Exploit in Ministry by Apostle Selman

Exploit in Ministry || Rock of Ages Christian Assembly || Benin-Nigeria || Apostle Selman

Praise God. Thank you. Thank you so very much. It is Amen. Thank you. It is my joy to be in your city and to be in this wonderful church. Wonderful church. And whilst we are still standing, I’d like us to sincerely truthfully celebrate the angel over this commission and his dear wife, Apostle Charles Oazua. God bless you, sir. It’s a joy to be here. and to your dear wife and the entire leadership of this great ministry. It is always a privilege to be a blessing to as many. And um I’m happy because I think I I’m trying to think of the last time I came to Benin. It’s been a very very long time. Very long time. So I really am happy. Let’s lift our hands to heaven and ask the Lord to visit us again.

Lift your hands with your eyes on Jesus. Father, give me an encounter by your word. Take me higher by your word. Bring me to new realms, new dimensions by your word. Someone is praying. I saw so many people at the overflow and I understand there are many connecting. Go ahead and pray. Let it be a desperate cry. Few more seconds. A desperate cry. Hallelujah.

Father, we ask you in the name of Jesus to bless us. We pray in the name of Jesus that your presence will be mighty in this place and that your word will come with power. Thank you for the wonderful work you are doing in this city. Thank you for the mighty things you’re doing in this church and through this ministry. We declare be glorified. Thank you for all the speakers who have come until now. Thank you for the various dimensions of truth they have brought. Lord, we pray that even tonight grace will be added upon grace. >> For in Jesus’ name we pray. God bless you. Hallelujah.

Now your pastor said a few words before I came up and they are very profound words that I hope we would take to heart. One of it being to be prepared to apply the things that you learn. Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential power. It is knowledge that is applied, understood, and engaged consistently that produces profit.

Just because you have access to truth does not mean it will profit you. It is when truth is engaged with understanding then it produces profit for you. And um within the time that I have we’ll be looking at a few things. This I’m telling you is a very profound apostolic investment in this city.

When you train pastors, when you train ministers of the gospel, then you provide the template for a robust and a vibrant spiritual atmosphere within a territory. Because you see what the average believer becomes is largely a product of the kind and the quality of the priesthood that raises and trains that person.

What any believer in your territory will become is not just dependent on the will of God is dependent on the kind and the quality of priesthood. So when you look around Benin and you find out there is a widespread deficiency either in an area of spiritual understanding or in an area of the performance of the word or in an area of leadership or in an area of character, it will largely be traced to a deficiency in content from the pulpit.

So a pastor’s conference like this is very very important because that’s one of the ways you heal the land. Every time you read the Bible when societies and territories were in trouble it was not the government God went to. He did not even blame the government. He went to the church. Remember what the Bible says. If my people and he tied it to the healing of the land. He never mentioned the government. If my people once the land is not healed, the problem is with my people. My people. Hallelujah. Praise the name of the Lord.

And so I’ll be talking about a few things uh under the theme exploits in ministry. Exploits in ministry. And I have four major things that I want to talk about quickly. And I pray in the name of Jesus that God will help us.

And I believe with all my heart that whilst you are under this cloud there will be an immersion in the spirit. You see the ministry of the spirit goes beyond the communication of words. It edifies beyond the realm of intelligence. This is the difference between the ministry of the spirit and a lecture. So while it appeals to your mind, it sells you superior ideas. You must know that behind the frailty of the man’s words, the Holy Ghost is doing something to your spirit man too. Hallelujah.

That means you will live with more than what you heard because there is a transaction that happens between you and the Holy Spirit that is beyond the realm of words. And so I’m praying for you that as these words come, they will not just appeal to your intellect, but that they will strengthen you.

Ezekiel chapter 2:1-2 the Bible says son of man stand upon your feet and I will speak unto you. He asked him to stand but the man did not have the strength to stand. Verse two says and the spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet. It takes more than desire to stand.

There is a business of the spirit that can lift men to stand. And I pray for you in the name of Jesus that beyond the words that will come from this pullpit that the Holy Spirit will empower you aresh, empower your ministry, empower your church, empower you in the area of service that as a result of this conference, not just this church, not just this region, but everyone who has come as a member and as a participant will return back and begin to do exploits for the kingdom. If you’re in agreement, shout amen.

We’ll look at three scriptures for a foundation. Colossians 4:17 KJV, 2 Peter 1:10 KJV, 2 Timothy 4:5 KJV

Make full proof of your ministry. That means it is your responsibility to stop men from doubting you. Hallelujah.

They have a right to doubt your calling until you do business with God to change that narrative. It says to make full proof of your ministry. So I’ve divided my teaching in four parts very quickly so that we can take the last say 10 minutes to pray.

The first thing I want to start with tonight is redefinitions. I have found out as I teach the word of God and as I help people experience the ministry of the spirit that it matters that we have a unified understanding of terminologies. Sometimes we take for granted as preachers that when you mention a word, a thought or a concept that while everybody is nodding, they really understand what you are saying. It may not be.

So defining terminologies is very important. If I say apple, nobody is thinking orange. All of us are thinking the same thing. Am I right? If I say a baby, nobody is thinking a grandfather because there is a definition. there is clarity.

But the the the first reason why people fail in learning spiritual things is that there’s a lot of assumption as far as definitions are concerned. So we’re going to take four definitions. I want to redefine them very quickly.

Number one is the word Ministry. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

When we talk about ministry for the average believer, what exactly are we talking about? It’s important we understand what ministry is.

Here’s the average believer, including the average pastor’s understanding of ministry. So, he thinks of a pullpit. He thinks of a Bible in front of it, a mic in his hand, and a congregation listening to him while he’s teaching or ministering or doing whatever it is. And that’s what he calls ministry. That’s a sincere understanding, but it’s a very wrong understanding.

Ministry has nothing to do with a congregation necessarily. Has nothing to do with a pullpit necessarily. Has nothing to do with holding a mic. In fact, it has nothing to do with speaking necessarily. You see that?

Now, what makes anything ministry is first the motive and then the goal.

Ministry is any activity, that is motivated by your love for Jesus and is intended to reveal him, bring him glory and bless believers or bless the body or bless your environment or bless society.

Any activity that is motivated by your love for Jesus, if you’re writing, please underline that statement. motivated by your love for Jesus, not your love for increase, not your love for exploits, motivated by your love for Jesus. And it is intended to glorify him directly and then to bless humanity. It’s called ministry.

By this definition, you see immediately that there are many preachers but few ministers. There are many singers but few ministers. That means ministry goes beyond the pullpit.

Watch this. If my cleaning this pullpit is motivated by my love for Jesus and it is intended to be a contribution to make the pullpit conducive for the man of God to the end that Jesus be revealed and that lives be blessed. That act of cleaning is called ministry.

Now listen. If Mary’s getting pregnant will allow for the arrival of Jesus in the flesh and he will be revealed and save men. That act of getting pregnant is called ministry.

I can stand here and preach. Nothing is wrong with the activity. But what makes it ministry is not the spirituality or the religiosity of the activity but it is the fact that

I must be motivated by my love for Jesus and
The desire must not be anything other than seeking to see him revealed and then being a blessing to men.

Now if preaching is motivated by your love for Jesus and it’s the goal is to reveal Jesus and to bless people that act of preaching is now called ministry.

If your singing is motivated by your love for Jesus and it is intended to reveal him and to bless men that act of singing is called ministry.

So when I say where are the ministers STAND UP DON’T STAND UP just because you were ordained. Don’t stand up just because you have a building that you heard. NO SIR, DON’T STAND up just because you read a Greek and a Hebrew lexicon. No, no, no. That’s not what I’m asking. DON’T STAND UP.

STAND UP ONLY IF YOUR activities are motivated by your love for Jesus. And that the goal is not competition. The goal is not to make a name. The goal is not to prove you are not a failure. If the goal is to glorify Jesus and to bless men, then you are in ministry.

So some of you by this teaching today will be your official commencement of ministry because quite honestly what you have been doing before now is spiritual activity but perhaps not ministry.

So the Bible speaks about a man called Amaziah. It says Amaziah walked. He said that he walked he did everything that was good but not with a perfect heart. The problem was not the correctness of the activity. It was the heart condition. Praise the name of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 25:2 KJV

So next time we talk about ministry, don’t think in terms of the religiosity of the activity. Think in terms of the motivation or the motive and then the goal.

I tell you how Jesus called Peter into ministry. He did not just say come follow me. He said lovest thou me more than this. And Peter said ah. He didn’t say can you fish. He didn’t say can you speak. He said loveest thou me more than this. He said, “Prove that you love me by letting that be the motivation to feed my sheep and to feed my lamb.”

Number two. What’s the second redefinition? The great commission.

I’m talking to pastor so I have the liberty to share a few things. If I ask the average man of God now without feeling embarrassed I say stand up tell me exactly what you are doing. Many of us will say well God told me go and raise me a people and you are right. Others will say God said go and disciple people. Others will say God said go and win souls.

You see, but most ministers of the gospel are not effective as far as the work of ministry is concerned because there is still a hazy understanding of what we call theologically the great commission.

Now the word great commission is not found in the Bible. It’s just a theological term to capture our corporate mandate as believers. Are we together now? That Jesus gave us a corporate mandate.

And in many many unfortunately many Bible schools and schools of ministry we have not done justice in defining the full scope of the great commission. Hallelujah.

If I ask others what is the great commission? You will say soulwinning. You are right. If I ask others what is the great commission? You say well casting out devils. You are right. But these are only pieces of the truth. And if you do not understand the mandate it will affect your efficiency. You need to know exactly what Jesus told you to do.

There are three scriptures and there are three dimensions to the great commission.

The great commission is a mandate that Jesus gave his then disciples and now by extension the entire body of believers. He gave that mandate first to his disciples and now to the entire body of believers. Not just ministers, the entire body of believers. that captures within it.

Number one, the salvation of sinners or the salvation of men.
Number two, helping believers attain maturity and stature through discipleship.
And then number three, transforming societies through the wisdom and the power of God.

If you omit any one of these aspects, it is not the great commission as God intended.

You will hear and you will write it in a way you understand that it is a mandate that Jesus first gave the disciples and now it’s a mandate that’s been extended to all of us, every believer. and that the mandate captures the salvation of sinners, helping the body of Christ attain unto maturity and stature. And then number three, transforming territories and transforming societies.

So there are three scriptures that come that must be put together to define the great commission.

Number one is Mark chapter 16 from verse 15. Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world.”.
He spake unto them. He said, “Go ye.” What did he say? Go ye. It’s an action word. Go ye into the world and preach the gospel. Notice what he told you to do. Preach. Someone say, “Preach.” He told you what to preach. the gospel to every creature. Hallelujah.
Number two is found in Matthew 28 from verse 18 to 20. This is the second aspect of the great commission.
– Jesus came and said unto them, all power, the word power there is an inaccurate rendition by KJV is the word exusia. All authority has been given unto me that is in heaven and the earth.
– And then it says verse 19, another mandate. Go ye. There is go ye and preach. Now we have go ye and teach.
– Now you are not supposed to choose the one you want. THERE IS GO YE and preach. There is also go ye and teach. Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. teaching them verse 20 to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and while you are about this know that I am with you always even to the end of the world.
The third scripture that makes the great commission is found in Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 it says but you shall receive power.
– So for context Jesus is having his final session with them before the outpouring of the Holy Ghost and they asked him a question. They said, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom of the nation of Jerusalem?” He said, “It is not for you to know the times and the seasons that the father has kept in his care.” Verse 8, he said, “But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be.”
– Now notice this one. He didn’t say you will go and say, he say you will become. THERE IS GOING TO PREACH. There is going to teach. BUT THERE IS BECOMING THE evidence yourself.
– IF YOU OMIT ANY OF THESE THREE SCRIPTURES, you do not understand the great commission. Go ye and preach. Go ye and teach discipling nations. Go ye and then be a witness.

For you to understand Acts 1:8, you have to understand Matthew 5 from verse 13- 16. It says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, wherewith shall it be salted again, it is thanks good for nothing except to be thrown under foot and trampled underfoot of men.”

Verse 14 says, “You are the light of the world. You are a city.” Notice that ALL OF THESE DESCRIPTIONS GO BEYOND a building. A city that is set on a hill that cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, put it under a bushell, but that they put it on a candlestick and it gives light to everyone in the building.

Verse 16 says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see, not that they may hear, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.”

So the great commission is a three-fold mandate and that mandate captures three things. By now you would have deduced them.

Number one, world evangelization, the salvation of souls. That’s the first aspect of the great commission.
Please, every pastor must know this. World evangelization is the first aspect of the great commission.
Number two, disciplehip as the pathway to bring believers into maturity and stature.
Disciplehip as the pathway that brings believers into maturity and stature and then
Number three societal or territorial transformation.

So there is the great commission and under it there are three there’s a three-fold mandate. If you don’t understand this man of God it means you are not doing what Jesus said.

Number one is world evangelization. This one is God’s program for the world of sinners.
Then there is disciplehip, God’s program for the church.
THEN THERE IS TERRITORIAL TRANSFORMATION, God’s program for society.

Are you seeing that God has a program for the unbelieving world? The name of the program is world evangelization. The Holy Ghost in partnership with the angels as REAPERS AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YIELDED VESSELS are the ones who do that business.

Then there is a program exclusively for the church that we attain unto maturity and stature and I’m coming there.

And then there is a program for society. It’s called territorial transformation.

If your CONCEPT OF KINGDOM ADVANCE OR KINGDOM COME OR GREAT COMMISSION does not capture these three areas, it will affect the product you are making out of people.

So you are not given the liberty to choose world evangelization and then say for me I chose this. No, you may be uniquely called into one or two of these areas but you must have that broad understanding.

Number Three Kingdom Advancement.

Is that a word that you want to know what it really means? We mention that word every time, especially when we collect offerings in our churches.

We say, “Father, let this offering be used for the advancement of your kingdom.” But what exactly are we saying?

What is Kingdom Advance?

Kingdom advancement refers to every and any scriptural strategy that is deployed to enthrone Christ in the hearts of men and across every strata of human activity is called kingdom advance.
Any and every scriptural strategy deployed. To enthrone Christ in the hearts of men and then across any every strata of human activity is called kingdom advancement.
Any and every scriptural strategy that is deployed whether it is business, whether it is ministry, whether it is singing, whether it is kingdom financing, any and every scriptural strategy deployed with the goal of enthroning Christ enthroning Christ in the hearts of men and across every strata of human activities is called kingdom advancement.

Number Four and final definition was going to be the church, but we have other things to talk about. So, I will give you that one as the assignment. Go and find out what the church is. But I can assure you that already most of you suspect your understanding might be wrong. And you are right. Hallelujah.

Number four Because the church is three things. The church is three things.

Number one, the church is God’s strategy. God’s strategy for birthing and fulfilling his program.
The church is beyond just a gathering of people. It is first a strategy. It is God’s strategy. In fact, the only strategy that sustains the formula for refining and developing men, birthing God’s program.
Number two, it talks about the corporate gathering of God’s people.
And then number three, it talks about the institution that preserves the knowledge, Morality, excellence, godliness within society.

So now if I talk about ministers, we all have an understanding of what we’re talking about.

If I talk about kingdom come or the great commission as we know it, we have an idea of what we’re talking about.

Pray in the spirit for one minute and then let’s see what else we’re able to cover. Thank you Jesus. Someone is praying in Jesus name we pray. Hallelujah.

Now why do we have so many churches in Nigeria, in Africa, most likely in Benin. I presume a major part of us here are pastors and we run various churches. But it looks like the effect of the midweek prayers, the night vigils, please listen, the prophetic programs, the impartations is not telling on society. Whether it’s the moral fabric of society, whether it’s advancement, it looks like the more there are churches, the more society seems to be in decline. Why is that so? I want to answer that question now. Why is that so?

There is an explanation. Now the problem is not the presence of the church. The problem is our architecture. There is something we need to investigate and correct. Hallelujah.

It is very clear that the current model of ministry for many churches is not producing quality spiritual products.

So we can have a large congregation of people 5 years with you as a man of God, four years with you, 10 years. By the time you random pick the members in your church and test their spiritual understanding and test their level of maturity, you will find out that largely many of them have not grown.

Now there is a a study that is currently ongoing about the decline of the church in the west. You see that most churches right now about no no less than 5,000 churches have closed. Mega cathedrals spread across many denominations are companies are selling them now and using them I mean buying them up and using them as warehouses.

In America, they say about 40% of the people still believe in Jesus, but they don’t go to church again because they’ve been frustrated by the formula that was used to raise them. It’s not producing results.

Why is that so? In 1 Corinthians chapter 3:1-10 KJV

Verse 9, please. It says, “For we are laborers together with God.” Take note of that statement. It’s a profound statement that we are laborers or co-laborers together with God. Ye are God’s husbandry. Ye are God’s building. Verse 10. Paul now borrows a terminology that is found in architecture. Listen carefully now. He says, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a what? Wise master builder.” Please say that after me. Wise master builder according to the grace of God which is given unto me AS A WISE MASTER BUILDER.

THAT THERE IS SUCH a description that can be used for a man of God as a wise master builder. “I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION AND ANOTHER BUILD, but let every man take heed upon how he builded.”

When you read more, the Bible says that every man’s work will be tried and if it stands, he will be rewarded. But this is the word I want us to pick out. wise master builder.

That means there is remember he was speaking with respect to men of God and how they raise men. That there is a way a man of God can go about the business of ministry that makes him to be called a wise master builder.

And there is a way a man of God can approach ministry that does not allow such a person to be called a wise master builder. The difference is the compliance to the formula.

Now let me tell you this ladies and gentlemen. Jesus left the church and men of God. He left priesthood a formula by which if you deploy in raising men, you will raise men of stature and you will raise MEN OF POWER.

EVERY TIME A PASTOR, a minister OF THE GOSPEL FAILS TO RAISE A CERTAIN TEXTURE OF SPIRITUAL QUALITY, IT is because he deviated from that architecture.

So what makes you a wise master builder is not just oretry. IT IS YOUR COMPLIANCE TO THE architecture Jesus left.

There was a formula that was used to produce those we call the apostles the first fruit.
There was a formula that was used to produce the men and women who frontiered the program of God IN THE BIBLE SUCH THAT THOSE WHO WERE SERVING TABLES. CAN YOU IMAGINE in Acts chapter 6 THAT THE CONDITION TO SERVE TABLES is that you had to be full of wisdom and of the Holy Ghost.
This is the condition in OUR WORLD TO BE A GENERAL OVERSEER. AND YET THAT WAS WHAT WAS REQUIRED TO be in the welfare department.

THAT MEANS THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR ARCHITECTURE. That’s what is affecting the quality of product. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT. I MUST EMPHASIZE.

So when you find widespread ignorance or imbalance or lopsidedness, Or the prevalence of certain traits that are NOT OF GOD. WIDESPREAD AMONG BELIEVERS. THOSE TO BE BLAMED are the priests and they may not necessarily be evil people is that there has been a deviation.

I’m going to show you the architecture. Paul uses the word a wise master builder. That means there is a way a man of God can raise men. You know that there was a compliance system. There was a quality control system that the least among the men can be as great as David. Hallelujah.

NOW YOU IMAGINE IF EVERYONE IS IN THIS PLACE AS A PASTOR REPRESENTING 10, 50, 100, 1,000 MEMBERS AND ALL OF US GET BACK TO DEPLOY THAT ARCHITECTURE IN BUILDING MEN. It will not take long and you will have men who are like the foxes of Samson. They can go around AND CAUSE HAVOC FOR THE ENEMY.

THE IMBALANCES in the church, the lack of understanding, IT WAS AN IDEA THAT WAS SOLD FROM THE PULPIT. SOMEONE INVENTED OR TAMPERED WITH THE ARCHITECTURE. AND THE RESULT OF THAT TAMPERING, WHETHER IT WAS CAUSED BY IGNORANCE OR PRIDE OR LOPSIDEDNESS IN UNDERSTANDING, THE MEMBERS ARE the mirror that show the excellence of our mastery or our lack of understanding.

EVERY MEMBER GOD GAVE YOU IS A mirror is REVEALING TO YOU THE EXCELLENCY OF your work or the fact that you need to go back to the table.

And if we are to be very HONEST BASED ON THE MIRROR THAT WE ARE SEEING IS NOT REFLECTING an excellent job. THERE IS WIDESPREAD LOPSIDEDNESS. THERE’S A LOT OF GAPS IN OUR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. A STRONG DOCTRINAL DEFICIENCY. You see that now? A Wise master builder.

SO, BUT HOW COME AS MEN OF GOD WHEN I MEET YOU AND I MEET YOU, we have to verify BECAUSE YOU SEE THERE IS NO UNIFIED SYSTEM OF TRAINING. I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT YOU BELIEVE. I CAN’T TAKE THAT RISK TO TRUST YOU. BUT TWO DOCTORS AS CONSULTANTS CAN MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SURGERY ROOM AND NOBODY DOUBTS ONE ANOTHER. IT IS NOT THE INDIVIDUAL. IT IS THE FORMIDABILITY OF THE STRUCTURE THAT builds them.

SOMETHING PLUS SOMETHING EQUALS A BALANCED CHRISTIAN. SOMETHING PLUS SOMETHING EQUALS A WISE CHRISTIAN. SOMETHING PLUS SOMETHING EQUALS A POWERFUL CHRISTIAN.

THERE IS A FORMULA TO EXCELLENCE.
THERE IS A FORMULA TO CONSISTENCY.
THERE IS A FORMULA TO RAISING NATION BUILDERS.
THERE IS A FORMULA TO RAISING MEN OF PRAYER.
THERE IS A FORMULA TO RAISING consecrated people.

It should NOT BE THE PASTOR’S IDEA. IT IS NOT YOUR CREATIVITY. IT’S AN ARCHITECTURE. YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO FIND IT, NOT INVENT IT. find it.

Jeremiah 6:16 talks about the ancient part. It says to find it.

HOW COME A MAN OF GOD CANNOT KNOW THAT THIS MAN WILL BE A MIGHTY MAN OF GOD? There should be predictability in your leadership.

NO, I DON’T TEACH TO WAIT AND SEE IF YOU WILL BE BLESSED. IT’S NOT MY INVENTION. I’M DELIVERING SOMETHING THAT IS AN ARCHITECTURE.

MANY OF YOU ARE WOMEN HERE AND YOU COOK. SOME OF YOU ARE CHEFS. SOME OF YOU ARE COOKS. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN AFRAID OF GOING TO THE KITCHEN TO COOK? YOU KNOW THE MEAL WILL BE DELICIOUS. ALL YOU NEED IS TIME. YOU ARE NOT SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD WONDERING.

LISTEN, THE BIBLE SAYS, “HE THAT STRIVES FOR mastery is not crowned except he strives lawfully.” NOBODY WINS THE OLYMPIC BY MISTAKE. NO.

A wise master builder. So the inability to produce believers who are men of stature, men who are balanced, capturing all the dimensions of God is because something is wrong.

Number one, WE HONESTLY DO NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW GREATNESS HAPPENS IN the kingdom.

THE PROCESS THAT EMERGES THAT transits a man. And I want to walk you through that process very quickly. Very quickly.

PLEASE PASTORS LISTEN. THESE are not opinions. IF YOU FOLLOW THIS FORMULA, YOU HAVE FOUND THE key to raising mighty men.

Pray in the spirit in one minute. God bless you, man of God. Please pray in the spirit in one minute. It’s a new season for your ministry. It’s a new season. You will stop shadow boxing. It’s a new season. You are stepping into mastery and exactitude in handling spiritual things. Pray in the spirit. Grace is coming on you. Wisdom is coming on you. Fear is dying. God is opening a new vista for you. You are making foolproof. I bring you grace. Bring you grace. Grace that shift you to another dimension in Jesus name we pray.

Let me try to summarize for you the journey. Remember I told you that the great commission is tripartite in its expression.

Do not forget this. The mandate god gave the church as a corporate mandate is tripartite.

Number one, world evangelization. That’s God’s program to the world of unbelievers.
Number two, disciplehip. The process that evolves men to maturity and stature. That’s God’s program for the church.
And then number three, territorial or societal transformation. That’s God’s program for society. And this must be your idea as a man of God. You build ministry so that it can affect the unbelieving world, mature the people sent to you and bless society.

If it does not capture that tripite expression, you are not doing the great commission effectively.

Now let me show you the architecture. This is God’s formula for raising men. This is God’s formula for building men.

FROM A SPIRITUAL STANDPOINT, EVERY MAN STARTS AS an unbeliever. Every man. There is nobody who becomes a believer by default. Let me run through it very quickly.

So the starting point of everyone’s journey is as an unbeliever, alienated from the life of Christ, as a result of the sin nature. Now, there is a possibility for a transition where an unbeliever can become a believer in Christ. And the name of that pathway is salvation. New birth that comes through salvation.

Don’t think what I’m saying is elementary. THE ONLY WAY A NON-BELIEVER becomes a believer is not longevity in church. It’s not singing spiritual songs. IT’S NOT EVEN JUST CASUALLY BELIEVING in Jesus.

IT IS NOT EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVE about Jesus that translates into salvation. There is an exact information you must believe about Jesus that translates to new birth. Believing he was a good man does not save you. Believing he was a prophet is true, but it does not save you.

Let it be known to you, oh Israel, the first sermon after Pentecost that this same Jesus you have crucified has today been exalted as Lord and Christ. It matters what you believe about Jesus. So anyway, here’s an unbeliever alienated from the life of God. And then that person now transits AND THE ONLY WAY THAT TRANSITION HAPPENS, LISTEN, is by hearing and believing the gospel of salvation.

What is the gospel of salvation?

The gospel of salvation is a declaration of the father’s love that was revealed and demonstrated through the substitutionary SACRIFICE OF JESUS. MAN AND CREATION being the object of that expression of love.

The Bible says that whosoever believeth on him, there is a law connected to that believing that he should not perish but he should have zoe. Not just life everlasting, but God’s life. NOT GOD’S KIND OF LIFE. EVERY LIFE IS GOD’S KIND OF LIFE. WE’RE TALKING OF THE HIGHEST FORM of God’s life. Zoe.

Then it says, “For God did not send his son into the world,” John 3:17, “to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.”

Now when you hear the gospel believing in your heart according to Romans 10:8-10 and confessing with your mouth the lordship of Jesus the Bible says you are saved because it is a law that is with the heart man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Now, WHEN THIS SINNER GETS TO HEAR THE WORD, REGARDLESS HOW THE WORD COMES, ONCE HE HEARS AND BELIEVES in the lordship of JESUS AND CONFESSES THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS, THREE GIFTS ARE given to that person immediately.

These are the three gifts we receive at salvation:

Number one, the forgiveness of sin is Ephesians 1 and verse 7.
THE FIRST GIFT we receive upon declaring the lordship of Jesus at the new birth experience is the forgiveness of sins.
Number two, the gift of righteousness.
The very nature of God, the capacity to stand in the father’s presence without a sense of guilt, inferiority or condemnation.
Number three, Zoe, the life of God.
SO WHEN YOU ARE SAVED, YOU DON’T JUST RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE. NO, YOU RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, THEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD IN CHRIST JESUS, THEN the life of God.

So once you receive that Zoe, you are now called a believer. HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL ANOTHER NAME more specifically for you. You are called an infant or a babe.

You are a believer but you are called an infant. Why? Because you just got born and there are many things that are similar between you and a physical baby. One of it is you are still unfruitful in the knowledge of spiritual things.

Unbeliever -> Salvation -> Transformation -> Empowerment (Witness)

Now please understand this. From an unbeliever a transition has happened and the name the bridge between that transition is called salvation. Say salvation.

Preachers, if your people did not become believers by being saved, they were not saved. It has TO BE BY HEARING THE GOSPEL, BEING SAVED THROUGH THE channel of salvation, NOT JUST GOOD WORKS, NOT JUST BEING NICE PEOPLE in church.

Anyway, so now you are in the kingdom, but you are obeyed.

Now, please listen. right here is what will separate efficient believers from inefficient believers. There are three ministries that must be introduced in your life once you are saved. And if it is unfortunate for you and you do not encounter these three ministries, the journey of your decline begins even though you’re in the kingdom.

Number one, the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Number two, the ministry of prayer and the WORD TOGETHER.
NUMBER THREE, THE ministry of the teaching priest.

Let me say that again. THESE ARE THE TRIPARTITE MINISTRIES THAT BEGIN TO escort you through the journey of transformation.

YOU CAN BE SAVED. YOU ARE A BENEFICIARY OF THE LIFE OF GOD, but you are still A BABE. UNFORTUNATELY, TIME IS NOT AN ELEMENT of your growth. You can remain a babe for 20 years. PROMOTED AS A BABE, ORDAINED AS A BABE, GIVEN A BRANCH AS A BABE.

You see why there are MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE ORDAINED AND THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY ARE CHILDREN.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit has a PLETHORA OF ASSIGNMENTS. When he, the spirit of truth, is come, HE WILL GUIDE you into all truth.

Number two, the ministry of prayer and the word. Notice I did not separate them. This is the mistake our generation is making.

There is nowhere in scripture where we are given the liberty of choosing either prayer or the word. No sir. No sir. No sir. It’s wrong teaching that CREATES THAT DICHOTOMY. EVERY TIME

THE APOSTOLIC MODEL in

Acts chapter 2 and verse 42 AND THEY CONTINUED STEADFASTLY IN THE APOSTLES DOCTRINE AND IN FELLOWSHIP AND IN BREAKING OF BREAD AND IN PRAYER DOCTRINE PRAYER
ACTS 6 AND verse4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word
Matthew chapter 4 from verse 1 to 4 Jesus went to THE WILDERNESS HE PRAYED AND PRAYED AND FASTED BUT WHEN SATAN AND CAME AND TEMPTED HIM. HE DID NOT SAY I PRAY. HE SAID IT IS WRITTEN.

THE MOMENT YOU CHOOSE PRAYER OR THE WORD, YOU ARE ALREADY CHOOSING THE PATH TO IMBALANCE. It is always prayer and the word, not or the word. Three ministries. The ministry of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of prayer and the word, the ministry of the teaching priest.

Notice of these three ministries, THE HOLY GHOST IS RESPONSIBLE for his own ministry and he will do it well. The teaching priest should be responsible and do his own will. Your own contribution is the labor in prayer and the word. That why nobody will do it for you.

NOW ANYWAY, NOW THAT THESE THREE ministries ah you know what I’m saying is so powerful.

Jeremiah 3:15. and I will GIVE YOU PASTORS, SHEPHERDS ACCORDING TO MY HEART AND they will FEED YOU WITH KNOWLEDGE AND FEED YOU WITH UNDERSTANDING. IT SAYS TAKE IT TO YOURSELVES AND TO THE SHEEP THAT HAS BEEN COMMITTED WHEREAS GOD HAS made you an overseer.

FOR CERTAIN BELIEVERS THEIR UNBECOMING IS THAT THEY HONESTLY SAT UNDER A wrong spiritual leadership. That was it. Their zeal IS STILL THERE. PASSION IS STILL THERE.

BUT YOU SEE, every congregation will reflect their pastor’s limitation. When you find a congregation that in spite of the pastor’s limitation, they are still growing. They found a way by personal responsibility to outsource knowledge beyond that place.

WHEN YOU BEGIN THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION, that’s the next step. AFTER SALVATION, THE NEXT step is transformation.

TRANSFORMATION ONLY BEGINS WHEN these three-fold ministries are activated in your life. If they are not activated, transformation cannot happen.

Transformation is a name given to the process that makes you become like Christ in experience and function like Christ in experience. become like Christ in experience and function like Christ in experience.

And do you know under transformation there are three levels too.

The first level is enlightenment.
The second level is renewal.
YOU CANNOT BE RENEWED UNTIL a superior information comes. That’s the reason why Paul prayed in Ephesians 1 from verse 16 to 20 that the eyes of your understanding will be enlightened. AMPLIFIED SAYS FLOODED WITH LIGHT THAT YE may know. IT STARTS FROM KNOWLEDGE.
In the presence OF ABUNDANCE OF LIGHT, THE EDITING can begin. We call it renewal.

NOW WATCH THIS. THE HARDEST PROCESS IN THE JOURNEY OF the believer’s becoming is that transformative process. Salvation is instant. Empowerment is instant. But transformation will take A LONG TIME DEPENDING ON YOUR LEVEL of yieldedness.

Someone can be yielded and in 2 years has ATTAINED THE TRANSFORMATIVE STATUS OF SOMEONE OF 10 YEARS. WHEREAS FOR ANOTHER PERSON, YOU SEE THAT’S WHY PAUL CRIED AND SAID MY LITTLE children of whom I TRAVAIL IN PAIN UNTIL CHRIST. HE’S TALKING TO BELIEVERS WHO ARE ALREADY THAT THAT FORMATION OF CHRIST IS what we call transformation. Yes sir.

How do you know you are transformed? Many things begin to change.

Your heart condition, the inner work,
Your spiritual understanding,
Your conformity to the image and the character of the Christ in experience,
The way you use your words,
The maturity, Spiritual Maturity. THESE ARE INDICES that test for transformation.

Then you get to the next level called empowerment.

When a believer gets saved, becomes transformed, it’s a journey that never ends. YOU JUST RISE to another level and you continue. But that you can exhaust the transformative curriculum for every realm and every model. And then you receive the empowerment.

ONE OF THE ways you know you have exhausted a realm is that you finally collide with the empowerment connected to that realm. Then you rise to another level and start the transformative process again. Then receive the empowerment. Then rise to another level. That’s how we grow.

The moment you become empowered, your name changes from a believer to a witness.

The point you are called a witness is not when you get born again. No, the point you are called a witness is when you go through that transformative journey and then you are empowered in addition to being called a believer. You are now given a name in experience. You are called a witness.

A witness is a validator of a claim. God can now trust you. He can give you a edo state and say go ahead and I have a 10-year program to raise mighty men and I’m trusting you.

There are three levels of authority in the kingdom.

The first level of authority is authority over things.
When God gives you authority over things, money, physical things, that’s only a test.
You learn that from the parable of the talent. He tested them with things, but the goal was not to give them things. When they were done, he collected it and gave them a kingdom.
The second level of authority is authority over kingdoms.
The third and the highest level of authority a man can command here on earth is the capacity to steward God’s program.
That means God can say I have a mandate for Edo state and you are the person I’m putting as the face of that mandate.

Say salvation. Say transformation. >> Transformation. >> Say empowerment.

Let me tell you how we revise the process in church. Salvation. Then we jump straight to anointing. So there are many heads of babies carrying oil. Oil that is dripping around without wisdom. OIL THAT IS DRIPPING AROUND without character.

AND ONE THING PEOPLE DO not know about the anointing is that the anointing amplifies the state of your transformation or it can amplify your limitations too.

The anointing is an amplifier. SO WHEN THERE IS NO GROWTH AND PEOPLE RUSH TO SEEK IMPARTATION LOOK AT JESUS’S MODEL. THE MODEL OF DISCIPLEHIP TO IMPARTATION IS THREE AND A HALF YEARS to one day of Pentecost. But we’ve REVERSED THE PROCESS.

PREACHERS, LET ME COUNSEL YOU. DON’T BE IN A HURRY TO JUST LAY HANDS ON PEOPLE. LET THEM GROW. JUST BECAUSE THEY DESIRE the anointing does not mean that’s what they need. The dimension of the anointing they need is the one that does an inner work in them producing Christlike character.

Salvation. >> Say transformation. >> Transformation. >> Say empowerment. >> Empowerment.

Now the Bible calls the name of the architecture building men to become the men of stature. He calls it the fullness of God. This is a profound statement.

When he led captivity captive, he gave unto some apostles and all of that to the end that we get into the fullness of the stature of the measure of Christ. not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine or the slight of men wherein they lie to deceive.

God expects every pastor and everyone who serves in the ministry of priesthood to be able to build the fullness of God or the fullness of Christ in men.

Pastors, this is your course content in ministry. If you fail to use this, you are going to produce something else aside from what God designed.

What is the fullness of God?

The Nature and The Character of God + The Wisdom of God + The Power of God = The fullness of God.

In making men. YOU DON’T JUST COME CARELESSLY AND SAY AS THE SPIRIT IS. NO, THIS is how your sermon should be designed.

The nature of Christ as you see the the fullness of God is as revealed in Christ. So your first assignment is to produce a people of character who can manifest the nature of Christ in experience.

See that manifesting the fruit of the recreated human spirit conforming to the image of Christ, death to the flesh. This is where teachings about consecration comes in.

Unfortunately, our teachings about consecration in the body of Christ is still lopsided. We are focused on abstinence alone.

But consecration has two dimensions.

There is abstence from,
there is devotion unto.

So if the only thing YOU DO IS ABSTAIN FROM, you only fulfill one side of it. IT IS ABSTINENCE FROM THEN devotion unto. SIMON PETER LOVEST THOU.

So in RAISING MEN AS A PASTOR, AS A MAN OF GOD, EVERY TIME YOU SEE A MEMBER, WHAT you should be seeing is the the project to build the fullness of Christ in that man. That means the nature of Christ. AT THE END OF one year with you, he should be a MAN OF CHARACTER, MANIFESTING the fullness of the the nature of Christ. That’s where you teach them on DEATH TO THE FLESH.

YOU SEE WHEN YOU TEACH DISCIPLEHIP this should be THE COURSE CONTENT CAPTURED WITHIN YOUR TEACHINGS. YOU TEACH HIM THE REFINING POWER OF PRAYER. HOW PRAYER REFINESES MEN NOT JUST AS A TOOL TO RECEIVE THINGS. HE MUST UNDERSTAND THE REFINING DIMENSION OF PRAYER. HOW YOU USE PRAYER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WORD OF GOD TO MOLD YOURSELF INTO SUPERIOR SPIRITUAL VERSIONS.

YOU CAN USE PRAYER AS A SHOPPING CART AND JUST PICK THINGS GOOD THINGS. But you can use prayer, are we together? Akin to A REFINERY THAT TRANSITS YOU. IT DRAINS OUT THE DRAWS in you, death to the flesh.

Now when the nature of Christ is fully expressed in men, if you leave them that way, they will be very good people, honest, consecrated, but they will be almost useless to society. This is where the problem is.

So you find young people, our Gen Z’s and Gen Alphas, you know why they hate church? BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS, ESPECIALLY the evangelicals, THEY FOCUS ON BUILDING the nature of Christ. And they stop there. There was wisdom and there was power. They omitted it. So although the man never stole, the man never killed, he could not pay the children’s school fees. HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND PRINCIPLES OF INFLUENCE. AND AT THE END OF IT, THE CHILDREN HATED GOD USING THE LENS OF THEIR father’s experience.

The balance to that is the wisdom of Christ. BY THE TIME you access the wisdom of Christ, you have you have attained the builder’s dimension.

You can build things.
You can build men.
You can ascend to a realm of influence.
You can live a meaningful life. Wisdom.

BUT IF YOU STOP THERE, BECAUSE THERE ARE PASTORS THAT ONLY FOCUS on wisdom and they don’t teach character. YOU HAVE GREAT BUSINESS PEOPLE, wonderful people, but they are crooks. THEY CAN STEAL, THEY CAN KILL, THEY CAN DESTROY LIKE SATAN. IT DOESN’T. BUT THEY ARE WISE. THEY KNOW HOW TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN ELECTION but they don’t know how to say no.

AND THEN THE PROPHETIC AND THE APOSTOLIC came with his own emphasis. Power. POWER. YOU FIND PEOPLE WHO CAN RAISE SOMEONE from a wheelchair but they cannot say no to 1,000 naira bribe because they have power. But they were not taught the nature of Christ.

So in building a refined and a balanced believer, it is the Nature of Christ + The WISDOM OF CHRIST + THE power of Christ = That’s what makes you a wise master builder.

So you ARE NOT JUST TELLING PEOPLE DON’T KILL, DON’T STEAL, DON’T FOLLOW MEN, DON’T FOLLOW WOMEN. A SUPERIOR ALTERNATIVE BY WISDOM HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR. SO THAT THERE IS THE TEMPTATION HAS NO POWER OVER THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE REIGNING FROM A REALM.

AND THEN THE POWER DIMENSION IS THERE BECAUSE let me tell you for every dimension of anointing there is an attack that follows anointings not men not men.

If you are Elijah there is Jezebel. She’s not a woman she’s A SYSTEM. SHE FOLLOWS THE ANOINTING.
If you are Samson Samson is not JUST A MAN. SAMSON IS A DESCRIPTION of a kind of believer. ONCE YOU ARE SAMSON, THERE IS DELILAH. DELILAH IS NOT A WOMAN. DELILAH IS A SYSTEM OF ATTACK THAT FOLLOWS EVERYONE WITH SAMSON’S DESTINY.

LISTEN, EVERY NAME YOU SEE IN THE BIBLE IS NOT JUST A NAME of a man. IT’S A SPIRITUAL PATHWAY THAT PRODUCES A CERTAIN KIND OF BELIEVER.

ABRAHAM IS NOT JUST THE NAME OF A MAN. IS THE NAME OF A CERTAIN PATHWAY. SAMSON A CERTAIN PATHWAY.

ONE OF THE WAYS YOU KNOW IS the Holy Ghost training you is you MUST FIND YOUR PARALLEL IN training in the scripture. YOU MUST SEE THAT YOU ARE BECOMING SOMEONE as captured in scripture. We’re going to pray. The wise master builder.

Now look at me ladies and gentlemen. I want you to see the gaps in our knowledge.

What do you know about prayer and who taught you? I’m speaking apostolically.
What do you know about fasting? Who taught you?
What do you know about God?
What do you know about Satan?
What do you know about failure?
What do you know about victory?
What do you know about influence?
What do you know about finances?
What do you know about poverty?
What do you know about prayer?
What do you know about the word of God?
What do you know about fellowship?
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT?
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ANOINTING?
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT INCREASE?
What do you know about endurance?

I just listed for you the cost curriculum that is called disciplehip. This is how you RAISE MEN. NOT GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE. A LITTLE ABOUT PRAYER, A LITTLE ABOUT FASTING, A LITTLE DISJOINTED KNOWLEDGE FROM ONE BOOK AND ONE 15 MINUTES VIDEO ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD. WHEN YOU COME OUT, YOU LOOK LIKE A POOR PRODUCT. BOTH THE MAN OF GOD AND THE PEOPLE HE’S RAISING.

The call is to structure your understanding. Line upon line, precept upon precept. here a little there a little until you become a wholesome believer.

How many of you know that a student who gets admission in the university and on Monday he goes to the department of arts on Tuesday he goes to anatomy on Wednesday HE GOES TO MATHEMATICS SAY NO KNOWLEDGE is a waste at THE END OF IT WHAT DEGREE WILL he earn but he was in school WHERE THE LECTURE HALLS he went to wrong but his knowledge was not aggregated enough this is how many of us are spiritually we know little of everything open to THE BOOK OFF THEN WE HELP THE MAN OF GOD BUT THERE’S NO RESULT YOUR LIGHT IS NOT BRIGHT enough

The nature of Christ can I tell you this every challenge in the body of Christ today can be traced to the deficiency of training in this one area there is the problem in the body of Christ now that was caused by lack of training in the fruit of the spirit character.

There is a problem in the body of Christ credited to lack of a sound communication of principles that relate to the wisdom of Christ.

There is a problem in the body of Christ today that is a power problem.

The answer is this three. AND YOU KNOW EVERY GROUP believes they are right. This is where the problem is AND THEY ARE ALL RIGHT. IS ONLY THAT THERE IS SOMETHING called the knowing only syndrome. You find that in Acts chapter 18 knowing only the baptism of John. It’s a dangerous thing to know only.

There is what we call the whole council of God. So there are believers who have character and they love God. But once you want to teach them anything around finances, leadership, influence, they reject and say, “No, no, no, no. I’m just here character.” And you find out they continue to draw the church backward because being good is wonderful but not enough.

The Bible said, “Let your light so shine.” But there are those who are wise, wisdom, they produce professionals, but those professionals, their lives do not look like JESUS AT ALL. GREAT BUSINESSES, but they don’t know the difference between being a believer and not being a believer.

And then there are those who have power. They can prophesy. They can see. They can hear. They raise one song and people will rise from wheelchairs. But they cannot build great men in their ministries. The ministry is full of needy people who receive and go away. And they themselves get angry.

SOME OF YOU PASTORS, God is solving your problem. NOW YOU ARE SAYING WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE COME AND RECEIVE AND go away? Because what you are giving is power alone. Wisdom is what retains. And since you have only power without wisdom, they receive power and go to where there is wisdom.

The fullness of Christ is the nature of Christ plus the wisdom of Christ plus this is the believer God is looking for.

And the man of God who produces this kind of product according to scripture is called a wise master dealer. Hallelujah.

Hopefully another time God will grant grace. But there’s something I wanted you to know about the glory of God in ministry.

But I pray for you sincerely from my heart and you go and do your research would have walked Leviticus chapter 9 and verse 6 that this is what the Lord commanded that you should do and the glory will appear unto you.

God is a God of patterns. The glory of God is a report card. It shows that you have walked in keeping with his patterns.

When the glory of God shows up in your finances, it means you have kept the pattern that brings finances.
If the glory of God comes to your church providing miracles and signs and wonders, there is a pattern that foruns the glory.

Every time the glory is missing in any area of your life, don’t just cry for the glory. Find out what pattern is connected to the glory. If what is missing in your church is finances is a dimension of God’s glory. There is a pattern connected to it.

If what is missing in your church is healing, signs and wonders is an expression of God’s glory. There is a pattern.

If what is missing in your church is influence is a dimension of God’s glory.

Every dimension of God’s glory has a pattern. You don’t look for the glory by looking for the glory. Moses said, “Show me your ways.” Then he now said, “Show me your glory.”

It’s his ways that leads to his glory.

So it’s your assignment to investigate what dimension of God’s glory is missing in your life and missing in your church and begin to through humility and meekness that the Bible recommends. Begin to search for those.

There are two ways to get everything you are looking for.

Number one, looking onto Jesus through the word.
Number two, being a follower of them who through faith have obtained the promise. Praise the name of the Lord. God bless you. Praise the name of the Lord.

Let me just say this before I speak over you. Praise the name of the Lord. I want to thank you for this opportunity and I want us to celebrate this man of God for putting this whole platform together. Hallelujah. Thank you so much sir.

May the Lord increase you. May the Lord bless you and I pray for you in addition to this that you have heard every other communication of God’s word that you will be receiving may it produce a mighty army. in Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen and amen. Hallelujah.

Please please do me one favor. Stretth your hands and pray for the man of God. Just spread forth your hands wherever you are. Just just pray for this grace. Just pray. Just pray. Pray. Just pray in Jesus precious name. Thank you man of God for being a blessing to this body. You will come back next year. How many of you agree with that? God bless you. Amen.

EXPLOIT IN MINISTRY || ROCK OF AGES CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY || BENIN-NIGERIA || APOSTLE JOSHUA SELMAN