Welcome Address – By Pastor Oyewole A. Peter

The Grand Patron of Men fellowship and the General Overseer of the Gospel Faith Mission International;

The Deputy General Overseer, Pastor Dr. Emmanuel Oluwayemi,

The General Secretary, Pastor Solomon Oluwafemi omowunmi,

The General Evangelist Augustine Sossa

All the Gofamint executive members present or absent,

All other esteem leaders and fathers, the AGOs, RPs IPs National Evangelists, DPs DEs, ADPS,

Great men and ministers of gofamint and men from other churches in our midst today

I welcome you heartily and warmly. May you be richly blessed in Jesus name

SPECIAL APPRECIATION

I like to express my profound gratitude to God who made all things possible for this year 2019 Men’s fellowship conference hold in spite of all taunting challenges . May His name be praised for ever in Jesus name.  Amen

On behalf of  myself, the men fellowship Excom and the great men in this Mission, I say a big thank you to our father, the Grand Patron of our fellowship and the General Overseer of this great Mission Pastor(Dr) E.O Abina. He remains a strong pillar of immense support for our fellowship.  From the inception, papa had a dream of Gofamint men of greatness, value, dynamism and relevance for this fellowship. We are not there yet but we are gradually manifesting the traits.  By the grace of God papa’s dreams will fully manifest in his life time. Amen.

This special appreciation will be incomplete without the mention of our other fathers, the Deputy general overseer Pastor Dr. Emmanuel Oluwayemi and the General Secretary of this mission Pastor S. O Omowumi for their regular counsels for the growth of this fellowship. For this and more we cannot thank you enough.

THE CHALLENGE

Men and ministers of God in this church (Gofamint), it is certainly overdue for  us to take our rightful position in this Mission, at all levels and indeed in all spheres of life. The Lord will help us in this challenge. Specifically we need to show up more in church responsibilities in order to reposition and put this church in her proper perspective in the midst of other Pentecostal churches in Nigeria and beyond. We are TOTAL, GODLY and TRANSFORMED men. In this conference we want to examine ourselves in the light of our preparedness for the KINGDOM of God which is the final destination of all truly transformed men.

EXPECTATION.

IN this year conference please expect to be richly blessed in the various lecture topics packaged for you already. As usual we have been able to assemble seasoned ministers and teachers of the word of God. At the end, you will be glad you never miss to attend this year conference

More over. we have taken measures we feel adequate in planning for this year conference for your maximum enjoyment and benefit. This is not a promise of a perfect or flawless conference. We are all humans. If there are shortcomings in due course, we will use them as a learning curve for better future plans. On this note, we solicit for full cooperation throughout the period of this conference.

Regarding accommodation, this is a common concern to all of us hence. We are expected to appreciate this reality and hence manage what is available. During this conference we will be called upon to make a very little sacrifice to secure a bed place per night. There will be four meals in all. Arrangement has been made to make serving stress free. The modalities will be announced at the appropriate intervals.

There will be no football match this year. However, for our relaxation, a praise night is organized to hold tomorrow Friday April 5, from 8 to 11pm. We are expecting a guest artist AYIN O OWOEYE AND HIS OLIVE VOICES

As I end this address I render my dedicated appreciation to all men leaders at all levels especially the conference planning committee members whose selfless service, unusual sacrifice and commitment to the success of this conference remains a source of inspiration to me.

God bless all of you.l

Thank you I wish you a blessing packed full conference.

The Leadership Style of the Kingdom Man

Introduction

Leaders are people of high integrity, high ideals, and a high regard for their fellow man. They have the ability to empower those around them to lead better and more productive lives, inspiring trust and fellowship in their communities. There is, however, a difference between leadership style of the secular man and the Kingdom man. Christian leadership is a covenant between you and God. You do the work not because of a reward that accrues to you, but because God has entrusted that responsibility to you. You just carry out that responsibility regardless of circumstances. God, who has called you, will always remain faithful to the covenant. Your service is to God, not the people. But you cannot be of service to God, and not the people, and vice versa.

Elements of the Christian Leadership

As a covenant, Christian leadership encompasses the following: Calling, or doing the will of God; Competence, or doing what you do well; Confidence, or knowing what you can do by yourself and what you can do with God’s help; and Character, or living a life according to Bible character values.

CALLING

In John 5:30, Jesus says: “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me”. This is also repeated in John 1:13; 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; 7:17; and 9:31. Like Jesus, this is the first order for a Christian leader: to do the will of God. It should be noted that calling is something that comes from God and is not something that one can be educated/trained to receive. However, after the calling, God can and will provide the means and resources to be fully equipped to carry out the tasks commensurate with the call. God will not call someone into leadership role without training him and equipping him. That leads to the second thing: Competence.

COMPETENCE

Doing what you do well (competence) leads to a higher level of performance. Throughout the Bible, we read of the support for seeking capable men (Genesis 47:6; Exodus 31:1-5; I Chronicles 26:30, 32; II Chronicles 2:7; 2:13-14). We also read of skilled men, whose hearts were stirred by God, being sought after to do the work of God (Exodus 35:21-25); competence in thought (wisdom and understanding), and competence in craft (skill) (I Kings 7:14). In Ezra 7:1-10, we read that the hand of God was upon Ezra (a calling) that preceded Ezra’s action of studying and practicing the law of the Lord. Colossians 3:34-24 gives a sense of the need to do what we do well, from which we can derive a need for competence. While calling without competence can still lead to success, calling with confidence should lead to greater success.

CONFIDENCE

With calling and competence, success may not occur to the level that it could if the leader lacks confidence. The focus here is on self-perception, rather than reality. From Matthew 14:28-31 we see an example of both confidence and a lack of confidence in the account of Peter asking Jesus to let Peter walk on the water. From this exchange, we can see that calling without competence (presumed that Peter did not get trained in walking on water) but with confidence can lead to success, but that calling without confidence, as Jesus states, leads to failure. From calling comes a large measure of success followed then by competence and then confidence. While each is sufficient, it seems to build as the elements are added together. There is yet a fourth element which is the true display of leadership: character.

CHARACTER

Character is a key element of Christian (biblical) leadership. Psalms 1 provides us with a view of the blessed (righteous) leader who, through his/her beliefs, does not interact with the wicked nor participate with evil people. Psalm 15 says that the leader walks in integrity, works righteousness, tells the truth, focuses on righteousness, lives in holiness, does not make immoral gains, and honors those who fear the Lord. I Timothy 3 provides us with the traits and characteristics of a good leader, or overseer. They are: integrity, above reproach, respecting and keeping the covenant of marriage (covenant with only one woman), temperate (sober), prudent (tames one’s desires), respectable (modest), hospitable, not pugnacious (quarrelsome), gentle, and peaceable. Titus 1 tells us that the leader should be above reproach, not be accused of dissipation or living a life of waste and excess, as well as avoiding rebellion, and not to resist being under control (character trait of knowing that we are all under authority to someone in the organization). In I Peter 2:1, the leader should avoid intention to harm, dishonesty, inappropriate speech, and covetousness. In addition, the leader should be of integrity and not say one thing but do another (hypocrisy). In James 1:19-27, the leader must be a good listener, humble, and control his speech. In II Peter 1:5, the leader must exhibit moral excellence and self-control.

Leadership Styles

The pacesetting leader
This leader expects and models excellence and self-direction. The focus of this style is “Do as I do, now.” The pacesetting style works best when the team is already motivated and skilled, and the leader needs quick results. Used extensively, however, this style can overwhelm team members and squelch innovation.

The authoritative leader
This type of a leader mobilizes the team toward a common vision and focuses on end goals, leaving the means up to each individual. The focus is “Come with me.” The authoritative style works best when the team needs a new vision because circumstances have changed, or when explicit guidance is not required. Authoritative leaders inspire an entrepreneurial spirit and vibrant enthusiasm for the mission. It is not the best fit when the leader is working with a team of experts who know more than him or her.

The affiliative leader 

This leader works to create emotional bonds that bring a feeling of bonding and

belonging to the organization. This is “People come first” leadership. The affiliative style

works best in times of stress, when teammates need to heal from a trauma, or when the

team needs to rebuild trust. According to Dr. Henry Cloud, “You will build trust to the

degree that the people that you lead feel like you are connected to them.” Dr. Henry Cloud

asserts that all influence is built on the foundation of trust. For you to have influence, the people

you are leading must trust you. That trust is only built to the degree that the people you lead feel

you are connected to them and truly understand them.  This style should not be used

exclusively, because a sole reliance on praise and nurturing can foster mediocre

performance and a lack of direction.

The coaching leader
This is the leader who develops people for the future. It is “Try this” leadership style. The coaching style works best when the leader wants to help teammates build lasting personal strengths that make them more successful overall. It is least effective when teammates are defiant and unwilling to change or learn, or if the leader lacks proficiency.

The coercive leader 
This is the person who demands immediate compliance. This is the “Do what I tell you” leadership style. The coercive style is most effective in times of crisis, such as in a company turnaround or a takeover attempt, or during an actual emergency like a tornado or a fire. This style can also help control a problem teammate when everything else has failed. However, it should be avoided in almost every other case because it can alienate people and stifle flexibility and inventiveness.

The democratic leader 
A leader like this builds consensus through participation. This style asks “What do you think?” The democratic style is most effective when the leader needs the team to buy into or have ownership of a decision, plan, or goal, or if he or she is uncertain and needs fresh ideas from qualified teammates. It is not the best choice in an emergency situation, when time is of the essence for another reason or when teammates are not informed enough to offer sufficient guidance to the leader.

Other leadership styles include:

The visionary leader
Visionary leaders are those who have the ability to define the common direction of their group, whether it be their country, their community, or their family. Leaders of this kind are good at deciding on a realistic future course of action for their group, based upon the resources available to their organization. They understand that different possible outcomes may arise, and have the ability to plan for them.

The Management Leader
Managers are the people who are good with the logistics of organizing people. Often, they have a good head for details and planning, and understand that communication is the key to effective leadership. They have the ability to solve problems as they arise, and are good at delegating responsibilities and tasks to those best suited them.

The Team Leader
Team leaders are the leaders that go unrecognized. They are excellent communicators, the people who do everything they can to help their group or organization, selflessly serving for the common good. Team leadership requires a special kind of man — one who is humble, caring little for personal prestige.

The Encouragement Leadership
This style of leadership revolves around encouraging and supporting the people around you when they do good things. Leaders of this kind are great at recognizing potential in others and helping it to blossom for the benefit of the group. Teachers often have these abilities in spades – think about how Jesus changed the lives of those around him through encouraging them to new ways to thinking and acting, and how his love and compassion inspired love and compassion in those around him.

The Risk-Taking Leadership
Risk-taking is something that all great leaders do, at the proper time. They have the ability to recognize opportunities, and the ability to take advantage of those chances. They have foresight, insight, creativity, imagination, and a fair helping of courage.

The Christ-Centered Leadership Style

The Christ-centered leadership style is modelled after Jesus Christ’s style of leadership. He taught the disciples that in the Kingdom they were not to lead people as those in the world did; they were to be radically different. The leadership style that Jesus taught and modelled was neither about command and control, nor status and power. He did not teach techniques, but grew character — a character centered on a Christ-like servant heart. He modelled servanthood and challenged his disciples to follow that example — to be like him. From the Kingdom perspective, this makes leadership modelled on Jesus and centered on his indwelling character superior to all secular leadership styles. Jesus’ ministry catered for the total man. Let us then delve into what the leadership style for the Kingdom man should be modelled after Jesus’, which is the foundation.

Differences from the Worldly Leadership Style

Apart from being a servant-leader, Jesus taught why the Christ-centered leadership should be at variance with that of the world. He instructed in Matthew 20:26, that the attitudes and leadership practices of the Kingdom man should not be like in the secular leadership style. “… It shall not be so among you …” Christ-centered leadership style is not the way of the world, whose wisdom is folly in the eyes of God (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Unlike the secular leadership style where the leader exercises power over others and achieves their goals, which leads to rewards, benefits and preferential treatment, Jesus declared that in the Kingdom, greatness belongs to the servant and that distinction grows from child-like humility (Matthew 18:4). He taught that leaders were to serve others, not to be served by them.

Jesus’ heart was a servant heart (Philippians 2:5-11), from which his behaviour flowed. This heart led him to act for the benefit and growth of others. This he demonstrated when he confronted the disciples through the visual parable of the foot washing. He challenged the disciples to follow his example (John 13:12-17), a challenge for leaders that echoes down through the centuries to us today. The lesson? Christian leaders must center their characters on a Christ-like servant heart, not serving themselves with the benefits of position, power and status, emulating leaders in the world. On the contrary, Jesus calls us, as his leaders, to grow a servant heart. He calls us to follow his example with humility, serving those whom we lead; enabling them to achieve the purpose to which God calls them is our goal. Why? Because in the context of the Kingdom of God, they are not our tools but together, we collaboratively serve God and His purposes. This is Jesus’ leadership style. It is the way of Christ and we must follow that way, however divergent it may seem from all we know or think or have learned.

Leadership Qualities

Servant-Leadership Principle

The servant-leader serves the people he/she leads which imply that the people are an end in themselves instead of a means to an end. This approach to leadership forces us away from self-serving, domineering leadership and makes those in charge think harder about how to respect, value and motivate people. Selflessness is one of the strong traits of a servant-leader.

What the servant-leader does includes the following, but not limited to these:

– Devotes himself/herself to serving the needs of the people

– Focuses on meeting the needs of those he/she leads

– Develops the people to bring the best out of them

– Coaches the people and encourages their self-expression

– Facilitates personal growth in all who work with him/her

– Listens and builds a sense of community

Commitment and devotion – This is a great character trait for a leader, as well as other people. A leader should be devoted to selfless service. It is always amazing that a lot gets done when nobody worries about who gets the credit. It is creating and maintaining the organizational culture. A leader must show uncommon commitment.

Vision – This is a meaningful articulation of what the people stand for or ought to stand for, in such a way that it can be appealing, and it creates intuitive picture that it conveys vividly what it can be in a better future. When clearly and vividly communicated, vision instills a common purpose, self-esteem and a sense of belonging. When a leader has declared his/her vision, it is easier to examine any convoluted idea that someone brings to you in the light of the vision and ask whether it fits or not. Vision makes a leader avoid unnecessary compromise.

Mission – Mission statement describes the purpose of a people, and what it takes to get the people to accomplish that purpose. The mission statement should declare the purpose of the people, the values of the people, and the major goals to be accomplished. He must be a visionary with a sense of accomplishment of the mission. A leader has a mandate for his people.

Values – These are guiding principles for the people, which determine the kind of people, and define their culture. A leader must be able to articulate these values.

Motivation – This is the ability to provide an incentive or reason to compel people into action. A leader must be able to chart the course so clearly that the people are so motivated to follow by acting.

Consensus Building – The leader should have the ability to build agreement among differing groups within a group. Once the agreement is arrived at, the leader needs to take the initiative, and affirm that the group decision needs to be implemented, and put the plan together to do that.

Building Character – A leader must have character, meaning compassion, courage, candor, competence and commitment. He must be independent and full of integrity. To be independent means that such a leader must not tolerate and succumb to all manner of social and political pressure that will compromise God’s standard. He must not abuse the power of leadership as a means of suppressing the people. He must be an action oriented individual with a mission to accomplish, and with all the vigor to move swiftly to perform and set an example for others. He must not be a perpetual leader, but must be willing to train, mentor, coach and prepare others to lead. Such leadership is nothing traditional and/or hereditary. For a leader to have the type of character befitting of the duty he is called to, he must maintain absolute integrity. You cannot maintain your integrity 90 percent and be a leader. It must be 100 percent at all times.

Selflessness – leading and executing programs and projects because it is in the best interest of the people. This is the leader who champions an unpopular policy. Most likely, a leader who campaigns mainly on the basis of popular policies is more interested in getting elected than doing what is in the interest of the people. A selfless leader risks his own fate in order to do what is right. A leader must put duty before self.

Stewardship – taking a clear stance in support of partnership and empowerment. Stewardship encompasses partnership and empowerment, and the willingness to contact those around us, to own our doubts and limitations, and make them part of our dialogue with others.

Service – A leader must be accountable to those he serves. To have a sense of service is to choose service over self-interest. Our contribution is our humanity; hence to affirm our humanity, we need to embrace service in this adventure. Come to think of it, that is leadership.

Trust – A leader needs to have a strong dosage of trust if he is to achieve this task of leadership. Trust comes out of the experience of pursuing what is true, and that lies within each of us. We need to cultivate trust. If we have to cultivate it, then it means that we have some work to do. This trust will give us the confidence and courage to work with one another.

Communication – A leader really needs to improve his communication with those he leads. It needs to be free flowing. Where there is no communication, confusion and chaos find their way to the fold.

Focus – A leader needs to stay focused, and to share the vision openly in order to have a common ground on which to walk, and a common goal towards which to work.

Living Out Jesus Leadership Style

Here are some questions which will help you to daily live out a Christ-centered leadership, modelled on Jesus leadership style:

“How can I live out Christ’s servant hearted character, putting first concern for those whom I lead?”

“What else can I do to enable each person I lead to achieve his or her full potential?”

“What can I do to ensure that others have understood me and that I have understood them?”

“How can I improve how we work together by adjusting how I interact with each person?”

“How can I affirm those who are honest and truthful and how can I better reflect Christ’s love by treating everyone with honesty and dignity?”

“How can I make my values to be more Christ-like and live them out in front of those whom I lead?”

“How can I engage my team to build a shared vision that encourages greater levels of cooperation?”

“How can I encourage my team to continually find better ways of doing things?”

“How can I better equip and empower those whom I lead to more easily reach fulfill our shared vision?”

“How can I publicly and genuinely recognize the value of individuals and their achievements?”

Conclusion:

Leadership ought not to be stressful and fearful.

Leadership ought not to be frustrating and depressing.

Leadership ought not to be a right and with might.

Leadership ought not to be oppression and suppression.

Leadership ought not to be about personal development.

Leadership ought to be rewarding to all.

Leadership ought to have checks and balances.

Leadership ought to be pro-actionary and not reactionary.

Leadership ought to be with a passion to make a difference.

Leadership ought to be listening and doing.

Leadership ought to be planning and implementing.

References:

The Holy Bible

Robyn Benincasa, How Winning Works: 8 Essential Leadership Lessons from the Toughest Teams on Earth, (Harlequin Nonfiction, June 2012).

Leadership Claybury Developing People, Leadership, Leadership Style, Modeled on Jesus, Servant Leadership

Daniel Goleman, Leadership That Gets Results, (2000 Harvard Business Review study)

Williams, D. (2002) The Preacher’s Commentary #13 Psalms 1-72. Thomas Nelson Publishing.

THE KINGDOM MAN, HIS WORK, CAREER AND THE CHURCH

Pst. (Prof) Wilson O. Erhun

1. Definition of Career

Career has been variously defined as:

1. an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress.
2. a profession or occupation chosen as one’s life’s work
3. the job or series of jobs that you do during your working life
4. the progress and actions taken by a person throughout a lifetime, especially those related to that person’s occupation.

2. Choosing a Career

The kingdom man should be careful in the choice of career. He should seek guidance of the Holy Spirit knowing the importance of career in the life of a person.

• Prv 3: “⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
• Ps 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye”
• Prv 19:21 “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand”

In the context of our discussion and for ease of understanding we shall take work and career as synonyms. The topic for discussion can therefore we reframed as the kingdom man, his work and the church.

3. Who is the kingdom man?

In the course of this conference a kingdom man has been variously very well defined and explained. My simple definition is:

A kingdom man is one who places himself under God’s rulership and submits his life to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

A kingdom man is spiritually connected to God and integrates both the physical and the spiritual in his every day work.

A kingdom man lives in the kingdom of God and also lives and operates here on earth. ….

Eph 2: ^“4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ”.

The kingdom man is seated with Christ Jesus far above all powers. A kingdom man is a child of God. He is an ambassador of Christ. He is not  liar. He is not a crooked person. A kingdom man does not gratify the lust of the flesh.

The kingdom man subscribes to the GOFAMINT statement of Purpose which states as follows:

• To preach the word of God and bring people into membership of God’s family.
• To teach the word of God to enhance freedom, promote Christian maturity and bind the people to God for service.
• To live the word of God the demonstrate the new life in Christ to the world and ensure the security of the believer.

4. Sacred Work and Secular Work

The kingdom man serves in the body of Christ which is service to believers (Sacred/ Spiritual) in GOFAMINT and has a mission to the world which is service to unbelievers / believers outside GOFAMINT (Secular/ Physical) in the WORLD.

There are those that believe that you cannot serve God through your secular work. That until you resign your appointment and go into full time ministry you are not doing ministry. Infact we hear people talk about Full time and Part time Pastors and some even believe that the Full time pastor is more spiritual than the Part time Pastor.

There is an ongoing trend of an increasing number of part time pastors or bivocational pastors. This implies an increase in the number of bivocational pastors in the ministry. We are beginning to see Full time Pastors now moving into other vocations and thereby becoming part time pastors. What is responsible for this trend?

1. A secular job creates more opportunities to develop relationships with unbelievers. This provides opportunity to minister to people who would not set foot in a church.
2. Smaller churches are increasingly unable to afford full-time pastors
3. The digital world is offering more opportunities for flexible secular jobs than ever.
4. More churches would like to expand staff, but don’t have the resources to do so.
5. A part time pastor can have greater freedom than a full time pastor.
6. A bivocational pastor has transferrable skills.
7. The Secular View of Work

The secular view of work leaves God out of the system. This should be unacceptable to the kingdom man because God calls us to make Him the center of our life. Let us examine some perspectives on work.

1. Soul matters more than the body. This is not quite correct. We can wrongly believe that God only cares about our soul, and our bodies don’t really matter. This is not quite correct since God created man as a physical being and infact after creating man, He put Adam and Eve in the garden to cultivate and keep it.  (Genesis 2: ^“15 Then the Lord God took ^[d]the man and put him in the garden of Eden to ^[e]tend and keep it.)  He gave them physical work in addition to the Fellowship he had with them from time to time.
2. Only eternal things matter. This is not correct because both eternal and temporal things are important. We must go through one to get to the other.
3. Our work counts in both time(now) and eternity. Yes, because God is looking for faithfulness now, and the only way to demonstrate faithfulness is within this physical world. We demonstrate faithfulness to God through the work we do. Spiritual needs are important but the physical need has to be met first. Our work serves people and meets their needs. We must remember that these people are created in the image of God.
4. Spiritual (sacred) things are far more important than physical (secular) things. There are people that hold the view that REAL work is serving God in full-time christian service and that our secular work is not as important. Life is not divided between the sacred and the secular.
5. A platform for evangelism. Yes, but it must go beyond preaching. In the work place the best form of evangelism is lifestyle evangelism. The kingdom man should live a life that will draw men unto God. There is no point using the time meant for work in the office to read the bible while living a life that is consistent with the very bible the people see you reading. The kingdom man should be a bible the unbeliever can read.

All of life relates to God and is sacred, whether I am a carpenter, artisan, health care professional, lawyer, teacher or what else we can serve God through our work. This is the point Rick Warren made in his book “The Purpose Driven Life” when he writes, “Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God and perform it with an awareness of his presence.”

6. Scriptural Examples of kingdom men who combined work and “ministry”
7. Joseph: Joseph, the son of Jacob was a prophet engaged secularly.

• Genesis 41: 38,39 “And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”
• Genesis 50: 25 “ And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from hence.”
• Exodus 13: 19 “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straightly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and you shall carry up my bones away hence with you.”

1. Daniel was chosen by God to foretell future events. He was a prophet engaged secularly .

• Daniel 10:14;Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
• Daniel 2: “⁴⁸ Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.”
• Daniel 8: “ ¹⁵ While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. ¹⁶ And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” ¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,”^[a] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”

1. Paul the Apostle: Paul was an apostle and tentmaker Acts 18:1-4 “After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

7. How should the Kingdom Man regard Work?

The work we do is actually working for God. Paul writing to slaves in  Ephesians 6: 5-8 can be applied to employees: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.”

The kingdom man should take it that behind every employer stands the Lord Jesus. The Lord sees everything we do, and He appreciates it and will reward us, regardless of the type of work we do.

God also wants us to see that work is His gift to us. It is not a result of the Fall. God gave Adam and Eve the job of cultivating the garden and exercising dominion over the world before sin entered the world. We were created to work, and for work. Work is God’s good gift to us!

The view of King Solomon on the subject recorded in Ecclesiastes 5: 18 – 19 is instructive.

“After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift!” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, The Message)

Being happy in our work doesn’t depend on the work, it depends on our attitude. To make the most of our job and be happy in our work is a gift God wants to give us!

8. Characteristics of the Kingdom man at work and in Church

The kingdom man should regard work as an opportunity to please God. The kingdom man has the following characteristics which are relevant to their work and service within /to the church.

1. Integrity: A person who has integrity lives his values in relationship with coworkers, clients, and stakeholders. Acting with honor and truthfulness are also basic tenets in a person with integrity.

People who demonstrate integrity draw others to themselves because they are trustworthy and dependable. They are principled and you can count on them to behave in honorable ways even when no one is watching or even knows about their activities.

• Psalm 41:11-12 (NKJV) “ By this I know that You are well pleased with me, Because my enemy does not triumph over me. ¹² As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.”
• Proverbs 10:9, NLT “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.”
• Titus 2:7-8, NIV ^“7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, ⁸ sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”
• Prv 19: 1 “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity. Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.”

The kingdom man should make a habit of doing more than is expected from them.

• Jacob worked hard even after several pay cuts. His diligence eventually paid off and his flocks began to multiply.

Genesis 31:42: “ If the God of my [Jacob’s] father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

Making a habit of doing more than is expected of you has the following benefits:

• Pleases God
• Earns recognition and respect from your employer
• Improves our reputation
• Builds others confidence in us
• Gives us more experience and knowledge
• Develops our spiritual maturity

1. Not chasing after promotion

Some people spend a lot of their time at work chasing after a promotion or perhaps trying to get additional financial gain (earn a bonus/pay increase). This may require them working long hours – late at night or weekends. The kingdom man should not chase after promotion. Working hard to get accelerated promotion is good but should be balanced.

The kingdom man should not bribe or lobby his way up the work ladder.

This is what the Bible has to say about this:

• Luke 9:25 “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”
• Matthew 6:24. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Some employers may expect employees to work long hours which may lead to the employee spending long hours at work instead of focusing on serving God. If this is the case, the solution may be to change jobs and find a employer with expectations of more reasonable hours so that you have more time with God.

1. Loyalty

Implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray. On the contrary “Divided loyalty” is a feeling of strong support for opposing groups.

• Mt 26: “ ³⁴ Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” ³⁵ Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.”
• Ruth 1: “ ¹⁶ But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. ¹⁷ Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”
• Prv 18: “ ²⁴ A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
• Rm 13: 1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

1. Transparency

The kingdom man should be transparent. This means being free from pretence or deceit. Being frank, predictable and open. The transparent person should be

• Easily detected or seen through
• Readily understood

The kingdom should recognise that nothing is hidden from God.

• Heb 4:13. “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

1. Commitment

Commitment is what binds the kingdom man with their organisation. Broadly speaking, employees who are committed to their organisation generally feel a connection with their organisation, feel that they fit in and, feel they understand the goals of the organisation. The added value of such employees is that they tend to be more determined in their work, show relatively high productivity and are more proactive in offering their support.

1. Truthfulness

The kingdom should be truthful. This is important because truthfulness:

• Build reputation
• Improves efficiency
• Building relationship
• Encourages honesty in others

Th kingdom should be guide by the following scriptures.

·         Proverbs 12:22 “ Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.”

• Colossians 3:9 “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds”

9. The Value of Work.

There are works are that are legitimate for the kingdom man  and others that should be regarded as illegitimate.  All legitimate work is good and it is basically a way that God uses to provide for His creation.

The kingdom man should not be involved in illegitimate work such as prostitution, drug dealing, stealing etc. There are also legitimate jobs that are ethically and morally questionable such as working in abortion clinics, pornography, and the gambling industry.

The following are some of the reasons why work is valuable.

1. Serving people. Most work is part of a huge network of interconnected jobs, industries, goods and services that work together to meet people’s physical needs. There are jobs that meet people’s aesthetic and spiritual needs.

As a kingdom man we can employ our members in the organisations with which we are connected. It is a way of helping the church.

2. Meeting personal needs. Work allows the kingdom man to exercise the gifts and abilities God has given him, whether paid or unpaid. God expects adults to provide for themselves and not mooch off others.

• 2 Thess 3:10 “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
  3. Meeting family needs. God expects the heads of households to provide for their families.

I Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

4. Meeting financial needs of others and the church. Through work the kingdom man earns money to give to others. In both the Old and New Testaments, God tells us to be generous in meeting the needs of the poor and those who minister to us spiritually. The kingdom man uses the income from the work to impact the church in the following ways:

1. Payment of Tithe
2. Giving of Worship Offering
3. Payment of vows and pledges
4. Thanksgiving offering
5. Sunday School Offering
6. Special donations to the church
   5. Demonstrating love for God through our serving others. We bring glory to God by working industriously, demonstrating what He is like, and serving others by cooperating with God to meet their needs. In serving others, we serve God.

10. Conclusion

Walking with God requires a learning and growing relationship that includes evaluation, self-examination, and honest questions. This is what the kingdom man should do regularly. The kingdom man should maintain a heart that stays open and vulnerable to God’s agenda and leading for all the seasons of your life.

My counsel is that the kingdom man should fully embrace the work that God has placed before you today and make the best use of the opportunity to impact your church

God bless you

ARE YOU A KINGDOM MAN?

PASTOR KOLE AIYEJUSUNLE

INTRODUCTION

The topic of this opening message is succinct but promises to be very profound in its dimensions of impart; it is ARE YOU A KINGDOM MAN?

My lead texts are taken from Isaiah 9:6a and 1Corinthians 13:11.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…  (Isaiah 9:6a)

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,   I thought as a child: but when I became a man,

I put away childish things. 1Corinthians 13:11

I very much believe that this conference will be a colossal success if some things drop off of us, like excess and unnecessary luggage we have carried for so long, and then we take on the luggage we need as Kingdom pilgrims. Amen.

WHAT MANHOOD IS

To become a man, people say, is not a joke. People also say to become a man is not a day’s job, indicating the process of development it entails, the sacrifices and the costs involved. Really, the transition to manhood is a most critical and significant milestone in human life. This goes beyond the possession of the male genitalia, or being able to impregnate a woman, or raise up a family; it goes beyond exhibiting a macho characteristics, bullying everyone around or harassing and intimidating the female folks and children, and lording it over everyone around. It is unfortunate; this is the level and position of some men today.

To become a man primarily requires a journey in self-discovery. It is an incontrovertible fact that men have discovered so many things in world and these have added values to living. Consider electricity, automobiles, airplanes, computers, electronics, internet, and other hi-tech equipment.All breathtaking breakthroughs, yet men have not been able to discover themselves. There are men who are so ingenious at seeing the need for a change in others but are oblivious of any change in their personal lives. In his book Developing The Leader Within You, John Maxwell narrated a Middle Eastern mystic which said:

I was a revolutionary when I was young and all my prayer to God was: “Lord, give me the

energy to change the world.” As I approached middle age and realized that my life was half

gone without my changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to:” Lord, give me the grace to

change all those who come into contact with me, just my family and friends, and

I shall be satisfied. Now that I am old and my days are numbered, I have begun to see how

foolish I have been. My one prayer now is: “Lord, give me the grace to change myself.”

If I had prayed for this right from the start, I would not have wasted my life.

Becoming a man of the Kingdom indeed demands a bold and decisive act, not vacillating or spineless. God seeks men with these qualities for His Kingdom. These are men who are ready to spend and be spent for His Kingdom. Men who are ready to stand on God’s word come what may. Men who count their lives less than dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus far above all intellectual prowess and mundane pursuits. Can we have such men today?

SPIRITUAL STOCKTAKING

May I request at this time that you do a quick appraisal of your life by writing down on a paper your responses to these questions: How have you changed…lately? Have you been able to identify some childish elements in your life that you have dropped or you need to drop? Can you be very specific? If you claim you are changing or growing, okay…how? You see, the more you change, the more you become an instrument of change, like John the Baptist, in the lives of others. Howard Hendricks said, if you want to be a change agent, you also must change.

GOD’S PURPOSE FOR CREATING MAN

Remember the topic of this message is in a question form. It is asking whether you are a kingdom man. How can we effectively respond to this rhetorical question? The issue is that it is not the product that determines its quality or value but the producer and when a product is used according to the specification of the producer or by following the producer’s manual, it will deliver maximally.

Man is a product of God’s cognition and creation. Thus God is the producer and man is the product. So no man cannot truly discover his identity and hence his destiny without the help of God, and this is based on a solid, sound and robust relationship with God. In Genesis 1:26 we read:

And God said: let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them

have dominion over the fish of the seas and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle

and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

The major theme of man’s creation is dominion. Consider the phrase ‘and over’ in the aforementioned text which is repeated five times and signifying dominion. So God created man to be a ruler or king, and as no king exists without a domain of influence, man’s domain of influence is rooted in his God-given task or responsibility. The words kingship and domain both combine to form the word kingdom; therefore God’s expectation is for man to be a kingdom man, i.e. man working with God to establish his kingdom on the earth. Tony Evans(Evans ,2018)  said, ‘The kingdom of God Is that place where God’s authority is acknowledged and obeyed, where God and Christ rule and have the final say in man’s heart”

THE GLORY OF THE FIRST MAN

Indeed, the first man, Adam, exhibited the glory of the kingdom. Adam was indeed a king on the earth! His word and pronouncement were impeccable and carried authority. Adam gave names to all the animals and the fishes and God never corrected him (Genesis 2:19).He had intellectual soundness and operated in the class of God (Ps 82:6). Adam was in the deep to name the fishes without any diver’s equipment on him, yet he did not drown! He was truly a man of dominion and power, demonstrating what the kingdom of God should be on earth.

THE TRAGIC FALL OF THE FIRST MAN

Unfortunately, Adam failed to realise that it was his obedience to the word of God that brought him dominion. Selfishness, greed, avarice and lust for fame and pride entered into him through the subtlety of the Serpent and he fell into sin, losing his dominion and power,  with the consequence ravaging the entire human race (Rom 5:12).God however brought restoration to  all mankind  through the provision of grace (John 3:16, Rom 5:19). So everyone that believes in Jesus now has dominion over the devil, sin, the world, the flesh, and can manifest the kingdom power on the earth (John 3:8)

GOD IN SEARCH OF MEN: Since the provision of grace has been put in place by God, He has since been seeking for men that he might bless them and make them citizens of  His kingdom (Eph 2:19-22).This is accomplished through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to observe that the first group of people Jesus called and commissioned to this task were all men (Mark 3:14-19). Man is particularly useful to God and he was the first human gender to be created. He is strong and resilient and apt to spiritually, physically and emotionally confront the challenges of life and use his potential to protect his female counterpart. Earlier in the Old Testament God frequently sought for opportunity to meet with men and to fellowship with them, and such opportunities were always rewarding(Exodus 34:23-24)

CRITICAL QUESTIONS

The critical question now is, are you in the category that seeks God?

Are you a kingdom man?

Are you a visionary?

What is your vision about the kingdom?

Do you leave your life to choice or chance?

Do you make God and His kingdom a primary pursuit of your life?

Is your relationship with God sound and robust that he can claim that He knows you (Gen 18:19;Job 1:8?

Does God mention you personally by name, as he did to Abraham (Gen 18:19)?

Like Abraham, do you exercise control and influence over your family?

Do you guide your family in the way of the Lord (Deut. 6:7)?

Do you model quality Christian characters before your family (1 Tim.3:4-5;Gen 18:19)?

Do you practise what you preach?

Do you make spiritual and material provisions for your family?

Are you ensuring that your family and household are following the Lord?

Do you diligently monitor and appraise the spiritual conditions of your children (Job 1:5)?

Does your wife enjoy a cordial relationship with you and perceive you as a loving husband?

As a kingdom man, do you run your secular business and career to project the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as did the patriarchs for God?-Interestingly none of the patriachs,Abraham,Isaac and  Jacob seemed to be a preacher. They were businessmen.

Fellow men of God, it is not unlikely you may have failed one way or the other; you may have failed God’s expectation. The Holy Spirit may be convicting you of your perversion or those secret sins that rob you of power and status yet God is calling. He is saying that,”I seek for a man” and “Can I find a man”?

HISTORY AND STATISTICS SPEAK

History and statistics and records have shown how men have failed God and brought pain to His dear heart. Consider this statistics: In America

70% prisoners are from fatherless home

80 % rapists are from fatherless home

71 % high school dropouts are from fatherless home

63% teen suicides are from fatherless home(Pinelake2018)

Any family in which the father has abdicated his leadership position can be considered a fatherless home, even when the father is physically present.

FINAL DECISION

You can decide not to be a statistics in this one life that you have. You can decide to be a man like John the Baptist. Though there were many men on the earth in his days, he alone made himself available for God to use (John 1:6).Perhaps you don’t realize it, there is a customised assignment for you; there is a role, there is a responsibility God has assigned for you. Failure to fulfill this inevitably ushers in a replacement. When Adam failed, the last Adam, Jesus, came as replacement; when Reuben failed, Judah emerged.

THE MAN YOU MUST NOT MEET

There is a man you must not meet who is waiting behind the scene to spring into action, God forbid, that you fail. This is a prayer that you should pray now:” LORD, LET ME NOT MEET SUCH A MAN.”

CONSECRATION SONG

There is a song that I composed which reflects the yearning of a kingdom man’s heart. It goes thus:

‘Let me be that man

that heaven talks about

Let me be that man who’s dear to the heart of God

Let me be that man that makes the mark

Let me be such a man O God ’

THE KINGDOM MAN

Definition of terms:

KINGDOM:  A kingdom is the territory of a king, where the word of the monarch is law.

MAN: The kingdom Man is the kind of man God’s kingdom can depend on for expansion and stability. No country will send an ambassador that it cannot rely on totally to another country. Whatever he does is what the country does. He is as powerful as his king in his country of posting. That is why his residence is regarded as an extension of his home country. The host country cannot attack it or arrest anybody inside. It will be seen as an attack on the home country.

TEXT: Matthew 6: 10-13—God’s domain spans heaven and earth. So a Kingdom Man must reflect heavenly qualities on earth.

THE QUALITIES OF THE KING

The qualities of the king determine the qualities of his kingdom. By looking at the characteristics of God, we will know about the requirements of His kingdom. Every organisation takes on the character of the head because the leader makes final decisions based on his personality, wishes and desires. Thus, by looking at God’s attributes, we will know the characteristics of His kingdom and the man that fits into this royal territory. The more you tap into God’s qualities, the more you become His kingdom Man.

(1)God is holy

1 Peter 1:15-16

1 Peter 2: 9

(2)He is humble

Humility is deliberately acting below your status.

Genesis 18: 1-33

Matthew 1: 18

Luke 2: 7

Luke 2: 51

Philippians 2: 5-8

(3)God is all knowing

He is omniscience.

1 Samuel 2: 3

Nothing escapes His knowledge and nothing takes Him by surprise. Therefore, only God can tell the future with 100% accuracy.

(1)Bethlehem

Micah 5: 2 (about 710 years BC)

Matthew 2: 1

(2)Virgin

Isaiah 7: 14—a virgin shall conceive (about 700 years BC)

Luke 1: 26-35

(3)Cyrus: Isaiah 44: 28—Cyrus would rebuild Jerusalem and the temple

This prophecy was given 200 years before Cyrus himself was born.

Ezra 1: 1-2

(4)Temple: Matthew 24:  2

Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple.

70 years after, Roman Emperor Titus invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.

(4)No impossibility with God because He is the Creator of all.

Luke 1: 37

Mark 5: 38-43

Luke 7: 11-15

John 11: 39-44

Acts 20: 9-12

Ezekiel 37: 1-10

Exodus 14: 21

(5)God is generous

God always gives more than is needed—oxygen, sunlight, water, etc.

1 Samuel 2: 21

1 Kings 10: 27

2 Chronicles 1: 6-12

Matthew 14: 14-21

(6)God is loving and merciful

John 3: 16

1 John 4: 8

Mark 10: 46-52

Matthew 15: 22-28

(7)He does not joke with His Word. He values His Word more than any other thing in the universe

Psalm 138: 2

Isaiah 55: 11

Matthew 24: 35

John 1: 1-4

 (8)God heals

Exodus 15: 26

Matthew 8: 5-13

Mark 5: 15

Mark 5: 25-34

Mark 10: 46-52

Luke 13: 11-13

John 5: 2-9

John 9: 1-7

Barrenness healed:

Genesis 21: 1-6—Isaac

Genesis 30: 22-24—Joseph

Judges 13: 24—Samson

1 Samuel 1: 20—Samuel

Luke 1: 57—John the Baptist

(9)He cannot lose any battle

God is the Almighty General who uses whatever He wants to fight.

Exodus 7: 12—serpent

Exodus 8: 6—frogs

Exodus 8: 17—lice

Exodus 8: 24—flies

Exodus 9: 10—boils

Exodus 12: 29—death

Exodus 14: 28—the Red Sea

Numbers 16: 32-33—He used the earth

Joshua 10: 11-13—God used stones from heaven, the sun and the moon to destroy the enemies of the Israelites

1 Samuel 17: 49—God used a stone against Goliath. This shows that the best of man is no match for the least of God.

2 Samuel 18: 8—the wood killed soldiers of Absalom

Jonah 1: 4—God used a storm against Jonah

Jonah 1: 17—God used a giant fish against Jonah

Acts 12: 23—He used worms to kill Herod

(10) God reflects

Genesis 1: 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31

HOW DO YOU APPROPRIATE GOD’S QUALITIES INTO YOUR LIFE?

For emphasis, the leader of a country will not send somebody that is unlike him to represent him in another country. This is why ambassadors are highly trained to reflect the values of their countries and their leaders. The ambassador must accurately represent the wishes and desires of his home country without any deviation. In the same way, somebody who is unlike God cannot be His Kingdom Man. Thus, what makes you a Kingdom Man is not your age, title or status, but how much of the attributes of God that you possess. How much are you like God? How much of God can people see in you? That is what makes us Kingdom Men. The more we carry His image, the more effective and influential we will be in His domain.

The question now arises: How well are you tapping into God’s qualities? These are some of the things we should do to tap into His qualities:

(1)Evangelise at every opportunity.

2 Timothy 4: 5

John 15: 7, 8, 15

(2)Endure trials.

Matthew 24: 13

Luke 9: 62

James 1: 2-4

Proverbs 24: 10

2 Timothy 4: 5

Hebrews 10: 38

(3)Tarry in His presence.

Genesis 32: 24-28

Luke 18: 1

John 20: 10-18

2 Corinthians 3: 18

1 Thessalonians 5: 17

I Timothy 2: 8

(4)Associate with the right people.

Associate with those who are going in the direction you are going and encourage you. Associate closely only with those who speak the language of your destination, not the language of your frustrations. Every relationship takes you up or down. Every association adds to you or takes away from you. Some friendships might have taken so much from you that what is left of you is a carcass. Don’t continue in that direction.

Judges 16: 4-30

1 Samuel 22: 2

2 Samuel 13: 1-33

Jonah 1: 3-4

(5)Work towards making your marriage a showpiece.

Nothing good happens by chance or accident.

Ephesians 5: 24-25

I Timothy 3: 5

1 Peter 3: 7

The modern society is structured to ruin your marriage.

Global divorce rates:

(1)Luxembourg 87%

(2)Spain 65%

(3)France 55%

(4)Russia 51%

(5)US 46%

(6)Germany 44%

(7)UK 42%

(8)New Zealand 42%

(9)Australia 38%

(10)Canada 38%

(11)Nigeria: no reliable statistics, but one court in Abuja alone handled 24 cases of divorce in three months. Lawyers lamented to Vanguard newspapers in 2017 that “new couples do not know what the marriage institution is all about and are not prepared for it.”

(6)Shun pride. Be humble.

If you are not humble, you will be humbled.

James 4: 6

I Peter 5: 5-6

1 Samuel 15: 17

2 Samuel 12: 7-8

Daniel 4: 33

Humility manifests in two ways:

(a)Being teachable

2 Kings 5: 13-14

1 Samuel 25: 14-19

2 Samuel 12: 13

(b)Submission to authorities

There is somebody you must submit to, to function maximally and achieve your destiny. Everything must submit to something to function harmoniously and make progress.

I Kings 19: 19-21

2 Kings 3: 11

(7)Be a master of your profession.

Mark 7: 37

Genesis 41: 38

Exodus 31: 1-6

Psalm 78: 72

Daniel 6: 3-4

(8)Avoid distractions. Be focused.

John 6: 15

Genesis 39: 9

Nehemiah 4: 17

(9)Live a life of integrity.

2 Corinthians 8: 21

Ruth 3: 1-14

1 Samuel 12: 3-5

Genesis 14: 21-23

(10)Obey God 100%.

This is because God values His Word above everything else in the universe

Joshua 1: 8

1 Samuel 15: 23

John 14: 15

John 14: 21

PREPARED BY PASTOR SEGUN OLATUNJI

THE KINGDOM MAN AND HIS FAMILY

By Femi Omowumi

INTRODUCTION

Dr. Tony Evans in his book Kingdom Man defines the kingdom man as “one who places himself under God’s rulership and submits his life to the lordship of Jesus Christ.”

From this definition, we see a kingdom man as one who functions according to the principles and precepts of the kingdom of God. This implies that he has a spiritual connection with God and carries out his operations in line with the principles of the kingdom of God. For short, a kingdom man is a Christian, genuinely born again.

Therefore, in relation to his family, He is the man who is what God wants him to be in the family, as a husband and father. In these capacities the kingdom man is supposed to take responsibility for those whom God has entrusted into his care. He clearly understands that he has an obligation to his family, to do things expected of his status as a husband and as a father.

Text: I Timothy 5:8

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (KJV).

If anyone does not take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (ISV).

The Bible presents Abraham to us as an example of who a kingdom man should be to his family in Gen. 18:19

For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

From all of the foregoing, we have identified a sense of responsibility as the hallmark of the kingdom man in relation to his family.

This needs to be specially highlighted to the level of understanding of every kingdom man in order to be successful in his family, especially these days that our generation is witnessing a crucial change of roles in the society. The 21st Century civilization, the trend of the economy and the general tilt to Westernization are fast changing the role of the man in the home. Before now, the roles of men and women in the home were fairly well-defined: woman was expected to be a mother and a wife, taking care of husband’s well-being and raising children and man had to provide for his family. But we are in an era when women are fighting fiercely for gender equality. And to worsen this, more women are earning higher salaries than their husbands nowadays, making them to be very economically independent on their husbands. So, the kingdom man these days will have to do more to prove that he is a responsible man at home.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A KINGDOM MAN TO HIS FAMILY

A kingdom man, being the husband and father in the family is expected to be a protector; a provider, a leader, a teacher and a priest in the home. The New Testament spells out his responsibilities as a husband and a father in Ephesians 5:25-30, 6:4, I Peter 3:7, and Colossians 3:19-21.

In his book Preparing for the Evening Time, Femi Omowumi tries to classify the areas of responsibilities into three:

Responsibility for Emotional Security

Responsibility for Physical Security

Responsibility for Financial Security

But for this purpose of this discussion we are adding a fourth area, which is Responsibility for Spiritual Security.

PHYSICAL SECURITY

As a Christian, a kingdom man is to bring leadership to his home and family just as Christ leads the Church (Eph. 5:23). Like Jesus Christ, he must not be self-centered, but must be ready to give himself for the physical security of the family and protect his members from all kinds of evil and against intruders (John 10:11-13).

Most importantly, he must provide protection for his wife from in-laws. To do this, he has to be man enough to stand alone against all expectations contrary to the welfare of his wife.

Secondly, he has to provide security for the future of his wife by being loyal to her (Matt. 19:5-6; Eph. 5:31). Loyalty here means a lifelong commitment to her. As Jesus Christ stands by His Church through every experience of life, so should the kingdom man do to his wife. He should learn to marry her over and over again all his life, in spite of her shortcomings or deficiencies.

Providing security for the future of the family also entails that the kingdom man does not just live for today, he also plans for tomorrow. This is not just family planning but more than that, planning for the family. He should learn from the mistake of the prophet who died and left nothing but debt behind for the family (II Kings 4:1). He should therefore plan for unforeseen contingencies.

Thirdly, the kingdom man should also provide security for the children. He should be there always for the children at least until they go to settle in their own families. He should not be an absentee father who lives the children in the care of other while not

overindulging them. As Jesus Christ promised to be with us always, so a man should the kingdom man spend a lot of time with the children in order to serve as a living example to them (Eph. 6:4). All children learn by copying. So the kingdom man must live his life in such a way as to present to his children a life worth copying.

One may think he does not have enough time but the fact is that we all do if we can prioritize the way we spend our time. Check how much time you spend on social media. You will see that you have quite a lot of time for your wife and children if you put down your phone, tablet, and computer.

The kingdom man should also ensure the future of the children by giving them good secular education.

FINANCIAL SECURITY

A kingdom man is to provide for ALL the financial and material needs of his family as Christ seeks to supply all the needs of the Church (Eph 5:25-29). These include their feeding, their clothings, their healthcare etc. Whether by work or by faith, the burden is his to provide the basic needs of the family. See again I Timothy 5:8.

It is the duty of the husband to provide for the totality of his family’s needs (his wife and children). The wife is only a helper, the responsibility is the husband’s. That is the reason why God created man as a functional being and the woman as a relational being. He is created muscular to be able to work and provide for the family, while the woman is created fleshy to be attractive and relational.

When God created man, God planted a garden and placed man there ordering him to keep or tend the garden. He gave man work to do, not the woman.

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it (Gen. 2:15).

God did not tell the woman to tend the garden. She was just a help meet. He spelt out their roles clearly after they fell in Eden.

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee (Gen. 3:16).

And in Gen. 3: 17-19, he also told the man:

“Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Man will sweat to eat while the woman will labour to give birth and her desire will be to her husband.

EMOTIONAL SECURITY

A kingdom man is emotionally stable. He is not short-tempered. He will not scold his wife. He certainly will not beat her but bears with her, love her, nourish and cherish her and the children just as Christ loves the Church (I Pet. 3:7). All women, old or young desire affection from their husbands. They want to be chased all through their life time. Therefore as a kingdom man, the husband must learn to say nice things to his wife.

The kingdom man displays maturity in all his dealings with his wife and children. Maturity is the main distinguishing factor between the men and the boys. Paul told Titus to teach the older men “to be temperate, worthy of respect and self- controlled…Similarly, encourage the young men to be self- controlled” (Titus 2:2,6).

Because a woman needs someone who will make her feel complete, the kingdom man is expected to take interest in the totality of his wife from her thoughts to her dressing (Col 3:19). He must learn to make time to listen to his wife and be available for her because the woman always wants to know her husband’s view point no matter how trivial the subject may be.

SPIRITUAL SECURITY

As it is necessary for the kingdom man to protect his family from physical harms so is equally important, if not more important, for him to protect his family spiritually. This means he must be a priest in the home. A priests stands in the gap between man and God. He has to lead consistent and regular family worship, prayer and study of the Scriptures. He should ensure the spiritual maturity of his wife (Eph. 5:25-27) and the salvation of his children through every means of godly education. He should never think his job is done by putting a roof over the heads of his members and food in their stomachs. Their spiritual needs must also be fully provided for, before you can shout “Ebenezer.”

CONCLUSION

We have tried to enumerate the responsibilities of the kingdom man to his family. These responsibilities are numerous and enormous. But they distinguish the kingdom man from every other man. Anyone that wants to live according to the principles and precepts of the kingdom of God to qualify him for heaven must endeavour to meet these demands in his home. Who you are, they say, is louder than what you say, hence who you are is more important than what you say. Therefore live your life so well at home that your family members can testify that you are indeed ‘a kingdom man.‘ and your credibility outside will not be questionable.