Title : Spirituality Highway to our enviable destiny
Focus : Espousing the aroma of spirituality
Ministering : Pastor Isaac Oyedepo
We began looking yesterday a series that was started by our father God’s servant and I will be taking a portion of that its been titled Spirituality our highway to our enviable Destiny Spirituality highway to our enviable Destiny, but I’ll be focusing on the subject of our espousing the aroma of spirituality, espousing the aroma of spirituality If that is too great for you to understand just put the aroma of spirituality
I like to begin on this journey this morning by stating that the aroma of the believer is designed by God to be the aroma of spirituality
The aroma the smell of the believer is designed to be that smell or aroma of Spirituality there are three things that will lay a very great foundation for us this morning
- one can be born again and not spiritual Salvation doesn’t equal spirituality, there is a foundation that must be laid One can be born again and not spiritual
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
it says and I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even unto babes in Christ, I have fed you
with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able,
for ye are yet carnal, for whereas there is among you Look at what defines carnality envying, Strife, Divisions, are you not carnal and walk as men
PRAYER: May this mountain of AYEC 2023 bring an end to every form of carnality in our lives
- foundation that must be laid is one can be active in church and not spiritual
John 8:29
He that sent me is with me, the father has not left me alone
Divine presence is one of the things you enjoy with spirituality, he has not left me alone because I do always the things that please him, not that I do things, but I do the things that please him, so one can be active in church wearing a tag, yet not spiritual
- foundation very importantly that must be laid is that one can be ordained and not spiritual,
2 Timothy 2:19-21
the foundation of the lord standeth sure, the lord knoweth them that are his,and let everyone that nameth the name of christ whether ordained or unordained, let them depart from iniquity, these three things will help us ascend higher in what
God has said for us today One can be born again and not be spiritual, one can be active in church not be spiritual, one can be ordained or leading in a service group yet carnal,
PRAYER: in the name of Jesus, every form of
carnality among us upon this mountain will not survive
What makes a Spiritual man is both living in the spirit and walking in the spirit
Galatians 5:25,
If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit, but God’s word is spirit and life
John 6:63
his word is spirit and life for the spirit quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing, the words that I speak unto you they are what?, spirit and life this is why spirituality is essentially about walking in the light of scripture
Psalm 109:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,
we see there that the entrance of his word giveth light and giveth understanding to the simple, so let’s go further by saying spirituality is Scripturality, spirituality is Scripturality, spirituality is Scripturality, living according to the dictates of scriptures, walking in line with the high standards of scriptures Culture must not define our standard, the scripture must design our standard if the word says it is wrong then it is wrong no matter how many people approve it as right, the standard, the standard, must be the scripture, the standard must be the scripture I’ve made up
my mind long time ago I will not allow my generation determine my standard, it is still possible to be in a generation like this and still be on blazing fire, it depends on what you make your standard, and let me quickly say this, the word of God is a very high standard, it is high there you keep every day you are striving to climb higher, if the word is truly your standard you will never arrive there
Now note the following,
This would really help us holding ourselves to the high standard of
scripture is what I call spirituality, the high standard of scripture, when you hold yourself to the high standard of scripture then it is spirituality, now there are few things noted here that will help us, what are these high standards, there are a few of them maybe 9 of them.
- Holding yourself to the high standard of holiness.
Action: can I have you scream holiness, come on let me hear you scream it holiness!
We are in the same generation, but don’t let this generation determine our standard
Let me hear you scream holiness
Holiness is not old school, it is not previous generation it is current generation, there are people who are still standing right with God and will not bow their knees to bar, it was Elijah or so that was saying I am the only one left and God said shut up, there are seven thousand people who have not bowed their knees to bar Am I speaking to somebody here who will leave this place with this high standard of holiness, if God says it is wrong then it is wrong, if God says it is right then it is right
PRAYER: May grace to live according to this high standard of holiness be released upon us all
You know when you begin to live according to these high standards that when the aroma comes out, there are people you meet but you can’t explain, but they are different
Let me tell you why they are different, their standards are different, their standards are different, their standards are different I’m here to provoke you, I am from your generation, but we may not have the same standards
I have made up my mind I will not die ordinary, never if anybody has ever seen the backside of God then I think i qualified at least to see his fingers, the high standard of holiness
The high Standard, it doesn’t matter whether it is popular where you are or not, it is the high standard that brings the aroma, the aroma because you know it is the ingredient in the soup that makes it to taste well, the ingredient that makes it to taste well, is the same ingredient that makes it to smell well, there is an aroma of spirituality, at the foundation of it, it’s the high standard of holiness
He said for without holiness no man shall do what come on I Thought you’re awake, no man shall do what?
Let me hear you louder no man shall do what!
Now let me, let me shock you with this, if you enter into his presence and you see him, you leave with his fragrance That why a man that is holy, a man that subscribe to the high standard of holiness, hanging around the almighty will take the fragrance of his presence wherever they go and then people
If you enter his presence and you see him you leave with his fragrance that is why a man that is holy a man that subscribe to the high standard of holiness hanging around the almighty will take the fragrance of his presence wherever you go people are sleeping who just entered who just passed here a man that walks with god has just entered the environment may somebody today subscribe to the high standard of holiness.
come on let me hear you shout the loudest amen! Isaiah 35 8
For the foundation of the lord standeth sure the lord knoweth those that are his 2 Tim 2 19
It doesn’t matter how many people are doing wrong separate your self.
we all have different standards I remember my father saying there is no new generation heaven.
I can’t read this bible! I can’t be here going through this activities and miss eternity NO! I am not a time waster
I will not wake up early in the morning to pray and spend my life in hell NO!
I can’t drive all the way to AYAC when I could be sleeping right now and miss heaven NO!
I couldn’t have read about the apostles and not tell them how the scriptures they wrote set my life on fire
I have made up my mind if everybody say they are not going, I will go!
I will go I will go I have made up my mind
If there is anybody that will make it in my generation I will make it
Action: Can somebody shout I will make it!
- The high standard of prayer.
You don’t just hold yourself to the high standard of holiness, you hold your self to the high standard of prayer.
Spiritual men are prayerful men because the bible teaches us to pray, in fact the standard of the bible is to pray always. Luke 18:1
What were you doing with the 30 minutes after covenant hour of prayer ?
Don’t mistake public prayer to your personal closet.
In fact let me even challenge you before you got here when we get to covenant hour of prayer there are those who have prayed already before they stepped in there.
Some are just waking up by opening prayer.
There are those who woke up since crying onto God (speaks in tongues)
Not because they are going to preach but because they must be clothed
Nobody ever walks out of their house naked a prayer less money is a naked money it is a high standard 1 Samuel 12:23
When I heard one of my mentors say this it shook me prayerlessness is a sin look at it .
Moreover as for me god forbid I should sin against the lord a season to pray ha somebody standard standard again standard now lets make it clear high standard
you think our journey in the faith is a play fair warfare fighting every day to wake up to pray is fought to stay in prayer is fight because you can wake up to pray and sleep through the prayer high standard
It was EM BOUNDS that said every great movement of god can be traced to a kneeling figure high standard every great move of god cam be traced to a kneeling figure in the realm of the spirit not only in the spiritual when last did you kneel before god high standard
It was MARTIN LUTHER KING that said to be a Christian without prayer is no possible than to be alive without breathing our real breathe is our prayer life
It was THOMAS WATSON that said prayer delights in Gods ears it melts his heart
When last did you melt the heart of your lover prayer high standard prayer is not convenient it is a standard
Charles Spurgeon said that groaning that cannot be uttered are often prayers that cannot be refused
You cant read the scriptures and hear the quotes from our fatherly giants of the faith don’t blame the devil for where you the devil is against every one what is your prayer standard have you gotten to the dimension that you walk tie the hours in your day in his presence there are 24 hours do you spend 2 hours 2 hours in his presence because you spend more than a watching watching football you spend more than that gisting and chatting prayer!
So I cm say those that spend more time with Hod in prayer carry the fragrance of his presence every where there you go again that is his aroma am giving you the acid test spirituality is not because you look like it not because you speak like it it is because you live like it and you stay in his presence how many have gotten to the point that (sings) leave me at the altar with my father (singing stops) then they are dead without distraction the choice is yours it would be unfair for god to place some of us at the same position our standard are different
- the high standard of forgiveness you claim to be spiritual yet you fond it difficult to forgive I think there is a problem there and so today among our generation we have people who spend hours in prayer sweating in prayer but when they see someone that offended them 3 years ago there is an automatic disconnect forgiveness in m
Matt 18 21 22
Seventy times seven that is as much as the offend you in the words of our father we should get into the realms of advanced forgiveness we are not waiting for and offence to make a decision we are making a decision without offence the high standard because in unforgiveness is a pollutant to the aroma of spirituality what has kept man canals is this one unforgiveness
Those who forgive are like god and the carry the aroma of his presence we know how many times you and I have offended him and yet as soon as we say we are sorry what happens he forgives us
- High standard of scripture is the high standard of love love foe god compassion for man
Matt 22 37 40
1 John 3 18
Do you love god I know the unanimous answer will be all right lets assume that is true do you love people how can you claim you love the god you cannot see and the one you cannot see you are in enmity against love for god love for man
You claim you are spiritual yet you are always sin fights there is a problem there you cant carry the aroma of his presence without love for god it is our father that said you cannot know my secret until you know my heartbeat for god so heartbeat and outstretch hand towards man
You know those who walk in love god the father and god the son said they will make their bode in him what better way to ferry the aroma
John 14 23
5) The high standard of truth. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Matt 5: 37.
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Infact, let me quickly say this. Your walk with God and your spirituality is grossly limited, if your answer to everything is Yes. No is also an acceptable answer. ‘Let’s go’. No. ‘Everybody is doing it’. No. Yes is easy, No is the standard. Truth. Truth may hurt, but truth heals.
6) The high standard of hunger.
Every man that thirsteth, let him come to the waters. In this kingdom, you are not permitted to be satisfied. Satisfaction of God is breaking the standard. Paul, the apostle said that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship.. At this point, Paul, the apostle was already a giant, yet he said, I don’t know him enough. The high standard of hunger.
It is risky therefore to be satisfied. When you carry this high standard of hunger, you can’t settle at any level. Infact, you understand that when people begin to applaud you, it means they are used to your current level. According to the standard of scriptures, as you continue to grow and advance in the things of God, it gets to a point that you are speaking, people can’t clap again. According to the word of Jesus, it was said about him that the people were amazed. They didn’t have to shout. What doctrine is this! When people begin to murmur and mutter in the congregation. Ahh! Nobody can hear it, but it’s piercing.
Prayer: Today, you are changing levels.
Are you hearing what I’m saying?
Action: Somebody shout with me ‘ I will not settle’. I can’t hear you, louder, please
He said, Arise and depart, for this is not your rest. Mic 2; 10
I have made up my mind a long time ago, nobody will confuse me to remain a nonentity. The applause of men sometimes is a distraction for you to settle.
7) The high standard of spiritual growth.
It is hunger that leads to growth. Where hunger is satisfied, growth is hindered. It’s our father that said when you stop learning, you start dying. When you stop learning, an unknown author said, you are old, whether at 20 or at 80.
He said, Desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. 1pet 2:2. Then In Heb 5: 14, strong meat belongeth to them of full age.
8) The high standard of Kingdom stewardship. Matt 6: 33
This commission has maintained that high standard of stewardship. Stewardship has a beginning but no end.
Are you seeing the high standard of scriptures? It’s when you live according to this, that you are really spiritual. I love the 9th one, but this is among many standards but let’s look at number 9, and then we move to some things we need to note and then we pray.
9) The high standard of rejoicing.
Action: Can I have somebody rejoice right now. Common, is that the best way you can rejoice?
Now, listen to this. I told them at Covenant University sometime ago, start your rejoicing as soon as you wake up, because the first person you may meet when you step out may be a joy breaker. But you have woken up and already began rejoicing the moment you find a joy breaker, you just excuse them and move. Jn 16: 22.
I saw these scriptures some 5 years ago, and I removed my joy from the shelf. From that moment, I decided I will rejoice regardless of who is sorrowing. I will rejoice and ensure my joy is not up for sale. So, when you see a joy breaker, and tell them, no joy here for sale, my joy is maintained in Christ. Is somebody hearing what I’m saying? Phil 4: 4. Look at how high this standard is. Phil 4: 4.
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
I discovered that in bible days, the way Jesus will greet is not how we greet now. We don’t say good morning, good afternoon. When Jesus and the apostles will enter a place, bible history tells us that the first thing they will say is ‘Rejoice’. Can you imagine that’s the first thing we say everytime we meet? Rejoice. Instead of good morning, Rejoice, instead of good afternoon Rejoice, instead of good evening, Rejoice, instead of good night, Rejoice. Ahh! If that kind of atmosphere is created, that’s why Paul the apostle said,’ Rejoicing ought to be always’. Prayer always, rejoicing always. No matter what you are going through, it doesn’t equal when you are going to. Yes sir. I may be going through this situation, but that’s not where I’m going to. I am a city set upon a hill that can never be hidden.I am a blessing to my generation,my generation needs me. I may be passing through this challenge, I am a light of the world, a city set upon the hill. He said, Isa 60: 1
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
My generation can not remain the same in my absence. So, I need to give my best at all times and that will entail me Rejoicing.
Action: Lift up your hands where you are,Grace to remain rejoicing always in the Lord, receive it in the name of Jesus.
Those are all high standards. Now what are some things we must note and then we pray. Because, this aroma, we must carry it.