RCCG OGUN PROVINCE 8 MINISTERS’ RETREAT 2025 @ RCCG CITY OF JOY, GREENLAND ESTATE IBAFO OGUN STATE
THEME: BACK TO BETHEL
MINISTERING: PASTOR ADEAGBO AKINLABI (PIONEER PICP OGUN PROVINCE 8; PICP LAGOS PROVINCE 14 AND APICR REGION 53)
TOPIC: BACK TO BETHEL
DATE: 19TH JULY 2025
BIBLE TEXT: GENESIS 28:10-22
We want to Bless the Name of the Lord who has decided to make today a reality.
Let us Pray!
OPENING PRAYER
Covenant Keeping God, we cannot acknowledge You more than usual; for without You we are Nothing.
Thank You for Gathering us Your Children – Ministers and Workers as Joint Heirs to Your Heritage.
We want to Thank You for giving us the opportunity to be here at such a Time as this, for a Retreat under this Province.
We want to Thank You for what You have done in time Past, we want to Thank You for what You are doing Presently and we want to Thank You in Advance for what You are about to do.
We want to appreciate You for everything.
Both the Speaker and the Hearers, may Your Word never put us into condemnation.
Through Your Word we will be Liberated from everything tying us down, in the Mighty Name of Jesus.
We will hear Your Call, we will hearken unto Your Call, we will take Action, and our lives will never remain the same.
Thank You Eternal Father!
Almighty God, may Your Word Permeate to every Part of our Body System, in the Name of Jesus.
And Almighty God, make us who You have Destined us to be.
Revive us O LORD, and keep us going.
May we never fail You and may we never fail our Generation.
Thank You Lord for hearing us.
Glory be to Your Holy Name!
In Jesus’ Mighty Name we have Prayed – Amen.
Let the People of God shout a louder Amen – Amen.
Praise ye the Lord – Hallelujah!
BACK TO BETHEL
Genesis 28:10-22
10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
The Story above happened to be the first experience of Jacob after twenty (20) solid years.
In Genesis 35:1-5, the Almighty God beckoned unto Jacob again, that he should get Back to Bethel.
We want to Bless the Name of the Lord for making it Possible for us to be here today.
WHAT IS BETHEL?
- Bethel is no other Place than the House of God.
According to Psalm 122:1, the Psalmist said, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the LORD.
The House of the Lord is not a Physical Place alone – It could be Spiritual.
Anywhere the Presence of the Almighty God is; that is the House of God.
According to Psalm 16:11b – In thy Presence is the Fullness of Joy;
- Bethel is where the Supernatural meets with the Natural:
In Genesis 28:17, this is Jacob himself speaking: And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this Place! This is none other but the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven.
In Economics, we were taught “Equilibrium Point” – A Point where Demand and Supply meet.
Likewise, Bethel is a Place where the Supernatural meets with the Natural.
- Bethel is a Place of Vision:
A Place where the Almighty God Himself exposes what He intends to do unto a Natural Man.
- Bethel is a Place of Dialogue:
It is a Place of conversation.
It is a Place where Mortals communicate with the Immortal.
It is a Place where Communication between Human Beings and the Supernatural Being take Place.
- Bethel is a Place of Covenant:
A Place of Dedication, a Place of Commitment and a Place where Covenants are enacted.
In Genesis Chapter 35; even though in Genesis Chapter 28; Jacob met with his Maker – His eyes were opened.
And not only was he able to see, he was also able to hear from God and he was able to make a Vow unto God.
… He entered into a Covenant.
A similar thing happened to one of the Major Prophets – Isaiah by name.
In Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah did not only see the Vision, he also heard God speaking.
And he also responded by making a Declaration that he is available.
May you never be found wanting whenever the Almighty God wants to bring you to Limelight, in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen.
Now, getting Back to Bethel or “Back to Bethel” is God reminding us to return to where we started the Journey with Him.
Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God;
By the time we return to the Maker of Heaven and Earth through Repentance, and we forsake all our evil ways:
- We have come back to Him.
- We have requested for His Presence.
- We have decided that we will abide with Him in His House;
- Not only to be in His Gate, but also to Fellowship with Him.
How many of us, if we would be so honest with ourselves, would say that the Memories of the time Past are still applicable to us now?
How many of us can say that our First Love to the Almighty God is still as it was when we first gave our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ?
Majority of us, Miracles, Signs and Wonders are meaningless to us now – We believe it is just a Common Thing.
Majority of us, the Weekly Fellowship during Digging Deep and Faith Clinic have become a forgotten issue.
Why? We believe we are bigger than that.
And mostly at the Leadership Level, because Nobody would ever ask if we attend Weekly Activities.
So we have decided to become Sunday-Sunday Christians; just like one Tablet back in the days, called “Sunday-Sunday Medicine”.
- Back to Bethel is a Call unto Self Examination:
According to 2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the Faith; Prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates?
It’s a call unto Self Examination.
- Back to Bethel is a Call for Discovery and Recovering:
If you examine yourself, you’ll discover the Level you are.
Self Discovery without Recovering makes an Individual’s Life to be endangered.
Once you discover yourself, you must take steps toward recovering from your Weakness.
How do we know that?
The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13 – He that covereth his sins shall not Prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have Mercy.
If I discover my Shortcomings, and my Weaknesses, I have to do something about it.
Year 7 of the School of Disciples of the Redeemed Christian Church of God talks about Strengthening the Fellowship between God and Man.
Isaiah 40:30 says, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength.
When you Fellowship with the Maker of Heaven and Earth, you Exchange your Weakness, so that His Strength will take over.
- Back to Bethel is a Call for Spiritual Renewal:
It is not only for Self Examination; it’s not only for Self Discovery and Recovery.
But it is also for you to be more Committed, and to be more Dedicated unto your Maker.
And it is my Prayer that whether the devil likes it or not, the Almighty God will uphold us, in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen.
God Commanded Jacob and he heard God.
It may amaze you that after twenty (20) Years Experience of Jacob, he ventured into so many things, and he forgot about the Covenant he made with God.
But Thank God, Jacob could still hear from God.
He might have backslided, he might have drifted off the ways of God; but God still spoke to him.
I Pray for every one of us in the House, and all those reading this Message now on the Label of DMC: In every areas of our Weaknesses, in every areas we have Lost our First Love, we will hear the Voice of God today, in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen.
God called Jacob to return to the Place where he started with God.
God’s Command was for him to dwell in Bethel, not to leave Bethel.
God’s Instruction was for him to build an Altar in Bethel.
God’s Instruction was for him to Worship Him in Bethel.
Where is your Bethel?
Where is the Place the Almighty God has asked you to continually Fellowship with Him?
What Assignment has the Almighty God committed into your hands?
God’s Command to Jacob was heard by Jacob.
You will hear God Correctly and Clearly – Amen.
May the ability to obey Him be released upon you, in the Name of Jesus – Amen.
It might have been twenty (20) years since his Bethel Experience, and Jacob had moved far away from the Lord.
He got mixed up in idolatry, and grew cold toward God.
But now God is calling him back home to his First Love.
I think it is safe to say that many Christians find themselves in this same condition today.
In Galatians 2:18, the Bible says, For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a Transgressor.
Majority of us, in time Past you would say, “that is bad, that is good.”
But today, you have changed your Language – You have adjusted the Goal Post and your Language now is, “It’s not too bad.”
What you say was bad before – If you Change your Language to say that it’s not too bad; all you are telling God is that you are a Backslider.
It is a Call unto you and a Call unto me.
Which area are we lagging behind in the work of God?
When I was Posted to RCCG Lagos Province 14, God gave me a Word of Restoration.
Alas! The experiences I had as far back as 2001/2002, God reminded me of them. I had no option than to brush myself up again.
Why? “Unto whom much is given, mich is also expected.”
Daddy GO said, “The hands that cannot do Manual Labour are not fit to Perform Miracles, Signs and Wonders.”
If you see me weeding the Church surrounding, it is because God gave me the Word of Restoration.
When I received the Invitation to this Ministration on “Back to Bethel”; I examined myself – What are those things I used to do, but I am no more doing?
Majority of us, what had brought us to where we are right now; we feel we have arrived, and so we have left them for the junior Ministers as it were or for the upcoming ones.
You better examine yourself!
If as a family Man you can no longer assist your wife; you cannot render helping hands, God is calling you Back to Bethel.
You must not be too big in the hand of your Maker.
If you are in the Spiritual Stage of Backwardness, God has a Word for you – And the Word is the same Counsel He gave to the Church in Ephesus.
LESSONS FROM GOD’S COUNSEL TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS
In Revelation 2:4-5, the Bible says, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy First Love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his Place, except thou repent.
God gave Counsel to the Church in Ephesus – And that same counsel is coming to us today:
- God asked them to Remember:
What are they to remember?
Think back to where the Lord found you, and what He did for you when He saved you by His Grace.
Remember and realize that He deserves better than what He is getting from you at the moment.
- When last did you Participate in Evangelism?
- When last did you Park your car to take Public Transportation so that you can Preach Jesus?
Some of us, even when riding on a bike, the Spirit of God would Prompt you to Preach to the Bike man, but we don’t obey Him.
When we even take Public Transportation, we say the noise is too much, so we can’t Preach.
Yes the noise is too much, but you can still hear others talking.
And the Spirit of God says you should Preach!
Please, let’s go back to our First Love.
God told them to remember. Isaiah 51:5 says, My Righteousness is near; my Salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the People; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
- God asked them to Return:
While God is telling us to remember what we used to do – He tells us to return.
His Call is the same to you and to me.
When we wander away from Him, He tells us to return.
God will receive us back if we return to Him.
And He will not only receive us, He will Restore us.
1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, and to Cleanse us from all Unrighteousness.
You also remember the Story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-24.
When we returned to God in humble Repentance, He will accept us.
James 4:8 says, Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye Sinners; and Purify your Hearts, ye double minded.
- God did not only call the Church in Ephesus to remember and to return, He also; asked them to Repeat:
They are to do the work all over again.
In the University there is what they call “Carry-over.”
Permit me to inform you that in the Work of the Ministry also, there may be Carry-overs.
It may be a way of Restituting what you supposed to have done, but you did not do.
In Genesis 28:16-22, Jacob met the Lord, and when he did;
- He began to walk with God by restoring and raising an Altar of Worship.
- He humbled himself before God;
- He called upon the Name of the Lord.
- He Dedicated his Life to the Lord.
These Steps of Commitment by Jacob were very essential to going Back to Bethel.
How Dedicated am I?
How Committed am I unto the things of God?
You are to examine yourself!
- Another thing that God said to the Church in Ephesus was that; they would be Removed:
God talked about their removal.
The Ephesian Believers were warned that if they fail to rekindle the old flame and return to their First Love for Jesus Christ, that they would face Chastisement -;They would be Disciplined.
How? They would be utterly Removed.
On the day you are supposed to Manifest, may God not replace you with Someone else – Amen.
May you never be removed from your Position – Amen.
May that which is the Plan of the Almighty God for you and I come to Fulfilment in the Name of Jesus – Amen.
Here is a Man (Jacob) that God is calling Back to Bethel.
Here is a Man who has not walked with the Lord as he should for twenty (20) years.
But it is interesting that he could still hear the voice of God.
If you still hear the voice of God today, that He says you should go Back to Bethel – You better yield to the Call, Brethren.
God Command was not only heard by Jacob; he yielded to the Command.
And how did he do that?
The Bible says in Isaiah 1:19, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land:
Jacob heard the Call, and he hearkened to the Commandment of God.
How? Jacob knew that if he was to get Back to Bethel, some Changes would have to be made in his Life.
By the way, God listens to anyone who is willing to make a Change.
We are the ones who need to Change – He is the Unchangeable Changer in Changing situations.
So you and I need to Change.
Jacob discovered that!
Somebody said, “The way to Recovery is Discovering.”
Jacob discovered that he needs to Change, and he took the Steps.
Not only that, he ensured his family Members too made some Changes before they began their Journey.
When Jacob realized that he needed some Changes in his own Life, he also decided that the Members of his family will have to carry out some Changes in their lives also.
And they did that before they began their Journey Back to Bethel.
CHANGES MADE BY JACOB AND HIS HOUSEHOLD
I would like to Point out those Changes:
- They cast away their Deities (Idols):
You would still remember that one of his wives (Rachael) stole the idol of her father’s house.
Genesis 31:34-35 says:
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
You also have an idol – at least one (1).
You are to begin to see yourself as Jacob did.
What are the idols?
1 John 5:21 says Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
1 John 2:15 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.
- Everything that steals your First Love for God.
- Everything that has stolen away your Devotion;
Everything that has stolen our Fellowship and Cordial Relationship with the Almighty God may be likened to idols.
Whatever takes your time – Your Telephone, Television set, WhatsApp, Social Media, making gest, unnecessary dialogue, pulling down others with your mouth.
Whatever takes your time, your Money, your Devotion is your ‘god.’
- They Cleaned their Filthiness:
Another thing they did when they decided to go Back to Bethel is that they Cleaned their Filthiness.
Psalm 66:18 says, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
They didn’t only do away with their idols, but they Cleansed themselves of all Filthiness – Outward and Inward.
Anything that is not allowing us to show forth our First Love to our Maker, we are to Purge ourselves of all of them.
God expects His People to turn away from the Wickedness of the flesh.
And that is why Colossians 3:5-11 admonishes us to turn away from the Wickedness of the flesh.
- They Changed their Dresses:
Another step that they took is that they Changed their dresses.
When Church Members cannot be differentiated from the People in Disco Houses, something is wrong somewhere.
We are to also Change the type of music we listen to, the type of Entertainments, our gists, etc – We are to Purify our Heart.
WHY SHOULD WE GO BACK TO BETHEL?
I will mention Five (5) Things quickly;
- In Bethel lies our Wholeness and Completeness:
In Luke 17;12-19, we have the Story of the ten (10) Lepers who were Cleansed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
But only one fellow returned to appreciate Jesus.
And because he did that, Jesus said to him, There are not found that returned to give Glory to God, save this Stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy Faith hath made thee Whole – Luke 17:18-19
- The River that forgets its Source will surely dry up:
Deuteronomy 8:11-20 says, But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee Power to get Wealth, that he may establish his Covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
In Daniel 4:34-37, we have the Story of King Nebuchadnezzar who refused to humble himself, and the Almighty God decided to humble him compulsorily.
But alas, because he refused to return to Bethel, where God first met with him, he became half-human, half-animal.
Thank God for being Merciful – The God of a Second Chance.
He came back to his senses and gave all Honour and Glory unto the Almighty God, and his Throne was restored unto him.
If we can return to Bethel everything the enemy has taken away from us – Promotion, Elevation, etc, God has a way of returning them.
And God will do that for you this Remarkable Landmark Year, in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen.
- You need to go Back to Bethel to Redeem your Pledges and Vows:
What are the Covenants you made with your Maker?
Ecclesiastes 5:1-5 says you should redeem your Pledge: When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no Pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
When Jacob returned to Bethel he was able to redeem his Pledge.
… Why go Back to Bethel?
- To Flourish, to Move from Increase to Multiplication:
To be Promoted, it is necessary to go Back to Bethel.
Except we go Back to Bethel, we will remain on one spot.
Ogun Province 8, How about Planting Churches?
People can be Promoted only if we Plant Churches; and if we go back to our First Love.
It is only if we are more Dedicated, more Committed; and we decide to do according to the laid down Rules. that Multiplication will come.
Why go back to Bethel?
It is for us to flourish – For us to move from Increase to Multiplication.
Psalm 92:13 says, Those that be Planted in the House of the LORD shall flourish in the Courts of our God.
- For us to End Well, and to End Strong:
Hebrews 10:35-39 says, But we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul.
Our Salvation will only be Complete if we finally make it to Heaven.
May you not be missing in the Kingdom of God – Amen!
May we all make it to Heaven at the End – Amen!
IN BETHEL, JACOB REBUILT THE ALTAR:
- Rebuilding the Altar is a Call for Sacrifice.
- Rebuilding the Altar speaks of Fulfilment of Obligation.
- Repairing the Altar speaks of Obedience.
- Rebuilding the Altar speaks of Service unto God.
- Rebuilding the Altar speaks of Worship unto God.
You are to Worship God, you are to offer your Services unto God, you are to Obey Him, and you are to Fulfil His Obligation and Mandate.
We have Sacrifices that we have to make; may we not fail God – Amen!
May we not fail our Generation – Amen.
If we refuse to go Back to Bethel, then we want to remain on the same spot.
And may we never remain on the same spot, in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen.
The Lord Himself has spoken to us today; we all will return to Bethel in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen!
And I know that whether the devil likes it or not, we will not be missing in the Kingdom of God, in Jesus’ Name – Amen!
We covet your Prayers!
And Good News will continually emanate from your Tabernacle; and from my Tabernacle, in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen.
But don’t relent in doing what you used to do for God:
- Planting of Parishes.
- Supporting the Church Leadership.
- Doing all you are supposed to do in your various Departments.
- Above all, Support your Leaders.
When a Leader is happy with you, the Almighty God Himself will smile on you.
When your Leader is lifted, then lifting will not elude you also.
Let’s join hands together with our Leaders from now on.
And the Greatest Height God is taking us to, Nothing will hinder us from getting there, in Jesus’ Name – Amen.
Once again, Thank You and God Bless You!
. . Discovery Media Crew; Reaching Out to the world through the Power of the Gospel!
MOSES DURODOLA
CONVENER, DISCOVERY MEDIA CREW
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