TOPIC: GOD'S PARTNER.
MEMORISE:
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9
READ: Ezekiel 37:1-10
1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2. And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
4. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
7. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
MESSAGE:
God loves to partner with people for His work here on earth. When He wanted to deliver the people of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians, He partnered with Moses. When He wanted to raise dry bones to become an army, He partnered with Prophet Ezekiel as we see in today's Bible reading. The major thing that qualifies you for partnership with God is holiness because He is a holy God and Amos 3:3 says two cannot walk together except they agree.
Beyond holiness however, one thing has to be clear from the beginning: He is the Senior Partner while you are the junior partner. Being the junior partner means that you have to forget whatever it is that you have achieved and place yourself wholly under His leadership.
Peter was a professional fisherman. He had been fishing since he was a youth. Jesus on the other hand was a carpenter. When Jesus wanted to perform the miracle of a boat-sinking catch and needed Peter to partner with Him, He told him to fish at a time when, from experience, Peter knew there would be little or no catch. Peter however put all his experience and qualifications aside to obey the Senior Partner and the result was a catch so great that it filled two boats.
One day, just after I became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the Lord said to me, " My son, you are almost forty years old and forty as you know is considered the age of wisdom". I said ''Yes, Lord". He went on to show-me two graphs. One looked like a valley, the other a mountain. He then told me to choose which of the two I wanted. I understood straightaway by the help of the Holy Spirit, so I chose the valley. He said "Very well, son, I am ready to become your partner so that from now, you will be climbing. But for that to happen, everything about you has to reduce to zero." Before that time, my name plate read 'Rev. Dr. E.A Adeboye, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.' and at the bottom was 'General Overseer'. God said to me "From now, you will be known simply as Pastor Adeboye. All the big titles have to go - the B.Scs., M.Sc., Ph.D. I am not interested in them."
If you want God to partner with you, humbly take the position of a junior partner. All your knowledge and achievements have to be put aside. Your obedience to your Senior Partner has to be absolute.
KEY POINT:
God is the Senior Partner; you are the junior partner. He instructs, you obey. He leads, you follow.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 9-10
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 12: IN CHRIST ALONE.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
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