ANY FAITH THAT IS VOID OF CORRESPONDING ACTION IS FAKE
WHATEVER ANYONE CLAIMS TO BELIEVE THAT DOES NOT MOVE HIM IS FAKE
OBEDIENCE OF FAITH COMMANDS GREATER RESULTS THAN ALL OTHER SPIRITUAL FORCES IN THE KINGDOM
BETWEEN THE WINNING BELIEVER AND THE LOSING BELIEVER IS OBEDIENCE OF FAITH
ONE CAN BE FULL OF REVELATION AND FULL OF FRUSTRATION AT THE SAME TIME.
INSIGHT IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE UNTIL IT IS APPLIED.
YOU THINK I DON’T HAVE FEELINGS FOR ANYBODY? I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU; I DON’T WANT YOUR FORTUNE PACKAGE LOST!
IF I DON’T TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I WILL BE JUDGED. MY JOB IS TO TELL AND SHOW YOU THE TRUTH
OBEDIENCE OF FAITH IS THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE MAKING OF GIANTS IN THE KINGDOM
THE OBEDIENCE THAT WORKS MUST BE REVELATION ROOTED AND PROMPT OBEDIENCE
NO CONDITION (NOT EVEN HARD TIMES) IS ENOUGH A REASON FOR YOUR DISOBEDIENCE
DON’T USE YOUR CALLING TO HARASS ANYBODY, IT DOESN’T GUARANTEE ACCESS TO YOUR INHERITANCE, ONLY OBEDIENCE OF FAITH DOES
OBEDIENCE IS WHAT GIVES VALUE TO GRACE – YOU LABOUR TO GIVE VALUE TO GRACE
PASSING THE OBEDIENCE TEST IS WHAT QUALIFIES A BELIEVER FOR ENTHRONEMENT IN THE KINGDOM
- Bishop David Oyedepo on UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF OBEDIENCE OF FAITH at June 2024 Week Of Spiritual Emphasis Day One || LFC Canaanland || 5th June 2024 ||
Some of the times, we need to sit down and listen to some of the things that we say. Examine what you claim to believe, so as not to be trapped with self deception. Whatever anyone claims to believe that does not move him is fake. Noah being warned of God, moved with fear and built an Ark. Church Gist. Any faith that is void of corresponding action is fake. The Bible says it is dead. James 2:20, 26. Some things we claim to believe, the Bible says if there is no action to back it up, it is dead. No dead faith can produce a living proof. Life begets life, so dead faith will produce dead fruits.
Our teaching series for our Midweek Services for the month of June beginning today is captioned UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF OBEDIENCE OF FAITH. Obedience of faith is the most valuable of all spiritual forces or all spiritual virtues. Obedience of faith commands greater results than all other spiritual forces in the Kingdom. Whatever He tells you to do, do it. All other forces will answer to your obedience. We have no wine, shame is staring us in the face. Church Gist. Mary said to them, “Whatever he tells you to do, do it.” and God overturned that shame into glory. This man was born blind and is now 40 years of age. He said, “Go to the pool called Siloam and wash.” He went, no prayer group, no fasting, he went and washed and came back seeing. It is a most silent with undeniable impact of obedience.
“Children, have ye any meat?” They said none. “Cast your net to the right side.” John 21:5-6. They enclosed a great multitude of fishes. There is a picture the Lord showed me, in fact, we can close with that. Revelation is access to the seed that points to your harvest. Obedience of faith is sowing that seed. The Bible says the seed is the Word of God. Luke 8:11. Revelation is having that seed. Obedience is sowing that seed. The sower went forth and sowed the seed. Until the seed is sown, the harvest is not in view. We have so much seed in our notes, so much life transforming, revolution triggering seed in our notes but they are not sown. While the earth remains, seed time and harvest shall not cease. Church Gist. I think that defines obedience. Every revelation is only a seed, it doesn’t change anybody’s story. No quality of seed will make you a successful farmer without sowing it. So much of quality seeds, high yielding seeds, hybrid but it is not sown. So we have lacked proofs because the seed is not sown.
Luke 6:46. Great destinies are struggling for survival because what He says to do, you will not do. The Lord sent a word to Jacob, it transformed his life forever. Distributing the seed does not make a successful farmer. So preachers should not be enjoying that they are preaching. Preaching what? Where is the proof of your preaching? What you preach and you don’t do won’t add value to your life. Church Gist. Jesus the seed, a corn of wheat. Himself is the seed, He is the living Word also. He said, do always the things that please Him.” ‘That is why you find things working in my life’. John 8:29, 14:10. We belong to a doing Kingdom, only doers have a place in this Kingdom. Only doers, not preachers, not leaders in Church, not anointed ones, not gifted ones, only doers. It is doing what He says that gives each one his place in the Kingdom. I see the doing grace come upon us tonight, so that all those precious seeds that are stored up in our storehouse (our notes), it is time to go and sow them through our obedience of faith, doing what He says to sow with utmost delight.
One of the most exciting destinies in scripture is that of Abraham. God came down and gave him the seed. Genesis 12:1-4. That’s a generational destiny. Abraham departed, he sowed the seed. Genesis 13:14-15, 17-18. He moved at that command to begin walking through the length and the breadth of that land. In Chapter 17, God was going to enact a covenant with Abraham. Genesis 17:10-11, 23. Abraham as soon as God left off speaking, he began. Simple obedience in line with the covenant of seedtime and harvest. Church Gist. A seed is of no value until it is sown. Insight is of no consequence until it is applied. One can be full of revelation and full of frustration at the same time. Between the winning believer and the losing believer is obedience of faith. Between the triumphant and the defeated is obedience.
Genesis 22:1-3. Abraham was a smart sower of seed. He rose up early in the morning and hear what the Lord said in verse 16 of that chapter. Church Gist. Genesis 22:16-18. Abraham’s destiny of generational impact answered aboslutlely to his obedience of faith. Hebrews 11:17-19. That’s a dangerous one. God said “In Isaac shall thy seed be called” and later said, “come and kill him.”
Obedience of faith, unrestricted, unreserved, absolute, total, full obedience. You never find anywhere where Abraham was praying, “O God remember the promise you made to me” – not once! Church Gist. The only reported prayer of Abraham is to pray for Sodom and Gomorrah and to pray for the household of Abimelech but never stood to say, “o God, my God! Ah ah remember me” – obedience is the capital gateway to every provision of the Kingdom. Please take it. While the Earth remaineth, revelation without obedience will never produce fruits. (Genesis 8:22).
Singing, “open my heart o Lord, Hallelujah!”
Until you’re ready to obey, your place is not in view. Please get ready.
Obedience of faith will open any impossible door anywhere. Psalm 114:1-7. Impossible doors open at the instance of the obedience of faith. Exodus 14:15. Don’t you see that in the Red Sea, there was nobody jumping down or climbing up, perpetual hills cleared the way, they went on the high way on the Sea. Impossible doors opens to believers with obedience of faith actively in place. Church Gist. So passing the obedience test is what qualifies a believer for enthronement in the Kingdom. Genesis 22:1. You don’t change class without passing the prescribed test. “I’m waiting on God” (you say), you’re waiting for nothing – you better wake up and pass the test, the test of obedience. Do what he tells you to do under that hard condition – do it. The woman was going to eat her last meal, the prophet showed up as sent by God – not all these people poke nosing into houses looking for money – sent by God to preserve the life of that woman, not his life. 1 Kings 17:10-11. He was being fed by the brook, angels were bringing food to him so, Elijah didn’t need food. God can cause that brook to keep flowing forever. Church Gist. But he said, “Elijah I have a woman there that needs to be rescued,” and the woman obeyed in her hard condition and God overturned the mountains by the roots. She was feeding fat for 3 and half years. No condition is enough a reason for your disobedience.
A widow of a prophet, the husband had died and he was an indebted prophet – you can be a prophet and be indebted. Being a prophet does not guarantee prosperity. 2 Kings 4:1. This prophet died – I think of indebtedness – you know indebtedness can kill. Church Gist. If they’re going to carry your 2 sons tomorrow, is it not better to die today? And the wife must have been telling him, “go to Elisha. Elisha occupies a higher place,” he will say, “no no no, we are all prophets.” After he died the woman said, “I’m going to Elisha.” “I beg you, Sir your servant, my husband who is a prophet…” He said, “I know him, he is always indebted.” (Laughs) So, don’t use your calling to harass anybody, it doesn’t guarantee access to your inheritance, only obedience of faith does. There are beggarly founders of ministries today, there are teachers of prosperity who are paupers and there are major ministries who teach prosperity but they’re paupers. They’re distributing the seed but they don’t have a farm. So, God is no respecter of persons Sir. Church Gist. Acts 10:34. All these freelance preachings won’t change anybody’s story. It’s time to get down to the root and put to work what makes things work.
Today, we are redeemed and brought under the blessings of Abraham that happened by his raw obedience of faith. Abraham’s faith is not just obedience o, but prompt obedience – as God drops it, he moves. Delightsome obedience not grinned obedience. “They said we should win souls. Church Gist. You see, this Church every day every day there’s something you’re to do. So where is the place of grace?” Obedience is what gives value to grace. Romans 6:1-2. Where is the place of grace? Obedience is what gives value to grace. 1 Corinthians 15:10. You labour to give value to grace; you don’t wait for grace to come and lavish and decorate your life. You don’t sow seed, you’re not entitled to harvest; you don’t sow seed you’re not a candidate for the harvest.
There shall be amazing harvest of testimonies, dramatic change of stories, for anyone who cares to grab this truth today and live by it. Prompt, delightsome. Psalm 112:1-3. Delightsome not coerced obedience that comes from within you, willingly, joyfully, excitedly, dancingly, (laughs). Church Gist. “You see, they said we should come again on Saturday. Kilode bayi (What is it now?) so when is the time one has to rest? Mmm? You know something? Papa has no feeling for anybody. Ah that man, God have mercy. He has no feeling for anybody he’s just here for …” (Laughs)
You know why I am crying? I have feeling for you. Your story needs to change, you have been around that mountain long enough, I’m telling you what will change your story and he won’t change your story because your Papa is gentle. No. If I don’t tell you the truth, I will be judged. So my job is to tell you the truth, not only that, show you the truth. Church Gist. I have feelings for you o, I don’t want your fortune package lost. You watch years passed after year, you didn’t have it and you didn’t ask yourself, why have I not had it? But our obedience or disobedience to any commandment of Scriptures is absolutely a matter of choice. Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15. It’s a choice. But the truth is, obedience of faith is the mystery behind the rise of giants or the making of giants in the kingdom.
So, don’t be slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:12. Church Gist. There’s no place for an idle man, not even in the Kingdom. It’s time to be awake.
But the obedience that works must be revelation rooted obedience. It’s obedience that is triggered by your insight to what God says must be done and you’re doing it believing that what he says will come out of it will come out of it. Revelation rooted obedience. Matthew 13:23. That means he receives the Word, he understands it and goes to sow it and the outcome – he brings forth fruit. Church Gist. What you don’t sow will not become fruit. Revelation rooted obedience is the obedience that works. Romans 4:20-21 – So all of his acts of obedience were products of full persuasion – God is able to do what he says he will do. “I am 75 years young and he said I should depart, he will make me great, I had no identity out here, God is able to do what he says he will do.” Revelation rooted obedience!
The obedience that works (is) prompt obedience. You can imagine Abraham trying to organise how to move, how not to move, they will tell him, are you mad? Where are you going? God wants to make you great, where was he all these time? Church Gist. Is it time you’re going to now start farming?” He was fully persuaded, he went on – prompt obedience. Most of us are too slow to maximise his Word in our life. It’s time to pray for promptness of obedience like Abraham our father.
Lastly, willful obedience. 1 Corinthians 9:17; 2 Corinthians 8:12. So there is the willingness dimension of our engagement that qualifies us for rewards. There is a promptness dimension that entitles us to rewards. Church Gist They are not anyhow things. Kingdom protocols are well defined Sir. Kingdom protocols are well defined. They are not subject to national assembly or global assembly whatever. They are settled forever. You can’t line up without proof to show.
- The good news is something has turned for you already and in the name of Jesus, it will be clear that you are on the right side of life!
How many have received a take away tonight? Something to live with for life. James 1:22-25. There is no change of story without work. I had some time with our board members in Landmark University and I was sharing with them on the ‘Warfare of Work.’ Warfare! Because human nature is drawn to pleasure. The Warfare of Work. Some folks are working in V.I (Victoria Island) and they live in this area (Ota). 4 a.m, they are up – warfare, it’s a battle. 4 a.m, they are up. It’s a battle – they are up. 4 a.m – they are up (warfare). If you ask their body; body – do you like to get up at this time? It says no, I don’t like to but I’m in a battle. Church Gist. Warfront, you don’t have to like to, you just move. You hear (a) sound, you lie down. You can’t say, I’m not ready. The gun will hit your head – you just lie down. I was privileged to be there when the war was rounding up in Liberia. Everybody is a soldier. You hear the sound, whether it is children playing with rackets, it doesn’t matter – you just go down. You will go down straight. Everyone was a diver. (Laughs) Praise God! Work is warfare. Don’t think work will wake you, wake work.
Can you imagine a Winner (bonafide Winner) who cannot see anything in this Operation Rescue going on? Ah, ah, ah! Every testimony looks like stories to him. ‘Well, some are just lucky. Otherwise, that man met me here. Amen! That man met me here. That woman, I was the one who brought her to Church. So what testimony is she giving? She’s just lucky. Church Gist. There are the things she knew before, the people she knew – they are the ones who organized that job for her.’ Why? He doesn’t want to work. You can’t be paid in any organization where you are not on the staff. If I don’t know anything, I know that God pays His harvesters. I know that. I know that reapers are on God’s wages. I know that and I know that His wages cover all our needs – I know that. Please, come awake! We are in a season of opportunity.
Hard times are not coming, hard times are here and there is no sign that there will become soft times. Hard times will become harder by the day. So take cover in the covenant. There was famine in the Land. It was so bad. Church Gist. People were offering themselves for sale for food but Israel, covenant people lived in the same Nation – They had possessions, they multiplied exceedingly in the midst of the famine. (Speaks in tongues) How powerful is the covenant? No circumstance under Heaven can make God’s covenant with His people of no effect. Until you can stop the day and the night from changing position, you can’t stop God’s covenant from working.
The Lord said to me 42 years ago, “anytime you look up and see the sun know that my covenant is in force. You lift up your eyes in the night, you see the moon, know that my covenant is in force.” Jeremiah 33:21-22,25-26. Please take cover in the covenant. Now wait a minute. When you subscribe to the conditions attached to any Kingdom provision, it has been upgraded to a covenant between you and God. Church Gist. He cannot deny Himself. So when you line up to His Word, you have committed His integrity to perform it. A covenant is not one thing that you say, you cut…blood or something. Look, a covenant is lining up with the conditions for the delivery of the provision of the Kingdom and it has become a covenant between you and God to make happen.
Sir, no devil can make you partake of the woes of this World if you take cover in the covenant. No devil can. No witch can, no wizard can. Forget it! Is there any poor nation in the World without rich people in there? Legitimate riches not crooked things that people are doing around the World today. Legitimate, accountable riches. Church Gist. Riches with sources from where they are coming from. There is no poor nation today without legitimate rich people in there. So, it’s not the environment that determines your destiny. It’s your stand with God. It’s my stand with God.
You know God speaks to us in songs as I close. 1974, “as I journey through the land singing as I go. Pointing souls to Calvary to the crimson flow. Many arrows pierce my side of mockery and stones but my Lord leads me on. Through Him I must win.” Are we winning today or not? It’s a song God used to speak to me. Such volumes of insight without knowing that I was going to ministry. Church Gist. Then I caught another song. “Walking in sunlight all of my journey. Over the mountains through the deep vales; Jesus has said, I will never forsake you. Promise divine that never can fail. Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunshine flooding my soul with glory divine. O hallelujah! I am getting there.”
- Something is breaking forth in your life!
Can I say in conclusion, your obedience is what will define the limits of your destiny? My obedience is what will define the limits of my destiny. Wake up and let’s take responsibility. I had no idea of ministry. Jesus called me, I responded on the spot. The call landed 2nd of May, we began ministry 29th of May. Have mercy Jesus! The Lord said to me, “arise, get down to Lagos” – same day somebody left Kaduna on the way to Lagos. We had no issue in Kaduna. Church Gist. We were having favour with God. It was like an unrest kind of command. But obedience gave us our place. “It’s time to preserve the harvest of Africa” – I heard it on Wednesday, on Friday, we dedicated Africa with a large map here in the Old Church – Mission to Africa began. By January of 1995, the army of the Lord left the shores of Nigeria. Prompt, delightsome and undeterred obedience.
Hebrews 13:7. I hated this place but when we got to the gate and I said, shall we thank God for all the troubles we have taken.” He said, this is the place. It leveled all my Geography, all my Church growth principles, everything died. God has spoken. Church Gist. I told them on the spot, God just said this is the place. I said, can you get a hundred acres? They said, we will try. I said, go and get it. They said, we have gotten it. Can you get 200? Go and get it. Can you get 300? Obedience is sweet.
—ALTAR CALL—
As commonly said here and we all understand it, God does not bless groups, he blesses individuals. ‘Blessed is the man not the men.’ God does not honour groups, He honours individuals. 1 Samuel 2:30. Church Gist. God does not promote groups, He promotes individuals. Psalm 75:7. “You have been faithful over a few things. Have thou authority over 10 cities.” He doesn’t promote groups, He promotes individuals.
- The good news is that your promotion is in this Operation! Promotion means change of position.
- Your change of level is in this Operation!
- Your next level honour is in this Operation!
- Your next level blessing is in this Operation!
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