The Coming of the Saints (Part 1) — Prophet Cherub Obadare

all the ground he's seeking. All the ground he's seeking. Ancient words, ever true. Changing me and changing you. We have come with open hearts. Oh, let the ancient word impart. Ancient words, ever true. Changing me and changing you. We've come, we've come with open hearts, oh, let the ancient word impart. Father, we thank you. Amen. Blessed be your name. Amen. Thank you for your love and faithfulness. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for another opportunity to worship at your feet and to learn at your feet. Open our understanding, bring so much light into our spirit. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. Please, let's take our seats. Uh I want to welcome everyone of us this morning in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that the Lord will strengthen us, the month of May will be a month of testimony for us in the name of Jesus. Um for sometimes now we'll be discussing on a series we titled the coming of the saints. And by the grace of the Lord, we have been able to see uh by the spirit of the Lord, God has been um able to reveal his agenda for us even at this period. He has been able to open our mind and open our understanding by revelation to what is on the calendar of God. And I've said it before, uh in our previous teaching that before the coming of Christ, we will have the coming of the saints. And as a saint in Christ, how prepared are you for what God is about to do um in this last days? How prepared are you um as an individual, as a minister of the gospel, in whatever field you find yourself, you are going to be useful. You may be a banker, you may be a doctor, you may be a tailor. It is a revival that is beyond the four walls of the church. It's going to cut across all the works of life. So whatever you are doing, be you an ICT expert, God is going to use your this is the time God is going to use whatever you have, whatever talent you possess, whatever, you know, our profession you find yourself in, God is going to use you, you know, beyond what you think. There's going to be miracle in the market place through the hands of the saints. Praise God. And last week, we were able to see uh the different restoration that has happened has spoken from the book of Acts chapter three and um from verse 21, which is our anchor scripture. Acts chapter three verse 21 says whom the heaven must receive unto the times of restitution of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began. And Apostle Peter prophesied by quoting what the prophets in the Old Testament said that um Jesus would be taken up to heaven until the restoration of all things. And what are the things as we have discussed in our previous teaching? It is um the biblical truth that went um void during the dark age of the church. When is the dark age of the church? The dark age of the church was when the Roman empire took over the leadership of the church, took the Bible away from the church, and certain doctrines that was uh that were established by the apostles and the prophets of the early church were completely written off, like speaking in tongues was taken out. So some of this biblical truth were brought back through different apostles, through different prophets and generals that God used. We saw men like Martin Luther and and sorry, and I want to correct um some of the impression I made in my last teaching. It is not Martin Luther King, it is Martin Luther. Martin Luther, I was, you know, repeatedly saying Martin Luther. It was when I listened to the message, I was repeatedly saying Martin Luther King, it's Martin Luther. Martin Luther King was the man that pioneered the liberation of the blacks in America. He is called Martin Luther King Jr. The man that pioneered the restoration, the first restoration that brought about direct access to God and repentance, is called Martin Luther. So, we'll note that. Hallelujah. Amen. I thank the Holy Spirit for reminding me. I thought about it, I was going to let you know. And so, we saw, you know, men like John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and um John Knox, men of um different capacity that God used to bring restoration. After that, we saw the holiness and evangelical restoration, after the protestant restoration, which is by Martin Luther, and we saw the classical Pentecostal restoration by Charles F. Parham and WH Seymour, uh that happened in America, um in Azusa Street, where there was restoration of the biblical truth of speaking in tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit that was taken out during the dark age of the church. And thank God that all this restoration, one after the other, you know, God brought them back to the church, so that the church can, you know, be fully ready. If you uh look at the Bible, let me show you a scripture, the Holy Spirit does flash my spirit with that scripture as I'm talking now. The book of Ephesians, um chapter 5, um um let's look at it from um from verse um uh let's look at it from verse 26. Uh let's look at it from verse 24. He said, therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husband, love your wives, and even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Christ loved the church and gave himself for the church. Verse 26 says, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Look at verse 27, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. This is the reason you know, Jesus brought about all the biblical truth that, you know, were taken out in the dark age, because the church should be sanctified and be cleanse with the washing of water by the word. So, the restoration of this biblical teaching was preparing the church for the bridegroom who is coming to take the bride. Are you getting me? Jesus is that bright groom. The Bible described, you know, in the book of Ephesians chapter 5 verse 27, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any of such thing, that he might be that he should be that he should be a holy, should be holy and without blemish. Praise God. And so, this is the plan of Christ for the church, that the church will be will be complete, whole in sound doctrine, will be complete in sound doctrine. And all of these doctrine we saw, you know, after the classical Pentecostal movement, we saw the latter in charismatic movement by O Roberts, men like Kenneth Hagen, they brought about the teaching and the biblical truth of um laying of hands for divine healing and the um the message of faith for um health and prosperity. Praise the Lord. And I show you the prophetic and the apostolic movement by men like Paul Cain, Bill Hamon, Cindy Jacobs, some of these people are still very much alive. Peter Wagner, that some of them God have used to restore the five-fold ministry in his place. The Lord is helping us in the name of Jesus. Today, we are going to be looking at some um um, you know, under this teaching, the coming of the saints, what I call activation. Say after me, say activation. Say it like somebody that has been activated, say activation. Activation. Yeah, activation means to uh bring someone into the place of full manifestation of the grace and the gifts and the calling of God upon his life. Activation means to to steer up the gift that is in you, uh the calling of God upon you, the anointing of God, to bring it into full expression and manifestation. Today, we are going to be looking at activation of the saints ministry. How would the saints come into the full expression of what God has designed for them, which is the last restoration that we happened before the coming of Christ. How will this happen? Will God just pick men on the street and start using them? No, God has order, God has a he has a way of doing things. He doesn't do things anyhow. And so, activation is going to happen already, Jesus set a structure. Jesus has a structure in place for the activation of the saints. The Bible saying in the book of Ephesians chapter 4, from verse um um 10, precisely, the Bible say he ascended on high, he took captivity captive and he gave gifts unto men. Jesus already has the structure in place that we activate the ministry of the saints. Like I told you, every saint has a ministry. You may not be a pastor, you may not be in the office of a prophet, you may not be in the office of an apostle, but as a saint in Christ, you have a ministry. To deliver your portion. And verse um 11 says, he gave some to be apostles, among the saints, he called some the gift of Christ to the saints are men. He gave some apostles, some to be prophets, some pastors, some evangelists, and some teachers. If you read, you will see where he says, for the edifying the aquiping the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifice fine of the body of Christ. He says, he gave all of these offices so that the saints can be perfected. And if you are not careful, the devil tracked you as um a a minister in the five-fold ministry. Many ministers are distracted by the anointing. Some are distracted by the title, some are distracted by the reward. It is time we become saint-oriented. To be saint-oriented means whatever we are doing should be targeted at perfecting the saint. Are you starting? Is the Lord giving you a ministry to the widows? It is to perfect the saints. Who are in that group? Is God giving you a ministry to the students? It's not for you to gain influence. It is not about your influence. It is about him. Say it is about him. It's not about the influence of an apostle. It's not about your fame as a prophet. It is not about you. It's your You are not the focus. The focus is um the saints being the the the the the reason why we are at work. Now, listen to me. As I was studying, I wrote this down. Said, it is time the ministers become saint-oriented and Christ-centered. Write it down. Say, minister in the five-fold ministry, are you called a pastor? Are you called to be an apostle? Are you called to be a pastor? Are you called to be a teacher? Your primary focus now, because what is about to happen as a lot to do with the coming of the saints, your primary focus and assignment even at this moment is to become saint-oriented and Christ-centered. What is that? Introducing the saints to Christ, such that when you show them Christ to a point, if you go further in the book of Ephesians chapter 4, it says that they that for the perfecting of the saints, look at it. For the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, who is the Son of God? Jesus. Listen to me, whatever you are teaching as a minister in the five-fold ministry, if it is outside of Jesus, you have defeated the purpose why you are given that ministry. Look at it very clear, clear and direct English. And of the knowledge of the Son of God, that you will introduce to them the the the revelation knowledge. That was why Paul was praying in Ephesians chapter 1 from verse 15, when I heard of your love and among brethren and of your faith in Christ, I cease not to make mention of you in prayer, giving thanks that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and Father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. So, you are not to teach yourself to the people. You are to teach him, Christ. Look at it. Why? Why should you teach Christ? He says, he says unto a perfect man, meaning until they come to maturity, until the saints are fit onto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So, the man in five-fold ministry must become saint-oriented and Christ-centered. This is our assignment. We, listen, our primary assignment is not to build churches. It is good to build churches, to build facilities, but listen to me, if you don't build the people, your facility is a waste. If you have a sitting capacity that sits close to 5,000 people, 10,000 people, if the people are not built, is a waste of money. I remember I was hearing, uh, one day I said, I am one of the greatest joy I have in my life. It's not because I walked as a professional banker. Let's see. This is my greatest delight and excitement in life is that I was called into one of these offices. And listen, you must not take this for granted. You must not take this. And I've said this before, you you you don't it's not all the body, it's not all the saints that will be called into this ministry, not all. Apostle Paul was explaining it in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. He said, we can all be an apostle. Can all of us be prophets? Can all of us be pastors? Can all of us be teachers? Can all of us be miracle workers? He said, no. He gave different men, different capacities. Now, Jesus dividing himself into many in different capacity, the central focus is that you introduce the saints to him because it is when the saints see him that they are revealed. Shout Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ till we come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, who is the Son of God? Jesus. Listen to me, whatever you are teaching as a minister in the five-fold ministry, if it is outside of Jesus, you have defeated the purpose why you're given that ministry. Look at it, till we come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So, the man in five-fold ministry must become saint-oriented and Christ-centered. This is our assignment. We, listen, our primary assignment is not to build churches. It is good to build churches, to build facilities, but listen to me, if you don't build the people, your facility is a waste. If you have a sitting capacity that sits close to 5,000 people, 10,000 people, if the people are not built, it's a waste of money. I remember I was hearing, uh, one day I said, I am one of the greatest joy I have in my life. It's not because I walked as a professional banker. Let's see. This is my greatest delight and excitement in life is that I was called into one of these offices. And listen, you must not take this for granted. You must not take this. And I've said this before, you you you don't it's not all the body, it's not all the saints that will be called into this ministry, not all. Apostle Paul was explaining it in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. He said, we can all be an apostle. Can all of us be prophets? Can all of us be pastors? Can all of us be teachers? Can all of us be miracle workers? He said, no. He gave different men, different capacities. Now, Jesus dividing himself into many in different capacity, the central focus is that you introduce the saints to him because it is when the saints see him that they are revealed. Shout Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ till we come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So, the man in five-fold ministry must become saint-oriented and Christ-centered. This is our assignment. We, listen, our primary assignment is not to build churches. It is good to build churches, to build facilities, but listen to me, if you don't build the people, your facility is a waste. If you have a sitting capacity that sits close to 5,000 people, 10,000 people, if the people are not built, it's a waste of money. I remember I was hearing, uh, one day I said, I am one of the greatest joy I have in my life. It's not because I walked as a professional banker. Let's see. This is my greatest delight and excitement in life is that I was called into one of these offices. And listen, you must not take this for granted.…