Participants: Roland Nwosu
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000011
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00:29 Praise God. My name is Rowland Nwosu.
00:32 Pastor of the South Lake City 00:34 Central Seventh Adventist Church 00:35 in South Lake City, Utah. 00:39 In the life of a Christian, there comes a time 00:44 when it becomes so painful and unbearable. 00:49 Today's message, keep on, keeping on, 00:53 is a message that I want to pray 00:56 that God will bring comfort and strength 00:59 to all the listeners today. 01:01 Let us pray. 01:03 Father, open our eyes, minds and ears 01:08 that we may experience wonderful blessings 01:10 out of Your word today. 01:13 May this message bring comfort, 01:15 strength and courage 01:18 to all who are listening today and we ask that you continue 01:22 to bless The Ministry of the 3ABN, 01:25 as it blesses men and women everywhere around world. Amen. 01:33 I'd like to share with you 01:37 from the Book of Psalm, Chapter 121, Psalm 121. 01:44 And we will read that chapter together. 01:50 "I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- 01:53 From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, 01:57 who made heaven and the earth. 02:00 He will not allow your foot to be moved. 02:03 He who keeps you will not slumber. 02:06 Behold, He who keeps Israel 02:08 shall neither slumber nor sleep. 02:11 The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 02:17 The sun shall not strike you by day, 02:20 nor the moon by night. 02:23 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil, 02:26 He shall preserve your soul. 02:28 The Lord shall preserve your going out 02:30 and your coming in from this time forth, 02:34 and even forevermore." 02:38 This Psalm was a pilgrimage song, 02:42 which express the sentiment of the Jewish worshipers 02:45 as a travel to Jerusalem on their yearly pilgrimage. 02:50 As they walked toward the gate of the city, 02:52 they would be ascending. 02:54 The road leading to the gate of the city was rugged, 02:59 it was steep, narrow, rocky and winding 03:02 and unless the travelers were careful in some places, 03:06 they could slip and fall into the ditch, 03:09 down into the valley below. 03:12 Yes, the road leading to the city was dangerous. 03:17 It was dangerous because it was infested 03:19 with robbers and exploiters, kidnappers and attackers 03:23 and wild animals and ferocious beasts. 03:27 And anyone of these could have attacked the worshipers 03:31 as they traveled, you could even be 03:34 lost traveling to the city for worship. 03:39 As a result of many hazards on the road to the city 03:42 for--then the, the, the, the groups, 03:46 then the worshipers traveled in groups. 03:50 One of the songs they sang was Psalm 121 that we read. 03:56 Although the journey was painful, difficult, and hard, 04:01 the Bible tells us that they were glad to come 04:05 and in the next chapter of Psalms, 04:09 it talks about the fact that 04:11 the worshipers expressed their sentiment, 04:13 "I was glad when they said unto me, 04:16 let us go into the house of the Lord." 04:20 You see many of these worshipers 04:22 had the right attitude of worship. 04:24 Regardless of what occurred to them 04:27 or what happened to them on their way to the city, 04:31 to worship God, they still went to worship God. 04:34 They had a right attitude of worship. 04:39 Yes, the road leading to the city was stony and rugged, 04:42 but they enjoyed worshiping God. 04:47 They enjoyed going to the house of worship 04:52 to glorify the God. 04:54 You see, this road provided Jesus 04:58 with the illustration of the Christian journey 05:02 and in Matthew's Chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, Jesus said. 05:09 "Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate 05:13 and broad is the way that leads to destruction, 05:17 and there are many who go in by it. 05:20 Because narrow is the gate 05:22 and difficult is the way which leads to the life, 05:25 and there are few who find it." 05:29 I like to share five points to remember, 05:33 if we must travel along this narrow road 05:37 through the narrow gate into the heavenly city. 05:41 First point is this, that we must recognize 05:45 that the road that leads to the holy city 05:50 is a worrisome road. 05:52 It can be worrisome 05:53 because the small gate and a narrow gate 05:57 are restrictive and demand a more disciplined life. 06:02 It can be worrisome because it is the way of training 06:06 and the way of discipleship. 06:08 It is worrisome because it is the way of persecution. 06:11 It is the way of trials and opposition. 06:14 It is the way of perfection. 06:16 It is the way of crown and glory. 06:19 Yes, the road leading to the heavenly city 06:22 can be worrisome. 06:24 Friends, in our religious journeys today, we face, 06:27 we face situations where circumstances 06:31 challenge our spiritual walk with the Lord. 06:35 The devil and his workers are at work at school, 06:38 they are at work, at work, at our work places, 06:41 they are at work even in the church, 06:45 but distractions, attractions, and detractions 06:50 that are intended to concentrate 06:54 on the non-essentials of this life 06:57 at the expense of our spiritual life, 07:00 that the devil seeks to push us away 07:03 from that narrow road. 07:04 There are trials and difficulties intended 07:07 to push us away from the road 07:09 that Jesus wants us to walk in. 07:14 There are struggles and problems 07:16 which the devil places on our way just to cause us 07:20 to fall and miss the mark of our savior's expectation. 07:26 It is no wonder why the Bible speaks about 07:30 the need for us to be cautious 07:33 and to be careful and vigilant because our enemy, 07:36 the devil prowls around like a, like a roaring lion 07:40 looking for someone to devour, but the Bible encourages us, 07:46 consults us to resist him, standing firm in the faith 07:50 because you know that your brothers 07:53 around the world are undergoing 07:54 the same kind of sufferings. 07:57 Yes, the journey can be worrisome 07:59 yet it is easy if we know the direct path. 08:03 If we know the way leading to that heavenly city 08:07 and Jesus said, "I am the way, I am the truth, 08:11 I am the life and no one comes to the Father, but by Me. 08:15 Jesus said I am the way" 08:19 for all who accept Jesus Christ 08:21 as the personal savior this road, 08:22 this difficult road becomes easy. 08:26 It becomes easy not because they have no sin, 08:30 not because they know no pain and no sufferings, 08:33 not because they no longer 08:34 have problems and difficulties, 08:36 but it is because of whom they know. 08:38 It is because of who lives in their heart. 08:40 It is because of where they know 08:42 that the source of their strength comes from. 08:44 It is because they know Jesus and it's because 08:47 they had the assurance that Jesus himself 08:50 He is the one who will lead them 08:51 and give them the strength 08:54 to bear the struggles that occur in this, 09:00 along this road. 09:02 I have a second point that I want to share with you 09:06 and that is if we must enter through the City Gate 09:12 and walk that narrow way into the heavenly city, 09:16 we must constantly ascend like the Jewish worshipers 09:20 were ascending the mountain, the holy mountain of God. 09:24 You see we must continue to grow in grace, 09:27 growing from grace to grace and all who must pass through 09:32 this gate must have sinned. 09:34 We must climb over our difficulties, 09:37 we must overcome the problems 09:39 and trials along the path of our journey. 09:44 You see, all through the Christian history, 09:48 all who follow Jesus Christ have suffered various trials, 09:52 struggles and persecutions 09:55 while they earnestly committed to the work of God. 10:01 These challenges can be for our good. 10:04 The pastor James speak about, 10:06 speaks about this in James Chapter 1, verses 2 through 4. 10:15 "My brethren, count it all joy 10:18 when you fall into various trials, 10:20 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 10:24 But let patience have its perfect work, 10:28 that you may be perfect 10:29 and complete, lacking nothing." 10:34 Some of you might be going through 10:36 different experiences right now. 10:39 But the Lord watches over you. 10:41 The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 10:43 The sun will not smite you by day, 10:46 nor the moon by night. 10:48 For he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 10:51 will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 10:55 But what, we would ask, 10:58 shall separate us from the love of God. 11:01 What is it that will separate us 11:02 from the love of Jesus Christ? 11:04 Is it tribulation the Bible asks? 11:08 If God is for us, who can be against us? 11:13 Even the one Father we have, who spared not his child, 11:18 his son but let him come for us, to save us, 11:24 give him up for us. 11:26 How will he not also allows him 11:28 to graciously give us all things that we seek 11:32 and ask of Him. 11:34 Who will bring charges, the Bible ask against 11:36 those whom God have chosen? 11:38 Is it not God himself who justifies? 11:42 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 11:46 Shall trouble, shall hardship, shall persecution, 11:49 famine or nakedness, what is it? Bills. 11:55 In Romans, Chapter 8:37-39. 12:01 We are told that "Yet in all these things 12:06 we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 12:10 For I am persuaded polarized that neither death nor life, 12:15 nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, 12:17 nor things present nor things to come, 12:20 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing 12:25 shall be able to separate us from the love of God, 12:29 which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 12:36 During a Monday night football game 12:40 between the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, 12:43 one of the announcers observed that Walter Payton, 12:49 the Bears' running back had accumulated 12:54 nine miles in career yardage. 12:57 Then the announcer remarked, 12:59 "Yeah, that's true but he did it with someone 13:04 knocking him down every 4.6 yards." 13:08 You see Walter Payton, 13:10 the most successful running back 13:12 at that time knew himself that, 13:16 if you would be successful to accomplish 13:19 something high, you sometimes need to be get, 13:23 you need to be knocked down, 13:24 you get knocked down sometimes. 13:26 But the key to success is to get up 13:31 and run again just as hard. 13:35 You see the Christian journey 13:37 is like the football career of Walter Payton. 13:41 A little fall here and a little fall there, 13:44 but there must be moment, there must be growth, 13:46 there must be ascending, growing from grace to grace. 13:50 Recognize in that "he who has promised us," 13:53 Jesus Christ our Savior has promised 13:56 "To him who overcomes the trials of this life, 14:00 the trials of this race, 14:02 the trials of this Christian walk, 14:05 he who overcomes." Jesus promises, 14:07 "I will give to eat a tree of life, 14:10 which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, 14:12 to him who overcomes he shall not be hurt 14:15 by the second death, to him who overcomes." 14:18 Jesus promises, "I will give him some of the hidden manna 14:21 to eat and I will give him even some white stone, 14:24 and on that stone a new name written 14:28 which no one else knows except him who received it." 14:32 Yes Jesus says, "To him who overcomes 14:34 the trials of this life and keep my works to the end, 14:37 to him I will give the power over nations." 14:42 Yes to him who overcomes, Jesus says, 14:45 "The sun shall be clothed in white raiment, 14:48 I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, 14:51 but I will confess his name 14:54 to my Father and to his holy Angels." 14:57 To him who overcomes, the promise is, 15:00 "he or she shall inherit all things 15:05 and I will be his God and he my son." 15:10 There's only one way to overcome 15:13 is only through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. 15:17 The one who came from heaven and died? 15:19 The one who resurrected and lives for evermore 15:22 and is on the right hands, 15:24 and the right hand shown of god 15:26 in his holy sanctuary pleading for you 15:29 and pleading for me, it is through him 15:32 we can overcome our circumstances 15:34 and our trials right now. 15:37 Oh, how much, I love this song. 15:40 "A mighty fortress is our God, 15:43 a bulwark never failing our helper, 15:47 amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. 15:50 Did we in our own strength confide our battle would be, 15:54 striving would be losing, 15:56 we're not the right Man on our side, 15:58 the Man of God's own choosing, dost ask who that may be? 16:03 It is Jesus Christ, it is He, Lord Sabbath is His name, 16:07 from age to age he is the same, 16:09 and he must win the battle." 16:13 We must win the battle, the Christian race, 16:17 the Christian walk to the Holy City. 16:20 Point number three, if we must enter 16:22 through the city gates and walk the narrow gate, 16:28 we must travel light on our journey. 16:31 You see the wide gate and the broad road seems 16:34 far more inviting is spacious, is permissive 16:38 and it allows everything and anything goes in that, 16:43 along that road in that pathway. 16:46 And those who travel along these road 16:49 take all kinds of garbage and all kinds of baggage, 16:52 no restrictions but along the narrow path heavy load, 16:56 much luggage hinder easy movement. 17:01 The Apostle Paul compared the walk 17:05 along the narrow road to a race. 17:08 Where he says that he is running a race 17:12 and he mellows his body 17:15 and he does not run like a man endlessly, 17:17 but he fights on hoping to win the prize. 17:24 The Bible says that, "Others have gone on before us 17:28 along this pathway, this narrow gate, 17:31 passed through it successfully and that they are waiting. 17:36 Hebrews Chapter 12, verse 1 tells us 17:39 that some have gone this path 17:46 before and were successful. 17:48 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded 17:52 by so great a cloud of witnesses, 17:55 let us lay aside every weight, 17:58 and every sin which so easily ensnares us, 18:04 and let us run with perseverance, 18:07 with endurance the race that is set before us." 18:13 So, Christian friend, 18:15 keep on keeping on this life's journey. 18:20 If we must... The fourth point now, 18:23 if we must enter through the small gate 18:26 and journey along the narrow path into the holy city, 18:30 we must claim the strength for the journey. 18:33 Jesus knew that this journey will be tiring and worrisome 18:37 but, so he made promise to us. 18:40 Along the pathway, 18:41 He lined it up with strength and courage 18:45 and he invites us to come, 18:47 all you who are weary and burden 18:50 and I will give you rest, Jesus said, 18:53 and this is a promise of Jesus himself will keep 18:55 and when we accept him as our personal savior, 18:57 he gives us power to walk along this path 19:00 and the strength to endure a trials along this path. 19:04 Isaiah, even foresaw the path, 19:07 the strength that Jesus would give 19:11 to all those who believe in him. 19:13 In Isaiah Chapter 40, verses 28 through 31, 19:17 he asked us a question, "Does thou not know? 19:21 "Have you not known? Have you not heard? 19:24 The everlasting God, the Lord, 19:26 the Creator of the ends of the earth, 19:30 neither faints nor is weary. 19:33 His understanding is unsearchable. 19:36 He gives power to the weak, 19:38 and to those who have no might He increases strength. 19:41 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, 19:45 and the young men shall utterly fall, 19:49 but those who wills wait on the Lord 19:52 shall renew their strength. 19:53 They shall mount up with wings like eagles, 19:55 they shall run and not be weary, 19:57 they shall walk and not faint." 20:00 This is the grace of God in action, 20:03 This is the grace of God in action. 20:06 Therefore, let us run the race that he set before us, 20:09 let us walk the pathway claiming the strength 20:14 that Jesus alone gives, when we become tired 20:17 and worn along this pathway let us persevere, 20:20 let us keep on and keeping on. 20:23 When the race of life becomes dreary and weary, 20:26 let us persevere and keep our eyes on Jesus 20:29 and when it seems that all of life would crumble 20:32 right upon us, let us persevere 20:35 and let us keep on, keeping on. 20:37 And the last point, point number five. 20:40 I like to share with you along this pathway 20:43 today is if we must enter through the small gate 20:46 and journey along that path that leads 20:49 to the everlasting eternal kingdom 20:53 that Jesus is preparing for us. 20:56 We must focus on Jesus. 20:58 You see, today we focus on 20:59 people focus on so many things, 21:01 but the Bible tells us that, 21:03 "anything shut of this results 21:06 in discouragement and failure." 21:08 Therefore as we are traveling along the pathway, 21:12 along that small path, let us focus on Jesus. 21:15 In Hebrews Chapter 12, verse 2, 21:18 we've told that we must face our eyes on Jesus, 21:21 and run the race that is set before us. 21:23 He says, "Looking unto Jesus, 21:25 the author and the finisher of our faith, 21:27 who for the joy that was set before Him 21:31 endured the cross, despising the shame, 21:34 and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." 21:43 Christian friend, if we must walk, 21:48 if we must enter that small gate 21:54 and walk along that narrow path. 21:57 We must keep on, keeping on recognizing 22:03 that the journey may seem worrisome and difficult 22:06 but Jesus is the way, the truth and life 22:12 and there is salvation in no one else, 22:15 for there is no other name on the heaven 22:20 given among men by which we must be saved 22:25 is only through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 22:27 If we must enter through eternity, 22:30 small gate and narrow road, we must keep on, 22:33 keeping on constantly ascending from grace to grace, 22:38 climbing from heights to heights, 22:40 knowing that there is a crown 22:41 that is waiting beyond the bright mansions for us 22:44 and soon with a sense made perfect at home 22:48 with the Lord we shall be. 22:50 Point number three, we talked about, 22:52 if we must enter through eternity's gate 22:56 and walk along that narrow road, 22:59 we must travel alight, no garbage, 23:03 no baggage that hinders 23:05 our movement to the heavenly Zion. 23:07 We must lay aside all burdens that pull us back, 23:11 all attitudes and deficiencies of character 23:14 that pull us away from the cross 23:17 and from the pathway. 23:19 For by grace, we have been saved through faith. 23:23 The Bible tells us and that not of ourselves, 23:27 it is the gift of God, not of works, 23:30 lest anyone should boast for we are God's workmanship, 23:37 created in Christ Jesus on to good works, 23:42 which God himself had prepared, 23:45 ordained that we should walk in them. 23:50 If we must enter through eternity's gate, 23:57 through a small gate. 23:59 So, we must travel lite, no garbage, no baggage 24:03 that hinders our movement to the heavenly Zion. 24:07 Point number four that I would like to-- 24:10 that we shared already with you is that, 24:13 "if we must enter through the small gate 24:16 and journey along the narrow path, 24:19 we must claim the strength for the journey." 24:24 Point number five, "if we must enter into eternity's gate 24:32 and walk the narrow path into the small gate 24:36 we must keep our eyes on Jesus, 24:41 that rock on which we stand, 24:44 the gate through which we go in to the Father." 24:49 Therefore, since we have a great high priest 24:52 who has gone through the heavens. 24:55 The Bible tells us in Hebrew, 24:57 Chapter 4 verses 14 through 16, 24:59 "Seeing then that we have a great high priest 25:03 who has passed through the heavens, 25:05 Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 25:10 For we do not have a high priest 25:12 who cannot sympathize with our weakness, 25:15 but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 25:20 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, 25:23 that we may obtain mercy 25:25 and find grace to help us in our time of need." 25:32 Come on, Christian friends, come now 25:33 therefore we who love the Lord, 25:36 come and let's make our joy known join in a song 25:41 with sweet accord and thus surround the throne 25:45 because we're marching to Zion, 25:47 beautiful, beautiful Zion, 25:49 the beautiful city of God. 25:52 Christian friends, 25:54 let me share that text with you again, 25:58 Psalm 121, please read it with me, 26:02 "I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- 26:08 From whence comes my help? 26:12 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 26:18 He will not allow your foot to be moved, 26:23 and He who keeps you will not slumber. 26:27 Behold, He who keeps Israel. 26:32 He who kept Israel and He who will continue 26:37 to keep the Israel of God, 26:39 shall neither slumber nor sleep. 26:42 The Lord is your keeper 26:44 and will continue to be your keeper. 26:46 The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 26:50 The sun shall not strike you by day, 26:53 nor the moon by night. 26:56 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil, 27:02 from all sickness, from all evil or the enemy. 27:09 He shall preserve your soul. 27:11 As long as we keep our eyes stare at him, 27:15 as long as we keep the faith of Jesus, 27:18 as long as we keep being faithful, 27:21 the Lord shall preserve your going out 27:24 and your coming in from this time forth, 27:29 forevermore and more forever and ever. 27:35 Trust in the Lord with all your mind 27:39 and keep faithful, be faithful, 27:42 continue to walk in that path. 27:44 Let me pray with you. 27:45 Father, help us to be faithful and walk faithfully, 27:50 courageously, give us the strength to walk 27:52 along that path in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17