JUNE 12TH, 2022
SUNDAY MORNING SESSION
Rev Chris Oyakhilome Dsc DD
You know that Praise is the highest form of prayer.
There are different kinds of prayer but the highest of them all, is the prayer of Praise.
Praise is worship.
Many times people like to distinguish between praise and worship but the truth of the matter is Praise is Worship.
Praise is one the things that you do when you worship God.
And praise is the highest part of worship.
That's how important it is.
The simple difference between praise and worship is that worship Includes other things, like service; your service to God is an act of worship.
Praise, once it is clearly understood as the highest part of worship, you will realize how important it is in your relationship with God.
Many Christians don't know that because they were not taught. So they do all the other things that are of lesser value to God.
Praise is your highest worship to God.
There are different kinds of sacrifices that we may offer to God: People give money or other things in kind; even volunteer your time to do somethings for God through the house of God, or even through missionary activities.
But the highest sacrifices are the Sacrifices of Praise.
1 Pet 2:5
He calls the church a spiritual house. Living stones. A holy priesthood,
assigned to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:15
Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God CONTINUALLY....
The fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name..
Wherever you are give thanks
Think of something you want to thank you for.
What does he represent to you in your life?
Did you ever read of King David? He was a man after God's heart.
What a description! What could be better than that?
Ps.69.30 - I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify
him with thanksgiving.
Ps.69.31 - This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock
that hath horns and hoofs.
Heb.13.15 - By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
The fruit of our lips: that's words.
I will magnify him with Thanksgiving!
And when you do it, something happens.
Look at verse 32 (Psalm 69)
That act of praise to God that you do, is a massive testimony. You are testifying by praising God. It's huge.
In our various churches, we have to reserve some particular services and days to just praise God.
Because the time that we allot to it during the major services is not just enough, so we must make it a major service. That's our way of showing it is important to us.
And when we have a praise service, everyone should be there. You can call that the most important service.
So, in this whole week of MBTC/ICLC, we have reserved this afternoon service for Praise.
Code Râbâh!
See yourself as a soul winner. It's your divine assignment. There is nothing in this world to live for if you are not living for Christ. And to live for Christ is to be his witness. When he sent his holy spirit t live in you, that was something he told you about.
(Acts 1:8)
These were his parting words.
So that was very important. You are to be his witness everywhere you go.
See why you must preach when you are in the bus with sinners, on an airplane with sinners, in an office/shop with sinners, you have to preach.
Be His witness.
And you should be prepared because some may not allow you talk or the
circumstances may not allow you to talk, so carry your materials that will talk for you.
Rhapsody, Healing to the nations, materials for children.
You should be fully kitted.
Consider yourself not fully dressed until you have certain things with
you
Things have changed. You are a witness for Christ Without you, this world will not know salvation or Jesus Christ. And don't think other Christian's are doing it.
No! A portion is assigned to every one of us. Those who you come in contact with you are your assignment
Once the Holy Spirit is nudging you, just do it because if that person goes to hell, you will answer for it.
You are His witness.
Before you got the gospel, there were others whose lives were sacrificed
to have the gospel brought to us.
It was on the blood of some ministers and saints of God to make this
possible for us. Today we are testifying; we are talking about 25 years of
ministry on TV.
For that to have happened for me, some others went through a lot. They
fought to get the right to make it happen.
In Nigeria here, Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa was the first to bring in Christian Television. Not the religious things they were doing. He said the gospel must be preached on Television. He went to the one in the state, and the head of the TV station said over her dead body would that happen. He said to her "you will see it".
The rest is history
It happened.
Somebody fought! They resisted him
You have people like him in other countries. The same story. But there were ministers of God who fought hard, prayed and fasted because they saw the opportunity.
When we saw the opportunity we just requested for airtime.
Our resistances were junior resistances.
There was a day that to hold a bible would either put you in prison or you would be sentenced to death. Those who printed bibles had to be hiding.
Now you have many translations on your phone.
Think of the Judgement you are going to have for not reading them.
There were places where the gospel was not known and some fought to
take the gospel there.
And you don't even have the boldness to preach to your own employees, or you are an Uber driver controlling the vehicle. If they don't want to hear, you can say Come down. Once they enter, start preaching. If they are not happy to hear it, say "come down".
Think of what others went through fighting for opportunity.
You have opportunity!
You are the CEO of the company and there are sinners who have not heard the gospel? You are afraid they might leave? Who gave you the company?
Insist that they must hear the gospel.
Half hour every day, all the employees assemble for preaching Preach, Pray, give an altar call.
Things have changed, Time is short and I must preach.
I read a portion of the bible to you yesterday.
Luke 24:45-50
This is Jesus talking.
And they received that supernatural ability with boldness.
A Christian who is timid about preaching the gospel has not taken seriously, the presence of the holy spirit in his/her life.
Such should be filled with the spirit.
If you have already received the Holy Spirit that's not enough, you must be filled with this Holy Spirit that you received though prayer. Praying in the spirit. Pray a lot in tongues. Offer words of praise to God and sing praises to God so that you will be filled.
Set your spirit to be that way, and you will find that you are continually filled with the spirit.
Pray a lot in tongues.
Did you ever have a bottle of something; some suspension inside the bottle. So the whole liquid has a color because of what you put inside.
Have you ever noticed when. It settles to the bottom and the top is clear.
When you shake it or stir it, those particles rise and color the whole thing again.
When you are not filled/stirred with the spirit, your spirit is like where the power/influence/ministry of the holy ghost is settled at the bottom. Everything is clear like normal water.
The bible says to stir up what you have inside. Stir your spirit by speaking in tongues, praying and praising God. When that happens, the influence and ministry of the spirit will rise to the surface and if you continue, it will come through your mouth
In such circumstances, before you realize what's happening the Holy Ghost will come through your mouth. The more filled you are, the less hesitation have. You won't even have to think it before it comes out of your mouth.
Evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost.
If you try to preach to someone on the plane and he doesn't want to listen, speak in tongues. There will be turbulence. He will be so scared, then ask him "are you okay"?
They are so scared of death. They want to live forever, but there is a way to live forever.
Ask him "do you want to live forever"? And if he asks you "don't you?". Tell him "I'm already living forever*.
Or just say a relaxed " Hallelujah " during the turbulence.
We are loved by God. We have no fear for anything. So if they are not listening to the gospel, Create Chaos.
Use everything you have!!!
Romans 1:11
To get you firmly placed.
The spirit of God is doing marvelous things in our lives.
James 4:6
When God gives you an assignment, He gives you grace for that assignment. When that assignment is to be expanded, what you need is increased grace. The grave for the previous level not suffice for the new assignment. It demands more grace. Don't run on the grace you already had.
You have to understand the general ministry of the grace of God given to us in Christ Jesus.
Grace for specific assignments.
Grace for specific callings.
Jesus already asked us to go and preach everywhere. Everyone of us. So why would he call certain people to go preach somewhere?
Didn't he call all of us and send all of us?
But there are specific callings.
It's like having the holy spirit but he manifests certain gifts in us.
Sometimes He will even ask you not to go somewhere to preach, but does that contradict his general assignment, No.
E.g
How many of you Men are wearing a pair of socks on your feet? Why didn't you wear them over your head?
Because even though it's the whole of you that is going to enjoy the dressing, it's your feet that needs the socks.
The point is, the Holy Spirit speaks to the whole body, and yet there are specific instructions to certain individuals.
Acts 16:6-
V6, God doesn't allow him go to Asia, but later God sends him there and in 2 years and 3 months, all of Asia Minor Heard the word.
Today we can do it in 2 hours.
They listened to the Lord because God has strategies.
V7: specific calling. Specific strategy.
He called Peter to preach to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles.
When Paul tried to preach to the Jews, he got into trouble, and he was sent back to the Gentiles. (Infact they almost killed him). The Gentiles was where his calling was.
He gives more Grace!
Are you ready for more grace?