I sought for a man (Co-labourers with God)
By Apostle Joshua Selman
How to be a co-labourer with God
Ezekiel 22:30
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Believers are categorized in 2 fold, according to:
Our identity: The first set of description attempts to see the extent of our oneness with Christ. John 15:1, John 15:5. Ephesians 2:6
Function: Descriptions like light, salt, king and priest, ambassadors. Acts 1:8.
God created man in His own image(identity) and likeness(function)
Hebrews 3:1
John 9:4
Man is the highest of all God created. Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 8:4-6
Every activity that happens on earth is man dependent(Good or bad)
Psalm 115:16
You are as blessed as the men God sent you
Both God and satan require men for their program to be carried out - The life-giving ministry of Jesus requires men, the destruction and death by satan also requires men.
God doesn’t need God’s permission from men to work on earth, what he needs is man’s participation
Psalm 89:20
2 Thessalonians 3:2
Satan describes 7 kinds of men Satan needs: Proverbs 6:16 - 19
A proud look(pride)
A lying tongue (dishonesty)
Hands that shed innocent blood (violence and murder)
A heart that devises wicked schemes (evil intentions)
Feet that are quick to rush into evil (eagerness to do wrong)
A false witness who pours out lies (spreading falsehoods about others)
A person who stirs up conflict in the community (causing discord and strife)
1 Corinthians 3:9
To be a core laborer with God starts with the consciousness that you have a role to play as far as making destiny actualization and kingdom advance a reality.
If anything good and God will ever happen as touching your destiny, it does not just depend on the will of God, you have a role to play. Genesis 12:3
Hebrew 12:2
If it is going to happen It’s not all up to you, but it’s up to you.
When we talk about the role you have to play, you must know what that role is. God defines the role you are to play, yours is to accept it, obtain grace and engage. Knowing that you have a role is wonderful, but defining that role you want to play is another kind of foolishness.
There is a standard for every result you need.
If you want to be the savior Jesus, the requirement is death on the cross, not even the tears of Jesus changed that.
Great people always think in terms of their participation
Work with the consciousness that every command that comes from God also comes with a mandate to you, to make it happen.
For example, If God says I want to lift, do not hear “I want to lift you” alone, listen well, you will hear what you have to do.
There are many people. What you heard from God is not a lie, you just did not know that you were a co-labourer.
Psalm 105:14
1 Corinthians 3:9
His husbandry meaning you are God’s investment!
Matthew 6:21
There is so much on my life: His love, his trust…
You are not an afterthought. A Lot has gone into me, God would rather fix me than throw me away.
God can do without me, but he has chosen to do with me.
Isaiah 41:10
Meaning our nonchalance and faithful partnership is what determines our reality.
There 2 questions to answer
- Where are you? Genesis 3:9 - He is not just asking your location, he is asking of your consciousness
The answer to that question is in Isaiah 6:8
“Here I am, send me!”
When he ask this question, he is asking can I still trust/depend on you?
God’s servant said: behind everything that works is someone making it happen.
There are 3 dimensions of labor with God
Nehemiah 4:15 - 20
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The labor of prayer and intersession
Ezekiel 22:30, Jeremiah 29:7, 2 Corinthians 1:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:1
Effective intersession should have a 3 fold focus:
- Establishing victory over demonic forces
- Empowerment for the vessels - a supply of wisdom, faith and power
- Access to the hearts of men who translate as helpers.
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The labor of active service
Matthew 9:38
By active service stay on your lane, be on your call, don’t plan forever, Act!
Nothing moves until you move.
You must not start with plenty, start with few! - Acts 1:8
Start from Jerusalem before the ends of the earth.
1 Timothy 5:18
Not the hungry, but the laborer receives wages.
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The labor of providing help
Help in all its ramification: Financial help, help in terms of access. Any kind of scriptural help that becomes an advantage to God’s program is your laboring with God.
2 Corinthians 8:23
Numbers 1:5 - There are men ordained by God to stand with you
Acts 19:22
The assignment of help is to make things possible and to make things easier. The reason life is hard for many people is because they’ve not found helpers, or because they’ve not become laborers deserving helpers.
Helpers listed by Paul - Romans 16:1 - 6…
The church must be educated to know that being a co-laborer with God means that you must stand to make his work easy in any ramification.
Anytime you find yourself in a place(not just a ministry), participate in making the overall value process effective, do not just be bench warmer, make sure your seed, prayer, goodwill, influence… everything within your power.
2 Cor 26:15 - You never become strong until you are helped.
What gives value to what we have and what we are, is connection to the program of God.
Whatever you have is vein until it is converted and routes his way to revealing Christ.
Everything you do that adds to making the kingdom come counts.
God is seeking for men, but not kinds of men, the assignment of this message is to become the kind of man that God is looking for.
Pray:
Father, let your program happen through/with me. Let me a partaker of your program
As I commit to advancing the kingdom, O God, send me all the helpers required for my witness to be efficient.
Numbers 1:5