Transcript: Living Beyond Yourself — A Life Larger Than You Part 1

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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. Larger than you. Living beyond yourself. I find a life larger than you. Living beyond yourself hyphen a life larger than you. In my opinion, one of the greatest tragedies in life is for a man to become small enough that only he benefits from his own existence. That's a dangerous place to be. That a man becomes so small that he is the only beneficiary of his existence. It is dangerous when your old prayer life is only about you.

It is dangerous when your old ambition is only about you. It is dangerous when your old idea of success is only that you are comfortable, that you are eating, that you are fine, that your rent is paid, that your bills are sorted, that your future looks safe, and nothing disturbs your private life. That kind of a life looks harmless. But it is one of the most subtle praises in the spirit. Because a man can be alive, he can be educated, he can be gifted, he can be spiritual, and still be trapped inside himself. How many people were taught that it is possible for a man to be imprisoned in himself? It is possible for a man to be trapped in himself. It is possible for a man to be locked in a cage and that cage is himself. Romans chapter 14 from verse seven down to verse eight. I'm going to read it in the new living translation.

And I want us to read it together everybody. One go, for we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, verse eight, it is to honor the Lord. And if we die, it is to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Can we start from verse seven and then you personalize it this time? Is that okay? Yes. One go. Paul did not say that we should not live for ourselves.

Paul did not say that we ought not to live for ourselves. Paul said, we don't live for ourselves. He stated it as a fact. We don't. It's not a suggestion. It's not a pleasant advice. It's a fact. We don't live for ourselves, which means he's revealing something about the very structure of life itself, that by the way life is built, no human existence is self contained. It's the law of life. We don't live for ourselves.

Your life is always moving towards something outside of you. You always are living towards something outside of you, something bigger than you, always counting towards something beyond you, whether you are conscious of it or you are not conscious of it. Paul says, listen, this is the law of life. We don't live for ourselves. That means you don't actually have the option of living for yourself. That option does not exist. The only question that life is asking you every single day is what is your life counting towards? What are you living for? Is it counting towards something? Because it has to be.

There's no neutral ground. There's no such thing as I'm just living my life. That's a delusion. I'm just living my life. What life? What life? What deluded you that you have a life? Paul says, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. The question of ownership has to be sorted. We don't live for ourselves.

It's a law of existence. No life is isolated. Your obedience affects people. It means by default, your life affects people. By default, your life affects people. Your laziness affects people. We don't live for ourselves. It means everything that you choose to do with your life affects people. If you are lazy, that littleness affects people. If you are obedient, your obedience affects people.

If you are growing, your growth affects people. If you are stagnant, your stagnancy affects people. Are you with me? Yes, sir. That traditional deception of I hold no man anything is a lie. You hold the world everything. There are generations and people and men and souls attached to our lives. We cannot bear to live for ourselves. Because whether you realize it or not, there are souls attached to yours. There are lives attached to yours.

There is no isolated man. There are lives attached to me the same way I'm attached to a life. The same way my rising is dependent on the rising of another. There are many people's rising who are dependent on my own rising. That is the natural law of the universe. That's how God created it. It's a statement of fact. There's no neutral ground. We don't live for ourselves. Whether you will learn it or not, there are people dying every time you refuse to grow.

Do you know that when we get to heaven and we stand before the great white throne, I did not know will not be an excuse. When you are asked, we connected a 100,000 souls to yours so that in your rising, they will rise. So that in your wealth, they would rise. So that in your light, they would see light. How come you lived in darkness eighty years of your life? Don't you realize that you're living in darkness directly affected all the 100,000 souls connected to yours? Explain why you lived in darkness. Oh, I did not know. That would not be an excuse. The Lord of life says, we do not live for ourselves.

We do not live for ourselves. Your refusal to grow affects people. Your financial limitation affects people. If you are broke, there are people that will be affected. Your broke status does not only affect you. Do you understand what I'm saying? Don't you think that your life revolves around you? Your financial limitation affects people. There are people directly connected to you that will suffer if you do not prosper. Your spiritual shallowness affects people.

If you refuse to build depth in the spirit, it will not only tell on your soul. It will not only tell on you. You see, the delusion is that we think that we do. We think that our choices only affect us. We think that because we've been educated in a culture that makes men live for themselves, in a self contained, self preservation system. And so every man is only concerned about himself. So we think that the repercussions of our actions only tell on us. You have not read your bible to see how the divisions certain men made in their lifetime affected centuries, generations to come. People that did not even know them were affected by their choices, affected by their decisions. You think that the stupid life that you are living right now only tells on your soul, only tells on you, only tells on who you are.

You don't realize that there is a pattern in your family that you are replicating. You are replicating it now because somebody refused to break it. And because somebody refused to break it, now it has passed over to you. When the person was making choices, he failed to realize that the choices he was making will one day affect you. Will one day affect his own child. He continue to live in folly, continue to live in folly, And now generations to come are paying the price for it. If you don't insist that this thing will end in my life, you will think that the repercussions of your folly will only affect you. There are children that will come. And when they come, they will not know how you lived. All they will know is that there are patterns in their life as well.

And they would not know where it came from. Innocence people. But struggling with lust because their father could not say no. Struggling with poverty because nobody in that generation said no. Your cowardice affects people. Whether you know it or not, there are people whose lives will be helped or hindered by the kind of person you become. Please believe what I'm telling you. Whether you know this or not, whether you are aware of this or not, there are people whose lives will be directly hindered. Or advance by reason of the kind of person that you become. The entire framework of your life is tied around many lives.

We cannot afford to live for ourselves. We cannot. It is evil. It is wickedness. At some point, you must realize that your choices don't affect only you. At some point, you must realize. At every instance you want to make a decision in life, you must realize this thing I'm doing. We tell. On many lives, even if I don't know them, some of them might never know me. Some of them might never meet me, but there are people that will cry because of my mistakes.

There are people that will cry because I refused wisdom. There are people that will be lifted because I chose the way of life. There are people that will find joy because I chose the way of life. Are you with me? Do you know that I was derailing? I was derailing on my path to destruction to be the comedian And cracking jokes in club houses. Until somebody plugged a message on my phone, you see. And the message started playing. Stroke me to an encounter. If that man whose method was being played at that moment refused to rise, what would happen to Emmanuel Bolo Ative?

Because it was at that point, in a message on a phone, that destiny took a 180 degree turn. That I stood up from an encounter and insisted that my life will not continue like this. Wiped all my phone clean of friends, relationships, and everything that would lead me back to that old life. Bombed every bridge because of an encounter that a man who had dug his wells in God brought me into. It means when he was praying, when he was spending time with God, when he was building intimacy, did he know that Emmanuel was connected to his life? Did he know that he would one day preach a message that Emmanuel would hear? That would strike a man on a path of encounter. Did he know when he was investing? What if he was not? Did he also know that there will be a repercussion?

Did he also know that a life would have wasted? Did he also know? Because because a man invested, I am here. Because I am here, you are here. It simply means, if that channel has been broken from the man and from the man that influenced the man, then there's a problem. This is how our decisions form a cascade of reactions. Brothers and sisters, understand this. Every time you choose to be foolish, there are generations that will pay for it. It's not only you. It's not only you.

I wish it was only you. But the painful thing is it's not only you. In the day that you chose it to marry a foolish man, you won't be the only one that will pay. You won't be the only one that will benefit. Do you understand what I'm saying? There are children right now that are victims of pains that they have no business with because their mother made a choice. Their father made a choice, an absolutely selfish choice, but then others now are paying for it. We don't live for ourselves. We don't live for ourselves. That's why in verse eight, the answer is the same in both of them.

It is if we live, it is to the honor of the Lord. If we die, it is to the honor of the Lord, which means there is no season of your life, no chapter, no age, no level of comfort or discomfort where this truth does not apply to you, even in death. If we live, we live our life in honor of the Lord. If we die, we die in honor of the Lord. That means if my death will become such a blessing to the kingdom, such that a million souls will be saved because I died, then so must it be. If my death will bring about a revolution in righteousness, where because I died, many will begin to find Jesus, Then so must it be. If my death will bring about a righteous deliverance and salvation, then so must it be. If in my death, there will be more impacts to the kingdom than in my living, then my death is more beneficial to the kingdom than my living. Do you understand what I'm saying? And there are many who have died.

And because they died, how about a man like Steven? Whose death was the reason why men like Philip rose? Was the reason why revivals broke out of territories. A man of God must accept this fact. That's why we're not afraid to be retired. We are not afraid to die. Don't you make a mistake of thinking this. If God would have me go to Afghanistan, to the center of the battlefield to preach this gospel. And it's because we believe we were slain. And in our being slain, a message is preached that reaches millions of people at once.

That my entire lifetime would not have been able to reach, then so must it be. It says even in our debt, all glory must be to God. Even in our debt, honor is to the Lord. Even in our death. It is honor to the Lord. If my death will not do this, then I cannot die. If I will be more beneficial to the kingdom alive than dead, then I cannot die. That's why it says, you will not die but live to declare. There is a reason whilst we are alive. Your being alive serves a purpose.

It serves a purpose of declaration. To declare the glory of the living God. It means if your living does not serve that purpose, if your death will, then your death is more beneficial to God. There are men who died and it's because they died like Christianity reached you. Yes sir. They gave their lives and they are giving their lives, their blood entered into the floor, into the ground. And the ground shook And said no, because this one came, because this one came, many will rise like this one. How about Jesus? How about Jesus? Except a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies.

It abideth alone. It means God would rather, if you're living, mean that you would abide alone of no kingdom impact, of no kingdom relevance. And if your death would mean that a grain of wheat will fall to the ground and die and then bring about Plenty of salt in righteousness. Then so be it to the honor of the glory of God. If my death will not do this, then I cannot die. If my being alive will become more of a benefit to the Lord, with respect to the souls he has connected to mine, then I cannot die. Because we live in honor to the Lord. And the reason Paul says, is because we belong to the Lord. The reason is because we belong to the Lord. We belong to the Lord.

Ownership has already been settled. And a person that is living entirely for themselves, unbothered about souls, unbothered about the house of God, unbothered about the people around them, that person is not just being selfish. They are living like they own something that was never theirs to begin with. There is nothing I won't give to you. There is nothing I won't give to you. There is nothing I won't give to you. Oh, oh, oh, oh, is nothing I won't to you. There is nothing I won't leave for you. There is nothing I won't leave for you. There is nothing I won't give for you.

There is nothing I won't give to you. There is nothing I won't give to you. You want I I hope that you understand what I teach you. This is the heart of the apostolic message. This is the heart of the apostolic doctrine. And even if we live, we live in honor to the Lord. And if by any means, my death would give him more honor than my being alive, then so be it. For we die even to the honor of the Lord. This is something a truth. That most believers don't know.

And so when they see people in territories where they are being persecuted, being persecuted and they are willing to give their lives for Jesus whom they believe in. They can't understand why they would do that. Because we know that even in debt, our debt is honoring to the Lord. Our life is honoring to the Lord because our life belongs to him. This is where many young people and many young believers must wake up. You are not just trying to make it. You are not just trying to survive Nigeria. Survive school. Survive unemployment. Survive family pressure.

Survive a heartbreak. Survive a hard economy. No. There is more to your life than survival. Survival is too small a vision for the child of God. Even unbelievers want to survive. How can your entire existence be channeled around survival? Even animals want to survive. If the only thing that is driving your life is let me just be okay, let me just be okay, you have not yet understood why God allowed you to be born in your generation. There is a generation that has turned self preservation into wisdom.

People now call selfish people and or call selfishness peace. How can your definition of selfishness be peace? How can you call irresponsibility boundaries? How can you call the lack of burden protecting my energy? A complete apathy for the things of God, and you call it protecting your energy. Protecting your mental health. You call indifference to spiritual things minding your business. You cannot make sacrifices because you are committed to nothing. And so you call a life without sacrifice soft life. That's what you want to spend your life doing.

I just want soft life. A life committed to nothing. A life committed to no one. A life living for nothing other than myself. And slowly, without knowing, many people are building a life where nothing flows beyond them, where nothing, absolutely nothing flows beyond them. Everything is me, me, me, my peace, my space, my time, my money, my comfort, my plan, my desires, my dream, my future, my enjoyment, my relationship, my success. My my my. And I'm not saying I should not rest. I'm not saying you should not plan. I'm not saying you should not build.

I'm saying any life that begins with you, that continues with you, that ends with you has already become too small for God's intention to be fulfilled in that life. The purposes of God can never be fulfilled in a life that lives only for himself, in a life that thinks only for himself, in a life that survives. The the friction of his life subconsciously is what must I get, what must I be, what must I, high, high. Hear me. The kingdom was never designed to stop at you. The kingdom was designed to flow through you. The moment you become the final destination of God's investment in your life, you have actively aborted the very purpose for your creation. One of the most dangerous conditions that a believer can find himself in is when his life becomes so small That is the only beneficial of his heartbeat. Is the only beneficiary of his heartbeat. You are alive and only you benefit.

There's no relevance of your life to the kingdom. There's no relevance of your life to people. There's no relevance for your life to service. That's the reason why you cannot serve in the house of God. That's the reason why you cannot serve in the house of God. Because it will discomfort you. You can't bear the burden of serving somebody else, of serving God, of living your life, of not being in control of your time. Of not being in control of your schedules. Because you've got your own plans that God might interrupt, and how dare God interrupt your plans? How dare God interrupt your visions?

How dare God interrupt your goals and your purposes? So I would rather float from afar than commit myself to anything that demands that I live beyond myself, that demands that I commit my time to another except me. I commit my gift and my money to another except me. How dare God demand that I give? Because I cannot conceptualize the idea that my life, my time, my gift, my purposes, my money must be spent for another except me. Bills to sort, and you are telling me one kingdom somewhere, one given somewhere. No. Apostle, I have my plans as well. I have things I want to build in my life as well. Oh, stay with me.

You'll be so blessed. Philippians chapter two and verse 21. The Bible says, Paul speaking for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. Paul did not say all were immoral. Paul did not say all were drunkards. He did not say all were thieves. The problem was that they were seeking their own. Their lives are turned inward. Their pursuit had become self centered. Their Christianity had lost the burden of Christ.

They could still be around spiritual things. But their real pursuit was for their own personal advantage. Even if they are coming to church, they are coming for their own. All seek their own. All seek their own. They are not concerned anymore about the things which are of Christ Jesus. What will benefit them? What will suit them? What will pay them? And so if you have to give them anything, as long as they are the ones receiving, as long as you are the one blessing them, you are the one praying for them, you are the one carrying them, you are the one checking up on them, they don't mind.

But if they have to do the same for others, Because Christ would demand them too. Then it becomes a problem. All seek their own. And you can see it in the decisions of their life. Jesus taught some people, follow me. And they started giving all kind of excuses. Let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said, no. No. No.

No. No. In the business of following me, let the dead bury the dead. You follow me. You follow me. Let me first. Me first. Let me first. Go and sort this one out. Let me first take care of my own business.

Let me first take care of my own soul. Let me first take care of my own life. I can't conceptualize giving my time now. I have got some important things to do. Let me first. Living my life for all that have become too stressful at the expense of my own plan, at the expense of my own time. Serving others have been too stressful for me. I'm supposed to... Can't you see? Look at what I have lined up.

Exams coming, business goals that I have, business plans that I have, things that I must accomplish, all seek their own. All seek their own. All seek their own. And this is the condition of many believers today. They love God as long as God is improving their private life. They love God as long as God is making things better for them. They pray as long as the prayer is bringing about their own breakthrough. They fast as long as the the the fasting is about their own open door. They come to church as long as the church is feeding them. They're living to messages as long as the message is encouraging them.

But the moment God begins to demand availability, the moment God begins to demand something from their life, that your life should now carry others, that your life should now do something to others, that God says, oh yeah, begin to build my house. Suddenly, say, I don't want this stress. All seek their own. What kind of Christianity did we receive that cannot carry stress for the purposes of God? Who gave us this thing? Who preached this thing to us? Our holy spirit move in this place. Move. In the hearts of men move. Go beyond my words.

Amen. Go beyond my words. Amen. Let his words burn like fire. Amen. Go beyond my words. Amen. Go beyond the emotions. Amen. Go beyond the soul.

Speak directly to the spirit of men. Let the hardest of heart be broken. Amen. Under the weight of your word. Let your word be like hammer. Let your word be like fire. Let the people become chaff. And let these words burn. Let it break. Let it demolish altars.

Altars that have that have been so exalted that even that I'm talking and I'm preaching, there is still hardness of heart. Hardness of heart. Let those hearts be broken. Under the influence of the spirit. Amen. For my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom. They were in the demonstrations of power and the manifestations of the holy spirit. Amplify, it says tearing the heart of my hearers, the most holy emotions. Let it steer. Let it steer men into repentance.

Let it steer men into becoming. Amen. Let it not be a good sermon. Let it not be a good teaching. Let it not be a good message. Let it come with the power to become. All seek their own. You see it almost everywhere and every time. You, let me be prophesying now and I say, oh, Disciples Christian Network is reaching the nations. Somebody will shout, amen.

And then there will be fainting voices everywhere. Let me also say the same thing and say go and prosper. And everybody shout amen. Because all seek their own. All seek their own. The things of the kingdom matters nothing. All seek their own. All seek their own. Break me and mold me. All I have is yours to start with.

Break me and mold me. All I have is yours to hand me. Break me and set me on fire. All I have is yours to start with my life, my soul, my spirit belongs to you. Soul, my spirit belongs to you. It is yours to end with my life, as long as the church is feeding them, they can come. But you let something be demanded of their life and they become uncomfortable. What kind of Christianity is that? Genesis chapter one and verse four. All seek their own.

Because somebody brings someone to church. Extend this life you have received to others. It becomes an uncomfortable thing for them to do. All throughout the week, they don't even remember that somebody's life can be blessed because I extended a hand of fellowship. Because I said come to church with me. He might give all kind of excuses. But the moment he starts a business, he enters into the demons of people he does not know. And say come and buy from me, come and buy from me, and then when it's time to invite somebody to church, you pay, you say you are shy, you are timid, all seek their own. Obviously. Genesis 11 verse one.

And God saw 11. The old earth had one language and one speech. Look at the next verse. I'm reading it in the New Living Translation. At all... At one time, all the people of the whole world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the East, they found a plane in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began saying to each other, let us make bricks and harden them with fire. In this region, bricks were used instead of stone, and power was used for mortar. Then they said, come, let us build a great city for ourselves.

With a tower that reaches into the sky, this will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world. Give me in the new king James version. This verse four. It says, then they said, come, let us build ourselves a city and a toa who stopped east in the heavens. Let us make a name for ourselves. Let us make a name for ourselves. These people were intelligent. These people were organized. They had one language. They had one vision.

They had one goal. The whole earth was moving in the same direction. They had figured out technology that did not even exist before. They discovered how to make bricks and to make them so thoroughly that stone was no longer necessary. They knew how to harden bricks with fire and toughen them up. And if you put these people in a broad room today, you will call them visionaries. You will call them CEOs. You will call them intellectuals. You will call them innovatives. You would call them excellent.

And yet God came down to see what they were doing and scattered everything they were trying to build. And you would wonder why would God scatter this. This is intelligence. This is visionary thinking. Why would God scatter this? Why would God oppose something so significant? Something so unified. Something so intelligent. Something so successful. Because one sentence they said amongst themselves was this, let us make a name for ourselves.

Ah. Ah. It becomes a problem. It becomes a problem when your intention is to make a name for yourself. It becomes a problem when the reason you are pushing is to make a name for yourself. It becomes a... When your motive is to make a name for yourself. Let's make a name for ourselves. Let's build this for ourselves. Let's do this for ourselves.

As long as it's for ourselves, let's invest everything in it. As long as it's for ourselves, let's push everything into it. As long as it's for ourselves. So much so, there's no kingdom in view. There's no God in view. No more God in the equation. In Ezekiel chapter 47, the prophet Ezekiel saw water flowing from the temple. The water began to move outward from the temple. And as the man measured, the water kept on increasing. And the Bible says first, it reached the hankles.

First, it reached the ankles. Then it reached the knees. Then it reached the waist. Then it became a river that enveloped him and he could not be crushed. For the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crushed. The water he saw began to rise, and it rose to a point that it reached onto his ankle. Rose to another point again, it reached onto his legs. Rose to another point again, it reached onto his waist. Rose onto another point again, I recovered the entire body that he had to swim. Listen, many people read that passage and only see dimensions of spiritual experiences, and that is true.

But there is something deeper here. The deeper the river became, the less Ezekiel would preserve himself. Have you thought about it? At ankle level, he still had some kind of control. This is your ankle. So if the water has lurched your ankle, don't you still have control? You can still stand by yourself. You can still walk in the water. Is that not so? You can still choose where you want to go.

You can still choose what direction you want to go. Is that not so? Yes sir. His feet was still touching the ground. He could decide how far he wanted to go. He could enter and then leave whenever he wanted. He could enjoy the water. And the water will not carry him. The water is not as high as carrying him. It does not have to surrender any kind of control to the water.

That is the Hanko level dip. That's the kind of Christianity that many believers want. They want enough of God to feel spiritual but not to lose control. Let the water touch me. But let me not lose control. Let the water touch me, but I still want to be able to stand. I still want to make my own choices. I don't want the world to carry me anywhere I don't know. I have my own plans already. I have my own visions already.

I have my own goals ready. I have where I want to move already. So I want to experience God but not experience him so deep. That he now begins to move me where I don't know. Enough of God to sing and to cry. But not enough of God to change my schedule. I still want control. Enough of God to receive the blessing. But not enough of God to carry his burdens. Enough of God to be known and identified as a believer.

But not enough to become responsible for souls. I want the water to touch me, but let it only touch my handker. I'm comfortable here because I still want to maintain some kind of control. Do you agree with me that as the water begins to go up and it reaches the knee, you still have control, but it's beginning to reduce and to reduce and to go down. Is that much so? At ankle level, you still have control. At knee level, the water is now affecting your movement. You still have control, but your movement is being hindered because the water is pushing you towards the direction, and you are moving towards another direction. Is that not so? You would feel resistance in the water at knee level, but it's not as high as you still be carried away.

You can still choose not to be carried. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. At waist level, you can't pretend you are not inside the river anymore. Any simple mistake you make, the water can sweep you off. But you can still stand. You can still wiggle your way through even though the water is reaching here. You can still be stubborn enough to say I will still have my way. But the moment the water overflows a man, the moment the water covers your head, the Bible says it has now become a water in which one must swim. You can no longer decide what direction you want to go.

Do you understand what I'm saying? And do you realize that if one must swim, one must swim in the direction of the current? That means one has submitted and submitted himself to the water now carrying him. At that point, you are no longer carrying yourself the way you used to. The river is now carrying you anywhere. The river is now moving you anywhere. The river is now pushing you anywhere he wants to carry you. The river tells you go here and you are going. And whilst you are going, are making your own plans. The river turns you again and moves in this direction and you are going.

And you have no say about it. Because now the river has covered you entirely. Because when we pray prayer and we said on things, we don't understand the impact of what we are saying. Another measure, holy ghost, another 1,000. Do you know what happens when it comes? Do you know what happens when the measure covers you? Is that you have no control again, it carries you. Such is the way of a man led by the spirit. No one knoweth whether he goeth or whether he cometh. He has submitted his will and his purposes to be carried by the spirit.

To be carried by the spirit. This is what happens when a man truly enters depth with God. He stops being the center of his own life. His consciousness now becomes what is God demanding from me. What will God have me do? You measure your life at that point by purpose, and purpose carries you. Your assignment carries you. Your assignment moves you. Where God wants you to go is where you go. It's how you move.

I know there is a young man listening to me now, and everything about your life is still ankle deep. Ankle deep. You love God, but you are still fully in control. If service in the house of God touches your schedule, you will withdraw. Because you are still in control. You can still move around the water. And it's not because the water is not touching you. There is still some refreshing. Coming from the presence of God. Is that much so?

If having to go for evangelism touches your reputation. You will rather keep quiet. Because you don't want to embarrass yourself. I mean, my dignity is too important. If giving to God touches your comfort, touches your convenience. You will start calculating all kind of things and becoming afraid and anxiety and worry and anxious. And if God asks for your time, ah, compared to the bulk of things that I have to do, I'm busy, I'm busy. I love Jesus. The water is touching my sin now. The water is touching me.

But I'm just busy. I love Judah but I'm just busy. There is nothing, there is no one like you, I remind him. There is nothing, There is no one like you. There is nothing. There is no Hear me. If God asks for your time. It's not as though I don't love Jesus but you have to understand. I mean, God understands. When it's time to pursue your ambition, suddenly there is strength.

When it's time to scroll for three hours on social media, suddenly there is time. Time we did not have to pray. Time we did not have to study. Time we did not have to come to church. Time we did not have to serve in the house of God. Time we did not have to spend in God's presence. Time we did not have to commit to service to others. One is to be invested in your own lost. Suddenly, time arrives. When it's time to chase money for yourself, you are energetic.

When it's time to build your own name, you are energetic. You are disciplined then. What a misdirected life. What a misdirected life. The issue is not that you cannot give yourself to something. The issue is that you have not yet allowed God to become worthy of your full surrender. He says if we live, we live in honor to God. Can a man make a decision that my life will be lived in honor to you? My life, my entire life will be lived in honor to you. My entire life will be lived in honor to you.

If we live, we live in honor to God. I was speaking to a dear young lady and she told me about her dream to contest and and she said, she's not so sure because people are asking her, she prayed for it, has she prayed about it? And I said, okay, go and pray about it. And she said she's afraid that what if God says no? I said, Kai, I love Jesus, but I don't want to be carried by Jesus. I don't want to be carried by him. If he says no, my will is too strong, I know I will reject it. So let me not even bother asking him what he wants because I know what I want. And in case what he wants is different from mine, I know I will choose mine. So there's no need having to go through the guilt of hearing him tell me no and refusing.

Let me not go go ask him at all. Because I'm not ready to live my life in that manner as to surrender control of my life to him. Ah, no. No. I desire to have control. I desire to have control. I want to tilt my life in direction where I want it to go. I want to move my life where I want it to go. How do I surrender control to a divine being? No.

No. Apostle, I have my own plans and my own goals. And you have to see these things I've written down for myself. And there are many people that when they say we will be great, everything that comes to their mind is their own. Their own definition of greatness when we shout, we will be great, and we'll know ourselves. There is no kingdom attached to it. It's to build their own empire, to make a name for themselves. There's this song that says, you are worthy of it all. A man in ankle deep water still protects himself from God divinely interrupting his life. He can still say God bless my plans but don't change my plans oh.

Increase me but don't inconvenience me. Use me but don't stretch me. Lift me but don't demand too much from me. That kind of believer wants the river as an experience but does not want the river as a government. He wants to touch what flows from God but does not want to be carried by what flows from God. But the deeper you go, the more your life stops belonging to you. The deeper you go, the more your life stop belonging to you. Take my life and let it be. Are you hearing what you're saying? No.

Are you hearing what you're saying? No. Are you hearing what you're saying? No. I give myself away. I myself away. Are you hearing saying this you but you still want to retain control. What are you really giving away? Is it your song? Is it your voice?

What are you giving yourself away? What are you giving away? Are you giving away? Galatians chapter two and verse 20, I've been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, yet I live. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. That is the death of self ownership. Paul was saying, my life is no longer organized. My life is no longer organized around me as the final authority. That Christ is now the one that is living through me.

My life is not my that's why Paul could travel, he could preach, he could labor, he could build churches, he could endure persecution. And still say, for to me to live is Christ. And to die is gain. Philippians one twenty one. After living like this, he says to live is Christ. A man who says to live is Christ cannot live only for himself. If to live is Christ, then your life is not for yourself. Many people want Christ as savior, but they don't want Christ as Lord. They don't want Christ as owner. They want him to forgive their sins and and open doors to them and heal their bodies and restore them back and break curses and and give them favor and settle them, but they don't want him to take over the meaning of their existence.

Yet the Christ who saves is also the Christ that owns. First Corinthians six and verse 19 to verse 20, the bible says, you are not your own for you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. You are not your own. That sentence alone is not to destroy the spirit of this age. You are not your own. You are not your own. Your time is not ultimately your own. Your body is not ultimately your own. Your gift is not ultimately your own.

Your intelligence is not ultimately your own. Your money is not ultimately your own. Your future is not ultimately your own. You are not your own. You were bought with a price. You were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Glorify God in your body. If it is true, if it is true, it does glorify God in your body. You see, these are not just the lyric of a sweet song.

These are the experiences a believer lives. They are not confessions you make. Is a lifestyle you submit yourself to. Glorify God with yourself because you don't belong to yourself. Glorify God with your life and with your time and with your giftings and with your money. You keep asking God for greatness but you still hold yourself. You still want to hone yourself. You keep asking God for influence, but you still want to do it on your own terms. You are asking God for strength, but your financial imagination all ends with you. The kind of car you will buy, the kind of house you would live in, the kind of future you would have, and what you will build for yourself.

That's the only thing you think about when you think money. It is obvious that God is not in your heart. You're asking God for visibility, but there's no purpose. No purpose whatsoever. No body behind your desire to be seen. So if God lifts you, who then is seen? Who then is seen? Who then is seen if God lifts you? Take the stage and take the crown. Just give me you.

Just give me you. Take the stage and take the crown. Just give me you. Just give me you. If God gives you the money you are asking for, who will it help beyond yourself? When you eventually have that money, who will it bless beyond yourself? When you eventually have that money, who will it lift beyond yourself? If God give you the platform that you desire, what truth will you carry with it? If God give you the influence you desire, what souls will be saved because you're influential? If God gives you access, will his kingdom gain ground through the access he has given to you?

If God gives you excellence, what generation will you serve with your excellence? Because if the answer to all of this question is still only me, only me, then your life is still too small to carry the weight of God's glory. The river in Ezekiel did not remain inside the temple for decoration. It flowed out of the temple. The river came from the sanctuary, but it was moving towards dead places. Ezekiel chapter 47 from verse eight to verse nine, the Bible says, the water flows towards the eastern region, Goes down into the valley and enters into the sea. The water flowing from the temple is entering into the sea. Can you compare water flowing from the temple to water in the sea? But look at the impact of that water flowing from the temple. When it entered into the sea, when it reaches the sea, the waters of the sea are healed.

Look at the next verse. And it shall be that every living thing that moves inside the sea, wherever that river goes, will live. There will be a great multitude of fish Because these waters go there. For they will be healed. And everything will live wherever the river goes. Where does the river come from? The temple. Do you not know that you are the temple of the living God? Out of your bed it flows rivers of living waters. That little rivers enter into the sea and the sea receives life.

These rivers enter into the sea and dead places come to life. These rivers, oh God, look at the immutability of what the believer carries on his inside. And what does he do with it? He spends it on himself. Can't you see that if what is inside you can enter into the sea and bless the sea? It shows you cannot be only for yourself. Can't you see that life can't be lived only for yourself? Wherever the river went, life went. That is the pattern of God. Whatever comes from God is designed to carry the life outward.

God does not release rivers merely to excite you in the temple. No. He releases rivers to heal territories, to heal territories, to heal territories. So if he has put something inside of you, that thing must flow out. It has to come out. Because there are seas. Seas represent territories. Seas represent territories that must come to life. Barren regions that must come to life. Because a river is flowing from out of you.

It has nothing to do with being a man of God. Has nothing to do with being a prophet or an apostle. It has everything to do with the fact that there is something God placed on your inside. And until you begin to break that yoke that makes you live solely for yourself, you will not even see it. That's the reason why some people are still asking question of purpose, but the truth is that it's not even submitted their life to be lived for God. So there are still questions upon questions unanswered in their lives, and God is just saying, just give me your life. Just give me just give me this thing. You're holding on to your life as though you can keep your life by yourself. The old known so dear to your life as though you can save yourself. Listen.

God does not fill your life so you can become decorated. He fills you so that dead places can encounter life through you. So if you are truly receiving from God, something must begin to flow out of you that serves people. Something, a river must flow out of you that serves people. You cannot keep on claiming spirituality when nothing around you is being watered by your life. The question is, what is your life watering? What is your life watering? As you are being watered, what is watering you? Are you with me? There are people who have attended church for many years, but nobody is stronger because of them.

Nobody is being discipled by them. Nobody is being encouraged by them, but you have been receiving. You have been hearing. You have been taking these things. You have been imparted. Yet nobody is being brought to Christ through you. Nobody is being shaped and mentored because you are growing. Nobody is being lifted by their wisdom. Nobody is being served by their gifts. They are always receiving, always receiving, always learning, always being prayed for, always being counseled, always being encouraged, but never becoming a channel.

To give on to other than to serve on to others. You cannot be deep and be casual about souls. You cannot want depth with God and be casual about souls. You have to realize that. Your life is more than your own. You cannot be deep in God And be indifferent to the pain of people. It's not possible. It's not possible. It's not possible. You cannot be deep in God and have no concern for the house of God.

It's not possible. You cannot be deep in God and live as though your generation is not your business. The river of God always moves outward. It always moves outward. It's not studying words. That's why it does not say out of your belly will enter river of living water. Out of your belly will flow. It flows out of you. That's the direction of flow of the river. It's not meant to be contained.

You can't therefore be deep in God and lose concern for the world outside of you, for what happens in the church. We can't be building the house of God, and you will say it's not your business. Your money would go to the house of God. Your life would go to the house of God. Your entire existence will service the house of God. If it is true, then you will now find out what makes him smile. If it is true. If it is true, you will now find out what makes him smile. You will think it's because you are rich that he smiles. Oh, I have...

I I now have so much money. He called a man a rich fool. Jesus, I left your presence because I want to pass my exam. Now I've passed my exam. Are you happy with me? But you left my presence for this. But you left me for this. The bible said there is joy in heaven when one soul comes to Christ. There is joy in heaven. It means what makes him smile is when one soul comes to Christ.

So you make him smile when you are believing why one soul comes to Christ. That is the actuality of the song. When you spend your life in service to the kingdom, that's what makes him smile. When your life begins to hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. When you begin to live life for the reason for which it makes you, when you begin to become conscious of purpose that I was not created to serve myself, and the river starts to flow. The river starts to flow. If it is wisdom, the wisdom starts to flow.

If it's healing, it starts to flow. If it is knowledge, it starts to flow. It's reaching somebody. Somebody is being blessed because of you. Somebody is being taught because of you. Somebody is being rich because of you. The influence is flowing. Somebody been impacted because of you. That's when it smiles. As young people.

Do we know what we were saying? We sang it as young people. Listen, you sang it in morning devotion and you will clap your hand as you are saying it. And Gigot is looking at you and saying, yes, I have to be honored in your life. Question, how? How? Does it become honored in your life? How? Listen. Listen.

There's a kind of Christianity that is only concerned about personal testimonies. Personal, personal, personal. God did it for me. God opened the door for me. God blessed me. God changed my story. And that is good. But if your testimony ends only with you, you have not even understood why God did it. Because if God changed your story, it's so you can tell somebody's story. You have to understand this.

You have to understand this. Every testimony is a responsibility. When God strengthens you, someone must be strengthened through you. When God teaches you, someone must be taught because of that. When God lifts you, somebody must see the pathway through your lifting. When God delivers you, your mouth must become a weapon for the deliverance of others. Listen, Luke 22 from verse 31 to verse 32. The Bible says, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked of you that he might sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail. Watch this.

That's the testimony. Tipity. One, two, three, go. Make it your life mission. So, was was Jesus praying for him, for Peter himself? I like you, Peter. I like you so much. I pray for you that you'll be saved. Was the prayer for his own sake? Can't you see?

If Peter goes to share a testimony, God saved me. God saved me. God saved me. And he goes. Then Jesus is asking a question. I told you make it your life mission. Make it your life mission to strengthen the faith of your brothers. That's what I told you. That your deliverance is meant to be a ministry. That your testimony is meant to be a message.

It can help somebody. It can strengthen somebody. It can lift somebody. That was all the Samaritan woman had. A testimony. Come and see a man who told me all about myself. The Samaritan woman never had to know all scripture. Never had to go to seminary school. Never had to go to school of ministry. Yet, an entire nation came to Jesus because of her.

What she had was testimony. Because if you have met Jesus, who will meet him through you? Who will meet you up because you met him? Ask the question. Ask the question. Ask the question. Question. Jesus did not say when you are restored, go and enjoy yourself. He said strengthen your brethren. That means restoration have assignments inside of it.

Illness have assignment inside of it. Prosperity have an assignment inside of it. Some of you have survived what was meant to end you. God did not bring you out so that you can say, ah, thank God I'm fine now. There are people that are still trapped in what you escaped. There are young believers still confused in what God gave you understanding about. There are people who are still weak in places where God has strengthened you. There are people who are still blind in places where God has opened your eyes. But if you are still living only for yourself, you will turn your deliverance into comfort instead of ministry. That's why anchored deep Christianity becomes dangerous.

It allows you to receive enough to feel touched. But never to become responsible. A shallow believer can sing about surrender and still remain in control. Because he still wants to be remain in control. A shallow believer can cry during worship even and still refuse obedience. A shallow believer can love powerful sermons but hate the demands of transformation. A shallow believer cares for nothing and no one other than himself. The reason why he comes to church is just for what church can give him. So that he will not be as though let me come and feel God and feel his presence and hear a wonderful sermon and go. But if the sermon demands anything from me other than what I'm able to give at this present state, Say I love God oh, but I do not come to come and die.

There are believers who have been hearing us say that this is your church. It is your church. It's where you come to, where you are fed everyday. And they've made us say that we are getting some things in church. The chair if you sit on, the sound that you listen to. And they've never bothered. How can I contribute to this? What can I do about this? They've never, when they account the truth that they've been on the screen, they just shrug. They share the grace and be going.

It never bothers them. Because it's not their house. And all care for their own. People will always do it by the way. People will always do it. God will raise stones he says. If sons decide not to worship. I'm not a shallow believer. I'm not a shallow believer. Because waters to swim in cannot be shallow.

And when a man enters waters to swim in, he stops negotiating every instruction that God gives to him. His life begins to move under a higher current. He may still have plans oh, but his plans are now submitted to God. He may still have dreams. But his dreams are now being purified by God. There is nothing wrong in desiring success. He may still desire success. But success is no longer self glory for him. It now ties to what success brings to God. He may still desire excellence, but excellence to him is now the service of God.

He may still desire influence, but influence is now a platform for truth. Not a platform for self glorification. That's what it means to be carried by the river. And I know it confronts the way many of us think Because somebody there is now listening and telling me that but I'm still trying to fix my own life. I can now now think about others when I'm not yet okay. But that is where the deception is. If you wait until everything in your life is perfect before you become useful, you may never become useful. Because usefulness does not begin when all your problem disappear. Usefulness begins when your life stops being the only thing that you see. That's when you become useful.

Has nothing to do with your problems disappearing. It has everything to do with you not seeing only yourself again. There's always something you can give from where you are. There is always something you can give from where you are right now. You may not have millions yet, but you can give your time. You may not have a platform yet, but you can speak to one soul. You may not have all the wisdom yet, but you you can share the light that you have received. You may not have a perfect life yet, but you can serve God in church with sincerity. You may not have everything settled just yet, but you can still be dependable in God's house. You may still be growing, but somebody else can be helped by your growth.

The problem is not that people have nothing. The problem is that self centeredness has convinced us that whatever we have is too small to serve God's purposes. But God has never needed a man before he uses him. God only needs a man whose heart has moved beyond himself. Isaiah chapter six verse eight, the bible says, I heard a voice saying, whom shall I send? Whom will go for us? Then I said, here I am. Send me. That's the sound of a man who has moved beyond self preservation. I am.

Send me. Isaiah did not say, searching my own problems first. Here I am, send me. And there is a cry of heaven even tonight, who shall I send? Whom shall I send? Whom shall I send? And God is waiting for a generation that can hear his burden and answer. A generation that can see the needs of this generation and their own generation and respond. A generation that does not use usefulness as an excuse for uselessness. A generation that does not use pressure as an excuse for selfishness.

A generation that does not use brokenness as an excuse for indifference. There's a way that you live when you know that your life is connected to something bigger than you. You become careful with your time because it is no longer just for cruise. You know your time is no longer just for cruise. You become careful with your thinking because your thinking must produce solutions. You become careful with your body because you know that your strength isn't there for the assignments to come. You become careful even with your money because you know that the full fees must not be wasted on vanity. Your money is for the kingdom. That you know. That you know.

That's where maturity begins. Maturity is not age. Maturity is when responsibility becomes stronger than your appetite, than your desires, than yourself. That's maturity. Act of apostles chapter 20 and verse 24, Paul made a statement. Said, but none of these things move me nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I've received from the Lord Jesus. After a man in deep waters talks, none of these things move me. I do not count my life dear to myself. I do not count my life dear to myself. And it's not because he hated his life.

It's because he has found something greater than himself. His assignment have become weightier than whatever thought he had for himself. Than his comfort. Than his own convenience. This is the point where many people don't want to get to. There's something dangerous that happens to a man when that man becomes comfortable when people around him are dying. Not those physically dying. Are dying spiritually. People are dying emotionally. People are dying mentally.

People are drowning in confusion, people are being destroyed by sin, broken by darkness, they are empty, they are hopeless, they are directionless. And the frightening thing about it is not merely that people are perishing. The frightening thing is when a believer can watch it happen and feel nothing on the inside. One of the greatest signs of spiritual decline is not necessarily when a man stops praying. Sometimes it is when you lose the burden for people. That's when you know you have problem. Get an attack on your soul. An attack on your soul. When you stop having burden for the house of God, burden for the kingdom of God, burden for people, burden for the things of the spirit. Beyond yourself, you are under attack.

You need a retreat. Are you with me? Sir. There are people that still pray, but they become disconnected from the situation of their generation. They become disconnected from what is happening around them. They are indifferent about the situations of their environment and what people are going through. That was the kind of atmosphere that surrounded the the four lepers in second king chapter seven. Do you remember that story? Because Samaria was then under siege by severe famine. And the condition had become so terrible.

And second kings chapter six verse 25 says, and there was a great famine in Samaria, and indeed, they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for 8 shekels of silver. The situation had so deteriorated beyond human hardship. People were desperate. Families were collapsing. Hunger reduced the dignity of people. They were at the point of almost killing their children. Survival had become the only language left in the city. And outside the gate of the city were fitting four lepers who have been ostracized by that same community, by that same environment. Men rejected by society, men disconnected from the normal life of people, men already familiar with suffering. It was in their neighborhood already.

So what people were going through was not new to them. They had been going through that as far back as they can remember. But they too were hungry. And all of a sudden, you know the story, through divine intervention, God caused the Syrian army to run away and the camp was left with food, with silver, with gold, with clothing, with abundance everywhere. And the four lepers approached the camp and they saw it. Verse eight says, and when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one death, ate and drank and carried from it silver and golden clothing and went and in them. Imagine that scene. Imagine the scene. Men who are starving. Suddenly they are surrounded by abundance.

Men who have suffered lack all their lives, suddenly they see food that they cannot finish. They now had enough gold and silver more than they can exhaust. And honestly, at first, what what they did look understandable. They just went down plunged on the food, started enjoying themselves. You can understand that these people are hungry. They've suffered all their lives, and now there is food in front of them, money in front of them, abundance in front of them. They they have suffered. They had needs. And after years of pain, they are experiencing breakthrough. But look at what happened.

In verse nine, the bible says, they said to one another, we are not doing right. This day is a day of good news and we remain silent. Did you see that? Do you see that? Yes, sir. We remain silent. Look at that conviction that they had in their heart. The conviction came from the realization that if we have discovered life whilst others are dying and we are keeping quiet, something is wrong with us. What we are doing is evil. That means selfishness can become wickedness in the sight of God.

That you have discovered life but others are dying and you are silent about the life you have received. These people were not evil men. They did not attack anybody. They didn't steal from anybody. They were not cursing God. They were not harming anybody directly. They were simply enjoying the abundance that they had received. But James chapter four verse 17, the Bible says, therefore, to him who knows to do good and doeth it not, it is sin. That means silence can become sin. Indifference can become sin.

Withholding life can become sin. Watching people perish whilst you possess help, whilst you possess light can become sin. And there are believers today who have answers, but they remain silent. People who have understanding, but they refuse to teach. People who have encountered God, but they refuse to help people and disciple people and share the light of God with people is wickedness is wickedness. The moment God gives you light, you become responsible for the darkness around you. God has helped me. God has changed my story. God has changed my story. God has opened doors for me.

That is beautiful. But what is the blessing doing beyond you? How is it helping the church? How is it helping the kingdom of God? How is it helping the house of God? How is it helping those who labored over you? How is it helping your surrounding, your your immediate environment? Most especially the kingdom of God. Most especially the house of God. Genesis 12 verse two, God told Abraham, I will bless you and make your name great.

He didn't stop there. He said that and you shall be a blessing. That means the blessing I'm blessing you is not meant to end on your life. You must be a blessing. God does not bless man simply to improve his lifestyle. He blesses men to extend his influence through them. Prosperity is not merely God helping you to escape suffering. No. Prosperity is God enlarging your capacity to become useful. Useful to his kingdom.

Useful to the church. Useful to the house of God. The danger is when a believer's financial vision stop at personal comfort. When money hit your hand, the first thing you should think about is not yourself. It is his kingdom. It's God first. It's God first. Tell yourself it's God first. Make the commitment that it's God first. This is the principle that a lot of us live our lives by, and we are intentional about it.

We are very intentional about it. There are people who are praying for opportunities connected to the kind of person that you become. There are souls that are tied to your obedience. So you cannot just be concerned about let me just have enough for myself. Let me just settle. No. No. There are projects that will not be done if you are not prosperous. Understand that. See life like that.

Learn to think beyond yourself. Learn to live beyond yourself. Are you with me? Learn to live beyond yourself. Don't don't say, at least me, I'm okay. Everybody is dying, but I'm One of my young girls asked me, said apostle, your days usually are always very stressful and hectic because you have so much that you are doing, so much work spiritually, so much work in the market place. How do you get the motivation to continue? Why don't you just stop seeing as busy as these things can be, stressful as these things can be? Why don't you just stop? And then the lady asked me, she said, is it because you know that you will be great?

And I said no. At some point, I will be great becomes a cliche. At some point, I will be great, it's not even sufficient, the reason to motivate you because your you will be great is now selfish too. It's not just for yourself, it's not just living for you, it's still living for yourself. Your will be great is for yourself. Your will be great is a revenge mission. On poverty, on those that look down upon you. Is because you want to revenge on them that you are telling yourself you will be great. No, that's not it. I thought that my motivation is not me.

My motivation is what the result of what I'm doing will do. What it would do in the lives of others. What it would do to the kingdom of God. What it would do to the house of God. That's why I labor in the way I do in the marketplace. Because when what I'm doing in the marketplace eventually pays off, I will not come here and be... I'll be telling you you want to do temple project. You will never yet. All we will do is announce that we have gotten a land somewhere. All you will do is announce, we just come and show you pictures.

We have built up onto this level. Glory to God. Glory to God. That's it. We just come, oh, we are moving to our new apartment. Everybody, Thanksgiving service will hold at this place. Nobody will be asked to give a penny. I have seen that vision and I and I I love that vision. I love the I love the benefit my life to the kingdom of God. That's why I do what I do.

Because when it when it does make sense, when it does make sense, I know the value that the kingdom will get from me. I know. I know the value that the work of God will get from me. I know. How about my family? How about my wife and children? How about my parents? How about my mother? How about those that love us? How about those that labored over us?

How about those that invested over us? There are prophet who are on the mountain everyday praying for me. Have my pictures in their front, speaking words over my life. My prophet would call me every night. And would give the phone to about 10 different prophets on the mountain top. Who are speaking words over my life. And they will protect me one by one. And they are speaking in Yoruba and I'm saying amen. Amen. In the name of Jesus.

Must I not prosper to bless them? Must I not reward this investment in my life? My life is not my own. I can't I can't say I owe no man anything. There is too much invest. People have labored over me. I owe them. I owe my generation. I owe the lives of people condemned to me. I hold.

I hold. There are too many people I hold. I hold my generation encounter with God. My life can't hang like this. That's why I can't afford to be lazy. My laziness will not kill only me. Do you understand what I'm saying? I'm not the only one that will pay the price for it. How about my mother? Do you know how that woman has suffered for me?

Shouldn't she at least benefit something from my life before she dies? So don't she? How about my children? Should they go through life and learn the way I did? There's a difference between learning contentment in nothing and learning contentment in abundance. That's why it shocks people, especially people that you think because they've been through a lot are content. And you immediately see what they become like when money arrived at their hand. Despite it is the complete opposite of everything they said that they would do. And they turn into wild beast. Because amount of money entered their hands.

There's a young man like that that I know. Money, just how much, how much entered into the foolish poisoned? And his allegiance to God left. Allegiance with the work of God left. Commitment in church died. He now began to choose what meeting he will attend. Which one you not attend? He now has the authority to tell me apostle, this meeting you are having, I have work, I will not call. When you were poor, you were not like that. How much is what your allegiance?

How much is what your commitment? How much is what... How much? Is that why you were doing everything you were doing for yourself? For yourself? What what what will the kingdom benefit from your prosperity? Why should God continue to prosper you? Why should God continue to lift you? Oh, I know. The amount of lives you are a blessing to.

No. People whose coffees we keep on paying, no. People that we give pocket money to, no. People whose businesses we have invested in without hoping for anything in return. No. People who wake up all night to pray for, I'm thinking about them, thinking about their business, thinking about their lives, thinking about what they should do, how can I help them prosper, what can I tell them to do, what are you talking can I give to them, and I'm praying, I'm meditating, I'm thinking? I I barely ever think about myself. I barely ever think about myself. I see opportunities everywhere, and what I'm thinking is people. Who can I put here?

Who can I put here? Who can I recommend? Who can I drop here? People. People. People. How about you? How about you? How about you? Sometimes you need to think very well when you are making decisions.

And realize that your life is not your own. Don't be selfish. Don't be stupid. You are careless in school right now for those who are students. And you are not reading. Do you know that your failure will not affect only you? Can you not think beyond yourself? There are some people when I was teaching in an A level center many years ago. I would meet some people and I would see the level of unseriousness. I know how much.

I did the same exam. I know how much it took my mother. To gather that amount of money. Many years ago, this was in 2013 or '14 when I was writing A level exam. The exam alone was about 500,000 naira. Think about that in 2014, not now. I know my mother could not afford it. It was grinding of teeth. So if I'm unserious, is it only me that will pay that price? Can't you think?

Why are you selfish like that? Is it only me that I will pay that price? Can't you think about the kind of heritage that you will leave for your children? In the day you decide to be following a man up and down, and the man is pressing your breast and pressing different, squeezing destiny and glory out of you, what is left is a shell, an empty shell that has no glory left. Can't you think about what you are subjecting your children to? Because because of your own lack of discipline now in controlling your own desire, now you have submitted and subjected those children to a pattern that they would inevitably have to fight. Can't you think beyond yourself? And every time you pray, generations inside you are praying. Every time you don't, generations inside you are stagnant. Can't you think about the seed that God has placed on your inside?

This and more is why I must not fail. It's not just about my life anymore. I've seen the consequence of this. I've seen the thousands and the millions of people connected to. I've seen the visions. I've seen the visions. I've seen nations, flags of nations far and wide. Why must I compromise my growth and my destiny now? When I know there are people, it is in my life they will see light. There are destinies that will be activated because they met me.

They are directly connected to mine. If I rise, there is no second choice. They will die. If I don't rise rather. If I don't rise, they will die. There's no alternative to it. What if Paul did not rise? What if Paul remain an atasim? It is easy to think God will use somebody else. In fact, that's how we dismiss things like this when we are having such conversations.

We are so shallow in thinking as to think that if God has built a man for a purpose, do you know that because of Moses' disalignment, God had to delay the deliverance of Israel past the timeline of prophecy by thirty years. Yet we just simplistically say, God will use somebody else. Do you know how many years it will take to find somebody else? To find somebody else, to train somebody else, to raise somebody else, to lift somebody else. Maybe you should think for a moment and realize my life is not mine alone. There's a huge responsibility that God... He says we don't live for ourselves. We don't live for ourselves. If we live, it is to the honor of God. If we die, it is to the honor of God.

We don't live for ourselves. That's the reason why service in church is not optional to me. There's no place I have ever been to that I will not serve there. I can't just sit down comfortably being served and not serving another. If any man will be great amongst you, let him serve his brother. Let him serve his brother. Let that be the first instance of how you will prove to yourself that you have started to live beyond yourself. That you can serve another. That you can become the reason why somebody else comes to Jesus. That you can extend the hand of fellowship to somebody, that you can live beyond your own comfort and live beyond your own convenience and live beyond your own excuses and beyond your own limitations.

I know you are shy, but is that why somebody's life will be destroyed? Because you are shy. It's pride, you are proud. And selfish. Don't you think that we we don't know what to do with money oh? Don't you think we don't know what to do with money oh? Or we don't have personal plans and objectives oh. We do. We are just carried. We are carried.

We are carried by the water. We are carried. We are carried by the water. I am not ashamed to be carried. Carry me on. Carry me. Take me to the secret place. Spirit. Take me to the secret place. You don't need a prayer point for this.

One more minute to pray. Thank you, Jesus. Can you whisper with me and say father, break my heart with your burdens. Say it again. Say it again. Say it again. Say it again. Say it louder now. Give you all the praise. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. We ask that you help us in this matter. Help us to see beyond ourselves. Us. Us. Those who are already on the wrong course of destiny. Can your mighty hand find them? Can your mighty hand turn them back? Help us.

Those whose hearts are already polluted. Minister to us. Thank you, Jesus. 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, Ocho 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 dcn 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 disciplecngmail dot com.

God bless you.