Everlasting Gospel
First lesson: Luke 14:26-27
"If any man come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. "
Second lesson: Mark 8:34 - 35
"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. "
Golden Text: Matthew 20:28
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
8.1 Conditionalities for true missionaries
The lessons read to you are used in opening the Brotherhood Christ Natural New World-wide Missionary Week. The Missionaries of the old world had completed their work. This is the time for the New World Missionaries. This gospel highlights the conditions which must be fulfilled by those who desire to serve God as missionaries because now, they only pay lip-service to the profession. Our Lord Jesus Christ had articulated the conditionalities required of a missionary when He said: "If any man comes to me, and hates not his father, and mother, and wife and children, and brethren, and sisters yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
Anyone who does not want to suffer tribulations cannot be a missionary. If you have two ears, two eyes and if you are double-minded, you cannot be a true missionary. Anybody who cannot endure shame, hunger, poverty, persecution, false accusation, and hatred cannot be a missionary. This gospel will clear and prepare the way and lay a solid foundation for the true missionaries who will come in future. This week is set aside to inform the world of the qualifications of a missionary.
8.2 Examples of true missionaries
John the Baptist, our Lord Jesus Christ and the twelve disciples were living examples of true missionaries. If you study their lives you will realize the authenticity of the assertion. John the Baptist died because of truth. He reproved King Herod for unlawfully marrying Herodias, his brother's wife. As a missionary, you should not be a respecter of persons. You must always speak the truth of the gospel. In the past, a King was greater than a governor, yet John the Baptist fearlessly told him the truth. Now the world fights against God and rejects the truth. Therefore, the work of a missionary entails total self-denial and forsaking everything including earthly glory. You can be a Pastor, Prophet, Apostle, an Elder or Brotherhood member but not a missionary. Christ did not say that if you did not forsake everything, you will not be a son of God, but that you will not be His disciple. Since Christ is the Head of missionaries, all missionaries are to follow His foot-prints. Now the field is all ripe, but where are the missionaries? The set-back hangs on the above analysis. However wealthy you may be, if you do not fulfill the stated conditions, you cannot be a missionary. No man who goes to war entangles with the affairs of this life, so that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier.
Recall the person who wanted to follow Christ but asked for permission to go and bury his father. Christ advised him to let the dead bury their dead while he should go and preach the kingdom of God. At last, the man did not follow Christ. Another aspirant asked for permission to go and bid farewell to his home people, but Christ told him that no man having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. These entanglements hinder the work of preaching. Claiming to be missionaries, yet fear hunger, persecution, sickness and death does not help the work. Others think of how to maintain their children and take part in community development. How can they be true missionaries?
8.3 Full-time service
A true missionary is a full-time worker who serves God day and night. He surrenders everything to enhance the ministry. God does not compel anyone to be a missionary, but He lays down conditions for entry into the noble profession.
After Christ had resurrected from death, He asked Peter if he loved Him more than everything else. Peter answered that Christ knew that he loved Him. Because of Peter's overwhelming love, he was mandated to feed the lambs of God. If Peter had loved his wife, children and the things of this world more than Christ, he would not have been made an Overseer to the flock of God. No servant can serve two masters. If you love the world and the things therein, you will not love God and vice versa. That is why you must deny everything including your life before you can become a true missionary. Money is not very significant in this assignment. The prerequisite is to deny yourself before you undertake the evangelical ministry.
Your parents, children and your life cause the obstruction in the service of God. If Christ had loved His life, He would have escaped when death stared at Him. But He knew that He came to offer His life as a ransom for the sins of the world. In order to be a true missionary, you have to surrender your life and property and become a lamb of sacrifice for the service of God.
First lesson: Luke 14 : 26 27
"If any man come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. "
8.4 Practical missionaries
If you search yourself, you will discover that the above statement prevents you from following Christ. He did not say that you would not be a Christian, but that you would not be his disciple. Therefore if you do not fulfill the conditions stipulated above, you are still a Brotherhood member, but not a real missionary. One can be a missionary in theory but not in practice. But if you want to be a real missionary, you must conform to the above requirements. This is the reign of God. The field is all ripe but there are no missionaries. Now we need true missionaries who will labour in the vineyard. The entire creation including Brotherhood are missionaries, but we want true missionaries who surrender themselves completely to the service of God. We do not mean missionaries who can only preach eloquently, or pray and raise the dead, but practical missionaries, who can endure shame, false accusation, persecution, hunger and tribulation for the glory of God. A true missionary does not fear hunger, stripes, mosquito-bite and death because he has surrendered his life for God. Recall the incident when the spirit revealed to Paul to go to Jerusalem and that he would be bound there. The brethren persuaded him not to go. But Paul told them that he was ready not to be bound only, but also to die, at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. When he could not be persuaded, he was left alone to the will of God. All those who surrender themselves are not taken by surprise by any event. They are ready to face hunger, reproach, persecution and death. They only want the Father to use them to save the world.
If you donate one million naira for missionary work, you are not a missionary but a sponsor. If you go on ministry work for some days, you are a part-time worker. There is a vast difference between a missionary and a real missionary. You may think that you are a missionary when infact, you are not. Why do you keep your wealth at Lagos and come here empty handed to be a missionary? You have to use all your wealth and knowledge in the service of God. Missionary work is greater than the post of a President, Prime minister or King. If you do not surrender completely to the vagaries of the missionary calling, all earthly glories and even your life, you cannot be a true missionary. You can deceive a man that you are a missionary but you can not deceive God.
8.5 Oneness with Christ
You should mortify your flesh in order to be a true missionary. You are advised not to labour for perishable food, but for the one that endures unto everlasting life. Christ said that, he that is not with Him is against Him, and he that gathers not with Him scatters abroad. The cause of the downfall of the world is that they are not with Christ. They establish their own churches and teach people human philosophy. Christ exists for the laid down principles. Christ said that for their sake He sanctified Himself, so that they might be sanctified through the truth. All those who want to be missionaries must sanctify themselves. He also said that He is the true vine and you are the branches. If you abide in Him, He will also abide in you, for without Him you can do nothing. As the branches cannot bear fruit of itself except it abides in the vine, no more can you except you abide in Him. Any branch that is cut off from the vine dies. In the same token, the world inhabitants cannot do anything by themselves. They honour Jesus only with the lips while their hearts are far away. The work of God is not difficult as they think. The problem is that they have not fulfilled the conditions of a true discipleship.
Second lesson: Mark 8 : 34 35
"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. "
8.6 Self denial
Have you denied yourself and carried your cross? You are to regard yourself as a lamb for sacrifice. If only two missionaries are found, things will move smoothly. Anybody who fears disgrace, false accusation, rain and mosquitoes-bite is not a missionary. The lesson stipulates that anybody who saves his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose it for Christ and for the sake of the gospel shall save it. Christ rejected the earthly kingdom and surrendered Himself as a missionary and gave His life as a ransom for the sins of the world. But in your own case, you guard your life jealously and insist on your rights. How can you be a true missionary?
8.7 God's election
Nevertheless, I am waiting patiently for I know that the Father is working, He has the vineyard and the labourers. If He does not call or elect you, you are not worthy. He knows those elected as missionaries. This gospel is not to induce you to become a missionary, but to reveal the true missionaries. Do not be deceived that if you are the chairman, secretary or treasurer of the Missionary Fellowship, you are a true missionary. Some people contemplate on going and inaugurating the Missionary Fellowship. Who will attend? Today is the beginning of the Missionary Week, yet the house is empty. One man can take a hundred cows to the water to drink, but one thousand men cannot make one cow drink the water. It is the Father who elects the missionaries and He also does the work. No man can do anything.
Christ was a carpenter, but after His baptism and the reception of the Holy Spirit, the Father called Him into the ministry and He answered the call. The same call was extended to Peter, James and John who were previously fishermen. Paul was a renowned Jewish lawyer. But after his call on the way to Damascus, he forsook everything and became a true missionary. The contract is between you and God. You do not render the service for the church but for Christ. There is no other foundation that can be laid except the one laid by Christ. Ministers of God fail because if they do not fulfill the conditions laid down by Christ for true missionaries they float on the surface.
Now, you claim to be a Brotherhood, but you commit fornication, indulge in concoction and drinking, and you commit all types of sins. What kind of Brotherhood is that? You do not pay tithe, freewill offering and charity. You neither celebrate feast nor go on ministry work. You only come here for protection, prayers, healing and listening to the gospel. Obviously, you cannot be prevented from coming here to sing or listen to the gospel for Brotherhood is like a market where people go to sell or buy their needs. But do not forget that all those who seek to save their lives lose them instead. You must forsake all your glories and suffer persecution in the service of others. If you are called while you were a king, you are to become a slave; if you are called as a rich man, you are to become poor; and if as a servant, you are the Lord's free man. You are not the owner of yourself. He makes whatever decision He wants for you without any argument. He can take you to anywhere for you are walking together with Him. Anybody who sanctifies himself will become an honourable vessel for the master's use. God does not force people into the ministry. You are to decide within yourself to forsake the world and follow Christ. It is said that it should be fulfilled to you according to your faith and that those who have ears to hear should hear.
Golden text: Matthew 20: 28
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
8.8 Give devoted service
Christ, who is the Head of the missionaries, made the above statement. He did not come to be served, but to serve others and to die on behalf of others. As you come here to look for wives, husbands, children, money and to pass examination, is it the required missionary work? Are you doing the missionary work when you come here to seek prayers, scramble for the holy oil, vision and extraction of charms from your bodies? A missionary is the one who does not receive gifts for services done, and who does not want people to serve him, but ministers freely to all and lays down even his life for them. I pray God to keep you alive to see the real missionaries who are coming. Missionaries do not ask for food, money or look for contract work to execute. A beggar is not a missionary. A missionary gives out everything including his own life. Christ owns and controls heaven and earth. Why do you go about begging for money? If you deny everything and follow Him, you will lack nothing. But if you are a deceiver and entangle yourself with the things of this world, you will suffer. Anybody who surrenders himself to follow Christ has no problem. It is said that anyone who does not hate his relations and his own life, and who does not carry his cross cannot be His disciple. Therefore if you do not comply, you are not His disciple, but if you do, you have no problem. No one can do the work of God unless he is with Christ. If you do not gather with Him, you are scattering. All those who love their parents, relations and their own lives are those who fight against Christ. Note that many are called but few are chosen.
8.9 The truth has arrived
From the foundation of the world only our Lord Jesus Christ brought salvation to the world. He said that He came in His Father's name but was not received, if any man comes in his name, you will receive him. The truth has now come, but people are not here. They reject the truth and throng to others who claim to be God's ministers. Do not be deceived because the underlying principle of a true missionary is to minister unto others and give his life to save them. Do not imitate Abraham, Moses, or Melchizedek, but our Lord Jesus Christ. If you do not conform to the requirements, you are not His disciple even if it remains one condition. His pattern of life is not hidden. He came to serve others. If we claim to be missionaries we must minister unto others because that is the work of a missionary.
It is said that a stroke of the cane is sufficient unto the wise. Those who have ears, let them hear. May God bless His holy words; Amen.
THANK YOU FATHER