WORKER’S DAY SERVICE: GOD’S CHURCH LAUDS CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION!

 

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*I RECEIVE MY GOOD NEWS NOW!*

🦅 Song: *REDEEMER* Nicole Mullen.

 

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?
And who told the ocean, you can only come this far?
And who showed the moon where to hide ’til evening?
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Well, I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
All of creation testifies
This life within me cries
I know my Redeemer lives, yeah

The very same God that spins things in orbit
Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I’m broken
They conquered death to bring me victory

Now, I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer

He lives to take away my shame
And He lives forever, I’ll proclaim
That the payment for my sin
Was the precious life He gave
But now He’s alive and
There’s an empty grave…

And I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer lives

I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
He lives
He lives
He lives
He lives

Please be assured, as we begin:

*_This morning of your victory, the Almighty God has declared His vow to cancel every evil arrangement against your glory. God’s Holy Spirit will crush every hindrance instituted on your path to your glorious dominion. He will bless you with ideas that will make you ingenious and innovative in success, in Jesus’ Name._*

*CHRIST’S GOOD NEWS MISSION… Prayer For The WORKERS’ WEEK.*

Theme:
*GOD’S CHURCH LAUDS CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION*

Text:
*1 Corinthians 9:22*

*_“I have become all things to all men so that, by all possible means, I might save some.”_*

– 1 Corinthians 9:22 (NIV)

I am a consummate Wesleyan. I studied a piece on this *_CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION_* subject on the 7th of April 2021, six days short of twenty years after my big Baptist friend, Alan Perkins, wrote that piece. It still lingers in my memories, positively influencing my thoughts. Now the world has caught up with it – or so it seems.

Christ Jesus was a great *WORKER*, and today, *_God blesses your toil. Now, you will be productive: All Year Round, in Jesus’ Name!_* AMEN.

Al Perkin’s Summary:  *_“Why we celebrate creativity and innovation”_*

Word association: “Think of a creative, innovative organization (pause). Now raise your hand if one Church you know, or a Church organization comes to mind.

• “What adjectives do people usually associate with churches?

“Why is that so? Is that the way it should be?”

Let me share with you a few of Alan Perkins’ least favourite phrases:

• *_“We’ve never done it that way before”_* [His Answer]: *Why not?* or *_”There’s a first time for everything!”_*

• *_“We tried that once and it failed”_* [His Answer]: *_Then let’s figure out why it failed and try again_*

• *_“It can’t be done”_* [Femi-Adebanjo’s Answer]: *_Everything in this world can be done!_*

And I add, *_never conclude on, or judge a good path you had never followed!_*

*_Are you a possibility person? Are you a person who sees obstacles and labels them “challenges to overcome”? Do you tend to see difficulties or opportunities? When you hear a new idea, do you immediately think of ten reasons why it’s impossible, impractical, or inadvisable – or do you start thinking of how it could be made to work?_*

*_Well, CHRIST’S GOOD NEWS MISSION is a Christ-believing Possibility Church._*

This is not some *_“power of positive thinking.”_*

We believe in a big God who calls us to accomplish *_big things_*, and who gives us the resources to do them. We believe that when God calls us to do something, *_He makes it possible._* He provides the tools, the people, the finances, the skills, the opportunities – everything we need. Even through you, because you are special to Him!

When we come up against a difficult problem or a seemingly impossible situation, we remember that God’s wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence are greater than ours.

Even if, at first glance, there seems to be no solution – *_we trust that God will make a way. Because we have an infinitely creative God, and he delights in confusing and confounding His critics and naysayers._*

How many of you have ever been surprised by an answer to prayer? How many of you have ever had the experience of asking God for something, having no idea how your prayer could be answered, secretly thinking that probably it wouldn’t be answered, and then being completely blindsided when God met your need in a way you hadn’t anticipated and couldn’t have predicted?

[Example: Acts 12:1-16, Peter being released from jail in response to the church’s prayers]

The title of my Christ-inspired message is *“The Church of God Lauds Creativity and Innovation”.*

And my TEXT,
*1 Corinthians 9:22* (NIV)

*_“I have become all things to all men so that, by all possible means, I might save some.”_*

It is pertinent for Christians to look at why we, as one united church, value and appreciate creativity.

We value creativity because we serve a creative God.

Some people think of God as one dull, boring, invisible but big force watching us on the ground like a huge predator who keeps us where we loathe and forbids us to move into perfection.

👆 *_Nothing could be further from the truth than this!_*

*_It is a lie and a deception from the pit of hell that makes you assume that sin and evil are_* fun, heartwarming, *_creative and exciting while following Christ is boring, and limits us to penury and mediocrity!_*

• Have you ever considered all the forms of natural beauty in the world?

Who created mountains, valleys, rivers, oceans, beaches… and mankind? Who created sunsets and sunrises? Light and colour?

*_He made us, so, we will self-destruct if we judge Him by our limited senses!_*

• Consider all the different kinds of tastes smells and sounds. Who created music?

• Consider the method that God came up with for human reproduction. And such heartwarming fun that comes with it… Would a boring God have come up with that?

I am a visual artist and I know how people feel when they see my exhibitions. Of course, I enjoy the sights too.

Have you seen the soul-inspiring creativity of God in your surroundings?

I see my lovely wife and children – seeing God’s lavish creativity in their overall beauty. I see inspiring things and life that help my artistic creativity… Don’t you often wonder what God is working on next?

It is a pity that spiritually ignorant people are advocating that people should keep God on the shelf until they *_make it_* via hard work! Work hard, YES: but apply faith to see godly results of true success. Or else, all is vanity!

*_Working like an elephant to eat like ants: I reject it for you and me, in Jesus’ Name._*

Just look at the diversity of the natural world. If we want to be like God, we must value and enjoy diversity: varying tribes of good people, colour, views and schools of thought. But have a mind of God.

• There are at least 400,000 species of different insects and, the same for animals.

• More than 230,000 species of flowers and flowering plants. See that tiny mustard seed that produces one of the biggest trees in the forest?!

• 4,629 species of mammals (from the Bumblebee Bat, 2 grams, to the blue whale, 110 feet long. / 190 tons).

Consider the diversity in size, from tiny sub-atomic particles with names like quarks, muons, and neutrinos, all the way up to the Milky Way galaxy, containing 200 billion suns with a diameter of 100,000 light years. There are approx. 125 billion galaxies in the universe.

Consider the incredible complexity of creation, not only the complexity of individual organisms from the cellular level up but also the complexity of the way they all interact and inter-relate within an ecosystem.

*_The Bible begins with the creation of the “heavens and the earth” and ends with the creation of the new heavens and new earth which are to come._*

We value creativity because we are inherently creative.

*_“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them”_* — Genesis 1:27 (NIV).

God is a creative being; we are made in His image; therefore, we are inherently creative. This is not a matter of being “gifted“. Every human being has the gift of creativity. It is a matter of expressing the creativity that we all inherently possess in varying degrees. Those men we call geniuses only used about 20% of their intelligence quotient. You can make your dream come true if you envisage the big dream while refusing to miss your great momentum!

*_What, then, is creativity?_*

Is it wearing funny hats? Is it being goofy or wacky as a clown? Is it about getting pissed with unsavoury things that happened in life and why God could not make amends in a jiffy? Is it being strange or unusual?

For comedians, maybe, yes. But, remember that God gave us *will, intellect and emotion. Why should he stop us from exercising our freedom?*…if you understand God, you will know that He has given us room to ponder and decide to follow Him or depart from Him!

*_Creativity is simply our ability to make something new, something that didn’t exist before. It is the ability to do things in a bright, new way._*

Creativity happens anytime we stop doing things the way they have always been done, but successfully think of how to do them differently to get more pleasant feedback. Whether we do things differently is a matter of wisdom and judgment.

*_Creativity is not merely the expression of artistic ability. It can be expressed in any kind of physical, mental, social, fiscal, vocational, or spiritual activity._*

An entrepreneur could provide more comfort for his or her clients, without an immediate thought of profits… It makes him or her stand out amongst his or her co-business moguls… *_“Good thinking, Good Product”_* is a cliché of one top car brand…

Thinkers would end up attracting investors and customers alike.

Some Churches do that so well… Come to Africa.

But many other Churches – not only in one continent – took that *_innovative and creative_* clause too far, by bending the word of God for human acceptance. That is a demonic innovation.

Investing in members, and fetching resource persons to teach members about IT, cyber security, self-development and entrepreneurial skills *_does not get your Church out of track with Godliness… It is called creativity!_*

*_Going out to bind the brokenhearted and providing resources for those sick ones who need divine healing, is already a part of God’s Church’s Mission… So, doing the needful in a flowery way is not a “show-off”. It helps to wake up those Churches that collect so much from members and give little or nothing to the Society!_*

The best way to give to humanity still remains, to bless true men of God and sponsor Church outreach!

• A trivial example: setting up the chairs. That can be a creative activity. [number, arrangement].

• Every ministry and activity of the church is an opportunity for someone to exercise creativity.

•. I, Michael Femi-Adebanjo, used to be an Asthma patient. But I got tired of being hooked to *_Marax_* and prayed. I stopped taking the drugs one day and my wife begged me to no avail. We preach divine healing. So, God must heal me today. To those who live in my house, I died. But that morning I woke up, totally healed till today!

*_Creativity and innovation have a lot to do with your faith. You must believe in what you are propagating. But remember that in the Christian faith, we do not have the same level of faith. Be careful how you lead God’s flock._*

Why not enforce my faith on my followers, many friends have come to believe in faith healing, and it works for them till today. Healing us is God’s creativity and innovation in Charismatic Evangelism. And it is not by power or might: *Christ works!*

We value creativity and innovation because our God is creative and because we, having been created in His image, are creative beings. It’s part of who God is and part of who we are.
Creativity and innovation are essential to effectively communicating the gospel to our culture.

Our message is timeless and unchanging; the method of communicating it, and the application of it to life, must constantly change and adapt – without a touch of duplicity or chicanery.

*_“But even if we – or an angel from heaven – should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”_* — Galatians 1:8 (NIV)

*_“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.”_* – Hebrews 13:8-9 (NIV).

The title of my Christ-inspired message remains *“The Church of God Lauds Creativity and Innovation”.*

And my Text,
*1 Corinthians 9:22* (NIV)

*_“I have become all things to all men so that, by all possible means, I might save some.”_*

 

*_The message of the gospel, the message of forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ, does not – and will not – change. That is that Old-Time-Religion that we Charismatic Evangelists who follow Christ the way the Wesleys did… follow with gladness!_*

*_We cannot “improve” upon the gospel, to add to it or subtract from it to make it more acceptable or less offensive._*

On the other hand, we must adapt the presentation of the gospel to our culture without inventing falsehood or bending to idolatry.

*_“I have become all things to all men so that, by all possible means, I might save some.”_*

 

Have you ever been in a church and felt uncomfortable because you didn’t understand what was going on? [standing, sitting, reciting a prayer from memory, reading from a book, singing a song with no song sheets or with Hymn Books].

· Use of archaic language or “shorthand” terminology.

· Unfamiliar traditions, customs, practices…

*_Effective communication requires understanding our culture, understanding the message, and then creatively fashioning the presentation of the message so that it can be understood_* (not necessarily accepted). *_We cannot rely on old forms and methods. And in doing all this, we are merely imitating God, who wanted to communicate with us so much that He actually became one of us._*

*_“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”_*
– John 1:1 (NIV)

Friends, *_Are you using your God-given creativity to serve God?_*

Beloved, have you made up your mind to achieve God’s will for you and become creative and innovative for success in your endeavour? *_Then, you must decide to give your life to Christ today…_*

That way, you will be able to rescue the perishing and care for the dying without any fear of loss.

🦅 *_HYMN._*

*_Rescue the Perishing…_*

1: Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, Lift the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

2: Though they are slighting Him,
Still, He is waiting,
Waiting for the penitent child to receive.
Plead with them earnestly, Plead with them gently:
He will forgive if they only believe.

3: Down in the human heart,
Crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, Wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

4: Rescue the perishing-Duty demands it;
Strength for thy labour the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way, Patiently win them;
Tell the poor wanderer a Saviour has died.

 

*_LET US PRAY:_*

1.
*_All the evil seeds that my generation had sown that were manifesting in my life, and are hindering me from doing good, O Lord, destroy it today, in Jesus’ Name._*

2.
*_All the curses of my generation that cling to me, which do not make my life meaningful, Lord, destroy it with Your blood today In Jesus’ Name._*

3.
*_Lord, save me from the accuser of my life In Jesus’ Name._*

4.
*_By Fire! By thunder! Fight against every opposition of good things in my life, destroy them with fire, In Jesus’ Name._*

5.
*_Blood of Jesus! Be my advocate everywhere In Jesus’ Name._*

6.
*_All good things that have been stolen from me, Blood of Jesus, restore it to me In Jesus’ Name._*

7.
*_Lord, let people congratulate me before the end of May, In Jesus’ Name._*

AMEN.

Finally, confess the words of your prayers and possess them for yourself…

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🌹 *_On this day of victory in May, I have declared my GOOD NEWS. It shall come alive right now, in Jesus’ mighty Name._*

❣️ *_Yes, LORD, I believe!_* 💕