Transcript: Christians or Converts Part 3- Kingdom Exploits
Prepared from the audio, so small errors are possible.
The experience is a meeting organized by the Disciples Christian Network, where men encounter God, his presence, and his power in an atmosphere of worship and the word. Join apostle Emmanuel as he leads us into an experience with God. There is a crisis in the contemporary church, And this crisis is not a crisis of activity because there are several activities going on in the contemporary church. It is a crisis of message. I don't believe that the church is the problem of this nation. I believe and I even think that to have that mentality is to be ignorant in many ways. I believe that the issue with the church across the world, most especially in Nigeria and across Africa, is the content of our message or the message that we preach. I believe the issue is what we teach and what we preach. For generations, the church has preached a gospel that saves souls, and that is good. That is beautiful.
We've had powerful evangelists, and we still have them, mighty crusades that have been held week in, week out, and we preach the gospel of salvation, the gospel of grace. But when we look at our nation, the quality of our societies, we look at our cities, it is clear that the gospel that we preach leaves nations unreformed. The gospel that we preach leave societies unchanged. The systems of this world are unchallenged by divine order following the gospel that we preach. We have become experts in bringing men to heaven, but we have forgotten how to bring heaven into the earth. And the funny thing is that that is the whole and the fullness of the council of God. Not that men escape damnation alone, but that his kingdom come and his will be done on earth. And so what we do and what we have gained so much mastery in doing is bringing men out of guilt, out of damnation, escaping the horrors of hell, even the corruption on this earth and transporting them into heaven, making them citizens of heaven, but we fail miserably in the general counsel of God when it comes to his kingdom being made bare on earth. That is because we have reduced the full counsel of God into a singular emphasis, is the gospel of salvation. When you study scriptures, you'll find that this was never the complete message that Christ brought to humanity.
When Jesus began his earthly ministry, I taught you this. It didn't even commence his earthly ministry by preaching salvation. In Matthew four and verse 17, we showed you this. The bible says from that time, Jesus began to preach and to say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mark chapter one from verse 14 to verse 15, the bible says, now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. Do you see what Jesus was preaching there? The gospel of the kingdom. That was the primary proclamation that Jesus had. That was the central theme of his ministry.
That was the heart of Jesus for coming to this earth. And throughout his entire ministry, this was what Jesus preached. The kingdom remained his focus. In Matthew chapter nine and verse 35, the bible says, then Jesus went about all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing every sickness, healing every disease amongst the people. When he sent out the 12 disciples, this was the same thing that he gave them. Matthew 10 and verse seven. This was the instruction. The gospel of the kingdom should be preached. Luke chapter 10 verse nine, the same thing. Heal the sick.
For when you heal the sick, then as the kingdom come near to you. After the resurrection of Jesus in Acts of Apostles chapter one and verse three. Acts of Apostles one and verse three, the same thing happened. He appeared before the disciples and the apostles and taught them things pertaining to the kingdom of God. The pattern has always been kingdom. Say with me, the pattern has always been kingdom. And that pattern cannot be accidental. When you read through our scriptures, you find that the kingdom of God was not the secondary thing. It was the primary thing that Jesus preached. It was the very heart of Joseph's message on the world.
Yet today, if you do a survey of the what we are preaching in most churches, in most evangelistic meetings, none of these things, the gospel that is preached is only stopped at the gospel of salvation, and this becomes a problem. And you might not know why it is a problem until you understand the gospel of the kingdom. If you don't know the gospel of the kingdom, you will not even understand what we are saying. When you hear me speak like this or any preacher who understands kingdom speaking like this, you would question what we are seeing because you would not understand it. After all, Jesus did come to die for sins. He came to die for sins of the world. He came to redeem us back to God. And for many people, we have been taught to believe that this was the sole purpose for which Jesus came. And there are ministries that are built just around this. That what the members hear again and again, every meeting is the gospel of salvation, is the gospel of grace.
And there is nothing wrong with that. But that you must understand that that is not all there is to what Jesus came to do. As a matter of fact, that is only... That is not even the main thing that Jesus came to do. Because if it was the main thing Jesus came to do, it would be the main thing in his message. Do you understand what I've said? If that was the primary thing Jesus came to do, at least that would be his emphasis. That would be what he will be talking about every time, every time, every time, every time. But that wasn't what we see Jesus preaching. All his parables were about the kingdom.
All his parables. When we read his preachings, most of his preachings were about the kingdom. Only in a few places did he ever actually teach salvation. Is this to underplay salvation? Is this to undermine the place of salvation? Absolutely not. It is to show you that with respect to the main assignment of Jesus, the church has failed to communicate it. We have camped around just 10% of what he came to do. Are you with me brothers and sisters? Jesus died for your sins so they can go to heaven when you die.
That is true, but that is incomplete. It is only one dimension of a multi dimensional reality. It's like teaching a man that he has become a citizen of a kingdom, of a nation, but never telling him about the laws and the culture and the economy and the government and the purpose of that nation. You have not helped him. You have only given him 10% of the job. Can't you see this? You tell a man that he is now... If it is not Nigeria. But there are laws in Nigeria. There's a constitution in Nigeria.
There's an economy in Nigeria. That economy might differ from wherever it's coming from. Do you understand what I'm saying? And there's a government in Nigeria. If he's ignorant of any of these things, it can be a fittism of Nigeria but find himself in the prison. And he would exercise his citizenship in a prison. Why? Because he went against a law. Because when somebody introduced him to being a fittism, he was not introduced to the laws that govern the nation. So you would find that being a citizen is only one out of several.
And that is the only thing that we preach. It means we have left so many people incapacitated. We've left them as children. He knows that it belongs, but he does not know what it belongs to or how to function in what it belongs to. Are you with me? Thank you, Lord Jesus. The gospel of our vision answers one question. How do you escape hell and enter into heaven? How do you escape damnation? How do you escape guilt?
How do you escape shame? How do you escape sin and enter into heaven? But the gospel of the kingdom is broader. It is deeper. It is more comprehensive. It answers the question, what is the purpose of God for the earth? And what is your role in manifesting that purpose of God for the earth? What is the purpose of God for Nigeria? For Oyo state? You see, for Abuja, for the 36 states of this nation, what is the purpose of God for America?
What is the purpose of God for Asia? Across every strata of influence, across every mountain of influence. Are you with me? The gospel of the... Of salvation saves your soul. The gospel of the kingdom saves your nation. It saves your environment. It saves your cities. And if you don't pay attention to this, you will be a saved man in a dangerous country like what we have right now. So many unrest around and people coming in with different opinions, different solutions, different thoughts as to what the solution is.
But when when you hear people giving their own opinions, you can tell that nobody really understands this thing. Nobody really understands this thing. I wish I could sit down with key policymakers, and I would show them, you are just beating around the bush. You are shadow boxing. Touch shadow boxing. Touch chasing shadows. Every nation has two kinds of problems or three if you want to look broader at it. First is a people problem. The second is a systems problem. The solution to the people problem is the gospel of salvation.
The solution to the system's problem is the gospel of the kingdom. And every nation would have one of these. America does not have a systems problem. The infrastructure is working. The government is working. The economy is working. But there is a great people problem. Because right now, there is so much degeneration that you can't even define what a man is anymore. Once again, the gospel of salvation must be brought to that nation. Are you with me?
Yes, sir. That's the reason why people want to go there. They want to go there because the system is working. And they go there because the system is working, and they lose themselves because the people are not working. They lose themselves because the people are not working. Are you with me? You come to a country like Nigeria where both the people and the systems are not working. And you find that the problem is multidimensional. The infrastructures are not working. The economy is not working.
The government is not working. The answer to all of this is kingdom. There is a reformation that must be taught again in the church, a message that must be brought again in the church that answers the problem of infrastructure. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth. Are you with me? Yes, sir. It's not about going to heaven when you die alone. It's about bringing heaven's order into the earth. Colossians one verse 13.
The bible says, he has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love. We have been conveyed into a kingdom. Can you see that language, you there? We're not merely forgiven sinners who are waiting to go to heaven. We are citizens of a present, of a active, and of a functioning kingdom. The bible says we have been conveyed into a kingdom, and the mentality the believer must have is the understanding of that kingdom and how to bring it to bear in this world that we live in. And that is the only reason why the bible says we are in this world but not of this world because we are of another kingdom. We are of the kingdom we are conveyed into. And the believer must be taught matters in that kingdom. Because in in this same scripture, the answers to influence is there.
The answers to governance is there. When you read the story of Esther and Daniel, you can pick out economical solutions to economic problems in Nigeria. Even across the world, political solutions are in the scriptures. But these things are not within the context of the gospel of our vision. So a lot of people don't know. Are you with me? Yes, sir. Thank you, Lord Jesus. The central vision and the mandate of the Disciples Christian Network is to propagate the gospel of the kingdom, to raise an army of kingdom minded soldiers. And we are very intentional in doing this.
The curriculum is built in such a way that we understand that people problem must be solved first. You think about the people problem. Where does the corrupt politician come from? Where does the thief come from? Where do the terrorists come from? Where do the jihadists come from? That's people problem. Are you with me? If you have someone who is so degraded that they can sleep with a minor, that's a people problem. Something is wrong with that person.
Something is wrong with that person. It means if you can do something actively about the state of the people, getting them saved is only the first thing. Renewing their mind is the second thing. There must be an active discipleship that happens within the church even outside of the confines of the church. That people who have been discipled within the church also create systems of discipleship in their own places of influence. That as a person in influencing media, you can actually start discipling people in that space who look up to you. Just not calling it a church. That way you are fixing the people problem because you are creating values inside of people that you were taught in church just at the walls or the platform they are learning the same values in is not church, but it's the same values. It's the same values. The same applies in politics, in business.
Imagine the influence that lecturers wield. Imagine the influence that teachers wield. I mean, you have access to 40 people and you have their ears. They can believe anything that you tell them at that moment. That is a huge platform to solve a people problem. But when the lecturer who is teaching himself is a problem, when the teacher who is teaching himself is a problem, you'll find that the problem is deeper than it seems. And that's the reason why the gospel of salvation is necessary. The gospel of salvation doesn't stop just at you coming into Christ. It continues into knowing your realities in Christ, understanding your identities in Christ. What Christ did for you coming into the knowledge, the hypnosis of the fullness of what Christ did for you on the cross.
Growing into maturity, all of this is covered by the gospels of salvation, understanding grace, the fatherhood of God, the forgiveness of sins, and the reception of the sin. Very important as a believer. Why is it important? Because it places you at a place where you can now begin to function in the kingdom when that knowledge comes to you. Because a man who has not fully understood the gospel of salvation will also have issues in the kingdom. Are you with me? Yes, sir. Think of it this way. Imagine a criminal. Say the person used to be a thief or something, and then he was put in the prison.
And then a president comes and gives him presidential pardon. You know what that is? It means he's absorbed of every offense whatsoever, released. So whoever comes into the prison to tell him of this just opens the prison gate and tells him you are free, and he goes and does not tell him the extent of his freedom. What would happen is that he will still be a useless person in the society because he will live his life watching his shoulders. He wanna start a business, but he'll be afraid he will get caught because he does not understand the fullness of his release. You're not getting this thing I'm saying. He wants to go and get a job, but he will be afraid that, ah, hope they will not catch me again like this. Hope they will not... Every time he's believing, every life he's living, he's trying to escape.
He sees police officers there. He walks this way, tries to avoid them so they will not see him again because they can see him now and change his mind because nobody told him the the extent of his release. That's the gospel of salvation. That's what it comes to do. That's why it eliminates guilt and condemnation. Somebody must tell you what is the extent of the salvation you received so that by the time it is time to function in the kingdom, you come without shame, without guilt. Knowing fully well that you are lost by the father, that your sins are forgiven. Not watching over your shoulders while you're trying to do great things. Not thinking you are doing something wrong. Are you with me?
Today is not really a teaching on kingdom. Just saying this to show you that discipleship in the church must be holistic in this regard. It is in kingdom that we're now beginning to talk about prosperity and the purpose of prosperity and why the believer has to prosper. It is in kingdom that we're talk about leadership and raising people to become leaders, excellence, and showing you this in scriptures. And when you understand that the bible is a book of the kingdom, you would see all of these concepts in scriptures. All of them. If you camp around just grace alone and you stay only on their pistol like many preachers say you should do or say people should do, not you if you're wise. What happens is that you miss the riches in the canon of scripture, the treasures in all of scripture. The governmental wisdom in Esther, you would miss it. The political wisdom in Daniel, you would miss it.
The academic excellence in Daniel, you will miss it. The military strategy in Joshua, you will miss it. Are you seeing all of this now? Yes, sir. You will miss it because this is kingdom. That is kingdom. Thank you, Lord Jesus. And when you understand that you're not only safe from hell, but called to governmental authority in the earth, everything changes. The gospel of salvation produces converts. The gospel of the kingdom produces change agents, agent of transformation.
The gospel of salvation fills churches. Gospel of the kingdom transforms cities. And when you find a believer like that in public service or in government under the Gospel of Salvation alone, such a person's views, the secular environment or the secular employment he has received as something they endure to do to pay bills for while waiting for Sunday when they feel spiritual for something to happen again in their life. So they go to the office. They do their job. They avoid major sins. Right? They pray quietly. They just endure. They just want to get through with their life.
But they don't see the governmental position or their assignment as a kingdom project. They don't see where they are. Somebody was talking to me some time ago. The person was sharing with me their vision and what they believe God has shown them, right, as the solution they would provide. And it was so detailed, and I was saying, my God. And the person was telling me how to do this step by step wisdom, step by step plans to accomplish this, and the person was telling me where they are in that step, what they are currently doing now. I said, my goodness. This is beautiful. Then the next question the person asked me is, so, sir, I'm here because don't know my purpose. And I I and I was baffled.
I was baffled how you will tell me all of this and tell me you don't know your purpose. I didn't ask, what is all these things you have then said? The reason is because what he has told me does not sound spiritual. There's no church involved in what he has told me. There's no prayer meetings involved in what he has told me. What he has told me is reforming people, creating a school, a tech school where people are reformed. And the tech school becomes so powerful and illustrious that you get the same certificate you get going to a university, and it becomes as relevant as though you went to a university. The difference is that we have taught you and given you more value than you would have received if you had gone to university. And he was sharing with me this curriculum and the syllabus, and he was sharing what he wanted to teach people, and the value he wants to pass across to people, and the kinds of people he's looking to reach. But, you know, there's no prayer meeting involved in what he has told me.
So he doesn't see that as important enough to be a life's purpose. Doesn't see that as important enough to be the agenda of God for his life. The solution he was brought on earth to come and solve, and it is because of a lack of understanding of kingdom. That's the reason why a doctor does not see his work as an assignment from God to himself, as a solution. Do you know that as a doctor, you can be solution to somebody's prayer? That somebody is leaving their house one day by 2AM because their wife has a crisis, and their only prayer is called, let us meet a doctor there. And they get there that still God not... And they don't find a doctor that still God not yet their prayer. They get there and they find you there and they force a breath a sign of relief. They have...
You have not even started attending to their wife. You are just... You just appeared there in your regalia. And is there a doctor in this place? And you come out, and it has no heart. Thank you, Jesus. That's somebody thanking God for what you spent seven years to do. Yet you don't see it as an assignment because nobody taught your kingdom. Nobody taught your kingdom. How about engineers and teachers?
I can't even start talking about teachers. And the very important role that someone who is a teacher has to play in building and informing and in molding a child, a teacher, that someone just has this particular pull into academia, especially the part of academia of training people, teaching others. Do you have an idea? Do you have the slightest incline? The position that you are taking in life of someone just because you are a teacher. Has anybody showed you the important place of that position in God's agenda? And I'm not talking about starting prayer meetings in your classroom. You can start all of that and still even build a fellowship and not looking down. Yes. You can do all the...
Or as beautiful as that is, you would even build a fellowship, start a fellowship, and be thanking God that, ah, people are praying in this school. But what you are still solving is the people problem. It's the people problem. Leaders are not being raised. Leaders are not being raised. Values are not being taught, imbibed into children. The weak and the timid is still weak and timid, but is a prayerful, weak and timid person. Glory to God. Thank you, Lord Jesus. When that same believer who hears the gospel of the kingdom begins to function in his office, revelation comes.
Everything changes. How he serves, how he works, how he does service, everything changes because he realizes that I'm serving a kingdom. Everything that I do spells a message. Are you with me? Yes. And if this is not in our discipleship model, we will continue to have converts and converts again and again, but never build Christians, never build agents of transformation, never build people who can actually change societies. We'll keep on having converts, but never mature believers who can go into politics. The only reason why somebody would go into politics is for ambition. And right now, I can say that there is almost no politician. Because I don't wanna speak with absolute authority.
Otherwise, I would tell you that there is no politician. Let's give some of them a benefit of the doubt. And there is almost no politician who is there because they love people, who is there because they love the country. Most of them are there to project and to fulfill an ambition. And it means every post they make, every comment they make, everything they say is to project an ambition. The downfall of one government is an opportunity for them to ride on their own ambitions. Don't you think that because the government came when one was doing bad and started condemning what that one was doing meant that that one will bring change. Come on. Don't be foolish. We've seen this over and over and over again.
And you would think that, oh, because this person is speaking boldly against the government and what they are doing in the means that when he comes and we give him the privilege of power, he will do something there. People make these mistakes again and again. And as though we have not learned, and then you would... Somebody get into the position of power. And what they do when they get there is even worse than what they condemned. Worse than what they condemned. I begin to wonder, weren't you the one who said until the day you understand that what they say is only to project their own ambition, to push their own ambition? You would never learn. That's the problem with the masses. Because you have people who still have a people problem vying for political provisions.
The first problem is not even solved, but they want power. They want power. And if you have someone whom the first problem is solved but does not understand kingdom, it is still a huge problem because he will still be pushing his own ambition. This is why I so believe that until kingdom is understood, a nation will continue to remain in crisis. Until kingdom is understood. By the majority, by those in power, by those in government, by those in media, by those in business, by those in education until kingdom is understood. And the responsibility falls on the church until the church begins to teach the message of the kingdom, what Christ taught, what the apostles taught. We would not see nations transformed, but we will see converts. We would see people come to Christ, but nations will remain unsafe for dwelling. People will lose their life early even though they were saved early.
Because the nations they live in are not safe. Kingdom answers this. Are you with me brothers and sisters? That is the reason why I so much believe that everybody under the sound of my voice, there is an intentional system of discipleship being used to train you, being used to disciple you. Every teaching is intentionally crafted towards this that you become enabled believers, empowered believers, reformed believers, transformed believers that will solve the people problem, grow your maturity, introduce you into the kingdom, send you into the marketplaces to fulfill your kingdom assignment. And to do this, you would learn kingdom. You will find that influence is important. You cannot be someone who knows kingdom and talk against influence, talk against greatness, talk against prosperity, talk against power. The believer must have power, economical power, spiritual power, relational power, knowing people in high places. You can't understand kingdom and talk against it.
It's not possible. I saw a preacher doing this on some time ago, and I sincerely was sympathetic for those who hear him, from a place of sincerity. Because if you listen to a man of God who reduces, kills, discourages your quest or even the ambition in you for greatness is a dangerous thing you are listening to. Who makes you feel as though the desire in you to achieve great things is anti God? Who tells you if you go into politics or there's a kind of money you have, you will lose God? There's no money I will have that will lose God. Absolutely no money. You hear first things you hear, you better be careful. That the kind of money you have, you just lose God. Have you not seen those people?
Before they had money, they were okay. They had money like this, everything changed. Money was never the problem. The people was the problem. There was a people problem. Are you seeing that? Money is innocent in this business. It means if I can fix the people problem, there is no amount of money I can put on the people that can ever affect them. You will be a billionaire who understands that your sole mandate is kingdom. You will live comfortably whilst diverting majority of your funds to kingdom responsibility.
Those are the kind of people who think, why do I need to buy this if I've not done this? Doesn't mean I don't want it, but that their heart is beating so much for the kingdom, they can't bear to spend foolishly when they have not done anything substantial for the kingdom. That's the difference for the kingdom. And when somebody begins to think like this and they become governor, hey, Jesus Christ. The bible says when the righteous rule. But the problem is that a governor who thinks like this is not enough because power does not rest only on him. The governor does not have absolute power according to the constitution. So even if he thinks like this, he can still be obstructed by the thousands of people who don't. There are policymakers. There is the IGP of police who is independent of the authority of the governor.
They are the police officers at the lower part of this thing. There are teachers. There are ministers. There are permanent secretaries, directors, several people in in all hands of government. Look at government chairman. Look at government chairman. Do you know the kind of heart you must have to truly care about people and not yourself? You see money. You will find out all the care you have about people will just leave if the people problem is still there. If nothing has happened to your heart, all your aspirations, you would find they are just quest to push your ambition.
Don't worry. When I get there, I will do this. I will... It's a lie. You want to just get there to put on your CV. And he start even from university. The real reason why the guy wants to contest is so that he can have something else to put on his CV. But nobody will come and tell you, I'm sorry. Vote for me because I want to put this on my CV. There has to be some legitimate reasons I will give you.
So I'll concoct some things together and come and tell you when I get to power when I get to power. Are you with me? So we said, in understanding the kingdom standard of discipleship, the first we must understand that in this kingdom, God is king. And as God being king, you must understand that there are kingdom values that a believer must hold dear. If you missed church on Tuesday, get that teaching and listen to it. And there are those of you who are in the habit of missing church on Tuesdays. It's not wise. It's not wise. Especially if you have decided to fellowship with us. It's not wise.
Absolutely unwise. And on Tuesday being church. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Kingdom values. Kingdom values. How many of you were blessed on Tuesday? Kingdom values. Very shortly, I wanna talk about kingdom exploits. I don't really have Very shortly.
So that we conclude this series once and for all. Kingdom exploits. When you understand kingdom and you have been discipled after the way of the kingdom, you would find out that God is very interested in your exploits. God is very interested in your results for kingdom purposes alone. God cares about accomplishments. God cares about the exploits of the people. In Daniel chapter 11 and verse 32, the bible says, those who know their God will be strong, and they will carry out great exploits. They will be strong and they will do what now? The people who know their god will carry out great exploits, not small things, not mediocre things, not average things. The bible says they will carry out great exploits.
This is what kingdom people do. Extraordinary accomplishments, great exploits, mighty deeds. This is what happens when you know God. The bible says it comes as a result of your knowing God. That if you truly know God, you will do. Not just that there will be a desire in you to do. You will do. The desire comes first, but it doesn't stop at the desire that the full knowledge of God comes with doing. You will do exploits. You will carry out extraordinary accomplishment.
You will carry out God sized accomplishments. That is how you would think. If you have been disciple right, this is how you would think. Excellence is the only thing you would think about. How can this thing be done well? If you know your God, you will realize the nature of your God. You will realize the God that you represent and the God that is on your inside. And if you know that God and you come into intimacy with that God, you would only breathe exploits. You would only think exploits. You would only imagine exploits.
You would only do exploits. If God lives in you and you have if you have come to know the God that lives in you, how excellent that God is, and you actually know the excellent God that lives in you, my God. John 15 verse eight says, by this, my father is glorified that you bear much fruit so you will be my disciples. Can I see the connection there? Discipleship and fruit. We started by showing you that discipleship is very important in in the church today. Is that not so? And that how the believers in Antioch were called Christians was that they were discipled after a year of teaching. And the bible says that by this, my father is glorified that you bear much fruit so you will be my disciples. In other words, you cannot remove fruitfulness from discipleship.
You cannot remove what now? And in the context of your life, that fruit is not only souls saved. That fruit is excellence in what God has committed into your hands. God is not pleased with passivity. God is not honored by laziness. God is not glorified by believers who do just enough to get by, who settle for average, Who hide behind excuses? Look at the parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25 from verse 14 to verse 13. You know the story. A man went on a journey and entrusted his servants with talents according to their abilities. Is that not so?
And to one, he gave five talents. To another, he gave two. And to another, he gave one. And when he returned, he told them before he left to do business with his talents. Occupy it till he comes. Do business with it. And then when he returned, he called them to give account of what they had done with the talent that he had given to them. And the one who received five talents had gained five more. The one who received two talents had gained two more. The one who received one talent did nothing with it.
And the master called those two who had done something with it and had gained more. And he told them in verse 21, well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. End time to the joy of your Lord. Well done. Why did he tell them well done? Because they used what they had been given, and they multiplied what they had been given. He gave it to them. They used it, and they multiplied it.
He didn't even tell them how to use it. He just gave it to them and left it to the screnger of the spirit of wisdom in their insight and the things they have learned of him. I haven't been with him for many years. And he said, you know what? Go and use this thing. Do business with it. And he left. Are you with me brothers and sisters? When he came to the one servant who had received and done nothing with it, what did he do? That one servant buried it.
That one servant eat it in the ground. He did absolutely nothing with it. And when the master returned in verse 24 and verse 25, the bible says, the guy told the master, I was afraid. I went and hid your talent in the ground. Look. There you have what is yours. Next verse. But his Lord answered and said to him, can you read that next line together, everybody? Again. You be a better listener.
So how does the master interpret having given you something and you do nothing with it? He be better listener. That I gave you things. I gave you resources. I gave you talents, I gave you abilities, I gave you gifts. And instead of you multiplying it, instead of you proving that you are faithful, instead of you stewarding what I'd given you right to produce result and to bear much fruit, what you do is to hide it, what you do is to bury it, what you do is to do nothing with it, and we meet eventually after many years. After the rapture, you stand before me in judgment, and I ask you, where is the ability I gave to you? And you return it to me exactly how I gave it to you without having multiplied it, having increased it. The definition, the conclusion that the master gives it is that you are a wicked man, and you are a lazy man. Are you with me?
Yes, sir. Give me the the previous verse. Read the first line. One, three. Go. I was afraid. Pause. What was the reason that the young man gave for doing nothing with it? I was afraid. I didn't want to take a risk.
I didn't want to fail. I was afraid of it not working. I was afraid of being embarrassed, so I played it safe. I protected what you gave me instead. And look, this is what you gave me exactly. I didn't do nothing with it. I didn't spoil it. I was just afraid to deploy it. I was afraid to to deploy it, to use it. And the master told him, you wicked.
You wicked and lazy servant. That's what God tells anybody who does not produce, who does nothing with what they have been given. Even if your reason was fear, it doesn't matter in this kingdom. God did not call him wicked because he lost the talent. God not even call him wicked because he tried and he failed. God called him wicked because he did absolutely nothing. He was unprofitable. He brought no increase, no multiplication, no exploits. And when you read down, you find that the consequence of this was very severe. What he had was taken from him, and he was cast out.
And a lot of people today are like this lazy servant, are like this wicked servant. A lot of believers today. A young woman has a business idea, and she has the skills for it. She has been given the skills for it. She has the knowledge for it. She has identified a gap in the market. God has shown her the bridge. God has shown her the gap. God has given her creativity. God has given her strategic thinking.
God has given her the ability to solve problems, especially that particular problem that God has showed... God is showing her a gap in. She could easily start the business. She could easily serve a community. She could easily create jobs. She could easily create wealth that finances kingdom work if she starts, if she jumps out of it. But what does she do? She spends years preparing. She takes courses. She buys all kinds of courses.
She reads books. She attends seminars. She creates business plans. She talks about it with her friends, and that's where it ends. It just ends there. She never launches anything. She never does anything. Why? I need more capital. I need a perfect team.
I need to be sure it will succeed. What if I fail? What if I lose money? What if it doesn't work? What if people criticize me? You know what? I will start when everything is in place. I will start when I have it all together. Now I'm still learning. There is still so much I don't know.
And it begins to give all kinds of excuses, all kinds of excuses, all kinds of excuses. And people ask her, why have you not started now? She won't tell them all of this. What she will do is I'm waiting on God. You know, I've strained that preparation season. I don't want to move ahead of God. And it sounds wise, but it is fear disguised as caution. Fear. It is the same thing that that servant said, I was afraid. She's not waiting on God.
God is the one waiting on her because God has given her the gifts. God has given her the talent. God has given her the wisdom, the creativity, the strategic thinking. He has given her the idea, the ability, the opportunity. What she lacks is not resources. What she lacks is courage. And what does God say? Wicked and lazy. Wicked and lazy because she refuses to act on what God has given to her. An idea God has given to her.
A gift God has given to her. Resources God has given to her. Wicked and lazy. She buried the talent in endless preparation, endless waiting, endless excuses, and she called it wisdom. Wicked and lazy. Meanwhile, he has passed. Opportunities closes. Market shifts. The idea God had given to her even grows out of relevance within that context. And she's still preparing, never producing anything, never multiplying anything, never stepping into what God has called her to do.
And by the time she's eventually ready to now start in her own wisdom, she then finds that more than three people have started the same thing that she had the idea to start three years ago, five years ago. Because when you do nothing with it, even the one that is given to you is taken from you and given to somebody else who would do something with it. Because the judgment is that you are wicked and lazy. And the idea of a book God had given to you to write, you eventually find the same topic. Somebody had written it, published it, and promoting it with so much effort and even send you the link until you have me review it. And as you are reviewing, you're saying this is exactly what God showed me, exactly what God said I should do. And what will happen then? Because there is preachers, comforter, you will begin to encourage yourself and say, hey. You know what? It's not too late.
Are you with me? But there is somebody else who had the same idea who is even less prepared than her, but she launches regardless with whatever she has. The first version of our product is not perfect, but she still puts it out regardless. She's learning why she's doing it, learning on the job, failing, standing, learning, customers are complaining, takes their complaint, refurbishes what they are saying, perfects our products, launches again the version two, adjust the idea, steps out again. She faces challenges, she makes mistakes, she grows through the mistakes she's making, grows through the challenges she's having, and within two years, within five years, our business is striving. She's employing others. She's generating income, And she's using the profit to fund a ministry, to fund even the kingdom of God. Why? Because she did not wait for perfection. She started with what she had, and God multiplied it.
That's exactly what it means to have exploits. You have to understand that there is no exploit in waiting on God. There is exploit in moving, in starting, in jumping. Ask what believers must be taught, especially at the constant productivity. And I'll get there very soon. You see a young man who works in the tech industry for instance, and that guy is very skilled, very intelligent. God has given him the ability to solve complex problems, to innovate, to lead. He could be excellent in his field. He could be promoted. He could influence the culture of his company.
He could use his promotion to create opportunities for other believers even. What does he do? He does the bare minimum possible. Clocks in at nine, clocks out at five. Just the barest minimum that it takes to sustain his job. Does what is required but never beyond. Doesn't volunteer for anything challenging. Doesn't do anything to push himself outside of his box. Doesn't get additional certifications, additional training, upskill yourself. Do more with what God has given to you.
It doesn't take any initiative. If it does not fall into the context of his assignment for the day, it doesn't take initiative. Doesn't take initiative. Doesn't take any initiative whatsoever. There's a guy in my office who happens to be one of the senior guys that people always dread that insults them. That guy has a particular client who I'm doing a particular work for. And the work falls outside the boundaries of my office because the company that I work with doesn't produce that service to the client and to any client. And so we have to reach the company that is producing the service. It's a third party company now to help the client with us to fix their problem. And it has been going on for, three months now.
The company couldn't solve it even though it's their problem. But it's our client. So we are using the company resources to solve our client's problem. So when the company resources had issues, the client will not go to them. They'll come to us because we are using them to solve their problem. Is my English strange? Is it clear to you? Yes, sir. Alright. So the client comes to us, but we have to go to them.
Solve this problem, but they couldn't solve the problem. And it became an issue because we don't provide that service. And the client would keep on coming, keep on coming. And with the client who does not want to hear that it's not us providing the service. All they want to hear is results. So I told this guy, I said, listen. This is this is not on me. This is a third party service. Until they solve it, there's nothing we can do. And you see, that is something that someone who does the bare minimum would do.
It's not our fault. It's not on me. Right? We don't produce that service. And I thought to myself, what would it take to produce this service? What would it take? It would take about eight hours of code. Let's do it. I wrote the code, tested it, worked perfectly, got on the call with a young man who is a terror to everybody. And I showed him what I had done that we can now start producing this service as a company because this is a solution to it.
The lie could not speak for one minute. Just open his mouth. How did you do it? I did it. Because I don't see myself as someone who does the barest minimum. I don't see myself as someone who is just a regular employee or is a regular guy, the regular guy in the office who just... What he's taught to do. No. I see myself as someone who solves problem, any kind of problem. It interests me.
It excites me. How can this thing be solved? Even when you're not sending me. That's the reason why I know I am extremely valuable everywhere I find myself. But there are several believers who does not have this mentality. And so when you get them into an atmosphere, what they do, laziness is so deep within their bloodstream. If you tell them, what I employed you to do is to just sit down here and attend to visitors. The guy does not care whether where he's seated is dirty or clean. Because what you employ them to do is to sit down here and attend to visitors. The barest minimum, the initiative to say, this person sitting down represents the office.
There is no client that would walk here and sit in a place like this who will be impressed to even work with us. And it would mean that if clients are dissatisfied with my... With the company, there will be no visitors for me to even attend to. Let me do whatever it takes to ensure that this company goes forward. At least I found myself here. So what do I do? I sweep the commit. I sweep the environment, take care of everywhere. I sit down. I have initiative.
How can we get more people here? How can we get more people here? How can we do more? Are you seeing what I'm saying? How can we do more? I'm not saying I'm taking initiative that takes stress away from whoever... That is how believers run exploits from where you have that becomes something that eventually reaches the world. You can't reach the world when you have not happened on your world. Your immediate environment is suffering, but your dream is to reach the world. How does that happen?
How does that happen? Are you with me? I don't want to be a workaholic. You know? I don't want to sacrifice my personal time. I'm I'm I'm just doing my job. God will promote me if he... When he wants to. There's a guy like that in the workforce. That's the barest minimum, and I'm observing.
And I've made my conclusions based on the observation. You know why? Because he said, according to him, that when he was taking initiative, everybody was having problem with him. So the solution is, you know what? I'm not gonna take initiative again. If you don't give me anything to do, I will not do it. So the guy's mindset is that even if I see this speaker falling down and I'm beside it, there is somebody whose role is to carry the speaker. I would rather face... I'd rather ask them the work they've given to me. I would rather ensure that the speaker damages because nobody can hold me responsible, and you may be right except for the fact that you will never rise Because your attitude is being observed, observed by everybody, observed by those that will recommend you, observed by those that will help you, observed by those that will favor you, and they will see that this guy does what you give to him well, and that's all that he does.
You didn't see that. That's all that he does. It's only task oriented. It means they will keep you in that task but never promote you beyond it because all your usefulness revolves around that task. You're not worthy of promotion. You're you're not the leader. You're not someone who can do more. That's the problem with people who are only task oriented. There's no reason why anybody should help promote you because they they would want to there. That's why you're doing so well.
May may God grant you understanding. When it's passed for promotions, when things don't come his way, there are believers like this who even pray and declare prophecies. But they don't understand kingdom because they've not been discipled properly. He thinks that life will bow to him solely because he's declaring prophecies. And he's saying apostle have said, what have gone forth ahead of me? But in the kingdom, there are principles and protocols that you are failing in, obviously, but you are declaring prophecies out of his work. There are principles and precepts that you are filling in obviously, but you're declaring prophecies. And you're commanding that the realm of the spirit bows to you. But the systems laid down by God by which men progress and advance, you have failed him. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
When you ask him, why is your life not moving forward? He will blame favoritism. He will blame lack of understanding. He will blame they don't understand me, discrimination, all kind of things like that, but never himself. Never his half hearted posture to work. Whereas the bible says whatever it is that you do, do utterly whatever it is you do as unto the Lord, not as unto men. So when the guy was doing it utterly, and he felt as though nobody is seeing what I'm doing, that means he was doing it as unto men. Not as unto the Lord. But the bible says, if you will ever do anything heartily, ensure that you are doing it as unto God. Because there are times that men might not see it.
There are times that men might even see it and be ungrateful, including me. It's true. You can spend eight hours ensuring that a graphic design is properly done, and you come and show me what you have done and does not meet the quality of excellence that I want. And I will look at you and tell you this is nonsense. But if you did it as unto me, you know what you would do? You will live here heavily disappointed. And you would wonder why should I ever spend that amount of time doing that thing again because it was never as unto the Lord. I don't do anything as unto men. It's not worth it. It's not worth it.
It's not worth the frailty of men. It's not worth it. It's not worth it. It's not worth the mood switches that men have. It's not worth it. It's not worth it. Anything, whatever it is you do, if you understand these principles, do you know that it would even affect your marriage? There would be less conflict in marriage. Because you can get something for someone, and you'd expect that they were more grateful than they were. That the person would see what you have gotten them, and they just say, oh, thank you so...
And you you might not even... You don't know what to expect, but you just expected more appreciation. But what you got this time was thanks. Not even thank you. And there's a difference. And you might argue it until it happens to you. You might argue it and say, what's the difference? Until it happens to you. And you sacrifice everything, getting something for someone, and the person say, oh, thanks. You will not pay.
You never knew it was there because it was as unto men. That's the problem. Not as unto a lot. But the bible says whatever you do, it doesn't give any limitation to it. Anything that is worth doing at all is worth doing well. My mother will tell me when I was young. Anything that is worth doing at all is worth doing well. If it is a sweeping you are doing, it's worth doing well. Make it a habit so that wherever you find yourself, you build a culture of doing everything well. How many things well?
Everything well. But you don't get to a point where you can manage mediocrity, where you are accustomed to mediocrity, where you have built a lifestyle around mediocrity, that even when it's not excellent, you don't mind. You can make do with it. You see, you can make do with it. The follow-up people in church, I think it was somebody's initiative to put notes on chairs. I don't know if it was all the chairs or some chairs so that when you sit down, you just find a lovely note handwritten by someone to you. Was it the... I don't know if... Was it this morning that you did that? Did you did you find a note on your chair?
It was when? Okay. They came outside. Oh, okay. Right. So it was outside. So handing people notes. Right? And someone posted a picture of the note that it was handed on their status, and I saw it. And I saw the note was written, and the person made a mistake in writing, and the person canceled it and continue writing after.
And I said, what nonsense is this? That means you can make do with mediocrity. It will cost you nothing to tear another paper and write one that had no errors. I am that careful of excellence. I am that concerned about excellence. It means whoever wrote that thing has no concern in this world. You can even... That's the meaning. Has no concern in this world for excellence. It has not become a part of you.
You can still make do. Even if it's not good enough, you can manage it. And when you take it in the marketplace, you fail miserably. What is God's response when God finds a man who does the barest minimum, wicked and lazy? Because he's not working. Because he's settling down with the barest minimum. He has the ability to excel, but he chooses mediocrity by choice. He has the capacity for leadership, but he hides in the background. He protects his comfort. His free time is...
He wants to protect his free time. Wants to protect his ease, and then it produces nothing of significance. You find another believer or a young woman who probably has the gift of writing that God has given to her, the ability to communicate, to inspire, to teach through the written word. And she has stories to tell. She has truths to share. She could write books. She could write articles. She could write devotional content that reaches people that she will never meet in person. But instead of doing this thing, what does she do? She journals, she writes in private, she has dozens of unfinished manuscripts in her laptop.
She has never published any of them. What if people don't like it? What if it's not good? What is what is nonsense? And years pass. The manuscripts gather dust. The ideas gather dust. The gift to remain buried, unutilized. When you ask people like that, when will you start? When will you publish this thing?
When will you launch this thing? What they say is that I'm waiting for God to open the door. Wicked and lazy. Wicked because you are denying orders of benefiting from what God has given to you. Lazy because you are just lazy. Are you with me? Yes, sir. And if you are like this, you would find out that people who has less skill than you are doing well than you. That is the paradox. You will find that people who are who you are even more intelligent than.
People who are dumb. I don't know if it's dumb bad than, but then I realize that you're not dumb anyways. But people... You just find that people that that should not be there by normal metrics are doing well. And you who have all the intelligence, who have all the skill, are barely getting by. Why? Because they have the courage and the audacity to put themselves out. Whereas what do you do? You hide and you bury. Wicked and lazy.
Wicked and lazy. How about the student? Who is in university? Who is brilliant? Who has an exceptional mind for arts, for science, for music, for whatever? Even people begin to notice that mind she has. Quick thinking, brilliance. Her professors begin to notice it. Her peers begin to notice it. God has given her intellect.
God has given her analytical ability. Academical talent that most people don't even have. She could excel. She could be at the top of her class. She could position herself for opportunities that will advance the kingdom of God in her field of influence. But what does she do? She does just enough to pass her exams. She attends class when she feels like it, reads when she live... When she feels like it, studies only a night before the exams, submit assignment late, graduate with mediocre grades, someone that could be easily on a 5.0 is on a 2.5, Wicked and lazy. Wicked and lazy.
Because what God has given to them is unutilized. Potentials buried. The thought is buried. Talents buried. And you have to understand that this kingdom has no place for fruitless believers. Are you with me? Because in the kingdom of God, you are either producing or you're perishing. You are either multiplying or you are being removed. There's no neutral ground in it. No category for the believer who does nothing and still expects to be rewarded.
And when you hear people speaking, you find all kind of excuses for which they've buried their resources, buried the potentials God had given to them. I'm waiting for the right time. What they are really saying is I'm afraid to start now. I'm just afraid to start now. Just waiting for resources. What they are really saying is I want a guarantee before I start. I want a guarantee before I obey. What if I fail? What they are really saying is I would rather do nothing than fail. You know, I'm comfortable where I am right now.
What they are saying is I'm... I am in comfort. I don't wanna stretch myself. And I'm just waiting on God. What they are saying is I'm waiting on God to remove all the risk before I move. Let me be sure it's not risky. Oh, God. What you don't know is that god does not reward safety. God rewards faithfulness, and faithfulness is never passive. Faithfulness is active.
Faithfulness is productive. Faithfulness is a reproductive. And the servants that multiplied took risk to multiply. The one who buries the talent think he was being wise. Understand this. In this kingdom, exploit is important, and there is no place for the believer without exploits. Are you with brothers and sisters? Proverbs chapter 18 verse nine. Can we go there? The bible says, he who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
That means the person that does nothing, that is slothful, that is lazy in his work is as destructive as the one that is actively destroying his life. Actively destroying his life. The same people. Same thing. Why is this important to God? Because exploit is important for kingdom advance. The kingdom does not advance through passivity. The kingdom does not advance through mediocrity. The kingdom of God advances through exploits. Exploits, results, accomplishments.
That is what it takes to advance the kingdom of God. Genesis one twenty eight, the bible says, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Fill the earth and subdue... That is the mandate. Fill the earth and subdue it. If the kingdom of God will find expansion and advancement upon the earth, you must be able to bring to bear your consciousness that without exploits, your life will not be seen. And that's the reason why every part of scripture, you would find God saying, let your light so shine before men. Is that not so? Let your light so shine before men. God did not say I will shine your light for you.
God said, let your light. Do you know that? God never said, light yourself. Because if the bible says, let your light so shine, the question is, where is the light coming from? Your responsibility is not to light yourself. You are not the one that produces the light. The light is from God. The source of the light is God. But it is your responsibility to ensure that whatever God has supplied, whatever God has sourced, men see. Men see.
If God has given you a voice to speak, it's your responsibility to ensure that men hate. Go and buy the microphone. Buy the camera. Arrange the platform. Sit down and begin to speak. There's a great general of faith. I read about the story. This guy had a burning method for revival that God had given to him. But the territory that he came from, they are very a very orthodox people who don't really... All this revival revival fire fire thing is not their business.
They've sank into sobriety. They just go to church and church is cold. Everybody is just singing slow hymn song and shaking their head from left to toe. This was not what this guy was receiving. Fire was burned on his inside. People don't even pray in tongues. This guy wanted fire to fall. People to pray in tongues. The first time he was given a platform to preach, everywhere scattered. They sent him out of the church.
Serious. Went to another church again. Everywhere scattered, they sent him out of the church. He was sent out of multiple churches because they could not understand what he was carrying. And the story says that this man went to the center of the city. It is not people that allows your light to shine. Let your own light so shine. He placed a platform at the center of the city, stood upon it, and started shouting. The first one came. The second one came.
The third one came. People gathered tens. Tens became 100. 100 became thousands until the revival cut across the entire city. All the churches that sent him out were emptied. Because suddenly, everybody, they are led that the tortoise had no fire. That's what fire does. It makes those who have no fire, they're led that they have no fire. And right when the fire begins to burn loudly, people started transporting themselves to his meetings. I don't remember his name.
Transporting themselves to the meetings. And the revival started across the entire country, across the entire city. Thousands gathering on fire, praying in tongues. Miracles began. Healings began. This man did not wait for anybody to give him a platform. That is what believers are doing now. The bible says, let your light so shine. Let your light so shine. I was speaking to a model some time ago.
Doesn't... The lady came to me and told me, I'm applying for two modeling agencies. They are rejecting me. They are doing this. I just need someone that will just see me. I said, you don't need anybody that will see you. Create your own platform. I don't understand why this dependence mentality. God has given you everything that you need to prosper. Create your own platform.
Those agencies that you are applying to that are refusing you, what will happen is that when you create your own platform and grow in that platform and begin to build weight around it, they will now come and sign contracts with you. They will say, can we work with you? Can we do this with you? And it will be on your own terms now. No foolish pluses here and there. On your own terms now. Another one came to me. Says, I see myself as a big name in Nollywood. He said, that's good. So what are you doing?
So I'm writing to different producers to just give me a chance. I said those who are there now, is that how they got there? Did they write to different producers to give them a chance? You can study theatre heart and never get there. If that is your mentality. Because nobody will just give you a chance like that. You either force your way into it, take it by fire by force, or create your own platform. And the easiest is to create your own platform. And what you would find is that all the people who are there at the moment never studied data arts, never went into university to study it as a cause. All they did was create their own platform.
They were building their own platform when movie producers came to them and said, we saw that you are very good in this. We need someone who can play this role. Can you do it? And they came and Fiam, build your own platform because it's your responsibility to let your light shine. It's a change in orientation that they believe I must have. How about in business? How about in business? I told one of my guys this same thing. He shot into multiple millions instantly. This thing that you are doing for someone, build your own platform.
Don't stop doing it. Oh, you still need money. But build yours whilst you are building his and be faithful. And the guy commuted himself, all he required was one month. In one month, what he had built for himself surpassed what he had been trying to build for the person he was working for for three years in one month. Let your light so shine. The day you take that responsibility for your life and you realize that everything that pertains onto life and godliness has been given to you, you would find out that there is nothing that god holds you. Absolutely nothing that God holds you. Because he has given you his promises. He has given you his life.
It's like that parable of the talent. He has given you talents, potentials. You are a gift box of resources. If we unload you, many of you will be shocked at what you can do. There are some of you that when we go... May you change. May you not become like that. But if you don't change, you'll just find out that you go to heaven on judgement day. And when God shows you what was written about your life, the things that you were supposed to do, you will be shocked that you never thought while you were on earth somebody like you could do it. Yet it was inside.
And all God was expecting was launch. Step out. Launch. Step out. Start. Do this thing. Start. There are problems that God has given you to solve. You don't need too much resources to start it. All of those things are excuses.
Excuses to remain the same. Start. Solve a problem. Read if you're students because God demands exploit in academics. Understand the language of exploits. Let me tell you this thing about exploit. What exploit does is this. It advances the kingdom. Okay. Let me put it this way.
Many of you know Spain. I will give you exploit in the perspective of the kingdom and in the perspective of the citizens. How many of you have ever done a study on Lazarus? Raise your hand. You've done a study on Lazarus. Ask me questions based on what you found. You've done a study on Lazarus. Hey. How... You know Lazarus?
How many of the people have done a study on Abraham? Raise your hand. Above your head now, are you afraid of raising your hand? Raise your hand. Okay. Because I heard I asked a question, they are afraid. Better raise your hand. You're in the presence of God. You don't know my question. You don't know my question.
Simple as ABC. Raise your hand if I've known it's William Abraham. Put your hands down. Raise your hand if I've a story of Lazarus. You know that guy... That Lazarus guy in Abraham's bosom? That's the guy I'm talking about. He said, let me... I want to study this guy's life that if he has ever interested you. Glory to god.
You know why I'm not seeing so many hands raised? And the people, the one who raised their hand, I have to ask them a question now. The reason why I'm not seeing so many, like, hands raised is that nobody is interested in studying what is not success. Because what the bible records about his life is that he was at the gate of a rich man taking crumbs that fall from the rich man's table. Crumbs, they pour out of the rich man's corridor. That's what he has to eat. That's the word the bible records about the man. That alone is there is enough to say I don't want my life to be like this. And you have never committed... And this...
That guy made heaven. The rich man that will... He did not make heaven. But you rather study rich man than study him because nobody is interested in studying failures. Nobody. Nobody. The only thing people study is who is the best. The only thing people study is who is successful. The only thing people recognize and people trump around who is doing well. People trump around who is successful.
People trump around who is the best. There's nobody who will come and say, let me tell you to be poor, and you'll be... And you start following him. In other words, if somebody is successful, if somebody is influential, is great, doesn't matter what kingdom represents, he will have attention. The ears of the masses is ease to direct. And if he tells them, I'm this great because I do this, people will hear because everybody responds to success. Everybody responds to greatness. Everybody. And I will tell you why later, not today. There's a reason for it.
Even those who are not successful, they respond to success. It's why people listen to motivational speakers. It means if the kingdom of God has more people who are like that, then the kingdom of God will have more people who are converts. Are you with me? The quickest and the fastest way by which the people problem is solved is that people who have grown in influence declared their allegiance to the kingdom. Everybody who has their ears will subscribe to what they believe. Everybody who has their ears. That's one. Number two is because the agenda of God and the program of God upon the earth requires influence to be accomplished. An example of this is Pharaoh.
An example of this is Cyrus. Pharaoh and Cyrus are two pagan kings in scriptures. Yet when God wanted to do something remarkable on earth, it was the two of them that God came to. Number one, Pharaoh. There would be seven years of famine. Seven years of plenty. And the plenty would come first than the famine. The question is this. Joseph could dream. He had had a dream of sun and moon bowing down to him.
But the question is, if Joseph had had the dream, what would Joseph have done? What could Joseph do to save nations, to preserve his own family? What could Joseph do to preserve the purposes of God and the agenda of God in the prison. So if Joseph had the dream and say, hey. Seven years of plenty is coming. Does he have the connection? Does he have the resources? Does he have does he have the money? Does he have the finances? What does he have?
So he could dream. When it came to God's agenda, he could do nothing about it. God had to go to someone who had influence even though it does not represent God. God is very strategic in what he does. He goes for influential people because he needs influence to advance his kingdom. And he puts the dream in the mind of fear, but the guy didn't understand it. Then brings Joseph to be someone who counsels Pharaoh in achieving what God wanted to do. Are you with me? But if there was a man on earth who was righteous and had the same power, the same influence, the same authority, God would have gone to him, but there was none. There was none.
Prophecies had gone forth in the book of Ezra that Jerusalem will be built once again. The temple will be built once again. All amazing things have been said. But guess what? Nothing happened because all the people that would do the building were in captivity. None of them had the resources. None of them had the power. None of them had the influence to make it happen. But the bible says it was up to Ezra chapter one verse one. One, three.
Go. Listen. Cyrius was a pagan king. Persia was a pagan kingdom. Watch what happens. One, two, three, go. By the mouth of who? Jeremiah. Might be? In other words, the prophet had already spoken, but it could not be fulfilled by any other person.
Go on. Who was doing the steering? The Lord. What was the prophecy? That Jerusalem must be built. The temple must be built. But these people did not have the resources. They didn't have the influence, the connection. They didn't have the money. God had to go to a pagan king and steer the heart of the pagan king.
Doesn't stop here. How about when Jesus' body was on the cross? All the disciples could do nothing about it. All of them could do nothing about it. It had to be a very influential, highly connected man. That was the only person that could request for the body of Jesus on the cross. And I hope you know that it was in prophecy that his body must leave that cross. It was in prophecy that his body, he must be in a tomb. It was in prophecy, but the disciples had not the connection to bring prophecy to pass. Prophecy coming to pass needed wealth, needed money, needed influence, needed connection, needed somebody who knew the king, who could request for the body, who could receive presidential requests and sanction, And so you know what?
Soldiers allow the body to be given to him. He's already dead. That could not be done by the disciples. That could not be done by the disciples. You read through scriptures, and you'll find out God was extremely interested in people of power and people of influence because God's agenda usually would require power, influence, and connections, money, resources. That's why the bible says true prosperity is my kingdom spread abroad. Understand this. The kingdom of God thrives on account of exploits. Never let anybody make you believe that being mediocre brings any glory to God. It doesn't.
Being poor brings any glory to God. It doesn't. Being broke brings any glory to God. It doesn't. It doesn't. It doesn't. I heard somebody say, all these pastors, you know what? The easiest business to start right now is to go and start a church. There is money in this church thing. No.
I beg you to go and start. I beg you to go and start. And it pains me that the foolish people who said these things never started. Go and start it. Prove your theory, and you'll be rudely shocked that the majority of the money in ministry is the one leaving you. Leaving you to take care of the people, to meet the needs even, to fend for the poor. There is an height you cannot get to even in ministry without money. It is true. There is territorial dominion you cannot have without money. Let me tell you something.
Nigeria have a security problem, but it is only half true. What did I say? Stop. It is only true if you don't have money. It's not true for the rich. I'm not speaking. It's all I'm gonna say. Go ahead. Think about it. I'll think about it.
Exploits. Be someone who pursues exploits. Be someone who is after exploits, who is after results, and who does everything that God has given to him to ensure that my life will bear fruit. For those of you who are students, start from your academics. I'm told that you're writing exams. Insist that my life will bear fruits. Insist. Pass your exams. Take that same diligence into your finances. Insist that I will not be poor.
Take that same diligence into your career, into your ministry, into your purpose. Insist that whatever God has given me to do, I will do big. Because there is a message that God has given to us, and that message needs noise. And money makes noise. Money makes a lot of noise. Money makes a lot of noise. Believe me. When all of you come here and park your cars there, it makes a lot of noise. It makes a lot of noise. When we buy off all the billboards in this city, all of them.
All of them. You know how much one big billboards cost? About 800,000. And we'll buy 25 of them or 30 of them. Get the smaller ones, we'll buy, like, 50 of them. Yes, sir. And we'll be putting message on all of them. Jesus loves you. Your sins are forgiven. Kingdom is the way.
And we put several several preaching one message, one gospel, and we march around the city of Ibadan, everybody in their own cars carrying several people, and we are stretching our hearts out of the window holding banners like this. With soldiers in the front, police at the back, everybody. It makes noise. It is true. There is a type of territorial dominion that you cannot have without financial dominion. The powers that be will not listen to you until you have the financial recu site to gain the attention. So I know that president will not come here until presidents come out of here. That's why the bible says kings will come out of you. So I know the vision God has given me, and one of it is to raise kings out of you. When it begins to happen, you would now see president of nations start coming to sit down among you.
And while we are honoring people, you will say we want to thank God because we have the prayer of South Korea is here. The prayer of Burundi is here. The vice president of this place is here. The one... This one is here. That one is here. They will come because something has come out of you. Yes, sir. Let's go. That's why they will come.
Yes, sir. That's why they will come. They will not come because we are aimless and faceless. They would come because your light has started shining. They would come because in the UN, you are represented. Your life is blistering there. They'll come because in the parliament, so there is a voice there that is blistering. There's a light there that is shining. They will come because in entertainment, there is a voice that is loud and clear. In all the mountains of influence, there are voices.
And when you ask them, what made you into this? There are messages I heard, teachings I heard. I knew I could not be small. I knew that I had a responsibility in partnering with God to become more than God has said. I knew it. And so I walked, I studied, I labored. When you get to Oxford, when you get to Harvard, when you get to all parts of the world, you will meet people there that your mentality will challenge their lifestyle. They will bow and submit to this message, and you will disciple a people. Some of you will become the reason why the doors of nations will open to us. Who will come to Kenya because you are there.
Who will come to The US because you are there. Who will come to Canada because you are there. We will not apostle. We have gathered a thousand people in Germany. I came here for masters, but through the teachings, I knew I could not remain the same. I saw a problem that God would have me solve. I moved into it, and I've grown in influence. Now I've gathered over a 500 people. Apostle, can you come from Nigeria and come and mentor us? And I will be on the next flight because somebody there is doing a big thing.
This is how the lights will shine. This is how the lights will shine. Refuse smallness. Refuse it. Refuse it. Whether you are in career, refuse it. That's why it bring teachings like this to you that makes you diligent wherever you find yourself. That makes you realize that you are you are the one responsible for whatever becomes of your life because God has given you everything. If you feel it, it's your fault. Are you hearing what I'm saying?
If you are a billionaire, you are responsible in partnership with God. Do you know how much it takes to run this ministry? Thank you, Lord Jesus. Many of you have the slightest idea, and we have never failed once in transporting people with buses. We have never failed once. On Sundays, on Tuesdays, we have never given you any reason for which the bus will not be available and tell you, sorry, we don't have enough money. And you will be very foolish to think it is the tithe and offering that does it. You'll be very foolish to think so. Tithe and offering? Are you kidding me?
You know how much you give? It is because we have invested in this thing that we will never do anything for God and lack money. God will not put a vision in our hearts. And what will keep us down is the absence of finances. The reason why I cannot print the book is because I don't have money. The reason why my method would not be heard is because I don't have money, God forbid. Many of us started ministering also understanding this. And God has given us a method. That method must be loud. It must be loud.
And financial power is needed to make it loud. Coupled with the anointing, coupled with power, coupled with your alignment with the spirit. Are you hearing this thing I'm saying? Yes, sir. Coupled with your alignment in the spirit. That's why I don't speak to you as long as speaking to small children. They're not small children. If there's anybody who thinks like he's one, my responsibility is to break that yoke off your neck. Don't matter what your age is. You can be 17 and dominated.
You can be 30 and dominated. 40 and dominated. Don't matter what your age is. What I know for certain is that these stars will shine. That is the mark of true discipleship. That's the mark of true Christians. Wonder you sit down here and we'll be using you to count number. No. It is sending capacity. How many of you are sendable?
Sendable across the mountains of influence. And when we sit down and begin to watch television, who is the next voice that we are seeing within the news on channels? You say, ah, isn't that that usher that was ushering some two years ago? Some... We see and we read the news, and we see some diplomats came from this country, and they are meeting with some envoys in Nigeria. And then when we see pictures, it's you we are sitting there, And you see you in a boardroom talking to people. And kings and princes negotiating the faith of nations, talking about the faith of nations, telling them, okay. You know what? This is what we are doing. This is what we are...
And you are discussing policies, forming things together, lawmakers, local government chairman, senators, senators, honorables, that a vision is put in your heart to pursue after greatness because you have been taught kingdom. To know that your voice must be heard. Let your light so shine. Let your light so shine. My light will shine. Oh, it will shine. It will shine. Nations will hear my voice. I was told of a man of God. Some of my pastors were telling me about it, about him, who was given the invite to minister in a large platform next year.
And they were showing me a video of his early this year where the man was saying. That particular plat... He was in his message, and he was declaring it. I'm preaching here. I'm preaching here. I'm preaching here. And they showed me the video. And before the year was over, I was invited to preach there. Let your light so shine. It is...
Do you understand what I'm saying? Let your light so shine. Appoint your days by yourself because God has put these things on your inside. Get my message, the wisdom for early satisfaction. The wisdom for early satisfaction. Put a desire in your spirit to fund the kingdom. Sir. That single one day, there are projects you will do. Sir. For the kingdom.
One of my own men came to me and told me, apostle, this is my first land I'm buying, and I'm giving to the kingdom. And he brought the documents. He said to me, he said, I know that this is the first of many, and this is my first fruit. First of many, the guys in 200 live. Somebody thinks he's small boy. Somebody thinks he's a small girl. I look at the quality of believers I'm raising, and I'm excited. I'm excited in my spirit. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Excited in my spirit. At the audacity of some of you. I said, yes. Yes. Yes. Someone was sharing testimony with me. When did you go and get a job? Left the plate with a job and a contract. Job was paying him 80,000 naira. Contract paid him 5,000,000 naira.
Because as he was interviewing, the person that owned the... His business walked past and started talking to his PA what they had to do in their company within the next three months. He went for his interview, requested a meeting with the person that owns the business, who wasn't the one that interviewed him, by the way. There was a HR people that interviewed him, met with a person, not come as the one that was just got... Had not gotten a job. Came as somebody who could do what he just heard them say. Got the job and got the contract. It's only in this year you hear those things. This guy is a 300 left. 300 left.
How does a 300 level so they have that kind of boldness to go and approach and sit down and say, hey. I I overhead. I can't... It's my... It's what I do. When you have been taught the heart of a lion, the visage of a colossus. You you you... If you fail again, it's your fault. It's your fault. Hold yourself responsible for the outcome of your life.
Don't hold any foundational corpse responsible. Don't hold any altar responsible. Nothing like that. Exploit everywhere. Exploits everywhere. Exploits everywhere. Exploits everywhere. Amen. Make the... Make things happen.
Make things... Don't wait for things to happen. Make things happen. Stop slouching. Make things happen. The wisdom to solve the problems are in your head. Make things happen. The bible says that diligent hands make it rich. Take what is in your hand and multiply it. Use what you have been given and produce a return.
Stop making foolish excuses. Stop blaming your background. Stop blaming your economy. Stop blaming your government. Stop blaming your parents. Stop blaming your pastor. Take responsibility. Take action. When you do this, watch God meet you in the place of your need. Watch God meet you in the place of your faith rather.
Make things happen. Be someone who believes in God and be someone who makes things happen. Be someone who is taking giant leaps every day of his life. Giant steps every day of his life. And don't give up. Be resilient and be persistent. Don't give up. Especially if you know that the path you are on is a part of righteousness. Don't give up. You know that there is gold on this path.
Don't give up. I want us to pray. And the prayer is simple. It is open my eyes that I might see. Let me function from the covenant. In Jesus name we have prayed. Amen. Thank you father because you've answered. Thank you because you've answered. In Jesus name we have prayed.
Thank you for listening to this message. We trust you have been blessed. You can get more life transforming messages from apostle Emmanuel Boluatifeh on our Telegram page at DCN media channel. You can also stream the messages on Spotify, or your Mac, and Apple podcast. Connect with us via our social media platforms on Instagram at DCN underscore nations, on Facebook at Disciples Christian Network, on x at d c m central, and on TikTok at disciples christian network. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel at disciples television. If you have a testimony from this message, you can mail us at disciplescn@gmail.com. God bless you.