IT IS OUR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING THAT DEFINES THE LIMITS OF OUR DESTINY.
THE NATURE OF GOD IS A NATURE OF HOLINESS. SO, EVERY OFFSPRING OF GOD IS AN OFFSPRING OF HOLINESS.
GOD HAS PREORDAINED THE OUTCOME OF OUR ADVENTURE IN LIFE.
ANYONE LIVING OUTSIDE HOLINESS IS LIVING OUTSIDE DESTINY.
UNTIL YOU ARE BORN AGAIN, YOU CANNOT ACCESS YOUR GLORIOUS DESTINY IN CHRIST.
SALVATION IS NOT TO BE ASSUMED. IT IS A DEFINITE EXPERIENCE WITH VERY DEFINITE PROOFS.
WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE SEXUAL SINS ARE BEEN SEEN AS NORMAL.
THE WORKS OF THE FLESH SHOULD BE CRUCIFIED IN YOU IF TRULY YOU ARE BORN AGAIN.
FLEE ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL; A MOMENT OF CARELESSNESS CAN HAVE DIRE CONSEQUENCES.
- Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr on TOWARDS MAXIMIZING OUR GLORIOUS DESTINY IN CHRIST at Winning Invisible Battles Service || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland || 2nd June 2024 || Third Sunday Service ||
The Prophetic Focus for the Month which was read to us this morning is ‘I AM A CHILD OF DESTINY, I SHALL NOT LIVE LIKE A DESTITUTE.’ Church Gist. And our Teaching Series which we are commencing this morning is captioned ‘TOWARDS MAXIMIZING OUR GLORIOUS DESTINY IN CHRIST.’
It’s important for us to understand this morning that destiny in the Kingdom is not about whatever happens will happen. That’s not destiny, that’s fate. Destiny is about what has been preordained to be; what has been predestined or pre-purposed to be. Church Gist. Jeremiah 29:11. So there’s a predetermined end. There’s a prepackaged outcome.
It is important to note also that every child of God is an offspring of divine predestination. Every child of God! Ephesians 3:1-5…You see predestination stated in those verses twice. Ephesians 1:11. So in all these verses, we see there the Word ‘predestination, predestinated’ continuously stated. Church Gist. That is, God when He talks about predestination, you are talking about a prepackaged purpose. And every child of God (everyone that is born again) is a predestined being. That means, God has preordained the outcome of our adventure.
- My prayer is that everything that God has preordained for you and for me, we will see it come to pass in the name of Jesus!
The beauty of that predestination is that the predestination is a wonderful package. Jeremiah 29:11. Church Gist. So there is a picture that God has packaged for everyone that is a child of God and He said that picture is a picture that gives you an anticipation (a longing) for the future. It means that God has a good plan for you.
- I see that good plan coming to pass in your life!
This is why being born again makes one a child of destiny. But it is important to note that we have a common destiny in Christ. Everyone that is a child of God has a common destiny in Christ. But it is our spiritual understanding that defines the limits of our destiny. Proverbs 21:16…that is, he is saved but he will not look like he is saved. Church Gist. His life will not be different. So our understanding is what determines our experience. We must therefore begin to delve deeper and seek greater understanding of this destiny that God has in store for us so that we can experience it in our lives.
Quickly this morning, our destiny in Christ includes what? We are going to look at some pictures from Scripture.
- It’s a holy destiny. Our destiny in Christ is a holy destiny. Matthew 1:21. One of the things that we see that takes place in salvation (when a man or woman becomes born again; a boy or girl becomes born again), there is salvation from sin. We are taken from iniquity into sanctity. Church Gist. That is one of the things that takes place. So everyone that is a child of God is called into a holy destiny. Ephesians 1:4. So the redeemed has a holy destiny. 1 Peter 1:16.
The nature of God is a nature of holiness. So every offspring of God is an offspring of holiness. Holiness is the nature of God. So everyone that is born of God is ordained to be holy. 1 John 3:7-10. The nature of God is a nature that is contrary to sin. Church Gist. So according to Scripture therefore, it means that when a person becomes born again, that individual is called into a destiny of holiness. That’s why we keep hearing of people saying ‘I surrendered my life to Christ and the taste for this thing died.’ Why? There was a recalibration of the nature of that individual by redemption.
When a man or woman becomes born again, he’s called into a destiny of holiness and this becomes vital and very important. Romans 8:1-4. Now listen carefully, you cannot take a pig and bathe the pig and dress the pig and give the pig 10 commandments on cleanliness and expect the pig to be clean. It will only be clean as long as it does not see mud. The moment it sees mud, the pigness inside the pig will show up. Why? What makes the pig is inside it. There is a pig nature that likes dirty. It likes everything dirty. Church Gist. Whatever it is that is too clean is anti-pig. So when it sees dirty things, the pig feels at home – that’s the environment that its pigness begins to show up. That is why if you put a pig in any place, come to that place not long after that. You will discover that the pig has conditioned the environment to its nature. The nature of the pig is for things to be dirty. So it causes the place to be dirty. When you over clean an environment, the pig is not comfortable because what makes the pig a pig is the nature that is attracted to dirtiness.
Now listen to this very carefully. When a man is outside Christ, there is a pig nature inside him. Everything sinful is what he likes. The sinful…the more pleasurable. He enjoys sin. That’s why the Bible talks about the deceit of the pleasure of sin. Whatever displeases God is what that one likes. But when a man truly is in Christ, there is a reculturing of the nature. Church Gist. He’s carrying the same body but the software has changed. Inside him, there is a nature that no longer likes what it used to like before. If you have your phone, you know that your phone behaves according to the software inside it. When the software is bad, the phone begins to misbehave – the body has not changed but the software has changed. When the software is changed and the software is good, the phone begins to behave. The body has not changed but the software has changed.
If a man is in Christ, he is a new creature. What does that mean? Software has changed – old things have passed away. He used to like to steal, he used to like to lie, he used to like to fornicate; all things have become new. Church Gist. Now, he likes holiness, now, he likes sanctification, now, he likes reading the Bible, now, he likes going to Church. All things have become new.
So according to Scripture, we are made to see very clearly that when a man becomes born again, he’s called into holiness. He’s packaged for a life of holiness. So what is the destiny of the redeemed? It is a destiny of holiness. Church Gist. That means that anyone living outside holiness is living outside destiny. He’s living outside destiny. He’s missing his target.
- You will not miss your target!
- It’s a glorious destiny – the second picture of the destiny of the redeemed. Romans 8:29-30. So everyone that is a child of God is ordained for glory. Say with me, ‘I am ordained for glory.’ 2 Peter 1:3. So every child of God is called unto glory – ordained unto glory. Church Gist. That is, we are ordained to live glorious lives and this glory exceeds the glory that had been seen in the Old Testament. There is a new dimension of glory that God has ordained for us.
- You will not miss it in the name of Jesus Christ!
But we understand that from these 2 pictures of the destiny that we have in Christ, that salvation is what makes one a child of destiny. Church Gist. Until you are born again (until you are a child of God), you cannot access this glorious destiny or this holy destiny.
The question is how do I know if I’m born again? How can I tell if I’m born again? We are going to look at 2 indicators here very quickly that show us whether indeed we are born again or not. You see, being born again is not an emblem. So many people today, they just go around just assuming salvation. No one ever has salvation by assumption. Salvation is a definite experience with very definite proofs. Yesterday during the outreach, I met a young man. I said, ‘my brother, are you born again, are you saved?’ Church Gist. He said, ‘of course na.’ I said, this thing is not assumption, it’s not of course matter. Are you truly born again? Do you have a relationship with God? You see, they can call you Church member, the question is does God call you His family member? This is so important.
The question is, how will I know whether I’m born again or not? What are the evidences? What are the proofs?
- Through the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit. These are what you can call the proofs of a regenerated spirit. Galatians 5:22-23. Church Gist. So there are 9 fruits that are indicated there of a regenerated spirit. So if my spirit is truly born again, it will produce these fruits. If my spirit is truly born again, these are the fruits that it will produce.
You see, there are trees that look alike. If there is an argument about what tree that is, just wait, you will find out when the fruit comes because the fruit tells you the tree (it tells you the kind of tree that it is). You don’t need to argue about what kind of tree it is, the fruit justifies or testifies of the kind of tree it is. Church Gist. If indeed our spirit man is regenerated and indeed we have become new creatures in Christ, then the fruits of our lives will be the evidence of the authenticity of our encounter with Christ. Whatever is planted in our lives will be harvested as fruits from our lives. If Christ is in us, if truly we are born again then there are fruits that will begin to show forth in our lives. Let’s look at 2 of them very quickly.
i. The love of God that comes alive in us. Galatians 5:22. So the love of God comes alive inside of us when genuinely we become born again (when our spirit man is regenerated). 1 John 4:16, 1 John 4:7-8. It means that the love of God is the authentication of our association with God. Church Gist. A man or woman that does not love, that is not in love with God, not in love with His ways, not in love with His agenda, not in love with His Kingdom cannot claim to be connected to God. Our God connectivity is authenticated by our affection for Him. So anyone that is genuinely born again, there is the stirring up of the love of God coming alive in him or her.
- Today, I see that becoming somebody’s experience!
You see, the heartstrings of a man that genuinely is connected to God, he is continuously in pursuit of God. When you truly are connected to God, if Christ truly lives in you, then your heart will continuously be after Him. Church Gist. This is so important. So one of the vital proofs of any genuine encounter with salvation is love for God – the love of God coming alive in us.
ii. The joy of salvation erupting inside of our souls. You see, we live in a world where joy is a very scarce commodity. One of the most common occurrences on the Earth today is depression. Depression is everywhere. It’s an epidemic. You find it all over the World. People (are) just being tormented by depression because the absence of God in any life is the presence of depression. The spirit of heaviness seems to be canopying over a generation today. But one of the vital treasures available to the redeemed is the treasure of joy unspeakable that is full of glory. 1 Peter 1:8. Church Gist. So there is a joy that cannot be explained. That joy comes at salvation. Is somebody getting it now? So when a person is saved, one of the evidences is this joy erupting inside you. Psalm 51:12. So salvation has with it joy. Every genuine experience of salvation brings with it an unusual outpouring of joy. When Christ was preached in Samaria, the Bible said, there was great joy in the City. Acts 5:5-8.
- Today, I see somebody’s joy being restored!
So if you are saved or you are born again, we said first, there will be the manifestations of the fruits of the Spirit and there are 2 of those fruits of the Spirit we have looked at now and the first is love and the second one is joy.
2: You can prove your salvation through supernatural rescue from the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21. Church Gist. So, here was see certain things that are laid out and painted to us in Scriptures as evidence of works of the flesh. Things that can be seen as contrary to the Spirit of God. Let’s look at 2 of them.
i: Adultery and under adultery, we are really talking about really sexual sins. 1 Thessalonians 4:3. This is the will of God. Don’t guess it, it’s clear. We live in a world today where there are so much sexual perversions, so much and the standard has dropped and dropped, even believers have dropped the standard. Church Gist. You find Christians today, they see nothing wrong with sex outside of marriage. All kinds of inexplainable occurrences and people will tell you “No, you see, it’s just, after all, you know I’m a human being” No, you are a born again being. If truly you are saved, the work of the flesh should be crucified in you. Church Gist. This is so important. It should be crucified in you. So much perversion everywhere today. The works of the flesh should be crucified in you if truly you are born again. This is vital and so important.
- and I pray that for anyone that is under any bondage, today marks the end of it in the name of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:18. It is a different category. He sins against his own body. Church Gist. That’s why you find all kinds of devastations and destructions taking place because of lack of boundaries, a lack of living a life of sanctity in this area.
- I pray again that every bondage in this regard will be broken today in the name of Jesus Christ.
- If you believe it, say a loud Amen!
The consequences are very dire. The Bible tells us concerning David, very striking thing. David was such a man that seemed to be the epitome of so much, but the Bible tells us this very thing that took place after he went after Bathsheba. Church Gist. 2 Samuel 12:10. “The sword shall never depart” All kinds of calamity. I studied it closely and you discovered the things that happened in the house of David, in fact, in one family, brother killing brother multiple times. The house was divided and at war. Why? Because of one moment of carelessness. That’s why the Bible says “Flee the appearance of evil” Run away from it, the very appearance. 1 Thessalonians 5:22. You are an executive, you have a staff with you of the opposite sex, you are travelling about from different places for different business appointments, going to various hotels, be careful, be careful. Church Gist. You have a staff with you of the opposite sex that is working with you in the office and you are doing late hours when everybody has left the office, only the 2 of you are there, sitting down there looking at paper, you can’t go home and check the paper at home and call to find out whatever it is that needs to be…you are inside the same environment day 1, day 2, day 3, month 1, month 2, month 3, year 1, year 2, year 3. Church Gist. What do you think will happen? You see, there must be clear boundaries. Satan will always seek to take advantage of the lack of sensitivity of people. He will seek to take advantage of it, the lack of sensitivity of people.
- I pray today that whatever it is that may be a stronghold in anyone’s life in this regard, may today be the day of liberty in the name of Jesus Christ.
But the standard must be held and the standard must be the crushing of the works of the flesh.
I’ve shared this before years ago, a woman came to meet me right in Church and said to me “Pastor, I want you to pray” and years ago, the Lord had told me, He said “Look, be careful because you’ll waste many prayers” I said, “What do you mean?” He said “There are some prayers you pray that can not be answered” So, from then, when people come to me to pray, I ask them questions so I would know whether the prayer should be prayed or it should not be prayed. Church Gist. So this woman came and said “Pray for me” I said, “What is the problem?” She said “I want the fruit of the womb” I was about to pray and the Spirit of God inside me just quickened me, “Ask her questions” I said, “Where is your husband?” She said, “He’s not around”. “Why is he not around?” By the time I asked questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I came to find out that the person she was talking about was somebody else’s husband that she came to God for to have a baby with that person. Can you see the standard? Church Gist. You have run to Church to come for intervention that you can become pregnant with somebody who is not your husband and there was no fear to even say it’s a prayer point, that you came to report yourself to God, “God oh, every commandment you gave, I am breaking all, but as I’m breaking it, help me” That is how many people have become desensitized. 2 people come to Church, you are not married, you came from the same house, from the same apartment, woke up in the morning, took 2 different buses to arrive in Church so that nobody will know you are coming from the same house, you can deceive everybody, God is not deceived. Church Gist. Let’s wake up. If you will walk with God, you must walk right.
- May God help us!
ii: Idolatry. Idol worship. You see, this involves every form of idolatry. Like God’s Servant said, whether it is godfathers, whatever it is you call idolatry, whatever makes you to bow to anything or anyone in the place of God is idolatry. Church Gist. Whatever makes you to substitute God with something or assist God by something is idolatry. We live in a world today where so many people are mixing many things. People who are supposedly Church people, still connected to ungodly sources, going to various places in the night seasons, pouring libation out as a Christian, making incantations and individuals are thinking they are going to enjoy the best of God. Church Gist. No, it is a signal of the fact that you don’t have a connection to God. Everyone that truly belongs to God is disconnected from every other source.
- Shout hallelujah!
That is the authenticity of a person who is genuinely walking with God. Church Gist. If you are walking with God, there is no idol, there is nothing that shares glory with God in your life.
- Therefore, whatever anyone may have put as a source of help, today will be your day of liberty in the name of Jesus Christ.
Now, what are the keys to realizing our glorious destiny in Christ? If you want to experience the fullness of this destiny that God has packaged for you and me, what are the keys?
1: Have a heart for God. Those whose hearts go after God, God goes after them. 1 Corinthians 2:9. Church Gist. So, lovers of God end up as wonders to the World. They end up as wonders to the World. So, engage your heart in the pursuit of God
2: Have a thirst for the Word. Be hungry for the Word of God. Isaiah 55:1-3,11. So, all this thing is telling us to be hungry and thirsty for is the Word. “So shall my Word be” So, we must have a thirst, a hunger for the Word of God. Church Gist. Why? Because our inheritance is loaded in God’s Word. Acts 20:32. So, our inheritance is loaded in God’s Word, so we must get addicted to it, get committed to it, have a thirst, a hunger, a drive for the Word of God. This will help you and I to realise the fullness of our colourful destiny in Christ.
- I see our destiny in Christ being fully manifested in Jesus name.
As we begin to conclude today, our service is ‘Winning Invisible Battle Service’ and the good news is that whatever came as a contention with you into this service this morning, it shall be subdued and turned to a testimony today.
-If you believe it, say a louder Amen!
From Scriptures, it’s clear that the kingdom of darkness, where invisible forces reside is a kingdom of wickedness, where the Bible tells us that there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Church Gist. Matthew 22:13. If we are going to dominate against the Kingdom of darkness, our only weapon is the weapon of light. John 1:4,5. So, it takes the engagement of the dominion of light for anyone to experience liberty from every one of the forces of wickedness resisting him or her.
- Today, by the light of God’s Word, I see every force of resistance being brought to its knees in the name of Jesus Christ.
Now, to overcome these forces of wickedness, what must we do? 4 things quickly.
1: Be born again. John 1:12. So, everyone that is born again is empowered by God. There is an empowerment that brings us into realms of dominion. Church Gist. So, the first key is you must be born again. Remember, being born again is an escape from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light. Acts 26:18. So, it is to be rescued from the Kingdom of darkness. Colossians 1:13.
2: Engage the power of faith. Our faith is a weapon that quenches every one of the assaults of the enemy. Ephesians 6:16. So, when faith comes alive, the enemy is forced to bow. Church Gist. 1 John 5:4. There is nothing that hell can throw that faith cannot quench. When your faith comes alive, the enemy is brought to silence.
- Every contention of the wicked against your life, your family, your destiny, today as your faith is quickened, I see it silenced in the name of Jesus.
Engage the power of faith.
3: Seek for outbreak of light and spiritual empowerment through prayer and fasting. Church Gist. That as we stand before the Lord seeking for light, when light breaks forth, the enemy bows out. There is power in light. It brings you to the realm of cheap victory, cheap triumph.
I’ve shared this a few years ago. Some years ago, just at Shiloh, a particular woman, I was coming, rushing into the honour entrance for the morning session and as I was running in, a particular woman was right there close to the entrance and it was about service time and I saw this woman and she was talking with a man’s voice and her mother was standing beside her. Church Gist. I just took a mental note and quickly ran into the service. After that, I didn’t see her again. But after Shiloh, almost a week or so, after Shiloh, I saw the same woman at the Secretariat. I couldn’t recognize her again because she was emaciated, very lean and the mother began to explain what had happened, that just few weeks before that time, she just got possessed with this entity and this thing had been destroying her. Church Gist. Over this period, she had become lean and we were standing right there in front of the Secretariat and God’s Servant came and drove in. He was not coming into the Secretariat, he just drove in and parked in front of the Secretariat. So, I went to him and explained to him this is the situation with this lady, she had come during Shiloh and individuals had prayed for her and so forth, but she was still in this condition and he looked from inside the car and pointed his finger at her and said “In the name of Jesus, be free” and like that, she was free. Church Gist. Now, people had prayed, she was not free. I’m sure some people had done everything, she was not free. What is it that produced a different result? It was not the language that was spoken, but the light behind it. “In the name of Jesus, be free” I don’t think that will be the first time somebody would have said that, but the light behind it, the light of an identity of authority behind it that spoke at that moment, the demon heard it and left on the spot. Is somebody getting it now?
There is no day darkness will have a discussion with light. When light comes, darkness goes. That means, whatever has not gone is a product of insufficient light. The brighter the light, the farther the darkness. Church Gist. Is somebody getting what God is saying? So, don’t argue with your situation. Don’t explain your situation. Your matter is not complex, the issue is that the light is not sufficient. Is somebody getting what God is saying? It’s not complex.
Some people specialize their issues. A man met me some time ago and he explained his problem. He was so impressed with the explanation. After he explained, he leaned back on the chair, he said “Pastor, tell me the truth. Have you heard something like that before?” I told him, I said “My friend, last week, somebody came, same problem. Church Gist. This week Tuesday, somebody came, same problem. It is very common” Don’t specialize your issue. Don’t make it seem as if satan prepared such a special package. It’s only you, he left everybody in the World, came to face you, no. No matter the contention, when light comes, darkness bows.
Listen, light is not just knowing the Scriptures. Light is absorbing the revelation of the Scriptures as it is applicable to the particular situation. Church Gist. So, I know what the Bible says is not equal to light. No, it is “concerning this situation, what do I have inside of me that makes me know that this thing is a settled matter”.
- Today, I see the light of God breaking forth in our direction in the name of Jesus.
Isaiah 58:6,8.
4: Be committed to Kingdom advancement endeavours. Why? Because that brings about divine presence and when divine presence comes down, every force that is standing against you bows out. Church Gist. Habakkuk 3:2,6. The key is very simple if you and I can get ourselves committed to the course of God, we’ll see the battles of life clear off without struggle.
- From today, no more struggle for you.
—Prayers and Altar Call—
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