RCCG 2019 HOLY GHOST CONGRESS – DAY 3 (MORNING) TOPIC: GOD REWARDS THE DILIGENT – MINISTERING: PASTOR STEPHEN RATHOD

(THE PRESIDING PASTOR OF COVENANT FAMILY CHURCH, TULSA OKLAHOMA, USA)

CONGRESS THEME: “THE GREAT TURNAROUND”

DATE: 11TH DECEMBER, 2019

TEXT: HEBREWS 11:5-6

Would you all please stand? Let me Pray before we bring the Word of the Living God.

… Would you all stand, wherever you are sitting?

OPENING PRAYER

Father Lord in Jesus Name, Thank You for this day, Your tender Mercies are renewed this morning, Great is Thy Faithfulness.

Father Lord we bless You, the Word of the Living God will come forth this morning, Faith will arise in our hearts and we will seek You like we have never sought You before.

Thank You Father Lord; in Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Go ahead and have your seat. God bless you!

My Subject this morning is: “GOD REWARDS THE DILIGENT” – not man, but GOD!

In order for you to be BLESSED today and the rest of your life; you must SEEK the Lord DILIGENTLY.

My Scripture comes from HEBREWS 11:5-6;

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

… As believers, we are fond of not reading the whole Scriptures. But verse 5 is the foundation for verse 6!

But listen to this, verse 5 talks about a man called ENOCH – Enoch WALKED with God and he had a Testimony: not from man but from God!

… God Himself said that Enoch PLEASED him!

And the way God REWARDED Enoch, I will let you know in a few minutes.

What does it mean by: “ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD?”

… By FAITH Enoch walked with God!

Anytime He calls a man or a woman to follow Him, God always says: “Walk before me and be ye Perfect; or be ye Holy!”

When God calls you, He wants you to walk with Him; Enoch walked with God!

In Genesis 17:1; God called Abraham again. The Bible says: “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou Perfect.”

My Message this morning is: “GOD REWARDS those who WALK with Him”.

Let me hear those who are walking with God shout Hallelujah – Hallelujah!

… By FAITH Enoch walked with God!

You will find the account of Enoch in Genesis 5:24 – “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

So this morning, let me talk to you on: HOW TO WALK WITH GOD LIKE ENOCH WALKED.

2 Corinthians 5:7 say: “For we walk by faith, not by sight”.

WHAT DOES FAITH MEAN?

Faith means you are taking God at His Word: you live like, you walk like, you think like His Word – what God says is nothing but the Truth.

The Word of God is Truth! You take His Words, apply it to your life and you WALK WITH GOD.

Amos 3:3 says: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

So in order for you to walk with God, you must AGREE with God!

Let me say this; God does not have to agree with you. In order for you to walk with God, you MUST AGREE with the Lord!

Psalms 23; we all know that Scripture – “The Lord is MY Shepherd… ”

… So is He is
MY Shepherd, I MUST WALK where He LEADS ME!

You cannot walk with God unless you are HEARING His voice: As a Sheep you must learn to HEAR the voice of God so you can walk with Him.

WALKING WITH GOD – Let me define it in one word: When you walk with God

1.God is the CENTRE of your life (2ce)!

… he that comes to God must Believe!

In order for you to walk with God – for God to REWARD you; you must COME to God! Then SEEK Him DILIGENTLY (all the time). Not on Sundays, not during this Congress.

… But SEEK him all the time!

That is because only the DILIGENT walk with God.

He who comes to God MUST BELIEVE (it is not an option)! You must believe that HE IS.

The One who REWARDS you is NOW: not ‘I WAS’, not ‘I WILL BE’. But He is “I AM THAT I AM”.

How many of you believe today (this morning) that God is NOW? he is the Rewarder of those who SEEK HIM.

Enoch walked with God!

If you go back to Genesis 5:24; the Bible says: Enoch lived three hundred and sixty five (365) Years – he WALKED with God ALL of his life!

My Question is: “Are we going to WALK with God ALL of our life? – Enoch Walked with God!

… Walking with God (like I said) means He is the CENTRE of your life!

2. You Walk by FAITH – meaning you BELIEVE what God says is TRUE!

You BELIEVE the Word of God, you RECEIVE the Word of God, you OBEY the Word of God.

… If you are willing and obedient, then God will Reward you!

Walking by FAITH is walking in Holiness – In The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the Scripture upon which the Church is based on is;

Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

In other words, you must believe; you must know that God does not change. God is HOLY, and God does not Change!

So when you are walking with God, you walk in Holiness. Meaning you walk in Integrity.

… Walking with God means God is the Centre of your life; it means you are walking by Faith – you believe God, you believe His Words!

3. Walking with God means you are living a life of INTEGRITY.

… Meaning you are the SAME, all the time; like Father like son! God is HOLY, so we MUST be Holy!

So for you to walk with God; your private life and your public life MUST be the same! There should be no difference in the way you live in the Church or when you are at home or when you go to work.

… Your life should be THE SAME!

Walking with God! The Bible says Enoch walked for three hundred and sixty five (365) Years with God – That means it is an ongoing process.

Walking with God is an everyday thing! Every single day! It is not an Event!

Thank God for the Redeemed Christian Church of God. We have Holy Ghost Services every Month; we have the Convention; we have our Holy Ghost Congress.

So let us not walk with God only during those Special Events; you must CONSTANTLY – every single day, walk with the Lord! It is a lifestyle, it is not an Event!

What do we mean by Walking with God?

Ephesians 4:1 says; “Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”

4. We must Walk WORTHY of our CALLING.

Whatever your CALLING is, you must walk worthy of your Calling/Vocation; it is a LIFESTYLE.

Romans 1:17 says: “As it is written, The Just shall live by Faith.”

Same quotation is found in Habakkuk 2:4: “But the Just shall live by his Faith.”

Again, let us go back to our Bible Text: “But without Faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Those who diligently seek Him are walking like Enoch walked! For three hundred and sixty five (365) Uears; Enoch walked with God – all of his life.

The Question is: HOW ARE WE WALKING?

The Bible says in 1Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing”.

So when we say we are Walking by Faith (we are walking Diligently): we are saying that we are PRAYING.

… We are to walk every single day, all the time – PRAYING!

Psalms 34:1 says: “I will bless the LORD at all times: his Praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

God blesses those who are walking with Him, those who are seeking Him diligently, those who are Praying everyday – who are blessing Him.

On Monday Night, Daddy GO told us that our God is a PERSONAL GOD. Our God is “My God”. Jehovah is “My God”. Jesus is “My God”.

… Not “OUR God”. So I must Bless Him PERSONALLY!

Not only when I come to Church and Men of God ask us to stand and Praise God; and Worship Him. It is not like that!

Another Question (thank God for the young men who are worshiping God here); by my Question is:
When the Service is over, do you Worship God? Do you Praise God?

… Or you only do it while you are in the Sanctuary?

God is a Rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him! I will Bless the Lord, I will Honour Him, I will Worship Him ALL the time!

Walking in Faith, Agreeing with God, God is the Center of your life, walking in Holiness, walking in Integrity (no compromise):

… That is the man who is walking Worthy of his CALLING.

When we talk about walking with God, the Bible says in 1John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have Fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

1.So when you are walking with God; when you are seeking Him diligently – You are Walking in the LIGHT.

David said in Psalms 119:105: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my Path.”

So when you are walking with God, you are walking in the Light of the Word of God; you are not walking in darkness.

2. When you are walking with God, you are NOT PROUD; you are not Arrogant.

Daddy GO mentioned last night that he used to interpret for PA Akindayomi. But when he was asked to interpret for someone else, he did not like it. But then he learnt, according to Micah 6:8;

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

… All those who walk with God are Walking in HUMILITY.

Let’s go back to our Text; Hebrew 11:5: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this Testimony, that he Pleased God.”

Let me establish the fact that why I am using the example of ENOCH; Enoch walked with God for three hundred and sixty five (365) Years (no compromise). Then God REWARDED Him!

This is very important; When you are walking with the WORD (of God) you cannot WALK with the World!

Meaning “you cannot walk in the world without the WORD of God”.

The Bible says in Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

In other words; in order for you to be rewarded by God, you must walk, not as the world walks!

Daniel chapters 3 and 6 we read about Daniel and the three (3) young men: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were slaves in a foreign Country.

They changed their garments, they changed their language. But one thing they did not change was their Relationship with the Lord – their WALK with God!

The reason God bless them; Lions and Fire did not have Power over them because they did not walk in the way of the world; the way of the heathen, the way of their system!

… But they walked with the WORD of God; with the Lord Himself.

Galatians 6:14 the Bible says: “But God forbid that I should Glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

… You cannot walk with GOD and the WORLD at the same time!

Deuteronomy 6:5 says: “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

Then 1John 2:15-17 says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Because if you love the world, you are an ENEMY of God! And God DOES NOT reward His Enemies.

… God REWARDS those who SEEK Him DILIGENTLY; God rewards those who walk with Him ALL the time!

Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

In other words, for you to walk with God; you must live a CRUCIFIED LIFE!

Jesus said you want to follow ME? Carry your Cross DAILY and follow ME.

… Carry your cross!

WHAT IS YOUR CROSS?

Your Cross is the CALL of God in your life; you carry it daily – no compromise!

To walk with the Lord, for God to Reward those who Diligently seek Him; those who Agreed with the Lord, those who agree with His Words, those who walk in Holiness, those who walk in Integrity, those whose Private and Public life is the same, those who walk ALL of their lives by the Word of God.

… THESE are the ones God WILL Reward!

A couple of Scriptures: in Romans 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in Newness of life.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

So you MUST Live like a Born Again Child of God.

Apostle Paul said: “The old man was crucified; but today, I am living the New Life”.

Galatians 5:16 says: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Those who are seeking God diligently are the People who are Walking in THE SPIRIT; who are LED. by the Spirit of God.

Jesus said in John 6:63: “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.”

So when we say: “Walk in the Spirit” we are saying Walk in the WORD of God!

Alright? First Portion is over!

“… for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

We said, to seek God diligently; to walk with God all the days of your life; Now, let me talk to you about the Rewards!

THE REWARDS OF WALKING WITH GOD

I know during this week of the GREAT TURNAROUND, you will hear: God will Bless you, God will Heal you, God will Deliver you, God will give you a House, God will give you a Job. God will do all these things. That’s good!

… But that is NOT the Rewards we are talking about.

Let me talk to you about the REWARDS!

And I am Praying for everyone today, that this will be your Reward – Amen.

Numbers 14:24 says: “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”

It talks about Caleb.

Listen to this, you heard about Caleb, the last time you heard about Caleb was: “Let us go now and possess the land”.

Oh God! For forty (40) Years; please listen to me – for forty (40) years, he walked with God (in the desert). We didn’t hear a single word about Caleb. For forty (40) years, we didn’t hear a single word about Caleb. But he kept on walking, he kept on WALKING!

But the Bible says, multitudes died every single day, but Caleb kept on Walking.

Now what was the REWARD OF CALEB?

Caleb’s Reward was – God said, I AM PLEASED with Caleb!

That should be my ULTIMATE reward on Earth!

God who said: I will Reward you, will be PLEASED with my life; then He will Testify “I AM Pleased with you”.

You can go to Matthew 25:23 and read what the Bible said to the Servants who were diligent about what God gave them.

Again I PRAY: you will hear this from the Lord. The Reward that I am talking about is NOT from man!

The ULTIMATE REWARD is: God will be Pleased with my walk, and then He will reward me with:

Matthew 25:23, “His lord said unto him, Well done, Good and Faithful servant; thou hast been Faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

My last two (2) Statements before I Pray for you.

Enoch Walked with God and then he WENT with God.

…Enoch Walked with God, Enoch WENT with God!

I Pray that you will Walk with God, so that when your time comes, you can go HOME with Him, in Jesus’ Name!

My LAST Statement (Preachers, Ministers, NEVER forget this Statement):

“How you LIVE will determine how you will LEAVE.”

Enoch LIVED (WALKED), Enoch was the first man to be Raptured!

Everybody stand up please! Go on, stand up. Am going to Pray for you.

Listen to this now: “By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he Pleased God.”

Am talking about Enoch, the Bible says: “And Enoch had a Testimony”.

Listen to me; we heard Awesome Message last Night – by our father in the Lord, about TESTIMONIES.

But do you understand that the Greatest Testimony is not what you say about yourself? The Greatest Testimony will be “WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU”.

… That’s is the Greatest Testimony!

The Bible says; And Enoch walked with God for three hundred and sixty (365) Years, he was not. For God took him.

Because God Testified of Enoch: “YOU PLEASE ME!”

… Let me Pray for you today.

CLOSING PRAYER

May God Help you; that you live a Holy life; that you live a life of no Compromise; you live a life of Integrity and you will walk with God!

… Let me say something;

You know I live in America. Some Preachers in America (I will be talking about this more, tomorrow Night).

But listen to me: Preachers in America, they say the next event is, the Lord will send His Saints. But
1 Thessalonians 4:16 says:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Listen to this, and they say, ALL the Christians will be caught up!

I beg to be different!Enoch walked with God; that is why he was caught up!

So when the Rapture comes; I Oray that you will be walking with God. I Pray you won’t be sleeping, you will not be committing sin.

I Pray that God, when He comes back, seeing you walking with Him, that He will say: “COME HOME (repeated)!”

And when I go to the Lord God Almighty; when I stand before God, God will say: “Well done, thou Good and Faithful servant; enter into the Joy of the Lord!”

… Everybody lift your hands; am going to Pray only one Prayer.

May God help you to walk with Him. May God help you to live Holy. May God help you not to compromise.

May God help you to live in such a way that when you go, He will be Pleased with you and HE WILL REWARD YOU.

And your Reward is not here, your Reward is NOT here, your Reward IS NOT HERE.

Bible says your Reward is waiting for you; my Reward for me!

When you come to this Congress, don’t focus on Material things (yes, it is good). But FOCUS ON YOUR ETERNAL REWARD.

The Reward is: GOD WILL BE PLEASED WITH ME.

May God help you; May I see you in Heaven, may I SEE YOU IN HEAVEN.

May you never fall, may you never stumble,. may you never backslide.

But may you MAKE HEAVEN YOUR HOME.

In Jesus’ Name –
AMEN!

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