Pst. Sola Abiodun
Date: Sunday, 8th of August, 2021
First Service
Venue: MFM HQ Youth Church
Text: Mal. 3:2 – 5, 2 Tim. 2: 20-21
Happy Sunday Church and a happy new week to you all.
Beloved, it is no longer news as we approach the end of age that the state of the modern day Church is quite worrisome. A quick comparison of today’s church with that of old reveals a massive deviation from the laid-down standard.
Comparison between the church of today and the early church.
- The reality of God’s presence: To the early church, the presence of God wasn’t just real, it was felt – almost palpable. In contrast, many believers of today are so lost on God’s presence they almost see it as an abstract.
- The demonstration of God’s power was immense in the early church not so in light of our own chronic powerlessness.
- The early church had a sound knowledge of God’s word compared to a deficit scriptural knowledge in the present church.
- The early church practiced unadulterated holiness rooted in sound doctrine. Today’s church is so entrenched in crash courses that makes for a spineless holiness.
- Soul-winning in the early church was paramount not so today.
- The early church had many instances that it could be said of them having the word of the Lord coming unto them. Not so with today’s arrangement.
- The early church prayed fervent prayers as compared to our own dusty prayer altars.
Friends, be it known to you that the index of your power is the extent of the fervency of your prayers. - An effective quiet time versus the modern church’s ineffective quiet time. We simply are becoming too busy to observe our quiet time.
- The early church had a lack of interest in ceremonial titles. Not so with the modern church.
Hypocrisy within the modern church has led people to assuming positions when they visibly do not have the required holiness. Quite the tale for the undone ministers of today. - The early church thrived on sacrifice – a sacrifice of time and resources. The believers of today lack sacrifice.
- The early church didn’t worship money, they respected it. In our times, inordinate love of money is rife.
- Spiritual depth versus spiritual shallowness.
- A strong revelation-knowledge versus a poverty of revelation.
- The believers of old were heaven-oriented Christians, they simply had the consciousness of heaven in their lifestyle. Unfortunately, today the message of heaven and hell is drying up on many pulpits.
Consecration – Our solution to the lamentable tragedy we are in. Consecration is the right response on our part needed to assume those vacant spiritual posts.
What then are consecrated vessels?
- These are vessels set apart for God’s use.
- Holy Vessels with no pollution. (2 Cor. 7:1).
- Vessels that have access to the deep secrets of God – God’s favorite.
God’s Refinery: A new heart mechanism (Ezek. 36:26)
Conclusively, to achieve this consecration, we must pass through God’s refining process. Majorly so because our heart’s not to be trusted (Jer. 17:9, Matt. 16:18 -19).