Transcript: The Tragedy of a Small-Minded Church With Apostle Emmanuel Boluwatife Adigun

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The entrance of God's word gives light. It gives understanding even to the simple. Sharper than any two edged sword, it discerns the thoughts and the intents of the heart. The word of God shapes, it heals, it corrects, it instructs, it transforms. And apostle Emmanuel Obolo Atefei has been given a mandate from God to propagate the gospel of the kingdom and to raise an army of kingdom minded believers. Men who will be movers and shakers across all spheres and across all mountains of influence. Kingdom minded believers scattered across all the mountains of influence. All the mountains of influence. Sitting on the thrones of this world, holding the pillars of dominion. Move out and shake us.

That's what you are becoming. A kingdom minded army moving into business and conquering business, moving into entertainment and conquering entertainment, moving into all strata of influence. And like David with the 400 men in the cave, he's raising an army of mighty men, not just in the numbers, but in the quality of men who can be sent to around heaven's mandate upon the earth. This is where mighty men are made. So join us every Tuesday for believers equipped and be a part of the making of great and mighty men. I'm going to be speaking on what I've titled today the tragedy of a small minded church. The tragedy of a small minded church. Glory to God. Glory. Let's turn our Bibles to Isaiah chapter 58 and verse 12.

It says, those from among you shall build the old waste places you shall raise up the foundation of many generations and you shall be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of streets to dwell in. Matthew chapter five verse 14 and verse 16. It says, you are the light of the world, A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Matthew 28 and verse 19. It's good we read all the scriptures now so that I can just begin to flow. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost. Amen. Amen.

I want us to pay attention to the scriptures And what the scriptures are saying about the kind of people that God expect us to become. And the assignment that he has given to us as a church. Now in Isaiah chapter 58, the Bible speaks about people who will rebuild waste places. Is that not so? Places that have become destroyed. People that will raise the foundations that will serve many generations, people that will become repairers of the bridge. Now in context, Isaiah was addressing Israel and was speaking about the restoration that would follow a life of genuine righteousness and obedience to God. But I want you to notice the kind of responsibilities described in that passage because it also partakes to believers in righteousness as far as we call ourselves the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That scripture also partakes to us as well. Are you with me brothers and sisters?

Yes sir. So it's also describing the church. It's describing believers. So, these are people rebuilding things. That's how the Bible describes righteous people. That's how the Bible describe the remnant of faith. That's how the Bible describes those of us who have been called out and who have been separated. Is that not so? We are rebuilders. We are rebuilding things.

We are restoring things. We are establishing things that will be useful to this generation and to the generations that will come before us. And when we come to Matthew chapter five, you see the same thought pattern. Jesus is describing us as the light of the world. Not the light of the church, the light of the world. Are you with me? Yes sir. Says He that we are a city that is set on the hill that cannot be hidden. It says that our good works should be seen by all men. Then in Matthew 28 that we read, it gives the assignment of making disciples of all nations.

And I want you to see how extensive these things are. We're talking about rebuilding nations that have been destroyed, raising foundations for generations, becoming a light to the world. Taking the gospel to the nations. There's nothing about these descriptions that we have read in scriptures that tells us that God's intention is to raise a generation of believers whose greatest ambition would be to simply survive. Would be to simply take care of their needs and their immediate needs. Would simply be to attend church or to the return of Christ. I believe that one of the greatest problems with certain expressions of Christianity in our generation is that we have raised people who believe in a very great God. But somehow we expect very little from our own lives. That paradox is a shocking one. We preach a very great God.

A lot of you have been taught and you believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Is that much so? Yes sir. You believe that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask God, think. You believe that he has given the church the responsibility of reaching the nations with the gospel. That's the God we serve. Big God, mighty God. Yet when we examine your ambitions and your dreams and your visions in relation to the things that you believe about God, who will now discover that you have very little interest in doing anything substantial with your own life beyond just getting a good job, making enough money to take care of yourselves, getting married, raising children, attending church until Jesus comes. That's where it all ends. That's a summary of the average believer's ambition in life.

And you compare that with the magnitude of the God that you know and that you serve. And you wonder, could this be all there is to God? Glory to God. Glory. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, And I think that this is something that we need to pay very serious attention to. Because it is possible for a church to have a very powerful message about God, and yet we raise people with understanding of what they are supposed to accomplish with their own lives is extremely small. And when I say small, I'm not necessarily speaking about the size of the church or the number of people attending a church. Or the size of the building. Or how much money the church has.

Because a church can have 50,000 members and 20,000 members. Even more. A church can own properties. Worth billions of naira. A church can organize conferences that attract people from different countries, traveling to the church and still have a small understanding of what God intends to accomplish through these people. Is possible for a church to become very successful as an organization. Whilst the people who are attending that church have almost no meaningful influence on the things happening in their society. Yet, the church itself is successful. Do you understand what I'm saying? And you would think that because the church is successful means that the vision of God for that church has been accomplished.

See, the church may be growing. The programs may be successful. The attendance may be increasing. The financial contributions might even be substantial, it might be weighty, it might be a prosperous church in fact. But when you begin to ask what those thousands of people who attend are doing in different spheres of influence, in education, in business, in government, in technology, in media, in health care, in agriculture. Other important areas of society. You will now begin to discover that the church has made very little contribution beyond the activities taking place within the four walls of the church. And I think that this is one of the things that we need to reconsider about our understanding of a successful church. Because we've become accustomed to measuring the success of a church primarily by the number of people who attend our services. Number of branches we have established.

The size of all these auditoriums and all these things. Amount of money we can raise for projects. And these things can tell us something about growth. I'm not disputing that. But it not necessarily tell us how much influence that that church has on the lives of the people that attended. That's the body. That's the body. But it's even deeper than that as you continue to study deeper into this subject. It's deeper than that. Please pay attention to me.

Yes, sir. It's deeper than that. Somehow, when I look at the church and the product of the church in society, in Africa, in Nigeria, being a very prayerful nation at that, I realized that we've successfully raised a generation of people, of Christians, who are more interested in surviving than in doing anything substantial with their lives. And there is a religious push behind that mentality. I believe that one of the greatest limitations of the average church goer today is that the understanding of the Christian life has become almost entirely centered on his survival, Centered on his needs. So that when you come to church, you want God to solve your problems. You want God to meet your needs. And there's nothing wrong with this. You want to get a job. You want money.

You want the house. You want a spouse. You want children. You want protection. You want healing. And you want things to work out well for you. Are you with me? And because these are the things that you are concerned about, this also become the things you are most interested in hearing about when you come to church. You want a message that will encourage you that your financial condition will change. You want a message that will assure you that the people working against you will be defeated.

You want a message that will tell you that you will receive a breakthrough. That something good is about to happen in your life. All good. And there's a provision in the gospel for that. Are you with me? Yes sir. Now I want you to imagine someone who has been a Christian for fifteen years. And his entire spiritual life has been built around these things. So fifteen years ago, he was praying for admission into university. Are you with me?

Yes sir. Now after getting admission, he began praying for good grades. So when it comes to church, his test and his interest in a church is damned by his need urgently because his need right now is for good grades. So out of the things that the church must provide, it must also provide a means to ensure that that good grade is guaranteed. Perhaps they have a tutorial, perhaps they have this, and other arrangement that makes it possible for him to pass an exam. Do you understand what I'm saying? Stay with me. Before his problem was gained admission. Now his problem is good grades. Now he has graduated.

Now that he has graduated, he begins to pray for a job. And after getting a job now, he's now praying for promotion. He now wants a higher job or a better job, more income. Now he has gotten promotion. Now he starts praying for his spouse. Now he has gotten his spouse. Now he starts praying for children. Now he has gotten the children. Now he needs more money to take care of the children. Now children has come, bills must be paid.

Now you imagine that his life continues like that. That at every stage of his life, his leadership with God has always been organized around whatever personal need he's trying to meet at that particular moment. And after fifteen years of living like that, that guy might never have asked himself, what exactly am I supposed to contribute to humanity? What exactly am I supposed to contribute to the lives of other people? What responsibility do I have towards society? What has God placed on me that others can benefit from. Do you know this is not within his thought pattern? Because all he's using his faith for is his own survival. So faith to him and everything that he knows about faith, All of understanding of faith is how his needs can be met. He's a consumer believer who believes that the purpose of church is a place where God can come and doze out blessings to him.

And he can come and say amen and just receive everything he can receive. Go on the weekday. Deploy what they have received on Sunday, then next week Sunday, go back again and receive more things. Glory to God. Glory. And when that becomes a cycle the problem now becomes that you become more conscious about yourself than the agenda of God for your life. You spend your entire life praying for God to take care of you, which is not bad. But you come to the point where you'd not become interested in what God can do to you. And what God can do through you. To take care of others.

So you can spend twenty years asking God to open doors for you. Without ever building something that opens the doors for others. You can spend your life asking God to give you employment. Without ever considering the possibility that you can build a business that will employ hundreds of people yourself. You can spend your life praying for financial breakthroughs. Without ever becoming interested in understanding how wealth is even created. How businesses are built. We spend our faith on small things. We have become a church that wants small things. We have become a church that is comfortable around small visions.

Or comfortable with small visions. So much so we castigate anything that is out of order, anything that is out of this smallness. We castigate it. And it's not as though our personal needs are not important. Our personal needs are important. It is understanding that our lives are beyond our personal needs. Your greatest ambition cannot just be to make enough money to survive. To avoid problems. To live a life free of defeat. But that can be your greatest ambition.

Glory to God. Glory Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord. There are people that can become employers of labor. But they've never considered anything beyond finding employment. Because all their thought is governed about what they can produce for themselves. What they can get for themselves. I've even seen people who have become grossly limited financially in the pursuit of having their own needs met. Grossly limited. Because the idea of serving others, the idea of assignment, the idea of purpose, the idea of the eternal counsel of God, the agenda of God for their life has not been so captured in their Christian experience.

And even if it has been captured, it has not been reinforced. So they know about it, but they don't live like it. And many a time the church is aware, but we don't care. And the reason why we don't care is because they are the type of Christianity that only sells as long as people continue to have needs in their lives. That if for any reason, all your needs are met, that type of Christianity, they don't have anything to offer again. Let me explain what I'm saying. Do you agree with me that if for some reason, you develop the ability to not be thirsty again, Would you need to buy water? Do you realize that your need for water has ended? You don't need water again. Imagine the problem with the type of Christianity that the Samaritan woman has received.

That makes our belief. That when you reach a place of test, you would need to travel to a particular temple. To have it so that your test will be quenched. And if you have not reached that particular temple, will continue to live with that test until you appear there. Do you agree with me that whatever priest is manning that temple will succeed to the extent to which you remain tested? Because his ministry as a priest is only as valuable as long as you are testing. So he knows that if it is once in a month or once in a year, everybody would gather because they must come and quench their tests. Do you understand what I'm saying? Now Jesus appears to the woman and Jesus tells the woman that see, there's a type of water I'm going to give to you that you will never test again. What does that do to the ministry of the...

Do you understand what I'm saying? Because it means if I can receive this thing that this man is talking about, it means I won't need to travel that way again to look for what is now inside of me. That's what I mean by there's a kind of Christianity that sells only as long as certain limitations are in your life. It means it does not profit that Christianity for you to be entirely free. Unfortunately, that is the type of Christianity many have received. 90% of those listening to me have received it. Grew inside of it. It has eaten deep into their unconscious. It now controls the way they think and they live their lives. I was teaching a group of people and I told them that they've been conditioned in a way.

And there's a way this type of Christianity can condition a man as well. So that there must always be needs in your life. Always be. There must always be things that must because if there is not, the anointing of the man, God becomes useless. Why would you not come again on Sunday? So okay, if you no longer need breakthrough, what now become the advantage of breakthrough night? Don't you get it? What now become his advantage of breakthrough night? Don't you understand that there is a desperation you must have for me to manipulate your life and tell you that God will answer you now if you bring a 100,000 nair. Then your mommy say, is it is it lifting you are looking for?

Come, a beggar. She said come. Don't you want it? I mean you have children at home working in a government parastatal where your salary has a level 15 employee of the government is about 250,000 naira. And for you to go from level eight to level 15, you must have spent thirty years in government Rising progressively. Being a faithful Christian. And here somebody tell you that there is a bigger, don't you want it? You want your life to remain like that? And if by the anointing of God upon my life, Somebody comes to you and favors you. Just gives you two bags of rice and say ah.

Mommy kidney will see how you have been working for this prostator. In fact, this is two bag of rice for you. My God, that means your next monsala does not have to go to rice. God has provided. So you come to church and you say, hallelujah. I want to thank God because pastor prayed for me. And as he prayed, the God of my father. Jesus. He came down mightily. Bragged rice.

Now listen. Listen. Listen. It will finish. And when it finishes, guess what you need to do again? In fact, you might not even need to wait until then. God has delivered you from the need to buy rice. Oh, glory to God. But how about fees that must be paid? How about fees that must be paid?

Because you now go home, your son now tells you there's there's discussion somewhere, a few trip that they must go to. You don't wanna be an irresponsible parent. So as you go home and you hold your father, you hold your husband's aunts, what you are praying for Send helpers to this house. Send helpers to this house to meet our needs. So as you are going to weekly service, what else is in your mind? Needs. Do you understand what I'm saying? It's a Christianity driven by needs. So when I come and poke you, what am I doing again? I'm encouraging and giving you hope and telling you, don't worry.

And Christianity will keep on selling as long as those needs are there. That means, there's what I call the wilderness church. What did I call it? The church and the wilderness church is a is a is a a church with numbers. Because a lot of people leave Egypt. Millions of people leave Egypt. But there's a church in the wilderness. And the responsibility of the church in the wilderness is to satisfy your needs there. Especially in so there is manner. So the testimonies we share in church are testimonies of manner.

Are testimonies of needs being met. Testimonies of pomegranates. Testimonies of water coming out of the rock. Miracles. Jesus. To bless person. Oh, they tire Jesus. Big church. That church is not cast of numbers. The only problem is that we have no influence in society.

So you cannot pick up three twenty hundred, 200, 1,000 people in the church with substantial power, wealth, influence, glory. Whose lives are a picture of the promised land? Because you see the promised land is where we are meant to dwell. That's the place of abundance. The question is, what kind of church prospers there? What kind of church prospers where everybody is wealthy? Do you know how to pastor wealthy people? Do you know how to pastor people that don't have dependence on your anointing to supply their daily needs? Who bills and fees and all these useless things are not their business because they are in a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet they need to be pastored.

Another problem with the church in the wilderness. This is the tragedy of a small minded church. Because the problem now is that, you see, that light of the world. That church does not have the capacity to make men into it. Because for you to be light of the world, we first need to get you out of yourself. We first need to bring your mind out of that place where your holy reason for existence is you. That's when you'll be concerned about lighting the world. But that church survives to satisfy your desire. Satisfy your need. Satisfy your wants.

Nothing wrong with that. By the way. Because we do it here too. In fact, Jesus said the poor you always have amongst you. So there will always be people that by choice, they want to be there. By choice. They've been so conditioned in their mind. That they cannot prosper. It's not a curse oh. It's just that they cannot.

They will always have to live depending on others. Somebody to help them with this, somebody to help them with that, somebody to help them with this, and you will think that okay, if I help them with this, they will not come for help again. In fact, I have seen people like that that they come to church and they look so rickety and you say, ah, mama, you know what we'll do for you? We will set you up. We'll get a shop for you. We will fill the shop up. And then you just go and be selling so that you can take care of yourself. And you think you have done the mama a good thing. Wait until six months time. Mama will come again to ask for money.

Mama, mean. Is what Jesus mean by you, we always have them. It's your choice. I I won't be part of them. It's people like us that will take care of them. But but you will not have them. And good day. And good day. Always Everybody will hear, it's true. You will always have them.

See, as a pastor, that scripture has given me peace. We don't understand. When I see people going contrary to the things we are teaching, I say ah, you always have them. Jesus, he has delivered me. There's no need. You always have them. Someone came to meet me the last time. When the person was telling me about their crisis, all I knew, what this one wanted was money. But you just not know a decent way to ask man of God for money. So it felt as though it would be somewhat intrusive to pull it out directly that it's money I'm looking for.

But if you want prayer, you will say it's prayer you want. Is that not? So after narrating all the problems, he say, so in whatever way you can help me, I say, oh god, shut up. In whatever way I can help you. Which way do you want me to help you? Talk talk this thing. Which way do you want me to help Oh yeah, stretch your hand. Let me pray for you. That's the way I can help you. Say whatever way I can help you.

And after I'm done praying, he said, I said, what what you done? I said, ah, I'm a prayer man who can stay here. Glory to God. Glory. See, there's nothing you can do to help that one. Even if you gave the person a job, the person will lose the job. What is wrong with that individual? It's not a. It's not witches and wizard. It's the conditioning of the mind.

And if you tell them they will not agree with you. It's one of the ways you will know that they will stay long there. Because the person, they know more than the doctor. The doctor will tell them this is your police. They said, no, that's not my problem. Is that kind of person about to be free? We meet them every time. Young, old, all classes. So we develop ways to help those ones. If it's 10,000, we can give.

5,000, we can... We help. We develop a sustainable system. We now come to those who are interested. In building something substantial. You say come, let us teach you something. I will begin to teach them things that will not make sense to those other camps. Things that will make absolutely no sense. Let me continue what I'm saying. The destiny of several people have been terminated in the church.

Because the pastors do not know how to raise them. So you know what we do? In our small mindedness at the church. We turn everybody into evangelist. We turn everybody into pastors. Doesn't matter what the assignment is. Everybody becomes a prayer warrior. And the pastor raises them to believe that if you are not praying, you are wasting your destiny. And the guy has been sent to the nations as a political diplomat. Now he does not even know the first thing where to even start, where to begin.

All he knows is how to pray. If you hold your hand and you begin to pray, the kind of tongues he will, but cannot articulate English. What is meant to speak to the nations of the world? Nobody has taught him to read. Nobody has taught him to study. So we don't even know how to raise Daniels in our church. Now we pray for Daniel, but we don't know how to raise them. And if we genuinely see Daniel, we will fight him. We are the ones that will call them on serious. That's why we are praying for them to, you see, it's a small minded church.

Because everybody must prophesy. Everybody must see visions. And for avenger somebody, have an assignment that would not allow them to have the same type of consecration as someone who is probably called to be an apostle or a prophet or even a pastor. We begin to cast aspersions on those ones. And the egregious way we sound about our confidence. You will think that we know what we are saying. We do not. So what do you see? Thousands of people. All with different mandates over their lives.

But what they do every time they come is pray for six hours. Eight hours. There's no intelligent conversations. In scriptures happening. Do we know how to raise an Esther? Do we know what it takes to raise an Esther in the church? Because if an Esther starts to rise in the church, destiny. We will first tell her that you are in inquiry, move it. Because So they will look at the way you are dressing. Look at the way you are looking.

Look at the way we are you are appearing. I won't go into some matters. Do you understand what trying to say? Because we have become a church. That sees small things, that wants small things, that sees small visions. But you look at what the Bible says. The Bible does go into the world. That the world is our market place. David got to the war front where Goliath was challenging every man of war to come out and fight. Anybody who can take him down.

And David looked at Goliath. Became hungry. Are they asking questions? What will be done for whoever can? And when the guy saw the benefits that were listed, he realized that it was in his favor. This is where I'm going oh. When he went to go and meet Saul, and Saul started having a conversation with him. Saul was somewhat concerned that someone of David's age would try to come and challenge Goliath. In his concern, Saul now started saying, are you sure that you can fight with this guy? Because you are just a youth.

But this guy you want to fight has been a soldier from his youth. Think about it. You have not seen the word I'm saying yet. He said you are just a youth. But the guy you want to face has been a soldier. So you're about to dismiss him. From fighting an enemy that started fighting at his age. We kill destinies in the church. Kill potentials in the church. Now there are extremes of course.

There are extremes. But I've seen people in the name of apostles and papas and all of these things do despicable things. There are extremes. Are you with me? Yes sir. But to say that because of their strengths, because you see, those things that those ones are doing, that we call despicable things. We think that they are doing just because of their age. It's not true. Because there are those who have gone ten years and twenty years in ministry who are doing the same thing. In fact, they have references.

It is what they see others doing that they are copying themselves. You understand what I'm trying to say? Yes, sir. Yeah. I don't wanna go into the pills, but there are extremes. I will not be covered the extremes now, cancel out the entire thing. As to say that a man cannot be young and be anointed. Cannot be young and be called. We now dismiss people for attempting great things Against giants. That started the same thing in their own age.

Do you understand what I'm trying to say? I wish you're getting this time. I hope you're getting this time. Yes sir. It's a cause for concern. Because the entire purpose of the church is no longer known. Our assignment to the world is no longer known. The occupy till I come. Mandate that God gave is no longer known. So we are content with just our numbers increasing.

We are content with us just becoming excited in church. Us becoming prayerful, becoming more consecrated, or becoming more holy. More pure, beautiful as all these things are. We are content when our spiritual journeys start there. Glory to God. Are you still with me? Yes sir. So gradually our understanding at the church and the assignment that God has committed into our hands as most. So that now we are content in the wilderness. We are content with small things, with small visions.

We are content building houses for ourselves in the wilderness. Sharing testimonies and exciting ourselves. Testimonies that even keep us small. And exciting ourselves. And we cannot but share them because it's God that is doing them. Would we now say that people should not share their testimonies? No. God is the one doing them. But we've not learnt how to train people to work in principles such that they will not even need miracles to begin with. Because miracles is a proof that something is wrong.

It means if something is not wrong, there will be no need for miracle. If someone died and the dead need to be raised, the problem forces that the person died. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? If someone is in need of miracle money, the problem is further there is no money. So the question is, can we not train people and teach people to enter into that realm of supply, that realm of abundance such that they would not even be in need of miracles. Because it is in scripture. That is God's vision for the church. So how come we've pitched our things and we are comfortable in doing so? We're comfortable doing so. Glory to God.

Amen. That the kind of Christianity that has conditioned people to be poor, To be miserable, to be average, to be mediocre. And like I told those people I was talking to, that the problem with this is that many people who have been conditioned don't even know that something is wrong with what they've been taught. Something is wrong with how they've been trained. There are people who have been Christians for twenty years and thirty years, some even longer. Who are very devoted to God. Who love the Lord sincerely. Who attend church faithfully. Who pray. Who fast.

Who give. Who participate in almost every activity in their churches. Yet their understanding of money, their understanding of wealth, their understanding of business, of prosperity, of influence, of success, of greatness is so poor that it is almost impossible for them to become wealthy, influential, great with a kind of mentality that they have developed over the years. And the unfortunate thing is that some of these people have come to believe that their poverty is a sign of spirituality. They have been taught that sometimes directly or sometimes indirectly. That there is something particularly holy about being poor, being average. That a Christian who is interested in making money or becoming wealthy is becoming worldly. And by the pursuit of wealth is something that should make a serious believer uncomfortable. The pursuit of success. Of advancement.

You won't know how deep this thing has eaten. Someone came to me on time ago that two years ago. And the person told me that she dreams and she's working towards being the best. She's a student. Right? Being the best student in our class. And as she was aspiring and talking to her mind that I can be the best student in this class. But she just talked to herself that ah, am I not being selfish? How about others? Am I not being selfish?

Am I the only Christian in this class? Am I not making myself better than the rest? Is that what I should be contesting for? Maybe I should only say I will have a good result, but not say I will be the best in the class. As though I'm putting myself ahead of others. And the girl was so concerned. She came to me and want me to go for a retreat. I'm serious. This is not a joke. That's a conditioning.

You see, that individual did not even know. Do you know that aspiration has been affected? Ambition has been affected. What you can hope to reach, height you can hope to gain. That means that there are thoughts, there are things that cannot even penetrate our mind. I have to say, I want to become this. I want to do this. Because something within her, a programming she has received is somewhere telling her, calm down. You're being proud right now. You're being arrogant right now.

You're being arrogant right now. So you have people that genuinely love God, but they are afraid to desire certain things. They are afraid to think big. They are afraid to pursue certain opportunities. And sometimes they are even afraid to become rich. Because of what I've been taught in church. One of my girls. Young lady passionate for God came to me and told me, apostle, I just feel like this next field work that we do in our faculty. I can take advantage of the opportunities available to me to do it outside the country. I said go ahead.

That's amazing. And she pursued it the opportunity opened up for her. And she was due to travel outside the country. Then she would reach me and said, apostle, there's just something in my mind saying I should not go. Cast it out. Cast it out. Cast it out. Listen, what kind of teaching were we taught that made us afraid of the will of God? That when we tell people, have you prayed about it? They are afraid to even pray about it.

Because the mentality that has been induced into many is that see, if you hear God's will like this, God can send you to Amoloko and you must stay there. Because their expectation of the will of God, movies we have watched, things we have seen, content we have taken in. He's only telling you one thing, That see, it is the worst thing that God will will for you. Amen. So you find somebody who is praying and waiting with him. God will not be married for many years. As I open my eyes, show me my husband. And the guy opened his eyes and now sees a disabled person and say, ah, what is this? God, no, no, no. And then you think it's a joke and then you just laugh at it.

And you don't know that. Somewhere in your mind, it has registered something in you that God and his will are not really things I want to consider. Because I know what is best for me. And if I should go and consider God in this matter, God can just throw me somewhere I don't even know. And if that is the case, I will rather plan this thing by myself. So when someone is moving on investment, have you prayed? The person is afraid to say, this good news have come. You're not asking me have I prayed? Before he even prayed, he's afraid. Why you asking have I prayed?

What did I do? And that's the reason why so many people have now made regrettable mistakes. Because they stumbled out of the will of God because they are so afraid of it. Because what you want is small things. What our heart desire is small things. We've been so conditioned to desire small things, to want small things. And somebody taught us wrongly. That if it is God's will All these men of God that are travelling out of the country, that are travelling out of this. Have you even gone and prayed? Because when you pray, God can send you to Odinjo.

God can send you to this place and that. Can send you Balapar. Listen, I'm not saying that God cannot send you to those places. Are you with me? But why must that be how we teach the will of God? Why is that the only reference we give as to the will of God? It's not God that told Abraham, get house to your father's house. On to a land that will show you. It's not God that came to some people I will take you to a land flowing with milk and honey. System did not build.

House did not build. Fire did not plant. It's not interesting how we are so quick to associate everything negative to dealings. It's not funny. That somebody who should be asking God for wisdom to come out of that nonsense is saying I'm under dealing. Oh get. Oh, lock all on. Under dealings. You, what you need now is wisdom. Get wisdom fast.

But the guy is refusing wisdom. He's saying God is dealing with me. His inability to communicate well. Put him inside that problem. He lost the job because they don't know human relationship. No social capital he has built. Because the only capital you know is prayer. Now because he cannot talk and he has no wisdom whatsoever, he has lost it. The car, the dealings of God can be brought out. But don't worry, we'll press.

We press. We press. Help. Come on. So. See, see, I pray oh, you don't pray more than me. Don't you think for a moment that this man of God is talking against prayer. You'll be joking. You have no idea how many Jesus I have on prayer. Glory to God.

Glory. This ministry was built on prayer. Amen. Amen. As though it's meant to be a substitute. It's not meant to be. It's meant to coexist. In fact, the Bible says that you beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the holy ghost. So we pick praying in the holy ghost. And we say, that's how we build ourselves.

And we forget horn. Because horn means that the building of yourself should happen on something. That the building of yourself is not on the sky. Is on something. And every building has something is resting on. It has a foundation. He said you are building horn. Your most holy faith. Guess how that faith comes? So it's never meant to be a substitute.

It was never designed to be a substitute. There's wisdom in scripture. Wisdom some people have never tasted because they don't even know it is there. Wisdom, people have never seen because they don't even know it's there. One of my young ladies got a job. Job in a media house. Powerful media house. You would think that that's a open door. Start pushing yourself around destiny. Immediate, is that not so?

And then rise to the peak of your destiny. You know what the lady does? She come and she said I'm post. She didn't even tell me. It was she left the job, resigned, and came to come and tell me I'm supposed to have left the job. He said why? Because every time I go to the office, they say profane things. Yeah, they they they just start talking anyhow. You don't know how to talk. Talking about women's body, women's this, women's that.

I had to leave the place. It's not fit for me. Do you understand what I'm saying? See, that's a conditioning. That thing is a that's the reason why that person will be poor and broke. And she will run up. Because she will keep on praying. In fact, when you ask her, she will say she heard God. She will say God told me to leave. I used an example for some people I was teaching some time ago.

About my wife. And what an excellent chef she is. Listen. Listen. Listen. Now imagine with me. That you are not so much of an excellent chef. But my wife is one. So we put you in the kitchen. And we say make the best delicacy you can make for us.

And then you have my wife there who will not assist you. But she will instruct you and direct you. Are you with me? Now you enter the kitchen and she's standing there. Okay, so start. And then you bring out the things that have been provided for you. And you see rice there, you see spaghetti there. Is that not so? See water there? You see salt and you see maggi and you see pepper.

And they said that's all. Cook. Now when you go to my wife's cooking encyclopedia, You will find. Now, you you need to calm down and listen. You you need to calm down and be led. When you go to my wife's cooking encyclopedia, you will find a thousand possible delicacies that can be made. Delicacies you might not even know exist but are there. So the person that have been told to come and assist you. As within ourselves, a thousand possibilities that she can instruct you on. Do you understand what I'm saying?

So she stand there excited to instruct you. But when you were given the resources, all you had was rice, spaghetti, water, pepper, maggi, and salt. Now you are there. The instructor is there. And the instructor is saying is that hall? Can't you get more things? And then you look and you go outside. And want to go and get everything you can get and you come back with more water. Now listen. I'm I'm I'm going somewhere.

Stay with me. As you drop the thing, the instructor is there looking at you saying, my God. Okay, alright. Alright, put the water on the fire. Okay, put put the rice there. Alright, take the rice away. Put pepper. Put salt. Put mankind. You will come up with something at the end of the day.

Yeah. But what you have come up with, is that the best the instructor could have done? You need to understand that when people say, God told me this. We need to check what did God. What resources did God have available in your mind? With which he could instruct you. That's the question. You have zero exposure, you have zero knowledge, you have zero wisdom, zero know how. So there is only little. So in the midst of that problem, the only way of escape that lady knows is resign.

That's the only thing she knows. That's the only knowledge she has. That's the only wisdom she knows. There is no other thing. So the test can only be go. You don't understand what I'm saying. And you meet someone there who is who has more stature. And has journeyed deep into the ways and the wisdom of God. And look at you and say ah, is that why you want to leave? What's your business there?

Do what you have to do and mind your business. They are saying they are saying, desire is that your business? No. Daniel served in a pagan city. And he thrived there. In fact, he was the only one himself and then the prophet and the three people men and others who believed God. Where he was serving, he was in the midst of darkness. The darkness not tempting. Do you think that he was speaking about God when he got there? In fact, where he was serving was so bad that the policies in that place, many of you, if they give you that kind of policy, you would have resigned.

Do know what the policies are? Interpret or die. It's not interpreter will fire you. That's the policy. The operational policy is tell us the dream or die. That's it. And Daniel says, okay, no problem. There's no pressure. Just give us three days. It means within what was available, he understood that there was a place in God where wisdom could be assessed.

If that understanding was not there, if the only thing he knew is, ah, God, what will we do now? He will hear a voice telling escape. And both of you will leave the same place. One will say God told me escape. I want to say God told me the dream. That was all the knowledge available to her. They're working in a place. You find that yoga is embezzling money. You now go and say, I'm a man of integrity. I have to report, what's your business?

He said apostle, see what you are saying in church. That's why we are where we are. Is why we don't have people that can rise in government. Is why we don't have people that can rise in the market place. People that have operational wisdom. To rise in the market place. To rise and do great things. Because it is the person that makes the rule that changes the rules. So if you have not gotten to rulership, you can't change the rules. The first mentality therefore is what do I do to get there?

Who must I serve? Who must I be loyal to? Who must I say yes, sir to? That's why you will some people in government, they know nothing. But they are ministers. Yes sir. Some cannot even speak English well. Yes sir. But when the president was contesting for governor, they were packing his bag. They were loyal.

You see anything? They reply with 10,000 words. We use the pulpit to start analyzing politics and governance. Start throwing down government. Start saying things against the government. On the pulpit. And we don't know that we are creating a narrative in the minds of those we are raising. Who are called to enter the same spaces. Some of which will serve the same people we are castigating him on the pulpit. You don't understand what I'm saying?

Some of the people we are castigating on the pulpit. Some of our members will serve them. And it will be because they serve them loyally. That those ones will now promote them. Do you know that in scripture, there's no way where the scripture says you pray against a government? This matter is not for today. Go and read your Bible very well. Go and read your Bible very well. God, government, man of God. Fear them.

What he does say? Is wisdom. You know he said the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. It's not the end. Where wisdom begins is that you fear God. There are other entities you have to fear. Amen. It is wisdom. It is wisdom. It is wisdom.

You don't need to speak on everything. You don't need to address every subject, especially subject where you don't have professional qualification to speak. You understand what I'm saying? Yes. Leave the matter to those who have qualification for it. Because your opinion can be misleading. If two members are in our church and they are in two different political parties, both of them want to become governor of the same state. Do we know how to pastor them? Do we know how to pastor them? I was told that one of my young ladies in this place was contesting for a political position in her hostel where she's staying.

And she was getting advice from another member of the workforce. Saying ah, why don't you step down? Since this person in the workforce is also contesting for the same position. Why don't you step down? So I think I know you are fighting each other. My God. We have become a small minded church and we've been conditioned like folk. But some of us have to be intentional in breaking out. In realizing when God has favored you by bringing you here. I think we need to pay serious attention to how or the role of the church or the role the church has played in shaping the mentality of Nigerians and believers.

With matters relating to money, matters relating to influence, to wealth, And the reason is simple. The reason is because for many Nigerians, the church is the one place or one of the places where they have the greatest amount of teaching and instruction throughout their lives. If not the major place. There are people who have never attended a business seminar. There are people who have never read a book on wealth creation. They've never sat down to understand how investments work. They've not been taught how to build successful businesses. They've never read a book on beautiful homes, ministries. But they've attended church consistently for twenty years. So the question is, in those twenty years, what have they been taught on money?

What have they been taught on influence? What have they been taught? Do you understand what I'm saying? No. They've listened to a thousand sermons by now. They've attended hundreds of prayer meetings. They've received all kinds of instructions from their pastors. And because of the respect that they have for authority, many of the things that they hear in church has become the foundation upon which they build the understanding of life. Now imagine what happens to someone who has spent twenty years listening to teachings that give him or that gave him a wrong understanding of money. Twenty years listening to teachings that have given me wrong understanding of influence and how it works.

Power and the desire for power. I gathered my people. And I told them, the media department and I told them. How many of you? Know what is happening in Songo right now? Right now. How many of you? Is there anybody that know what is happening in Songo right now? How many of you is interested in knowing what is happening in Songo right now? Is there anybody like that?

There's just a weird interest. That you have. Is there anybody? But what if from where we are now? We just hear a loud noise from Songo. Bow. Would you want to know what is happening there? A minute ago, did you want to know? No. When the noise came, did you want to know?

Yeah. Why? Because where there is noise, there is attention. And everybody wants to know why there is noise there. And people follow noise. People are interested in noise. But guess what we were told? We were told empty barrels make the loudest noise. So the one that has substance, how do we know you have substance? Keep quiet.

Yet where there is silence, nobody is interested in going there. How do we now know that you have substance? But we... We've been taught and we've been trained. If you have something substantial in you, you don't make noise about it. And now the world has gathered around those who are empty, who are making noise. That God of God that now have substance. We are now struggling because the majority of people now have gathered. So it's now a lot more work. They're inviting their attention away from those that have gotten it before.

Sir. Because they said we should not make noise. I I asked the people in media. I told them I I said, so how many of you feel as though you have a vision in your mind, a passion, an interest, an idea. Something God has put, if I think we should not even spiritualize it. Something you have an idea about. Because by the time I see nothing God has put now. Somebody will say, I I don't even know God have put it, but I have an idea. Because someone's idea now can be to sit in front of camera and be doing makeup. So that one was done if it's God that gave him the one.

And that one took counsel. I said, so how many of you are like that? And they raised their hand. I thought I could raise hand raised now. How many of you have more than a thousand followers? And it was just about two people. Two people. You know why? Empty barrier means loudest noise. So keep quiet.

Don't shout. Don't make noise. If it's substantial enough, the people that you have been sent to will find you. But Jesus did not say stay in the church, the word will come to you. Jesus said go into the world. That's the instruction he gave. Go and make noise in the world. The world. Yes sir. Is not Jesus that sent disciples two by twos.

To cities that he was going to enter, but told them to go and prepare the way before he gets there. But we feel as though if I have something. So now, the average young lady that has a business does one of the first thing about visibility, about marketing. Now, when she comes to the pastor, what does the pastor do? Go and prosper. Ah pastor, I'm struggling. I'm ah, you are struggling. Receive breakthrough. In the name of Jesus. Then she comes again.

I said pastor, things are not even going straight for me right now. Ah, and you said we should sow a sacrificial seed. This is sacrificial seed. Ah, the seasons will change for you. My sister, in the name of Jesus. But there is still no knowledge about visibility, about marketing. All the prayer has not produced any kind of wisdom in her head. Because she's still as clueless as she was before she sowed the seed. Before she was prayed for. Because we don't know how to nurture greatness and nurture influence.

Because we are a church content with small things. Said I've sent you as sheep among wolves. That's a teaching I have prepared. It's not for now. You are sheep among wolves. Yet because you are as sheep among wolf, be as wise as serpent. That's the title of my teaching as I have a teaching like that. As wise as serpent. There are things that it's not just for now. There are things you will know.

Because look at how Jesus described. He say I've sent you as sheep among wolves. That's already disadvantageous. Because wolves are predators. Wolves eat sheep. And Jesus said that's how I sent you. You don't have choice to change it. Do you know that we are lions? The righteous is as bold as a lion. Because Jesus himself is lion.

But Jesus himself is also sheep. He could have chosen lion to say I've sent you as lions. But when it comes to the dimension of himself that we are representing, when we go into the marketplace and into the world, even this is a lamb. It's a lamb dimension. That's why I'm sending you. As lamb, as sheep. What does it mean? We need to sit down and study it. Because if your understanding stops there, they will finish. It's in the world you die.

It's in trying to ride where your destiny will end. He said but still, don't just go like sheep oh. Let conquership man He said be as wise as serpent. What then is the wisdom of the serpent? What What is the wisdom of the serpent that the marketplace man must have? What is the wisdom of the serpent? What is the slippery nature of the serpent? What is the slivering nature of the serpent? That wherever you are, you can find your way. It can't be so tight, you cannot squeeze through.

What is this wisdom? And you can see that through unnoticed. That is the advantage of the serpent. You can live with the serpent in your house for many years and you will not know. The guy will enter your house when he goes cracked from the egg. And he will go somewhere and open the ceiling. And when you are asleep, he will come down. And somehow he seems to know when you sleep. He had observed your schedule. He will come down, he will see that ah, they are rearing chicken and he will go to where your day holds and take one.

And he will slither two back. You won't even know nothing is going on. It will not leave the dead body where you will find it. Yes sir. Enough to suspect that there's someone in your house. Yes sir. There will not be no mark. We will not shed his skin carelessly. And you would have fed the servant for ten years. Now what came like a little snake has now become so large.

Under your own watch, by your own foot. And become so large. That if he just decides now, he can hit you. If you just decide, it can hit you. Say man of God, how? Have you not learned the wisdom of God in Moses? That he sends you into the enemy camp and the enemy raises the person that will kill them. With their own hands. And Moses was not in any way saying, I serve the living God. You know, as they were educating him on the gods of Egypt, he was listening.

Being educated in the ways of Egypt, following the patterns of Egypt. The Bible here when they took Daniel and his friends into Babylon, they taught them the ways, the language of the Chaldeans. And they did not say, no, we will not learn your language. They knew how to be as wise as serpent. There's a wisdom. There's a wisdom the church does not know yet. That's how it's difficult for us to raise people. That can swallow territories. I believe that we can do more and raise more than the Elon mosques. And raise more than the Dangotees in the church.

But there is a wisdom. Even Jesus said it. Jesus said the children of this world are wiser. The word whether the word clever. The word clever. They are more clever. Than the children of God. And what Jesus said. Why did Jesus say it? Go and read the story.

Because a man knew how to use money to win friends. There's a thin line between bribery and honor. You will define it. One of my young lady was talking to me. She told me, apostle, I was told that his space was made available in this place. And I want to go and pursue that space for my business. Okay, that's awesome. I think I was even the one who told her about the space. And then she went to go and pursue the space. When she got there, she was told she had to go to an office and there was someone that she has to meet.

But she has to write a letter of appointment. So she went to go and submit a letter and then she met a secretary. Secretary asked, why did you come? Both secretary, why she came? He said, ah, no. You can't get that space. The space has to be listed before we can give it to you. So if it's not yet listed, we cannot give you. Okay, what is the listing? What is that?

It has to appear on the portal. You will see it on notice board. You will see that this space has not been listed. But there's nobody taking that space. He said, yeah, yeah, but it has not been listed. You can't see the person in the office until we list the space. So there's no way to see him. You can go. I said my goodness. They are not so wise.

That's where serpent comes in. Are not so wise. If I were here, I won't go alone. I won't go empty. I know how to use the unrighteous mammon to win friends. I thought this in small keys that open great doors. I will go with wine, I will go with granite, I will go with different things. I won't go as though it's the woman that made me sad. No. I will go and meet the person and say I brought this gift for you.

Thank you so much for the last time you attended to me. I'm so grateful. How is your family? How is your this? How is your mommy? And whilst I'm making myself cheerful and at home with you, I tell you, I said, you said the last time that it is when they list that space that I will be able to see, okay, there's no problem. No, before they list it, maybe when they are about to, to, can you just tell me because I know it's very competitive space. So maybe when they do, can you let me know? Can I get your number? I can even reach you and I can even talk to you about it, ma'am.

Two days after you go back there and say, mommy, how are you doing? In fact, I love that conversation. I had to come and greet you. I was just passing by. I said, you drop this with you, ma. And then you go. You see, a believer will say, what is that? Come bribe my way out of prison. Pride me. Bride me.

He does not know. Because he has been taught in church that this life is only white and black. There's a lot of wisdom we do not have. That's why some of your fathers did not rise beyond where they rose. Some of them is not a hill. Some of them is just wisdom. It was just a wisdom problem. You will realize that some people hate you in your office. You don't even know why they hate you. Those are the ones that you go and make your friends.

They are always the one writing petitions against you. Filing all kind of things against you. Reporting you and reporting you. When you discover something new that can break the office open, you call them, you say hey, something I discovered recently. You do what we don't even know that they are reporting you. How many, how many do you hostage? Yet you see boundless wisdom in scriptures. There's wisdom for balance in scriptures. And if we don't understand certain things, we will not be able to raise greatness. I promise you.

I was watching an interview with Basket Mouth. Right? I think arguably is like one of the most renowned comedians that rose from Nigeria. Racing across the world. So anywhere I see, there are books, books of great people. Their stories, their lives, interviews interest me a lot. If the interview is three hours, I will watch it. Interviews where Elon Musk has been interviewed, I watched him. I've read Donald Trump's book. I'm interested in knowing about their lives.

And when I saw that this guy was interviewed, what does he have to say? About his story. My God. The summary for me, with respect to this subject I'm talking about is, if that guy was brought up in the way we bring destinies up in church today, he can never be where he is. What did I say? He can never be where he is. Can never be where he is. Will both start from the parents because they are something that those ones to have been taught. The young man said, I came into limelight. You know, limelight.

I used to be a comedy nerd. Because I wanted to be a comedian. So, videos of them, basket mouth and the likes. I used to hit them like messages. I've always been diligent oh. Whatever my hand finds to do, I'm very diligent. Oh God. Until I realize that that's not the direction God is taking me to. Hallelujah. Amen.

But I still remember the result is. So when he was talking, I could relate with some of the things he was saying. From the days of ninth of a thousand laugh that he used to do. That's very old like thousand and five, thousand and six. The guy said, he came into limelight at age 20. Now he said he's age 40. That means he has been stable in popularity. For how many years? That's twenty plus years. Stable in popularity, sustained influence.

It is since since 08/20, he now narrated the story from how he grew out. He said, a prophet came and God will bless that prophet. He said the prophet came and told his mother. He said this one, whatever he tells you he wants to do, let him do. It is so whatever, he said whatever deficient he was saying he wanted to do, did not even stop it. They were not as strict with him as they were with others. So when he said, I want to be an artist to be drawing comic and all of these things, they left him alone. And then he sat down on in Jethers one. And him and his friends were building a career around it. I'm going somewhere with this story.

Then he left that one alone. That one did not prosper. Then he went into rapping and music. He gathered some friends together. He started writing rap and and talking. But rather he was very funny. Could make people laugh naturally, effortlessly. So call the long story short. Him and his friend went to a particular show in University of Benin. It was so funny that he said in secondary school, people will start yabbing themselves.

And they will come and call him. He said, help me yabbing. And he will just start. And everywhere will go crazy. He's charging money for it. Listen. When he went into music... Stay with me. When he went into music, he started drumming and collecting $11,000 naira, 2,000 naira from different places he was drumming. And he was rapping.

So he got to this rap stage and a show in his university. And when he got on the stage, they were rapping and performing himself and his friends. People were now booing them. They oh, boo, get on, go away. He said, something's sparkling that it's not me they used to boo for. It's me when I'm talking that people will be booing for the person I'm talking to. He says, not... It's meant to be the other way around. He said that's why I became angry on the stage. He said he stopped rap and he started insulting all of them one by one.

He said he insulted them so much that everybody started laughing to stupor. Somebody now walked and say, Kai, did I get basket mouth oh? He said, wait. So, he adopted Neiman, started now doing that. He said there was no television, there was no phone, there was nothing. So what they used to do in university, as 100 level, 100 level students in University of Benin, is that they will go to all these papers, entertainment papers. Where they sell them to see where there are shows. And where there are gifts. In fact, there is a transport system that used to travel from the East to Lagos. And they were always branched by Benin.

By 3AM to buy food. He let himself and his friends will go to the park by 3AM. To wait for the vehicle to come. When he comes, they will tell him, can we just hang? They will stand from Benin to Lagos. Every weekend, whenever there is a show, going for shows. It's not as though they know the event people oh. They just get there and beg them, can we perform? Can we perform? You see, I could see so many things.

I, there was audacity there. These were university students. University students and they still finish university. A Nigerian parent will say from that alone, they've took destiny. Said he was performing everywhere. He said, one of those days, Ali Baba now came to the university. He was a line in the show. He wasn't performing. He just entered the place. Saw Ali Baba performing.

Saw the way the crowd went crazy. He said he told himself, the next time this man comes to this university, I will be part of the speakers. In terms of his responsibility within that time and the next time was to make himself visible enough that the show promoter will look for him to. In university. He said he intensified his effort. He said his friends believed in him. He intensified his effort. They were traveling again to go to different places. We're performing from one dinner to another dinner all over the school. Three performances before Alibaba comes up, you will go up.

So Ioba came and sat down. He said, when the Sauli Baba came, sat down, he said, yes, this is it. He said, there was no doubt. In his heart. If if if you're following my story, there are many principles you can already see. Without without without me even highlighting them for you. There was no doubt in his heart. He said he went to that stage and killed everybody. He said when he was done, Ali Baba stood up and gave him a standing ovation. When that happened, the whole place went crazy.

Because it was a student. So he was standing when Alibaba was going outside. Alibaba finished his own set and was going outside. So he was standing there. Alibaba, you are the one, right? Give him his card. And say whenever you're in Lagos, come and see me. That was just the end of it. That was just, see, that story, that story. If you look at it by the way, you will see that that is the part of destiny for anyone who is serious.

For anyone who is serious. But chances are, if we are raising people the way we are raising them now, we will see someone pushing so drastically in the way that guy is pushing. I will tell him, guy, kill thee. You are still in school. You are still in this. You are still in that. And we've so told people that that they've so believed it that nobody is pushing again. People know what they have to do. But they don't have the impetus for action. And we have no idea.

Perhaps you need to question what exactly did I receive that made me like this? Because many of us have been victims. Without even knowing we are victims. Without even knowing they are victims. Many people that can be shameless in pushing themselves to influence their world right now with the little that they have. Cannot even do it. Cannot even do it. And we think they are some kind of modesty there. Am I boring you? You know the most disturbing part of this thing?

The most disturbing part of this is that the religious system that is responsible for this wrong thinking. That has kept many people poor. Many people mediocre. Many people incapable of action. Is what they will still run to. For solution from the same problem. So he is struggling financially, he goes to church. He's taught to attend the program on financial breakthrough. Now he attends the program. He makes sacrifices because he's taught to give.

It is his declaration when prophecies are being given over him. And then he goes on believing that something has changed. But you check his life months later, and he's still struggling with the same problems. So he goes back for another program, another prayer meeting, another prophetic declaration, And the cycle continues like that. He never stops to examine whether some of the things he has been taught about money, about wealth, about success, about influence, about greatness, about prosperity are part of the reason is where he is. And I believe this is something we need to discuss very seriously. Because if you are not careful we will accept that the mandate of the church is to bring people to Jesus. Ensure that they are still with Jesus. Ensure that they grow in fellowship with Jesus. And that's the end of it.

And we'll be happy as they grow deeper in these things. They grow deeper in prayers. They grow deeper in consecration. They grow deeper in the fruit of the spirit. And the character of Jesus will become happy. But we need to look at the surrounding. We need to look at our environment and look. And say, what kind of families are these people building? These same people that come to church, that listen to our messages, What kind of families are they building? What kind of husbands are they becoming?

What kind of wives are they becoming? What kind of builder are they becoming? What kind of engineers are they becoming? Doctors are they becoming? Lawyers are they becoming? Somebody get him blessed. Yes, sir. Thank you, Jesus. I believe so strongly. That the church should be raising people that can shape culture.

Not just people that complain about what is happening around the world. I believe that this is another area where we need to change the way we think. Because Christians spend considerable amount of time complaining about the things happening in society. We complain about the kind of music people are listening to. We complain about the kind of films being produced, the kind of values being promoted through social media, the things our children are learning. The changes taking place in our culture. We complain about everything and sometimes our response to these things is just to complain. That's all we do. Or to pray at best. But you see believers, we don't do anything to change it.

We stay away from them. We organize programs to address their influence and then stay away from them. How fun that is? How fun that is? We need to start asking ourselves, what exactly are we doing to provide better alternatives? What are the better alternatives? Because see, let me tell something. If our idea of music ministers that we raise are Nathaniel Basis and Dusio Eakons from the church. Then we will keep on having problem of degeneration amongst the youth. Because as much as there are Nathaniel Bassis who are blessing us in church, there will always be an Nairamali.

There will always be a Bona boy. Always be. It is it is better that the Nairamalis come from the church. And by from the church, I mean being consistently discipled. By the church. That they are secular yet spiritual. Can the church raise someone like that? That's the question. Without casting aspersions, without, without, without, without thinking that they are none of God anymore. Because they are sung and not about Jesus or God.

Can somebody sing about love and still be spiritual? Jesus. Can somebody sing about marriage and still be spiritual? Can somebody come to church and join our choir but be rapping? And we don't think that something is wrong with him because he's rapping. Can we raise someone like that? That's the question. Or are we a thought of small minds? I opened Facebook yesterday and the first thing I saw was born a boy on Balondor. And I saw, oh, born a boy is representing Nigeria on the Balondor.

I didn't even watch the video. I just checked the comment session. And I was saying, ah, honorable is said, he's a Muslim. Finally, I said, I did not know. And I went to go and play the video. And I saw, you know, we are doing so much in Nigeria, in the football, this and that and that, and we are hoping that from next year, it is our guys that will be here inshallah. I said, And And from that thing alone, you need to check. You to see. The amount of influence that that statement alone had. Because not everybody in church who said they are in music will be worship ministers.

And some people have been so intimidated that they are not worship ministers, but they have been forced. It's like a mode. We've shaped them so much that they don't know how to do any other thing again apart from sing about glory. The guy can rap, but even when the guy wants to rap like this, hope a glory. Do we realize that we can send people into the world and they would not be corrupted by the world? And we will still welcome them back to the church. I will not fight them. And they can be friends with these people. That means that you can see someone we raised in the church who is doing music and who is gaining influence more small. And you can feature someone like David Doheny's song and we're still cascading for it.

Just calm down. Don't say yes. Think well. You will know you will fight him. Don't say yes. Think. Don't you all be saying yes, sir? Don't You know, you know yourself. But guess what? People will still keep on rising.

At least we know that that one is safe because they can't think about Bom Bom. There's authority that will rebuke him. He can't do music video and people are shaking Bom Bom. So we know that he's secure in influence. Yes sir. We know. We know that whatever is propagating is still within the confines. Of righteousness. Even though you would not hear Jesus or God inside. Yes sir.

Yes sir. Because we have not been taught that this is how we shape culture. So we'll shout on the pulpit and say, we are shepherd of culture. But when we see people who try to, we fight them by ourselves. We fight them by ourselves. I don't even understand what we are saying. That means whenever we cry and shout and sing and do all these things, we don't even understand what we are saying. We don't even know what we are talking about. Are we not a funny church? We said that we are influencing government.

Yet you see a pastor or a a politician coming to a pastor and then the pastor is shaking hands with the politician and hugging the politician and we say, oh, oh, what is that bribe? They've been shaking while rejected. No. When we are saying that the God of nations, what do you think we are talking about? So, when Because if I'm not their friend, how do I influence them? How do I influence their policies? We are not in the same religion, but we can have intelligent conversations about policies you want to effect. You are telling me, oh, ehm, we are thinking of doing this, I can call you and say, this thing you wanna do, have you thought about this and that and that and that say ah, I've not yet thought about it though. Give me a moment. Let me consult my cabinet.

I can't because I know him. He doesn't have to come to my church. Now you will not know I don't have a conversation with him. But if he comes to my church because he's coming to have election, you will now fight me and say, ah, these are both to, I I want I want here. I want here. I want here. You better thank government like that. Yes. Because we are fools. We don't even know what talking about.

You don't even know what I'm talking about. Somebody is fighting me now that I'm saying this thing. Many people are fighting. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. But may you not fight the deliverer. Why can't we have comedians? Look at someone now and this person says, I'm doing content, I want to be doing skits, I'm doing comedy. What would tell the guy that you're on serious? So you're unserious.

As I would tell the person. You are not serious. You're supposed to be changing lives. You're not changing lives. We don't know how to nurture greatness. Some of you know my daughter, Maureen. When she came to me, started doing all the things she was doing. You see, it's difficult to read people like that in church. Whenever I'm talking about things like this, I should come and meet me and say apostle, but when you talk about people creating value on the media space, I don't feel as though I'm creating value. I said what are you not creating?

That is value. People are saying these things and they are laughing. That's value. They are removing sadness and sorrow out of people's faces. That's value. Rise in your field, my sister. That's value. You will now realize that the people that you are envying because you think that they are the valuable ones who are coming and asking, let me do you five laws of business. They will meet you as you continue rising on this area. And they say, my goodness, you you give me so much joy.

Because even that one needs joy in his life. The question is, do not raise such people without killing their potentials. Do we know? Because there are people who are different. Assignments and mandates can be different. There's someone here now that can lap. He doesn't even know that it is within the allowances. For gifting to find expression. There's someone who can dance but does not even know that it is within the allowances. For that thing to find expression.

There's one of my young ladies who I was told about. I think it was my wife that was telling me about that lady. Who who is a concussionist? And she would go on social media and do all kinds of serpentine things. What did you say? They don't know the mean of contortionist. My God. That's your infirmity. May God deliver you. Glory to God.

Are you still with me? Yeah. Came to come and told me that this girl is very good in this and they showed me some of her content. She said, my God. She wants to break her neck. And the girl was twisting things and twisting things. My God. This is this is a gift. But she has stopped. Why why has she stopped?

Because you know, she's a Christian now. People are saying this, people are dropping, people are doing this. If that lady had continued, maybe about 100,000 people would have been following her. You will not know where God would have opened. You would not know. It would not have stopped whatever cause she was studying. But we fight what we don't understand. Let me try and show you three areas. Maybe we Rise up on your feet. Rezzo.

Rezzo. Rezzo. Someone bless. You see, This is kingdom. I was not even began discussing kingdom. This is this is preliminary. But at once in a while, I feel as though even even as you're growing, there are times you must bring these conversations again and again. Because this is the mandate of this ministry. When we say propagating the gospel of the kingdom, this is what we are talking about. Raising people that can function across different spheres of influence.

Thank God for what you've received. Thank God for the transformation happening consistently in your life. Thank God because you're increasing and God is molding and building and helping you. Thank you lord Jesus. In Jesus name we have prayed. Amen. Father, we give you all the glory. Give you all the honor. Take all adoration and take all the praise. In Jesus name we have prayed.

Thank you for listening. We believe you've been blessed. To be a part of this vision, you can connect with us on YouTube at disciples television, on Instagram at tcnations, and on telegram at dcn media channel. We love you. Stay blessed.