Members of Christ Apostolic Church across the globe on Sunday January 2, 2022 gathered for the first Sunday Service of the year. CAC News brings you the "Part B" compilation of first sermons of the year by some selected CAC Ministers
Read and meditate on the message for your spiritual growth and fulfillment in year 2022.
Below are the ministers and their messages:
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| Pastor Gabriel S. Dada, Superintendent, Oke-Ado DCC |
Message:Year Without Fear For Cross Over People
Text: Isaiah 43 : 1-6
Introduction
We don’t know what this year is going to bring. Years ago there were some men who were on a leaky old ship in the middle of a rough and stormy sea. They were actually fearful for their lives. They didn’t know whether they were going to sink or not. So one of them went in to see the captain and asked him if they were safe. He said, “Well .. I’ll put it this way: the boilers on this ship are very weak and may explode at any moment. Also, the ship is very old, and she’s taking on water. And to be very honest with you, we may have an explosion or we may sink.”
Then he caught his breathe and said, “Men, we may go up or we may go down, but at any rate, we are going on.” And that’s the way we are as we face a new year together. Jesus may come - we may go up. We may die and go down and then go up, but at any rate we are going on.
Is it possible to have a year without fear? It is! In fact ... that’s the kind of year God wants for us: a fear-free year. Did you know that? Well .. He does. And He reminds us of that over and over in the scripture. 189 times the phrase “fear not” appears in the scripture. And when you add the expression, “do not be afraid” there are 365 times in the scripture that God tells us not to fear. He’s got a “fear not” for every day of the year.
But I suppose one of the greatest areas we struggle with when it comes to fear is “the fear of uncertainty.” Most of us are afraid of the unknown. “What’s going to happen next?” It’s that unknown lab report that tends to drive fear into our lives. Once the unknown becomes known, the fear begins to fizzle.
And what about 2022? There are so many unknowns: what’s going to happen to the financial market? Will the recession lead into another great depression? Will I continue losing money in my retirement account? What about my health condition? What does having a new President mean for us internationally, nationally, locally and personally?
And as we face a year of uncertainties .. those unknowns that tend to rob us of peace … that we’ll be able to say along with the Psalmist in Psalm 34.4, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”
Now that’s what we find God talking about here in Isaiah 43 as we learn some things today about …
The Fear of Uncertainty
Isaiah 43.1-5
1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“ Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;”
Twice in these five verses God says to us “fear not.” Now not all fear is bad. Some kinds of fear are good. So there is such a thing as healthy fear. But that’s not the kind of fear God is talking about here and much of the time in the scripture. For just as there is healthy fear .. there is unhealthy, unholy, unhelpful fear and it’s that kind of fear we’re talking about today.
So what does God have to say to us today about the fear of uncertainty? Well beginning here in verse 1 .. we find God say,
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are mine.”
So who is He saying this too? Whom does God say to fear not? To those He has redeemed! To those He has purchased! That’s who! When it comes to facing the uncertainties of this year .. all of the unknowns (financial loss .. job loss .. healthy issues and more) here’s what God says to us …
I. FEAR NOT FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU.
What a promise! What a savior! As we face the uncertainties of life … we don’t have to fear and here’s why: because God has redeemed us!
A couple of beggars stood at a gate of a mansion one night, hesitating to enter because of a growling watch dog. One of them said, “Go on in. There is nothing to be afraid of. The dog is barking but he is also wagging his tail.” His friend replied, “Yeah, but I don’t know which end to believe.
” Well .. you can believe God when He says to the redeemed facing uncertainties, “Fear not!” Isn’t it wonderful to be known by God? Especially when you’re not sure what’s coming next. And listen to what God tells us back in Isaiah 41.13, “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.”
I know that sometimes we get to thinking as we go through times of uncertainty that we’re somehow holding on God. I’ve got news for you. You are not holding on to Him, He’s holding on to you! “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand.” Hey folks ..when it’s the LORD God holding on to you .. you don’t need to fear!
And look again at whom God is holding on to in verse 1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”
Now that raises a question: have you been redeemed? What does it mean to be redeemed? Who are among the redeemed? Because whoever they are .. fear no longer has to paralyze their potential nor hinder their happiness.
Well .. the word “redeemed” means to release something .. to deliver somebody .. to buy something back. When God says, “I have redeemed you” .. He is saying that through the blood sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross over 2000 years ago that He purchased you .. He bought you .. in order to release you from the bondage and burden of sin.
Now if you don’t mind: Hallelujah what a savior! All right .. thank you for letting me get that out of in here.
Hey folks .. the moment Jesus steps into your life .. from that moment on .. you belong to Him! You are His purchased possession. And here’s what that means for you when it comes to fear: the fear of the future is a waste of the present. That is .. if you’ve been redeemed.
Put this down somewhere: Fear flees where redemption reigns. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”
By the way .. do you know what the opposite of “fear” is? Trust. Times of Uncertainty are times of trusting, not fearing .. when you belong to Him. Proverbs 29.25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.”
Fear and Trust are extremes. They are opposites. You cannot be fearful while you are trusting nor can you be trusting when you’re fearful. When fear moves in, trust moves out. When trust moves in, fear moves out.
Here’s what fear says to God: “I am not sure that I can trust with this situation. I am not sure that You will come through this time. This unknown circumstance may be too difficult for You to handle.” And if today you find yourself dealing with the unknown .. write this verse in the margin of our Bible: Luke 1.37, “…. With God nothing will be impossible.”
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.” Now He doesn’t stop there. Keep reading in verse 2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Did you notice He didn’t say, “If you pass through the waters,” but rather, “when you pass through the waters.” You say, “Pastor, what waters is He talking about?” I don’t know, you tell me?
What waters are there in your life that has you swimming for your life? That has you stretching to keep your head above the water? THOSE waters! Well, God says here that whether our flood is ankle-deep .. knee-deep or neck-deep .. that we can know that the floods of life no longer have dominion over our lives.
Verse 2, “And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you, and when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” Again, He doesn’t say, “if you walk through the fire,” He says, “when you walk through the fire.”
You see, just as the floods will come, so will the fires. There is no escaping them. Not in this life. Jesus said in John 16.33, “… in the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have over come the world.”
Do you remember what those 3 Hebrew children said to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3.17, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver u from your hand, O King.” King Nebuchadnezzar said, “We’ll see about that.”
He then tossed them into the flames and afterwards looked into the furnace and declared in verse 25, “Look. I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Let me tell you something about that furnace: Jesus was there waiting for those three Hebrew children. He was already there. And just as He was there waiting for them to see them through it, He is waiting for you too. He is already there before you ever get there.
When you belong to Him .. fears over the unknown no longer have dominion over your life. And don’t you love what verse 3 says? “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your savior.” And what a savior He is!
Here’s what these first 3 verses tell me: those whom God redeems, He releases from all fear!
So, here is the first wonderful truth when it comes to the Fear of Uncertainty:
II. FEAR NOT … FOR I AM WITH YOU.
Verse 5, “Fear not, for I am with you ..” Isaiah 41.10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41.13, “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “fear not, I will help you.”
Not only is God’s protection promised for those He redeems, but God’s presence is provided for those He redeems.
Do you remember those 3 Hebrew children? Did God take them out of the fire? No. But rather He took them by the hand and led them through the fire. They were more safe in the fire with Him than they were out of the fire without Him , and so are you! There’s just something about the presence of God that calms our fears, isn’t there?
Do you remember what happened to Adam and Eve after they sinned against God? Their sin separated them from God just as our sin separates us from God. And what did they do? Genesis 3.8, “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
What separated Adam and Eve from the presence of God? Their sin. Now they were separated from the presence of God. No wonder they were afraid. When are we going to learn that there is no solution to our fears outside of a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ!
Years ago there was a ship caught in a severe storm. Everyone on board the ship were filled with fear. A sailor on board had his son with him. Someone noticed how calm the young boy was while everyone around him were in a panic. So, they walked over to the boy and asked, “Son, how can you be so calm in this storm? Aren’t you afraid of what might happen?”
The boy looked the man in the eyes and as calm as a young boy can be said, “Sir, I’m not afraid of what might happen. I have just been on the deck and I know we are going to be just fine because my Father is at the wheel.”
When your Father is at the wheel, no matter how severe the storm or how high the waves, you can know that we’re going to be just fine.
Isaiah 41.10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Yes, especially in times of uncertainty, when you don’t know what’s going to happen next! When you don’t know what’s right around the next corner and here’s why:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you. Fear not, for I am with you.
LETS READ JOSHUA 3:1-17
It is important to cross over a new year with goals, with God’s presence, with urgency, with a clean up, and without any heavy baggages.
CROSSING OVER PEOPLE DON’T FEAR
Text: Josh 3:1-17
Joshua had a difficult task in front of him. He was to lead the people across the Jordan into the promise land. He was to achieve what his mentor Moses failed to do 40 years ago. But first, he had to crossover the Jordan river.
Crossing over a new year is an important event. We need to spend some time reflecting on the past and plan the future.
The following are 5 things we should do when we crossover a new year.
1. CROSS OVER WITH YOUR GOALS EARLY.
Josh 3:1 – Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out for Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.
Never leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
Stop talking and start doing. God is waiting for you to start.
Josh 3:15,16 And as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan and the feet of the priest who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of the harvest) that the waters which came down from the upstream stood still.
The waters stopped only when the feet of the priest touched the water.
It is better to fail attempting to do something than succeed in doing nothing.
Illustration : The people who failed
Thomas Edison – failed in 10,000 bulb experiments
Bill Gates – dropped out from college to pursue his soft ware business
Peter – was the only man who walked on water and sunk…
2. CROSS OVER WITH GOD’S PRESENCE
Josh 3:3 Whenever you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
We need to be God chasers. Run after the things of God. Be passionate about the things of God.
In Ezekiel, there is life wherever the river flows but the water from off shoots from the river of God became stale and ended up as swamps and marshes but
Eze 47:9 – And it shall be that every living thing that moves , wherever the rivers go will live..…for they will be healed and everything will live wherever the river goes.
Eze 47:11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.
God’ presence brings life. The absence of God will brings death.
3. CROSS OVER WITH URGENCY
Josh 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits, by measure.
This is a prophetic picture of the church crossing over to rule and reign with Jesus in God’s Kingdom approximately 2000 years after the first coming of Jesus.
We are living in the last of the Last Days. Make full use of the time to achieve the purposes of God.
Eph 5:15,16 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
1. Walk carefully
2. Walk wisely
3. Walk consciously (redeeming the time)
If you knew you had one year to live, what are the things you would plan to do in the last year of your life ?
Eg. New Straits Times – 35 years old corporate figure Dr. Liew dies in a freak accident.
You can lose money today and earn it back tomorrow. However, time is something you can only lose once.
4. CROSS OVER WITH A CLEAN UP
Josh 3:5 Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, the Lord will do wonders among you.
Josh 5:5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all who were born in the wilderness on the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.
It appears Israel was not living under the covenant during the 40 years in the wilderness. Everyone was caught by surprise. A spiritual check up will high light areas we need to adjust in our lives.
Physical check ups - Need to be done at the beginning of each year
Cholesterol and sugar levels, cancer markers
Make adjustments to your lifestyle
Spiritual Check ups are needed every year
5. CROSS OVER WITHOUT HEAVY BAGGAGES
Josh 3:10 By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Cannanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.
All the “ites” were the hidden ghosts Israel failed to defeat 40 years ago. Our hidden ghosts often comes back to trouble us.
We need to release to God “mountains” and understand that He will remove the mountains in our lives.
Josh 4:20 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. (20) And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.”
It is significant that this happened on the tenth day of the first month, this is exactly forty years to the day, since Israel marched out of Egypt.
Leaving the edge of the river, the Israelites went to a place called Gilgal to make their camp. Gilgal was “on the eastern border of Jericho (v. 19).
Gilgal means “the reproach has been rolled away.”
God rolled away the following things at Gilgal :
a) Forty years of spiritual defeat, failure, death, cancers.
b) 40 years of wandering.
c) 40 years without a vision.
It was the dawn of a great new beginning in a new land. The days of sullen refusal to respond to God under Moses were gone, complaining was ended, hopeless wandering in the wilderness was behind them.
Joel 2:24-25 - The threshing floor shall be full of wheat……I will restore to you the years that the locust have eaten.
Conclusion - Lessons from Caleb
a) Kadesh Barnea – 40 years old - Saw the vision
Josh 14:7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.
40 years of wandering. Everyone died except Joshua and Caleb. Caleb’s vision never died.
b) Jordan- Cross over experience
c) Gilgal – Our reproach will be rolled away ( 12 memorial stones)
d) Josh 14:9-12 - 85 years old – Give me the mountain – Seizing the vision
Josh 14: 9-12 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day.
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| Pastor Olu Akeju, Superintendent, Ipadabo Jesu DCC |
Message: Experiencing Gods power in the year 2022
TEXT: I Kings 18: 41-45
INTRODUCTION
It is the will of God that we experience and enjoy his power this year and beyond.
In order to achieve this, there is the need to position ourselves for that purpose. We need to put ourselves or condition or pattern/program ourselves in such a way to make this possible.
In this message, we want to examine I kings 18:41-45 to discover how to experience and enjoy God’s power as we embark on the journey of 2022. A brief historical background of the passage which is the contest between Elijah, Ahab, and the Prophets of Baal.
To position ourselves for experiencing God’s power, we need:
I. ABILITY TO HEAR FROM GOD
Even with the threats of jezebel, Ahab and the many prophets of Baal, Elijah stood alone of course with God. Only concerned with what God says and not what any other person says.
A. Challenge what you hear
B. Change what you hear
C. Choose what you hear
Read Acts 27: 23 (but for better understanding read from verse 13).
II. ABILITY TO WAIT ON THE LORD vs42
When you hear God, you still need to wait on Him in fasting and prayers God helping us by His Grace, we shall do much of waiting on the LORD this year in fasting and prayers.
As matter of fact, you cannot even hear from God without waiting on Him. (Isa. 40:28 – 31)
Ahab was eating (feasting) Elijah was fasting. We need to:
A. Fast away bad Associations – bad friends
B. Fast away Bad music
C. Fast away bad readings
D. Fast away some pleasures
There is much power in the cooperate prayers of the people of God in the house of God.
The Apostles prayed and fasted together and they were divinely established even amidst terrible persecutions yet they prevailed. Acts 2, 4:23-31; 12:1-19
III. ABILITY TO SEE THE INVISIBLE GOD
Elijah did not see Ahab the wicked King, his notoriously wicked wife, Jezebel, nor the many Prophets of Baal. But he only saw God. When you see the invisible God, you will definitely be able to do the impossible.
A. See His Greatness
B. See His Gloriousness
C. See His Great Love
CONCLUSION: When you are able to achieve these, then you are already well positioned for his EMPOWERMENT, but these cannot be achieved without you being in CHRIST and Christ being in you.
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| Pastor Doyin Ezekiel, Superintendent, Light of the World, Zone |
Message: The Keys of the Kingdom
Text: Matthew 16:19
Wow!! Glory to God in the highest. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to this New Year 2022. The year of uncommon access to God’s grace and mercy. This year, you will move from Glory to Glory, you will live under sure divine protection, death is not your portion, failure is not your portion, sorrow will not come to your house, the rod of the wicked will not rest upon your lot, whatever you lay your hands on will prosper, whoever stand on your way will give way for you. This year, you are favoured from above in the name of Jesus.
Like in every other year, the mind of God for you in 2022 is to establish a genuine relationship with him. This brings us to the question of Jesus to his disciple in Matthew 16: 13-15. The disciple had been following Jesus all the days and Jesus had invested in them all they needed to be fruitful in life and ministry but at a point in time, Jesus felt there is a need for them to move from one spiritual stage to another. He wanted them to become a stake holder in kingdom affairs, he want them to be part of the controllers of kingdom matters but this authority is not allowed to be given to people who don’t possess adequate knowledge of kingdom matters as you cannot become an authority over what you don’t know.
So, Jesus tested them and ask them “who do people say the son of man is? This question generated many answers since many people have said many things about Jesus. To some group of people he was a prophet, to some he was a revolutional leader, to some he was a political activists, well what others said about Jesus doesn’t matter, what you said about him matters a lot. So Jesus asked “who do you say I am”? This question is a critical question that require an in-depth thinking to give a sensitive answer.
This question was to confirm the conviction of the disciple on the personality of Jesus. But Peter answered and said “you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. The answer convinced Jesus that he could be trusted with Kingdom Authority since the confession is not just mere information but from a divine revelation. Based on this confession, Peter was confirmed an authority in kingdom affair with the statement of verse 19 of the same chapter “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”. With this statement, it was clear that Jesus made Peter a kingdom stakeholder who make decision on earth with authentic heavenly backings. Since then, peter has an unlimited access to kingdom authority.
The spiritual level where some of us operate is limited to Matthew 7:7 where believers are allowed to knock and the doors will be opened for them. But the question remain, would you knock a door you possess its key? If you have the key you don’t need to knock, since you are allowed to access the room anytime anyhow. But those who don’t have the key live at the mercy of who is inside who will decide either to open the door or not. Nobody on earth will release his keys to his house to anybody anyhow except for matured family members, close relations and intimate friends. So also God will not release the keys of the kingdom of heaven to any believer who does not have a close relationship with him.
How much you know Jesus determines either you will be given these keys or not. So, who do you say Jesus is? The Lord of your life or just a miracle worker whom you need miracles from? But don’t forget that these keys are not given to those who are looking for miracles, they are only given to those who have totally accepted Christ as the Lord of their lives. And with these keys you have unlimited access to anywhere on earth and in heaven. If you will like to operate beyond ordinary in this year 2022 the secret is in your relationship with Jesus, because who He is in your life determines what you will access in this New Year.
Have a wonderful Year. God bless You.
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| Pastor T.D. Asokeji, Chaplain, CAC All Saints' Chapel |
Message: Open Door
Text: Revelation 3:7-8 NKJV
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Revelation 3:7-8 NKJV
INTRODUCTION/DEFINITION
Doors are mentioned 180 times in the Bible. Most of them about closed doors. However, in Revelation 3, God promised an open door.
1 Corinthians 16:9
because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
Doors represent information, communication, opportunities, connections, access, freedom, transition from one point to another.
3 WAYS TO KNOW IF AN "OPEN DOOR" IS FROM GOD
1. The Door that God Opens Will Never Contradict His Word.
God will not lead you toward an opportunity that contradicts what he clearly says in his Word. Nor will he open a door that would require personal compromise or disobedience in order for you to enter.
2. The Door that God Opens Will be Accompanied by Confirmation.
ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”
I Kings 17:8-10 NKJV
3. The Door God Opens Will Require You to Depend on Him
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NKJV
God treasures fellowship. He will not open a door for us that will detach us from Him.
He must be first in our life. He must be Lord of all, if He us to be Lord at all. God's door will require us to depend on Him and trust in Him inherently and ultimately.
Moses said to God, "I can't do this alone and won't leave here if You're not going with us".
Then God told Him, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14 NKJV