Gleans from Sunday Covenant Service Message of Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Gbagada, Lagos HQ
13th January 2019
Preamble
Formula for a Happy New Year
For the year to be happy and new, you have to determine to make it so. Here is my formula.
Ability (which we have) with Activity (what we do) will amount to Productivity. Don’t come to the new year with the old ability and activity as this will lead to old productivity; the old year’s way of doing things. But with a new ability and new activity there will be new productivity. This New Year, you are going higher. Have a new ALTITUDE (goal) and a new ATTITUDE. Activity plus Attitude equals Altitude. The sum of what you do, plus your attitude (to the church, problems, neighbours, people you meet) will determine your altitude. Whatever your abilities and activities, if you have a wrong, lousy, negative and depressing attitude, they will hinder your altitude. But new activity plus new attitude will equal new altitude. So you are the one to make this year new. You will climb up higher. There are things in-between that lead to that Altitude. Check up on –
- Attitude – clean it up;
- Aptitude – what you have ability to do this year;
- Beatitudes – learn and live by them in all your actions and activity;
- Fortitude – courage; no lion will stand in your way. Move on in the strength of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Remember, God has said many times over, Fear not. He will make you a new sharp threshing instrument. You cannot do much without courage.
- Gratitude – learn to say ‘thank you’; appreciate others’ beneficence or service to you;
- Magnitude – give your very best in service to God. Go the extra mile. Success and achievement belong to the people that look at the magnitude of what they do, and they go the extra mile. Then, God will take you to a new –
- Altitude
Happy, Prosperous, Achieving, Great New Year for everyone in Jesus’ name. God needs a few good men, be one of them; be one of them.
Topic – REWARDABLE COMMITMENT TO EVERY MAN’S WORK
Mark 13:34-37; Galatians 6:4-5; Revelations 22:12
“…..and to every man his work…..” (Mark 13:34). You see from here the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, has gone to a far country, He is gone to Heaven, but before He left, He called His servants and gave to everyman his work, and commanded them to watch. As a child of God in the Kingdom, He gives you something to do and commands that you should watch over that special, specific, personal, essential assignment that He has given you. “But let every man prove his own work…” (Galatians 6:4). Everyman will bear his own burden, do his own work that the Lord has assigned him to do.
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelations 22:12). He follows it through. He gave every man his work, and then at the end of the day, He is going to reward every man according to his work. As we come to this new year, Christ wants us to be committed to what we are assigned us and if we are faithful, rewards will come.
3 points:
Point 1. EVERY MAN’S APPOINTED WORK UNDER THE NEW COVENANT
Mark 13:34; John 6:28-29; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 3:10-13; Acts 13:2-5; 14:22-23; 2 Timothy 4:5; John 9:4-5; Matthew 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:58
We need to understand that the covenant in which we live is different from the old covenant; and what He has called us to do is different from what He called David, Solomon and Joshua to do. In the Old Covenant, he told them to get rid of the Amalekites, Canaanites and all the other people, to destroy and kill them. But in the New Covenant, the Lord Jesus said that the Son of Man is not come to destroy but to save lives. In the New Covenant, our assignment, calling and appointed work is different. Discover it, dedicate yourself to it, be diligent in doing it and be determined that you are not going to slide back to the ways.
“For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch” (Mark 13:34). Servants of God should not act as if they don’t have any authority, strength, backbone and power. He gave authority to His servants. Also He gave every man his work. The question is what is the work that He gave to every man under the New Covenant? See the foundation of that work He has assigned us. “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29). The foundation of the work to do in the New Covenant is that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Whom the Father has sent to save the world. Here is the beginning of the work appointed for us to do. So are you born again, condemnation of sin is taken away from your life and heart? “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). A saved soul is conscious of the One who has saved him and he knows that He is there with him all the time. It is the essential and initial thing that you work out our own salvation. You cannot be running about here and there, and your salvation, confidence in Christ has leaked out, and your possession of eternal life is not certain. Are you born again and retaining that new birth experience? Do you still have the fresh witness of the Holy Spirit that the abiding Comforter, Saviour and Sanctifier is there in your heart and life? Work it out. Next, you must have faith in Christ, and it is that foundation and reality of faith that makes you do everything by faith. The work of faith – walk, work, help, preach, pray, evangelize all by faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Then, your labour of love and patience of hope. Nothing to be done with anything but love and patience. Under the New Covenant love must be the center and motive, otherwise, it is useless. Anything that is done with anger and bitterness is not a labour of love under the New Covenant. “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (1 Corinthians 3:10). Everything you do is now by grace not by human strength, power and struggle. Don’t push anyone down. Build the Kingdom, bring others in. Every man’s work shall be tried.
Under the New Covenant, the essential, important and irreplaceable work is going out and telling others about their Saviour Who died to save them (Acts 13:2). Paul and Barnabas though of the Antioch Church, God had an appointed work for them as the Holy Spirit revealed. The Lord help you to recognize your appointed work and not miss it. If you are listen, the Lord will speak to you. But if you are acclimatized to another work, you are going to miss your appointment. James in chapter 12 had finished his work, and neither Barnabas nor Paul when they came take up work from where James left off. When James died, he had finished what he was called to do. So we need to do what the Lord has appointed for us to do by hearing from the Lord. We present our lives, strength, talents, skills and everything we have got to the Lord so that He can use us the way He wants; His appointed work for us.
Salvation and possession of eternal life come first in the work of the Lord. As we do the work, we run with faith, love, grace of God in the heart, mercy, hope, assurance of heaven and the fruit of the Spirit, and make fool proof of our ministry. “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). Many souls are dying and perishing, and we cannot bury ourselves in the four walls of the Church building and everything we do is only inside that building; we need to go out and rescue the perishing out there and preach to them the gospel of the kingdom of God, salvation by grace. “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). We are the light of the world to bring people in from darkness. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14). We should shine in our offices, neighbourhood, and everywhere we go. That is the work He has appointed us to do, and if we are not living as light and preaching the gospel, then we are not doing the work He has appointed for us to do, but you will do it, always abounding in the work of the Lord, (1 Corinthians 15:58). There is more need in the world than inside the building of the Church.
Point 2. EDIFYING APOLITICAL WISDOM WITH NEW BORNE CONSECRATION
James 3:13-18; 1 Corinthians 2:4-7,13; Ecclesiastes 2:3-11; Ezekiel 28:12,17; Exodus 31:3,4; Ezra 7:10,25; Job 28:12-28; Luke 21:15; Acts 6:2-5,8,10
If we are going to do the work He has assigned for us to do, we need wisdom; not political but apolitical wisdom, that is, a kind of wisdom that has no political undertone, but is edifying with a new borne consecration.
There are different kinds of wisdom: there is wisdom that belong to politics – they compete, push down one another, maneuver each other so that they can come up. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). There is wisdom from above which God gives to accomplish the assignment He has given to every one of us. The wisdom that we apply in the work of God should not be earthly, but the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-7). When wisdom in centered on yourself, your promotion, exaltation, or admiration then it is selfish, worldly wisdom for the glory of self instead of for God, and that is not the will of God and does not profit. (Ecclesiastes 2:3-11). We need to check up what kind of wisdom are we operating with as believers. “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee” (Ezekiel 28:17).
“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Exodus 31:3). God determines the work and He gives appropriate wisdom to accomplish that work. This is not the wisdom of the world, comes from God directly. Pray that God will give you that wisdom. “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not” (Ezra 7:25). That is the work that He has given us to do, to teach the people who are ignorant of the Will and Word of God, and the way of salvation, and we do that in the wisdom that He has given. “But where shall wisdom be found?” (Job 28:12). The wisdom to accomplish life’s tasks, to do everything He has committed into our hands starts with the fear of the Lord. “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Pray that the Lord will grant you wisdom and understanding for the work He has called you to do; not cunning craftiness of the world (Luke 21:15). ”Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3). In wisdom, the Apostles counselled that the look for only seven men filled with the Holy Spirit to serve tables so they could devote their time to prayer and ministry of the Word.
Point 3. EARNEST APPROPRIATE WATCHFULNESS OVER THE NEW FOUND COMMISSION
Mark 13:33-37; Matthew 24:37-51; Luke 12:39-48; Songs 1:6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Acts 8:4
He has given you an assignment, and you are to be earnest with appropriate watchfulness in carrying it out. The commission is the preaching of the gospel that everybody in every place, towns, villages, cities and countries will hear that Jesus saves, and we are to use all the resources, gadgets and technologies to accomplish it. He wants us to watch over it and not be careless and distracted from this assignment and commission. “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch” (Mark 13:33-34). Thank God you have a work to do, and you will not fail nor be negligent; you will not abandon that personal assigned work to be the light of the world in Jesus Name. You will watch over all these. Today, the concentration in many assemblies is how to get enough money and prosperity but we are in the last days, and we need to be ready, saved, sanctified, prepared for the Coming of the Lord (Matthew 24:37-51). He has given you a work to do and a ministry to fulfil, and you are to keep on doing it. You have a soul, life, family and assignment to watch over, and you will do it creditably well in Jesus Name (Songs 1:6). Isaiah was a great prophet, and had been doing the work of the Lord, but in (Isaiah 6:1-7) he saw a new vision of the Lord. He was cleansed and purged and made distinct from the people of the land so that he could minister unto them. The Lord will cleanse and purge you today, and the fire coming from the altar of the Lord will burn anything that is not supposed to be in your life in Jesus Name. Then will you be able to refocus on the assignment and duty given to you, like Isaiah. This single life you have will be for the glory of God, an enduring work that never shall be burnt away, not for mortar and bricks alone. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). That is what the Lord is calling us to do, forget yourselves, your own needs, and come and make yourself available for the Lord to send you. “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). As we have receive the grace of God, we are going everywhere to preach the word; let’s be earnest and watch over this great assignment that the Lord has given us, and we shall not miss our rewards. Here am I, send me….
Ponder on this! He gave every man his work, and then at the end of the day, He is going to reward every man according to his work. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Ponder on this! A saved soul is conscious of the One who has saved him and he knows that the One Who saved him is there with him all the time. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Hard Sayings – Salvation, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and having possession of eternal life come first in the work of the Lord. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflection – Under the New Covenant; the essential, important and irreplaceable work is going out and telling others about their Saviour Who died to save them. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Words on the Marble – God determines the work and He gives appropriate wisdom to accomplish that work. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
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