DEEPER LIFE BIBLE CHURCH WORLDWIDE.
TUESDAY'S LEADERS' DEVELOPMENT.
DATE: 30/06/2020.
MESSAGE ANCHORED BY THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT.
TOPIC: THE PROMISED PRESERVATION OF THE PERSECUTED.
TEXT: REVELATION 2:8-11.
Welcome to our Tuesday's Leaders' Development Session tonight, and I pray that the teaching of tonight will not only enlighten you, it will not only encourage you, but it will strengthen you in the ministry and in the work the Lord has given to you.
As you know, we are now in the Book of Revelation, and we are looking at the Letters of the epistle written by John from Christ the head of the church unto the church, and He's writing actually to ministers of the church, and as you look at these seven epistles and seven letters written from Christ through John the beloved, and so you will understand what those seven messages have.
These seven messages have:
I. There's a Primary Association. That means that the head of the church is writing to these particular churches, and to the church of epistles write to the minister, pastors, and the shepherd and Angel of the church. There's primary association that is the primary people that the Lord wrote to.
II. There's a Personal Application for you, for me and for everyone. We apply the word to ourselves, anything you're reading in Genesis, in Joshua, there's a Personal application, and anything you're reading in revelation, in chapter 2 and 3, the letters, the epistles and the messages of Christ unto the leaders unto the ministers of the church, it has a personal application to every ministers and every members.
III. It has a Prophetic Anticipation. We are looking forth to the coming of Christ, in fact, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about His coming in these seven letters, He said, repent or else He will come and remove the candlesticks out of his place, except you repent, and He also writes to the churches and He said, you should hold fast what you have that no man take your crown, He says He that keepeth His words to the end, the same He will give the reward. There's primary connected to the Churches He wrote to directly.
The Lord Jesus Christ is introducing Himself as the One who died and lives forever and ever. He died, He was buried, He rose again, and He's alive, that is about His resurrection, and He's alive forever more. He wants us to understand there's something to overcome, and He wants us to make up our minds, we are going to be overcomers, that's the letter He wrote to the ministers, and that has application to us like this minister the Angels of the church in Smyrna. He was severely Persecuted but not overpowered, maybe persecution comes, but we are not going to be overpowered, and the Lord will moderate the persecution and the temptation, He will not allow you to be tempted more than you are able, understand that, whatever comes, you will overcome, you must overcome, and He will make a way of escape for you, that you may be able to bear it, but you know, like these ministers in Smyrna, everyone of us as a minister, whether we are ministering to the youths or the campus, or we are ministering to the children, everyone of us as a minister, what must we have?
The minister in Smyrna have these qualities, and we also must retain that same qualities of Leadership.
I. He had purposeful, we must remain purposeful, that's the quality of this minister of the church in Smyrna. Persecution came, suffering came, and the winds blows and they were vehemently, but all the same, he remained purposeful.
II. He was Prayerful, that's how he had power to overcome.
III. He was peaceful, there was no fighting, there was no strife, there was no commotion, and there was no conflicts at all, when you're purposeful and you will be peaceful and you will not leave the direction you ought to be going and then begin a local fight, no! And when you're prayerful, you have left everything in the hands of God, you're going to be peaceful.
IV. He remained Pure. Whatever we suffer, if there's no purity, whatever we go through, however we serve, if we don't remain pure, we cannot make it on the final day.
V. He was Powerful. Christ said, but ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. In the early church, everyone received the Holy Ghost, now that you're a child of God and now that you become a minister, what qualifications do we have? We must have been saved, and sanctified, and we must have been received the power of the Holy Ghost.
VI. We must be passionate, the ministers in the Smyrna had enthusiasm and excitement, and they had their hearts on what they are doing, they were not dull, they were not lukewarm, they were committed, they were driven by the force of the power of the Holy Ghost.
VII. They were Productive, that's very important that we understand that, as the Lord has called us, He wants us to be productive.
VIII. They were Persevering Despite Persecution, Persecution was there, all those ministers persevered. The Lord is calling you and I, and that we are examine our Christians experiences.
POINT ONE: THE FOUNDATION AND THE FORTRESS OF COMMISSIONED SERVANTS.
REVELATIONS 2:8.
The Lord Jesus introduced Himself as the foundation and as the Fortress of commissioned servants.
What are the titles of the Lord JESUS Christ?
I. He's the First, and the Last, and the Eternal. Revelation 2:8; 1:8,11,17,18; Isaiah 48:12-13; 22:12-13.
As the Lord Jesus Christ introduced Himself, actually He brought some of the quality and some of the titles in chapter 2, He's our Saviour, He's the One that commissioned us, He says nothing before Him, nothing after Him, He's the Alpha and the omega, He's the One we rested our head on His Bosom, He's the One that died on the Cross of Calvary, and John the beloved saw His right hand came upon him, and if that hand comes upon you, you will never be weak again, you will be strong from the inner man, anytime that you're weak, that right hand will come upon you, anytime you're down, that His right hand will come upon you, and He will strengthen you. This is the reason you will not fear, He's the first and the last, He died in the past, and He Lives in the present, He's alive forevermore, you need Him, He wants to take care of you, and His Mightier hand will hold you, He's alive forevermore,He remains ever the same, He's still the Alpha and Omega forever all through, He's the eternal.
II. He's the Foundation and the Lord of Everyone. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11; Isaiah 28:16; Philippians 2:9-11; Acts 10:36. The foundation of our faith is Jesus, if we are going to have Faith in God, and you're going to have salvation in Christ, He's the foundation, He's the sure foundation. You want to have assurance that no matter what happens, no matter the winds, no matter the temptation, no matter the tribulation that you will get to, He's the foundation and He's the Lord for everyone. He wants you to make up of your mind that whatever comes, whatever goes on, you will believe in Christ, and you keep on believing, when sickness comes, you believe, when trial comes, you believe, when something comes that you don't understand, you must remember that, the Lord who is your Liberator and the Lord who is your foundation knows and He understand, and when you believe in Him like that to the very end, you will not be disappointed. The Lord will be with you, God has given Christ A Name which is above every other names, those who accept Him and those who receives Him, and those who give their lives to Him, and those who look at Calvary and they look at the sacrifice that He made and they out their confidence in Him, they will not be ashamed, even those who do not believe and they dies in sin and go to hell fire, Jesus Christ will still be the same forever, as the Lord Jesus Christ introduced Himself, He's the First and the Last, He's the sure foundation and the Lord of everyone.
III. He's the Fortress and the Liberator without equal. Psalms 18:1-2,35; Jeremiah 16:19,21; Isaiah 9:6-7; 46:9-10. There's nobody to compare JESUS Christ with of all the prophets of the Old Testament, He's without equal of all the Apostles, of all the men in the New Testament, there's nobody to compare Jesus with, He's the Liberator without equal of any the men that may lives today, there's no equal, He's the only Liberator. Are you weak? The Lord is your strength, are you sorrowful? The Lord is your strength, the Joy of the Lord will be your strength, and the power within you, He's that mighty tower and the delivered in the past, He's delivering now, He will keep on Delivering, in the day, in the night, we trust Him, everytime, every moment, we trust Him, you will never be disappointed IN Jesus Name Amen. Whatever storms and whatever difficulties, and whatever danger, He's by your side there. He's your very High Tower run to Him, and you will be saved and secured, because He's the Fortress and the Liberator without equal. When we are Born again, we are not powerless anymore, He has given us the shield of His Salvation, the right hand came John the beloved and he was strengthened, He was energized, you must remember the Lord Jesus Christ, He's lowly and He's meek, and they took Him and arrested Him, and He opened not His mouth. That quietness that is referring to is lowliness and gentleness that made us great now. He has chosen you, you're a child of God, and He made you a minister in your city, and His right hand is with you.
If you were the only sinner in the world, if you were the only person that needs redemption in the world, Christ will still have been given, as we look at the titles of Jesus Christ, we shouldn't be living a weakened life, we shouldn't be living a downtrodden life, we shouldn't be living a discouraged life, we shouldn't be living a powerless life, we should wake up and understand who our Saviour is, He's the Father of eternity, all that JESUS Christ did continues to be effective, even forever, the Heavenly Father is without equal, Jesus Christ the Son of God who says, He's Alpha and Omega is also without equal, and there's none else, He's the fortress, He's the Liberator without equal, whatever He Purposed, whatever He planned for the whole universe, for the generation and for the dispensation, now for your ministry, and for your family, He said, His counsel shall stand, He's the One that was dead and now He's alive, He's alive forevermore, He's Our Saviour and Snactifier, He's your strength and your fortress, in the church, His counsel will stand, and in your life, His counsel will stand, on your family, His counsel will stand, go back to the word and go and see what is His counsel, go and see what is His decision and what is His Prophetic utterance He has prophesied concerning you and concerning the church.
POINT TWO: THE FEARLESSNESS AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS.
REVELATIONS 2:9-10
If the devil discovers in your heart that you're fearful of him, and you do not know your birth right, and you do not know your redemptive right, and you do not know your commissioned right, and you go through life fearful and then you're depressed, and you're oppressed and discouraged, Satan will trample on you. That's why we must be fearless and as faithful. People may not know your good works, but Jesus know it, people may not value your good works, but Jesus Christ knows about that, He knows your tribulation, He knows your suffering and your poverty, thank God you're alive, the tribulation didn't swallowed you up, the tribulation didn't canceled all your strengths, and your stamina, externally, He says He know your poverty, but internally, He knows that you're rich in Grace, you're rich in the Goodness of God, He knows the riches of Glory abides in your life, temptation is temporary, it's not a long time, is not an indefinite time, and He says, fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. you remember when Daniel said unto the head of the eunuchs to try them only ten days with vegetables and water, and see what will happen, just a brief time, that's not a long time situation, be fearless and be faithful.
I. Fear None of these things.
When He says fear none of these things, what did He mean by that?
✔️Fear not the suffering for sacrificial service. 1 Peter 3:14-18; 1 Peter 4:12-16,5:10. You're serving the Lord sacrificially and you're suffering for that, He says don't fear that, don't fear the suffering of sacrificial service. Most people don't understand righteousness, that's why they are persecuting us, they don't know what Christ counts as righteousness, they don't know what bible reveals as righteousness, they just think its a peculiar character, they just think its sedentary they just think righteousness does not fit into the modern world today, and because of their misunderstanding of sacrificial service and of righteousness and of Holiness, that's why you suffer. You don't cry while you're being persecuted, you don't weep, you don't even internally, privately in your little corner or in your big corner and you drop your head and say why me? Be happy because you're identify with Christ, take the suffering as an opportunity to declare more of the truth of God, that you're ready always to give an answer to every man that ask you of the living hope that is with you. Always pray that the will of God be done when persecution comes, and God will moderate everything, He allows that persecution to happen, and He allows it for a purpose and let the purpose of that be fulfilled.
✔️ Fear not the Blasphemy of Boasters. 2 Timothy 3:1-2; Revelation 2:9;13:1-6; Romans 16:20. Because of wanting to irritate you, because of wanting to annoy you and then they blaspheme the Name of the Lord that causes emotional suffering, just like when somebody insults your Father, or insults your spouse or your Maker, and when they blaspheme the Name of God that you cherish so much it might cause emotional suffering, but Christ says, do not allow that emotional suffering or psychological suffering, because this is what will happen in the last days, when you take your stands for righteousness and for Holiness, you might suffer for that, they might begin to pass negative comments about you, and about Christ, and about your salvation, about your Bible, and about the doctrines of the Bible, and they boast, don't allow that blaspheme to push you back, don't allow that blaspheme to depress you or to oppress you.
✔️Fear not the Synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2:9; 3:9; Romans 16:20. That's the factory of Satan and manufacturing stand of Satan, it's a lying manufacturing, and don't allow that to confuse you or to oppress you or to make you afraid, you're not competing with them, you're just doing the work the Lord has given you to do, don't rush into anything because you're hearing news from the synagogue of Satan, you're going to overcome all the agents from the synagogue of Satan, and all the cohorts from the synagogue of Satan, if you're the overcomer, if you're going to overcome, you will not fear these things, there are people that cover their mouth when they want to talk about the atrocities of Satan because they are after. But the Lord says, we shouldn't be afraid of the synagogue of Satan.
✔️Fear not the Persecution in the prison. Luke 21:12-15; Acts 16:25-26. Already He told us ahead of time, He says, before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. When these things happened, don't let them take you by surprise. In fact, Paul and Silas, when they got to the prison, they were not surprised, they were not sorrowful and they were not sleepless, they were not murmuring, they were not crying, they were not weeping but they were praying and singing praises to God. There are some people that only at the time of the Church they sing, and any little challenge makes them sleepless, , only at the time we're cooperately together they sing. If we sing more, we see more signs and wonders. Paul and Silas sang praises unto God in prison.
✔️Fear not Temporary Trial and Tribulation. John 16:33; Romans 8:35-39. don't allow temporary trial and tribulation make you fearful. Jesus Christ said, in the world, there's tribulation but don't be downtrodden because of that, He overcame the world for you on your behalf and because of that, He says you should be cheerful, be happy and be Joyful all the time, and the Joy of the Lord will be your strength. You're rich in Grace, you're rich in Godliness, you're rich unto the Glory of God, Christ is rich in glory and He's blessing you.
II. Be Thou Faithful.
We have two sides of the coin, one side is fear not, and the other side of the coin is be faithful. If you do not fear, but at the same time you're not looking at the other side of the coin, that is not complete. You must have the one side, "fear not", and the second side "Be thou Faithful".
What are we to be faithful for?
✔️ we are to be as faithful as devoted disciples. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Luke 16:10-12. Carry yourself as a minister of Christ, your comportment, your stature, your standing, your language, your character, your outward appearance and your presentation, anytime anywhere, you understand you're a minister of Christ, and you're faithful in little thing and in Much.
✔️ Faithful in Doctrine. Titus 1:9; 2:7-8; 1 Timothy 4:15-16. We are faithful, and in our faithfulness we are faithful to the word of Christ, and the word of the Lord. by sound doctrine, show yourself as a good pattern in the church, you show yourself as a good pattern of good works, and as a bachelor, and as a spinster, show yourself a good pattern of good works, let people see and read Bible in your character, and in your conduct, you're not frivolous, you're not careless, you're not light that you cannot carry weight, your words, your life must carry some weight.
✔️ to be faithful without delay or deficiency. Matthew 24:45-47; Luke 12:42-43. There must be no delay to give people spiritual meat in due season, at the right time, doing the right thing at the right time, feed the lambs of God, feed the sheep of Christ, and doing it without delay and doing it without deficiency, give the church a balance diet, talk about faith, talk about healing, and balance it up, talk about Holiness, talk about righteousness, talk about the present day, balance it up, talk about the future, talk about sin's forgiven, balance it up, talk about freedom from sin, give them balance diet and then we are faithful in all details.
✔️ Faithful in all details. Hebrews 3:2,5; 8:5; 3 John 1:5. Moses was faithful in all details, He did everything as the Lord commanded him. And that is what God wants of us today, and we are faithful in all details.
✔️ you're faithful until death. Revelation 2:10;17:14. If there's anytime to slow down, not today, we are nearer the end than ten years ago, we are nearer the end than twenty years ago, you were faithful thirty years ago, and now you want to slow down, this is not the time to slow down because we are nearer the end now, we must be faithful until the rapture. The people who know the Lord are faithful, the people who serve the Lord are faithful, and they will be forever conquerors and overcomers with the Lord.
POINT THREE: THE FACTORS IN THE FORTITUDE OF CONQUERING SAINTS.
REVELATION 2:11; JAMES 1:22-25; ACTS 3:28-29; ROMANS 6:17-19.
This particular Point Three is talking about the fortitude that makes those people we are reading about fearless, upright and they had the strength of the Lord to move on until the end. The Spirit of God speaks to the whole church, to all the churches we read about in Revelation, and then He speaks to the each individual, and He says, he that has an ear to hear should hear what the Spirit is saying unto them.
How do we know that we have an ear to hear?
I. Obeying the Word after Hearing. Matthew 7:24-27; Revelation 2:11. That's the evidence that we have an ear to hear, you have heard, and you believe and you accept and you obey. That's he that has an ear to hear. If anytime persecution is coming, if anytime suffering, trial, and opposition is coming, and you're afraid and you're panicking, that means that something is wrong. But when you build your Spiritual house, the house of your Christian life on the Rock, and the house of your Christian ministry upon the foundation of the rock, the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blows, and beat upon that house, and it fell not because it was founded upon the rock, I pray that will be your kind of Spiritual house IN Jesus Name Amen. The doers of the word are the people that has ears to hear. They are doers of the word and they shall be blessed indeed. The Lord will continue to bless us as we have ears to hear, and we demonstrate by obeying the word we have heard.
II. Overcoming the world through Holiness. Revelation 2:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1. REVELATION 2:11; 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:7; HEBREWS 12:10,14; 1 JOHN 2:13-17.
✔️ You overcome the flesh.
✔️ you overcome the world.
✔️ you overcome temptations of the devil.
✔️ you overcome all practices, sinful lifestyle, defiling practices of society.
It's not just he that overcame, there are people that were saved and became Pastors 40 years ago, and they were mighty overcomers when they became pastors, they were tremendous and triumphant overcomers, but today, their shoulders are down, their backbone is weak, their conviction is eroded, they cannot overcome today, even little sinful thought that comes to them, they are trembling, the persecution and suffering has not come, it's just thought they are trembling, but if we keep on overcoming, if He gave us Grace 30years ago to overcome, He's still the same, Christ the same Alpha and Omega, and the same One that was dead and He's alive again, He still have that conquering power, if He was with you 30years ago, He's still with us today, and that same Power that made us overcome at that time, that same Power is still there today, you will keep on overcoming IN Jesus Name Amen. If you're down, get up and awake and dust yourself from all the dust that came upon you and shake yourself from the dust and stand firmly and stand squarely, understanding that the Grace of God cannot fail in your life, that Holiness will continue until the very end. Wake up and shake yourself From all the dust of defilement that wants to attach itself around your waist and around your body, and around your mind, shake everything off, and let us cleanse ourselves. The Holiness you had many years ago, perfect it, brush it off, make it brighter, make it deeper, make it higher, make it more glorious, God has not called us unto carnality, He has not called us unto carelessness, He has not called us unto backsliding, He has not called us unto uncleanness, unto defilement, secret sin, fleshly activities, but He called us unto Holiness. If we can tell the growing ones that He has not called them unto uncleanness, how much more the ministers? God has not called us unto frivolities, but He has called us unto Holiness.
III. Occupied in the work of the Highest, with Highest devotion. Luke 1:76-77; Psalms 87:2,8; Luke 19:10,13; John 9:4; 20:21. As we overcome, and there's Holiness, we are also occupied in the work of the Highest with highest devotion for the Holy One. Do your very best to the high level so the people that come after you will try to match your the standard you left. This is the highest work, and we can do more than we do the work in our secular employment, and that we are making a mark and people know that we are stars there, and that we shine forth and so in the Kingdom of God now, we occupied in the work of the highest with highest devotion, with highest consecration and with highest commitment, we are doing this work for the Highest, Jesus Christ came to died on the Cross of Calvary, and His earthy ministry was effective, and He has given us an example, all His heart was into it, all His gift and His wisdom was into it, we must follow after the pattern of Christ. Occupy until He comes for you and because He's coming to take us, He has been looking after our occupation, He's looking at our devotedness, and at the way you're continue in the work that does not give an allowance for retirement from preaching, and from evangelising, there's no retirement and release from harvesting and from being occupied at the work of the Highest and the work of the harvest. No suspension, no break in saving souls and doing the work of God, it's continuity and don't break your service. Occupy till Christ your Lord will come, not until temptation comes, not until trials and persecution comes, He's coming to us and He will come, and when you do that work which He has commissioned you for, and you labour to the last point, He will come for you, He might come for you individually, that He takes you home, you must continue to occupy until He comes, go on, it will not be long, the trumpet Will sounds, that's why we must occupy in the work of the Highest, until that time, keep on doing the work of God and great will be your reward, and when He comes, He will give you life, life in abundance, life in everlasting, the very life of Christ will be for us through all eternity. The Lord has taught us today, and He wants us to take that to prayer.
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