RECALIBRATE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2024 || The Winlos || Apostle Femi Lazarus || January 20th

Yesterday we talked to the point that we, we lost time, you know. And I told him, I said, all these things you have told me, Benin, we will sort it out before you leave. Hallelujah! So Benin City with Jesus Joy, can we make welcome to the pulpit Apostle Femi Lazarus? Let's celebrate Jesus!

Amen. Amen.

Thank you, Lord. Is the principal of the International School of Ministry. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Through which he has trained ministers from more than 13 Thank you, Lord.

He is a lover. Thank you, Lord. Can we lift up our hands to Pastor Miracle Femi Lazarus and bless the name of God? They are blessed with a daughter. I know my media people are online watching. Now, let's make welcome to the podium Apostle Femi Lazarus. Lift your hands, everyone, and I want us to do this from the very depth of our and magnify Jesus. Let's magnify Jesus. Oh, we bless you, Lord. Make sure you are doing so now. Make sure you're doing so now. You're not a man, you're not a man. Let's take it together. No one like you, Jesus.

No one like you, Jesus. No one like you. No one like you. There's no one like you, no one like you.

You're the God of everything, no one like you. We bless your name. You are the Lord's Young and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Who is like unto thee, O Lord? Who is like unto thee? Glorious in holiness, fearful in praise, the Lord of Hosts is your name. You are the same yesterday, the same today, and the same forever. You are the one who was dead, and behold, now is alive forever and ever. Unto you alone is the lifting up of our hands, and we give you praise. In Jesus' mighty name we have prayed. Amen. Let's give Jesus a big, big Amen. Okay, all right, I'm back.

Amen.

Please be seated for a moment. Thank you. Now, I, I needed us to be seated, um, so that we don't muddle things up and be able to put things in perspective. Amen. Um, I want to especially, um, not just because they are my host, in all honesty, for what they represent. Um, Pastor Oyes and Pastor Hanu, will you help me please honor them? No, is that the way you celebrate your pastor here?

All right, all right. Amen.

Thank you for that shout. I love that. Thank you, thank you. Amen. Let me just say this: it is not every ministry you say you can feel at home. I had to call them, said, 'Come down, let me see what I said.' But I just bless God for their lives. Climbing up here, I was fighting tears, and I don't know if people know that before I teach any of my teachings, I cry either before or after. Good to see you, Pastor Dokya. Good to see you. I cry because we are not teaching to excite a generation.

Amen.

No, no, in all honesty, at this phase of my life, I— we accept maybe, um, 1 out of every 20 invitations. And I'll show you the scriptural reason. I have cried to God in the room before coming. That all the effort, the money spent for this meeting, it's not going to be a waste. Let me show you. Not going to be a waste. Let me show you.

Can we acknowledge God? When a king comes into a room, he desires that you acknowledge him, even if he does not announce himself. Can we acknowledge him and say, we know that you are— hi, King of Glory, the God of the House of Israel. Ela lo imabe. The God of the House of Abi. You are good and your mercy is forever. You are good, you are good, you are good, you are good. You are my life, you are my truth, you are my essence. You are the bread that I breathe, you are the air that I breathe. No one like you. Yeah! Jesus, you are the great monarch of heaven. Oh, we acknowledge you. Yes, King of Glory! Oh, oh. We honor you, King of my life, King of my life. I make throne for you and I ask that you sit, sit upon the throne. We make throne for you upon Zambia and we ask that you enthrone yourself. Holy Spirit, Come on, you need no prophet to tell you that the Lord is here, so I need you to take hands of it. Scripture says this is the generation that I will seek your face, O Jacob. He wasn't describing Jacob, he was describing the act of Jacob. Jacob met with the Lord and he stuck to him. Even when the Lord broke him, he said, I will never let you. So we are that generation that we hold on, we will hold him until he breaks us. Even if he breaks us, we will wait. You are here, Lord, and we know Is why do you desire growth?

Do you want to grow? Why are you after growth? Let me show you a few scriptures that shows indeed that God has not sent us to play small. Matthew chapter number 28, verse 18 and 19. Matthew 28, verse 18 and 19. Look at what the Bible says. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach— how many people? All nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Go and teach— how many nations? All nations. So it shows that the Great Commission, 1:8, Acts of the Apostles chapter 1, verse 8, says, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and His word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them 3,000. 3,000 souls. So imagine from 120 to 3,000 first-timers. When there is fire, growth is possible. When there's Yeah, growth is possible. Let me, um, there are many things God will do to check the motive, the reason why you are in ministry. Oh God. Eyes were tearing when Reverend was sharing his story. Who would have thought that God would tell a man to go into ministry and they could not even give birth to their own child in a good hospital? Money wasn't much, so much so the child died And almost evil. God has not called you so you can enjoy life. Anything you are not dead to, you cannot be trusted with. That's the principle. Sometimes the, the, the, the energy with which people desire good— what am I not doing right? What are we not doing now? Let's do this. The energy is the reason why you are not qualified to grow yet. You can have wrong energy and still go on 40 days dry. Meanwhile, the intention is to prove that I'm bigger now. Some people have been despised as children. They came from very bad background, and they want to use ministry as the place to prove that we're also important. People have looked down on them. Yeah, look at your life, you are still struggling. And they are waiting for the day they will drive their Range Rover and wind down and say, can you see me now? Everyone who have insulted you that you can't be anything, that insult will come to be true first. It will come to be true first, that they will say, we've always known. It is in the crucibles of that death that God will now pick you up. Except a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone. So you will prove them right in the place of obedience. The ministry you are doing, we know you can't come back with anything. God will make sure that you do not. When you get to that point and say, yes, yet will I not deny you, you say, now you are ready. Some people want to prove a point to their ex that said, I can't marry a pastor. Now can you see who I am now as a pastor? Everything you desire, you will have to die to it first. Only dead people are good managers. Only dead people are good managers. Been around for a short while, and I've seen that people can be in church crying, oh Lord, change my life, pray money till night. First 5 million naira, first question is, what's wrong with all these Nigerian pastors? 5 million. Somebody's offering. The salary they promised me in one organization, why they said I should leave ministry, then he's now my offering pastor.

Femi Lazarus.

There are people who have timed God. I will do this thing. If in the next 3 years nothing change, I will combine it with this. So you see, a man that God has called to full-time ministry is now already advertising that he also sells God has called him. This is your work. But as the thing know, they grow, I do side also. I buy fish, fish pond day. There's nothing wrong with businesses alongside. You don't know what I'm saying. In fact, I have a real estate company, okay? And let's leave the part of academics, but sometimes people are not really trying to do ministry, they just want to make it. No be for here a Pastor Win go to those church. Come down to my level. He win maybe 10 million, close church, pastor. He don't fulfill his ministry. The man the way God give him don't finish. He don't finish a race. He don't receive a crown. You wait, forget. Pastor playing naira bet. Aba jebu. You know, one time we're serving, there's this guy that came to the family house. They introduced his pastor. I'll not mention where he came from. Say, this pastor said, I came, Pastor I just noticed he's always carrying some long white paper. I don't understand. True. Later I found out that Pastor was gambling with alawi. How will God trust you to manage people's life and you not gamble it away?

How?

There are very few people that Yahoo is part of the options, but is inside also. If this ministry no blow by the end of 2024 with all these things I'm doing, which, which will enter 500 membership And the desperation have led people to strange altars. They're desperate.

E.D.

Jake said for the first 10 years of their church, there were less than 15 members. First 10 years. First 10 years. First 10 years. How many years have you done ministry? I say I've done all I should do. Who told you it's about all you should do? First 10 years, less than 15, will you not conclude that the best advice is that God didn't call you? Go and drive Uber. Somebody's already taking counsel. Maybe, maybe this ministry thing is not really my way. Let's combine this and combine that. First 10 years. Joyce Meyer never began TV ministry till she was in her late 40s. That was her first time on TV. The Joyce Meyer now. Ministry is a marathon race. Recently God sent us to go to Abuja at a time that doesn't make sense. Just finished the construction work, spent money. It was at that point where I said, okay, I've been through a lot, I can relax a bit now. God said, get out of this city now, and before you go, that your car that is shacking you, that your SUV Mercedes, go and sow it as a seed. Yes, Lord. The other one, take it out. Yes, Lord. So I went from the person they are saying it is clear God is giving him the city to taking bike in the same city. And I will take bike to our big auditorium, and protocols will be trying to run to cover me up. Ah, nobody should see Apostle taking bike. What made me too big for bike? See the title of an apostle. They trekked in the days of Babalola. What made me too big for bike? And the devil told me, you have failed. You know, nobody really rides where you are coming from. You are back to square one. 'Your life is finished the same way you came to this city, the same way you are living.' And the Lord reminded me, the life of a man does not consist of the abundance of the things he possess. Yeah, it doesn't. I took my bike gallantly. Go to Abuja. I put some money aside, go and rent an apartment. God said, you see that money? Let them go and buy some more equipment with that money. I have left with some people's children. Where will we sleep? Said, you follow me. I looked for house, they will show me good houses I can't afford. It's not 20 years ago, this is last year. Ah, this house is so fine. I went to one house, you speak to the wall, light will come up. I say, I love this smart home. Asu mi pool at the back. I begged the man, what I can, I said no. Please, no. We went to pack ourselves in one place like sardine. The police came to arrest all of us last year. We got reports that some strange movements, all of you come out now, bring out your phones, your laptops. They check everything. We are not strange people. There are pastors that you must not check their phone in front of their members. You meet pornography there. In the course of that, I stood in the church office. Thank God I have a good house. I was living in a duplex. My life was convenient. You asked me to come here. Why is it this difficult? God said, look out from the window. I looked out. Said, son, I will give you a city in this city. Lord, oh, this is not a man. That was as far as he said. After potting around a while, finally got it. We'll be running services with about 5 buckets inside the auditorium because the roof is leaking. One time the roof came down during service. The pop dropped down. How can we grow here? You have to climb 3-story building. People would Without bringing some powerful musician to come and shake the town, no billboard. Nowhere. Just prayer, aggressive, daily. They say this man talks so calmly because there's authority behind it. Oh yes, prayer. From the presidency, tag them on social media so they can know you are doing well. We died to those things. I was still taking my Uber and keke up until December. This December, oh, my message is everywhere. Different nations, invitations to come. God said stay. How many people are listening to you that you want to kill yourself because you don't have a car? I will not mind taking loan and taking church money to buy a car. Why are you in ministry? Maybe some pastors may find it difficult to share stories, so you don't look down on us. I'm dead to that. I like cars, SUVs. I used to save pictures, Lexus. Land Cruiser. I love that. When my people brought a car and said, Apostle, we bought this for you. And God said, you and I can derive pleasure from a thing at the same time. When you can no longer derive pleasure that is when I derive pleasure. Some messages flying everywhere. Some money came, maybe I don't want to mention from where. I call the media team, go and share it. God said Because you did not touch it, there is no tongue nor language where they will not listen to you. I give you— some things are covenant. You cannot get by covetousness what a man got by covenant. People have asked me, what's your social media strategy? We don't have prayer. Social media prayer. How do you do about this social media algorithm? I don't know what you are talking about. Prayer. Because we have replaced obedience with strategies. That's why we are suffering and laboring carelessly. There's no result to show for it. God has not called you to put you ahead of anybody. He has not called you to be the biggest ministry in Benin. Why do you want to grow? Some people look at when they are bringing Are you with me? Let me give you 5 wrong reasons why people desire growth. Number 1: for financial elevation. Some people have concluded, and they seem to know, that as the church grows, the pastor's financial status will change. There will be more givers, those who are coming to give. Come on, sow seed! You know, anyone's growth because— and all the places where he has been despised, when he enter now, now raise his shoulder high. Nothing should be the basis of your esteem. Nothing. One time somebody came to— sent a wristwatch. Watch from— I don't want to mention any country— sent a wristwatch. The wristwatch came with one big book as manual. What is this? I told somebody, help me check the price for this wristwatch. I think maybe about £5,000-something.

Watch.

I'm not sure I've won Darius watch twice. What will I do with it? Say, ah, Pastor, you have not developed capacity. Some people came to me and say, how do you cope with all these gifts? I'm dead to them. Maybe it is easy for you to fast dry now. After all, there's no food. After all, there's no what? Food. So why should you not fast dry?

3.

Many ministers want growth for clout chasing. Have you seen people give report about a meeting you attended and you're wondering, is this a meeting? 50 people said the whole city gathered to us. He said the blind saw, the— you have to go check. Nobody say me. Pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure. Has driven many out of the will of God. And when they talk, there's no more authority from the throne because they're outside of alignment. Pressure. The power is not in talking like any man of God. It is the anointing that makes the difference. It is not shouting that makes you an apostle. No, it is not being mysterious that makes you a prophet. No, it is not anger that makes you an evangelist. It's the anointing that makes the difference. Anointing makes the difference. I'm going to pray a very simple prayer shortly that the Holy Spirit will ignite altars, and the power of God is going to run through this place because there are some things we can't teach. It takes power to get them done. The fourth reason— wrong reason— why people desire growth is to prove to people that they are not failing. Jesus Christ, this ministry, you go collect. I was just pitying my wife. I said, look at this fine woman I brought to come and face all this thing now. My wife said, look Okay, no problem, no problem. Just give us the account number. And so we pay. One time somebody invited me for a meeting. No, I can be very, very strange. I flew there. I said, I no see return ticket. He said, ah, you use that one and bless us. Ewo. I just called my people, I said, you know what, just book my flight, I'm out of here. So I left. The other time they brought me again, I still went. The man they sent to give me honorarium, the man they give me honorarium, I say, you no go collect. Please come, my brother, come. So he gave me the honorarium, holding to the envelope. It's a hola. Wait, he held it in, I held it, and I was looking at him. I collect the thing. I said, God bless you. Listen, listen, I never needed the money, but that's great. People are doing ministry with wrong, strange mindset. Strange. 20 of una one flyer. When you come, they tell you, say, just manage 5 minutes. You fly from Lagos, just, just something brief. After meeting sound engineer, they pursue host. He go flog him. Sorry, but I'm not sorry. See, I can't help but tell people the truth. The motive behind many of those practices is to prove that we're also doing well. And if you're a man of God whose destination is to be on flyer, there is a generation that will manage you with their insecurity. They see you are the type that you manage their ego, and that's your assignment. You just want to be on flyer, say post 20 flyers and you leave your immediate work. Oh, a ministry called me, Apostle, please, you know, we've been praying this, this, we want you in New York, want to have an American tour, you and your people Let's do some 3 weeks American tour from New York to Florida to Texas. And then we do— even if I was pastoring 2 people, I know they go, ah, opportunity, America, ah, you go there and take pictures outside alignment. If you have an idea of the number of what people call opportunities we have said, to hell with this, what people call doors. Now every country is saying, ah, Apostle Lazarus, ah, this is my PPA, this is my PPA. Whether you call it America or UK, I can only give you between Wednesday and Saturday to be back to base. Can't do a week with you. It doesn't— if you like, bring the Pope of the world, this is my PPA. People have left their primary assignment. Jumping from one altar to another. The church is not growing. Number 5: people desire growth for the wrong reason of oppression. To oppress, to press necks, like we say. They like growth for oppression. There are many important reasons why we should desire growth and impact. Very many important reasons. There's a way a laborer thinks. There are many things that need sons, many things. There's work, there's work to be done. What, what do you want to get in, in the SUVs you dream about compared to the souls? There's work. The last day church, we have more work. We are dealing with the kind of demons our fathers did not deal with. We have peculiarities, serious ones. Recently there was one BBC release documentary, I wept. I wept because there is a generation we are already trying to get back to church. We are just convincing them that church is a safe place. Where do we start from again now? How do we tell those who never know, that have said, this is why I don't go to church? It doesn't matter the number of revivals we think we have. An average bèpàlò in Benin has more attendance than an average church. We are starting 2 services, some of them around 20 services, and it gets filled 20 times. What we are seeing compared to what God is ready to give, nothing compared. Hey God, I can't go into ministry because there are so many ministers already. Are you sure? There are many hirelings but few workers. Many hirelings. There's work to be done. I watched a video, an American church where the bishop, a male bishop, was introducing his husband to And the church clapped. Is it in this generation that a pastor's desire for America is mere to prove a point and does not mind washing plates? How many people will leave ministry immediately if just any country open up, even Liberia? Apologies to the Liberians watching, just to say we there abroad. And you, you, so you now know the reason why they said they were laboring and nothing was growing, because God knows their heart. A lot of work to be done. The fathers are getting older. Stood in front of Pastor here, Deboye, last year. I looked at him. The hair is white now. He no longer stands to preach. Holy Ghost services, it's down. That Ikumuyi is getting close to 84 now. Baba Omah Okwai will soon be 80 now. Who amongst us have built weight to withstand the devils they withstood? Through intercession, Ebola came to Nigeria and turned back. They predicted COVID will waste all of us, couldn't stay. They called Methuselah a useless old man, and they forgot that the meaning of his name is when he dies, the earth will be judged. And the day Methuselah died, the flood came. There's a generation saying the fathers, what do they know? What we have learned now, and they are rounding up There are no people contesting for the mantles. What they are contesting for is the suit. They are living, and when you look at many of them, see that they have made up their mind. Generation is arrogant, leave them alone. And when you can get some of them to open up They tell you, we have fears for your generation. One of the fathers in the body of Christ called me and he said in the year 1980-something, Archbishop Benson Idahosa called him and said one day he went to the house of Archbishop Benson Idahosa and he met Bishop David Oyedepo on his knees, and Archbishop was rebuking him, rebuking him. When he got in there and saw Bishop Oyedepo on his knees, Archbishop rebuking him, he ran back to close. Archbishop say, stay there now. In his presence, Archbishop rebuke Bishop Oyedepo. And when he was done, Bishop Oyedepo prostrated and said, thank you, sir. Then he left, and Archbishop said, um, your food is at the dining, go and eat. So Archbishop now called him, said, you see David, he's going very far, follow him. Baba said to me, he said, the same way Archbishop called me then is the same way I've called you now. Go on your knees, let me bless you. I wept. You know, the elder says that it is the child that knows how to wash wealthy hands. That we eat with the elders. When you get to a river, you don't give water, you take. Many come before those they should learn from, they want to impress. By God's grace, we are doing this, we are doing that. Now share this story with me. When he clocked 59, he went to meet Daddy Joe, spiritual father, to pray for him. Daddy Joe said, well, I can't pray for you now. When you clock 60, come back, then I will pray for you. Thank you, Baba. You know, to travel and see him, and he said it was nonsense. Does he know my schedule? When he clocked 60, he went back. Papa said, ah, Celebrant, go on your knees now. Baba said, you know the reason why I'm going to pray for you now? That because you are just about to start ministry at 60. If I mention the name of the man I'm talking to you about, you'll be shocked. Then Baba said to him, kneel down. They knelt down. That all he saw was Baba's hand coming towards his head, and as Baba laid hands on him, said he passed out. Don't joke with those men. I was in a meeting where Baba Adeboye said, today I'm going to lay hands on everybody, and my daddy has said I should not hold back. In that meeting, people didn't fall under anointing, they passed out. He said when he passed out, he said he started seeing the kind of crowd he has never seen before in all nations, or seen people coming to Christ. When some people were rounding up Some are just starting at 60. Said for over 45 minutes he was on the floor, and for that 45 minutes, Pastor here, Daddy Geo, stood over his head. Father and son. I perceive very, very strongly that there are people God wants to jack back to life. It's going to happen in the next 2 minutes, and I'm going to go back to my teaching. The state that some are is the state of spiritual death. Let's play strings solemnly. Do you mind I pray with you? I want the ushers to just keep people at their seats, no matter how serious it gets. Just keep them there, don't bring anybody out. Lift your hands where you are seated. Please be seated, please be seated. I have my reasons for saying be seated, because I want to make sure we can Continue the meeting. Who is on the keyboard? Raise strings for me. In 30 seconds, lift your voice and say, Father, give me my fire again. This is a day that we will never forget. An appointment with destiny. If I were you, I will pray like my life depends on it. Send this fire again. Send this fire again. Oh yes, please, those moving about, stay where you are, apart from the ushers. Send this fire again. In Jesus' mighty name we're praying. Silence everywhere, just the strings. Father, across this place Jesus, don't hold back. Let there be a wave of revival. Revive dead altars, revive fainting ministers. Send the fire back. Let passion be reignited. At the count of 3— 1, 2, 3— let the fire be restored all over now. Just stay where you are. The word is released already. Oh yes.

Femi Lazarus.

Send fire upon every cold altar. Let the spirit of prayer and supplication be restored. Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living waters. Anoint your men and women afresh, oh Lord. Anoint them afresh. Let there be a wave of your fire. Let it be impossible For anyone here to be called again, restore the axe head. That which fell into the river, please bring it back. Send fire again. Oh yes, oh yes. In Jesus' mighty name we are praying. Thank you, Lord. There's a set of people here, um, see some prophetic worshipers. Let the fire of the Holy Ghost for that operation Let it break loose. New level of authority, new wave of power. Thank you, Lord. Send your fire again. Amen. In Jesus' mighty name. We are praying. Please just stand by those under the anointing. Let's continue. Amen. There are many things that the devil is trying to do in this season for which sons must rise. Many gates we are contending with. In Matthew 16, Jesus saying to the disciples, he said, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. There are gates. One of the very serious gates we are contending with now is the gate of Islamization. There's a very serious Islamization agenda going on in UK as we speak. Islam is becoming the fastest growing religion in America. The number of church— mosque built yearly is triple the size. In Israel, you have more people practicing Judaism not few practicing Christianity in Israel. Saudi Arabia recently released $1 trillion for Islamization agenda. $1 trillion. You wonder why the big boxing matches are now taking place in Saudi Arabia. It's an agenda. Some of the most prominent footballers, all of a sudden, why are they opening up now? There is work. The few people who are touching resources, as they touch it in Christianity, ah, the first people they want to drag are pastors. The world is convincing us not to finance our kingdom. And they are heavily financing theirs. Who is financing LGBT movement? Who are those financing them? Who are those giving them massive publicities? Many nations will not receive the aid they should receive unless they pass it as a law. But the moment you touch a million naira, There are places you can't go with your Bible again. Serious war going on. If for this you want growth, then you want it well. There is the globalist agenda, those who believe that human population is a cancer and a threat to the existence of this earth. The Freemasons, the Illuminati, Illuminati. Those who use media to control narratives— I don't want to go into this much. They can tell you what to believe about your own pastor, and many people don't know that media is like— many times I stumble on things about myself online. Somebody has gone boldly to say unknown facts about Apostle Femi Lazarus.

Ah!

And I will open it— this is a lie! Recently they almost put me in trouble; put my video and President's picture everywhere. Many people don't even know that there are many realities closing in on us. If you know the number of gays and lesbians in Nigeria in power, on the pulpit, who can't wait for it to be passed into a law. Right now, Africa is the place where the highest concentration of revival is felt, and they are closing in on us bad. Closing in, marching towards us, bringing ideas, enticement. Where do we go from here? What will be our story in the next 10 years? What will be happening? Maybe pastors will need license to preach certain topics. They are planning it already. And all somebody wants is SUV or to stay in a 3-bedroom apartment. That's all you want in all that is on ground. When the agenda of God becomes your agenda, finance can never be a problem. Work to be done. Another thing closing on us is the wave of false doctrines, strange topics, heretic teachings. Some of you have left the place of your prayer because it's no longer important. When was the last time you had prayer stretch? Can you still do an hour? You were not like this when God found you. What changed? What changed? What changed? You have replaced prayer with watching messages. You will scream and shout when you watch the message, but you are not praying. You have replaced studying the Bible with audio Bible that they have edited certain truth out. We are not aware. No longer personal altars. We can't trace the last time you were alone with God. You're always sharing. Let me share the new rev I just found. Always sharing. Many people should be in this meeting, wouldn't come because they are not sure if they will get seat in front. They will watch from home, and they forget that there's something about atmospheres. Sorry to say, any region that there is pride, you see that there are very few voices in that region whose voice can penetrate nations. Very few, sorry to say. Check the East. An average Igbo man doesn't respect anybody. You be man of God, I be man of God. And I know pride is even more serious here. Who are the fathers? Waiting they get. And when the father's heart are disconnected from the children, there's a sign of a curse. Where are the sons of Benin? Sorry, but I just have to tell you, where are the fathers that dug the wells of revival here? Where is the water they found? If this generation will drink it, you will find God and be healed. We honor fathers in our church every year. Last year we honored Bishop Wale Oke. I sat beside him. Oh God. See, when I, when I came in, I saw people shouting and many things. Maybe we are here to excite a generation. I watched him, I sat beside him, I watched him several times, cried and cleaned his tears. We honored Prophet Olorunwari before he died. I went to his house to see him. He couldn't come to receive the award. He told me, Femi Lazarus, you honored me. I didn't know it was that big, I would have come. And all he could say is, heaven will honor you. Few months from there, he died. There's a generation watching those carrying this mantle live only to idolize them when they A minister went online to drag me, say all those honoring fathers, say don't mind them, they're doing it for clout. I said, ah, when Elisha was holding Elijah, the sons of the prophet said, you know God were about to take him? He say yes. When he returned, these same people were the ones that said the spirit of Elijah don't rest on him. We have sung, we have piped, we have refused to dance. What can we say that will change your mind, that will make you think right and pay the price? Not for personal aggrandizement. What can we say? We must go back to the waters the fathers found. Read the— revival started here in Benin. And that revival traveled. Benny Hinn is a product of the revival that started in Benin. He was a mentee under Archbishop Benson Idahosa. Benny Hinn, the likes of T.L. Osborn, were learning. What happened to the waters the fathers found? We have scorned it and scattered with our legs and say, what's there? But I see God connecting men back to the river. When we find the God our fathers found, they may not know much, but they did found God. They find God. They may not know RF, but they, they found God. Pastor Paul wrote online one time, he said, our fathers, the generation before us, gave us fasting, prayer, and study of the word as a pattern for success in ministry. He said if we give light, smoke, and screen to the next generation, God will judge us. That's why people believe that the screen here now is the secret for the growth. That if I, if I can also get a screen and the light— if we find the God our fathers found, we'll be healed. Let me give you a word of prophecy. I see a move arising that will be The stirring of the ancient well in Benin. Then songs will arise. How can those who own the river be stranded and those who are outside have access? How, how, how did we get there? My time is out. I have 9 minutes to go. Maybe I'll give us a minute to pray prayers of repentance and reconnection. Ah, Lord. God. Whatever it is you are planning to do in this season, in your mercy, please don't do it without me. In your mercy, don't do it without me. Until my only gaze is you, Spirit, keep moving over me till I look more like you. Until my only gaze is you, Spirit, keep moving over me. Till I look more like you, until my only gaze is you. Spirit, keep brooding over me till I look more like you, out of the hatches of my dying today. I see the breaking of a brand new day in which the name of the Lord alone is glorified. I see the breaking of a brand new day out of the hatches of my time today. I see the breaking of a brand new day in which the name of the Lord alone is glorified. I see the breaking of a brand new day all over the world. Your spirit is moving all over the world as the prophet said it should be. All over the world there's a mighty revelation of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. How can you walk when you don't know the ways of the wind? How can you fly when you don't know the ways of the spirit? How can you walk when you don't know the ways of the spirit? It's fire at work in you, it's bringing everything, hey, in obedience to Christ. Swallow your pride tonight. Come to the school of the Spirit. Don't you know in his hands is the key to eternal life? A little here, a little there, until his will is done. Is that working?

You.

It's bringing everything in obedience to Christ. It's changing everything, hey, in obedience to Christ. Is aligning everything in obedience to Christ.

Amen.

Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' mighty name we are praying. Please sit down for a moment. This is holy ground. Femi Lazarus. This is holy ground, my friend. Open your eyes, open your ears till you understand that the Lord is here. Open your eyes Open your ears so you understand that the Lord is here. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Let me tie up my teaching. Please, calmness everywhere. Let me tie up my teaching. What are the hindrances to growth? Hindrances to church growth. In the book of Acts, when we study the pattern of the apostles, every growth was tied to revival. The number one hindrance to growth is lack of fire and revival. We have replaced fire with strategy. When the Spirit comes, he shows up with his own protocol. Oh, what are they doing there? Okay, they are doing this, they are choir. Let's go and rent choir. Uh-huh. Fire is fire wherever it is. Number 2, lack of adequate knowledge. There are people who are in ministry ill-equipped. They're not equipped for what they want to get. What generation have you been sent to? How do you approach the generation? What is the language of the generation? What are the books you are reading? How do you pastor high-impact individuals? Uh, you have time to go into all this. Number 3 reason why many churches are not growing: carelessness around the harvest. I've not seen anyone who is as lazy as the pastor of a small church. Apologies, compared to— see, listen to what I'm saying. Church growth statistics has showed us that people are leaving small churches of big churches. Why? Because they don't care about the others. They don't do follow-up. They will not call, they won't check. And it's not like they are too busy. They tell themselves, what is this among so many? When I have plenty people, I'll begin to do all this. Number 4, fourth reason why many churches are not growing: self-sabotaging practices. Self-sabotage. Don't build with one hand hand and destroy with the other. The day the pastor is angry, he will talk down every member. Don't think you can come to this church, I not beg you to come. If you not come, you will have members. That's because he's angry. Building with one hand, they have practices that is destroying with the other hand. You don't need publicity until you have first put your house in order. It is not publicity first, it is structure first. Any ministry that has no structure has no future. Number what now? Number 5: toxic love. Can love stop a church from growing?

Yes.

Some ministries are too in love with themselves. New people don't find a space amongst them. They are busy with themselves. They have— they form clique and everything has crystallized.

Risk.

Number 6, hostile environment. When people come into church with money, ah, Pastor wants to prophesy to everybody, tell them, don't think this is— you can perish with your money. You, you, you, you, hostile. Everywhere there's offense, there's anger, there's— listen to what I'm saying. The sign that a church is not on fire is that there's offense everywhere. That's the sign. The devil will give you work. And listen, you cannot have a pure message if you're offended as a pastor. Anything that travels, travels because of the substance of Christ. Any personal motivated messages is going nowhere. It can never tell a generation to hear you because you are not preaching for him. Number 7, laziness, lack of drive. Number 8, bad structure. Let me stop here. Maybe I'm going to put the rest when they ask questions. Father, I want to thank you because you have made your children to hear your word. In Jesus' mighty name, God bless you. Can we put our hands together and celebrate Apostle for that powerful section? What do we say to Apostle? Thank you, sir. Thank you so much. God bless you. Please, you may be seated in God's presence. It's time for us to honor God with our offering. You are here in this conference, you want to sow into what God is doing in this conference, you want to be a part financially, it's time for us to do that. Kindly package your offering and your seed, and please let us be all standing in the presence of God and just lift it up and say, Father, thank you for this privilege for us to give unto you. Just lift up your seed, package it accordingly, and just speak a word of grace to it. You say, Lord, thank you for the privilege of giving me the opportunity to give and sow into this conference. We give you praise and glory. Thank you, Father, in Jesus' precious name.