HOW FAR IS TOO FAR: GOING ALL THE WAY FOR JESUS

Hello everyone. Our topic today is going to be very brief. What I plan to do is to make you ponder on this topic just like I did when the Holy Spirit laid it in my heart. He asked me one day while I was in church, "How far is too far". 

At first I didn't know what he meant, then it was suddenly clear, "How far can you go for The Lord". Kai, I thought deeply and I started to evaluate myself. I reviewed the story of Daniel (Daniel 6:8-13). A decree was passed that no one should pray to any other Gob but that of the kingdom. But Daniel did not agree, he still prayed to God despite the consequences and he was thrown to the lion's den. I stopped and pondered on that; can I do that for God? I asked myself. 

I put a pin in that thought and I moved to Apostle Paul. Do you know that Apostle Paul was actually stoned to the point that they thought he was dead (Acts 14:19-20). But when his stoners left, he dusted his body and went back to continue preaching the gospel. He didn't give up because he was stoned. Hmmm, this one is a serious something o.

But let's also put a pin in that. Then I thought of our lord Jesus Christ. His own ultimate sacrifice is what is keeping me and you today. If not for how far He went, I don't think I'll be here asking you, how far is too far? Jesus paid the ultimate price for the gospel. Have you ever for once thought of how life would have been if Jesus had given up? PRAISE GOD FOR JESUS!!! 

So let's take out all the pins, see how far Daniel went for God, see how far Paul went for God; can we do the same. I mean can we go all out for God, can we sacrifice our comfort, can we sacrifice our bodies, can we sacrifice being thrown to the lion's den, and can we sacrifice being stoned in the name of our God. 

One thing I learnt from these three men is that they determined that God was a priority. So they didn't let their lives be a waste. They knew that when it came to God, it was never too far.   

The truth is that, when it comes to the issues of God, which is the sole purpose of our living, it is never too far. If He can die for us, why can't we do the same for Him? 

ASSIGNMENT 

1) All I want you to do is to think about your life and what you can do for God. A lot of us have potentials buried in us that is meant to glorify the name of God but we are not exploring it because we are scared of what may happen if we do.  

2) Try to place God as the major priority in your life. This will make it easier for you to understand that it's never too far for God. 

   

CONFESSION

"Lord I want to go all out for you; I ask that You guide me on what You want me to do. I ask that You give me the boldness that I need to do what You want me to do. Lord I desire to more of you so that I can go all out for you. Thank you Lord"

THE CROSS ROAD

​Think about this for a second. When the chariots of death is racing fast towards you or coming up against you, and you are at a cross road just like the people of Israel in Exodus 14:10-22 as in the case of the Egyptian army and the Red Sea, with no knowledge of how to get to the other side, I ask what do you do? I’m sure different thoughts are racing through your mind right now but just imagine you were among these Israelites, it looks to me like most of us would forget God in an instance and surrender back to the Egyptians, or rather some might even be so overwhelmed with fear and defecate on themselves, or maybe just dive into the sea and say something like “it’s better to die in here than to go back to Egypt and be tortured again”.

​Friends I’ll say this one truth, no matter what we cook up in our minds to have done if we were part of them, what saved them was GOD. There’s no explanation that can be formulated by any man but God. In Exodus 14:21-22, we see how God through his mighty power parted the red sea. A geographical disaster did not just decide to pop up at that minute friends or the global climate did not just decide to change. But understand that the people grumbled and complained even after they saw the wonders of God upon the Egyptians (Exodus 7-11). The sad truth is that humans are never satisfied.

​Now the question is what do you do when you find yourself in a cross road? My answer to you is that you come out of the crowd and listen. That was what Moses did. He came out of the crowd to seek the face of the father on what to do. “Until you are helpless before God, he cannot make you a useful tool in his hands”. Despite the Chariots of Pharaoh on their tail, it would have resulted to a whole lot of panic for the people but Moses kept a calm and a noiseless spirit and sought God and heard from him (Exodus 14:15-16). But can you imagine if Moses panickedas well and didn’t even think of seeking God just like the rest of the people of Israel, surely they would have been captured and be tortured worse of especially him and Aaron.

​For majority of us, when life’s storms hit us hard, and it looks like life has turned its back on us and maybe we find ourselves in situations where finances are not coming from left right and centre, the landlord is about to send you and your family packing out because he wants to renovate and you have nowhere else to go or your husband is about to marry a second wife and throw you out because you are unable to bare any child for him and your heart is full of worry not having any clue of what to do, and neighbours, family and friends are giving you different advice on committing fraud or prostitution or to see a “babalawo” (herbalist). I tell you today that the best thing you can do for yourself and for the sake of your future is to come out from the midst of the crowd and seek the face of God on what to do. Keep away a heart full of worry and noise and allow God to speak to you. Trust me when I say that worry has never solved any problem but has caused many such as high blood pressureetc.

​So I urge you today that you have an attitude of Moses and make that decision to seek the face of God. Whenever God brings you out from your bondage and leads you to what looks like a red sea scenario, it is to show you that he is powerful to take you through it by his power without a scratch, how great he is and how tiny the enemy is, and also to bury the enemy totally beneath you never to come against you again.

LET YOUR TRUST BE ON GOD.

ASSIGNMENT

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Allow God to be your only option and never ever make room for any alternative.

THE POWER OF OBEDIENCE (part 2)

1 kings 13. 

Our text today talks about a prophet that God gave a message to give king Jeroboam about his evil doings. On his journey, God gave him three rules 1) don't eat 2) don't drink 3) don't go back through the same road you came. That's all God asked him to do. Afterward news had spread about the prophet all over the city. There was an older prophet who heard about him and asked his kids where they saw the prophet passing and they showed him. He therefore went to meet the prophet that was on his way back and asked him to come and eat in his house.

Now this is where the story gets interesting, the younger prophet told the older one that God had commanded him not to eat, drink or go back the same way. Then the older prophet said that an angel had appeared to him telling him that he should go and bring the younger prophet to eat with him. When the younger prophet heard this he decided to follow the older prophet. 

When they were eating, God gave a message to the older prophet to give to the younger one. God said "Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers." Now after this message was delivered the young prophet set out to return and on his way a lion killed him. 

Now, there are many lessons to be learnt here about obedience. Obeying God is important because disobeying Him can lead to your death. The young prophet heard from God and the older prophet said he heard from an angel. He should have deduced that Gods authority supersedes all authority. Another thing to pick from this story is that, the things or people that make you disobey the commandments of God may not be punished for misleading you because you knew the right thing to do.

1Thess 5:20-21 makes us understand that everything and every prophecy must be tested in order for disobedience to be averted. No matter who you hold in high esteem as a spiritual father or guide or maybe he has gone ahead of you in ministry, business or carreer, always go to God in the place of prayer...precisely a prayer of inquiry. Understand that this prophet from Judah won't have died foolishly if he had gone to God again but because he felt the "MAN OF GOD" is the same as he is "a prophet" surly he wouldn't  lie. Remember as well that God is no respecter of persons, be you a pastor, prophet, politician, etc, we all are going to die as men. 

My word for you today is don't let anyone or anything make you a disobedient child. Our God is the all-knowing God. Let him be the pilot of your life. When he gives you an instruction learn to obey. If he has called you to do His work, please do it and He will help you. 

CONFESSION

"Lord, help me not to fall into temptation at the detriment of my life. Help me to bey your commandments and do your works. If there be anything or anybody that will make me disobey you, Lord take them away from me in Jesus name (Amen)"