. So for somebody who just attended online, not even physical... do you train soldiers online? There's no army in the world that is trained online. They are all trained on-site. So if the natural military who protect territories are trained on-site, how much more soldiers of the cross, carriers of life, men that will deliver men from hellfire into the kingdom of God?

Online is to say there is something you need. That's the whole essence of online: to make you aware that you need something, so you can now register for the real thing. I'm teaching good. Some other people come to Power City, stay for one year and copy all the notes, and they move to start their ministry. One year? You are a joke.

Even medical science, you don't become a doctor in one year. Even medical science, which is the natural physical body of a man, you don't become a medical doctor in one year. In fact, which one self? Even journalism. You don't become a journalist in one year. Even cooking. You don't become a chef in one year. Even nursing. You don't become a nurse in one year. Look at how what a joke people are.

So you think after one year you have learned everything? Look at the things we're teaching this year after how many years? And even the things we have taught from January till now, you have not finished knowing it. Til we start rebroadcasting it, then you go like, "Ah, did they say that? Was I in that service?" Then you see yourself in the service.

Touch your neighbor, say, "It takes time." Tell your neighbor, "Lifetime." It takes time. It's not hit and run. It takes time. It takes time. It's not something that you just scratch head and... no, it takes all of us are learning together and we're all growing together as a family.

How in the world do you want to fulfill ministry that God gave you in the church, outside the church? God brought you into Power City, woke you up to know that you have a ministry. Then you left Power City to go and fulfill the ministry you discovered in Power City, outside Power City. Ah, are you together?

Why didn't you discover the ministry outside? Why did you think God does hit and run? Why did God have to navigate you and bring you into Power City and wake you up to the consciousness of training? And while you are still learning the training, you have graduated yourself. And you have gone to go and start your own like Bahubali.

Oh Jesus. Listen carefully. Why are you looking at me like that? Listen carefully. God put you in a bigger assignment to fulfill your own individual assignment. This big Power City assignment is for all of us, but inside this, all of us have our own inside. So when all of us play our part, this big assignment is fulfilled. That's the way God operates. That's the way God operates.

For example, God put you in Power City, a bigger assignment to fulfill your individual assignment. So you must locate your place in the house and begin to serve God's purpose. I've heard about people talk about "Don't follow a man, don't follow a man." That's absolute nonsense. Absolute what? Nonsense.

In Christianity, we actually follow men. In Christianity, we actually follow men. That's why it is called discipleship. Discipleship is someone who follows you. Paul said, "Be ye followers of me." Because discipleship creates responsibilities in our lives. That mean I need to watch my life because someone is following me to Jesus. When you disciple people, you have to watch your life because they are following you to Jesus.

"Though you have ten thousand instructors, yet you have not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I am your father, I have begotten you through the gospel." Then he now said, "Follow me. Follow, be followers of me." In the gospel, we follow men.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 12 to 13. Pay attention. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 12 to 13. Am I blessing you this morning? 1 Corinthians chapter... "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, 'I am of Paul,' and 'I of Apollos,' and 'I of Cephas,' and 'I of Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

Many people, when they read that 1 Corinthians 1:12 and 13, they stop there and say, "You see that? Paul is not crucified for me. Christ is not divided. I can follow any man of God I choose to follow. In fact, I can follow 15 men of God. After all, Christ is not divided." You are a bad student. This is a full letter from 1 Corinthians chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. It's one letter.

He didn't write this for you to read chapter 1 and stop. He expects you to read the progression and the development of communication and the development of his argument. He first of all lays the introduction of what he wants to deal with. He wants to deal with division because this church is a church of multiple influences. All of them are following different Christocentric preachers while they are members of the church in Corinth. And Paul says, "Look at you guys. Some of you are following this, following that. It looks like the whole church is a madhouse."

Then someone says, "But Paul say follow no man." No, he now continues the discourse in chapter 3, verse 1. That same church, he continues discussing the matter. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." Next verse, "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able."

How does he know they're not able? "For ye are yet carnal, for whereas there is among you envy and strife and divisions." You are divided. Some of you say you're Christocentric. Some of you say you're grace. Some of you say you're eschatologists. Some of you say your own is salvation. Some of you say your own is repentance. Ah, in the same church?

Paul say all of you are babes. In fact, I can't even discuss spiritual issues. Let's first deal with because this is babes, this is pre-nursery matters. He's still dealing with this church on division, even in chapter 3. And don't forget it's one letter. Those chapters were not part of the letter. It's one letter. So you must read and keep following. So this Paul begins to rebuke this church.

He's not asking not to follow anyone at all. When he say, "Some of you say 'I'm of Apollos, I am of Paul'," that's contention, that's division. But you see, you cannot follow Apollos, Paul, and Peter. You can't follow three of them, it's impossible. You can't follow three of them, it's impossible.

So in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 now, he continues the discourse. Always learn to read the whole letter. 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 14, he continues the discourse. "I write not these things to shame you." See that? "I'm not writing to shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you." Are you following? Next verse, "For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel."

It is through me you understood Christ. It is through me you understood doctrine. It is through me you understood ministry. It is through me you understood the message of the Bible. I'm your father. He now says... look at the next verse. "Wherefore I beseech you, leave Peter. Leave all those people. Follow me. I'm your father. I'm the one to follow."

He says don't be confused. Follow me. This is where he nailed the matter after he has opened the whole discourse. Am I teaching here? He now brings the matter to a conclusion. See, Cephas, Peter, was an invited guest. You know, some people don't know the difference between a guest speaker and the pastor. They don't know the difference.

You think because I brought a guest speaker to preach to you... now when he finishes preaching, you now follow him. You now go and be following his teaching. They didn't raise you well. If they raised you well in your biological house, you know that when a visitor comes, no matter how he makes all of you happy and give all of you chocolate, when he's going, you don't carry your box and say, "Mommy, bye-bye." The way your mother will minister to you...

You know, my mother had a ministry. My mother, I love my mother, but she's in heaven. When my mother would land you a slap, she would slap you in that side of your back where your hand cannot touch. So you just do like this. And my mother had a digital direction to that place. The moment her hand is coming like that, know that that is where it will land. So you just see us do like this. Or you go and put your back on the wall and be doing like this.

My mother, ah, that my mother, eh. Sweet mother. I'm telling you. You don't follow a guest speaker. I brought him to this church, and I told him, "Come and share because when I was praying, the Lord showed me that he has put something in him that the church needs."

So I brought him, and under the authority of my bringing, he flowed by that access I gave him into your lives. Now, when he finishes, that access is closed. It's closed. You can't follow him. You can't follow him. You continue following your father. You don't now go and start looking for his teachings. "Ah, he was powerful." When my own, you have not even understood it.

So it's guest speaker's own that you don't know where they started from. At least my own you have introduction. We build you gradually, gradually, knowing your pace, knowing what you need. And brought now you go and join guest speaker. You don't know where their church is. You don't know what emphasis God is making in that congregation. You don't know what God is speaking and what instructions God is giving them. You now go in like a lost goat in a sea.

You didn't hear that. A lost goat where? In the sea. Not a lost goat on the land. At least we can rescue that one. But this one is in the sea. You just drink too much information and that... You know some people, what they call looking for revelation knowledge is curiosity, and nobody grows by curiosity. You can never grow by curiosity. When you're curious, you're just a man gathering information that are useless to you. You can't use them, but you have knowledge that is not useful.

You don't grow by curiosity. You grow by being taught precept upon precept, line upon line, a little here, a little there, a little there. After a while, we can measure your growth. We can measure it because we're on a course. I'm teaching good. These were guest speakers. That's why Paul says, "You are my sons. I'm not speaking to you to shame you, my beloved sons." Did you see that? Yes. He addressed them as my sons. Look at it now. 1 Corinthians 4:14, I think. 4:14. Glory to God. 1 Corinthians 4:14. "I write not these things to shame you." 4:14 now, why you rushing? "But as my beloved sons, I warn you." He first of all owned them.

Say, "You are my own." You are my own. He claimed ownership. He put his stamp to remind them in case they have forgotten. "You are my own." You know, I love Brother Paul, oh. Don't play games around Brother Paul, he will just square you. Philemon was playing one funny game. Paul said, "Philemon, listen. I'm sending Onesimus to you. I know he did you much evil, but I'm sending him to you to forgive him."

In case you find it difficult to forgive him, if there's something he did you cannot forgive him, put it on my account. When I see you, I will pay. But remember, you owe me your life. I love Brother Paul, oh. That guy was a wordsmith. After he has finished everything, that say, "But just before we go too far, remember, you owe me your own dear life."

He put ownership because, "I am not laboring over you for somebody to just come and and waste you like that. No. No. I live literally my entire life laboring over you in fasting, in prayer, in study, in meditation. I deprived myself everything that this life could have given me, just to be able to bring ministry to you. I cannot open my eye and watch somebody just pass by and be doing you like this, and you're confused. No."

So let me put it back to you. You must understand the difference between guest speaker and father. Say, "I hear you." I'm not hearing you. Say, "I hear you." You must know the difference. You must know the difference.

Remember, Paul already told them, "I laid the foundation," in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. He said, "I laid foundation. I'm the one that laid the foundation of your journey with God and your journey in ministry." He said, "I laid the foundation. Be ye followers of me." He didn't say, "Be ye followers of us." "Be ye followers of me." You must have a church and a pastor. Everybody is not your father in the Lord. Say, "I hear you."

See, if I gather with other men of God, don't say, "my fathers," I will slap you. Did you hear what I said? Because sometimes what words cannot drive, a slap can get it in very fast. Someone say, "Ah, Bible say a servant of God must not strive." That's not strive, that's correction. We're not striving. We are not fighting, I'm just correcting you.

When I gather with them, you say, "my father." You say, "bless you men of God." The difference must be clear so that even in the spirit, you're not confused. Even where? In the spirit. You are not what? Confused. It is God that planted you here. It's God. You didn't come here because you like my face or in the campuses all over the world. It's God that brought you here, and it's God that prepared me for you. We fit each other. Don't we fit each other? Glory to God.

Father in the Lord. You just have to have a church where you're focused, where you're committed. Being everywhere means you are not anywhere. To be everywhere is to be nowhere. You've got to be somewhere.

Somebody said to me, "What church do you recommend to me?" Power City. He say, "There's nowhere I am." Start one. Start one, and we will train you. He said, "Okay, what about outside Power City, another church?" I said, "No, Body of Christ." Outside Power City, the only other place I know that you can join is Body of Christ, if there's a church like that.

Because that's where I am. That's where I receive the word. This is the bane of what we call seeker-sensitive churches, where they do things to please the members. They try to make the members to be so comfortable. They are not... those are not good local churches. They make services so short so that you are not stressed. They pray very short so that you don't feel bad and stay away. They make the music so much fun so that you enjoy.

In a church, the church is not supposed to change for you. You are supposed to be the one changing. You join the church to be changed, not to change the church. Because the church is a school where you're mentored, where you're tutored, where you're nurtured in Christ.

When you have a church where they don't correct and instruct you, you are yet to get a church. The church is where you're taught, corrected, nurtured in Christ. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11 and 12: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Why? For the perfecting of the saints, in view of the work of ministry, so that the body of Christ can be edified.

How do I know that I'm growing in the local church? Paul tells us, and I call that the test of your local church. Please take this down, the test of your local church. If I fail in this as a pastor, then you have a right to leave Power City. If your church fails in this thing I'm about to say now, you have a right to leave. But if your church is making this available to you and you're not receiving it, you need to repent right now.

Ephesians 4:11 and 12: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Why? For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. That is the test of any local church. How do you know the saints are growing? For the work of ministry.

When you are in the right church, you are taught, you grow, you are trained to do ministry, and you are challenged to get involved in ministry. Any church that fails in that has failed in its purpose. For the perfecting of the saints, in view of the work of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be edified.

Which means spiritual growth reflects in ministry. Spiritual growth reflects in ministry. If you're not involved in serving others in the body of Christ, you're not growing spiritually. I'm teaching good. If you're not involved in preaching and teaching, or your church does not encourage you to preach and teach, or your church does not instruct you to preach and teach, then you are not in the proper church. You're not. You're not.

Here we create every opportunity for you to do ministry. House churches are one opportunity where you become a house church pastor, you oversee people growing and you you get involved with their growth. You pray for people, you minister to people, you visit people and encourage. That's already ministry.

We have Sunday school in church, where you spend an hour teaching the word, and we give you materials to study, so that you don't have to be scratching your head looking for what to teach. We give you all the materials. You study, you have a prep class where you're prepared, and you teach the class, and the students ask you questions, you answer and you pray, and you have a right to check their notes and see to their spiritual development.

We have prayer crews on Saturday, where we come and pray three hours, all of us, and we're prayers every morning where we pray for one hour. And we're encouraged to go on evangelism as groups to preach the same thing we're learning out there, raise disciples, see to their spiritual development. Everything about us here is ministry, ministry, ministry preparation, equipping, training, and ministry development. That's what we do. Because that's the mission of the church.

So what else are you looking for? What else are you looking for? Except you're looking for Lucifer's fingers. I've found where I belong, I'm a living stone. In this house, I will grow. You are a tree planted. How many of you have ever seen a planted tree moving around? Any believer that is moving around has not been planted. When you're planted, you are not found elsewhere other than where you are planted. They that are planted in the house of God, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.

How do I know that I'm committed in a local church? When I'm receiving the word and I'm committed to other people, to serving other people in the body of Christ. The job of the pastor is to train you for the work of the ministry.

The endeavor of pastor's work is to make sure you are not tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. You cannot be in Power City one, two, three months, and people are carrying you to and fro. No, you cannot, except you're not listening well. Except you're not listening well. Within a few weeks of being in this church, your eye is already shining. True or false?

Nobody can move you around like that anymore. Now you know your left from your right. Now you know your authority in Christ. Now you know who you are in Christ. Why? Because we are focused on the assignment given to us as a ministry and as a church. The local church is where either you receive salvation or spiritual growth for ministry. That's your local church.

Sometimes it is not easy because that means they will place demand on you to pray, like we do here. They will place demand on you to minister, like we do here. You will be placed a demand on you to give, like we do here, so that you can help others, to give your resources for others. Some of us will have to leave our work to rush and prepare the place for service in your house churches.

We just came from a crusade. A few people in this church sponsored that crusade, and I hear the the budget runs into millions. I wasn't even aware. They got together, raised the money, put the things together, set up the crusade, mobilized and just told me to come and preach. I went there and I preached, and the crusade is successful. This morning a church has started there. Apostle Prince them are there now this morning. Discipleship is going on there in mass.

And I expect more crusades in this church. Some of you have to come together, get a place, pay for the place, bring us there to do crusade. We have what it takes to bring in the harvest. Set the environment and see whether people will not respond. Ministry all around. Ministry all over the place. Our students were there on the field because when I arrived, they were screaming at the gate.

That's right, that's right. I know it was you guys. I know, I know. I have heard, I feel you guys, I feel you. They were there, when it was time to get people filled with the Holy Ghost, see them jumping on people, jumping on them and drinking and getting them drunk. What are you talking about? Every opportunity to demonstrate what you carry is made available to you in this church. Say, "I hear you." I'm not hearing, say, "I hear you." Touch your neighbor, say, "I hope you're hearing well. Ministry is your life. Your life is ministry. You must do ministry, or you must do ministry."

Some of us have to leave our work to go visit a brother, pray for him in the hospital. Pastor Victor, it's you guys, right? One brother that was sick in this church, it was you guys I put on a chain prayer. I called them, I said all of you, that hospital must not be left for a second until that brother is discharged. And they went there in in hourly shift basis, and they prayed until they prayed him out of the hospital.

I don't care what the disease is called. When we sit on you with... ah, hourly. We didn't give him any breathing space. There was one I had to go to the hospital, I've told you the story. I had to go to the hospital every few hours. I was going with a medical doctor from this church. We go in there, we pray like 45 minutes to one hour, then we'll say we're coming back.

We go again in the afternoon, we go again in the evening, and we did it for a few days. The stomach that has grown and become like a stone, and the doctor said, "It's beyond us. They abandoned her there to die." When we started... the stomach didn't understand what was landing on it. It started going down. It started going down. All the organs started responding.

Within three days, she was discharged, still alive all over the place. God punished the devil. We carry what the world is looking for. "In my name you shall lay hands on the sick and they shall what? They shall recover." Somebody shout, "I hear you." Touch your neighbor, say, "Neighbor, a powerhouse is sitting by you."

This is the church of God. This is the house of God. This is the pillar and the ground of the truth. Say, "I hear you." Sit down, let's move a bit, let's move a bit. Sometimes we pray all night. Some of us will get a bus. Some of you here have to start thinking of it in your house church. Evangelize the whole community. Every Sunday, get a bus, put all of them inside, pay and bring them to service, and take them back and disciple them.

It's all part of it. It's all part of it. We make our resources available for the advancement of the kingdom. Many of us will sit down with the students, sit down with our disciples. "Bring your note. The notes you've been writing for one month, bring it. Let's see, I have one hour, let's discuss." You go through the notes and be sure what we are saying is what they are writing.

Be sure that what they are writing is what we are saying. Be sure that what they are writing does not, does not look like what we are saying. Be sure that what they are writing is what we are saying. You go through the notes. It's all part of it. We're all doing ministry together, helping people to grow, helping people to mature, helping people to come to the knowledge of the truth.

That's your local church. So make sure you start being an active member, not a visitor. Because this is where you belong, in case you were in doubt. In case you were in doubt, the whole of this teaching is to help you allow yourself to be rooted, in case you were still hanging like a new chicken in town.

You know a new chicken. When a new chicken arrives a place, it will stand like this. No matter what you do, the leg of the chicken will be like this. Then when the chicken has agreed to settle down, it will release one hot poo, twa! Then it will drop this leg down. That is, "I have settled here."

So in case you are still in this church like this, that's why I'm teaching, so that you will discharge what you carried before and settle well. We come together now to worship him. This house is built on Christ the rock. Cannot be shaken. Cannot be shaken. Cannot be shaken. Cannot be shaken. Elbow your neighbor, say, "I love the church of God. I love the people of God. I love the house of God." Woo!

Be involved. Get committed. Get committed. Your church is where you receive salvation, but more importantly, where you receive spiritual growth to serve the purpose of God in ministry. That's more importantly. Because salvation is a one-day thing, but growth and ministry is for life. So your real church is not just where you receive salvation. And if that's all they have, then it's time to move on to where you will have spiritual growth and where ministry can be brought out of you. And I gave you scriptural doctrinal examples.

It's time to double your commitment in this church. Double what? Your commitment. Renew your commitment. It's time to examine how selfish have you been, or how unselfish have you been. It's time to examine all of that and make up your mind to serve God's purpose, to serve God's plan, to serve God's will. Make up your mind to settle well and make impact that will last for eternity.

Make up your mind not to be double-minded. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. And let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. Make up your mind not to have double eyes. If your eye is single, your body will be full of light. But if your eye is double, your body will be full of darkness. Make up your mind to serve one master because you cannot serve two masters. Make up your mind. Joshua say, "Choose you this day whom you will serve." Make up your mind where to stay, and stay well.

Don't hang like a one-day-old chicken. Settle well and release something, and begin to make impact. Yes, settle well. Release it and settle. That thing that you're still holding, release it and settle well. Glory to God. Stand on your feet, tell your neighbor, "I belong here. I'm planted here, and I serve God's purpose here. I'm growing. I'm growing. I'm growing. I'm growing."

Glory to God. Have I blessed you in this service? Those are two important things that help in determining and discovering the church where you belong. And there are many other things I'm going to share with you. This series will bless you, change you forever. Praise God. I said, praise God. Hallelujah. Are you guys ready? We're going to sing that song again.

I've found where I belong, I'm a living stone. In this house I will grow. Walk to three people, tell them, "I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone and I'm growing, I'm growing, I'm growing, I'm growing, I'm growing." Woo! I'm growing, growing by the day. Hit it, let's do it!

(Singing)

Here in this house of the great King. We've come together now to worship. This house is built on Christ the rock. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken.

Here in this house of the great King. We've come together now to worship. This house is built on Christ the rock. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken.

Here in this house of the great King. We've come together now to worship. This house is built on Christ the rock. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken. It cannot be shaken.

Our God is awesome in this place. We know he's present. And we sing his praise. For every power and for every miracle. You're the same God, spirit of the Lord. God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. He's so awesome in this place.

I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone, and in this house I will grow. That should be your declaration, come on! I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone, in this house I will grow.

I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone in this house I will grow. I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone in this house I will grow. I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone in this house I will grow. I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone in this house I will grow. I've found where I belong. I'm a living stone in this house I will grow.

Oh, there is power for a miracle, the same God, Spirit of the living God. God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. He's so awesome. Our God is good. Our God is good. Our God is good. He's so awesome in this place.

Go ahead and give him some praise and celebrate! Glory, glory!

Father, we thank you for helping us to discover where we belong. Thank you for planting us in this house. We are fruitful in this house. So I pray for everybody under the sound of my voice. You are kept, you are preserved, and the evil one has no touch of you in the name of Jesus.

You bear roots downwards, you bear fruit upwards. Through you, many come to the knowledge of Christ. Ministry in you finds expression in the name of Jesus. You do exploits, you make impact, you serve God's purpose. You are strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man.

I decree that you're unmovable, you are strengthened. You're always abounding in the work of the Lord, and through you, nations come to the knowledge of the truth. Great grace is upon you. You're kept, you're preserved. Your body is healthy and strong, your family is kept and preserved. Continually we serve God's purpose for our world. In Jesus' name we pray, and every believer says that amen on a note of finality. Amen. Glory!

Grab your worship honor offerings. Let's give as we honor Christ in this service. Hallelujah. And everybody else in the building, it's an honor to give. Campuses, grab your offerings and everybody around the world grab your offerings. We want to just give and worship Jesus.

Father, we thank you for the privilege of giving, and we're so grateful that we are planted in this house to make impact to our world through our giving, our resources, sacrificially given to serve your purpose. And we rejoice that our offerings are a sweet smell before you today. Thank you for the privilege to make a difference. In Jesus' name we pray. Every believer says a powerful amen.

Oh my goodness, the word of God is life. The Bible tells us the entrance of God's word giveth light, and it giveth understanding to the simple. As you keep listening, the light of God's word rises out of the rightly divided word of truth, illuminates your mind, illuminates your heart, and brings you face to face with your realities in Christ Jesus.

In Ephesians chapter 3, verse 3, Brother Paul, speaking about the mystery of the Old Testament, he said, "Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." So there is a knowledge in the mystery of Christ. The word "mystery" is the word "mysterion" in the Greek. It means that which is concealed.

And then he says, "how that by revelation." The word "revelation" is the word "apokalupsis." It means that which is revealed. So the revelation of the scriptures unveils the mysteries. Revelation is the New Testament, mystery is the Old Testament. But it will take reading and learning to come to a place of full understanding, precise and accurate knowledge.

Brother Daniel would say, "I understood by books." So there's a place of books in equipping you soundly with the message of Christ. Brother Paul would write to Timothy, he says, "To Timothy, till I come, give attendance to reading." Jesus, speaking to those Jews, says, "You do err because you know not the scriptures nor the power of God."

Often times, Jesus would say to the Jews, "Have ye not read?" is the word "anaginosko" in the Greek. It means, "Are you reading and not paying attention?" I want to quickly recommend for you a plethora of books I have written. They are written with an intent to bring you doctrinal clarity, answer your questions doctrinally, and bring you to a place of accurate understanding, a precise knowledge of Christ and you in Christ. I want you to order for those books today. The number and the list of books available will be read to you right now. And if you call today, we'll be glad to make sure you get a copy or more copies of the books so you can enrich your spiritual life and enrich your walk with God and build a quality relationship with Jesus Christ, where you're also able to teach others the same truths you have learned, to liberate them and bring them to the fullness of God. Glory to God.

Dr. Abel Damina has authored several insightful books that bring clarity to the foundational truths of Christianity. These include: Understanding the Spirit, Soul and Body; Winning the War; Money with a Mission; Understanding Relationships, Marriage and Family Life; Prayer that Works; Higher Life Redeemed to Reign in Life; and The Priesthood of Jesus.

To order, please call 240-367-6201 or email pciusregion@gmail.com. We trust you've been blessed by today's message. And for prayers, counseling, or to obtain the complete teachings and books, please call 404-789-7207, or 404-670-2085, or 404-453-5562, or 240-367-6201. We look forward to having you with us again tomorrow. Remain in his grace and be blessed.