By Bro. Stephen Iluman (Bishop).

This is a sermon everybody should be willing to pay attention, because of its purposes. Jesus Christ who made this statement is rest assured as our Saviour, redeemer, deliverer and is the one who purchased the church for His purpose. He had taught us so many things with pattern of examples both physical and spiritual.

Can any of us make similar statements like that of Christ when we are faced with due terrifying situations? Experience is the best teacher as Christ spoke out His experience to those who He was sending out

Matthew 10:16‐22 ‐ 16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[a] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and
children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

The question for both believers’ non‐believers now is, do you know the God you are serving or you want to serve? Last Sunday, my co‐bishop spoke on the danger of deception but today I want to re‐address it to the danger of self‐deceit or deception to bring it closer to oneself.

This will enable us all to have self‐discipline in our  individual lives in regard to manner, attitudes, behaviours, character mostly in our Christian lives.

Remember Judas Iscariot – Mark 14:10‐ 11, Luke 22:3‐6, Matthew 26:14‐16 – 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

My dear brethren, beware that whatever you have done, what you are doing now and yet to do is already known by God, Christ and the Holy Spirit – Deuteronomy 29:29. To confirm this – Matthew 26:21‐25 – 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” 23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” Are we not still eating and drinking together today as it was then?

Personally I want everybody to learn from Christ because He overcome the world despite all temptations and trials even at death. Was there anybody to stop Him from rising?

Matthew 27:62‐66 – 62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while
He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come [a]by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
Did this stopped Christ from rising? Matthew 28:5‐7 – 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” This is the Jesus who came and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen –
Matthew 28:18‐20. What is the need of daughters of Jerusalem to be weeping for Him?
Luke 23:28. We should be ready also like Peter –
Acts 4:19 – 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
Acts 5:29‐32 – 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Acts 5:33‐35, 40‐42. Now what of Paul – 2 Corinthians 11:22‐32, 2 Timothy 4:6‐8.

Conclusion

If you are a Christian in reality, nobody should be weeping for you instead you develop your zeal for God since temptations and trials are there to promote your good intentions for God spiritually even Stephen at the point of death – Acts 7:54‐60.
May God help us to need people weeping even when we die as Christians in reality as our eternal expectation are real in reality in Jesus Name – Amen.