WE GET THINGS DONE SO CHEAPLY IN THIS COMMISSION BY DOING NOTHING EXCEPT HIS COMMANDMENT
IN OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDMENTS LIES THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL OF GOD’S PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES
YOU CAN’T SERVE GOD PROFITABLY AT YOUR CONVENIENCE; LET OBEDIENCE SUIT YOU
TESTIMONIES OF RAW OBEDIENCE TO DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS WE ENGAGED AS A COMMISSION
THE CHURCH WILL BECOME THE ENVY OF THE ENTIRE WORLD.
THE CHURCH WILL BE SETTING THE PACE FOR THE WORLD TO FOLLOW IN THIS END TIME. THE WORLD WILL BE LINING UP TO LEARN FROM THE CHURCH.
ALL THE KINGDOMS UNDER HEAVEN SHALL BE GIVEN TO THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH.
IT IS A DIVINE AGENDA, NO POLICY OF ANY NATION, FIRST WORLD OR THIRD WORLD CAN CHANGE IT.
OBEDIENCE IS YOUR FLIGHT TO THE TOPMOST TOP IN LIFE.
EIGHTY PER CENT OF AMERICANS OWE MORE THAN THEY OWN
WE HAVE NEVER BORROWED OR BEGGED OR PRESSURIZE ANYONE FOR 42 YEARS YET FANTASTIC PROJECTS ARE GOING ON
EVERY MOVE OF GOD ENJOYS DIVINE ABUNDANCE TO DRIVE IT – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD’S PEOPLE TO CHANGE LEVELS FINANCIALLY
OBEDIENCE IN YOUR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP WILL MAKE YOU A FINANCIAL WONDER
GIVING IS THE ONLY AUTHENTIC ANCHOR THAT LAUNCHES MEN INTO THE REALM OF FINANCIAL FORTUNE
WEALTH IN THE KINGDOM IS NOT OUR AMBITION BUT A REVELATION OF OUR BIRTHRIGHT; DO NOT SELL OFF YOUR BIRTHRIGHT!
– Bishop David Oyedepo on UNDERSTANDING THE BREAKTHROUGH POWER OF STEWARDSHIP 6 at Midweek Communion Service || 26th July, 2023 Canaanland
In God’s agenda obedience is top on the list for a profitable walk with God. To obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams. Church Gist. Grace for obedience is one of the great graces of life because in obedience lies the fulfillment of all of God’s purpose in our lives. Deuteronomy 28:1-2. Christ was obedient unto death even the death on the Cross wherefore … (Philippians 2:8-9).
Somebody asked me, how do you get things done so cheaply in this commission? We do nothing except his commandment. Church Gist. We align with his commandment in season and out of season and when that happens, he steps in. Grace to be remain delightsomely obedient all my life as you pass instructions to me in my private studies, prayers, listen to teachings and read materials, grant it to me tonight (prayer).
Job 36:11. “Arise get down to Damascus – the city of persecution.” God is telling you to go into the city of persecution and you carry your luggage and you are going. He told you what you will meet there. “It’s time to spread out” – unprepared for, God said it’s time to spread, so let’s pray. Church Gist. April 20, 1987 and by May we were in 5 cities of the North – at his commandment and celebrating God for grace and his presence in our midst. “Arise get down to Lagos” – out of order, everything is out of place. Quit notice from Church premises – who is the owner of the Church? He owns the Church. Who is asking you to go? He is asking you to go. What happened to the Church? He will look after it. Obedience!
You never change level in the kingdom without obedience and every instruction leads to a change of position. So we left Kaduna about 3,000 people and came to start afresh here on white wood benches. First service – 189. Did you ever have any mind of going back? Never! It didn’t cross my mind. Church Gist. Me, I will sit down here with him at 189. Whatever he makes of it, I mean, he told me to come – I heard him. Obedience! You can’t do iyanga to God, you can’t pull your shoulders, he is saying something you are saying, I don’t think so. Who are you to think what? See the 189 today. Enjoy obedience, don’t pull shoulders at God.
Then in May, “Arise, get down to Africa. The harvest is ripe.” Mehn, we have finished our budget in November, we are running the budget already, where is the income going to come from? So, the same Friday that followed, we dedicated Africa – the Mission to Africa. Church Gist. June 14 we opened the office at his commandment. Outside of human logic – I mean your budget is on, approved, going on and then you said, go to Africa. To do what? Are we there now or not?
You can’t serve God profitably at your convenience. You are not doing it for nobody else. It’s not just primarily, it’s absolutely for your good. God can’t be less than God whether you do it or not. He is God forever. Then here we were, “it’s time to get the Aircraft.” The air what? Where is the plan? And he got it. He said it in March, he didn’t have any interest in our budget and delivered it in September. No borrowing, no overdraft, no special appeal. Just obey God. Church Gist. Do I need an Aircraft? Never! He needed it. Where am I going? My leg can go to anywhere I am going. I have money for flight if I want to fly. Just enjoy obeying God because sitting down decoratively, religiously in Church and then carrying all the titles in the world – founder, president, it won’t fly. Obedience! He sets people above all nations – obedience! Deuteronomy 28:1.
Philippians 2:7-9. Your time for dramatic turn around is here! just learn to obey God. Let obedience suit you. Obedience may be costly but the end result is priceless. He now came in September 17, “the Faith Tabernacle shall be dedicated September 18.” Church Gist. What a Word! On what budget? On his budget. We stepped in here on the 18 September, Monday, 1998 and started drawing the ropes to find out the foundation. By September 18, 1999 he dedicated it. Obedience!
Stop rationalising instructions; obey. There is no living soul in this Church that will claim he cannot get 4 souls. There is none! “You know it’s not convenient for me, you know I have a lot of things to do…” (They say). Your errand boy standing before you has seen 3447 souls saved on his personal outreach this season. There is nothing God says that does not suit me. “We don’t know what they are using” I am using obedience. Selfless obedience, unreserved obedience. Yet I am to sit down and serve the table, the spiritual menu for the Church worldwide. I am to sit down and serve the table for Covenant Hour of Prayer, for Midweek Services, for Specialized Services. How many people in this world are as busy as I am by grace? Church Gist. Stop that! Your heart is not there. Obedience doesn’t make any meaning to you. Between now and Saturday, anybody can get four if he is interested. What are you doing? “Well, that is Papa. If not winning souls, what should the pastors be doing? All the pastors and deacons in this Church are they not enough? I won’t win any souls.” Well done. I ministered in a storehouse that had no ventilation, ministered in the open air, ministered under that grass Church in Kaduna, now see what God is doing. There is no time I stand on this place that nations don’t hook up. Not just our Church, nations! Enjoy obedience. All these mechanical things, it doesn’t fly. In the name of Jesus, these few days remaining will change your story, if you are interested. The Lord said to me years ago “My son, there is a place for you on top if you are interested. I said Lord, I am interested. He said, “Then whatever I tell you to do, do it.” So what is your flight to the topmost top in life? Obedience. 1984, it will be forty years next year. It is not prayer, it is not fasting, it is obedience. God said it and I believe it, that settles it. My prayer again is that no one will miss his place by treating God’s instructions with levity. You won’t miss your place of dignity. You better wake up.
Obedience brought us to Canaanland, not revelation, not knowledge, revelation won’t bring anybody here. You mean you left town and came to the forest? By what revelation? No! Instruction! Obedience! Church Gist. We landed here in a no man’s land and then the world saw that the people of God were gathered together. We access the world in a place where we should be lost by obedience.
Stewardship will not deliver without obedience. Obedience is what makes stewardship profitable. I am speaking to sons and daughters of the Most High God tonight, fasten your seatbelt. Don’t toy with your number 4, it is your primary test of obedience for the hour. What am I getting from it? Your disobedience cannot cancel the effect of my obedience. Neither can my obedience add value to you in your disobedience. Each one’s obedience will make him and each one’s disobedience will do otherwise. Your obedience will not make my obedience work, so don’t think you are doing something to bless me. Your unbelief can make my faith of no effect. It is to everybody according to his faith. Everybody will answer for himself. Church Gist. I told you this several times, God spoke to me “My son, you are absolutely responsible for the outcome of your life”. Nobody to blame, nobody to question, you are absolutely responsible for the outcome of your life. Not even the devil, you can’t question the devil. Your obedience to the truth renders the devil absolutely helpless. Psalm 23:1-6. When the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He will prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, they will be looking because my obedience has rendered them helpless. Stop blaming the devil for everything my friend. Where was he when you said you accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour? Why couldn’t he stop you? You chose to be saved when you heard the Word, you believed it and then you got born again. Where was the devil when you got born again?
UNDERSTANDING THE BREAKTHROUGH POWER OF KINGDOM STEWARDSHIP (Philippians 2:5-9).
We have already established the fact that the end time Church is ordained a breakthrough Church. The world will be lining up to learn from the Church. The Church will be setting the pace for the world to follow. Micah 4:1-2. Many nations shall come and say ‘Let’s put our pride aside, this thing is working for them. Their small-scale industries are bigger than our own major industries. See their capacity, see their enthronement. Let’s go so we don’t die in pride. Let’s go so they can teach us the ways of God that is making them happen in their lives’. Church Gist. That is the end time Church. You are to be envied by the world around you. The world is to learn from you how to make things happen. Jesus is coming back for a reigning Church. A Church of Giants. Psalm 87:1-7. It is a divine agenda, no policy of any nation, first world or third world can change it. The Church will become the envy of the entire world. Whether they call them first world or second world or no world according to heaven’s agenda. All the kingdoms under heaven shall be given to the saints of the Most High. Daniel 7:27. So it is a divine agenda, it is not a thought to hike up people. He will sit down there until the Church is ruling. Psalm 110:1-3.
Supernatural breakthrough shall become the core identity of the endtime Church before Jesus returns. Church Gist. Joel 2:1-3, 11. I am excited and following so pleasantly after God because I know his end time agenda and I want you to come on key, get online. It’s not about my name, no, just addiction to exalting his name as a way of life. Joel 2:23-27.
Somebody lost his job, 26 years after, he got his job back and got all his pay. Somebody lost his job, 19 years after he got it back and got all his pay. Restoration is a reality.
Now among the stewardship platforms available to us is:
1. Financial Stewardship: it is a covenant factor in Kingdom Advancement endeavours. Every move of God enjoys divine abundance to drive it and God is only looking for those that can be trusted with heaven’s jewels to use it for his purpose as they get it. I just pity a lot of young people, they have some 10 kobo and (demonstrates pride – shoulders up). After it (the money) is gone, they begin crying. Sir, nothing has gone down financially in my life in 42 years. I’ve not seen one downward trend. Church Gist. You better know what it takes. Obedience in your financial stewardship will make you a financial wonder. Sustainable obedience, unreserved obedience, on and on obedience. So every move of God is an opportunity for God’s people to change levels financially. Haggai 1:3-10; 1 Chronicles 29:3. So affection is authenticated by giving. 2 Corinthians 8:8. To let you know this thing comes directly from God, I have never called any member of this Church from the day of 4 membership to 6, 10, to where we are today, I’ve never called any member for help. Psalm 121:1. Help from above is real. All people lack is how to connect with it. The days of begging, hanging around people are over in your life!
Wealth in the kingdom is not our ambition but a revelation of our birthright. Isaiah 51:1-3. I want to bless you as I blessed Abraham. Abraham became an emperor, a business emperor, he had an army to himself. Galatians 3:29. Church Gist. We are the seed of Abraham and he wants to bless us after the order of Abraham and turn our wilderness to Eden, our desert to the garden of the Lord. So joy and gladness only shall be heard in us. Revelation 5:12. Check those 7 fold stuff – riches, glory, blessings, all equals wealth – abundance; that’s the meaning. It’s not our crave, ambition, it’s our birthright. May you not sell off your birthright!
When you hear Esau sold his birthright you say, Oh, poor Esau. You know how many are selling their birth right everyday to raw disobedience, continuous disobedience? Proverbs 3:33; Malachi 3:10; Malachi 4:1-2. Church Gist. The day cometh that shall burn like an oven but all that care to align with the mystery of an open heaven with their tithe, will be spared. Malachi 3:17-18.
There was a poll in the US back in 1988 that showed that 80 per cent of Americans owe more than they own. If you sell them it won’t pay their debt. That’s what I call camouflage Wealth. Church Gist. What some call wealth today is merely debt management expertise and not real wealth. Abraham had a solid wealth, never borrowed, never had to pay anybody back. It’s not a system it’s going out of the Covenant that puts us under pressure.
You know why your Church has never borrowed? 42 years never borrowed? And yet fantastic projects are going on everyday and never begged and never raised pressurised offering? This is one Church you come to and you are just relaxed, you’re not apprehensive. The whole offering time is 3 minutes, no sermon. “It’s time to give, Rise to your feet, bless the name of the Lord.” Church Gist. Put it in envelope, nobody will know what you put there, whether you put anything there or not, it doesn’t matter and nobody is taking account that okay, somebody is not paying his tithe. If you have trouble tomorrow morning they will still service your trouble straight. It’s between you and God. Don’t be a debt manager; just be a covenant beneficiary.
You live in a house not paid for, a car not paid for, so what are you living on? If they take all your income for the month it won’t pay those things. Church Gist. Giving is the only authentic anchor that launches men into the realm of financial fortune. If you don’t have taste for giving, you are not a candidate. Job 22:21-25. Get acquainted with God’s ways, settle with it.
I got on board March 22, 1982, it’s now 41 years plus – I’m enjoying my life. Church Gist. There is no way out, no Apostle of prosperity can pray over you to bring a change. Obedience is stronger than any anointing.
Deuteronomy 8:18. His covenant is on His terms not on your terms. Seedtime in that scripture (Deuteronomy 8:18) implies sowing and reaping, that is giving and receiving. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. So giving is sowing. Ever willing to distribute, ready to communicate, thereby laying in store for themselves against the time to come that they may lay hold on treasures of eternal life when it is dry on the earth. When drought overruns the earth, they will be drawing from their heavenly resources. Church Gist. Do you know why I do what I do with so much passion on this subject, I have a mandate for it. “Get back home and make my people rich. Rescue them from the bondage of poverty and tatteredness.” We all started from somewhere, start from where you are. No church communicated with me concerning giving and receiving but ye only. Philippians 4:15-19.
Supernatural prosperity is only entrusted into the hands of those that God can trust to use such to advance the interests of His kingdom among others. They are permitted to enjoy it. He has given us all things richly to enjoy but we must remain rich in good works. Church Gist. As He enriches us, we become richer in good works. As He enriches us, we are reaching out to bless mankind, we are reaching out to advance His kingdom, 1 Timothy 6:17-19. Jesus came and gave and gave until He gave His life. Can you be trusted? Luke 16:11.
When we stop building for God, we unconsciously start building for the devil. As we saw in the case of Solomon. He built one temple for God, He built 700 temples for His strange wives. One temple – seven hundred shrines, till he ran aground. Solomon ran aground, you better read the Bible very well. He was surviving by level. Heaven got shut. Church Gist. Solomon, the wisest man was surviving by level. God is no respecter of persons, if you stop He stops. He carried God’s money to build shrines. How dare you? He loved God and God lavished him with favour and then he loved many strange women and God said goodbye.
There are two blindfolding forces against our operating in the realm of financial fortune. First, today some believers think that they are already rich so why continue to give? That is what I define as the Laodicean syndrome. Revelation 3:17-18. Because when you say I am rich, you are on your way to wretchedness and so you won’t obey God anymore. Church Gist. Okay, let’s see where you got the riches from. That is one syndrome. That was the error of the rich fool. “I have enough to eat. No matter the famine in the world, I have enough to eat.” God said tonight, your soul will be required of you. He lost it all. No one will lose his soul.
Giving is living. Such as breathing is the only way to stay alive, when a believer stops breathing he starts going down financially. It is not a sudden fall, it is gradual. Proverbs 11:24-25. Church Gist. He is going down gradually like J.C. Penney was. He started cutting down on his tithing and the business started going down and down and suddenly went bankrupt.
Secondly, those who consider themselves as rich enough are only spiritually short-sighted. Every seed of Abraham is ordained to be a blessing to all the families of the earth, not just their nuclear and extended families. They are short-sighted. Somebody may call me poor at certain stages of my life but I have never seen myself as poor but you see the blessing keeps increasing as my obedience keeps on increasing. Sir, if you have #10,000 in your hand it is riches but it is not as riches as #100,000. You can’t rent a house for a homeless with #10,000 now. Can you? Church Gist. Stop being short-sighted. As far as your eyes can see unto you, I will give it. I saw the world ahead of me when I was below sea level. That doing these things will take any man to anywhere. I am redeemed to be a blessing to my world, not just to my nuclear family or my extended family or my church or my village. I am redeemed to be a blessing to the entire world.
Having enough to eat and to drink is not God’s definition of financial fortune in the Kingdom but having all sufficiency in all things and increasing in distribution to every good work. Church Gist. That is God’s definition. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 1 Timothy 6:17-18.
Remember we are not wasting our time serving God, it is our covenant platform for our next level prosperity. Church Gist. Financial stewardship is to move us forward from one level to another as we continue to engage.
Let us take note of the following as we draw close to the end of OPERATION BY ALL MEANS. Church Gist. Three days or four to go.
Prayers that is void of thanksgiving cannot secure answers from the Lord. Philippians 4:6. Just as incomplete digits on a telephone cell can never access the call, in the same vein prayer and supplication never flies without thanksgiving. Every digit on a telephone carries equal value, so it is in prayer. Prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, each carry equal weight as the other. Thanksgiving is not an appendage. Every digit on your telephone is vital in accessing your desired destination. So thanksgiving is crucial. Church Gist. One may intercede and supplicate for years without answers if the prayers and intercessions are not concluded with thanksgiving, answers are not forthcoming. Church Gist. This is why thanksgiving is a must to secure answers to our prayers. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Hebrews 10:36. Therefore, we should engage in intense thanksgiving in the remaining few days of Operation By All Means. We should engage in our diverse commitments expecting God to confirm His Word in this Church, come Sunday, July 30th 2023.
Remember it is no big deal for God to multiply this Church by four in one day. The wind blew across the sea on a particular day and gathered multitudes of quails and made them fall into the camp around the children of Israel. One wind! One day! Give God thanks. He is still alive, He is still doing the same today. Also, on the day of Pentecost, a mighty wind blew and the number of disciples multiplied twenty five times in one day. Church Gist. God is up to anything He says. We have seen enough of God’s hand of possibilities. To doubt God in this place will be a sin. We are going to see it on Sunday. Let us get our faith on the line for another wonder of the age this coming Sunday in the name of Jesus Christ. God is up to anything He says when our faith is in place.
If I have any other motive behind what I am saying to you, God knows. I have never spoken to the pleasure of any man since He called me, I say simply what He tells me to say. Paul said we have not handed the Word of God craftily. Church Gist. You obey God’s Word, you see the results. May these three days remaining be your season.
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