Yes, we are back. We are back. And if you're just joining us, you are on time for the first conversation of the day we start with sports on tech. But meanwhile, the hashtag to use today, if you want to interact with us, it has the vibe that you can go on a social media handle at Y244. So today on Spontotech, we are talking about a CryptoBusery app innovation by differential systems. But we have a representative, Eric Knuthia, who is the lead Cryptoanalyst and the software engineer of this particular company. Kind of what's on there, Eric. Thank you so much. Glad to have you with us. I'm glad to be here too.  And for review, you have come into this space to solve a problem or something you will be telling us about. So tell us about the CryptoBusery app. Thank you so much. CryptoBusery app is basically a software that issues basteries checks and basteries to applicants. Mostly basteries, they tend to be issued constituency level and the county levels. And I think that is the basis of our, yeah. So the software basically works by you input the data from the applicants. So we go to the constituencies that have purchased the software. Then after that we input them to the system. The system automatically does everything and issues, the basteries, print check, checks and it sorts of limits people from stealing. They're stealing that way. Okay, so I want you to get to understand this. So people come to apply for basteries in the, are you working now with the constituencies? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So when someone goes to the office, the CDF office to apply for a basterie, they fill a form and they wait to be given to know how their status, how they stand, if they're going to get it or not. And now you've come to, you are now in the backlog operation of it. Yeah, yeah. So basically now you take the form and then you input the data, the system. Okay, what happens? If you fill in the form, it gets to a process that is called the approval stage. Now it is vetted by the, it is checked by the chiefs. It is checked by the, probably the pastors, the school heads. They have to establish that you are, whatever you filled in the form, it's what is actually is. But during the application in the form, I think there's usually a place for the chief to sign the form. Yeah, yeah. Actually that is what happens. So after all that process is done, that's when now we feed in the system, feed the data into the system. Once we feed the data, now the system does the rest. It allocates and it allocates the basteries as it's supposed to be. You know, there's a tendency in the constituency, I believe you've been a victim, everyone has been a victim. She's not applying the basteries, but sometimes not everyone gets it. And sometimes those who get are not the people who are supposed to get. Probably the people who deserve to get it don't get it. So the system is issues. It checks for duplicacy. You know, with the manual one, you know, it's easy to give, to issue someone like two times, one ampere, basteries like three times. So the system in Angalia duplicates to ensure that it's, everything is fair. Okay. So how is it better from the old system, the manual system, apart from the, you know, the problem that it's solving on corruption and emitting corruption? What else is it's coming to help with? Now the time, the time of issuing. So initially it used to, the manual one used to go like for like two, three months. So we apply January to October, April, probably May. And why was that happening? Basically now the slow process, you have to approve. Now again you have to vet, you're doing it manually. You take now the names.  So you see like the other process is tedious considering sometimes you'll have like 40,000 applications depending on the constituency. So sometimes you can even get to a hundred thousand applicants. So you can imagine the process behind the manual one. So right now it only takes like a week. Okay. And only a week and everyone is sorted. Now it is in the end of the year. It's quite effective. Yeah, it's so effective. Week is a very short time for you to get a bursary compared to what we're used to. And now what criteria does it use now? Because you know some are in a, in a limit, the bursaries. So what criteria does it use to disbust the bursaries? Okay. The first thing we check, we first of all start with checking your status as an applicant. Probably you have a disability or something of the sort. Next you go to check the parent status.  So they are classified with weights. We also check the income of your parents. It also checks. Now the other thing is the performance. Because again it's unfair to issue someone who is underperforming. But we tend to, it's an added weight. So it's not really the... You're not measuring on that. Yeah, yeah. But it's an added. And advantage. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So it checks also on the performance. Now also the type of school, the category. So maybe you are in a boarding school, a day school. You can be in the, the, the trivets. Yeah, it checks all, all of that. So for example, if you're in a boarding school, you get more than, okay. So the money is actually usually allocated a specific amount to those in the boarding school, high school, those in the day school, high school, and then primary school, and then universities, a certain amount for everyone. Yeah, yeah. It talks to the budget. Now the constituency, the CDF offices, now they determine the budget that they want to issue. So we work with the budget that is allocated. So probably they want some amount of money to be dispatched to probably the day schools. Another batch of it is supposed to be dispatched to the universities and so we work with the budget. So everyone gets an equal amount. All right. And how do you verify these details? Because you've said you use the details. If one is an orphan, you know, depending on if one is more disadvantaged than the, the standard better chance of getting the battery. So how do you verify these details? Is it, do you rely on the form that the applicant has given? Not really. Okay, the first thing that you have to do, it goes on several agencies like the school first. Okay, it's hard to corrupt from the school to the chief to, yeah, it's hard. So one thing if you, by the time we are getting the forms, it is 90% approved. Now the issue, actually the major issue was now the committee, the committee initially. Now the committee, you know, the, if you know someone, then you're good there. Networks, we, connections. So come up connected, you ended up to get, now Sai Hakuna committee, co-involved in allocating anyone or anything. So basically it's the forms. We feed it ourselves, not the constituency. We feed it ourselves into the system, but we are currently working on a virtual, an online one. So where you can apply from any point that you are in Kenya. So this is some, one of the advancement that you're working on? Yeah, yeah. Actually it is already done. We only have to unveil it. Alright, interesting. So now we don't have to go to the office to queue and, you know, do fill the form and leave it there. So you can now apply online. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. And what, what constituencies are you working with currently? We have seven constituencies. I'll probably name one. We, we mostly we have been, we started it in Kandahara constituency. Yeah, Kandahara constituency. Now we, we are keeping on moving and we are working on probably, we can get to Kiambu County. We are trying. Okay. And how is the response from when you approach the counties and constituencies? Now we're currently on constituencies only. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How is the response when you approach them? The first time, you know, we are Kenyans. So you know, you are getting to their loopholes. So probably you are kind of, unless you get now the genuine people in the office, they are the people who try and you have to convince them. You have to convince them, you have to convince them that at least it can reduce the process. That's what your committee is doing.  So now, committee will lose job. Now that you do that. I'll just lose. They must like, battle, vet, whatever is happening. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we are working with the law. Just coming to assist you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And make the process more effective. Yeah. So okay. So the response depends on the... No, the people you... The people you interact with. Yeah. Do you go straight to the member of parliament? Yeah, first of all, you can go to the member of parliament. And they are people you call their funds managers. You can even get to them, try to make them understand the working of the software. And okay, we have a good... They have been receiving it well. Can't complain. But you have tools like the corona issues behind. So if the whole country has an adaptive system, we can be good. So that's your vision. Yeah, yeah, yeah. To get to the national government. Amazing. And this is actually very nice. And, you know, we can see the transparency or the fairness in the process at least in our education system.  And who... Okay, the first guy I can mention is like the technological father to me. I know Robert Kanyoro. He's the guy who actually came up with the idea at first. He has been the vocal guy on the software actually. So for us, we came into the team, added ideas. Mostly we have been working with two of us. Oh, you and Kanyoro? Yeah, Kanyoro, yeah. He's the CEO of differential systems. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. And when did it... was it birthed? Around 2020. 2020, yeah. 2020 and it started its operation in? 2020. 2020?  You know, the COVID break, it gave us time to like restructure the whole system. Yeah. Initially, we used to like assist you and they had the applicants. Now we used to feed them in an excel sheet. You know, that was our tedious work. You know, you feed it to an excel sheet. Now you have to determine who will do it. You know, you're given by the committee. You're supposed to like now do their arithmetics and ensure that whatever you're given, it's what will reflect. You're feeding. Yeah. So what technology then are you using behind the system? We have... it's a complex algorithm. I can see it's an algorithm that is working behind the system. No, they... it's a trade secret. Oh. I hope. I have the talk. I have the talk. Okay, okay. We'll keep it that way. Because I think we are the only guys who are doing the BASA system in Kenya currently. So it's actually an invention. Yeah, yeah, yeah. By you. Yeah. Well, that's very nice. So what is it about innovation and solving problems? So basically, first of all, you can start by saying innovation is like you coming up with a new idea or improving an existing idea to make something to be less tedious or to be more advantageous when you're doing it. So that basically the innovation, like you... The foundation of it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Find our problem, find our new means. And you get to learn these things with the challenges that you're facing. But you have a background in tech. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what are you studying? I was studying in campus. I was studying mathematics and computer science, pure mathematics. Okay. Do you want to do any innovation or come up with that invention? Is it necessary that you have such a background? Not really, not really. One thing I can say, we have gotten into a point where everything lies in your phone. Google is the biggest invention that I can say. Because right now with Google you can search anything. You have resources online. We are an example of China.  You know, if we as a country can adapt the system that China uses in innovating and stuff, I think we can be far much ahead. There's a database that contains the process of the biggest innovations in the world. China is one of the summaries of it all. How many mobile phones? I'm sure there are mobile phones in the African market. It's not like China. True. I would say that if you want to use anything, you are free to use whatever it's been done. You are free. Only that will improve. An improvement is your idea and it's your innovation. To make it better. Yes, you can patent it. Just come up with Apple in Afananga. You can go and make your own phone through the database, the information they gave to the database. Interesting. So now do you have a patent on this system that you've developed? Yes. So no one can steal it? No one. Okay. So if you don't have a patent on it, it's okay. We still understand. Are you going to make any further advancements to it, apart from the online incorporation that you have added to it? Yes. We are now using the AI. We are advancing in terms of whatever we are using. So now you don't have to stop where you started, where you are. We have been using the AI to learn the data. So later on it was automatic. And we are even integrating with blockchain where we use Oracle and some code, small code, they are called smart contracts. But you basically need, if your conditions are met, we even don't have to rely on this. You know us to feel anything.  When you apply the conditions are met, you issue it with the bus side. I think in future that is what will be happening. Alright, interesting. So you have incorporation of AI and blockchain technology to it. Do you want to speak a bit on blockchain technology? For someone who doesn't understand how it works. Yeah, yeah. Okay. The simplest way. Blockchain, I can just say the new technology. It's an emerging technology now to us, but it has been there. It works in terms of nodes and networks. So it is more secure, like the system that we are having right now. And it uses tokens. Those are things called tokens. But I think that is the simplest definition. But it's an enjoyable field. It's a new field that is coming up. I think anyone who has a lot of knowledge will be able to do it. Okay. Do you talk with us some other time again? You come and speak on blockchain technology. Yeah. As we come to a close on this, are there other systems that you have developed, you and your team or you on your own? Yeah, we have worked on a lot of systems. But only to mention, like, we had a tiling system in the previous general election that just concluded. So, basically, for us, even we had the tiling, even before they got to the constituency tiling centers and stuff, we, like, have a... You already knew the figures. We had the figures. We created systems. That is one. We have other management systems, like school systems, where we helped the school to manage all the workings. Now, we even are working on management. If you have a project, you have a construction project, anything, you can track your project. Now, if you can reach us out, we can give you the system. It's already done. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. So, what can people... As we come to a close on this, what can people find you? But before you tell us what people can find you, what are you looking for? What is a vision for you and your team in future in terms of where you want to see the technology landscape or in Kenya and where you want to see yourselves? Okay. I can start with the next five years. We, like, want to get to every sector. So, we are after every sector right now. So, from the banking, all the way to education, we are after big sectors. And in five years, we just want to have gone to over 20 sectors. Amazing. And where do you see Kenya is at in terms of innovation? Are we giving the youth more opportunities to be innovative? Is the government and stakeholders giving room for people to be creative? First of all, I have to start with critiquing the education system that we have. We are basically everyone. To the end of the year, with the system, we are trained to be employees and not really to think about what we can do other than being employed. I can tell you for a fact, I've never applied for any job. I've never applied for any job. So, what are your skills? My skills are soft skills. They are the best thing. But the government, they are playing their part, but we are really behind. So, what is needed? The government needs to bring up to a lot of research centres, more experts, we have experts. We have people on the intellectual properties, like how to patent your things. I don't want to mention companies, but there are some companies who get to campuses, secondary schools, whatever. Now, if you have a big idea, they tend to take you away. They want to pay you back. Then they take your idea. They end up patenting you. So, by the time you talk to them, your system is working out. It's not under you. Now, the other thing is about the finances. In Kenya, by the way, I can tell you for a fact, especially in a place like Jaguars, there are a lot of ideas, innovations. But now, pitching to the investors, I think that is an issue. It's a challenge. I hope in the future, Kenya will adapt, whatever system we can be, like pooling funds for innovations. Because currently, you might have a big idea, but less finances. Okay, and we have the potential. We have the potential. Actually, Kenya is a leading country in terms of technology in Africa. In Africa, yes. So, adoption is really quick in Kenya, smart guys. Not only in the US, but in Kenya, from Kenya, to Kopua. So, we just need the support and backing of the system and the finances and all that. And education, more vocal, at the lower levels of education, in the primary schools. So, is it a side idea? It is a side idea. Awesome. Okay, thank you very much for coming on. Will you tell us where people can find you on social media? You can reach us out on our e-mail, differentialsystems.co.ke. You can... I'm not in... Siko or Facebook? Hi. Siko or Facebook? Or tech? Okay. You can reach out to me on my number, 0717, 83480. And the only guy, the one guy in Facebook, I wouldn't recommend is called Kanyoro Duku. Duku Kanyoro. Your partner. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That guy is a person now you can reach to in case you want to reach him on Facebook. On Twitter, that is now me. Now stories are... cryptocurrencies. That is what now my Twitter is all about. Okay. You're in social media like any business. Now, what are you doing? Social life. Social life. Okay, thank you very much Eric for coming on board and sharing with us your new innovation. We definitely wish you the best as you explore the whole of Kenya and add to help the system in terms of the bursaries. Yeah, yeah. Thank you very much. So that has been Eric Kenuthia who's the lead crypto analyst and software engineer at differential system, a company that has come up with a crypto bursary app innovation. That is all we have for you on Sport on Tech but we are not done. Calamity Val is coming up with some great interviews on music and lives also. You don't want to miss that. We take a short break. We'll be right back.


I know there's gonna be more bags, so it's not about the money. It's more about the long-term plan making sure that my brand has real value. Because if I just start co-signing anything and everything, the fans see that, and that damages the brand.


What million dollars worth of game would you give to that sister that was out there that was in the situation just, you know, that's trying to figure out life that don't know what she wanna do right now but she knows she wanna do something. Like what game would you give to her? I'd say until you figure that, find your hustle, make your money. And like, you gotta have something figured out that like you gotta have a goal and you just gotta work towards, you gotta manifest like it's a whole lot of power on your tongue. And you just gotta speak it into existence and work towards it. Did you used to have a vision board or like eternal? I didn't, but I just always knew I wanted to be a rapper, a big time rapper. And so I never stopped putting out music. I got discouraged a lot of times, but I ain't never stopped.


Edo government set for showdown with promoters of planned sultanate in the States. We'll be finding out why the government considers it a direct assault on the traditions of Edo people. The Police Service Commission sets up a new panel to investigate the FBI's report on the policeman Abba Kiari. And the Taliban report only goes after persons who helped the United States in Afghanistan. And welcome to the Breakfast and Plos TV Africa. It's a very upbeat Friday today. Good morning, and I am Annette Felix. And I am Musaugi Ogbon. Thanks for joining us on a Friday. Of course, thanks for staying with us all through the week. We hope it's going to be a very interesting two hours for you. So our top trending story is really going straight to the point for the first one. We know that it's been a long-running investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI in the United States, into alleged money laundering by Nigerian self-confessed internet fraudster Hosh Poppy. We found US documents over 90 pages detailing the involvement of Abba Kiari, a police boss. And the whole conversation regarding his indictment really has set the Nigerian police force into an investigative series to determine Abba Kiari's role in this. So they went on to set up an investigative panel. That panel has been on for a while. And the news we're hearing now is that the Nigerian Police Service Commission has set up another in-house panel. They said this was constituted to study the documented evidence presented by the US FBI against the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kiari. Now, this new panel will be headed by the Director, Departments of Public of Police Discipline in the Commission, Barista Tijani Mohamed. And this was inaugurated on Thursday by Secretary to the Police Service Commission. So we really have questions to ask about this. The first panel was set up. We have evidence from the FBI. We've seen evidence as well from Hosh Poppies' transactions. We've seen evidence from Hosh Poppies' text messages, communication with Abba Kiari. And this is now a second investigative panel. First of all, it reminds me of the Nigerian situation and how we seem to think that committees is the solution for this. There could be an issue and then you would find government authorities setting up committees, upon committees, upon committees to look into one particular matter. And you look back years later to audit that situation and you really can find what really was the result. The most we see is that that committee now presents a report and you see it making headlines. Committee presents reports on that. Then the issue about implementation of those resolutions is where we seem to be hanging.  This should be shown on Netflix, I guess. Because how many panels do you need to investigate evidence that is right in front of you? You know, as the Nigerian Police Service Commission then saying that they don't trust the FBI or that they might know more than the FBI or the FBI may, you know, not have done a thorough job. You know, I'm not sure, you know, what exactly needs to be investigated. It's really, you know, there's not so much English that needs to be, you know, spoken here. I've also seen a lot of people react to this and, you know, describe this as, you know, delay tactics, basically, you know, and they're trying to delay as much as possible instead of doing what is entirely right. And what is right mostly because of the, you know, to save the face of the current administration, which, you know, had come into power, you know, stating that they were going to be fighting corruption. It was one of the core things that they stated when contesting for the election a couple of years ago. And so we've had multiple opportunities for the current administration to actually fight corruption, and that includes different cases that we've seen here and there, people who have been charged. But, you know, we still haven't seen any answers. For my S.G.F. to the president, don't remember his name now, you know, who was also accused of grass-cutting scandal. You know, it still, you know, has not, you know, had any case against him. There was an investigative report that was sent to the president years ago to today, to tomorrow morning, to next week, to very likely 2022. I'm very sure that nothing will happen to that report. And so I'm not sure what, you know, what's the use of these series of investigations that they keep setting up. You know, and of course, you know, a lot of people who have shared those views seem to be right. I don't think I've seen anyone who says, oh, this is the right thing to do, let them investigate. Maybe FBI was wrong. Maybe it wasn't really abacari. It is, you know, just your delay tactics. And that's really what it is, nothing more than that. And people have also referred to other administrations and mostly the Obasanjo administration and how he, in his time, yes, there was also accusations of corruption in his government, but there were times when he needed to, you know, show working, you know, in an urgent balance. And he did. And if you remember Tafa Balugu, who was the IG of police, who was accused of corruption, there was no, you know, investigative panel left and right, you know, with regards to Tafa Balugu. He was hounded like a corrupt, you know, police officer. And there was so much drama at that time. There's also, of course, the Alamasega case. There's also Charles Taylor, the Liberian president at that time, who was in Nigeria. There's also James C. Borey. There were many, many examples of times when Obasanjo, at that time, had to, once again, in Nigeria and Poland, show working. And he did. So the current administration and President Muhammad Abouari continues to let all these, you know, characters and these incidents happen. It really just, you know, says a lot about what the current administration really stands for. And, you know, if they will, you know, take action when there is a need to take action. And it's embarrassing. Now talking about the set-up of committees, we know that the president commissioned a committee to go ahead to, let me read exactly how they said it. They said, this committee was set up to determine the levels of encroachment and carry out its assignment with dispatch. And what this is talking about is that there was a committee that was set up, you know, to look into grazing reserves in Nigeria and for the possible revitalization of about 368 grazing reserves across 25 states in Nigeria. This issue really, so many sites to it, because first of all, we know that during a popular interview, the president granted assist the station. He had mentioned that one of his own ways that he would use to handle this famine had his clashes is that he was going to, he had actually ordered the AGF to look into grazing reserves of the 90s and see how that can be revived. That really generated a stare and people said, first of all, the grazing reserves was not a law. So it's not, it's not even the law right now. It's not something you can just enforce in states. Second of all, we know the position of southern governors on grazing reserves. They had all come together to speak in one voice to condemn open grazing and set that from September 1, which is in a few weeks time that they were going to openly ban that grazing, you know, and saying kids can also not be involved in that or you had to get some sort of license or permit from the state. But now that this committee has gone ahead to submit its report and the president has approved the recommendation of these grazing reserves. Now the issue is what really would be the stance of, you know, these southern governors, would they shift ground or would the federal government hold sway? See some of the recommendations that this committee made. They said that they had recommended a collection of field data across the 368 grazing reserves across 25 states. And that's to assess encouragement, encroaches, stakeholders, engagement and sensitization. So let's, let's break down the big grammar. The community also said that they were going to begin to map out this 25 state. They were going to start geo mapping. They were going to give out an analysis of their findings. They were also going to design communications regarding grazing reserves. So it's a lot that it has to do. What still the question is, is it going to be now the federal government versus the state government? Are these 25 states inclusive of the states in, you know, this southern region that have banned or, you know, declared open grazing to be illegal in the states? Still lots of information that we need to know. And can we to see the response of the southern governors about this?    You know, they said that from the first of September, you know, it's going to be completely banned. Which, of course, that they have a right to. There was also some controversy with the, with Abu Bakr Malami and the Nigerian government a couple of weeks ago with regards to their own stance on open grazing also. You know, most of the questions that, you know, would also come up with this is, you know, why aren't, why isn't the Nigerian government putting the same energy or the same interest into other businesses across Nigeria? Why aren't they looking for land or searching for grazing reserves or searching for, you know, places where other people can also do business? You know, every other person who wants to do business and category is a business. There might be something that is cultural for a particular part of the country, but it still is a business. Every other person who's doing business in Nigeria has to find a place, you know, pay for land, rent a shop and do their business and, of course, pay their taxes. And so that's what has always been. Why exactly is grazing entirely different or why is the government taking it, you know, seriously? I've spoken, you know, a lot about the body language of the government. A lot of times people get feedback not from the things that you say, not from necessarily the laws that you put into play, but, you know, the way that you react to certain things as a government. And, you know, the way that the Nigerian government has continued and that includes its silence sometimes when lives are even lost, when there's killings in villages and communities in certain parts of the country, you get to see and it's just a great example is a time when, not long ago, there's a particular shake who had threatened, you know, that there was going to be retaliation in Plateau State, you know, for the lives that were lost. He said that old Fulani's don't forgive. That's according to what the news, you know, carried. And then a couple of days later, he's seen in, you know, as a rock meeting with President Mahmoud Bari along with the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Issa Pantami.  But those actions, you know, really just tells a totally different story. Or it's read, you know, in a way for the Nigerian people. And it's pretty much the same thing with these grazing reserves.  That's really not so difficult to understand or not so difficult to deal with. But the Nigerian government continues to push for grazing reserves and continues to, you know, put this foot forward, which really a lot of times doesn't sit well with the Nigerian people. And it also looks very much like it's still not a government that is listening to what the people are saying. Because if the people, you know, if generally a lot of people have said that this is not what we want, you look at, you know, way the consensus and then you say, okay, well, you know, there's more people who do not want this to continue. There's more people who have seen that this has caused loss of lives and loss of property and families have been wiped out on some of all of that. And so I would, you know, be very, very careful with the stands that I take. But when you instead, you know, take actions that don't seem to be, you know, actions are coming from listening to the people. It just doesn't look good in any way. The next uptrending doesn't look good. And it is with a heavy heart that I say this, that, okay, first of all, we all know that the first son of the late revolutionary chief of human rights lawyer, chief Kani Fami, passed on on August 11th earlier this year. And he was age 52. And the family, you know, didn't say much during that time because they said that they wanted to, first of all, get all the facts or the medical facts regarding the cause of his death. That's even why they delete his burial and have fixed it for August 27th to hold both in, the ceremony is held both in Lagos and in those states. So at a press briefing yesterday, Thursday, Saeed Fami, the second son of late chief Kani Fami, spoke on behalf of the family and revealing the cause of Muhammad's death. And he said that, let me quote him verbatim, he said that a family could not immediately comment on the cause of the brother's death because they wanted the information to be based on factual medical details, especially as maybe contained in the death certificate. He went in to say today, however, we are in a position to inform you that our dear brother died from COVID-19 related complications and arising from this, we want to urge all Nigerians to take necessary precautions to avoid being infected by the deadly disease. And he went on to encourage us to continue to wear a face mask and adhere to social distancing and all of that. So this really is just a reminder of the fact that we're still very much in a pandemic, you know, and that we should take this as seriously as we did when we heard of our index case on February 24th, 2020. COVID-19 is still very much raging and ravaging the world. People are still getting infected. People are still dying from the disease and that it's up to us really to stay protected. Absolutely. And sad, I met Muhammad a few weeks ago. You know, there's a particular interview that I had to be at their residence. You know, and I interviewed him, very, very interesting personality. And it's also, so that hurts me on a totally different level. You know, and also it feels like the Fahwami family would be mourning. You know, first of all, of course, losing Ghani, who was one of the loudest voices in Nigeria. And activist, you know, lawyer, you know, senior advocate of Nigeria and all of that.  So it's a sad thing to, you know, the family. But once again, but I like, you know, the fact that they've used this opportunity to also remind people of the risk that we still are facing with regards COVID-19. You know, and it's going to be really, really, I don't think it's anybody. Well, funnily enough, I think there's still people who believe that it's fake or it doesn't exist. So these are, you know, just great opportunities. Sadly, of course, with the loss of life. But these are, you know, incidents that people need to look at to remind themselves of how deadly COVID-19 is. And if you have gotten vaccinated, it doesn't mean that you, you know, should continue to live recklessly. If you have not gotten vaccinated, it's a reminder that you should try to get vaccinated as quickly as possible. The government is still sourcing as much as it can more vaccines. You know, I remember more than I think arrived. We're still, of course, I mean, to continue with the second vaccination doses for AstraZeneca. And so it's important that everybody does get vaccinated or at least have a fighting chance against COVID-19. The Delta variant that I was speaking to someone yesterday trying to, you know, understand at best, you know, how it is more transmissible. You know, is it now airborne? Is it, you know, suddenly, you know, does the Delta variant not, the vaccination not, you know, help with Delta variant? Just many, many questions that need to be answered that I hope that we will be able to answer on this platform. Hopefully sometime next week, just to get more clarity on the Delta variant. But it's a reminder to wear a face mask, to wash your hands, to stay at home if possible, if you don't have any business. Lagos nightclubs are still filled up every weekend. People are still, of course, passing the, you know, the virus from one to another. If you look at the figures yesterday, we're shocked, you know, more than a thousand positive cases across the country. Lagos is still having staggering figures. And so these are things that everybody needs to be reminded of to ensure they stay safe and we're able to win this fight. Indeed, yes. That's it on top trending today. We'll take a break here and return with Arthur Press.


Is my Lord and my God and we are studying the gospel of John now John chapter 1 Today we begin the process of introducing the the gospel of John to you and getting into chapter 1 verse 1 But my Lord and my God the gospel of John beginning in chapter 1 verses 1 through 5 Where the Bible says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God He was in the beginning with God all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made in Him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not Comprehend it what gives me great joy It's just a tremendous blessing to be able to study this gospel together and to be able to start today Our practice week by week is just to go verse by verse by verse through the scriptures to understand What the Bible says what God teaches us in his word again? You don't want to hear my opinions, right? You want to hear what the word of God has to say. I don't want to hear my opinions I want to know what the word of God has to say and it's just a great blessing that we get to invest time Beginning today walking verse by verse through the gospel of John. This is a tremendous honor And this is a tremendous book a tremendous gospel Andreas Kastenberger has said that John's gospel together with the book of Romans may well be considered the enduring Twin towers of New Testament theology Martin Luther he explained the same kind of sentiment when he said that we could lose all other books of the Bible and That Christianity could be saved with John's gospel and the letter to the Romans Many across the centuries have called the gospel of John the holy of holies in the New Testament And it is here in this gospel that the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is Fully and dramatically displayed unlike any other place in scripture And you've come in the gospel of John to the holy of holies to see the glory of Christ And if you're a Christian, that's what you want. Amen We want a vision of the glory of Christ and we need to live day by day by day From glory to glory from faith to faith with that vision of Christ by faith We need to see Christ in this gospel. I remember as a New Christian fresh out of the oven hadn't been saved very long and I just started reading scripture and I came to the gospel of John and Man it overwhelmed me To read it. It's the new believer all the stories all the accounts It's here to see Christ.  And seeing his zeal for the house of God I remember coming to chapter 3 and seeing the account of Jesus talking about the new birth with Nicodemus and just being amazed by that I remember the Samaritan woman in chapter 4 and Thinking that in Christ talking to her she comes to the realization that the Messiah Is here and that she stands there talking to Christ the anointed one the Messiah just an awesome account I had the man born blind Raising Lazarus from the dead of the many in John chapter 6 that first took him that followed him no more They'd followed him and followed him and heard a hard saying and they all turned away from him And in chapter 6 he turns to the 12 and he says to the 12. Do you want to leave me also? Just that the tragedy of that The disappointment of that The seven miracles of Christ throughout the gospel of John the seven I am Statements so powerful claiming the deity of Christ They come to chapter 8 verse 58 and just gripped by the narrative when Christ says most assuredly I say to you before Abraham was I am The Pharisees took up stones to stone him His teaching on the vine and the branches and how believers are to abide in him in John chapter 15 The work of the Holy Spirit Convicting this the world of sin righteousness and judgment in chapter 16 the high priestly prayer in chapter 17 and knowing in Reading the account of a high priestly prayer that it was during that prayer that Christ also prayed for me Prayed for you if you're in Christ It's an awesome account His arrest his trial his crucifixion chapters 18 and 19 Coming to doubting Thomas in chapter 20 And doubting Thomas having placed his hand in his side and the nail scars in his hands Proclaiming exclaiming my Lord and my God and Thinking of myself in that reading it for the first time how many times I had to go back to Jesus Christ to be restored Doubting and then the last chapter of Peter restoring Peter having breakfast by the sea and after Peter had denied him And the Lord Jesus Christ very graciously very mercifully Restores Peter and I'm reminded how often I have to be restored how often we have to repent And I'm just amazed at the ending the ending where John says and there are also many other things that Jesus did Which if they were written one by one I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written It's an awesome account. It's an awesome book an awesome story And reading it again and again and again over the years and reading it again now as we prepare and studying for this gospel and going through This together Just as gripped just as odd it just as fired up reading it now as I was back then when I first read it This is a the Bible is an amazing book One of the reasons that the Bible is an amazing book and the gospel of John is such an amazing gospel such an amazing account It's because it's about an amazing person It directs us gloriously to Christ puts our eyes on Christ places our faith in Christ It is pointing to an amazing person first and foremost John is not simply writing a biography He's not simply writing a historical account here. John is writing a gospel and in writing a gospel It's written in such a way to Present Jesus Christ in such a glorious way that people believe on him and are saved John sets about to present facts, but these are not merely facts. These are facts of the faith These are facts of faith which are to be believed and that faith by the grace of God is that face with faith Which leads to life eternal life in him and life more abundantly as John says we wanted history Or if we wanted a biography we could go home and watch a documentary Now this is not a documentary. This is not a simple book of facts We're gathered here today because of the conviction that the gospel of John this book this Bible is more than that This is good news that can change your life that can change your eternal destiny And it is to be believed upon As a gospel John is not merely writing to introduce you to a concept He's not merely introducing you to an ideology or a system or a Philosophy or a belief or an idea or an isolated set of facts you in the gospel of John are being introduced to a person according to chapter 20 verse 31 John's purpose for writing is to prove that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing on him you may have life in his name AW pink said this he said in this book We are shown that the one who was heralded by the angels to the Bethlehem shepherds Who walked this earth for 33 years who was crucified at Calvary who rose and triumphed from the grave and who? 40 days later departed from these scenes was none other than the Lord of glory This Lord of glory who stepped out of heaven Took on the mud of humanity Traips through the filth of this world and as Paul said came into the world to save sinners However the gospel of John is not only written to unbelievers Believers to I have to go on believing in his name and believers It says have to endure to the end to be saved And so the Holy Spirit through the pen of John teaches us that we must abide in him John 15 6 says that if anyone does not abide in me He is cast out as a branch and is withered and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned Christians have to abide in Christ if you don't abide in the vine Then you're cast out as worthless to be burned in the fire You prove you were never of the vine to begin with doesn't mean that you lose your salvation The Christians have to abide in Christ the Holy Spirit then through John through this gospel doesn't only intend to evangelize unbelievers It intends to awaken faith in the unbeliever and sustain faith in the believer And one person said there may be no better book in the Bible than the gospel of John to help you keep on Trusting and treasuring Christ above all. This is a glorious gospel glorious book very helpful for Christians Martin Lloyd-Jones has said Many who are Christians fail to show forth the glory and wonder of it all And this is important not only for our own sakes, but still more because of the state and condition of the world that is round and about us Christians tend to be their own worst enemies when it comes to being a testimony for Christ We need a reminder of what it is to follow Christ We need the motivation of Christ himself to help us live the Christian life by faith and obey him and live for him such That we give a good testimony of the work of Christ in us to a lost world that needs a savior All Christians need to constantly focus faith on the work in person of the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves for their own good But also for a testimony to lost people For that reason The gospel of John the Bible can't be read simply with your head has to be read also with your heart This is the book that has to be read with a heart as well as we study together We need to exhort ourselves in this as we go through these verses together and spend a considerable amount of time Working through these verses. We must exhort ourselves to read to see the glory of Christ To see him week by week as the savior of sinners And not considering it robbery to be equal with God as the Bible says but making himself of no reputation Taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men We must exhort one another in the pages of this gospel to have fellowship with the Lord together There's fellowship with the Lord in this as we see his compassion We hear his prayer his beating heart for sinners his glorious claims as we witness his suffering And meditating on the truths of this gospel will compel the Christian to bow his heart in worship As Paul said great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh Justified in the spirit seen by angels preached among the Gentiles Believed on in the world and received up in glory And we're gonna see all of that in the gospel of John as we work through listen, you don't need Psychology to make you happy Right, you don't need worldly reasoning to guide yourself through the difficulties of this life You don't need your mama when you get discouraged or disappointed or downtrodden You don't need a psychiatrist when you lose your joy your strength or your hope You never find real security in a job You'll never find well-being in wealth You'll never find freedom from the guilt of your sin and trying to be a good person You'll never find peace in the passing pleasures of this life You'll never have a clear conscience in mere morality You'll never have Consistency in the Christian life in your own strength you need Christ and you need him high and lifted up And the gospel of John does just that you need Christ as it says in Ephesians 3 to dwell on your heart through faith That you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the Saints What is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ? Which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God? We need a vision of the risen Lord and we need to live for him You need to be persuaded afresh of who Christ is and what he has done the Christian needs that Daily and we find that in God's word and we find it here in the gospel of John That you may cry out with Thomas at the culmination of it all my Lord and my God That's the Jesus Christ that we worship. That's who we serve. That's who we live for in the gospel of John We're to look to Christ with Wonder with amazement and awe at who he is and what he's done as we read not just with our heads But with our hearts John Stott once said that many people are pygmy Christians Because they have a pygmy Christ Your little Christian because you have a little Christ You need a vision of God a vision of God in the flesh Christ Jesus our Lord and you need to follow him by faith You need a glorious vision of the Lord and there is no more glorious vision of the Lord in scripture than in the gospel of John The gospel of John Christ Towers as Almighty God in the flesh and we say with Thomas my Lord and my God Not the object of speculation But the object of our adoration not the object of a debate But the object of our devotion Not an object to be worked out But the object of our worship Bruce Milne says that if Christ shares the nature of God then we are called to worship him without cessation Obey him without hesitation Love him without reservation and serve him without interruption to him be the glory forever. Amen My Lord and my God Let me give you some background to this awesome book The gospel of John as we've said has been written to believers and unbelievers alike It's written to an a universal audience so to speak of this gospel number two would have been circulated in churches made up primarily of Dispursed Jews or diaspora Jews Jews in the dispersion. Why were they dispersed? Because of great persecution great persecution that had broken out and it would have been written to Gentiles So now let me ask you a question How would John have expected that this gospel being written partly to unbelievers? How would he have expected that this gospel would reach unbelievers if he was circulating it to churches? Evangelism thank you brother evangelism these churches evangelized they love the Lord They wanted to see lost people saved they wanted to see people come to faith in Christ And so they were fiercely fervently evangelistic And so this would have reached to even lost people outside of the church by the faithful evangelism of the church Number three is purpose for writing is to prove as he says that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that believing You may have life in his name That you would be drawn his purposes to worship to exclaim by saving faith my Lord and my God The synoptic Gospels as they're called in the Bible or Matthew mark and Luke they're called Synoptic from a compound Greek word meaning viewed together They have much of the same material and so they're viewed together as an account of the history in life of Christ These Gospels have similar material the gospel of John not one of the synoptics, but the gospel of John 92% of what's written here is brand new material Material it's not contained anywhere else And so this is unlike what is found in the synoptics and unlike the synoptic Gospels which give a an earthly account of the history the life of Jesus John's gospel really is more of a heavenly account really is more of a a heavenly perspective It's if you will God's perspective on who Jesus Christ is And it focuses on the deity of Christ the second person of the trinity The second person of the godhead number four It's based on the weight of evidence that this gospel was written late Probably after the destruction of the temple in 80 70 in 87 the 80 70 the romans came through and destroyed Jerusalem and this was likely written after that most likely in the early 80s ad So still very close to the time of christ and it was likely written while john was in emphasis We just studied first timothy where we studied the church there in emphasis number five despite liberal arguments to the contrary the gospel of john was written by john The apostle john the disciple john the disciple of christ Yet an older brother named james and together john and james were the sons of zebedee And with their father zebedee they were fishermen Until they met the lord the lord saved them and they became fishers of men And they early in the scriptures called sons of thunder because they were very zealous for the lord There's an account in luke nine of jesus uh walking through a region of samaria The samaritans reject christ and so john and james the sons of zebedee the sons of thunder Ask christ you want us to call down fire from heaven and consume consume them like elisha And they wanted to call out fire out of heaven. They were sons of thunder Their mother was selome and selome was the one who came and asked jesus at one point if her sons james and john could sit on either side of christ his right hand and his left hand in the kingdom It's interesting here that john Never refers to himself by name in the gospel We see him most often by his Name appointed to himself as a disciple whom jesus loved I always thought when I when I first read through the gospel of john and I saw that name the disciple whom jesus loved I couldn't help but think a little bit that sounded prideful Sounded arrogant. I'm the disciple whom jesus loved as if he loved john at the exclusion of all others But it's interesting if you look at that statement the disciple whom jesus loved the name that john gave to himself in the gospel That the word there for loved he could have chosen several greek words But the greek word that he chose akapao says more about the one who is loving Than the one who is loved And so what appears on the surface to maybe be a statement of pride really is a statement of great Humility john walked around in amazement in awe that jesus christ could love him a center like that It's an unconditional love. It's a fervent love that jesus christ could love him It's actually a statement of great humility shows that john was just in amazement We need to have that same amazement That god in christ would love me Would love you wretched sinners turn with me to john chapter 17.  Listen what he prays He says in verse 20 I do not pray for these alone But also for those who will believe in me through their word that they all may be one as you father are in me And i in you that they also may be one in us and that the world may believe that you sent me And the glory which you gave me i have given them that they may be one just as we are one I am them and you and me that they may be perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me And have loved them as you have loved me You want to know how jesus christ loves those who are in christ? He loves them like he loves the sun Isn't that an amazing thought You a wicked sinner an enemy of christ by your wicked works prior to being genuinely saved Now in christ and the lord looks at you as not guilty Looks at you in christ and loves you with the same love with which he loves the sun It's awesome where it goes on in verse 24 father I desire that they also whom you gave me May be with me where i am that they may behold my glory which you have given me For you loved me before the foundation of the world if you're in christ the bible says that god For loved you from before the foundation of the world right verse 25 it says oh righteous father The world has not known you but i have known you and these have known that you sent me And i have declared to them your name and will declare it That the love with which you loved me may be in them and i in them It's an awesome thought this is the way that god loves you in christ the way that christ loves you It's an awesome statement and it just amazed John it should amaze us that despite your sin That just based on the grace and mercy of god alone that god in christ would agapao you a redeemed sinner My lord and my god lastly Uh it bears repeating bears stating this book is inspired that it's infallible And in errant and it says this in the gospel of john itself jesus said in john 14 verse 26 The helper the holy spirit whom the father will send in my name He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that i said to you In john chapter 16 verse 13 Jesus says when he the spirit of truth has come He will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority But whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come So in other words here jesus Called the disciples to himself He chose them. He saved them He taught them and then he gave them the holy spirit who wrote the inspired scriptures through them It wasn't the apostles who were inspired It's the bible the word of god that is inspired And this is god's revelation to us as such it is infallible. It is in errant without error It's inspired by god and that becomes more and more and more evident as we go through this gospel together So we study this this gospel together becomes more and more evident This is an inspired infallible in errant book that becomes more self-evident as you study the bible martin luther said I've never read a book written in simpler words than this one and yet the words are inexpressible These are simple words. They're simple phrases simple language But absolutely burst with importance with profound meaning One person described it as a pool the gospel of john is a pool in which children can play But it's also an ocean in which elephants can run This has great importance and great simplicity and it all begins with a prologue begins with a prologue in john chapter one And the prologue runs in john chapter one From verses one through 18 Verses one through 18 and the prologue here to the gospel of john Is the introductory material to the rest of the gospel The prologue if you will is the front porch on the house house, but it's more than that The prologue to the gospel of john is like a mansion at the front doorstep of an incredible mansion Uh, and we're gonna just take up our time studying all of that together It's a it's a feat that we're undertaking here This prologue includes all the framework For the gospel that comes after it such that as we go through the gospel We're just going to pack concrete in around that framework The prologue these first 18 verses are the skeleton And we're just going to put sinews and flesh on that skeleton as we go through the gospel together And this is Very important the purpose of the prologue section As is the purpose of the book is simply to explain who jesus christ is He starts right away in the prologue laying the foundation of who jesus is so that we can have Fixed in our minds from the beginning of this gospel the eternal glory And majesty and dominion and power and deity and reality of jesus christ So that we exclaim with thomas as we go through my lord and my god This is very important section There are many conceptions about who jesus is today and the gospel of john sets this clear in profound effect Profound statements here many would say that he's simply a prophet Jesus christ is nothing more than a prophet many would say that he's simply a great example of the moral life that we're to live Some would say that he's somehow divine. He's above normal men But still a created being he's just elevated above normal humanity Often people would say it's not so much about his person as it is about his ideas or about his teaching There's respect for jesus people give him lip service. There's regard for jesus Many would say that he's a great man. That's as far as they would go Deepak Chopra Sees jesus as a state of consciousness that we can aspire to whatever that means the Dalai Lama Says that jesus is either a fully enlightened human being or a very high spiritual realization Whatever that means Mahatma ghani listen to this He was certainly the highest example of one who wished to give everything asking nothing in return And not carrying what creed might happen to be professed by the recipient In other words, it doesn't matter if you're a christian or not If you just believe him if you just you know, he's giving you everything He goes on to say i'm sure that if he were living here and now among men He would bless the lives of many who perhaps have never even heard of his name If only their lives embodied the virtues of which he was a living example on earth Listen your life can never exemplify enough virtue to get you into heaven Your life can only possible in its greatest exertion Provide enough virtue to get you into hell And your good works are as filthy rags the bible says We see this same kind of thought process embodied in american culture in the likes of the or roosevelt or thomas jefferson thomas jefferson Denied the miracles of christ He denied anything supernatural in the bible He literally took his bible and he cut out pieces of his bible that he thought were irrational And then he pasted pieces into a book that he had published eventually Congress published the book and called it the life and morals of jesus And jesus was just a figure of an example of morality Later he had his own bible public. How would you like to do that publish your own bible? He had his own bible published called the jefferson bible with all that stuff cut out of it These uh conceptions of jesus are not biblical conceptions of jesus christ This is not the jesus christ of the bible You understand that we're talking about two different people If you're not worshiping this is why it's so important if you're not worshiping The jesus christ that is presented here in john's gospel.  And that jesus will simply forgive them They're worshiping an idol Those that believe that they can live in their sin Continue in patterns of unrepentant sin Still continue to call jesus christ their savior and believe that they'll somehow make it into evan When john himself says little children do not be deceived He who says i know him does not keep his commandments john says as a liar What about those that believe that jesus makes no demands on their life to deny themselves to take up Their cross and to follow him. They're worshiping an idol too worshiping a savior of their own making Additional to this there are the cults Jova's witnesses believe that jesus is the archangel michael That he is a created being The mormons believe that jesus is satan's brother lucifer's brother In such blasphemy from the mormons listen to this the mormons say as man now is God once was You believe that as man let that sink in for a minute as man now is God once was as god now is man may be This is blasphemy One is pentacosalism one is pentacosalism teaches that jesus is just a manifestation of the father That god the father is jesus and god the father is the holy spirit. It's called modalism Needless to say they have no idea what to do with Jesus's baptism in the river jordan you've got jesus in the water The voice of god the father coming out of heaven and the spirit of god descending as a dove What do you do with that? We're not talking about the same christ Who christ is is a hill to die on Who christ is is critically important and extremely exclusive it has eternal ramifications Wasn't that long ago after a conversation with the billy gram had with mit romney That the billy gram organization pulled mormonism From their list of cults on their website And the justification that they gave for that was that they didn't want to get into theological issues As john mccarthur said they give honor to the false christ of mormonism While dishonoring the true christ of the bible One of the first attacks that had to be fought off in the early church was against a heresy by man named arias The heresy came to be known as arianism a lot of these heresies are named after the person who authored the heresy It was the council at nicaea in 325 ad that called this belief that christ was a created being heresy Christ isn't a created being from the beginning Satan has focused his attack on the identity of who christ is and that's with good reason These heresies that sought to challenge the identity of christ are a dime a dozen. There was dosetism modalism monarchy anism monophysitism Nestorianism Sassianism Sibelianism subordinationism Tritheism Ism ism ism ism all focused on attacking the identity of who christ is as clearly defined in the gospel of john And why is that so important? Jesus is not just a great example He's not merely someone to respect He's not just a good person or someone who blindly forgives with no repentance and sweeps sin under a rug turning a blind eye to sin He is not created He is not less than god Nor is he simply a manifestation of god. This is Enormously important. This is eternally important It's internally important that you believe that jesus christ is not simply an enlightened man Or that he is not god in the flesh john 824 says For if you do not believe that i am he jesus says you will die in your sins That's why it's important That's why you cannot be a christian and deny the deity of christ You cannot be a christian and deny the trinity You cannot be a christian And deny that christ is 100 man and 100 god We don't understand it, but we can't deny it. It's what the bible teaches And if you don't believe that he is Then you will die in your sins You cannot be a christian and deny the virgin birth that christ was raised from the dead These are essential christian doctrines hills to die on You've not properly understood the christ of the bible Until you or unless you have seen him With the eyes of faith the way that john the disciple describes him here And have been compelled to worship him falling on your face and crying out with thomas my lord and my god This is the christ of the bible John is going to begin this description of christ using a powerful but a very necessary method All right, he's going to begin by describing him. It's interesting that in the prologue John doesn't mention christ's name until verse 17 now put yourself in the shoes of a first century jew or Gentile Who is maybe reading this gospel for the first time you'd have been from verse one riveted who he's talking about Who is this person? Who's this word? Who is john describing? And it is powerful for john to describe him here rather than just mention his name and tell you out front who he is Unlike you and i when we begin to read john's opening words here We know exactly who he's talking about they wouldn't have and then here's how this works If somebody says to you, do you know mark brashere? and then they describe me as Some short skinny good-looking guy You know that we are talking about two different people right? Stop laughing I'm defined by my name In as much as my name Accurately reflects a set of attributes that clearly and accurately define me who I am In other words, this is why Islam and christianity are not worshiping the same god Islam can say he's god. We can say he's god. We're not worshiping the same god We're talking about two different gods because of who god is to islam and who god is to christians There's some famous hockey player named mark brashere. I'm not that guy even though he has the same name Right, so let's see. Let's see how this works. Let me see if you can tell who this is See if you can tell who this is. Are they hebrus? He says so am I Are they israelites? So am I Are they the seat of abraham? So am I are they ministers of christ?  I'm more In labor is more abundant stripes above measure in prisons more frequently in deaths often From the jews five times. I received 40 stripes minus one three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked night and day I have been in the deep who are we speaking about Apostle Paul right and isn't that description so much more powerful so much more profound than his name alone It speaks volumes about paul doesn't it? That's what's meant here What if I describe this person to you the least of the sons of jesse? killed the philistine champion Anointed by same able to be a successor of saul as king over israel Got himself in a whole lot of trouble about a woman on a balcony Who am I speaking about? David right that's how this works that says so much more about david We understand so much more about david from his life from his description there John basically does the same thing here with jesus christ in the prologue We want to see john wants us to see that jesus is both lord and god and in doing this again He begins immediately to fulfill his purpose in writing. He wants to convince the true center Convince this true center of the true person of christ the second member of the godhead Proving that jesus is the christ the son of god and that believing he might have life Eternal life in his name To have eternal life you must believe on the true christ of the bible And so john lays out a description of the true christ of the bible right here in the prologue not a Misrepresentation of christ not a philosophical conception of christ not a worldly understanding of christ But the christ of the bible and john means for us to read this gospel Worshipfully as we come to know him this way humbly submissively it's in awestruck amazement as we Follow his account That this is god in the flesh who was the man at the wedding Who was speaking with the woman at the well who was at the temple on the hillside in the boat This is the creator of the universe who became flesh and dwelt among us and gave His life laid down his life for sinners That's the jesus word to know in john 11 jesus said to martha I am the resurrection in the life He who believes in me though he may die he shall live And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die And then he asked martha the question martha Do you believe this? Do you believe it if you believe Believing saving faith you'll have life in his name She said to him verse 27. Yes lord. I believe that you are the christ the son of god who has come into the world The belief that jesus speaks of there is saving faith It involves a trusting in the lord alone To save you not in your works not any good that you can do trusting the lord alone to save you Your good works don't matter You've got to turn to christ in faith and be saved you can never be A good enough person You can never do enough good works to merit heaven only christ was good enough only christ was perfect Perfectly satisfying the just demands of a holy god So that you Repenting putting your faith in him might in him Flee the wrath of god Flee the justice of god and get mercy So that you can be in heaven with christ for all eternity It is only the risen lord god in the flesh that can compel this kind of devotion Charles westley writes of it in this hymn where charles westley says The lord i shall constantly proclaim Though earth and hell oppose Bold to confess thy glorious name before a world of foes His only righteousness i show His saving grace proclaim To his all my business here below to cry Behold the lamb Happy if with my latest breath i may but gasp his name Preach him to all and cry in death Behold behold the lamb This is the god of john god the son the second person of the trinity second person of the godhead Jesus christ my lord and my god amen Amen, let's pray take a few moments and pray the lord would apply these truths to our hearts And we would glorify him in this Father in heaven thank you for this time together And god, please i pray by your spirit that you would God Give us Clear portrait god open our eyes our hearts our ears to understand It's a clear portrait of who jesus christ is God, maybe we be caught up In the excellencies of christ of pearl of great price the treasure hidden in the field The lamb slain from before the foundation of the world Layed down his life for sinners like me like my brothers and sisters here God glorify yourself in our study of your word Glorify yourself in our view of christ as we walk through this gospel And god thank you for your great grace and mercy in the time that we can invest to do this You're so gracious lord to not leave us without a revelation of yourself but to To give us this portrait of christ in the gospel of john and i pray lord that we'd be faithful In looking to christ by faith if there's anyone here god that isn't saved i pray that you would break their heart over their Over their sin they would mourn their sin James says that they would lament and mourn and weep They would see christ as precious As a true treasure But to earn to him by faith and be saved And glorify yourself in our worship of you and thank you for this time. Thank you for this church Continue to bless us keep us preserve us Strengthen us in your word by your spirit for your glory and for your praise and everlasting worship We pray in christ's name our great god and savior. Amen