President of Gospel Unlimited, a non-denominational mission body based in Offa, Kwara State, Prof Duro Adegboye has highlighted some areas where many churches are wrong regarding missions and evangelism.
He gave the highlights while taking a session at the Lagos Evangelism and Missions training on Thursday, June 27.
The Omega Glocal Mission Centre organised the event in collaboration with the Citadel Global Community Outreach.
Workers of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), missionaries from across Africa sponsored by the church, and the Serving Overseer of CGCC, Pastor Tunde were in attendance at the event which spanned three days from June 27 to June 29 at the CGCC premises.
The message and method
Talking on the topic, message, and the method, Adegboye noted that both the message and the method used in evangelism in many churches are impediments to the salvation of souls.
Giving a background to his message, he said every activity in the church must be aimed at soul-winning and building the Christian character.
He said, “When Jesus called his disciples, he called them to follow him and said he would make them fishers of men. They left all to follow Christ. But they were not just to follow. They were to become fishers of men”.
Contrary to what many preach, Adegboye said the church was in existence before the day of Pentecost. “The day of Pentecost was the day the believers were empowered to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. Before that day, they were believers. They gathered to pray before they were empowered. They were already following Jesus” he said.
While stating that a teacher must be more knowledgeable than the students, he said, “Pastors should be well equipped with the knowledge of God’s word and must be able to teach their congregation effectively so they can preach the gospel that will make their congregations soul winners.”
Basis for receiving Jesus
One of the areas evangelists make mistakes according to him is to invite people to Jesus, saying Jesus will make them materially prosperous. “Asking people to come to Jesus so they can get blessed in material terms is a wrong premise. If that is the case, what message do you now preach to people who are already comfortable materially?
“You don’t tell people to come to Jesus so he could make them rich, healthy, and comfortable in life. You tell them to come to Jesus because of what he had done for them already and for them to have peace with God. Everybody has sinned and has been separated from God. It is the death and resurrection of Jesus that brought us back into a relationship with God. They should be told that God loves them. People are looking for peace of mind and only Jesus can give that peace of mind.”
Crusade songs
Adegboye also noted that some of the songs that are rendered during Crusades won’t make sinners repent. “Some of our choruses can’t minister to sinners. We should sing songs that draw sinners to Christ. Songs like, ‘what can wash away my sins, nothing but the Blood of Jesus’ , etc. The songs we sing on crusade grounds should speak to the souls of the hearers, not the ones that will entertain them .” He said.
While citing the example of a preacher who came to hold a big crusade in Kwara State, he said, “I was shocked that this preacher came and had a massive meeting and did not make an altar call. He was more interested in selling oil to the congregation. He told them to buy oil and handkerchiefs and asked them to make sure that they top the oil if it was about finishing. That is not the gospel.”
Anointing oil
Quoting Exodus 30v22-33 Adegboye said, “What people call the anointing oil is not the anointing oil. The anointing oil the Bible talks about only has a small percentage of olive oil in it. What people parade as anointing oil has nothing to do with the anointing oil the Bible talked about.”
He explained further that anointing simply means appointment. “When we say by the anointing the yoke is broken, it’s simply saying by the appointment. When an ambulance or police van drives one way, they do so because of their appointment. The same applies to the anointing of the believer. It is not the physical oil that people pour on their bodies. We can break through circumstances because we have been appointed by the Lord.”
He decried the abuse of the oil in the Church, stating, “A universal God cannot tie my breakthrough to olive oil that can’t grow in my locality.”
Exodus 30:22-33 reads
“Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels.
And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
Jesus is enough
He warned pastors against adding anything to Jesus “Jesus is too complete for anything to be added to him. He does not need an addition. We are requested to invite people to come and have peace with God through Jesus Christ.”
Adegboye also observed that many pastors assume too much. “Many pastors want to play the go-between their congregation and God. Instead of them to teach their members to know God for themselves and also do evangelical work, they want members to come to them for everything. Some even want their members to tell them before they travel.
“Pastors are supposed to equip the laity and have them baptised in the holy spirit. They can’t work unless they have the power of the holy spirit. Pastors are to guide us to God. And the congregation should stop sending their pastors to God. Go to God by yourself and stop consulting pastors to go to God on your behalf.”
Adegboye pleaded with church leaders to respect Jethro’s principle of division of labour and not rubbish Jesus’ five sets of ministers; Apostles (MISSIONARIES), Prophets, Evangelists , Pastors and Teachers that He has given THE CHURCH.”
Soul winning critical
Professor Adegboye earlier in his message compared The Church to a Football team. He said , ‘TEAMS were Founded to score goals just as CHURCHES were Planted to WIN SOULS. ‘There is Joy in the Stadium of 60,000 Spectators over A SINGLE GOAL SCORED, just as There is Joy in Heaven of Trillions of Heavenly Beings over ONE SINNER WON FOR CHRIST.’ he said.
He emphasised the need for soul winning adding that pastors should be tired of seeing the same faces every Sunday. “It is important that we keep winning souls to the kingdom. Sometimes I pity pastors. I don’t know how they cope with seeing the same faces every Sunday, and these people are ever learning and not coming to the understanding of what they are learning. This should not be. The pastors should equip the laity to do the work of evangelism.”
He noted that there is a difference between fellowship and fellowboat. Those who are in the same boat are one-way people. They are tied by the same destiny. But those in fellowship are people with varieties. The ship is big enough to take many people doing different activities. The church should be run that same way. People with different gifts come together to advance God’s kingdom. The Bible study time should be a time for fellowship where people come to share different ideas and learn from one another.”
Passion for souls
Also teaching at the event, one of the facilitators, Pastor Okon said there is a need for believers to have passion for soul winning. “It is only those who have been saved that can tell about Jesus. Unfortunately, there are people in the marketplace that present the wrong Jesus.”
He noted that about 42 percent of the world population is yet to hear about Jesus while about 30.6 percent of Nigerians are still unreached with the good news.
Koma People
He gave an account of how missionaries discovered the Koma people and how God used them to bring them to civilisation. He also recounted the story of Calvary Ministries which used to be known as Calvary Production. (Capro). “The men who started CAPRO were youth corps members in 1975.
They were zealous for God and were always preaching the gospel in the rural areas of the north. But one day they decided to hold a crusade close to the palace of the Emir in Zaria. At the crusade, people came forward to surrender their lives to Christ. As those people were coming out to give their lives to Christ, they were followed by stones from fanatical Muslims in that area.
“That was the end of the meeting. They managed to escape without being killed. It was that incident that inspired CAPRO. The team led by Bayo Famonure went to God in prayers. God gave them Ezekiel 37 assuring them that the dry bones of the north will come alive.”
He noted that many people want to go on mission but the fear of what to eat and survive is stopping them. He shared his own example, how he left a plum job to go into missions.
Pastor Bakare expressed great appreciation to the resource persons pointing out that he decided to stay back and also learn from others. “At the end of the programme I am going to share my thoughts. But i have been really blessed” he said.
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