The Liberation Mandate At 45 by Bishop David Oyedepo: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

45 Years of the Liberation Mandate

Ever since the liberation mandate was delivered to brother David Oyedepo back in 1981, the world has never remained the same. Testimonies have never ceased. 45 years of ever-increasing world impact. 45 years of continuous growth and expansion. 45 years of increasing relevance of the commission across the nations. Impact is limitless both on individuals, families and society at large.

We left to a place of nowhere and God announced us everywhere. I've said severally I'm not surprised that we are where we are. Thank God for bringing us there. I wouldn't be surprised if we were not there. You can always count on his integrity to perform. It's marvelous in my eyes.

The Beginning — Kaduna, 1983

When it was time, the Lord built himself a church in Kaduna. We had a citywide healing and revival week, 21 to 28th of November 1983, and the Lord said, "We're starting a church in that place." The largest attendance in that citywide meeting was 63 people — 24 came from our base, the rest came to sympathize with us.

The church started December 11, 1983. He named it Living Faith Church. I asked him, "What shall this church be called?" Names matter to God. When we began to spread outside of the north, we took the name Winners Chapel. The living faith is the acting faith. The acting faith is a winning faith — and that is the faith of God. The church began with four people.

The Open Vision — Four Keys

Why is this church not growing? I went on a 3-day prayer and fasting with three other workers. On the third day, God said to me, "Stand up and follow me." In broad daylight around 12:30 in the afternoon, I stood up and in an open vision I followed him. He got to a point and said, "Turn back here." He opened my eyes and I saw a layer of thick darkness spread over the roof of the church. He said that is the blindfolding weapon the enemy uses to hide what Jesus is doing in this church. I stood and said, "You foul spirit of darkness, there is a light that shines in darkness that darkness cannot handle — get off that roof now in the name of Jesus." I saw it roll like a carpet.

Then he said, "Someone has to tell someone else. Come and see. Go to town and tell them to come and see what I, Jesus, am doing in this church." We flagged up "Come and See" and printed it exactly that way. We drew the diagram of the church as a guide and put one little testimony behind it so people would know what to expect as they came. That began the last Sunday of March 1984 and is ongoing till now — 1984 to 2026. Every instruction of God stands the test of time when received and embraced.

After "Come and See," he said, "Keep sowing the seed." It was all in that open vision — not sleeping, not on a bed, standing up. He said, "Keep sowing the seed, and as the grass grows, the sheep will come forth." I asked, "What seed?" He said, "The seed is the word of God. Keep teaching life-applicable word. As the grass grows, the sheep will come forth." And number four: "She could lie down there because he makes me to lie down in green pastures."

It was a compound revelation — not calculated, just standing before the Lord. Those four keys became the mystery behind our church growth experience:

• Don't give the gate a chance to stop the church — engage in prayer and fasting. Every week we are in the fast. Every month we have a 3-day time to strengthen ourselves in the spirit.
• Come and see — advertising Jesus in every form.
• Keep teaching the word — one thing we can always miss is the word.
• Keep the grass growing — so the sheep can lie down in green pasture.

One of my colleagues from UK called and said they always ask themselves, "Have you taken Papa's dose today?" — a dose of the word. That's where we are. He keeps confirming these words in signs and wonders and diverse miracles.

Lagos — A Divine Redirection

We had an aborted trip to the US — a trip I would never have wanted to miss for any reason because it was a most honorable invitation from respected, anointed people of God. Confirmed ticket, confirmed seat — and then at the airport, no seat. While I was mourning missing those meetings, the Lord said consistently, persistently, irresistibly, "Arise, get down to Lagos and raise me a people." I tried to cloud that voice. He would not let go. When I could withhold no more, I dispatched staff the same night. Within a week we had all facilities required — God just backing up his word.

At that time, the church had a notice hanging over our heads — the facility we were worshipping in was going to close by August. We ran a 4-day seminar and at the end of that seminar the church opened. The first Sunday we had 178 people and the church began to grow. By 1991 they were already out of space. Two services started. By 1992 God relocated us to what we call Canaan Land today. Breakthrough Night became the big thing in Lagos. Within 1994, January to December, the church had grown from 3,000 to 10,000. We counted 50,000 by September 1999.

By 1996 the old facility was under stress. Everywhere was blocked on Sundays. I called the people in December 1996 to start looking out for larger land. A team came and said they saw some land. I was taken to one option — the divine presence left me. Then they found another place — I was told it was not far. We got there and I was furious. How can you think of a church away from every human being? But there was only one lane so we had to keep going. We got there and I said, "Let's give God thanks for how far we have gone so you can direct us to where the place will be." As we said thank you, Jesus said, "This is the place." Very clear. It was offside by every standard — scientific, theological — but I had God say, "This is the place."

Church — never tell strangers within the church so that they won't go and sabotage the purchasing process. I asked if we could get 100 acres. Then 200. Then 300. 400. We stepped into Canaan with 530 acres of land from 2.3 acres where we were — it was too much.

My idea was to give this to farmers in the church to occupy the land until we needed it. I stood before the Lord and asked, "What do you want to use the land for?" That's how Covenant University came on board. The Lord said, "That place shall become Moriah. That place shall become Zion — the place for the enrollment of kings."

The Tabernacle and the Wonder Double

We made the foundation of the build in August 1998. On September 17, 1998, at our annual anniversary, God spoke the word. By September 18, we were here drawing the ropes for the tabernacle. By the grace of God he dedicated it and finished it on record without any financial stress — because he said so.

Back in 1975, the Lord opened my eyes to Lamentations 3:37. Somebody once asked, "How do you get things done so cheaply in this ministry?" We do nothing except it is commanded. That tabernacle was built without a budget. The one who commanded it made it happen — no borrowing, no begging, no personal contact or meetings with anybody.

God appears through two main platforms. The first I call divine appearance from the word. The Lord appeared to Samuel by the word. Isaiah said, "The word of the Lord which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw." God appears to his people from his word. He spoke at sundry times by the prophets but today he speaks to us by his Son. His appearance from the word is what turns things around for people.

And then there is divine visitation. Divine visitation provokes supernatural manifestations — as we saw in Noah: how can a farmer build an ark? As we saw in Abraham: how can a man embark on an adventure to greatness at 75? As we saw in Moses: how can a man stone the world at 80? Divine visitation provokes supernatural manifestation.

On May 2nd after our annual liberation service, I was in my room. His presence so filled the place I was so restless. I could not sleep. From after the service in the morning around 11 to 12, by 5 p.m. he visited. "I, the God of Wonders, am visiting you. Wonder double." What does it mean?

In the night of the same day while preparing for the annual ministers international conference, I was scanning through the bookshelf in my room and stumbled on a book — "Ministering Home for 50 Years." On page 77, I found where a church was 150, he prayed and it became 300. He prayed for 300 and it became 600. He prayed for 600 and it became 1,200. It was so vivid. I knew immediately God was out on a double wonder agenda. I shared it that same evening at the pastors' meeting.

We flagged it off with 7-day prayer and fasting, June 1 to 7. By July 26 the church had increased by 113,000 people — within 7 weeks the church had more than doubled. And he said something interesting: "I, the Wonder, will be in your midst until you don't want me again."

So we began to pursue his wonder double agenda: 2016, 2017, 2018. 2019 — we planted 5,820 churches within one year. For 2020, God said we are planting 10,000 churches. We saw 10,400 churches planted including churches in 35 other nations of the world in spite of COVID-19. 2021 — doubling the number of home cells. In Lagos we had close to 20,000 new home cells. 2022 — "You are entering 75 new nations this year." We are still in the wonder double era.

Now we have one institute in over 120 nations. The Bible school started because a week to resumption we had not secured a place. Out of concern someone said students have been given admission letters — where would they resume? I answered humorously, "Is it your school?" Right there and then he opened my physical eyes and showed me a building and pointed to it. That's where the Bible school will be.

I called a staff and said, "Go to so-and-so — there's a church called the church there's a building opposite it. That's where the school will be." He went and met the man in front of the building. "Sir, are you the owner of the building?" He said, "I'm not the owner. Jesus is the owner." He said, "For Bible school?" He said, "Then it's free." We got two floors free. When this elderly man became a student and registered and was later relocated from town, we acquired the property from him as a monument. That's how God kickstarted the Bible school.

Covenant University

As for the global ranking of our two universities — the root of it is Jesus. Everything is not mine. He said it is I. In Abuja after we received the land he said lay down before me. I lay down in my suit on the roof. Not hard floor. Heat came from the ground. But that's when he took over.

From its onset Covenant began to produce the most employable graduates in Nigeria. When the government started scholarships for performance, Covenant had the legacy here. Covenant today is one of the world-class universities — followed by Landmark University.

He directed me from the light of Jeremiah 6:16 and 17 — "Stand and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it." That led me to selecting nine world-class universities that had Christian foundations. Beyond that, he defined the core values. Jesus defined the seven core values. Jesus dictated the department of philosophy. And because he did, he is backing it up. The publication ministry was born the same way — the Lord said, "The words I've committed to your mouth, the same commit to writing."

Excellence — A Birthright, Not an Ambition

Our heavenly Father is an excellent Father. So we can only beget excellent children. Excellence is not a gift — it is a product of continuous commitment to improvement. We were once in a grass cathedral. Now I build churches. Even in the grass cathedral, you could see God's presence in terms of neatness and commitment of membership.

The baby of an elephant does not pray for bigness — it is in his genes. So if we have an excellent Father, our bonafide children have excellent genes embedded in us if we take responsibility. Success is not our ambition, it is our birthright. Excellence is not our ambition, it is our birthright. All we need to do is take responsibility. There is nothing mystical about this — a romance commitment to continuous improvement.

For instance, when a service is 6 a.m., it is 6 a.m. It is 6 p.m., it is 6 p.m. No one waits for anybody since inception. Since there were only two staff in the midweek service — 6 p.m. is 6 p.m., 5:30 is 5:30. Those are traces of the character of God when he is given means to express himself in us.

The Ark will soon be completed by the grace of God. In the tabernacle we had 39 inhibitors. In the Ark we have 128 escalators that take you from wherever you are, no matter your size, to where you're going without having to struggle climbing.

Beware of Timing God

He only makes all things beautiful in his time. Our times are in his hands, not in our hands. It is faith coupled with patience that wins the race. Christ once told them, "What have I to do with you? My time is not yet come." So don't determine the time — he does. People get frustrated by trying to define the timings of God for their life. My admonition to the Winners family worldwide is: keep following God. Give the timings of events in your life to his hand. Don't take it into your own hands — it is a risk. We don't have control over our timings. It's in the hand of God. Psalm 31:15.

I see tomorrow: education institutions being opened across the nations, healthcare centers across the nations, churches in every people group on the earth — till he holds.

The liberation mandate is as alive as ever. The commission turns 45 having touched every facet of human life — and the best is still ahead, to the glory of his name.