THE EXPLICIT MANDATE OF MINISTERING FAITH TILL THE END – PASTOR W. F. KUMUYI

Text: Hebrews 10:22-23; 11:5-6; 12:1-2; 13:7-8.

There is no shadow of doubt about what God has called us, anointed, and appointed us to do; it is very clear and explicit. We already have the mandate, decree, commandment, and Great Commission from Christ, and it is explicit enough. As ministers sent by the Lord, we are to represent the Lord, not our tribe, locality, or denomination. The minister of Christ must represent Christ. When we minister, we must minister faith to the people. When the Bible says something, it is God who has said it, and we build up faith in God by ministering that faith from the beginning of our ministry till the very end. If God has called you to be an evangelist and a denomination retires you, the Lord does not take away from you the anointing of the evangelist, so you must fire on. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without  wavering;  (for  he  is  faithful  that  promised;)”  (Hebrews  10:22-23). Faith is believing that God is faithful. Our faith should be in the faithfulness of God. Any time you come to the Lord, understand that He will answer your prayers because you have faith in the faithfulness of Him who has promised. We never operate in unbelieve, fear, unfaithfulness, or faltering because we know that all the powers on earth are not equal to the power of the faithful one who has called us and will see us through. God has started with your life, moulding, mending, and mentoring you, and He will finish what He has started in you. The Lord is still working on you. I am not what I used to be. The Lord is still at work in my life, when He finishes, you will see something you have never seen before.

1.  THE PREACHING AND PROFESSION OF FAITH IN THE FAITHFUL

Hebrews 10:22-23, 38-39.

• The Profession with Full Assurance of Faith – Hebrews 10:7-10,14-16; Jeremiah 31:33-34; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Hebrews 10:19-23. “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered  by  the  law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.” (Hebrews 10:7-10). Christ came to do the will of God. Our salvation, healing, growth, and perfection are the will of God, and that is what Christ came to do. When you read the Bible, you must go beyond the Old Testament and read the entire Bible to know what God expects of us in the New Testament. When Christ came, He took away all the activities of the first Adam which brought us into sin, sickness, slavery, and satanic dominion, and now.

He has given us His total, wonderful salvation, healing, and deliverance. Those who claim to have the literal body and blood of Jesus every time they take the sacrament are wrong because Christ gave the sacrifice and offering of His body once and for all. “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them  that  are  sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with  them  after  those  days,  saith  the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;” (Hebrews 10:14-16). In this new dispensation, we no longer carry about the written commandments of God because He has now written them in our hearts.

• The Preaching by Faithful Ambassadors of the Foundation – 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Timothy 2:19-22; Luke 6:46-49; Ephesians 2:18-20. “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth ” (1  Corinthians  3:10). Our salvation is by grace, and the rest of our lives in the ministry is also by the grace of God. We have grace at salvation, at sanctification, and in service. When we labour in the grace of God, grace will not be angry at the congregation or backslider or fight on the pulpit. There is no anger, self- will, or browbeating others in grace. Grace makes us wise while self makes us unwise; personal ability and personal aggressiveness make us foolish, but grace makes us wise master builders. When you are preaching the foundation as Christ, what you build on it should also be Christ; you must not replace Christ with yourself. “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can  no  man  lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon  this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;” (1 Corinthians 3:10-13). When the people fear the minister more than they fear God, more than they love Christ, and more than they are yielded to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, grace is no more there. Whenever you notice that the grace of God is no longer in your life, go back to God for grace and He will give you. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19). The ambassadors of Christ are to build on the foundation. When it is by grace, it is easy to depart from iniquity.

• The Perdition for Fatal Abandonment of the  Faith  – Hebrews 10:26-31, 38- 39; 12:14-17, 25-29; 2 Peter 2:17-21; 1 Timothy 6:9-12. You may not abandon the ministry, but if you abandon the faith in the ministry, that is fatal. You will not abandon the faith and God will not abandon you. There is perdition in believing that once you are saved, you are forever saved regardless of what you do. We have free will, and as the grace of God at salvation was not forced on us, people have the free will to sin if they want. “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful

looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and  hath  counted  the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath  said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith  the  Lord.  And  again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26-31). God does not want to judge you or condemn you, but if you choose to have judgement, you will get the judgement that He has reserved for His adversaries. When you reject the Saviour’s sacrifice because you love your sin more, you have trampled the Son of God under your feet. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:38-39). You have your freewill when you become saved, and your freewill remains when you become sanctified, and become a minister. You must make sure that your freewill does not ruin your life. It is when we stand on the ground of grace and by the virtue of faith that God has pleasure in us. Though we know the way back to the paths of sin, we will not draw back but we will keep on believing every day of our lives in Jesus Name.

2.  THE PATTERN AND PROCLAMATION OF FAITH IN ITS FULNESS

Hebrews 11:1-6, 27, 33, 39-40.

• Pleasing God Through the Obedience of Faith – Hebrews 11:5-8; 5:9; 1 Peter 1:14-16, 22; Acts 5:29-32. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:5-6). The rapture is going to happen, but when Christ comes, will He find faith in your heart, or will you just be full of activities? There are so many things that will distract us from having faith, things that will jolt, test, or try us to the point of forgetting the faith; but for us to be partakers in the rapture, we must watch against these things. Money, self, shouting, and speaking in tongues, do not please God, only faith in God pleases If God is going to bless us, our prayer and faith is that we believe that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
• Proclaiming the Gospel for Observance by the Faithful – Hebrews 11:24-27; Deuteronomy 5:32-33; 12:32; Matthew 28:20. “By faith Moses, when  he  was  come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ  greater  riches  than  the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:24-27). Moses could not have done everything He did without faith. Moses had faith in returning to Egypt, confronting Pharaoh, leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea, turning bitter water sweet, overcoming the Amalekites, and in everything he did. The cross of Christ will make every bitter thing in your life sweet in Jesus Name. You cannot enjoy the provisions of Calvary and enjoy the pleasures of sin at the same time; one has to go. If the purity of the cross is rejected, then you have the pleasures of sin, but if you are going to enjoy the provision of the cross, and the provision of Calvary, and the provision of Christ, you have to abandon the pleasures of sin. Moses saw the presence of the invisible God and was victorious. Our problem is that we see people too much and we don’t see God who is invisible. Whatever you see of this world, look away and see the invisible God, you will always have the victory in Jesus Name.

• Preventing the Giants of the Obstacles of Fear – Hebrews 11:29-34; Mark 5:36; Hebrews 2:14-15; 13:5-6. There were giants in the land and there are still giants today with the goal of stopping the people of God from getting to their If we just believe the Lord, there are no giants on earth that can hinder us in Jesus Name. Throw your fears away and send them back to the devil, then stand firm by faith to prevent all the giants and obstacles of fear. “By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed  about  seven  days.  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of  Samson,  and  of  Jephthae;  of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned  to flight the armies of the aliens.” (Hebrews 11:29-34). The Egyptians tried to copy the children of Israel by crossing the Red Sea and they drowned; your enemies cannot copy you. All the walls that try to prevent you from your inheritance will fall in Jesus Name. Those who trust in their self-righteousness will eventually perish but those who humbly come to the Saviour and believe in His will be saved. If you have backslidden in the past, as you come to the Saviour today, whatever your past, faith will re-write your story. It is not what we were, it is what we are by faith today and it is that faith that will wipe away the past, the guilt, and the condemnation. The angels that shut the lions’ mouths are still ministering to us in this New Testament. You can have a shouting faith around the walls of Jericho and a silent faith in the lions’ den; whichever one you have; your faith will keep on working in Jesus Name.

3. OUR PERSEVERANCE IN POSSESSION OF FAITH IN THE FINISHER

Hebrews 12:1-2; 6:11-12; 13:7-9.

• Patiently Running the Race by the Faith of the Son – Hebrews 12:1-2; Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 2:14-16. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2). As we are making a journey to heaven, we must make our load light enough for us to be able to run the race that is set before us. Any property of Satan in your baggage will make it too heavy and hinder you from running well. Sin, like anger, transgressions, atrocities, and naughtiness, are properties of Satan that will hinder you from running the race. When you take all these away, you will run, cross every sea, fly over every mountain, spring in your heart, and the joy of the Lord and victory of the cross will be yours. The people who do not have the faith that comes from the Author and Finisher of our faith, Christ, will be disappointed because their faith will not You are running a race, and you will run it well, and every one of us will get to the finishing line in Jesus Name.

• Progressively Reaching all Regions as Followers of the Son – Hebrews 13:7- 8; Luke 4:42-44; Acts 8:1,4; Mark 16:15-20. “And when it  was  day,  he  departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.” (Luke  4:42-43).  The  Lord  has  sent  you,  and  you  will  have  a  successful  ministry  in Jesus Name. The grace of God will see you through from city to city, and your life and ministry will not be limited in Jesus Name. You will not be tired or weary, but you will follow Christ to the regions beyond in Jesus Name.

• Perseveringly Raising the Righteous to the Fulness of the Son – Hebrews 13:12-14; Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 13:20-21; Ephesians 4:11-13. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-13). When God gives ministries, He does not give everyone the same thing. In the five-fold ministry, the thumb represents the apostle, the pointing finger represents the prophet, the middle finger goes beyond every other one represents the evangelist, the ring finger represents the Pastor, and the smallest finger used in cleaning the ears is the teacher that puts the word of God in your ears.

You may not start at the top, but wherever you start from, God has not finished with you yet; whatever He has given you, He wants to givesomething more, something greater, and something higher today. When you see any imperfection in the church, you will not criticise, but  you  will  know  that  God  has called you and given you a ministry for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ. We will achieve the measure of the fullness of Christ with every little addition, multiplication, realisation,  and demonstration in the unity of the faith. Our faith will grow and work until we all come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. I welcome you to a new level, a new life, and a new possession today in Jesus Name.