GIVE GOD THE CHANCE AND LET HIM BUILD 2

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, AND ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)

• Ministers’ primary assignment

• Your primary assignment as a minister is to please God, that is, to wait on God in order to receive instructions and obey whatever instructed.
• It is not in your assignment to please people, satisfy people, and meet their demands: "For do I now persuade men, or God? OR DO I SEEK TO PLEASE MEN? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).
• If you wanted to please MEN, you will end up displeasing God, which may be costly and disastrous for your life and ministry.
• If God asked you to stop a programme, do without hesitation, even if the people are asking for it.
• If God asked you to stop a work, project, do without any question.
• If God asked you to set yourself apart, separate yourself, or stay indoor, in order to seek His face, do without any complain.
• If He says you should fast, pray, or whatever; DO, without complain.
• Do things in line with His commands or instructions.

• God will test the loyalty of your people.
LET God test you and the people under your leadership, allow it, and learn from it.

• If He says do not pray for someone on a particular issue, do not do it; even if you inadvertently did, He might not answer: "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you" (Jeremiah 7:16).

"Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins; keep yourself pure."
1 Timothy 5:22 (NKJV)

• Do not be rigid or adamant, or bent on whatever you want to do.
• Do not force things to happen in your way, it might lead to frustration, disappointment, humiliation, contempt and reproach .
• Some pastors want the people to say they are nice, thus they compromise God’s instructions (1 Samuel 15:20-23; 1 Thessalonians 2:4,5).
• Chastisement, lack, and suffering are the rewards of such Ministers from God.

"Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?"
2 Corinthians 3:1 (NKJV)

• Let God says you are nice or good, not men (1 Corinthians 4:5).
• Jesus said there is no good person (Luke 18:18,19).
• Let God’s opinion move you and drive you, not that of men.
• Allow people to form their opinion about you, but do not LET whatever the opinion is, move you.
• Know that opinion is the cheapest thing, everybody is free to have one; about you, either good or bad, but their opinions should not move you, but God’s words.
  GOD'S opinion is what matters!

1. "We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.
2. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God..."
   2 Corinthians 6:3,4 (NKJV)

• The truth is: You can not change people’s opinion about you, but God can change it (Acts 28:3-6).

• The people of the island called Malta changed their minds when a poisonous snake bit Paul, they thought it was going to affect him and he would drop dead, but he did not.
• If man says you are bad, but God says you are good, that is all you need.
  AND vice versa, if man says you are good and nice, but God says you are bad, that means you are doom.
• If your ways please God, those who say you are bad will change their minds, come to agree with you, follow you, and submit to you.
• Jesus said no man is good except God!
  DOES that mean Jesus is not good, no, it does mean whatever good in Him that was exhibited is by God.
  HE does not want flattering.
  WHETHER people praise or abuse Him, it does not move Him.
• God wants you grow to the point that whatever people say does not move you—it should not matter to you at all.
  WHAT should matter to you is God’s commendation or praise, not man’s commendation, opinion, or approval (1 Corinthians 4:1-5).
• The truth is, if God approved you, no man can disapprove you.
  IF God decided to lift and promote you, regardless of who is angry, no one can demote you.

• Note: It does not mean you should disregard, disrespect or disdain the people God has given you.

• Remember they are the people of God, do not disrespect them or treat them with contempt or disdain.
• Treat them with honours and respect even when they misbehave.
• When someone is behaving funnily, or in a strange way, such will recover sooner or later.

• Handling the people

• Do not fight, a minister of God should not quarrel:

1. "AND A SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST NOT QUARREL BUT BE GENTLE TO ALL, able to teach, patient,
2. IN HUMILITY CORRECTING THOSE WHO ARE IN OPPOSITION, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
3. AND THAT THEY MAY COME TO THEIR SENSES AND ESCAPE THE SNARE OF THE DEVIL, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
   2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NKJV)
   READ: Titus 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:3

• Do not be angry with anyone even when they misbehave, handle your annoyance with maturity—tell it to God and let God take care of it (1 Samuel 8:6-9).
• Do not be sentimental about God’s Word—the instructions given you by Him.
• Stand and be steadfast on the principles of God.
• Do not be men pleaser, but God pleaser: "But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, NOT AS PLEASING MEN, BUT GOD WHO TEST OUR HEARTS" (1 Thessalonians 2:4).
  READ: Galatians 1:10
• Stay focus on the instructions given to you about your vision (Hebrews 8:5).
• Do not look at the faces of the people, look at God’s face and focus on Him (Psalm 121:1; 123:2; Hebrews 12:2).

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!