This sermon emphasizes the importance of returning to the apostolic message, the message of the cross of Jesus Christ. It highlights the need for Christians to die to themselves, lose their lives, and identify with Christ in his sufferings, death, and resurrection. The speaker challenges the church to move away from worldly influences, false doctrines, and practices, and to focus on true repentance, forgiveness, and a genuine transformation of hearts towards Christ-likeness.

Good evening to you all. It's always a joy to be with you. And we know that God is at work. He speaks into our lives. And he shows us the way. We're going to open our Bibles in the book of Jeremiah. Chapter 15, verse 19, that we're going to read again tonight. Therefore, that says the Lord, if you return, then I will bring you back. You shall stand before me. If you take out the precious from the vial, you shall be as my mouth. And, as I said at the beginning, I think that God always has a desire to separate between what is true and what is false. And we see how even John the Baptist, when he spoke about Jesus, he showed him how important it was that the ministry of Jesus would be to bring a separation. Separation between wheat and the chaff. Do you remember? I think it's important for us to understand clearly that Jesus wants to build his church on the sound doctrine. We really need to catch that more and more. And that our sharings, our preachings, should be motivated on that very issue. We will carry on tonight. We're going to speak about another aspect of this conference. I think that we are aware that more and more the influence of the world is penetrating the church. Wants to penetrate the church. And in many churches, it's already the case. And the influence of the world has penetrated the church. And at the speed things are going in the world, with all the changes that are happening, have you noticed that in the past 25-30 years, so many things have changed in the world? So many things. This influence of the world, it's sad. It's penetrating the church to destroy. I think it's important that we speak a bit about these different influences. So that we may be able to watch, and pray, so that when the Lord brings his light, many will respond to the truth. There are so many strongholds. So many things are rooted in the hearts of Christians. Certainly it won't be easy. We will need a miracle from God. In the life of Christians, of church leaders, to welcome the truth of the gospel. And tonight, I would like to start speaking about the role of the woman in the church. I will try to go very quickly because I want to pass the solution in all of this. I would like to get quickly to the solution in all of this. You would agree with me that in the last 40 years, also, things have changed drastically, even concerning the role of women in society. I think it's around, in the year 17, that was the movement of the liberation of women, who brought a new evaluation of the role of women in society. In the world. It started in the world. And as we realize today, society, the world, its system, wants to bring the woman at the same level as men. I don't know if you noticed, but I notice that the woman, more and more, has a tendency to manifest more and more authority, up to the point of trying to usurp man's authority. I don't know if you agree with me. But let me show you that in the whole story of the church, apart from the same time we're speaking about, in the church, there has started to be a change from the role of the woman in the church. So, stay cool, ladies. We're not going to give you a hard time, or to crush you down. Don't worry. It's important for us to put things where they belong, and where God wants them to be, according to what God teaches us in his Word. And not to allow ourselves to be influenced by a wave or an influence that comes from the world. This is what happened somewhere in the church. There has been an evolution, slower, when the world started changing in that area, in the church it came more slowly, but in the last years, not years, in the last years, I said last years, we can see that there has been a change that's becoming more noticeable. Sorry, caught you. Man and woman being equal, which is taking place in the world, must be analyzed properly. In the world today, women carry nearly the same authority as men. It's developing as time goes. In families in the world, we can notice this kind of instability. Fifty years ago, where was the role of the woman in the church? What was the role of the woman in the church? Before those days. In the sense where the woman in the church couldn't do anything. She wasn't allowed to open her mouth. She wasn't allowed to prophesy. She could simply stay there and listen quietly without opening her mouth. It was like that a little bit. But what happened is that there has been an evolution from one extreme to another extreme. And it appears that the church has somehow followed that evolution that happened in the world. It's not been like stopping, according to the gospel, but there's been a continuation influenced by the system of the world. That's why I always say to myself, is it a coincidence that it's happening like this today? Doesn't it challenge us? Can't we see the devil's plan somewhere to disturb the church and destroy the family cell at the same time? Everything the world is wanting to do today is very dangerous. Unfortunately, the church has an ear to listen and to hear and to see what the world does and has a tendency to try to take certain things in the world to come and install them in the church. And has got a tendency to take a few things from the world and come and put it into place in the church. That state that is in the church today has given birth to a great amount of ministries carrying authority in the church entrusted to women. I'm convinced that the doctrine of Christ doesn't evolve with time. We must stay in the vision in the sound doctrine and not allow ourselves to be influenced to remain in the word of God. When we look in the word of God even in the book of Acts of the Apostles and in the whole of the New Covenant we see that women had a great role to play but nowhere do we see a woman established as an apostle, a prophet, a pastor or a teacher. We need to take account that these fivefold ministries are ministries of authority. If we understand that these ministries are ministries of authority we will open our eyes to many things. I don't think it's a coincidence that Jesus chose twelve men to be his twelve disciples and his twelve first apostles. And even when there were eleven left and they needed to appoint another one after Jesus was risen and the church had started it had to be a man that had been chosen and had been a witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There were not only men who were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus but the eleven who were left behind they wanted to choose a man and they had with them two of them were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Joseph and Matthias and we know that it was Matthias that was chosen to replace Judas. Today we see women in all ministries of authority they run local churches we can never see such an example in the new covenant. They run congregations with authority and often without a true submission of heart. They run, they rule the church and manifest that authority. In the epistles of Paul to Corinthians in chapter eleven we see that he teaches that God is the head of Christ that Christ is the head of man and that man is the head of a woman. Paul is teaching an order of authority not only in the natural but also in meaning the church of Jesus Christ. We must understand that this has been established by God himself it doesn't belong to us with the influence of what's happening in the world to try to come to change that order of authority a bit like we would like or change that order of authority that order of authority is respected in the church of Jesus Christ. And if a woman is operating in the apostolic ministry or prophetic ministry which is a ministry of authority we can conclude that she's not in her place. She can have prophetic gifts but it's a big difference to have prophetic gifts and to be a prophetess. It's different to share the word of God and to be an apostle or a pastor. It's totally different. Why? Because these five ministries carry an authority that comes from God. Do you understand? Therefore one cannot change that order of authority. This is why I'm convinced that the church has been influenced by the system of the world. Even in many families today even in the church there are changes happening where the woman influenced by all that's happening in the world wants to take the authority decide in a family that is something common today. It's a major problem and if it's a major problem in the world we can't allow that same problem to enter the church today because there will be disorder. When we change the order of authority of God it becomes clear it's going to create disorder. If it was not that important God would not have put into place that kind of authority and what's terrible is that families are being destroyed and disbalanced and I'm convinced maybe it's not your conviction but it's my conviction that this influence of the world that wants to raise the woman to the same level as men of course women can be equal to men in many areas no problem with that but when we come to the word of God and to the church of Jesus Christ there is an order of authority that needs to be respected and in the word of God we see in the new covenant in the epistles of Paul that Paul is ordained by us to go and appoint elders in the church and in the word of God we go everywhere we look for a woman apostle we look for a woman prophetess we can't find one why should we invent today? that's why I'm convinced that it's an influence that comes from the world and it's extraordinary that the church has the ability to copy the world in many things as we saw yesterday it's dangerous when we look at the word of God it's very clear all those who had a ministry of authority were men it's the choice of God it's not that we have something or that God has something against women but it's the way he instituted it that's why if you look at the history of the church until 40 or 50 years ago what do you see? men in authority in the church women were there to help, to support to be an help to bring what the Lord places in their hearts they speak from God God speaks to women the same way he speaks to men God doesn't make any difference between men and women but he's given an authority to men that he's not given to women this is why today we see families being totally destroyed not only in the world but also in the church with ministries of authority given to women or they appoint themselves these ministries it's something common in the Christian world today today it's not pastors only it's pastors because it's pastors Mickey and Audrey in other words I marry somebody the anointing of God is on my life as I marry them the anointing of God falls on the other one as well on her and as from now we share the authority of God it's how it's happening in the church everywhere but if we understand the authority of God we will easily accept that man has a place of authority and that the woman is in a place of submission we're not going to speak about that subject tonight no but we will just inform the people of God that there is another authority that must be respected in the church and I know that what I'm saying is going to bring quite a lot of shaking I know it because this phenomenon has taken root in the church it's not a little weed it's a huge trunk with deep roots that have gone everywhere try to uproot that it can only be a miracle of God that only the spirit of God can open the eyes we are living in the days where we can no longer depend on an experience but we must depend our life on the word of God the exception doesn't become the rule one example cannot become the rule I know it's shaking but let's stay cool but what's wonderful is that the place that the woman has in the church doesn't in any way diminish her because in the place where she should find herself this is where she belongs there it is where she will be able to really become the true woman of God when I'm speaking of a woman of God I'm not speaking of a ministry but of a woman who is where God wants her to be this is why there has been an evolution from one extreme where a woman couldn't even open their mouth to another extreme where she has taken over the church of Jesus Christ and let me make you notice something when a woman rules a church a great percentage of the congregation is woman it's dangerous to be there let me tell you why because men will withdraw and then the woman is the one who makes all decisions and reaches the house because if the husband is submitting to the authority of his wife in the church I don't see how in the house he will take authority he will rather submit himself to his wife it will be very tough what happens in the midst of the family what do the kids see they see an order totally contrary to what God has established and all these little girls that start growing how are they growing don't you think they will rebel against their husband one day this is the example that is set before them and this is what destroys because when each is not at his place it's a big problem and we can't come and say God told me I feel it's my call more than ever in the last days we must come back to the word of God even though today there are so many things happening this is why we need to separate the precious from the vile you will tell me sister so and so has evangelized got a website thousands of people are coming to Jesus wonderful glory to the Lord that doesn't make an evangelist that doesn't put you in a place of authority to rule the church of Jesus we all have the right to go on the street take a mic and preach the gospel we can all do that even children can do that whoever but each must be at his place according to the order God has established in his word it's time that we stop rebelling against the word of God it's about time that we submit to the word of God even if we believe something for 25 years even if we believe something for 25 years we need to surrender to humble ourselves and come back to the original pattern the word of God this is the problem of the church today we put aside the word of God we do according to what someone said yesterday or the day before yesterday I don't remember how there were preachers who came and started this doctrine of faith to support the doctrine of prosperity a man a book a preaching is enough a book is enough one book, one preaching is enough some books today are best sellers in the church best sellers based not on the word of God but on the flow of what's happening in the church today because someone came and said something there is injustice Paul says there is no more woman or man he didn't say that there is no more man or woman they are equal when it comes to their inheritance in Christ we cannot go and put the woman in authority of man it's nowhere to be found in the word of God and you will tell me go in the Old Covenant brother and you will see we are going to speak about that later on but know that the Old Covenant has nothing to do it's not for you it has never been intended for you the Old Covenant was for the Jewish people we will speak about that later finally when the order of change is manipulated it's a profane fire it's a profane fire and you can't even imagine the problem it's causing in the church go and speak to brother Stephen and he will tell you about what's happening he lives in Africa this minister is coming up like mushroom we don't know where they come from who appointed them we have no idea if they got married twice, three times four times it comes and he says God told me that the influence of the world it's a doctrine that started some years ago did you ever ask yourself why from the restoration of the church by Luther it never existed but just a few years ago that we see the phenomena enter the church may the Lord be able to restore and improve in the midst of his church another thing and the last one which is the influence of the world in the church which is spreading a bit everywhere not much here in Mauritius but it's spreading quite fast it's accepting homosexuality in the church you might be surprised but where is it does it come from it didn't start in the church it started outside and it comes through the small window and many people today say we must accept them we must respect them we love them for sure we have no problem with that I won't be long on that subject I will say one thing that the only marriage that God approves is between a man and a woman and it will never change as far as God is concerned we can love them we can respect them for who they are but we cannot accept to take root in the church of Jesus Christ have you noticed that it is in the church but there is a change of attitude towards sin in the church there is a change in the years we are living there is a change of attitude towards sin completely we are about to accept everything and we put it on the account of the love of God and yet the word of God is clear in the epistle of Romans that these guys they sin against their own nature it is against human nature against human nature also this is a profane fire we are building new altars in the church in the church in general this is what brother Peter was saying this morning how God wants to win our hearts so that there will be more and more separation between the world and us so God is wanting a separation is it true or not? it is true but on the other side we are preaching a separation with the world on the other side we see the door of the church opening to compromise with the world and its system these are things that did not even go through the mind of a Christian 40 years ago but today we have a tendency to accept the love of God the mercy of God the goodness of God but where is the truth of God? where is the justice of God? where is the judgment of God? where is the separation of God? where is it? everything is good today a little bit of yeast cause the whole lump to grow a little bit of yeast Paul did not say much he said a little bit of yeast cause the whole lump to rise I believe that God has got the power to set free homosexuals and that they will become normal and to be have a type of being disgusted by something a conviction of sin something which is against nature not to feel sorry about themselves but to be convicted in their hearts that this is a sin and believe that God is able to set them free that they will become a real man or a real woman whole and the more we are going to accept and the more we are going to accept it's not faith it's not faith in this big God that we are preaching we are preaching a God that's not able because this is why we accommodate we accommodate everything let's look at the carnal and emotional practices in the church strange behaviors in the church these strange and emotional behaviors in the church all kinds of new moves that's coming Christians just shake for nothing I don't know if you noticed the shaking you say brother he immediately stops shaking I'm saying why are you shaking relax you know why he thinks that when he's shaking like this it's the presence of the power of God God can set somebody free can throw him on the floor can do anything we don't have any problem with that I'm not talking about this I'm just talking of habits that Christians have in many churches where they develop that kind of habit and reaction they throw themselves on the floor they yell they just swell they do strange noises laughter they can't stop laughing and they roll on the floor that's how Christians define the power of God and it's very dangerous because we can attract foreign spirits in the church foreign spirits familiar spirits in the church and we think it's the power of God I think brothers and sisters you have no idea of what's happening in many churches today in the world I pray that all those who listen to me may become aware that there's a great difference between the way they define the power of God and the real power of God when the power of God is at work it dwells it stays the change that it brings in you it stays the work of God is real in the heart of man the miracle that God does can be seen in the power of God we can't describe the power of God like somebody shaking but coming out the same person every meeting he shakes he throws himself on the floor he laughs he yells as if God is manifesting his power by drops every meeting we must do something but I will tell you a small story there was in a church a pastor he really believes in that power of God each meeting there must be deliverance manifestations among Christians after his preaching he calls people forward he says who wants us to pray for many come forward and a guy about 30 years old come forward and the pastor prays for him and he starts shaking rolling on the floor falling I don't know how to explain that and in the room we hear in his pocket suddenly he gets up on the floor he just stands up takes his phone and says hello oh it's my phone I'm under the anointing I'm calling you back he's under the anointing he puts back his phone in his pocket and he starts again that is a true story it's a true story it's a true story it's true very often these Christians are fed they are not fed with the true gospel of Christ with the true gospel of Jesus they are told that this is the way that God manifests himself so that to keep them and to attract them and to have their yeah Got it you know in a church like us for example there is no power in our church we have no power but when people hear the message of the cross of Jesus even in the city they don't like it And they say, that church has the power, I want to go in a church where there's power. And power for him is when he shakes. This is power. I'm asking myself, I'm asking myself, on hundreds who have that kind of reaction, how many are healed, are restored, are delivered, and are set free? You know what Paul says? Paul says, the power of God is the preaching of the cross, is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1.17.18 The power of God manifests itself in the life of men. I'm somebody who believes and I'm convicted about the power of the gospel. This is what Paul says. When the gospel is proclaimed, God is at work in hearts of men and women. That is the power of God. The gospel, the word of God, is like a hammer that breaks the rock. It's a two-edged sword. It's alive and it's efficient. It's powerful. That is the power of God. God does miracles. It's true. The person leaves, is going to say, this is what God did in my life. We've got nothing to say. Glory to God for that. Amen. Unfortunately, these are things that are happening in the churches, practices, strange reactions, emotional reactions. We must come back to the word of God. There's something today which is also very important, that we see a bit everywhere. I'm not saying a comeback, but I would say an attachment to the law of the Old Covenant. Let me say something before you start thinking. I believe in the Old Covenant and in the New Covenant. The Old Testament and the New Testament I think that whatever is written in the Old Testament and in the New Testament is true. But I'm also convinced according to the word of God that there are two covenants that are completely different. And the one who clings to the law of the Old Covenant doesn't really have a revelation of what has been accomplished at the cross by Jesus Christ. Because if the revelation of what happened at the cross comes to our hearts, what happened in the spirit, not what people saw with their eyes, but what happened in the spirit. This is what the church needs to see in the spirit. And everything is written in the word of God to enlighten us. And everything is written in the word of God to enlighten us. It's very obvious. It's very common in churches to impose law on God's people. Maybe not all the law of the Old Covenant, but part of it. Without understanding, as I said earlier, that the Old Covenant is only for the Jews. Is it working again? The Old Covenant was only for Jews. Why do you want to become a Jew? When God is causing Jews to become Christians, God wants to set the Jews free of the Old Covenant. But us, when we are born again, we want to become Jews. Something is wrong. How do we do this? How do we become Jews? This influence is entering the church. Many Christians, you will see even Christians going back to the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. That's not right. Go under slavery again? The word of God says in Ephesians 2, verse 14-15, that the law was nailed to the cross. That we are no longer under that yoke. We are no longer under that yoke. In fact, we've never been. Because we've never been a Jew. Christians have got a tendency to believe that everything that is in the Old Testament and everything that is in the New Testament, everything is for us to do and live. Paul is very clear in Galatians chapter 3. He says we've been redeemed from the curse of the law. The law is a curse. Why? Because sin by law brings us to death. But when I come out from under the law, sin has got no more power to kill me. Because as soon as I will dwell under the law, sin will bring me to death. But if I come out from under the law, sin has got no ground to condemn me. Because this is why I cannot be condemned. And you cannot be condemned. And you are not under the curse. You are free. I am free. In Jesus. It's my favorite subject. Have you noticed it? If there's one thing I hate is law. But there's still some in me. I'm still a bit legalist. But I pray to the Lord that he delivers me completely from legalism. Amen. Amen. It's cool, no? It's cool, isn't it? It's the same thing for tithing. Throw the arrows. The tithing is part of the Levitical law. Jewish law. But it's applied today in the churches. Because it's a very good source of income. And we ask the tithe, the people to pay the tithe. And we preach faith for the harvest. There's always something somewhere. The minute I put myself under law, I'm no more a free man. I am under an obligation, under pressure. But you see, I'm not under any obligation. Paul says in the epistle of Romans that we are being set free from the law. Remove, it means remove from under that yoke. But it's a problem for many because tithing is a source of income. We are not going to change that. But then, stay under law. I come out, I get away from it. And I trust the Lord. And I see that when God is at work in the hearts of Christians, he will bring them to love him more. And what will follow, the Christian will give more freely without any obligation. That is the pure doctrine of Christ. We're not going to spend time on this one. We move. We have to move. The control, the yoke of man, the obligations, the things that are forbidden in the church of Jesus Christ. Let me advise you, from all my heart, as you come out of the church, you go to the counter, go and buy the book. Christian, you are free. Go and buy that book. If you don't have money, I give it to you as a gift. Because you want truth. Amen? Okay. Let's speak in a few words of certain practices. You know, when I preach the Gospel here in Mauritius, I also like to preach for all Africans, and all the people in Africa, all my brothers and sisters in Africa, in Madagascar. This bond that we have, that many, many Christians have with their ancestors. Their culture. Their culture. Everything that comes from our culture, or from our ancestors, that has got a little spiritual taint to it, we must get rid of. Because it's not from God. I'm talking of something that contains a spiritual element that comes from our ancestors, that we have inherited. These things that we are attached to. They proclaim themselves Christians, but at the same time, they are always linked to this ancestral culture with which there is a spiritual bond. A demonic one. And many have difficulty accepting to completely free themselves from this. And finally, we see in the Church, I'm telling you, it's incredible, but it's true, I know, because I communicate with many people. They are in Africa, in Madagascar. There is a big problem in this country, where Christians are still linked with these ancestral spiritual practices. They are still linked. They are in the Church, praising the Lord, but at the same time, they have this connection with these ancestral practices, which are not free from the devil influence. We serve God at the same time we serve mammon. And many churches accept that compromise. It's okay. It's a habit that he has. It's okay. And we don't realize that it's much deeper than just a habit. There is a spiritual connection. There is a spiritual activity involved in that. That's from the devil. We must get rid of that and put an end to it and serve Jesus and Jesus alone. Jesus and Jesus alone. And today, Christians in churches need to be delivered to go through deliverance. They have a problem. They need deliverance. They always need, continually need to go through deliverance. I don't understand. I don't see that in the Bible. No. I see that the apostles and the disciples cast demons out from people who didn't know Jesus. Do you see that? Have you ever seen in the New Testament that the apostles would cast demons out of Christians? You won't see that. It doesn't exist. Because the Christian who is born again was being delivered from the powers of darkness and translated into the kingdom of his dear son. Instead of bringing him on the road of the cross he can allow God to touch the areas of his life by humbling himself to die a bit to his carnal desires that we will see it's better and easier to cast the demon out. And next week, the week after, the demon has come back. Suddenly that demon comes and he goes. He's got a very bad habit. He goes and he comes back. That's incredible. I could never understand how could Christians believe that. I don't see Paul running left and right and casting demons out of Christians. But I see that Paul has a gospel that treats the heart of man. Who treats the desires of man, his life and he had success. He was successful. Amen. Some people know every name. Why don't we limit ourselves to the word of God and to see that the Christian doesn't need to be delivered from evil spirits? Let me tell you, I'm well. And Christian brothers don't cast demons out of me every week. I'm fine. Sometimes I have my little angers. But it's not an evil spirit of anger. Do we agree? Is everybody okay? Where is the solution? Where is the solution? Let me tell you why we need the solution. If you go on the internet, you will see that many Christians, pastors, who can see that there is a problem in the church, that even expose some doctrines. Some go as far as exposing the servant of God himself. He doesn't expose only the false doctrine. But he also exposes the man who teaches that. It's a good signal that the church starts realizing that there is a huge problem in the church. People start realizing. Even Christians who are here start to see and feel that there are things that are not right that are happening in the church today. There is nothing in it. That's why it's not enough to realize. If it stops there, how are we going to move forward? It's not enough just to see that there are problems. But we need the solution. We need the solution to oppose these false doctrines and these false practices and at the same time to stop new ones to come in. It's somewhere in the air. There is a multiplication of false teachings in the church of Jesus Christ. We need a solution to stop the hemorrhage to stop other bugs to penetrate the church and to stay in the simplicity of the gospel. Simple, simple. Jesus. Open our hearts. Walk with him. Love him. Serve him. We need a solution to get that. We can't carry on having a gospel that brings us to seek for material things for our own gain. After all, it's not that bad to have that kind of Christianity. Just to look for what's good for us to look for our interests. Not bad. What do you say? It's not a bad deal. It's not a bad deal. We look for what's good. To me, it looks a lot like the religion I left behind me. I don't want to go back in what I lived for 27 years. It's a truth to me that there's not much a desire in the church for lives to be changed. For the Christian to reach to come to the image of Christ to give his life. To die to his carnal desires. To look more like Jesus. There's no more that desire in many churches. And that is very sad. I was there before. I was not concerned about my life. For me, the church was the place where Christians gathered and I would preach the gospel. Without worrying about my own life. For me, the ministry was preaching. Gather people. The more people, the more happy I was. Until the time the Lord started opening my eyes. And caused me to understand that Christianity was much deeper than that. And this is when I started to understand what ministry was all about. When the message of the cross of Jesus Christ came to my heart. I understood ministry in a new dimension. I understood that I needed to lose my life to be a real and true servant of God. Something that I had never tried. For me, it was not important. The ministry was the preaching of the word. That what I felt from God, that I had the call of God in my life and that was it. And I was not trying to become like Jesus, even though I was a man who was full of myself, of pride and selfish and many other things. But the message of the cross saved me. What do we see in the church today? We see carnal desires coming to the surface at a great speed. Through messages of prosperity and faith to get richer. Why does a Christian go to church today? He goes to get a blessing. He's going to go to find a new promise to add to his list. I don't see that in the Bible. I see Christians that gathered and who have decided to lose their lives. They had understood that coming to Christ meant to lose the loss of one's life. Nothing counted for them. If you read the book of the Acts of the Apostles, you see that money had no importance for them. They shared everything they had. They were ready to be stripped. It's not the same language of speech that we hear today. It's not the same spirit that lives in the church today, dwells in the church today. The church is still very far from the book of Acts even though they proclaim that there is revival in the air. The first part of the solution, there's two parts. The first part is to come back to the apostolic message. A comeback to the teachings of Jesus and of the first apostles of the early church. I call that message I call it that way. The message of the cross. This is the way I call it. One day two young boys came to see me and they wanted to fight. I was alone. They asked me a question. They told me, you preach the message of the cross. I don't see that sentence and that word in the Bible, message of the cross. I said, listen, if you want to play with words, if you want to play with words, you've won. For me, the message of the cross, the way I see it, the very revelation of Jesus and Jesus crucified, I call that the message of the cross so that we would come back to our identification with Christ. We come back to our identification to Christ in his sufferings, in his death and in his resurrection. These three things are part of the cross. His suffering, his death and his resurrection. And if we want to preach the message of the cross, we will preach a return to an identification to Jesus in his sufferings, in his death so we can reach life, resurrection. I call that, I name that the message of the cross. It can be strange for some of you. For me, what I'm asking you is not to give importance to the way I call it. That is not the problem. That is not important. What is important is what it contains. It's what it projects. It's what it brings in the heart of man. This is what is important. It's a church upside down today for many who preach the message of the cross. We preach a heresy. It's the world upside down. It's a church upside down. Most of the churches today don't even want to hear that a Christian is called to suffer for Christ, to lose his life for Christ, to die to himself, to his ambitions and his desires. For me, the message of the cross, my first reference is the instructions of Jesus to his apostles. He was not talking about apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors at that time. He was talking to twelve men who were carnal and Jesus told them, if you want to follow me, if you want to be my disciples, whoever wants to be a disciple, may he deny himself, may he deny what he is and he takes his cross and he follows me. Jesus wasn't talking to a pastor. He was just talking of wanting to become a disciple. What does the church do with that sentence and what Jesus said? That is a fundamental message, the true apostolic message. What do we do? What does the church do with this? We've taken it and put it in a drawer and replaced it by the doctrine of prosperity and faith to get richer. This is what the church has done with the message of the cross of Jesus Christ, the apostolic message in the depth of a drawer. We don't want to hear that anymore. We have ears that want to hear things that pleases us, blessings, miracles and things that I've just said earlier on. Promises here and there. Christians no longer comes to church to give his life but he comes to church to receive. He doesn't come to church to lose his life but he comes to gain something. That is religion. Christianity is a country. You come and you put your life on the altar as a living sacrifice pleasing unto the Lord. You lose your ambitions. You are ready to die to everything you are. You open your heart for God to work deeply in your heart and you need to know that this work of God is not without suffering. It's not without your tears. It's not without suffering. When God is at work deep in your heart to break what he needs to break, it's painful. Today, the ministry is great. It's famous. It's famous. We want to be a big man. Call me doctor. Call me bishop. Call me pastor. Call me big man. Reverend, call me something. I'm asking you. Where is identification to Christ? Where is your desire to become like him to transmit his life? You know, when we catch the gospel of Jesus Christ many things become clear. You know why? Let me tell you why. Because when God breaks your heart he breaks you. You follow me? When God shapes man to his image and that his life starts to be manifested in us we have to recognize between bad and good. We are no longer people who look at the Bible as a letter. No. We become spiritual men who transmit the life of Christ. Paul was ready for anything so as to transmit the life of Christ. He speaks of this life. He speaks of that ministry of the spirit. He sees it as a treasure in an earthen vessel. A treasure in an earthen vessel. And if you carry on reading the epistles of Paul to the Corinthians you will see his life. What was his life in the same chapter, chapter four? A broken man. Yeah. Accepting anything for one reason. You know why? In his epistles he says when death is at work in me life is at work in you. And if a servant of God doesn't have life to transmit he's got nothing to transmit and nothing to give. But if he wants to transmit life he will have to die to himself. To accept what God needs to do in his life. Otherwise he will be a dry man full of law. Dead. Transmitting what? Death. Death. And that message of the cross of Jesus Christ when it's in my life it becomes my message personal message. My message. You know why? Because it's my life that is at stake. I've got no life without a message and I've got no message without a life. This is why this message becomes my message and if you embrace it and you are ready to live it it becomes your message your life. May the Lord enlighten us. You know what Apostle Paul says? To the one who can strengthen you by my gospel Romans chapter 16. You know why? Because it was his life. You know what he says in the book of Romans? He says I'm not ashamed of the gospel. In other words listen carefully the humiliation that accompanied his life Paul was a man who was humbled by all but he was not ashamed of being humbled. This is why you don't if there's not that revelation in your heart you won't be able to follow. 2 Corinthians chapter 6 We're going to get there. I'm talking of a solution. You see why that message came to my heart? I understood many things. I understood many things I didn't need to sit on a pulpit at school to learn scripture and to try to understand the gospel in my intelligence. But when I received the message a little bit just a little bit I've got so much more to learn and receive but it has been the beginning the beginning of all that God had planned for my life. This is why today I'm not ashamed. The message of the cross I'm not ashamed. Say what you want Think what you want I know what God has done in my life and I've got the testimonies here of people, of couples of young, of old, of kids that have been restored. Where was I? Verse 4 But in all things we command ourselves as ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in needs, in distresses Let's jump to verse 8 By honor and dishonor by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we live as christened and yet not killed as sorrowful but yet always rejoicing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things What a beauty! He was not ashamed of what he was living Forget those people who say that you only glorify God when you are rich Lies! It's just It's not how much you possess that glorifies God It's what you are inside and the fragrance that comes from your life This is what glorifies the Lord Paul says I'm not ashamed of a gospel It's my gospel It's my life It's what I'm teaching you He was zealous to spread that gospel He was zealous to defend that gospel This is why we will defend that gospel to the end May the people say what they want That is not our problem We are going to dwell in the truth of the gospel That is the gospel Paul says There are two images in that Do you understand? There is an image how people see him And there is an image how he feels he is Considered as poor But making many rich By the life that comes out from me They see me as somebody sad By the way I am For what people see But I'm always full of joy That is the spirit of the gospel The rest is a spirit Another spirit but the spirit of the gospel Are you ashamed? Are you ashamed? Some people are ashamed to come in this place They are forbidden to come in this place They are ashamed of what we are preaching But one day They will come and sit right here Because one day We come to be at the end of ourselves when we are searching May Jesus be glorified Our life does not belong to us anymore We renounce our rights We die to ourselves That is what we are experiencing in our relationships When I live with the elders everyday of my life with my wife with my kids With God's people This is what we live We die We repent We forgive easily We release We let go We do not have a red cross on anyone On the contrary It is a message that breaks our heart and gives us faith and patience for all Because we know God has been patient towards us It is very seldom preached in churches today Where is that message of a sacrificed life of identification to Christ The only message Fundamental that brings true Christianity into reality It is the only fundamental that exposes true Christianity It reveals true Christianity 1 Corinthians 2 Chapter 2 Some people want to preach the gospel with a demonstration of spirit and power Without identification to Christ and without a death to himself so that the life of Christ be manifested Paul says I, brethren, when I came to you I did not come with a stills or speech of wisdom I was revealed to you in weakness in fear and in much trembling and my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom but in demonstration of a spirit and power So that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God You want life Die It is not enough to go and pray on the mountain God has God has If you want life I am not talking of eternal life and salvation I am talking of a life of the spirit of the ministry of the spirit If you want this you need to die Many will disappear And those that God will use will be those who carry his life You want his life Die Die This is why there is suffering there is death and then there is resurrection When the church comes back to that message more and more the message of prosperity will disappear Our worship will come from a broken heart It is not a worship where our heart is not really there we are not broken before the Lord The messages will be full of life The church will find repentance and forgiveness Christians will be ready to accept the work of God in their lives They will become strong to face everything that God puts in front of them They will be ready to face all persecution difficulties trials suffering affliction And the last word Jesus will be honored and glorified There will be less and less divorce in the church There will be a unity in the church of Jesus Christ Let me close by saying this If we want unity we need to return to the message of the cross If you want to get rid of all these things we must come back to the apostolic message the message of the cross of Jesus Christ Do you agree? Do you agree? Hallelujah Get up if you agree If you don't agree stay seated