OUR ROOT IN GOD DETERMINES OUR FRUIT IN LIFE
THE QUALITY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF OUR RESULTS IN LIFE
THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU HAVE A HEART FOR GOD DETERMINES THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU MARK YOUR GENERATION
WHEN A MAN OR A WOMAN IS DEDICATED TO GOD, THEY’RE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH GOD
IN THE DAY AND AGE THAT WE LIVE IN, THERE ARE MANY WHO WILL RATHER SIDE WITH THE WORLD THAN TO SIDE WITH GOD
A DEDICATED PERSON STANDS ON THE SIDE OF GOD AND HAS AN UNASHAMED PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION WITH GOD
EARNING AND TITHING THROUGH UNGODLY MEANS IS A WASTE OF TIME AND TITHE
IT IS NOT THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR THAT IS THE MAIN PROBLEM BUT WHY WE LOOK FOR IT
PLACING GOD FIRST IN ALL THINGS MEANS MAKING GOD AND HIS INTEREST, THE PRIMARY PURSUIT OF YOUR LIFE
BEFORE RELOCATING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, GO TO GOD SINCERELY AND ASK HIM IF HE WANTS YOU TO BE THERE
WHEN MAKING MARRIAGE DECISIONS, LOOK BEYOND THE ‘CONTAINER’ AND ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU THE ‘CONTENT’
NOT ONLY THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD AND EVERYTHING INSIDE WATER IS NOT FISH
MY WIFE AND I LOVE GOD MORE THAN WE LOVE OURSELVES
THESE DAYS OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS DESTROYING PEOPLE’S LIVES. PEOPLE WAKE UP AND RUSH FOR THEIR PHONE
IT IS FAR MORE EXCITING TO HAVE YOUR LIFE REVOLVE AROUND GOD THAN YOU EVER KNOW
WHEN YOU COME ACROSS THOSE WHO SERVE AND LOVE GOD AND YOU SEE THE WAY WHICH THEY FLOW, YOU WON’T LIKE TO BE A SINNER
SEEK GOD FIRST MEANS THAT GOD HAVE THE FINAL SAY IN ALL MATTERS OF YOUR LIFE
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT IT’S NOT GOD THAT HAS THE FINAL SAY BUT THEIR BOSSES IN THE OFFICE OR THEIR BENEFACTOR
– Dr. Pastor Paul Enenche on “PRACTICAL DEDICATION TO GOD” || January 2024 Anointing Service || Glory Dome, Abuja.
I welcome everyone here to this very wonderful Sunday Service. We’re here on the subject of “PRACTICAL DEDICATION TO GOD”. Church Gist. Our objective is to understand what it entails to be practically dedicated to God.
Matthew 6:31-33. The Lord bless His Word in Jesus’ precious name.
I want to say this morning that the subject of dedication to God is very critical to the life of the Child of God. Church Gist. I’m going to give us four key thoughts that are important to note.
1. Our root in God determines our fruit in life.
Identify people, men, women who have root in God, it affected their fruit in life.
2. Our seriousness with God determines the gloriousness of our lives.
We have observed before now that God will never do any serious things with an unserious person.
3. The quality of our relationship with God affects the quality of our results in life.
Look at men and women like Abraham, Esther, Ruth.
4. Our heart for God determines our mark in life.
The extent to which you have a heart for God determines the extent to which you mark your generation. Church Gist. Abraham marked his generation, Isaac, Jacob, Job. All a function of heart for God.
Having said all of these, then I need to have a heart for God, I need to be dedicated to God, what is the practicality of dedication to God? Somebody is dedicated to God, what does it mean? This man, this woman is dedicated to God, what does it mean? Church Gist. I had so many things I wanted to say in this morning service, I realized that the time will not be enough at all. So, I’m spreading the message into 2 or 3 (parts) and I’m trusting the Lord to be through. Practical dedication means;
1. Standing on the side of God.
When we say a man or a woman is dedicated to God, we are talking about a person that is standing on the side of God. Church Gist. In Exodus 32, when the Children of Israel began to mess up and worship other gods, they made the golden calf and were all dancing to that golden calf. Moses came from the top of the mountain, when God told him “the people that you brought out of Egypt, they have corrupted themselves” and he saw them, dancing almost literally naked before an image they had moulded. He broke the tablets of the commandments in anger. Exodus 32:26. Church Gist. Everybody is now on the other side, everybody is doing what they want to do, “who is standing with God?” And the Levites said, “here we are”. That is practical dedication to God – standing on the side of God.
Now, what is the meaning of standing on the side of God?
1a. It means standing on the side of truth and reality.
It means you’re not fake, plastic, unreal and false. It is standing on the side of truth.
1b. Being on the same page with God.
His vision is your vision, what He wants is what you want, “let me want what you want. Let me love what you love”. Church Gist. I am on the same page, I want what God wants. Undedicated people love what God hates and they hate what God loves. They go where God is not and they leave where God is. But, when a man or a woman is dedicated to God, they’re on the same page with God. Church Gist. The joy of God is their joy, the love of God is their love.
1c. Taking sides with God, not with the world or the devil.
There are people who have taken sides with the world and there are those who took side with the devil. Dedication means taking sides with God. Church Gist. In the day and age that we live in, there are many who will rather side with the world than to side with God. You see so called Christians criticizing Church, God, God’s people and so on, publicly with unbelievers. They’re afraid of taking another side and what the world will think. Taking sides with God, whatever it costs. Taking sides with God, not with the world or the devil. Church Gist. Everyone hearing the sound of my voice, the question is very clear, what side are you on? When the chips are down, what side are you on? When there’s an argument globally, locally or in your office and everybody is talking against God, Church, this or that or everybody is deciding to do this or do that, what side are you on? There are those who even sit on the bench, they don’t have any side, you can’t tell the side they are but not the Levites. Church Gist. They stepped out, “we are on the Lord’s side. Whatever be the consequence, I am on the Lord’s side”.
1d. Unashamed public identification with God.
“Who is on the Lord’s side?” That’s dedication. A dedicated person is standing on the side of God, he has an unashamed public identification with God. Church Gist. There are those who are ashamed to identify with God, ashamed to carry the Bible, ashamed to be a Christian, ashamed to say they’re born again, maybe when there’s criticism against God. Church Gist. Dedicated people, they have an unashamed public identification with God.
1e. Identifying with God when it is not the most popular thing to do.
The most popular thing to do in Israel at that time was to worship the golden calf. Identify with God when it’s not the popular thing to do in your family, your office or in your community. Identifying with God when the majority seems to be doing the opposite. 11 tribes of Israel were doing the opposite, only the tribe of Levi, one over twelve. But it paid. Church Gist. At the end of the day, the children of Levi did not have to struggle for possession with the tribe of Israel, God became their inheritance. They didn’t need to struggle for the things of life.
– I see this oil of dedication coming upon somebody in Jesus’ precious name.
So, dedication means, standing on the side of God and if you want me to qualify it – standing on the side of God (in all things), not in some things. That is the practicality of dedication number one.
2. Placing God first in all things.
Matthew 6:33. What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness?
2a. Making God and His interest the primary pursuit of your life.
There are those whose primary pursuits are different. There are those, their life is all about money. There are those, their life is all about position. Church Gist. Someone was talking to me about a man yesterday who seemed to be like a money-miss-road kind of human being whose money has made to literally run mad – he talks like a mad man, insane. That is, you got the things of the world and the things of the world messed your life up. Church Gist. You got what you want and at the end, it’s almost like you don’t want what you got. Do you understand what I’m talking about? I’m talking about that you’re a billionaire but the reason why you conquered the billions is God. You know, God knows, the devil knows. Church Gist. I’m saying that you have a position and you know, God knows, the devil knows that reason why you got to such a position is the number of lives you want to touch for the Kingdom before you leave this world. Other people may be pursuing those things for other reasons but the reason why you’re pursuing the things is Heaven first. I am saying that you’re a billionaire but you stepped in there because you’re annoyed that every billionaire is an occultist or maybe this rich people are all serving the devil, when will somebody serving God step there? “I am stepping there”. I mean, “I want to count billions and still carry Bible on Saturday morning and do street evangelism”. Church Gist. So that people will say, “who is this?” “It’s the billionaire owner of so and so place”.
It is not the things that we are looking for that is the main problem but why do we look for it? It is not that getting money is a problem but why do you want to get it? Church Gist. Getting the position of power is not the problem but why do you want to get it? The Bible said, with God, actions are weighed. This is practical dedication to God. “Father, make me a voice in my generation so that in the top places where decisions are taken, where opinions are made, there’s a Kingdom voice there that can influence opinions”. Church Gist. That would be somebody’s passion and decision.
Not too long ago, some group of people sat down together to shut down the world in a lockdown. We will talk about that another time.
What does it mean to place God first in all things? It means making God and His interest, the primary pursuit of your life. “I am going to do great things but it’s for God”.
2b. Making God the first consideration in all of life’s decisions.
This is raw dedication. That is, you’re making God the first consideration in your life’s decisions. Church Gist. I’ll give you practical examples. I’m about to get a job, one job is paying 1.5 million, another job is paying 500,000 a month. What is going to matter to me is not which job is more paying, it’s which job would facilitate my spirituality more and where will I make more impact for the Kingdom. Because what shall it profit a man if I make the 1.5 million every month and lose my soul. Maybe the 1.5 million job is the one that is making you to lie for your boss. “Tell them I’m not around” and you’re jobbing and receiving millions a month and even paying tithe from it. Church Gist. God is saying you’re wasting your time and your tithe. Maybe it’s the job that is allowing you to package woman or men for your boss as the case may be, that’s your own assignment but you’re collecting big money. God said, “what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul”. Job that is assisting you to forge signatures but it has big salary. A dedicated person that is dedicated to God will say, “to hell with that salary! I will not touch any money that will take me to hell”. Church Gist. God is the first consideration of your decision, not money, not sentiments.
Maybe it’s a relocation decision. Everybody is moving to Canada, America and the UK. Question is, “does God want me there?” Go before God sincerely, “Lord, do you want me there?” Church Gist. Because there are people in Canada for 30-something years who have nothing to show. I met a professional in the UK, he has been in the UK for 30 years, he has a big “Dr” in front of his name. For 30-something years, no house there, no house at home. He was ashamed to come home because there was nothing to come home to meet after 30 years. “I will lift up my eyes to abroad from whence cometh my help”, is that what the Bible said? It’s not bad to be there if God positions you there. Church Gist. You could be like a Joseph that reaches back to the people of your family or the home or to make a change in a nation. It is not where you are or where you’re not, it is where God wants. Church Gist. Am I communicating at all? So, you’re making God your number one consideration.
Even in Marriage, “this is a rich man, he wants to come and marry me”. Question is, “is he marrying me out of Church? Marrying me out of God? Marrying me out of commitment to God?” Some people, the first thing they want to know is, “does he have a big house, a big car or this or that?” Church Gist. And if he’s able to have all of that, then other things, there’ll be no challenge. The man does not pray, he does not fast, he does not know God. His philosophy about money and life is opposite your own. Then you married him. You started slowing down in coming to Church, after a while, he says your prayer is disturbing, “you better choose Church or this marriage”. What is your consideration? Church Gist. Or you see a flashy girl, just moving about and dazzling your mind, you don’t know the content, you’re just seeing container. It is God who knows content. No matter how or whatever you are, you don’t know both content and future. God knows what is inside the person now and what the person will become tomorrow. One fire brand brother married a woman. Church Gist. The woman said he’s praying too much and going to Church too much. Long story made short, he dragged this brother from Church, until both of them are sitting down drinking beer and then began to break the bottle on each other. I’m telling you life story. That man eventually became a drunkard/drug addict, he didn’t recover till death.
– you will never take such a journey!
This is month number one and I’m telling you hard matters that will help us for the journey of the year. Church Gist. Not only that glitters is gold, everything inside water is not fish. Church Gist. So that we are not moved by the things that move others. God is your first consideration in all of life’s decisions.
2c. Giving God the first preference in all of life’s actions.
We just talked about decisions now, this is actions. Church Gist. This is the meaning of this one: that is, every action you want to take, God is first. For example, you woke up in the morning, you don’t want to talk to man until you have talked to God. “Seek God first” and it can be practical. My wife is aware, there are times she’s coming to greet me, I can’t respond and she understands that I love God more than me, so, I love God more than anybody and she too loves God more than me. Church Gist. I can’t interrupt with her prayer life. I can’t say, “I’m your husband, stand up from prayer!” Who? Which me? Are you Nebuchadnezzar husband? Then God will send you to the bush.
– somebody say Amen!
That is, I don’t want to talk to man until I have talked to God. These days of social media is destroying people’s lives. People wake up, they rush for their phones. What message? And some of them are rubbish, useless message that is adding nothing to your life. Church Gist. Apart from divine intervention, when was the last time you picked up your phone and a message on the spot gave you 1 billion? In fact, some are annoying texts, you woke up annoyed from the morning because you woke up, the first thing you saw was an annoying message. The day has been set. That is, you made up your mind, “I won’t talk to man until I’ve talked to God”. Church Gist. My children were coming from somewhere the other day and it was time to eat after the fast. “Won’t you eat?” She said, “no. I’m not able to eat now. I can’t even break the fast now because I haven’t studied the Bible the way I want yet”. That’s one telling the other. “I can’t break the fast now. I feel guilty to eat now since I haven’t eaten the Bible enough”. Do you understand what I’m saying? Job said, “I have esteemed the words of your mouth more than my necessary food”. Job 23:12. That is, God is priority. Church Gist. This is practical dedication. There are many people going to Church but they’re not dedicated. Money touches your hand, you feel like you’re sinner until you have given God His portion. That is, you don’t feel like you want to spend anything from this thing until God has been given His own. Giving God priority in life’s actions.
– lift your hands and say after me, “Father, I receive the grace for dedication this year. Help me Lord to be dedicated truly to you in Jesus’ name”.
2d. Making God central to all of life.
God is central. That is, everything about you revolves around God. Some people say, “can life be fun that way? Will life be exciting?” I tell you it is far more exciting than you ever know. Church Gist. Making God central to all of life. When you come across those who serve God and who love God and you see the way which they flow, you won’t like to be a sinner.
Let me crack the joke that Papa Oyedepo cracked with me the other day. I was preaching at Church of God Mission International Ministers’ Conference and I was on the altar when he landed. Church Gist. He landed with a chopper on the premises. I couldn’t stop preaching, I continued preaching, but she (Dr Mrs Becky Paul-Enenche) went to receive him and greet him along with other people. After the preaching finished, he was the next person to preach but I had to rush to Abuja for the fasting and prayer. So, I went to him, greeted him briefly and then, I rushed. He said, “you’re going?” I said, “yes, I’m catching the service this evening”. So, I rushed and by the time we came, service was already closed before I came here. So, later in the night, we spoke and he said, “so how far? How did it go? How was the service?” I said, “I couldn’t meet up with the service”. Church Gist. He said, “good for you. Service you were rushing to, you couldn’t greet me well”. (laughs). “You were rushing, just running and running, you couldn’t even greet me well”. I said, “no. I actually thought that you were already in the spirit going to preach, so I didn’t want to disturb the spirit”. Hallelujah. If you come around the circles of those who really pursue God… I cracked the joke with my children, they couldn’t hold themselves. They said, “what?” If you come around those who really know God, it is fun, it is beautiful, it is exciting. Clean excitement. Life is not dull, I’m not dull. Church Gist. When the music starts, my legs start moving on the spot. It’s the most exciting thing for a man’s life to revolve around God.
– lift your right hand and say after me, “Father, I receive the grace to live the life that revolves around you. I receive that grace oh Lord, in the name of Jesus.
2e. Making God to have the final say in all matters of life.
Seek God first means, Lord, you have the final say in all matters of life. Church Gist. You don’t have any other thing to say once God has spoken. You’re making God to have the final say.
🎶Who has the final say? Jehovah has the final say🎶 In all matters of my life – marital matters, destiny matters, career matters, ministry matters. When God has spoken, there’s no other thing to say. Church Gist. There are those, it’s not God that has the final say, it’s the boss in the office, it’s a benefactor, somebody that is sponsoring and paying their money. “Don’t go Church” “Yes sir”; “Don’t do this” “Yes sir”; “if you do this, I won’t pay your money again” “Yes sir”. Church Gist. God is to have that final say and that position in all of your matters of life.
– somebody say a loud Amen.
3. Commitment to God against all odds.
When a person is dedicated to God, the person is committed to God against all odds. Job 13:15. Commitment to God against all odds. Church Gist. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they exhibited that. Daniel 3:16-17. It is commitment to God against all odds and this is what it means:
3a. Functioning in unconditional devotion to God.
Devotion to God that is not tied to any condition. Church Gist. When you see a man that has conditions to serve God, he’s not dedicated.
3b. Serving God not for what He does but who He is. Not for His things, but for Himself.
We are not serving God for His things, we are serving Him for Himself. Church Gist. Not seeking His hand but seeking His face.
– somebody say Amen!
When we came to the Lord first in the late 70s and then in the middle 80s, rededication. I didn’t know of anything called prayer request. We only went to Church, there was literally nothing who has a prayer request. Church Gist. We just went to Church, it was normal to go to Church. Then, we realized that God answers prayer, you don’t only just go to Church, when we come to God, he also does things for us. Then, people took it to the next level, to the extreme opposite.
One day, in the Area One Church, during healing and deliverance service, I said, “can you lift up your hands, let us worship God”. I saw people, this one lifted picture, this one lifted (another thing). I was so furious in the spirit. Church Gist. Lift your hands to worship God, you’re presenting request? I was so annoyed. So, God is someone to use, not someone to love. Your only relationship with God is to use Him to get you things.
You know, in our own service for God for donkey years, we forgot that we had a need. Church Gist. 13 solid years of ministry in rented house with plenty money to build Churches and they were all being built but we forgot that we didn’t have a house. Car has never been a prayer request for me, never, not now, since the beginning when we had 504. But we see ourselves following God and running after Him and then after a while, the things began to run after us. Church Gist. For years, I paid tithe, I didn’t see the result but it is in the Bible, so, I continued paying.
– somebody say a loud Amen.
Please, I want us to come to the point where when you go before God, the first thing on your mind is not a need, it’s not a request. “Lord, I came to love you. I came to worship you. I came to confirm that you’re my God”.
3c. Establishing deep roots in God that are not shakable by the winds and storms and life.
Your roots are so deep in God that they’re not shakable. That is, the devil is literally wasting his time. Church Gist. The roots of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were so deep, they couldn’t be shaken. The root of Daniel on God were so deep, they couldn’t be shaken. Deep roots, not superficial Christianity.
3d. Functioning as an all-weather Christian rather than existing as a fair-weather Christian.
You’re serving God when it appears good, when it appears not too good, you’re serving God. How many of you know that there are two classes of people? There are people who are deeply spiritual only when they have no money. Church Gist. Church attendance cannot be faulted. Fasting and prayer, in fact, the hunger is already making them to fast. But, let small money arrive, he just bought a car, 3-4 million, he now has business partner coming from Germany, that he cannot come to service, he has to pick them at the airport on sunday morning. That’s fair weather Christian. There are those, it’s the opposite, they’re quarreling with God because they don’t have anything. “God, where are you? Even the unbelievers are better than me and they’re not going to Church”. Church Gist. Find out what the unbelievers are doing, a major bulk of them without conscience. But, here you are, there’s plenty money, no change. My prayer life has never been affected either by scarcity or by abundance. Church Gist. The more resources came, the more it gave me the capacity to do the things I could do. It’s to build a Church, buy this or that to deepen my spiritual life.
– somebody say Amen!
If money can change you, then your roots are not deep in God. If shortage can affect you, then something is wrong somewhere. It is existence as an all-weather Christian rather than existing as a fair-weather Christian. That is dedication to God, commitment to God against all odds.
– I announce to somebody here, something is changing in your life!
– if you’re that one, say a loud Amen.
3e. Existing and being used of the Almighty to teach the enemy the lesson of his life.
Your existence is being used by the Almighty to teach the enemy the lesson of his life. You know what that means? “Satan see Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, you think it’s everybody that will deny God when they see fire? See this one, they will teach you lesson”. “Satan see Daniel. You think everybody will fear the lion and stop following me? Check him out”. There are some of us, we are so rugged that God will use you to teach satan a lesson. “I thought you said that people lost their job and backslid? See this one, they maliciously sacked him/her because of his/her faith and her spirituality has increased”. Then, He will say, “are you through like Job? Alright, let me show you what I will do with the person that is ruggedly committed. Take quadruple promotion” and God changes your story to the hypertension of the devil.
– Stand up on your feet somebody!
I will stop here so you can retain the ones you have heard. By next Sunday, we will continue in the same line because we have just done one quarter of the whole of the series.
– lift up your hands and give Him the praise.
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