FOLLOW UP IS NOT ONLY MEANT FOR NEW CONVERTS. IT ALSO INCLUDES MEMBERS WHO ARE WALKING AWAY FROM JESUS.
WE JOIN THE ARMY OF HEAVEN TO DRAW THEM BACK SO THEY CAN HAVE THEIR LIVES BACK.
WE HAVE TO JOIN THE ARMY OF GATHERERS. OTHERWISE, WE ARE SCATTERING FROM GOD.
- Bishop David Oyedepo at CHoP
It is a great thing to serve the Lord (3x). Walking in the light of God.
Proverbs 13:4
One is either a worker in the natural or a beggar. A non-worker will even beg for credit time. Everything about life works by working. Church Gist. Membership does not add value, it is service that does.
Job 36:11, Exodus 23:25-26, John 4:36
Everyone shall be rewarded, according to his membership? No, according to his own labour – 1 Corinthians 3:8
Proverbs 10:5
-No one here shall suffer shame in this harvest season of glory.
THERE IS A PLACE FOR EVERY BELIEVER IN A REVIVAL.
We have an interesting parable of Christ in Matthew chapter 20 verses 3 to 7
There is enough space for everyone who chooses to serve in a revival.
“Go on there, labourers are not enough. Go on there!!” There is enough room, enough space for everyone to serve.
Among the avenues here is:
A place of following up of new converts to the point of establishment.
Somebody said, “he saw 7 of his converts established in Church”, to the point of establishment, then heavens opened up, story changed.
John 10:16 – “…them also must I bring”: A commitment to establishment of our converts.
That is Jesus speaking. That is the heart of one that follows up, that is the one that is committed to seeing people established in the faith, enjoying a triumphant lifestyle and making heaven at the end of the day.
We all know that any abandoned new baby stands a risk of death if there is no timely rescue. How many agree with that?
If you abandon a baby in the dunghill and no timely rescue, the baby dies. Every new convert is a baby – 1 Peter 2:2
They need the milk: timely. They need timely milk not to die. Church Gist. So new converts are like abandoned babies when there is no timely follow up.
In our own Outreach Team: Same day
“Hello, congratulations for your encounter with Christ today. Praise God. Expect brand-new lifestyle to follow.”
Following day: “We believe you slept so well last night.”
Last Sunday, we had over 900 of them that were in Church.
Timely response. Church Gist. Don’t give birth to a baby and run away. Timely response is vital to seeing new converts established in the faith.
Luke 15:3-7
“Until he finds it”: Not I have tried, “until he finds it.”
“Rejoicing”: Not feeling like a burden.
One is missing: go after him. So we have a job of going after our new converts to the point of establishment. It is so important.
Acts 15:36
“Let’s go again and see our brethren where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing”
We are interested in seeing how they are doing.
“…And see how they do”: That is follow up.
You know someone who is a member of the Church in your neighbourhood and has stopped coming to Church; before he goes to start smoking cocaine, get him. Before he joins a cult, get him.
He is not your convert, but you are a son of your Father in Heaven, who is looking for everyone that is a part of this fold, that is not here now: so go after him.
“Hello Sir, we have not been seeing you in Church”
Response: My God, I am tired. Things are upside down for me.
“No, Jesus is the most secured cover under which anyone can secure a future. Please rethink your decision. Next Sunday, I will take you along when I am going.”
You are doing the work, that is the heart of the Father, that is the heart of the Shepherd.
It is an open-ended platform for anyone who is interested.
“Whosoever does not gather with me, scatters”: we have to join the army of gatherers. We are gathering unto Him. Otherwise, we are scattering from Him.
Response: “I am not going”
“Well, I am also thinking so. I mean, I am yet to see anything since the year began. You better sit down. Maybe they are just deceiving us.”
That is it: Farther and farther from the Kingdom: God forbid.
James 5:19-20
See it in the light of that. Jesus is not a deceiver. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life – John 14:6
The truth of His Word sets free and sets free indeed – John 8:36
If you are truly saved and you are walking in the light, you know that. So tell them that. This thing is real. It is no make-up.
Many, many in this Church sitting next to you have proved this truth over and again in their lives.
So if anybody is gone away from the truth and you are aware of it, he is in your Cell, he is no longer there: go after him.
He is in your Zone, he is no longer there: go after him.
He is in your Service Unit, he is no longer there: go after him.
You are colleagues at work, but his language has changed: go after him.
That is the essence of follow up. It doesn’t only mean only those new converts, it means members who are walking away from Jesus. We join the army of heaven to draw them back so they can have their life back.
It is sweet. It never loses taste. Serving God is sweet. Serving God is highly rewarding. Serving God is life fulfilling, life empowering, life enriching, but the taste of the pudding is in the eating.
Make your choice. Choose ye this day whom ye shall serve and watch how He will keep changing your glory from one level of glory to another.
Joshua 24:15
One of my daughters was serving and serving and came down to below zero level; Jesus took her from below zero level to far above: got a job as MD of a multi-national company. After she lost her job, lost her house, she couldn’t pay the rent. Packed to parents’ house. What an adventure. From that deplorable state, young lady and has gone abroad…It is a great thing to serve the Lord
Packed down from Benin, having lost your business as a young man. Came to be living with your mother. That is enough a depression, but carried a thousand fliers and trekking from Gowon Estate to Akonwojo; Akonwojo to Iyana Ipaja bridge (Lagos State). Like a mad man and all like a dream of the night began to pay tithes in 6 digits every week.
Prayers: Ask God for grace, for steadfastness in stewardship, grace for never looking back. Grace to taking advantage of any opportunity of stewardship around you, including following up of members of the Church. Following up of your converts that Jesus led to salvation through you.
Take grace. Every labour in the Kingdom is rewarded. He has not asked the seed of Jacob to seek Him in vain.
Pray a revival prayer over your life, not to just be passing by and things are not just going well and you are not bothered about it.
Grace to maintain a hot prayer altar, to recover every one Winner that is going astray. Grace to restore them back to the faith.
Pray over your converts and pray over your invitees for this week. In Jesus precious name, we have prayed.
Next Sunday, come along with points of contacts for your businesses and careers. There will be a prophetic release on them and you will move to the next level. As you connect with what moves God to change people’s story. He is no respecter of persons Sir.
“I am now 20 years”: 20 years does not make any meaning to God
A thousand years: 1 day. What is 20 years? You can do the calculation.
Let God see you worthy of the next breakthrough and no devil can stop it and that is where you are going.
-Nobody will have concerns over the works of their hands anymore.
-No single person here will lack a job to do.
-No one’s business here will crawl and die, in the name of Jesus.
Prayers: Lord, everyone You are bringing on Sunday, give them a touch, a turnaround touch over their lives and businesses. Go ahead and pray.
Pray that prayer, pray it in faith.
Breathe over all of our fliers. Breathe over all of our tracts and let there be a new dawn in the lives of many, in Jesus precious name we have prayed.
Well, tonight is the last day. The last day is everybody’s day.
-May the blessings packaged in this Week of Spiritual Emphasis never elude you.
-You will testify.
Prayers: Lord, I am awaiting your touch tonight. The last day’s touch on my life. I am awaiting the last day’s touch on my life tonight.
Ask God for it definitely, ask God for it genuinely.
Don’t come in here casually, ask your friends to join you. It is a feast.
#BishopDavidOyedepo
#CHoP4Mar22
#MoreThanAConqueror
#ChurchGist
CHoP is an acronym for Covenant Hour of Prayer
