Superintendent of CAC Agbara DCC, Lagos, Pastor Joseph Omolola
Text: Joel 2:23-29
Introduction: Righteousness is one of the attributes of God. This is one of the virtues we were given when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Every child of God is covered with the righteousness of Christ. We do not have any righteousness of our own
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags;
It is only the righteousness of Christ given through faith that is authentic and accepted to God.
Phili 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
God’s expectation and demand from us as stewards is to remain faithful to our righteous living 1cor 4:1
What the devil is targeting in our life is our righteousness. What God wants to see constantly in our life is righteousness. When we hold on to our righteousness, He is ready to deliver us and to punish every disobedience around us and also release his blessings to us. 2Cor 10:6.
I. Definition of Terms:
A. Righteousness - GK – Dikaiosune – means living in right relationship with God and other people. It means to live justly, honestly and faithfully according to God’s instruction.
B. The former and latter rain – literally, both rains marked the beginning and end of Jewish harvest. God promised both as a blessing to the Israelites.
II. God Promised to Bless the Nation Israel:
God promised the Israelite deliverance in Mount Zion as a reward for their righteousness in obeying the voice of God, this happened when they were moving from Egyptian bondage to freedom. Moab stood against them but God did not allow them to fight back. God will always remember every of our little obedience to his word and commands.
The promise of God to Israelite in Obadiah 1:17 has three steps.
a. Deliverance from every form of bondage.
b. They must live holy after deliverance.
c. Blessing will follow by possessing their possession that the enemy has taken away.
We have the same in Joel 2:12-37;
i. A call to repentances was made to the people of Israel in verse 12-17.
ii. The punishment of all disobedience followed in verse 18-22.
iii. Then the promise of blessings with former and latter rain. 23-29
God has a special arrangement for the children of Israel. They are the special people of God, they stand out as a chosen nation, their life conduct and behaviour should be different and God will also make them special people with special treatment. Through them nations of the world shall receive their blessings both physically and spiritually, the reason why God promised them rain while coming out of the land of Egypt in the book of Deuteronomy 11:10-15. NKJV For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; [11] but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, [12] a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year. [13] ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, [14] then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. [15] And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’
And also, spiritually – the birth of Christ the saviour will come through them.
Gen 12:2 “and you will be a blessing.’’
Gen 27:29 “may nations serve you and people bow down to you’’
Gen 49:8-12; “Judah your brothers will serve you,”
Matt 1:1. This is the genealogy of Jesus the messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.
This is the same assignment God has given the church we are to bless our world both physically and spiritually. 1 Pet 2:9 – but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood, a holy nation, this own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into this marvellous light.
III. The Church As Blessings To Her Generation. Col 1:13-23:
It is the duty of the church to reconcile the world back to God.
Becoming righteous is what God is doing for anyone that find their way to Calvary through the gospel of Christ.
a. Deliverance takes places at Calvary – Col 1:13. NKJV He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love,
Every preacher, teacher, and messager of God must have this understanding that unless and until our audience are taken to the Calvary they can not receive their deliverance from the bondage of sin, flesh and Satan. Therefore, Calvary should be the following to us and we must give our total attention to it.
1. We must note, believe and accept that Calvary is the only way to God. For us to receive our righteousness we must find our way to Calvary. Beware never to go astray or found following your own way as said by Prophet Isaiah in 53vs 6. NLT All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
2. Calvary should be our focus, today many preachers do not focus on God or Calvary but on something else we cannot say like the psalmist in Ps 16 vs 8 NKJV I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right-hand l shall not be moved.
3. Calvary should be our pursuit in all our messages and teachings. But it is a pity Calvary is no longer our pursuit but some other things have taken the place of Calvary. we are not longing for soul winning but making money and gaining influence, but remember what Prophet Hosea says in Hosea 8:3 “Israel has rejected the good. The enemy will pursue him, the enemy will not allow him to know peace and enjoying God’s blessings”.
b. Holy living is a Command after Deliverance Col 1:14; “in whom we have redemption through this blood, the forgiveness of sin” After Confession of our sin and our faith in Christ as the messiah we receive the forgivingness of our sin and garment of righteousness in given to us. God now see us the same way he sees our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But maintaining and sustaining of our righteousness is important and essential. You can do this through these three ways.
1. By carrying your cross daily – Lk 9:23, to carry cross daily means to die daily to sin. It is saying no to sin daily Rom 6:1-14;
2. Keep the awareness that Satan wants you back in his bondage no matter your age in the Lord and His Services. Live with the consciousness and know that God knew that righteous may fall. Proverb 24:16, for a righteous man fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. Gal 6:1 NKJV Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass you who are spiritual restored such a one in a spirit considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Even if you fall that is not the end of you God has made provision for you to come back to him. Your fall is not fatal and it is not final.
3. Always remember the provision of God for the righteous in the bible passages and be ready to make good use of them.
· 1John 2:1-2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. [2] He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
· 2 Cor 1:9-10; NLT In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. [10] And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.
The devil will make every effort to keep you in your falling state so that he will take you to hell at the end of your race here on earth but do not submit to him rather come back today confess, and forsake your sins and make restitutions of your ways. But at the same time do not take license for liberty. The provision does not give you access to sinful living again but to serve as a way to live a holy life. The nature of sin is no longer alive in us. 1John 3:1-9, please abide and remain only in the Lord Jesus Christ.
c. The Blessings of God that follows the Church: Col 1:15-29; As God intended in the books of our text for this conference as our father was led in both Obadiah 1:7 and Joel 2:12-32. Every Christian has been given the power to become special blessings to our nation and generation. Our blessings include the following among others:
1. We are God’s ambassador, the steward of His Mysteries 1Cor 4:1
2. We are the salt of the world so Jesus declared Matt 5:13 - we are to preserve our generation from decadency and to spice up our community as a pleasant place to live for both the Christian and the unbelievers. We are to make this world heaven on earth. Remember our Lord’s prayer. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The church – Christian are to enforce the will of God here on earth. This is possible when we allow revival in our time like in the days of our fathers.
3. We are light to the darkness of the world Matt 5:14 – with our presence darkness will move away.
4. You take God’s kingdom, God’s presence to everywhere you go. Take it to your office, take it to your shop, to your farm, to your community meeting, family meeting etc. let the people so read us sees us as children of God. 1Cor 4:1
Note: the deliverance of God is not possible to be in place if the Israelites are not ready to live a righteous life as found in both Joel 2:12-32 and Obadiah 1:17; so also, it is the righteous who stands with God that God would use to give deliverance to any challenging society, Church or Ministry.
IV. Lessons from our Heroes – Proverb 14:34; Take it or leave it, only righteous will exalt any nation, any church or any individual, sin will forever remain a reproach to any people.
Emphatically, if we are righteous we shall not be moved by the troubles of the nations, but we shall be their deliverer because of our righteousness. This is the reason why we need to stay, maintain and sustain our righteousness and make our church the abode of righteous people of God.
Our heroes of faith in Christ Apostolic Church did not become great with great history by chance but by CHOICE. They knew the price tag of their Vision, Dream and Goal before them and they made up their mind to pay it. Those who are not ready where not allowed. Today we are celebrating their success story which they got through their obedience. Just as Paul charged Timothy his son they are also charging us today in:
2 Timothy 3:10-17 NKJV [10] But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, [11] persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. [12] Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. [13] But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. [14] But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, [15] and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We are being reminded and charge to follow the footsteps of our Heroes. We have them as examples.
Conclusion: This is the era that the nations and their government should cry unto the church and not the church crying to the government as it was in the days of our fathers. If a nation is not exalted, check the righteousness of the church. Isaiah 60:1-3
NKJV[1] Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. [2] For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. [3] The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
Therefore, the ministers and leaders of God’s kingdom must understand that it is their righteousness and the light of God upon them that is needed to transform the nation.
Shalom.
Pastor Joseph Omolola is the Superintendent of CAC Agbara DCC, Lagos
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