REDEEMING THE TIME: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE – DAY 3 (EVENING): RCCG SOLEMN ASSEMBLY 2021
DAY 3 (EVENING): RCCG SOLEMN ASSEMBLY 2021
THEME: REDEEMING THE TIME
MINISTERING: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
DATE: 2ND MARCH, 2021
BIBLE TEXT: EPHESIANS 5: 15-17
Let someone shout Hallelujah – Hallelujah!
SOLEMN ASSEMBLY HYMN: I’ll love my Jesus, with all My Soul
We will continue with our Study – Ephesians 5: 15-17 is our basic Bible Text:
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.
- Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
- Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
But tonight, we want to add Luke 12: 16-21. I will read that to you and yet read another Passage.
Luke 12: 16-21:
- And he spake a Parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth Plentifully:
- And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
- And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
- And I will say to my Soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
- But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy Soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast Provided?
- So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
One more Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 11:1.
Paul was speaking and he said: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Tonight, as we continue with our Study and I think we should be discussing Part 5 now; we want to talk about the issue of Priority and the issue of Association.
We are talking about “Redeeming The Time” but we want to look at that topic from the Perspective of Priority and Association.
Here (Luke 12: 16-21); we have the Story of a Man who was successful – He had a “Bountious Harvest” and he looked around and saw that his Present Barn cannot contain everything.
So, he said: I know what I will do – I will Pull down my Present Barn, build a bigger one, store all these wealth and enjoy myself for the rest of my Life. He thought within himself: So, you have now enough for Years to come. So Relax!
And God said that you are a Fool because you are leaving this world tonight.
In this Story alone; we see many things that we have already learnt:
- That our God is “Generous”. When He blesses, He doesn’t bless “Stingyly”.
- And we see here a Fool – We have done a lot of definition of who is a “Wise Man”, who is a “Fool”.
We see clearly here one of the characteristics of a Fool because there is nothing which this Man said about saying: Thank You to God – He was only concerned about himself.
- We see here again in this Story the fact that we don’t know when our Time will run out.
I Pray one more time for all of us who are listening to me today or reading now on the Label of DMC: This will not be your Last Solemn Assembly – Amen!
You can also listen to the audio here: RCCG Solemn Assembly 2021 Day 3 Evening – Pastor E.A Adeboye
In the Story of this Man, we need to learn one (1) or two (2) Lessons very quickly:
God is not against success; God is not against Prosperity; God is not against Fruitfulness – Don’t misunderstand Him.
Psalms 1: 1-3 made it clear that: If you satisfy certain conditions; everything you touch will Prosper.
Joshua 1: 1-8 tells us that if you do certain, you won’t have just “Ordinary Success” but you will have “Good Success”.
Psalms 35:27 telss us that God has Pleasure in the Prosperity of His Servant.
And I’m sure that it was yesterday (Day 2 of The Solemn Assembly) that we were discussing the various questions of Life – That our basic Purpose for being created is to give God Pleasure.
And the Bible says that He has Pleasure in your Prosperity.
Believe it or not; God hates Poverty. It is clearly stated in His Words in Proverbs 10:15 – Poverty is a Destroyer.
The destruction of the Poor is their Poverty.
God is not against Fruitfulness – He loves Fruitfulness, He hates Fruitlessness.
John 15: 1-7 tells us that every branch that bears Fruit He Purgeth it so that it can bear more Fruits.
The Branch that is not bearing Fruit He tears it away, it will dry up and it will be thrown into the Fire.
In Luke 13: 6-9; when He finds a tree that is just cumbering the ground, not Producing Fruits; He said: Cut it down!
In the Story of the Talents in Matthew 25: 14-30; if there is anything at all that we learnt from that Story is:
- God expects you to Multiply.
- He doesn’t mind you starting small but He hates you remaining small.
The one who got one Talent did not Multiply and so He took the one Talent from him.
In Luke 12:32; God says: Fear not little; for it is your Father’s Will to give you the Kingdom.
And like one of my sons Pointed out – What is it that God called “Little Flocks”?
Luke 12:1 – A crowd so many that they cannot be numbered and they were Practically stepping on one another. He called them “Little Flocks”.
That tells you that He doesn’t want you to remain small.
DMC NOTES: You can avail yourself with the Full Text of this Message by Dr. Paul Enenche as Preached during the Church Leadership Conference 2019 (Secrets of Church Growth) and Other Speakers on this Link:
And I’m decreeing to somebody here today: In the Name that is above every other names; you will become Mighty – Amen.
So, the issue with this Man who succeeded, who became Fruitful in a Mighty Way is not the Plentifulness of his Harvest; the issue is what next after the Abundance?
Because in Proverbs 1:32; the Bible says: The Prosperity of Fools will destroy them.
… You want to Prosper, be Wise!
Because if you remains a Fool, and Prosperity comes; the Prosperity of a Fool will destroy him.
And may I ask you something very, very quickly because nowadays, there are several People who will want to Prosper by any means.
If your own idea of Prosperity is by Stealing, by Defrauding, by Manipulating Records; remember that it is written: As a Patridge will lean on eggs and hatch them not, so is anyone who gathers wealth not by Right means, will the Noon of their days and at the end be a Fool.
DMC NOTES: The Partridge is a small, ground-dwelling bird in the Pheasant family, with a Plump body.
If you want to Prosper and you are going about it in an illicit way; you will get the money but God will see to it that you don’t spend it.
You buy a car with illicit money; you are riding in a “Moving Coffin”.
- The issue is not how successful you are; the issue is the “Issue of Priority”.
The issue is always: What Next?
In 1 Kings 13: 1-24; tells us the story of the Young Prophet.
God sent him on an errand, he delivered the Message, he Performed Miracles in the Process, he left on a different way that he came. He didn’t eat in the town just as God commanded him but he rested before he got home.
That is why an Old Prophet, who is no longer hearing from God met him, lied to him – Told him that an Angel appeared to him. You know the rest of the Story.
The Young Prophet believed the Old Prophet, went back, ate.
The same Old Prophet now heard from God and told the Young Prophet: Because you have disobeyed God; you won’t reach home.
You know the rest of the Story – The Lion met him on the Way and killed him.
The Question that God is always expecting you to ask is: What Next Lord?
Our Rest is going to be in Heaven – That is where we will Rest for Eternity.
Here, we must go on – After each achievements; the Next Question will be: Lord, what Next?
One of my sons, a Bishop in another Ministry came to say Hello to me and he said something – If I don’t learnt anything from you at all; I have learnt one thing: Hard work does not kill. He said because if Hard work kills, you should be dead several times over.
… Hard work only makes you Younger!
What Next?
- Take the case of Elijah.
And I’m doing a Series on Elijah on Sundays and I believed that you are following – Please note the Series on Going Higher on our Website: www.discoverymediacrew.com.
After the Abundance to the Widow of Zarephath – There will always be food in this house. He said it and it happened that way!
Was that the End of his Ministry?
Several other things follows – He still have to raise the dead; he still have to Call down Fire from Heaven; he still has to Pray for rain to fall et cetera et cetera.
- In the case of Paul the Apostle that we will soon be talking about later.
In Acts 19: 11-12; the Bible tells us that God Performed Special Miracles by the hands of Paul – His Handkerchiefs were healing the sick, casting out demons.
Is that all?
He still had to move on and raised the dead in Acts 20: 7-12.
Is that all?
No, he still has to move on – In Acts 28: 1-10; at the Island of Melita, he healed everybody on that Island.
Is that all?
He still ended up writing one-third of the New Testament.
… He just kept on going.
Some nine (9) Years or so Plus ago, when I was getting ready for my Retirement; I had a Plan to do what I wanted to do.
And I told God what I really wanted to do – I said for the first two (2) or three (3) Months; I will go round the world in a Boat Cruise. The first one hundred (100) days; eat and sleep, be normal like every human being – Wake up and eat.
And then after that one, I will then sit down, take the Bible from Genesis, Verse by Verse and took a Commentary. That when I die, there will be a Treasure waiting for others – That is my Plan.
But of course, everything is Subject to the Commander In Chief (CIC).
He said: For Retirement, that Pleasure is not for you so – At least not yet.
What Next? – That is what you should be asking Particularly those of you who think that you have already succeeded.
Now, because the Problem with that Man is that as the Bible said: His Priority was wrong!
… Now, let me relax, let me begin to enjoy – I have Treasures laid up for many more Years.
And I have told us before: Life is always moving, the world is rotating.
Now you know again: Time is like a River, the River is flowing ceaselessly. You stop, you will be left behind – So, keep moving.
Your Priority must always be: What Next? What more can I do?
Because if you ask the Question: What time is it?
The correct answer should be: It is Time to move Higher, to work Harder, to serve God better, to reorder your Priorities.
Your Priority must be: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and it’s Righteousness and then all other things will be added unto you.
Remember in John 9:4; the Lord says: The Night comes when no Man can work.
And in reordering your Priority, instead of your Priority being more Clothes, more Houses, more Lands, more Pleasures; your Priority now will be how to I Catch Up with those who has left me behind – You can read more on this from the DMC Coverage of Day 3 (Morning) of the RCCG Solemn Assembly 2021.
If the People that you are Pursuing are Standing Still, it will be easy to Catch Up with them; if they are not Stopping – If walking, you have to run; if they are running, then you have to Fly.
And we stopped at the Level that we said you may need to jettisoned anything that can slow you down. If you need to let go of “Excess Luggage”; you may have to do so.
Do you know that in 1 Corinthians 10:23; the Bible made it clear that: Certain Good Things may even have to go because they are not expedient.
There is a difference between what is Expected and what is Good.
When you read Acts 27: 18-38 – When Paul and co were in a Storm; with their own hands, they threw off the goods that were in the Ship to lighten the Ship.
Because what is important now is not what is in the Ship but do we make it to our Goal?
And Philippians 3: 13-14 tells us something very important – Even Past Glories must Go!
Paul said: One thing that I do; forgetting those things that were behind, I Press forward.
You have done Great Things? – Congratulations!
God is saying: Hey, you ain’t home yet; there is still more to do.
I share what God said in Matthew 5: 29-30. When He said if your right hand is going to cause you to offend, what is it that He said that you should do to it? – Cut it off!
What kind of advice is this?
It is coming from your “Best Friend”.
If your right eyes is going to cause you to offend; what is it that He said you guy should do? – Pluck it out.
And I remembered I shared with you that what the Lord was saying could be likened to a vision – A lot of People was walking to Heaven and they were moving casually on their way. Then one man lifted up his eyes and saw that the Gate was closing.
So, he began to run and by the time he got to the Gate; he was able to squeeze in himself but the Gate close on his hands outside.
And the Angel at the Gate said: Sir, your hand is not allowing us to close the Gate; what do we do? Do I open the Gate a little bit for you to go out or do we cut off your hand.
What will be your answer?
Incidentally, that reminds me of a Story that I heard from a Great Man of God not too long ago.
That the devil held a Meeting with his top demons and said: Which of you will go to the world and destroy all Christians?
And one of them said: I will go.
When you get there, what will you tell them?
I will tell them to stop deceiving themselves as there is no Heaven.
Ha, the devil said: That is too late; they already know that there is Heaven.
The Second (2nd) one said: I will go.
What are you going to tell them?
I will tell them that there is no Hell and that God is too Loving to send anybody to Hell.
Ha, the devil said that won’t work. The Lord that they are following has told them about Hell.
The Third (3rd) one said: I know what I will tell them that will send many of them to us at the end.
The devil said: What will you tell them?
He said I will tell them that there is “No Need to Worry”!
Ha, the devil said: You will do it – “No Need to Worry”. There is Heaven, there is Hell but don’t worry, take it easy and relax!
Is that not one of your Problems?
No Need to worry; don’t mind Daddy GO. He is the one always saying: Hurry up, you haven’t done enough. He is never satisfied. There is Plenty of time.
How many of us here can say with all assurance that you will still be alive by this time tomorrow – Not One!
Hurry Up Brother, hurry Up Sister; do what you can do for God now because you just don’t know when the end will come!
- Now, on the issue of Association; the fellow you associate with will determine if you will actually make it to the Goal.
If there is someone who is a Classical Example of someone who “Redeemed Time” it is Paul the Apostle.
And he is the one who said in the Bible Text that I read to you in 1 Corinthians 11:1 – Be ye Followers of me as I am of Christ.
… Follow my Example!
This was a Man who himself said: I am a Chief of Sinner – 1 Timothy 1:15.
You know his Story – He said I am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I Persecuted the Church. Yet at the end of the day, he finished well.
The Fellow you associate with can determine whether or not you make it!
I will give you some Examples:
I. There is one Man called Gad – One of the children of Israel.
He associated with another son called Reuben (Reuben is the first born).
In Genesis 49: 1-4; Reuben was cursed by his father because of something he did earlier on – The father said that he defiled his bed. He slept with one of the concubines of his father and so the father said: You are the first born but you won’t Excel.
But then when you read Numbers 21: 10-15; you discovered that wherever Reuben camps, that is where Gad camps too – Birds of the same feather flocks together.
You camp with somebody who is already cursed; what is likely to be the result?
I told you: Before you associate yourself with any Leader, check something.
Because you are looking at the Leader up there, you are climbing a Ladder – Maybe you are on Step 2 and he is on Step 7. So, you want to hook with him because he is Higher than you.
I said that before you hook up with him; find out: Is he climbing or coming down?
Because if he is on Step Number 7 and you are on Step Number 2; if you watch you may discovered that by the time you get to Step Number 3, he had come down to Step Number 6; by the time you get to Step Number 4, he is on Step Number 5.
And if you are hooked to him, you will get to a Level when he will begin to drag you down together.
The Person you associate with will determine whether you too will keep Climbing or you keep Coming down!
So, by the time we get to Numbers 32: 1-32 – Another Beautiful Story.
As the children of Israel went on their Journey to the Promised Land; they got to Jordan, Reuben and Gad went to Moses – Sir, we will stay on this Side while the rest of you can go one!
Moses said: What are you saying? We are supposed to Cross Over together. You just want to go and help others?
They said: We will follow and help them but leave us here.
So, they stayed at the wrong Side of Jordan – Reuben said that I want to stay here; Gad said I want to stay with you.
I Pray for you today: If you are connected to somebody who is already going down; may the Almighty God severe the Link right now – Amen!
Why did I choose Gad and Reuben as example for you?
In Mark 5: 2-15; you hear the Story of a Man called “The Mad of Gadara”.
Gadara is the name coming from Gad.
A Single Man with a Legion of demons – Where Gad stayed became the Host of demons.
The Jews were not supposed to rear Pigs but there were Plenty of Swines in the City of Gad.
I Pray for you: You will end well – Amen.
Who you associate with will determine whether you finish this race at all or you finish well.
II. Remember Elijah and Elisha.
Elisha associated with Elijah – That’s why he was able to get what he wanted.
Elijah asked him: What do you want me to give you now I’m about to leave?
He said: I want a “Double Portion” of your Spirit.
Elijah said that you have asked for a “Hard Thing”. What you are asking for is beyond my Power e give. However, I will use my influence, my association with God to commit God that if you see me when I’m going; you will get what you want.
God sent His Own Special Chariot to go and bring Elijah Home. As he was going, Elisha cried: I see you! I can see the Horses of Fire, the Chariot of Fire clearly.
And so on the way; Elijah said to the one who came to Pick him up – Ha, I Promised that boy that if he can see me, he will get what he wants.
And then they said: In that case, why are you going with the Mantle? Drop it from him.
The Mantle dropped – Elijah didn’t leave it before, he was taking it away but he has committed God.
I have committed my God that everyone of my children will be Greater than I – Amen.
III. In the case of David in 1 Samuel 22: 1-2; the Bible said that when David was in the Cave of Adullam; a lot of Vagabonds, Useless People, Hopeless People; gathered together with him and he became their Captain.
Because of the influence of David upon their lives, these “No Gooders” became Mighty Men – 2 Samuel 23: 8-39.
People whose names will never have been mentioned in the Bible, had their names written clearly because they associated with David. They are called the Mighty Men of David.
Who you associate will determine whether you will end well or not.
Now, I know some of us are already very Big – Thank God for your Bigness. But if God is directing you in a Particular direction to link up; that the tying is related to Destiny. And Destinies Cross.
Take for Example: Consider River Niger and River Benue.
River Benue ran into River Niger. It is River Niger that comes into the Ocean but it carries River Benue with it.
River Benue didn’t say: They didn’t mention my name at the Ocean, it allowed River Niger to carry it all the way.
I just hope that the Holy Spirit will explain that one better than I can!
Let me Conclude this one: You know that there is an African Proverbs – It says: The dog that is going to be lost; will not hear the horn of the Hunter.
God associated a Dog with a “Dog Owner” – If the Dog stays with the “Dog Owner”; that Dog will achieve its Purpose.
One day, the Hunter went on hunting with the dog and the dog saw some fat animals in the bush and began to Pursue them.
And the Hunter feels that the way you are going; that fat animal may lead to your death.
Because you have seen the fat animal, a lion has seen the fat animal also – The two (2) of them Pursuing.
And the Hunter said that I’m not going in that direction; dog come back!
The dog said that I’m not coming back.
It doesn’t matter how hard the Hunter may try; the dog that will Perish will still Perish.
You say: Where is that in the Bible? – I will give you Example:
You know the Story of Abraham and Lot – You are all Bible Scholars.
Let’s Pick it up from Genesis 13: 5-13.
When both Abraham and Lot were leaving home; they were Poor.
After some time; they became rich because when you associate with “A Blessed Man”; you will be Blessed.
And then the Bible says that there was a quarrel, misunderstanding between the Herdsmen of Abraham and the Herdsmen of Lot.
And Abraham called Lot and said: We were Relatives, we shouldn’t quarrel.
The Land is before you – Choose! If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.
Lot should have said to Abraham: Ha, Ha; you are the one who brought me thus far. If there is going to be any choosing; you should be one choosing; you should be the one to tell me okay you can have this Portion.
The Bible says that: He (Lot) looked for the best Place – All the best and choose it for himself. He choose the side of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Not long after that in Genesis 14: 1-16; News came to Abraham that Lot has been captured.
Hey, he is my Relation; in spite of the foolish choice he made. Abraham gathered together his Servants, Purse these People all Night and recovered Lot; brought him back safe and sound.
What should Lot have done?
If I am Lot; I will say to Abraham – Thank You Uncle for rescuing me. This time around; I’m not going anywhere. I will stay with you.
Lot went straight back to Sodom and Gomorrah because there was Prosperity there.
He became one of the Elders of the City because it is Elders who sat by the Gate.
The Angels that came to destroy the City came; they met him by the Gate, he (Lot) took them in, they told him their Mission.
The following day, they said: Get Out now!
He lingered; the Angels grabbed him by the hands and forced him out – You all know the Story.
But how did he end?
He Produced children through his own daughters – Genesis 19: 29-38.
He Produced two (2) boys that became two (2) Nations.
And you can read about these two (2) boys, these two (2) Nations – The Legacies of Lot in 2 Chronicles 20: 1-end.
These two (2) Nations gang up together against Jehoshaphat – The Ground swallowed them up and God finally intervened.
And the entire Heritage of Lot Perished in one day.
Why? – Because the dog that will be lost – No matter how many times he is giving an opportunity for Restoration will still be lost.
I’m saying this because I feel led in my Spirit that God is going to give everyone of us a Second (2nd) Chance – Amen!
We have blown it in many areas of our lives – Some of us has blown it “Big Time” but if we are linked to someone that God has chosen to be Merciful unto; we might still make it.
I believed that the reason why God choose the Theme: “Redeeming The Time” is so that we can regain Lost Grounds, we can regain Lost Opportunities, we can have a Fresh Start but after that what Next!
One of the Big Prayers that I want you to Pray beginning from tonight is that: Lord I know in some Areas I have failed you – Lord, I’m willing to Pay any Price to Redeem Time but Lord I’m begging you, don’t leave me alone.
I know I have missed the way in several areas; I have blown it in several areas; I’m willing to Pay the Price to Redeem Time – Please daddy, don’t leave me alone!
Thank you so much for staying all through to read.
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