SPECIAL RCCG ONLINE SUNDAY SERVICE
TOPIC: GOING HIGHER – PART 68 (DESTINY AND “PERMISSIVE WILL OF GOD”.
MINISTERING: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
DATE: 31ST JULY, 2022
BIBLE TEXT: 1 KINGS 19: 19-21
Let Us Pray!
SONG
Worthy, Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy, Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy, Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain
Glory Hallelujah, Glory Hallelujah
Glory Hallelujah, Praise the Lord
Jesus, Jesus is the Lamb
Jesus, Jesus is the Lamb
Jesus, Jesus is the Lamb that was Slain
Glory Hallelujah, Glory Hallelujah
Glory Hallelujah, Praise the Lord
OPENING PRAYER
Beloveth Jesus, the Lamb of God. The One who love you so much that He laid down His Life for us; The One who took away our Curse by becoming a Curse for us; The One who Change our Curses to Blessings – The Blessings of Abraham. We Worship You.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for everything that You have done for us – Thank You for the Salvation of our Souls, Thank You for the Hope of Glory, Thank You because we know that our tomorrow will be alright. Please, accept our Worship in Jesus Name.
Today, my Father and my God; in your Word, reveal Yourself to us and let our tomorrow be “Absolutely Alright”.
In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!
Let Someone shout Hallelujah – Hallelujah!
Well, wave your hands to two (2) or three (3) People around you and say: The Almighty God will bless you today – Amen!
And then you may Please be seated – God Bless You (Amen).
We will continue with our Series: “GOING HIGHER” as we move on to Part 68 – “GOING HIGHER – PART 68”.
And we will be reading from: 1 Kings 19: 19-21:
19. So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was Plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah Passed by him, and cast his Mantle upon him.
20. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I Pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
21. And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the People, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
In our Last Discussion, we were emphasing the need for Diligence – If we are to enjoy the Anointing of God; we Pointed out the fact that God doesn’t give His Anointing to Lazy People because He knows that they will waste it.
But then, I’m sure that you will want to ask a Question – Sir, are you saying that Elisha was the Only Diligent Person in the whole Land?
Afterall God Himself said that He has seven thousand (7,000) others beside Elijah. Was Elisha chosen simply because he was the only one among the seven thousand (7,000) who was Diligent. Definitely not!
It brings us to a very important Topic and that is the Topic of something called: “DESTINY”.
I’m sure at least those of you who are in Nigeria – You know when we want to admit People to the University and they will grade them. I think the grading begin for four hundred (400) for the Best and then goes all the way down. And then, they will Pass their results on to the Universities.
And then, each University depending on their own Standard will decide what will be the Cut Off Mark for the Students that they will admit.
Maybe they have four hundred (400) Spaces for People that they want to admit and so they said: Well, the Cut Off Mark for the Students to be admitted into this Particular University can be say two hundred and seventy (270) – You must score at least two hundred and seventy (270) in the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (Jamb) Exams.
And so, they begin to look at the List of those who has applied – And by the time they get to two hundred and seventy one (271) and above and they already had three hundred and ninety nine (399) Students in – So, there is just one (1) more Place they need.
So, they will drop down to their two hundred and seventy (270) Cut Off Mark and they discovered that a thousand (1,000) Students/Applicants who scored two hundred and seventy (270) but they needed only one (1)
So, how do you choose one (1) out of all these People who are equally qualified?
Revelations 4:11 tells us that: Our God is a God of Purpose. He created all things and He created all things for His Pleasure.
He (God) doesn’t create anybody without a Purpose in Mind!
Acts 15:18 tells us that He knows the End from the Beginning – Known to God are all His works from the Foundation of the world!
Isaiah 46:10 says: He declares the End from the Beginning.
And in Jeremiah 1: 4-5 – He says clearly: Before you are born, He has concluded everything about you.
In Romans 9: 10-13; the Bible says that there were a Set of Twins in the womb of the same Mum. And God said that before they were born at all; Jacob I Love, Esau I hate.
… They were not born yet, they have not done anything yet; but the One Who knows the End from the Beginning says: This is Settled – This boy is the one I Love, that one I hate him!
Romans 9:17; the Bible says that the reason He brought forth Pharaoh into the world, the reason He Promoted Pharaoh, the reason He made Pharaoh so Great is that when He drowns him, the world will Pay attention.
There is something called “DESTINY” – Before you are born, God has a Purpose for your Life!
What is God’s Purpose for my Life? – It is a very important Question you need to ask!
You must ask that Question today and Pray that God will give you the answer!
1. In Genesis 50: 15-22; the brothers of Joseph came to him after their father died.
And they said that we know that we have wrong you, now we are your Servants. Have Pity on us even though our father is dead. Don’t now come and revenge.
Joseph said that you thought that you are doing me evil but you are Pushing me towards my Destiny.
The Purpose God created me was only fulfilled through your activities – I should be thanking you. If you had not sold me to Slavery, how will I have gotten to Egypt? How will I become the Prime Minister now?
2. In Exodus 3: 1-15; it became clear to Moses after he has been alive for eighty (80) Years that the Purpose of him being born was to deliver a Nation.
3. When you read Joshua 1: 1-8; it became clear to Joshua that I was born to Complete the work of Moses – Where Moses failed, I am to succeed.
But in the case of Joshua, I will show you something interesting about this thing called “Destiny”.
You will remembered that when Moses sent some Spies to go and Spy the Land (You can read that in Numbers 13: 17-30).
And the twelve (12) Spies came back and ten (10) of them said that we can’t take the Land. The Bible tells us that there were only two (2) of them that said “Yes”, we can take the Land.
But read that Numbers 13: 17-30 clearly; you will discovered that, that first night, it was Caleb who spoke. It was Caleb who said that we can take the Land but Joshua was quiet.
It was only the Second Day as recorded in Numbers 14: 1-10 that Joshua spoke and said: Yes, we can take the Land.
So, if God was to choose a Successor to Moses, should it be Joshua? Why not Caleb who was the first to speak?
… He was the first to say: The Lord is on our Side, we can do it – Joshua kept quiet at first! But there is something called Destiny.
4. And then look at two (2) People called Aaron and Hur in Exodus 17: 8-13.
When Moses was on the Mountaintop, at the battle with the Amelekites. There were two (2) People who were lifting up his hands – Aaron and Hur. And yet in Exodus 40: 12-13; it was Aaron who was now chosen to be the High Priest (Aaron and his children).
Where was Hur?
5. And when you look at Luke 8: 1-3; do you know that among those People who were named as the Divine Treasurer of Jesus Christ was a woman called Mary Magdalene; out of whom the Lord had to cast out seven (7) demons so that she can become what God Planned for her to be – A Divine Treasurer.
6. And then, there were some People who are not even named but who are Children of Destiny.
I. 2 Kings 5: 1-19; the Bible tells us that in the house of Naaman, there was a Maid (The name was not mentioned).
When you read that Story, you will say okay the housemaid was born to bring Healings to Naaman – Oh, that is wonderful but she is much more than that.
Because after Naaman got healed and he brought Gifts to Elisha and Elisha refused the Gifts. He said to Elisha: Give me some soil. I’m taking the Presence of your God to my Country, I am going there to build an Altar. From this moment onwards, I will only serve your God.
… That is the Purpose for which that “Little Girl” was born.
II. Look at John 6: 5-13; the Lord was in Need. He wanted to feed a lot of People. And His Disciples said that there was a Lad there (They did not give us the name).
He surrendered his Meal and with the Meal, the Lord fed five thousand (5,000) People and there was leftovers.
That boy was born to be around when God is going to be in Need!
What is your Purpose? Why were you born?
Because we see here in the Story of Elisha that he was farming. Whereas the Purpose of God for him was to become the ^Father of Kings” – 2 Kings 13: 14-21.
By the time he was about to die and he fell sick; Kings came and said: My father, my father.
Are you farming? When God is expecting you to fulfill a Purpose so Mighty that Kings will be calling you father?
7. Look at Luke 5: 1-11; Peter was fishing for fish but God created him to fish for Souls.
What is the Purpose of God for your Life? – Very, very serious; you need to ask! Particularly as the time is going, you need to know God’s Purpose for your Life before it is too late.
I have told you before – My driver came to me one day and said: Daddy, I have found out my Purpose. I believed that God created me to drive you, take you to wherever you are going so that you can Preach the Gospel to them.
He said: Daddy, you may not know this: As soon as I take you there, as you begin to Preach, I begin to Pray!
What is your Purpose?
There are People who are doing Tailoring when God’s Purpose for them is to be a Barber.
You say that Scissor is Scissor – But one Scissor is for barbing while another Scissor is for cutting Clothes.
That brings us to a very serious Question – Have we any say in the Issue of our Destiny at all?
1. Because according to Psalms 33:11; the Bible says that the Purpose of God, that is what is going to Stand.
2. In Proverbs 19:21; the Bible says that regardless of anything Man can do, many are the devices of Man but the Counsel of God, that is what will Stand.
3. Isaiah 46: 9-10; God says: I declare the End from the Beginning and my Counsel shall Stand.
Okay, if He has Ordained it, if He has already Pre-determined what I will become; have I a say in the matter?
Oh Yes, He (God) allowed you to have a say!
1. Deuteronomy 30: 19-20; He said that I’m calling the Heavens and the Earth to bear Witness that I’m Placing before you Blessings and Curses; Life and Death. Then He says: Choose Life that you may live (You and your Seed).
2. The Bible says in Psalms 119:89; He said: Even though Oh Lord thy Word is Settled Heaven.
3. The same God said in Ezekiel 33: 13-19; He said: If I say this Sinner you are going to die; if the Sinner repents, He said that I will Change your Mind.
If I say to a Righteous Man that you are going to live and then the Righteous Man said okay; God said that I’m going to live and then begins to sin, He said that he will die.
4. In 1 Samuel 2:30; He opened his mouth and said: Tell Eli, I said indeed that you and your father’s house shall serve me forever. He said that but now I said be far from me.
What is God saying? – As we say in one of our Proverbs: It is the White Man that made Pencil that also made Eraser.
Consider Romans 9: 10-13; when God said: Jacob I Love, Esau I hate.
And then come Genesis 27: 26-40 – Everyone says that Jacob got the Blessing but Esau did something – Alright, I mess up and I have lost my Blessing and then he got busy.
By the time you get to Genesis 32: 3-12; when Jacob (The Best) heard that Esau was coming with four hundred (400) Bodyguards; it was Jacob who trembled with fear.
When you get to Genesis 33: 8-9; when Jacob said: Hey brother, I brought you these animals, I have got Plenty things. He (Esau) said – Hey, I have enough, keep your own.
Let me quickly round up before you Pray and ask God to reveal to you His Purpose for your Life!
There is something called: “THE PERMISSIVE WILL OF GOD”.
In other words, God has a Purpose for your Life but you say No, I don’t want that, I’m going to have my way!
God will say: No Problem, you are a Human Being. I give you the Ability to Choose. I will let you Choose then you will have what you said that you must have at all cost!
And then when you get what you said that you want at all cost, you will regret that you ever say that I want my Will done and not God’s Will.
I will give you an Example – Matthew 26: 24-25. Jesus Christ said to His Disciples: The Son of Man is going as it is written about Him – My Own Case is Settled and I’m going. But woe to him by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. He said that it is better that he was never born.
Judas Iscariot answered and said: Is it I?
So, the boy knew that he was the one God was talking about.
And the Lord said: Thou has said it.
What should Judas Iscariot do when you are confronted with that kind of Direct Revelation?
He should have said: I Change my Mind. But he didn’t – And you know the rest of the Story!
He went ahead, he did what he wanted to do, he collected the money that he wanted to collect but he never spent it!
I was talking to my children in one of our Morning Devotions not too long ago – There are two (2) daughters of mine (Very Precious to me and Close to my family).
One of them came to me and said that I have found the fellow that I wanted to marry – I said Congratulations! I said am I allowed to Pray? And she said of course you can Pray!
I said: Father, if this Person Your daughter said she found is not Your Perfect Will for her; scatter the matter.
Within weeks, God scattered the matter.
But another daughter of mine came and said: Daddy, I have found Someone I’m going to marry. I said: Praise God! You want me to Pray about it? – No, No; I don’t want your “Scatter Prayer”. I have just came to tell you that we have fixed a date for the Wedding.
Okay, what date? She said such and such date. Ha, that date is not convenient for me? She said that it doesn’t matter.
So, she got married, had two (2) children. And you know the kind of situation you can’t come back and say what are you going through?
And finally, she came and said: I marry the wrong Man.
I said that it is already too late. What am I going to do now?
Are you Pursuing your own Will? Or your Own Purpose instead of God’s Purpose?
Let us bow our head in Prayers!
ALTAR CALL
Those of you who has not yet get Born Again and you are running your own Show; you are in Danger. The Purpose of God for you is that you are not to die in sin but you are to surrender your Life to Him so that you won’t go to Hell.
I advise you that you surrender your Life to Him now – Cry to Him and say that I surrender, save my Soul so that Your Purpose can be fulfilled in my Life.
Cry to Him and I will Pray with you!
PRAYER FOR SALVATION AND CLOSING PRAYER
Oh Father, I want to say Thank You – Thank You for Your Words.
And I’m committing to Your Hands, especially those of you who has decided to yield to Your Purpose, to surrender their lives to You,
Please receive them, save their Souls, wipe away their sins with Your Blood, receive them into the Family of God.
And Please Lord from now on, let Your Purpose be fulfilled in their lives and let them serve you till the End.
And I Pray for all Your Children, who may have one Ambition or the other – If the Ambition is not according to Your Perfect Purpose; Father scatter it
Let Your Perfect Will and Your Perfect Will alone be done in their lives.
In Jesus Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen!
Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!
Well, I rejoice with those of you who has given your Life to Jesus Christ. I Promise to be Praying for you from now if you can Please contact me.
Let me know your name, your Address and your Prayer Requests.
And Please, contact the Pastor in any of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) near you – And they will tell you what to do next.
God Bless You – Amen!
Those of you Children of God, Pray today that God will reveal to you the Purpose of God for your Life – And His Perfect Purpose for your Life alone will be done!
God Bless You – Amen!
RCCG MESSAGE: GOING HIGHER – PART 68 DESTINY AND PERMISSIVE WILL OF GOD