What are we celebrating part: Is It Time To Celebrate? 

Preached on 10 November, 2013

by Pastor Afolabi Oladele 

But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians (Exodus 3:22).

Everyone has been endowed by God as seen in Exodus 3:2 where every single woman was given gold, it didn’t matter whether she was rich or poor or what her status in society was. Every single woman received gold. The gold God gave was to be used to serve and worship Him.

In the same way God blessed and clothed us beautifully and bountifully for HIS glory. Whatever we are today has come from God’s hands. He is the source of all the blessings we have and all our achievements. How are you using the endowments that God put in your life? What choice are you making with them? What do you do with what God has endowed you with? What are your choices? And how are you exercising this power of choice? 

There are 3 issues that relate to the use of what God has endowed us with. They are:

1. The Power of Choice

2. Responsibility of Leadership

3. The influence of society 

The Power of Choice

You and I have a choice of using all that God has given us to either worship idols as the people of Israel did in Exodus 32 or to honour God and use it for God’s worship as they chose to do in Exodus 35:20-22.

God decked the children of Israel with gold, silver, earrings etc to show forth His glory and to conform them to His image. Some of the people of Israel chose to use the gold that God gave them for an idol, while others set used it in the building of the temple of God (Ex 11:2, Ezek 16:8-13, Ex 32: 2-3, Ex 35:20, Num 31:49-52, Judges 8:22-27).

Your choice is your responsibility not your pastor’s.

Do you consume what God gives you upon your lust? The things we wear and possess, do they feed a sense of attainment, arrival, societal acceptance, influence or do they feed God’s purpose for giving them to us?

Endowment is given for the purpose of worship. Seek to understand why God has given you what He has – His gifts, His favour. Everyone that has turned God’s endowment into self sacrifice is culpable before God.

Don’t turn what God has given you to self-promotion. The essence of all God gave and gives me is for sacrifice and worship of God – His glory and purpose. Endowment is for the purpose of worship.

2. Responsibility of Leadership

Every one that God has put in a position to instruct, to guide or to lead someone who is in their domain is a leader whether it’s in a house, office or church. And every leader has a responsibility.

A leader is one who God has put in a position to instruct, provide guidance to others. In your domain – at work or at home – you’re a leader and you have a responsibility to hear from God first. In Exodus 4:15 God spoke to Moses and then Moses spoke to Aaron, Moses “put words in Aaron’s mouth.” This is the principle of leading. Aaron should have received reference from God before he sinned by telling the people to bring their jewellery to make idols. He gave in to the people’s demands because he was under pressure.

Only what comes from God is the truth. If you have not heard from God then remain silent. Hear from God before you take the next step. A true leader goes back to hear from God. God has said, “I will be with you as you speak. I will instruct you in what to do?” (Exodus 4:12).

Each time you give the wrong instruction as a leader there’s judgment. And each time you lead aright there are rewards. In Exodus 32 Aaron as a leader chose to use to encouraged the people in idolatry, he did not find out what God wanted. A leader should always hear from God. His reference point should be what God has said. Aaron did not hear from God, he just manufactured what he told the people. Did you hear right or did you manufacture it?

Leadership has responsibility as seen in Matthew 24:45-51

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:45-51 KJV)

As a leader, when you start giving wrong instructions by your manner of living, you are smiting the people God has placed under you. You are not to abandon your domain and join the world in afflicting the people God placed under you as the servant did when he started drinking with the drunken.

Judgment follows when there is a discrepancy between performance and hearing. Don’t let God’s word bestowed on you including the word preached on Sundays be in vain. Ezekiel 9:2 shows God’s judgment started at the temple where we see people who have heard from God, stand to offer sacrifices.

3. The influence of society 

Why was it a golden calf that the people of Israel chose to make? Israel had spent over 400 years in Egypt and the calf was a result of what they had imbibed from their society. 

You need to seek and find out what God wants and requires. Ask yourself will the things I put on feed my sense of entitlement, societal acceptance and social reckoning? Or will they please God and fulfil His purpose? Why do I wear what I wear? What’s the reason behind the things I do? 

We have come to a point in life where we have to know the reason why we do things. The things you consider normal today, are the things you adopted from the society?

If all you’re focused on is houses and cars you’ll miss the simplicity God has called you to.

Are your choices influenced by the society? Have you set up standards that are not godly? In Matthew 24:45-51 the evil servant chose to party and drink instead of feeding the servants Partying and drinking means the society.

How does God celebrate a man? Who does God esteem?

Our abundance is not what will impress God. He doesn’t value us on this basis. What He values are – humility, one who is contrite in spirit and the one who trembles at God’s word (Isaiah 66:1-2). These are the 3 three things that God uses to evaluate a man.

1. One who is humble

2. One who is contrite in spirit

3. One who trembles at God’s word.

What is True Humility? Luke 17:7-10 (GNT)

True Humility is an attitude that treasures the relationship with God above personal convenience. Godly humility is not a giant inferiority complex as some put it to be. Man by nature is not humble. But we’re well pleased with ourselves and insane enough to think we deserve good from the Lord. We don’t deserve anything from God but judgment so to come with an attitude of Lord, I brought this to You and You are not happy? is wrong.

Men think if they’ve behaved in a civil way, keeping themselves from the grosser sins, then everything is fine in their relationship with God. But true humility is not this.

We see in Luke 17 that servants do not deserve special thanks for following orders and instructions.

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:7-10 KJV)

How God values a man should be my pursuit.

Servants don’t deserve special thanks. When I’ve done all I’ve been told to do, I should say, “Lord, I am Your servant. I have no expectations, all I need to know is that You’re satisfied.” Cherish your relationship with your Creator and put Him first, above all things irrespective of inconvenience. A servant just coming back from the fields would be tired but in Luke 17 he still served his master first before eating or resting.

Understand and do what God wants Philippians 3:12 Keep pressing on