CHURCH OF GOD MISSION IS JUST BEGINNING. GREATER DAYS LIE AHEAD
THIS IS AGAIN A VALIDATION THAT WHATEVER GOD DOES IS FOREVER.
THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS WORTH EVERYTHING THAT LIFE MAY DEMAND
THERE ARE SO MANY ‘KEYLESS’ BELIEVERS TODAY. THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT IS REQUIRED TO ACCESS WHAT BELONGS TO THEM
IT IS TIME TO COME DOWN TO THE PLACE OF REVELATION SO AS TO BE FREE FROM FRUSTRATION.
ARCHBISHOP IDAHOSA TO BISHOP OYEDEPO:
YOUR PEERS CAME TO SHOW ME WHAT THEY KNEW BUT YOU CAME TO LEARN WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW AND I DISCOVERED YOU KNEW MORE THAN THEM
NOTHING OF VALUE IS EVER FREE: VALUE IS A FUNCTION OF COST
CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT EMPOWERMENT IS AN ADVENTURE IN FRUSTRATION
EMPOWERMENT IN THE KINGDOM IS NOT FOR SHOW, IT’S FOR SERVICE
ONLY GIVERS ARE ENTITLED TO PROSPER IN THE KINGDOM. PRAYER AND FASTING WILL NEVER BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR GIVING
I CAN NEVER BREAK MY COVENANT WITH THIS FAMILY (THE IDAHOSAS) AND THIS CHURCH. IT IS A COVENANT I MADE
A TIME IS COMING WHEN THERE WILL BE NO COUNTRY TO RUN TO EXCEPT YOU RUN TO GOD!
THE TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE WILL BE THE SAME GLOBALLY. BETTER TAKE COVER IN THE COVENANT AND DO IT QUICK
WE ARE NOT DOING ANYONE A FAVOUR WHEN WE GO TO BUY FUEL IN OUR CARS
WE ARE NOT DOING ANYONE ANY FAVOUR BY GOING TO THE HOUSE OF GOD
I HAVE BEEN SAVED FOR 54 YEARS NOW, I CAN’T REMEMBER A LOT OF TIMES I HAVE MISSED CHURCH.
– Bishop David Oyedepo on UNVEILING THE WONDERS OF THE CROSS AT CGMI MEGACON 2023 || Day 5, Evening Session || 28th July 2023
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord. This is again a validation that whatever God does is forever. Church of God Mission is just beginning. Greater days lie ahead in the name of Jesus. For all of us who have been here at this Convention, my prayer is that no one will go without taking something tangible back that will become a lifetime asset in our hearts. Church Gist. To our Mama, thank you for being there all the time. We celebrate God on your behalf for the strength and the grace that He has bestowed on you. Today, what a joy that we are here to celebrate with you for the greater years ahead in the name of Jesus Christ.
Shall we please pray? Heavenly Father, we thank you for being at the centre of affairs in this Church. Thank you for moving this Church forward supernaturally, thank you for moving all the leaders and well wishers forward. Church Gist. Receive our thanks in the name of Jesus. Tonight as we look into your Word, let light be shed abroad in our hearts again.
I will be speaking tonight on what I have captioned UNVEILING THE WONDERS OF THE CROSS. That is, What has the Cross offered us? What is the Cross of Christ worth? The Cross of Christ is worth everything that life may demand. John 10:10, 19:30. Mission Accomplished! Now you can have life and have it more abundantly. May light come through for us tonight to access this accomplished mission in our life. Two scriptures seem to summarize what the Cross is worth. Revelation 5:12. He passed the Cross into resurrection and the Cross where the job was finished delivered to us seven grand virtues that cover all that life may ever require. There is no issue of life that is not covered by that sevenfold package that the Cross offered. After the Cross, He ascended to heaven, He gave gifts unto men. These gifts are classified in that sevenfold package – power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessings. What else remains? Church Gist. Every treasure is kept safe with a door to gain access. These are Kingdom treasures made available to us at the cost of His death and resurrection. So they are packaged in Kingdom storehouses. You don’t struggle with a door when you have the key to it. So all we need is the key to these seven treasures.
Now listen, after Peter confessed Jesus as Lord and Saviour, Jesus gave him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. At new birth, we are given access to the keys of the Kingdom. Mind my word ‘access’. We are now to locate it. We now have the right of access to locate the keys of the Kingdom that opens these storehouses for access. Matthew 16:19. Mark 4:11. Key in that scripture implies revelation. Luke 11:52. Revelation is the key of access to the treasures of the Kingdom. Acts 20:32. It is time to locate the keys. What is required to access this Kingdom treasures? Church Gist. It is time to locate the keys. The struggle will be unending without the keys of access to a door. A number of us parked our vehicles outside, If you misplace the key your temperature goes up because access becomes an uphill task. You don’t have authority over any door without the key. There are so many keyless believers today. They don’t know what is required to access what belongs to them. It is their right.
These provisions of redemption cover all things that pertain to life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3. Through the knowledge of Him who has called us unto glory and virtue, not through crying. Church Gist. You shall know the truth and it shall set you free, Jesus said. It is time to come down to the place of revelation so as to be free from frustration.
Our Father the Archbishop, he’s gone to Heaven, he said to me one day: Open that bag and take as much as you want. I said I don’t want. I will rather learn how to get it than have someone give it to me. You better wake up! Isaiah 5:13. Church Gist. One day he said to me, “your peers came to show me how much they knew but you came to find out what you didn’t know and I discovered you knew more than them.” A crave for knowledge of the truth will set you free gloriously, colourfully – we are not talking about religion; we are talking about kingdom realities. The things Jesus died for must manifest in our lives and that comes by revelation.
Now let’s look at these 7 fold treasures and what it takes to access them. The Lord said to me sometimes back: keep saying what I ask you to say whether they will hear or they will forbear.
1. Power: We live in a very wicked world – we need power. The devil knows that he has but a short time – we need power to live the overcomer’s life. Jesus was born of the Holy Ghost but could not be made manifest to the world until he returned in the power of the Spirit at the cost of a thirst and a longing. Church Gist. 40 days in the fast then he returned in the power of the Spirit and his mission exploded. Luke 4:14. Empowerment is at the cost of prayer and fasting – no short cut. Without a taste for the demand of prayer and fasting a believer will remain vulnerable. Psalm 63:1-3. There is what to do to see his power. Matthew 17:19-21. It’s so important – nothing of value is ever free. As a matter of fact, value is a function of cost. You can get to the road there and buy a car of 500,000 but it may not go home. No! But you have bought a car, you have a receipt in your hand but that’s how much you can afford. A mechanic must follow you there to see how to make it get home.
We need empowerment to live the overcomer’s life in a wicked world. Luke 10:19. There are too many vulnerable believers today in the world. The devil manipulating their life anyhow. Church Gist. You know something occurred to me I was sharing today. I said listen: I’ve been in a meeting where I made altar calls and ministers in a former Church (ministers with cassock) came out. But they have preaching; so you can preach without being saved. No, you will just be able to tell the story. Life is so simple.
Sir, Christianity without empowerment is an adventure in frustration. We need empowerment. Church Gist. The devil is seeking occasion against you and me; we need to be empowered to live the overcomer’s life.
Empowerment in the Kingdom is not for show, it’s for service. We need empowerment to be impactful in our stewardship. Stewardship is not about being a pastor; every child of God is called to serve. We are empowered therefore primarily to go about our father’s business. Luke 4:18. Church Gist. It is always to do something. Acts 1:8; Acts 10:38. It’s to go about the Father’s business so there is a limit to which everybody can be empowered when he is not in service. You are not actively serving God, you can’t be empowered beyond that.
2. Riches which anchors on the law of seed time and harvest. No short cuts, no games – only givers are entitled to prosper in the Kingdom. No prayer and fasting will be a substitute for giving. We prosper on his terms not our terms. Deuteronomy 8:18; Genesis 8:22. What is seed time and harvest? 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. Giving is seedtime. Church Gist. 2 Corinthians 9:8. Abundance is the return. Philippians 4:15-19. Seedtime and harvest is about giving and receiving. Any believer no matter how anointed who is not a giver may end up a beggar. No matter how anointed!
What do we do therefore to see this door open? We need the giving grace. 2 Corinthians 8:7. Every believer needs the giving grace to step out of scarcity to plenty. Church Gist. We need the giving grace to step out of struggling to shining. We need the giving grace for a change of story.
Note that we are blessed primarily to be a blessing. Your giving today is speaking for you tomorrow. It is no game. May I share this humbling testimony? The Lord asked me one time to give a seed and I did. He said to me “My son David, even if you don’t want to be rich, it is too late”. 1987, not yesterday. I have never borrowed once, I have never begged once. It is open to all of us if we care to use the key. Don’t keep the key somewhere and be crying at the door. Pick the key, apply the key and the door will open. This Convention will mark a new dawn in everyone’s life. God said to Abraham “I will bless you and thou shalt be a blessing”. There is this story of a typical elephant that I saw years ago in the U.S. Church Gist. This elephant consumes 140 pounds of grass or straw per day and discharges 100 pounds of manure per day. That is the only way to stay alive. You can’t consume 140 pounds per day and discharge 20, you will die. So as God has blessed everyone even so let him give. Somebody’s #10 will be reckoned with as a sacrifice and somebody’s 10,000 will not be seen as a sacrifice. As God has blessed everyone even so let him give. When you find a cow excreting like a dog, he will die. As God has blessed everyone even so let him give. We need this understanding because many are going through financial frustration because they are undergiving God’s blessings in their life. Somebody’s story must change tonight.
Can I tell you this? It will really help someone. There is nothing to celebrate or jubilate that we are giving. It is out of what He has given that we give back to Him. God is not waiting for you. God will never need human help to be God. He is God any day, God any time and God every time. I had a very interesting encounter some years ago. I saw some fellows who were homeless on our field. I just saw the children and asked them why they are not in school when they should be in school. Where is your mother? They said she is on the field. Okay, help me hire a house for them. Meanwhile, let them go to the guest house. I said Okay! I called one of my precious ones to help me to check for furniture to fill the house for them. Church Gist. She said a sister just came this morning and said if Papa rented a house, I should be able to furnish it. I don’t have to do it. There is nothing you do to somebody else that someone else will not do if you don’t do it. Who is feeding the elephants in the forest? The birds flying in the air, who is feeding them? David said of thine have we given thee. What have you that you have not received? May we treasure this key because tough times are coming. They are not coming, they are already here and it will be increasing in tempo. Hear me all around the world: A time is coming when there will be no country to run to except you run to God. The temperature and pressure will be the same globally. You better know where to run to. You better take cover in the covenant and do it quickly.
The next treasure is wisdom which is what enthrones believers. By wisdom, kings reign (Proverbs 8:15). What is the key to it? Putting God’s Word to work. Operating by the dictates of Scriptures. No matter how smart a man is, when you go off scriptural instructions you are heading for something else. Matthew 7:24-25. That is the cheapest definition of wisdom in kingdom perspective. Putting God’s Word to work. I can never break my covenant with this family and this church. It is a covenant I made. Church Gist. Putting God’s Word to work, that is wisdom. You want to succeed? Simple! Locate a direction for your life, learn how to work that part. Be disciplined in your engagement, be diligent in your pursuit, success will be natural. Proverbs 22:29. There are too many busybodies in other people’s matters. They will leave their job and be roaming about and talking about what doesn’t concern them. It is not the way to go.
Many years ago, I saw Proverbs 22:29. It is not who you know that determines where you find yourself tomorrow. It is how productively engaging your life is. Success cannot be imparted. So wisdom teaches you what you must do if you must succeed. Joshua 1:8. You can’t impart it. Can I pray over somebody here now to be a pilot? Bishop Wale, come on here now. In the name of Jesus, you are now a pilot. Then tomorrow you go and buy a uniform and you go to the airport, to fly who? It cannot be imparted. Wisdom is simply putting God’s Word to work. Let me share something interesting with you. Before we got married, I read 8 books on marriage trying to find out what makes it work. I was asking questions. I love to ask questions, why this? Why that? Church Gist. Then one day God came through for me and I saw seven fundamentals that secure hitch free marriage and I was teaching it before I got married and people were winking their noses. Forty years over, no hitch. You can’t have the key to a door and be struggling. You find the key to a door and engage it. Let God’s wisdom teach you how to put it to work and then things will start working. When I located the key to prosperity, I yelled and screamed “Ye! I can never be poor” 22 March 1982. I saw the reality of prosperity before I saw it with my eyes. I saw it from the book. That is wisdom, that is the key. It opens the door to your future. There is somebody here today, you have just escaped from a lifelong frustration.
We grow in wisdom as we grow in the knowledge of the Word. Because applied revelation is what we call wisdom. Putting what God shows you to work is what we call wisdom. So as we grow in insight, we grow in wisdom. Things keep opening up for us. Proverbs 9:9. Church Gist. There are no finish lines in the School Of Wisdom. We are constantly at the feet of Jesus, learning more and more about every aspect of our lives. It works.
The key to supernatural strength. What is it? Daniel 11:32. Those who do know their God, they shall be strong and they shall do exploits. When you know the truth, it strengthens your spirit, soul and body. Secondly for anyone who wants to operate in Supernatural strength – Psalm 84:7. Zion is the Church of Christ. Our consistency in fellowship is designed to keep strengthening us from one realm to another. If you don’t feel like going to a filling station, your car will stop and get grounded on the street. The service station is a must. Going to Church strengthens us spiritually and because our life is controlled from the realm of the spirit, when you are strengthened in the spirit, your mind is strengthened, your emotions are strengthened, your body is strengthened. We are not doing anybody any favour by going to Church. You are not doing the filling station any favour by going there. Church Gist. You don’t go, you get grounded on the road, you will be trekking and may it not be on a journey when you are going somewhere. I love the house of God. I got saved 54 years ago. I was trying to count how many times I was away from Church. I am blessed with some level of sharp memory, I can recall anything but I couldn’t count much. If I am travelling and the vehicle was stuck somewhere, I will find a church to go there. The third source of strength is joy. Nehemiah 8:10. Leave your concerns to Him, do what He says to do and He will take care of it. Cast all your cares on Him, He cares for you. Why are you carrying all this luggage? People just subscribe to pressures and so their joy wanes, their joy dries up.
The next treasure or provision of the kingdom we will be looking at is Honour. Honour is rooted in our dedication to God and the interests of His Kingdom. John 12:24-26. Dedicated stewardship entitles believers to divine honour and when God honours you, no devil can dishonour you. When God honours a man, no devil can molest that man. Church Gist. May each one of us come under divine honour as the aftermath of this mega conference in the name of Jesus Christ. Proverbs 14:28. 1 Samuel 2:30. Going after souls secures honour from God for the believer. Being passionate to see souls saved brings us under divine honour. Bringing people into the kingdom entitles us to divine honour. No one here shall miss it.
Hear what they said in Daniel 12:3. So turning many to righteousness is a vital key to securing honour from God. It is every believer’s responsibility. Church Gist. John 15:2. You are born again? Now you are ambassadors of Christ with a ministry to reconcile the world back to God. So it is everybody’s ministry.
Maybe I can share this with you. At the age of 19, while waiting to get back to school, I had this opportunity to be a leave teacher for some folks that went on maternity leave. I got to that village and I said, “hey, which Church is in town?” They said, none. I said, not even Catholic? – because Catholic was everywhere. I knelt down and I said, “Jesus, see that I don’t leave this village the way I met it. Church Gist. Plant your name here.” I was 19 years old. I got saved at 15. The Lord gave me an idea of how to get souls saved, I didn’t speak their language and I was only going to be there for 72 days before I get back to school. I went from house to house early morning – the same time they go to mosque so that they won’t go. I booked appointment with the parents of my pupils – “tell them your teacher is coming to pray for you tomorrow.” I went from house to house bringing them into the Kingdom and telling them this prayer continues in the teacher’s house on Sunday. They were so excited. In 40 days we built a Church. I wasn’t called to ministry o so it’s not a ministry matter. It’s being able to see our responsibilities as believers to see others saved.
When I was leaving, they presented to me a lantern and said, the light you brought to our village let it shine round the world. 1973! Today I sit in one place and have 170 nations hooked on to what we are saying. I want everybody here to take on this responsibility of soul winning. I was out yesterday – not last year, on the streets I saw 220 people saved. I was on the streets. Church Gist. You better wake up! Nothing of value is free. Going out for Jesus is my addiction. Some folks are addicted to cocaine – that’s their problem. I am addicted to souls being saved. That’s all I live for. My strength is renewed day by day, my energy keeps surging and surging. My intellect sharper by the day – you can’t walk with Jesus and be dull. Proverbs 13:20. When we are out for Jesus, we are walking with him. Mark 16:20.
This Church was founded on Evangelism. A number of my senior friends are here. Evangelism our number one task – you should remember. The Church has become docile. Church Gist. All we are doing is confessing cars, motor, vehicle, houses. It’s your turn for a change of story. If the truth cannot change your perspective, nothing else can. My prayer is that: in this end time, no one here will miss his place. Your crown another man will not take!
I keep telling them: we are not talking about Church increasing in number, we are talking about advancing the kingdom of God. Yes, the Church will increase because we have to preserve the souls saved but the Kingdom first. You know the interesting thing Mama? I’ll go this way, my wife will go this way. I’ve not been to one place that she goes, she has not been to one place that I go. Church Gist. Each one goes alone. You get to my outreach office, it’s a work station. The same day you are saved, we reach out to you by SMS, telephone calls. You will be as if you are in a bank. We are banking souls into the Kingdom. If the only thing I’ve succeeded in saying here this evening is that, get back on the field in honour of Jesus. John 4:36. It’s time to get back to the original Church – letting the world know that Jesus still saves, heals, decorates destinies. This Church will never go down as you keep on pushing the frontiers of the Gospel.
Everyone has unlimited future if you will do what you are asked to do. Church Gist. The good news is: no one will return from here the same. Everyone will return with a changed of story. The new steps you will be taking will be forward ever, backward never.
Now, Glory: what does it take to access the realm.of glory which Christ has already purchased for us, how do we access it? The master key here is revelation. Isaiah 60:1-3; Psalm 119:130; Isaiah 60:8, 15, 22. That’s the power of revelation. It keeps changing people’s story from glory to glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18. Church Gist. Revelation keeps changing our story from glory to glory. Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 3:35. Winning souls entitles us to an inheritance of glory. So there is none of those provisions that delivers for free. There is what you and I must do to take delivery.
7. What is the key to the treasure of blessing? Delightsome and unreserved obedience to the commandments of the Lord. Church Gist. When God says something – “I don’t think so” (you say). You are getting yourself off the blessing.
One day in 1984 the Lord said to me, “My son, there’s a place for you on the top if you are interested.” I said, Lord I’m interested. He said then, whatever I tell you to do, do it. It’s that simple. Deuteronomy 28:1-2. There are people here you are running to that realm of overtaking blessings. As you choose to walk in delightsome obedience to every instruction of the Lord as contained in his Word. Church Gist. No struggles! Psalm 112:1-10. When God blesses a man stay clear. I beg you – stay clear. Genesis 12:3. Stay clear every child of God; don’t fight God’s blessings in their lives. You brought a convert to Church and then you are nagging by the hand of God upon him? You don’t do that; that’s not the way up. Genesis 12:3. When we are saying we have come under the blessings of Abraham, whosoever curses us, by reason of his blessings on our lives, he curses them. Caution!
I’ve never gathered against anybody in my life. Where do I have the time? Even when you gather against me I don’t have time to listen. Just face where you are going. Matthew 6:22. Church Gist. Face your business; study to be quiet! God never leads backwards he always leads forward. Anything God tells you to do is for your forward movement.
We left Kaduna at about 3,000 people, came down to Lagos and began at 189. Are we 189 now? It was by instruction we moved and by instruction favour began to rain down. Please enjoy obeying God. Obedience may appear costly but the end result is priceless. Church Gist. Don’t rebel against God. You rebel against man, they can beg for you but when you rebel against God who will plead? Don’t rebel against the truth; just ask God for grace to put that truth at work in your life. Can I say this? Blessings will only trail our obedience. A life of disobedience will rob any believer of God’s blessings. Malachi 3:10; Proverbs 28:27.
We’ve been giving scholarship in my family since 1992. Two professors at Covenant today that were on my scholarship when we had no idea of a University – so it wasn’t done for them to come and do something there. Church Gist. Proverbs 11:25. Blessings trail obedience. Obedience to every commandment that secures Blessings. Let’s settle with it; something is coming on in the name of Jesus.
There are people here today, you will find yourself a thousand times more in a little while. He won’t load it to you in one day- little by little. I used to use my beetle car to carry members of the Church to where they will catch bus. 2 in front, 4 behind. Volkswagen beetle! I was the sweeper of the Church. One day my assistant came and found me sweeping and said, “Sir, you didn’t tell us you are the one sweeping.” I said, they don’t say it. Church Gist. Look at me here, I have given testimony of #200 before. Is that where I am now? The things God is doing in your life are too small that’s why it is not increasing. You don’t acknowledge him for it. Thank God for where you are is the only way to get to where you are going. You don’t thank God today, you stink. Be thankful; you’re going somewhere.
It’s a brand new day for us at Church of God Mission International. To our Great Mama whose birthday we are celebrating tomorrow, congratulations! You have not seen anything yet, greater days still lie ahead. You will enjoy more of the fruit of your labour in the name of Jesus. This Church will keep growing greater in your lifetime in the name of Jesus. Church Gist. All our leaders who are here, greater days are ahead of you. No one will know a set back amongst us! No one’s health will be depleted! All the young men and women that God is bringing our way here, God will establish you in the faith. No one will wonder away into worldly pleasure. The fear of God will rule and guide your life in the name of Jesus Christ!
BishopDavidOyedepo
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