TOPIC: GREAT VICTORY, GREAT SACRIFICE
MEMORISE:
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10
READ: 1Corinthians 9 :25-27
25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
MESSAGE:
Many people want great victories, but they do not want to make commensurate sacrifices. If you want to stay on the level of small victories, then you can continue making only little sacrifices. In The Redeemed Christian Church of God, we fast for at least forty days every year. Sometimes we even fast for as long as 100 days. When some other ministries see us fasting, they laugh at us, but when the victories start pouring in, we will then be the ones laughing. The higher the mountain top you want to reach, the greater the effort you would need to climb it.
I am tired of playing small, l am tired of small victories, l want great testimonies. I want victories that will wow the whole world for generations to come. If you want bigger victories too, then you must be ready to make bigger sacrifices. For every higher level you try to attain, there will be obstacles waiting to stop you. You must be prepared to fight to gain victory over them. The higher the level you are trying to get to, the more prepared you must be for battle.
When a boxer is preparing for a boxing match, he trains harder to fight bigger opponents than he would when going to fight a smaller opponent. If you are going to fight the world champion, your training must be more rigorous than when you are going to fight a local one.
The level of greatness you want to achieve is what must determine the level of preparation you put in and the kind of sacrifice you make. If you keep living your life based on convenience - eating whenever you feel like, sleeping all night, spending a lot of time on entertainment and only praying when you are in Church or only working hard when you are instructed to, then you can only have small victories. However, if you are an ever-ready soldier who takes his body to the cutting edge of discipline, then there is no level of greatness you reach for that you would not be able to achieve. From our memory verse today, we see why Apostle Paul was the most prominent of all the Apostles.
If you want to be the most prominent person in your chosen field, be ready to put in more effort than anybody else there.
KEY POINT:
The greater the height you want to reach, the greater the sacrifice you have to make.
BIBILE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 8-10
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 20: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
1. Onward, Christian soldiers! Marching as to war, Looking unto Jesus,
Who is gone before; Christ, the Royal Master, Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, See His banners go.
CHORUS:
Onward, Christian soldiers! Marching as to war, Looking unto Jesus,
Who is gone before.
2. At the name of Jesus
Satan's host doth Ilee; On then, Christian soldiers
On to victory! Hell's foundations quiver At the shout of praise: Brothers, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise. [CHORUS]
3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God: Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod. We are not divided, All one body we One in hope and doctrine, One in charity. [CHORUS]
4. Crowns and thrones may perish Kingdoms rise and wane; But the Church of Jesus Constant will remain: Gates of hell can never
'Gainst that church prevail; We have Christ's own promise- And that cannot fail. [CHORUS]
5. Onward then, ye people, Join our happy throng; Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song: "Glory, praise and honour, Unto Christ the King", - This, through countless ages, Men and angels sing. [CHORUS]
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