WHY BISHOP OYEDEPO ENJOYS REST ON EVERY SIDE.
UNTIL YOU ARE LOST IN GOD, YOU CANNOT FIND YOUR REST.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT PAYS LIKE LOVING AND CHASING GOD.
MOST BELIEVERS PREFER TO WASTE THEIR TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAN TO INVEST THEIR TIME TO STUDY GOD’S WORD.
IT IS UNDERSTANDING THAT PUTS YOU IN COMMAND OF THE SUPERNATURAL.
WHAT BRINGS ABOUT THE MANIFESTATION OF OUR IDENTITY IS OUR COMMITMENT TO SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES.
THE SUPERNATURAL LIFE IS A LIFE THAT IS SUPERIOR TO NATURAL LIMITATIONS.
THE WORD WE HAVE NOT PROVED CANNOT HAVE PROOFS IN OUR LIVES.
UNTIL YOU EMERGE TO THE POINT OF SONSHIP BY REASON OF MATURITY, YOU CANNOT EXPERIENCE MANIFESTATIONS.
UNTIL WE GROW UP, WE CANNOT SHOW FORTH.
BEING IN CHURCH FOR MANY YEARS DOES NOT EQUAL SPIRITUAL MATURITY.
IN THE ADVENTURE OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO KNOW THAN WE HAVE EVER KNOWN.
CLAIMING TO KNOW EVERYTHING IS PROOF OF YOUR IGNORANCE.
IT TAKES SPIRITUAL TRAINING TO REFLECT AND MANIFEST THE SUPERNATURAL.
GOD’S WORD IS THE PRINCIPAL RESOURCE THROUGH WHICH WE BUILD SPIRITUAL CAPACITY.
- Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr on OPERATING IN THE SUPERNATURAL 2C at Enough Is Enough Service || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland|| 8th September 2024 || Third Sunday Service ||
Our line of teaching for our Sunday Services has been ‘OPERATING IN THE SUPERNATURAL’ and I believe God that for each one of us, by the encounter that we are having, the supernatural will become our natural identity!
We begin by reestablishing the fact that every believer is born a supernatural being. John 3:8. So every single one that is born again is born a supernatural being. Isaiah 8:18. Church Gist. That means that we are not just born as it were to be spiritual but we are born to be supernatural. Our lives are expected to be exhibitions of the supernatural.
- I pray for somebody hearing my voice this morning, by the encounter you are having today, your life will not just be spiritual, it will be supernatural!
When we talk about the supernatural life, we are talking about a life that is superior to natural limitations. That means that what limits others cannot limit the supernatural man. What restrains others cannot restrain the supernatural man. What stops others cannot stop the supernatural man. Church Gist. That means, the supernatural man becomes unstoppable. He cannot be hindered, he cannot be restrained, he cannot be frustrated (and) he cannot be dejected.
- I pray for somebody hearing my voice this morning that via the encounter you are having in His presence today, your life will no longer be limited!
- You will become unstoppable!
- You will become unmovable in the name of Jesus Christ!
But it is one thing to have the potential within us and it’s another thing to experience the reality in our lives. And what we are trying to see how to do in this teaching is to show us what it will take for us to begin to operate in the reality of supernatural living – where we are not restrained, where it is not just an accolade, where it is not just an expectation but it is a manifestation where our lives practically become exhibitions of the power of God. Church Gist. That’s what God has ordained for every child of God. Romans 8:19…not for their explanation but to see their results, to see their proofs, to see that they are different from others.
- From now on, those who see you will see that you are different from others!
What Is A Miracle?
- Miracles are no accidents; they are the deliberate acts of God provoked by the faith of men. That means that miracles do not just happen. No! Miracles are made to happen. Church Gist. They are made to happen by the provocation of the faith of men. They are made to happen. So, miracles are not luck. No! Miracles are the product of the faith of men applied in the direction of a particular expectation.
So, miracles don’t just happen, they are made to happen. Last week, we were made to understand that when it comes to miracles, you don’t wish miracles, you work miracles. Church Gist. That’s why there is no gift of the wishing of miracles but there is a gift of the working of miracles. Miracles are worked because they are the product of the faith of men that triggers an act of God.
We have heard the testimony before. A man went to a meeting where Oral Roberts was ministering to the sick and after the crusade, they would go into the healing room and minister to those who were in the healing room. And this man had come to the crusade; each one of those sessions, he came to the Service, he was not healed. (He came) to the healing room, he was not healed and Oral Roberts was about going away and the man said, “excuse me, Sir. You can’t go because I’m supposed to be healed today.” That’s the faith of a man. Church Gist. His faith was alive. His faith was an assurance inside of him that his miracle must happen that day. That day was his day! And Oral Roberts laid hands upon him and instantly, he got his miracle by his faith. That’s why the Bible makes it very clear to us that it is to you according to your faith. Not according to your face but according to your faith. Our faith is what determines our lot.
- Today, I see somebody’s faith coming alive!
Luke 8:40-48. In other words, the miracle that this woman took was a product of the faith that was in her heart. Let’s remember that faith is of the heart. Romans 10:10. So faith is principally of the heart. Yes, faith will always be demonstrated in an act but faith is principally of the heart. Church Gist. So by faith, she took her miracle. So miracles are not happenstance, they are not accidents, they are not products of luck. Miracles are worked by the faith of men.
- Today, I see you taking your own miracle!
- Miracles are the deliberate acts of God triggered by the desperate faith of men. When faith reaches the point of desperation, God reaches the point of manifestation. It is the deliberate act of God that is provoked by the desperate faith of men. Mark 2:1-12…that’s what miracles are. Church Gist. They are the product of man’s desperate faith. Faith at the point of desperation brings God to the point of manifestation. That’s what miracles are. So, they are desperate faith. So they are not accidents, they are deliberate acts provoked by the desperation of the faith of men.
But it is important to understand that the Word we have not proved cannot have proofs in our lives. Malachi 3:10-11. So our proofs are the outcome of the Word we have proved. Church Gist. They are the outcome, the result of the Word we have proved. So, if we are going to have results, we must prove the Word.
There are four principal things that we are going to look at very quickly this morning as it concerns the supernatural and our access to commanding and operating in it. Four vital truths:
- Spiritual authority is only entrusted to spiritually developed or matured believers. The kind of authority that commands the supernatural can only be entrusted to spiritually matured or developed believers. The Bible is very clear to us as it concerns this subject. Isaiah 9:6. Church Gist. The child is born and everyone rejoices but the son is raised and then, authority is conferred. So authority does not come on the shoulders of a child. It comes on the shoulders of the son. You don’t place authority on the shoulders of a child, it is placed on the shoulders of a son.
Sonship connotes maturity. It connotes spiritual growth. This is why we are made to understand that the earnest expectation of the creature is not waiting for the manifestation of the children of God but for the manifestation of the sons of God. So, it is the sons of God that are entrusted with the manifestations of God. Church Gist. Until you and I emerge to the point of sonship by reason of maturity, we cannot begin to experience the manifestations that we desire. Luke 1:80…That means, until the time of his maturity.
Until we grow up, we cannot show forth. It takes our spiritual growth to be endowed with spiritual authority. Church Gist. So it is only entrusted to the spiritually developed or matured believer.
- Spiritual maturity is not about age but it is about depth in spiritual things. It is not about age. What that means is that you don’t mature chronologically. You can be born again for many years and not be growing. Church Gist. Spiritual maturity is not about our tenure in the faith but rather, it’s about our growth and development in the faith. It’s a product of our spiritual depths. Job 32:7-8.
So, our spiritual maturation is a product of our spiritual depth. It is not how many years we are in Church that counts to God. It is how much depth we have in God that counts to God. So, don’t just say “I have been in Church for long.” Church Gist. That’s not enough. That does not equal maturity. Maturity is a product of the depth that we have in God – the spiritual depth.
This always requires that we have a strong disposition towards spiritual growth. You see, the truth is that there are many that are always learning. They are in Church, they are writing notes everyday but yet, they are not growing. The Bible calls them “ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth.” Church Gist. They sit down dutifully, they take notes, they write it beautifully; decorates it with all kinds of things and so forth but yet, there is no depth inside of them. Because, it is not just by your availability that will equal your maturity. No! It is by your commitment and disposition towards spiritual growth. The realization that there is more in God than you and I know now.
Please, let’s understand this. That in the adventure of our knowledge of God, there is always more to know than we have ever known. In fact, the truth is this, the moment we have come to the point of thinking we know, we have demonstrated that we don’t know. Church Gist. 1 Corinthians 8:2. Coming to the point of recognizing that you cannot exhaust the discoveries of God is the point where you begin to demonstrate your true maturity in God because that keeps you hungry. Romans 11:33.
So the true matured believer is not just the one who has accumulated information but the one who has demonstrated disposition for continuous growth, whose attitude is full of hunger to know more. I remember years ago, one of my professors said something to me that has stayed with me. He said to me that the more you grow in knowledge, the more aware you are of your ignorance and he began to explain. Church Gist. When you are in primary school, you take all the subjects. True or false? Every subject. Sometimes when you see the list of subjects that the primary school child is taking, you just wonder – all manner of subjects. You get to secondary school (the first part of it), you are taking all the subjects together.
The second part of secondary school, you now begin to shelve some subjects and then you are taking some subjects. You get to university, you drop others and begin to focus more. You get to your Masters, you drop others, now you begin to focus on a particular line. There is nothing called Ph.D in everything. You get to Ph.D, you will now narrow to a very fine point. Church Gist. In other words, they are saying, you have attained knowledge but your knowledge is very narrow in this area and when your knowledge is narrow, it means that there are many other points of knowledge that you know nothing about. So the one who has gone highest in knowledge is the one who discovers that as much as he knows, what he knows is narrow.
The moment you begin to grow and say “I have heard everything that can be said, everything that can be taught”, you have demonstrated truly that this is ignorance. You know when you see somebody who has not gone anywhere, they believe that certain things can never happen. You will still tell some people today that somebody has been to the moon, they say, “lie, lie. Moon, moon that we are looking at there. It’s impossible.” Church Gist. Yet, those who went to the moon have gone there decades but because the person assumes he knows everything, he now begins to demonstrate that he does not know anything.
So let’s come to the point of recognizing that there is more to discover in God. Everytime you come to Church, come with a disposition of discovery – “I have come to know what I don’t know. I have come to hear what I have not heard. I have come to see what I have not seen.” Every time you open the Bible, continue to approach it with that sense of disposition of discovery. There is something here I have not seen before. Church Gist. Yes, you have read the Bible through and through but every time you read it, it is new if your disposition is right. So there must be a disposition for spiritual growth.
- We build capacity through tireless study and practice of the Word. 2 Timothy 2:15. You settle down and study – study tirelessly. Study the Word tirelessly. Be committed to a life of study and according to Scriptures, even a child can understand the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:15. So get yourself committed and addicted to studying the Word and study materials that expand the Word. Church Gist. That’s how we get into the realm of commanding because it takes understanding to begin enjoying command. Get committed, get addicted to the study and the practice of the Word. Proverbs 25:2. So what brings about the manifestation of our identity is our commitment to searching out. And like I said, you don’t just search the Scriptures directly only, you also search materials that speak to what you are seeking.
Please, hear this. There are things God will not tell you directly. He has put them already in materials for you to go and search it out. I have shared this before, years ago, I was looking for the answer to a particular thing. Church Gist. And I was praying and praying that night, waiting for God to give me instruction and direction on that matter. And as I was praying, suddenly, I opened my eyes and right in front of me, my bookshelf was there and I saw a particular book on my shelf and I knew…it was as if there was no other book there. That’s the only thing I saw and I knew that I needed to pick the book but I prayed some more. I prayed and prayed. I wanted God to just tell me the answer to what I was asking. I opened my eyes again, only the book I saw – I prayed again some more. I started looking after the third session of prayer, I said, time is going. Let me check this book. So I picked the book out and I began to read. As I got through the book that night, suddenly, the answer I was looking for was found.
You see, the truth is that God has deposited answers in some of the Philips that He brings our way. Acts 8:30-32…by the time the conversation ended, faith had ignited in his heart. You see the answer many times are loaded in those Philips that God brings our ways. So we must come to recognize our commitment to studying the Word of God is a vital and critical requirement. Church Gist. Every month for example, we have books of the month that are given to us. Why are they there? To help to facilitate our understanding. Like God’s Servant has said before, 20 minutes of teaching, 30 minutes of teaching, 40 minutes of teaching is not sufficient for you to become efficient in that subject. We all know that teachers teach in class but those who are front liners read outside class. That’s why they are front liners. You don’t end your study from listening. Study requires reading. Commitment to searching out deeper dimensions of what you have been taught is what brings you to the realm of commanding supernatural order of results.
- I pray again for each one of us this morning that by the Word you and I are hearing, an appetite will be stirred up afresh to keep us running after God’s Word like never before!
So, develop an appetite. Somebody is saying “oh, but I don’t have time.” Everybody has time. The problem is that we waste time. Everybody has time. Schedule yourself properly to be committed to the study of the Word. I tell people, as an individual, I wake up in the morning; first thing that I want to do after giving God thanks and celebrating Him for the day is to dive into the Word of God first. Church Gist. Before human beings confuse me, I want to hear directly from God first. So I settle down with the Word. I saturate my system with certain dimensions of God’s Word before I step out.
Everybody has time, it’s just that most people waste time. If we check the messages that we read per day – your Whatsapp messages, your text messages and then, your social media that you read everyday, if you combine it, it is plenty chapters of the Bible. And that one, we read it casually. You read it and laugh “see these people sef, see what they are…and then you chat (continuously) – back and forth. What we read everyday, the ones that are not beneficial to us, they are so abundant. Church Gist. Text messages – plenty. Whatsapp messages – plenty. All kinds! But then to settle down and study the Bible, “I don’t have time. I have been so busy all day.” Busy all day but yet there has been enough time to interact back and forth. Why? It is because there is no priority for it.
- But I pray this morning that for each one of us, a fresh dimension of hunger for the Word will be quickened in each one of our lives!
- Every believer that must command the supernatural must be committed to building spiritual capacity. If you look at Jesus, Jesus grew in spiritual capacity. Luke 2:40…that was the testimony of Jesus and we are told to follow after His steps. How about the apostles, the disciples that He left behind? Church Gist. Jesus took them and trained them. Mark 3:14. So they were with Him, He trained them and when He sent them forth, they began to manifest the supernatural. Acts 4:13. It was clear; they were manifesting the reality of their connectivity to Christ.
When a man or a woman truly is trained in the things of the Spirit, you will see them begin to reflect and manifest the supernatural. Church Gist. That’s what happened with the disciples. Paul, the Apostle also settled down and built up capacity and as a result of that, he began to manifest the supernatural.
- For each one of us, from this time onward, I see us expanding capacity to manifest the supernatural!
Let’s be reminded however that the Word of God is the principal resource through which we build spiritual capacity. It’s the principal resource. So, settling down with the Word of God is one of the critical vital requirements to keep building up our spiritual capacity. But take note, we cannot gain and retain command of the supernatural without a commitment of a tireless lifestyle of study and practice. So it’s not just studying and discovering but putting what we have studied to work. Hebrews 5:12-14. Church Gist. So the diet of the Word is one thing but the exercise of the Word in practice is another thing. That’s what puts us in shape to command the supernatural.
- For somebody hearing my voice today, I see grace coming upon each one of us!
- From this month onward, supernatural occurrences will become the order of the day in the name of Jesus!
Now, today is our Enough Is Enough Service. We must recognize that according to Scriptures that every affliction of long continuance is a manifestation of the curse of the law. Deuteronomy 28:59. So everything of long continuance (affliction of long continuance) is a manifestation of the curse of the law. Church Gist. And the Bible is clear that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. That means, in Christ, you are uncursable. Curses are not permitted to be an experience in your own personal life in Christ. It doesn’t matter what the history may have been. Maybe you have come from a family where people die at a particular age continuously or where people never rise. Recognize that in Christ, you have been made a new creature and that new creature is uncursable. You have been redeemed from the curse of the law.
That’s the reality of everyone that is in Christ Jesus. Numbers 23:20,23. That means that for those who are in Christ, your life is not permitted to be an exhibition of what the devil has done but what God has done. Church Gist. Curses are the workings of the devil. Blessings are the workings of God. So they shouldn’t be seeing curses on your life and my life. What should they be seeing in your life and my life? Blessings!
- From now, that will become your own experience!
Furthermore, suffering beyond a day, a while or a moment is contrary to our rights in redemption. Very important! 2 Corinthians 6:2. Church Gist. So God gives us our way of escape from everything, He said, a day – the day. The day of your escape, the day of your salvation.
- For somebody, today is your day of escape!
1 Peter 5:10. So, according to Scriptures, you are not permitted to suffer beyond a day. Church Gist. You are not permitted to suffer beyond a while and 2 Corinthians 4:17 shows us that you are not supposed to suffer beyond a moment.
- So whatever is celebrating anniversary in your life negatively is contrary to your right in redemption and must be shattered today!
- It must be shattered today in the name of Jesus Christ!
So you are not permitted to suffer beyond a while, beyond a moment, beyond a day. Church Gist. Nothing is permitted to be there again beyond this day, beyond this hour, beyond this moment. That’s what God has ordained.
- So, whatever is making life unbearable for you, making life uncomfortable for you; whatever is tormenting and afflicting your life, today marks the end of it forever!
- I said, today marks the end of it forever!
- I said, this very day marks the end of it forever!
- Every item you have written on that enough is enough list that you have brought into God’s presence, today, it shall be turned to a testimony!
That’s the reality. So we are ordained to live a life of liberty and guess what? God is saying, according to His Word – He said, “the Lord said to the angel that destroyed the people. It is enough: stay now your hand.” Church Gist. That’s what He brought us here for. He has brought us here to issue that enough is enough verdict and terminate every working of the wicked.
- Today, I see every working of the wicked in any department of your life and my life being turned for a testimony today!
But to take delivery of our enough is enough demands in this Service, one mighty and major thing is required and that is, we must enter into a covenant to serve God as our new way of life so that He can give us rest roundabout. Church Gist. A covenant to serve God. “My life is signed up to you” – that’s what makes the difference. That’s what gives us rest on every side.
You look at our Father, the Apostle over this Commission, you see his life, rest on every side. Why? He has signed it off in service to God to make God’s Kingdom his way of life. You know he said that while he was in school, his teacher, concerned, called him one day and said, “David, if you are going to be a student, be a student. If you are going to be a preacher, be a preacher.” Church Gist. And he said, he responded to the teacher, “Sir, I am a full time Christian and a part time student. My identity is with Christ first before it is with school. I am sold out to Christ.” That’s what makes the difference. So when you see rest on every side, it is the product of one who is completely lost in God.
Now hear this: until you are lost in God, you cannot find your rest. Church Gist. That’s the key. Until you are lost in God, you cannot find your rest. 2 Chronicles 15:12-15,19.
- Somebody hearing my voice today, by entering into this covenant today, there will be no more war in your life!
- In your family, no more war!
- In your business, no more war!
- In your career, no more war!
- In your health, no more war!
In the Second Service this morning, we had one of us standing on this altar, 110 years old. 110! She got married at 30. Waited on the Lord for the fruit of the womb and had her first child after 10 years in marriage and that first child is 70 years. Health – intact, standing on this altar today giving glory to God. And according to them, committed to God and the Kingdom. Church Gist. Her house is a Zonal Center; sold out to God and God continued to manifest Himself in her life giving her rest on every side. You know, to live that long, somebody must have rest.
You see, when you get committed to serving God, He grants you rest on every side. And the rest that God gives, no man can give it. No agitation, peace on every side. Just getting sold out to God. That woman lives in Badagry and comes to Church – (110 years old) comes to Church every Sunday. Church Gist. Somebody is living in Alagbado, just here! Alagbado that is still struggling to be between Lagos and Ogun State and he’s saying “I am coming from far. Church is far.” Here! It’s about where the heart is.
God’s Servant said in the Second Service, he said “the house of your helper is never far.” Oh, I’m telling you. When you know where help is, it’s not far o. It’s not far at all. No matter where you are coming from, when your heart has come to God that this is my last bus stop, then you will get sold out to Him. Matters of the Kingdom, you are sold out to it. That’s what makes a difference in the life of every individual. We have seen the example in our Father, let’s follow suit. Church Gist. Some of us are following the example as we are seeing it to whatever degree we have been engraced to per time, we are stretching to follow after God with everything. And I can tell you something; there is nothing that pays like loving and chasing God. Nothing pays like it. Loving and chasing God, nothing pays like it!
- From today, I see that same grace coming afresh upon us!
We have been hearing some of these things but now God is making us to see it practically.
- I pray that for those of us hearing my voice today, when you are also 110, they will be sharing that kind of testimony of you!
- They will be sharing that kind of testimony concerning you in the name of Jesus Christ! So shall it be in Jesus precious name!
So let’s get sold out. If you have not done it before, make your covenant today. If you have done it before and you have shifted ground because some of us have been committed before but we decommitted over time, renew your covenant again. And when that happens, everything that is disturbing you, God goes to contend with it. And hear this, the best way to win is not for you to fight. Church Gist. It is for God to fight. If you fight, you can win but you may have some evidences of the fight. You know in boxing, everybody is boxed including the one who won. Because it’s a fight, it is box against box and then one is still standing after the boxing. But when God is the One who fights for you, you are watching and you are winning. You are not struggling and you are winning.
- That will be somebody’s experience from now!
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