# YOUR MOUNTAIN | APOSTLE EMMANUEL IREN

> God's vision for His church extends beyond religious services; it is a family designed to profoundly impact society. Jesus, as the exemplar, modeled that genuine faith is evidenced through practical works, transforming communities and not just individuals.

Every believer is therefore called into a divine relay race, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, to embody righteousness and justice in their daily lives. This means leveraging our positions, however seemingly small, to influence our "mountains" for Christ.

This empowers us to preach a compelling "sermon with our lives," demonstrating God's love and values through tangible actions, ensuring the church remains relevant and a powerful testament to His presence in the world.

CCI

## Romans 1:20

It is ironic that if the church does not change, it will be one of the greatest reasons for the rise of agnosticism. To understand this, consider:

- This is God and this is the creation.
- Even if you have never seen God, by seeing the intelligence in His creation, you can trace it and find an invisible God behind it.
- By logical reasoning, nowhere else in nature can chaos produce order.
- If there is order, there was somebody who ordered what was orderly.

The same way we help agnostics and atheists trace from nature and creation to find God, we are at a point where we have to trace the church back to say that God can be in society. The church is not the only place where you can find God. We have to trace them back because of what we have done:

- Everything we want to handle, we want to handle it here (in church).
- If we want healing, we pray here.
- If we want good governance, we pray here.
- When we look at other nations who do not have God or are not as conscious or religious and are getting those things, the conclusion in their minds is that they do not need God.
- We are the ones creating that impression because we have not taught the connection between faith and works.

What is shown in Hebrews 11 is that God is making a compendium of people across several generations who pleased Him, and He did not pick prophets alone.

- They are businessmen.
- They are politicians.
- Until we understand this, we will not truly be effective as a church.

The teaching series continues on the ecclesia. An important illustration helps understand the concept of the church:

- Imagine being given a bottle of water.
- The content, the water, is what is desired.
- The bottle is for communication, carriage, or transportation of that content.
- There is an understanding that the real water needed is what is inside, not the bottle.
- As soon as the contents are downed, the container can no longer be referred to as water.
- This helps understand the mindset people use when they hear the name "church."
- They think they are referring to the building, but we are talking about the people who fellowship in the building.
- The building is just an auditorium.
- The fellowship in the building is what is referred to as church.
- It is important to be conscious that what makes a church a church is the fellowship.

The go-to text for what happens to people who never hear the gospel is usually Romans 1:20.

> For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
> — Romans 1:20 (KJV)

- The invisible attributes of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.
- Even His eternal power and Godhead.
- So that we are without excuse.
- Science says the Earth rotates at thousands of kilometers per hour without any physical foundation. If there is no God, we should be afraid.
- We look at the physical creation and trace it to say there must be a God.

Just as we help agnostics and atheists trace from nature and creation to find God, we are at a point where we have to trace the church back to say God can be in society.

- The church is not the only place where you can find God.
- We have to trace them back because we have tried to handle everything in the church.
- We want healing, we pray here.
- We want good governance, we pray here.
- When we look at other nations who do not have God or who are not as conscious or religious and are getting those things, the conclusion in their mind is that they do not need God.
- We are the ones creating that impression because we have not taught the connection between faith and works.

What is shown in Hebrews 11 is that God is making a compendium of people across several generations who pleased Him, and He did not pick prophets alone.

- They are businessmen.
- They are politicians.
- Until we understand this, we will not truly be effective as a church.

## Ephesians 3:14-16

> For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
> — Ephesians 3:14-16 (KJV)

From this passage, we see that the church is a family.

- He is God, but to us He is Father.
- We belong to a family; the church is family.
- When you understand this, you begin to step into a deeper relationship with God and His church.
- Just as biological families can be dramatic, the spiritual family (church) also has imperfect people who are a work in progress.
- We are all going to work on each other together.
- You cannot throw family away. Family is family.
- When you realize the church is a spiritual family, you will show more endurance, more patience, and more determination not to give up on people.

The second point from this text is that the church is a family with spiritual ancestry.

- "Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named."
- We have ancestors.
- In Christ, nobody dies. Everyone who "slept" in Christ is alive and well.
- They are not in our past; they are in our future.
- God considers them active members of the church.

## Hebrews 12:1

We are not come to a mount that might be touched with fire and brimstone, but to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, to the innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

- These spirits of just men made perfect are still part of the church.
- Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David are still part of the church.
- Even death cannot be an escape from the church.
- Even in death, you will still be a part of the church.
- The worst you can do is leave a local church, but as a Christian, you can never leave the celestial church.
- Not even death can take you away.

To understand Hebrews 12 from verse one, it must be read in context. Chapter 11 gives a list of believers, a compendium of believers, who lived faithfully on earth and died.

- The Bible says, "These all died having not received the promise."

> Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
> — Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)

- The people who died have now surrounded us; they are clouds of witnesses.
- This is an allusion to relay races.
- In a relay race, after you run your leg and hand over to the next person, you become an audience, part of the grandstand, a spectator.
- You can only cheer others on.
- The people who went ahead (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Esther, Rebecca) have done their leg and given us the baton. They are now part of the grandstand, a cloud of witnesses cheering us on.
- If you have delayed pregnancy, you have witnesses cheering you on.
- If you have the temptation to cut corners in business, you have witnesses who walked the same road and remained faithful, cheering you on.
- If God has given you a task bigger than your pockets, you have Noah and others cheering you on.
- Because we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, we should lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with patience the race that is set before us.

This leads to the next important point:

- The race is not for pastors alone; it is for every believer.

So, in summary:

- 1. The church is a family.
- 2. The church is a family with spiritual ancestry.
- 3. The church is a relay (we are in a race). We need to understand what we are running against.
- 4. Everybody in Christ has a race to run.

Think about being in heaven, hearing that some of your stories entered the Bible.

- You might guess Moses or Elijah would have a book.
- But there are some names that would not come to mind, like Rahab.
- Some stories you would not have thought worth telling, at least from a spiritual standpoint.

When you come to Hebrews chapter 11, you see that some of the small things you do, which you might even ignore, matter to God and may have a lot of weight in the grand scheme of things more than you ever anticipated.

- The reason you have to learn this is because we have already been foretold that in that day, Jesus will come and tell people, "I was hungry and you gave me food."
- He will say, "As long as you have done this to the least of these," meaning in your daily life, you have the opportunity to do ministry even if you never hold a microphone.
- You have a race to run because in Hebrews chapter 12, when it says you are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, you discover that not all of them were men of God.
- Sarah is also a witness of what it means to trust God for a child for many years and not compromise.
- The witness of God is revealed also in families, not just on platforms.
- Your contribution might just be to be a good mom or a good dad.
- There is a way parents can raise their children that makes it difficult for them to embrace the gospel or end up in a godly way.
- God does not see things as we do. For example, Mary was blessed among all women, not because she went to battle like Deborah, but because she agreed to be the womb through which the Messiah would be born. By that alone, she outclassed every woman ever.
- Being a good parent is a valuable contribution to the church. Many things pastors do from scratch would be less work if parents did their job.
- You should not be learning love for the first time in church, or forgiveness for the first time in church.
- Some people are so damaged that work must first be done to get them to the starting point before discipleship can even start.
- So, Mary and Sarah are examples.
- Enoch is another example. What sermon did Enoch preach? Enoch preached with his life.
- The book of Jude makes an allusion to some things Enoch preached, but his sermons are not canonized.
- Enoch's sermon was with his life; he walked with God.
- Even if you never hold a microphone, your fidelity to the gospel, your faithfulness in devotion, can be a sermon.
- God can make that a pattern in the body of Christ, a pattern in the church.
- Enoch had this report that he pleased God.

These different examples are given because if the only examples seen are the mighty prophets who subdued kingdoms and went through the violence of fire, one might miss the value of other contributions.

- What did Rahab do? Hospitality.
- Hospitality also can be a ministry.
- Every single one of us must have the consciousness of how what we are doing contributes in the grand scheme of things to the advancement of God and His church.

Even with Moses, who did many great things like parting the Red Sea and lifting his hands for victory in battle, one thing the Bible says about him in Hebrews 11 is profound.

> Hebrews 11:24-25 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
> — Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)

- By faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing instead the reproach of Christ.
- This is one of the most important demonstrations of Christian values.
- Even Christ did not consider equality with God something to be held on to for His own personal advantage. He let it go and identified with servants.
- In a country like ours, you can be so blessed financially that you are out of touch with reality.
- Many can be so privileged that they are inoculated from corporate reality.
- Even if you complain about power supply, you probably have an inverter or generator, so you do not truly get it.
- You may have lived in a house with its own borehole all your life.
- There is a way to simulate your own reality in a country, and an elitist system gives special treatment for everything.
- You do not know the real state of the justice system because when you show up in a nice car, they give you easy passage.
- Moses was in a similar situation, and the Bible says he refused.
- Identifying with the pains of people is identified by the Bible as a demonstration of faith.
- The pulpit is being brought to your house to let you know you have a sermon to preach with your life.
- You deliberately feel pain.

## Proverbs 21:3

- This is important to be taught because it is ironic that if we do not change as a church, the church will be one of the greatest reasons for the rise of agnosticism.
- When Jesus used the word ecclesia, it was already a common terminology in Greek culture.
- In Greek civic life, it referred to citizens convened to deliberate and make decisions concerning the city.
- The ecclesia was supposed to be a gathering with the mentality and aim of impacting society.
- There is evidence in church history that something is wrong, because people reading the same Bible did things many are not doing anymore.
- They did not just pray or read their Bible; they built things.
- They believed you could not know Jesus and be indifferent about social impact.
- For example:
- Egobi College (founded 1932 by Anglican and Methodist Church) produced educated leaders like Obafemi Awolowo (Yubaj).
- St. Gregory's College (founded 1928 by the Catholic Church).
- Baptist Boys High School (founded 1923 at Abeokuta) produced leaders like Olusegun Obasanjo (Gobas).
- Not only is the church's impact visible around us, but the people who benefited from those institutions have been key leaders in this nation.
- There is raw, undisputable evidence that the church has impacted this nation.
- Maybe at some point, we started getting distracted.
- When you think of the number of mission schools built in that day versus now, it suggests a distraction.
- The church needs to be reminded that part of the definition and understanding of righteousness is not just positional righteousness, but it is literally manifested in social impact.

The story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan shows that you do not have to be a priest or a Levite to do the Lord's work.

- The priest and the Levite in that story did not do the right thing.
- It was a good Samaritan who helped the man.
- Jesus is saying that kingdom impact has been democratized.
- You do not think you need a title, to register a church, or a microphone.

> To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
> — Proverbs 21:3 (KJV)

- Righteousness is not just who you are; it is what you do.
- To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
- This is what the parable of the Good Samaritan was explaining. The Levites and priests were on their way from the temple, having offered sacrifice, but they saw injustice and wanted to look away.

Hebrews 11 shows that there are several other applications to righteousness and faith.

- To see what is wrong in family structure and stand out by personal example and voice godly family convictions.
- To stand out in business.

As a nation, we have to talk to ourselves. We act like we want a better nation until it is time to build one.

- Many Nigerians are not ready for the kind of accountability it requires.
- For instance, how many Nigerians would rather throw trash in the gutter when it is raining than pay for their dustbin? Is government responsible for that too?
- We have a long way to go.
- In how many societies will people steal something that benefits society, like public infrastructure?
- Examples: Stealing armored cables from electric poles, stealing rods from train tracks.
- This comes in cycles, as impoverishing people makes them desperate and too hungry to think of development.
- We cannot make this a blame game.
- We all have a role to play to be a voice in society and refuse to participate in ills.
- That is how things will change. Sometimes, just your presence will convict people.

Jesus was constantly against the idea that you can have a church devotional life that absolves you from social impact and from thinking about how the doctrine you hear influences how you act when you go out there.

- This seems to be the current problem: a lot of praying and not a lot of impact because we do not see the connection.
- How does our knowledge of God's word impact how we do business?
- How does it influence how we do family?
- How does it influence our perspective of justice?
- Everybody wants thieves to be caught until it is their brother.
- This shows a lack of understanding of what justice is and the responsibility it bestows.

Consider the example of a faithful Christian expatriate working with a very efficient governor:

- Even church people, hearing of his position, began asking him for money for school fees, or to build them a house.
- They asked, "Where do you want me to get it from?"
- We all act as if we want the country to move forward.
- Our anger might be that we are not part of the corruption.

## Psalm 89:14

> Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
> — Psalm 89:14 (KJV)

- Righteousness and justice go hand in hand.
- When you have positional righteousness with God, you will want justice.
- You will want things to be done the right way, the God way.
- You will stop looking away.

This same Bible was read by people who became abolitionists.

- This same Bible was read by people who decided to build hospitals at a time when they did not even have all the medical answers for some viral diseases.
- The first hospital in history was built by a church; they were called hospices.
- They believed that every human is made in the image of God. They may not have the cure for ailments, but they cannot let them die.

We have come to a point where people read the same Bible, and all they want to build is bigger churches and better programs.

- Make no mistake, that has its place.
- But the light we receive must be seen as something with practical application, not just corporately, but individually.
- When you see God, and He says, "I was hungry and you gave me no food," you will realize that your personal life is a ministry too.

The analogy given by C.S. Lewis is powerful:

- Imagine being in a dark room with a hole where light rays come through.
- As a child, one might look at the light rays, put a hand through them, or try to catch them.
- He said he could see the light rays, but more importantly, because of the light rays, he could see the room.
- You have two options of what to do with light: to sit and just admire it, or to use it to see other things.
- You either just see it, or because of it, see other things.
- Many people in church just sit with theology for the sake of theology, enjoying Greek and Hebrew words.
- They do not use the light to see other things, to then say, "If this is true in God's word, it means we cannot do governance like this, we cannot do family like this."
- God is saying, you cannot truly know Me and not be big on social impact.

> Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
> — Psalms 89:14 (KJV)

## Isaiah 58

Kangis Khan's government system was also an ecclesia.

- He conquered territories, and his children were in charge of those territories.
- Once in a while, they would come together for a family meeting and a governance meeting to discuss how they could effectively discharge their duties in those societies. This was called an ecclesia.
- When Jesus uses the term ecclesia, He means that every one of us, in our own small sphere of influence, has governance to do.
- We come, we catch fire, we receive matching orders, and then we go.
- That is the mentality of the church: we do not see righteousness as just singing in church, but how we deploy these responsibilities and execute these kingdom values in society.
- That is God's will for the church.

We read Isaiah 58 responsively.

> Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
> — Isaiah 58 (KJV)

- They seek God daily as a nation that seeks righteousness.
- They keep all the ordinances, doing all the religious calisthenics.

> Isaiah 58:3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
> — Isaiah 58 (KJV)

- They ask, "Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?"
- God's response: Even in the day of your fast, you find pleasure and exploit all your laborers.
- Even as you are fasting, you are still a wicked boss.

> Isaiah 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Isaiah 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
> — Isaiah 58 (KJV)

- Is this a fast that God has chosen? A day for man to afflict his soul, to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes?
- Would you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?

> Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
> — Isaiah 58 (KJV)

- God's chosen fast is:
- To loose the bonds of wickedness.
- To undo the heavy burdens.
- To let the oppressed go free.
- To break every yoke.

> Isaiah 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
> — Isaiah 58 (KJV)

- God's chosen fast is:
- To share bread with the hungry.
- To bring the poor who are cast out into your house.
- When you see the naked, to cover him.
- To not hide yourself from your own flesh.

What Isaiah 58 is saying is:

- It does not matter how much prayer you do in church; if you ignore social impact, God will ignore you.
- Jesus fed thousands of people twice before He told them, "I am the bread."
- While you are still trying to tell people the purpose of the church is deeper than welfare, do the welfare first.
- Jesus performed two miracles (seven loaves and two fish, five loaves and two fish) before telling them He is the bread.
- Fasting is not just about afflicting your soul; it must translate into how you treat your staff. Otherwise, your fast is a waste.
- For the last 100 years, while we were building churches, Satan was raising influential people.

Hebrews 12 reiterates that you, not the local church you attend, should lay aside every weight, the sin that easily besets you, and run your race.

- You have a race to run.
- For you, it might be your patience that will typify and exemplify kingdom virtues.
- It might be your business.
- It might be the things you refuse to do, not even the things you do.

## Application

- I make a commitment today to write my own faith story.
- I will be an example.
- I will play my part in the industry that God has given me, the race He has told me to run.
- I refuse compromise.

## Prayer

God is raising saviors in the church, deliverers in the church. There is a reason God made you hear this sermon. Let Him help you. Make me an ambassador of what You are doing in my day, a kingdom influence, an example of godly virtues. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. As important as fellowship is, one of the major reasons God created man is to represent Him on the earth in terms of procreation and dominion. Those simple things are a crucial aspect of what it means to be man, to be images of God. If God only wanted worshippers, He did not need to give us a body; He could have made us just like the angels, spirit beings, worshippers. There is a reason He made you man: that is for dominion. It means that the works of your hands will also give Him glory as much as the songs on your lips. May the Lord anoint you to build. May grace carry you to demonstrate kingdom virtues. May the things that God does through you outlive you. May the things that you produce point people to God. May the Lord give you capital. Every one of you who has said secretly in your heart, "If only I had the platform, the vehicle, the privilege, the position, I would do such and such," may the Lord put in your hand the capacity to do what is in your heart. May this nation recognize itself blessed because of your presence. Thank you Father, in Jesus' mighty name we have prayed.

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