FOUNDATIONS 1

1 Corinthians chapter number 3. Okay, we can start the reading from verse 10. 1 Corinthians 3 from verse 10. Please turn your Bibles there. According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation. Some translations use the word cornerstones and said another buildeth thereupon. Now let me show you. Let's read that same scripture. 1 Corinthians 3:10, we read Message, um, from them, translation: Using the gifts God gave me, as a good architect, I designed blueprints. Are you still seeing it? I designed blueprints Apollos is putting the wall. So we're not looking at the subject of the new series, Foundations, in respect to foundation from father's house, foundational battle, you know, stuff like that. No, we're looking at the subject of this foundation in respect to blueprints. Um, that's the context. So Paul said, because we want to re-dig around our foundations so that now God can be able to do what he wants to do. All right, so one time— and I know there are builders here— I had to do a project, and when I got to the site The DCP, is that what you call it? DPC, sorry, DPC. Thank you. I know Sabi. The DPC has been done. All right, so we had two options: dig it out or find a way to walk around it and bring it to the blueprint of what you want to do. Are you seeing that? So even when you have grown old, works can still be done around your foundation. Now there are people who are tired, who are getting frustrated and saying things like, you know what, um, I love God, I want to serve him, I'm seeing that some things are not right. I wish I had someone. In fact, I've met people who have said to me that I wish I had met you, Apostle, you know, some 10 years ago, some 5 years ago, some this and that. Well, the truth of the matter is that if you had met me 10 years ago, this is not the version of me you would have met. Your life went exactly the way it needed to go. All right, that doesn't mean you are exactly where you want to be or you should be, but there are lessons that are important so you can appreciate wisdom. Is that okay now? So you don't sit down mourning the past and say, you know what, I wish I had the privilege, I wish I've known someone like Apostle years ago, I wish— hey, we are imagining. So Paul said, I have laid well the foundation. But there are others who come to build. But he said, let everyone take it, be careful, pay attention to how they're building. All right, look at what the Bible says in Psalms 11, verse 3. Psalms chapter number 11, verse 3. That's a very powerful scripture. Psalms 11, verse 3. If you're there, say amen. Can we all echo it together? 1, 2, 3, go. One more time. If the foundations be destroyed or out of place, even those who are righteous can't do anything about it. Look at what Good News Translation says: there is nothing a good person can do when everything falls apart. That's so powerful. Let me show you. NLT translation says: the foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do? So sometimes our lives suffer the consequences, the defect that is established as a result of wrong foundation. And please look up, everybody, and I want to beg that you— particularly those of us who are already parents. You see, while the work was going on yesterday, I had my most important attention, my most important attention in the children's church, and I have a reason. One of the children, one of our children came to me. The boy should be about 7 or 6, and he said, 'Apostle, why did the government destroy our church?' Ah, I said, 'Come, follow me.' I had to sit him down. Let's talk. There is a difference between church and auditorium. Auditorium can be destroyed. You and I are the church. You see that? They are thinking, they are asking questions, they are wondering, they have, they have questions. They are checking. See, see, my ex, my joy this morning is not for you. Your own foundation is fixed. You want to dig? My joy this morning is that those young lads can come to church and say God can be trusted. Yes, sir. That's why if you want to help your children get their foundations right, they don't have to know everything about your pains, else it will alter their perception about life. They step into life reactionarily, start expecting and anticipating pain. So the season to lay foundation requires loads of carefulness. When you lay foundation, you don't lay foundation based on just what you have, but based on where the future is going. So unfortunately Many of us were exposed to people. I mean, the first messages we started hearing, the first teachers, the first speakers, um, permit me to say the first church. Maybe because of human biases and sometimes even family, some things can be altered about a person's life. Because of that exposure, that it may take time in life for them to be corrected. You see, I grew up in a family that is very religious, very religious, um, um, and I married my wife also from a family that is extremely religious. You know, I remember my wife's mom came to me and said, promise me. Ah, I will not tell you this because that's what bloggers will go and carry. So let me just— ah, I say, Mommy, I can't promise. I can't promise. Some of us grew up like that. Maybe it took you time to know that, wait, When Paul was talking about covering heads in the book of Corinthians, he was not referring to head tie. Look, maybe someone is just hearing that for the first time. Now, when, um, after the Levitical order, we're talking about women should not wear what pertains to a man, so talking about trousers, what pertains And it was given that law in respect to women's monthly flow. And according to the law in the Old Testament, once a woman is having the monthly flow, she's considered unclean and is kept outside the church. And says that a man should not wear it. So it took you time. When did you start adjusting? Some of you probably even broke up with a girl because the girl would not wear a tie. And now you have grown, you found the word, and you discover that you were very foolish because the person you have now married to— na de se— sorry, sorry. So foundation is so important, the blueprint of our lives, how rooted and established we are in the word. And we're going to be checking all that in this season. Your foundation in the word of God, your doctrinal foundation, what you think about what the Bible says, what you are established on. There are Christians who still believe that when you have dreams and you see yourself eating in the dream, ah, they have come. How can I see myself eating the dream after Holy Ghost experience? Ah, I didn't pray enough. Meanwhile, in the Bible, every time they ate in the dream was for strength. Are you aware that your dreams are not as powerful as your interpretations of them? Oh yes, my wife is here. When she shares with me, I say, "I had a dream." First question: What's your interpretation? What am I checking? The doctrine. Second question: What's your perception when you woke up? Are you aware it doesn't matter how bad a dream is, your level of revelation can cancel it? There are some things you saw They are— you actually saw them. No, no, it's a fact. You actually saw them, but they are waiting for your own level of revelation to now know whether you should be afflicted or not. Listen, if one of the children in the children's church comes now outside, now all of us watching, and the guy just steps out 10-year-old, 8-year-old boy with cane. I said, Apostle, follow me now. Ah, the boy said, Apostle, are you not Femi Lazarus? I said, follow me. Why is there eating? I will flog you today. A boy, God forbid, because I— okay, all right. But see, if I now start saying protocol, protocol, protocol, come After they have attended to me, they need to take me to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. When you call God to fight the battles that He has empowered you to fight, you don't know the word. And when you call Him to re-establish the victory He already gave you, you don't know the word. There are times you only have to flip out the receipt. Price is paid because your foundation was gotten right. Let me tell you something, and I stand before God and man, I will tell you this. Because people are saying, Apostle, you have strength, you're a good leader. I said, I didn't know, I didn't know it's called strength. But listen, I just believe that our priority was intact. The asset of this church from day one has never been things. If that foundation is not gotten right, you will be devastated. Once you build your hope on things, all right, I feel I'm saying now, people say, ah, you see, maybe you are dating a guy that is the finest you've ever dated. You feel like a queen because of the guy, eh, get beer beer, and he wears kaftan. What kaftan will do in this life? So that now gives you a sense of identity. And usually God sees all those things, that Isaac should not be what makes you feel blessed. It should be God. When Isaac is what makes you feel blessed, Isaac will take you out of God. You will have to sacrifice Isaac to find God. When you sacrifice Isaac, Isaacs don't die, they become nations. Are you following what I'm saying here? So in this season, we are going to be re-digging around our foundations. And certain things that you have said, they are too late, right? Maybe already I'm 60. I was speaking to one of our members in Ibadan church. She just did, I think, 60th birthday. And she said to me one time, I was speaking with her, And she said, 'Apostle, I have spent 60 years of my life not fulfilling my purpose because I married a man who will not allow me do that. Now I am 60 and most part of my life is gone. Do you think there's still hope for me?' I said, 'If Moses was here now, you're a teenager. He began at 80, so let's get back on the track.' There is no level in life that a man's foundation cannot be talked around. Many of you saw the testimony Mommy Aye Duro, she was sharing her testimony during Holy Ghost experience. That woman you were seeing on the screen is 70, will be 80 in 2 years. Those of us who are in all the prayer platform, you will know her, the mentorship, she doesn't miss classes. What the devil wants you to do is to look at your life and conclude that certain things are too late. Are you following what I'm saying here? It is not compulsory for you to look like the house you came from. See, people pick themselves up and repolish themselves. Are you following what I'm saying? You see, listen, you don't have to look like it. I'm led to tell someone this morning that what the devil is doing, fighting on all sides, is that he wants to break your momentum. Sometimes it is the things that you set in rhythm, in patterns, that the devil knows that that's what keeps you fresh. If he can break it for a week, you may not come back in 5 years. One of the most important battles you fight is the battle to keep the momentum. That this will not win for it. Set systems in place. Are you following what I'm saying here? Now I want to show you that scripture in another light. That's 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 10 in another light. If you're there, say amen. Now, what's Paul saying contextually? He said, according to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise— somebody say wise— master builder. Now please pay attention, and I— what I want to say is so important. Anywhere, anything that will last must be built. There must be wisdom. So one of the very important characteristics of the apostolic ministry is wisdom, because that wisdom is needed to establish people. Look how the Bible says in Proverbs 24. Proverbs 24, start the reading from verse 3. Am I correct? Proverbs 24 from verse 3. Yeah. Let's read this together. 1, 2, 3, go! True wisdom is a house builded, and by understanding it is established. Yes. Verse 4: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Yes. Verse 5: A wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledge increaseth. Now, true wisdom— you want to build, you want to have a life that is without reproach, it requires wisdom. You want to stand strong, it requires wisdom. In systematic theology class in School of Ministry, I tell the students that theology, apart from the study of what it is, is you comparing the language of the church with the language of the Bible. Now let me tell you what I mean. There are things we say innocently but erroneously that they may look good, but no problem must meet you in that condition because you don't have a doctrinal framework to help you out. The duty of the church— listen what I'm saying again— the duty of the church is that every believer is built. And I want to say this: I believe that the body of Christ in Nigeria must declare war on doctrinal matters. Nobody should just climb the altar and say this is a personal revelation. No scripture is of private interpretation. People's lives have been molested, homes broken, because there are people that they trust with their lives who are bad builders. How can a man of God walk up to a man and tell the man that the reason why you are poor is because your wife is not compatible with you? If you get another woman, doors will open. That's a bad doctrine. Sometimes you are amazed that you see the most ridiculous things happening and people are seated. You wondering what's going on. Why? Because they are not taught. And every false teacher and false prophet needs you not to know the word of God, because the day you know it is the day you are free. It is indeed true that when you know the truth, it makes you free. It is true. It sets you free from manipulation. Listen to what I'm saying. We are not just what we are teaching, we are walking the talk. Listen, I know last week Sunday, if I stood here and I said to you those of you who want to give 50 million, come out. I know many of you will come out. Those of you want to give 20 million, come out. I know you come out. Don't tell me, I know you come out. I see. Let me tell you, I will never— for one Christian who is there who has not eaten to say, ah, God, all this— I— that day will not come. Listen to what I'm telling you. Many times preachers have been forced to be under certain pressure because that is the kind of people we are. Many of us do better around manipulators because you are using yourselves. It's two-way now, it's two-way benefit. And manipulators know too the antidotes to bondage in life is the knowledge of God's word. That you know what the Bible says about your life. You know what the Bible says about your health. You know what the Bible says. And see, don't just know it, it becomes part of your life. It becomes the very force that drives you. It moves you everywhere. That someone can see you and prophesy that, you see, based on what I'm seeing now, I, I, you are going to die except you quickly, you, you quickly give me now $1,000, because if you give me, I can't— oh God! That's a thief. The fellow who is talking can't— he can't account for the breath in his own nostrils. And many have been manipulated. It will amaze you that someone can be in church, say amen to the prayers in church, all the money prayer. You see, listen what I'm saying. It is not revival if the church is still beggarly. It is not filling the church with people who want solutions that makes it revival. Mm-mm. It is filling the church with those who are solutions and still have reasons to be in church. Are you following what I'm saying here? Because you never can tell the things you are capable of. Someone just calls you this morning, all right, and say that there's this money, we can— we'll take it, $1 billion. You know, there are some things that is better. Yeah, yeah, yeah, $1 billion. Just be in a room where you are looking at on the table now, on the table, on the table. $1 million. Ah, that is that telling that all this Apostle is even teaching. Say, I'm not sure Apostle have been faced with this kind of thing before. So let me know, say, Mama, just do this one. I, I will go and spearhead the project in church. No be about project, about your stomach. Let me tell you this. My fear is the foundation of an average believer now may not be able to test and carry what is coming. We'll be tested on all sides. There will be temptations. There will be— there will be issues. And you don't go sit down forming victim and say, eh, they don't like me. Eh, you can't be a victim. You can't be a victim. You know, it's just that they just hate me. They get ogah. Once people see you in that mode, see, they will not pick you up, they will trample on you. So we have to re-dig around our structures so we can be able to stand the test of time. Are you following what I'm saying here? So we can be able to stand the test of time in our place of work, in our— in different callings, in our homes, in our families. Let me show you this scripture. All right, as I— turn your Bibles, let's see together. 1 John chapter number 1. 1 John. If you're there, say amen. We start reading from verse 1. Now, while I was growing up, which is a pattern I've been pursuing, and we're going to have to introduce to you many structures to help us achieve the things we're doing. And I'd like to appeal to, you know, our pastors to create more room for children programs, their special numbers, their Bible recitation, their Bible sword, whatever we call all those things. They go a long way. Many of us still remember many scriptures now that you memorized as a child. All right, we don't do that here so that we not have a children church somewhere that you are playing Cocomelon on Sunday morning. Give them the word, they can eat it. Let them memorize with the Bible. Sing with it. Some of you might be here now that even to save your own life you can't quote John 3:16. Say, say, say, say, the, the, the, the Bible says— in which book? The book of Makanaki. You laugh too, but you know. But that won't be you. So the foundation must be gotten right. I had the privilege at some point to do some competition, Bible Society of Nigeria, all the stuff. You have to memorize the Book of Daniel, memorize all those stuff. Hey, they are forming superstructures around your foundation. How many of you were truly grateful for what they mash on? That did something. And I'm telling you, you will not be tired of me, I will not be tired of you. Before this year ends, we see— listen, we need to have around the subject of eternal life. Let's learn about that life. We need to have— we are digging because there's no time. We need to value every time we have. To eat the word, to eat the word, to swallow, to eat the word. Are you still there? Till you fall in love with the Bible. See, there's nothing sweeter out there than being in Christ. There's nothing. Oh boy, I'm telling you, those who went to club overnight, see now, still on their bed. Sometimes we wake up smelling like pigs. I'm telling you, drank different kind of concoction, different kind of things they mix. This one is blue, this one is purple, this one is— and you are amazed, their liver is giving up. But God will bring them back home. I used to have a ministry. My first ministry is not Michael, is helping drunkards. That's my first ministry, yes. We will gather ourselves every night. Our area in Kano had plenty drunkards that get drunk. So they come, we gather them, we help them clean up, tie their phones around their waist, put them on bike, get their location and all that. So we noticed that they used to come back after we have done all that. They will still come back. So, ah, this man, you are back again. So we now see, and I'm telling We went to pray. Father, we want to help, but it's not working. One of our friends now said that he perceived that the way to help them will be to— it's not me, but I did what he perceived. He said is that we need to give them something not to forget. I said, like what? He said, like slap. So we sat down, we talked about it, thought about it, and finally concluded that it's true. God has forgiven us. When we see them coming, We tie the phone, the wallet like we used to, then set the face. Father, in the name of Jesus, you will not come back. Tawa! Listen, no one took those slaps twice. The street was swept clean. And that's my friend, he has muscles. Oh yes. Oh yes. So when he lands, it's like he's slapping someone with the hand of Satan. Spank the face. But that was what we knew. That was what we knew to do. Imagine if we stayed there now, by now being kirikiri. That was all we knew, but that doesn't mean that's where God is. Look at this scripture, 1 John 1:1. That which was from the beginning, speaking about the word now. Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life. You don't have a revelation until it is what you can never doubt. That is, even if a doctor now says that this is a sickness and this is the number of days you have left, you don't have revelation about life until you can't doubt that. And let me say this to you, we are going to do— we are going to discuss this, all right? It's going to be private for Light Nation Abuja. Listen, they don't listen. Don't live your life to be at the mercy of modern-day medicine. There are things I will tell you that people may not be bold to tell you. Some drugs out there will kill you while it is healing you. So you— we are in those days that people need to— you have no choice now to know the word and confess it and swallow it every day. Not out of fear, not out of fear, but because you know this is what powers our lives. This is the very essence of our lives. We must go back to getting our foundation right till no one can walk to you and suggest an abalys. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine that? Till certain things people are struggling with is no longer— there's no fraction of possibility for it in your life. Because you are established. Because you are established, you found the word. Your foundation has been laid. When the foundation is laid, it is laid. When the psalmist said, my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed, oh Lord, I will give you praise— that's foundation there. What he says is that my heart is concrete, like cement. Train up your child in the way he should go, and he will never depart from it. That's foundation. That you can know— see, listen, There are things I find very strange. People have the opportunity to travel out of the country— where? UK, America, Australia— and you'll be amazed that those who are fireful will start looking like a shadow of themselves. Now they're exposed to a new environment and they are doing strange things. Why? Because there was never any foundation. They were looking sane because they were needy. Need can make a person humble. Or look humble. Don't live your Christian life like that. Don't do your Christian life like that. Be established. Seek God not for what you can get, but for fellowship, for fellowship, for intimacy, for this and for that. You'll be amazed to see how sweet that is. It pays to serve God. Mommy Sarah of Marku was staying in Benin and begging while she was preaching, said, please live old, don't die. I'm begging you to don't die. And she said, you know, old age is sweet because everybody— you can do many things and go away with it. It's true, but I told them something. Old age is sweet when a man gets it right. Old age becomes bitter when your mistakes are maturing with your age. That's why now you must get it right. You are around a girl. Thank God for makeup. Thank God for beauty. Thank God for figure 8. But what's your foundation like? What do you know? Because that foundation will raise my kids. Yes, yes, yes, yes, sir. What's it like? What was it like? So we have to know what you're exposed to. Who is your pastor? What's the word you are eating? You don't know that's a deal breaker? Who's your pastor? You want to marry a girl, who is your pastor? Our foundation built alike. I showed you during World Emotion, the word of prophecy over Rebecca is that your seed will possess the gate of their enemies. The word of prophecy over Isaac is that your seed will possess the gate of their enemies. That time is going should not mean you should marry someone with contradictory prophecies. Don't do that so that your union will not be one alive, one obituary. Somebody needs to die for the marriage to work. That's not the will of God. Now that you're still single, get it right. You too that want to check for someone's foundation, have a foundation established. Have a foundation. My second daughter is just 1 year plus. You tell her, pray for this person, she lays hands because that's what she sees us do. That's what she sees us do. We lay our hands, speak words, speak words. All right, but sometimes you are amazed. Go to some schools, see children, the kind of dance they are dancing. You wonder, why were they exposed to these steps? A child of 8 years old is twerking. Do you know what that means? Or you're just going to pretend like, what was that? What's striking? Laziness. You'll be amazed. Where are they seeing it? Who is laying the foundation? Where's the mom? Where is the dad? Are you conscious of the gift God has given in those children? Are you aware there are those who are crying with their two eyes and don't have one? Are you aware that the Bible says, as arrows are in the hands of a mighty man, so is the man that has them in his quiver? Whenever the opportunity comes to step out and preach, the only way to show I respect you is that I prepare. I can't come out and just flout any rubbish. My God, why? It is an opportunity to help. Look at the number of people get their foundations right. We must go back. We must go back to the word, not spiritism. I said the word, nothing spooky, supernatural realities. I didn't hear amen to that. Beware. One of the warnings that Jesus gave us in the last days is beware of false prophets. And I will tell you this, beware of witchcraft. Not those flying at night, but manipulators. No, you must steer clear. That's why you must know the word of God. And study the Bible. Let me say this to you. Those of us who are parents who believe that those children will be too tired for Bible study, it's a foundation you are laying. Listen, oh, I'm saying this emphatically. They are not too tired to watch Cocomelon after service, after school. It's a foundation. Those of you who believe that those children, you see, coming to church in the evening is fine, we watch online— it's a foundation you are— you cannot plant cassava and be angry that you rip titu, or expect strawberry. You can't. Listen, getting it right is sacrifice. And I can tell you as a leader, The most powerful aspect of leadership is by example, not the message. And I can be here and tell you about how to be encouraged, but when you see me walk through tribulation, I'm not broken, you can tell that no, no, it's not just about the message, it's a life. The most powerful thing you can do as parents is not just what you tell them. The beating— many of the beatings are because we failed. We put the frustrations on them because you failed. But if you will lead by example— no curse word in this house, there's no curse word in this house. But you are the one as mother that when something is happening, what the F? Or you are not saying that, but you give them movies where they say that. Many will not even screen what they watch. You will not check, you don't even care. Many of you are not even aware that screen time makes them predisposed to symptoms of Down syndrome. Many don't even know that it begins to change— you don't even know— affect their minds. That the TV in the house is doing the training for many parents. You're getting the foundation wrong. Just put them in TV in front and they will, they will enjoy themselves. I'll come back and carry them later. And you are wondering, strange spirit is finding its way into their heart from that age. They are having nightmares, seeing strange things, strange beings. What happened to Bible-based cartoons? What you don't have, you can't give. If you want to raise kings, be a king. All right, so So for the remaining part of this month, we will be digging around our foundation doctrinally as individuals. We will. And those of you who have been trusting, I say, God, I wish I can— I wish I knew this earlier. See, this is the time. Don't tell your wife you go to Bible study. And let me tell you this, many of you women All right, are you here? How is your amen? Shout a big amen. All right, I will tell you this formula. You don't want problem in the family, but you are still the one who will not insist that we're in church to learn God's word together. It's bad. Where do you think sanity will come from? It's the word. It is the word that washes us clean. A lot of things happens to us as we sit under the word. It's not a cliché, it's not a joke. We have been changed. We have been changed. Many of us are dealing with the problems we created with our own mouth. Maybe Before now, you and your spouse will sit together and tear your men of God. Okay, now you have problem. It doesn't lead to anybody. Who did it? Don't say Jesus. You did it. Many of us want things we can't sacrifice for. It's amazing. It doesn't work. It doesn't work. I want my children to know God, but show them the way of the Lord. Show them by example. Pray. Do you pray as fathers? What do you do? You press your phone morning till night. Phone is going to be one of the leading cause of divorce in next 5 years. Many with their covun. You can't eat your cake and have it. So we have to get it right. We have to make sacrifice. The foundations must be correct. All right, I pray that the Lord himself will open our eyes of understanding, then much more he will give you— and I, I'm praying this from my heart— he will give you the grace to be the kind of fathers we should be. I didn't hear amen loud enough. And the kind of mothers we should be. I know many of you are fighting hidden battles, never want to repeat patterns, never want to make mistakes of those who have gone ahead of you. You will win. All right, you will win. See, you will not fail in the name of Jesus. You will win. If you are here, maybe your dad died early, left your mom to take care of you, or your mom died and all that. You will not be cleared out of the way. See, listen, listen, I know, I know what it means to struggle. I know what it is to be face to face with realities that will make you lock the door and cry and say, God, I will not repeat patterns. I know, and that's why I'm praying. The grace of God that keeps men. The Bible, the book of James— Jude said, unto him that is able to keep you from falling and present you spotless. The grace that keeps men from falling rests upon you now. Those who are here whose homes are going bad almost beyond repair, the Lord who made the heavens and the earth will keep you in perfect peace. Whatever is going down in that family is revived. Those of you who are singles whose prayer is, Lord, by the time I finally say I do, I don't want it to be with an enemy of your purpose for my life. The Lord will come true for you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Lord will come true for you. Now everybody be on your feet. Let me beg you, throughout the month of February Every day, back to back, we have sat with the word. I want it to be a family culture. Pick a message for a day, run it around. At least give your children the opportunity to see that this is Mommy engaging the word. Give them the opportunity to see that this is my Daddy engaging the word. Give them the opportunity to see that these are my parents studying and praying together. That's the only way we can rid the world of pain. Give them that opportunity. How many of you will do it? Wave those hands. Who will not fail God? Will not fail his plans, will not fail his purpose, in the name of Jesus. Give Jesus a big hand.