Q & A With Pastor Dolapo Lawal by Pastor Dolapo Lawal: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Finding Christ in the Old Testament

How do we tell the difference between a revelation of Jesus and simply the power of the Father in the Old Testament?

The Bible says Jesus is both the wisdom and the power of God — so Jesus is the revelation of that power. The Old Testament operates through types. When we see Samson, we are not saying Samson did not exist. He was a real person doing real things. But the anointing upon him, and how he used it, was to typify God's Christ.

Not everything in the Old Testament is a typology of Christ. They must be discerned by the Spirit. If you try to make everything a type of Christ, you will force meanings that are not there. Find the ones that are, and let the ones that aren't stand on their own terms.

Must Every Sermon Reveal Christ?

When teaching on a topic like relationships or marriage, must we always make it explicitly about Christ?

Always establish Christ first. Why? Because whatever wisdom you want to give, the problem in a troubled relationship is never that people don't know what to do. The problem is there is no willingness to do it. And the only source of genuine willingness is in the example of the perfect Christ.

If people could have done it without Christ, he didn't have to die. You tell someone to forgive — they say they can't. God forgave your sins. That's where you start. First establish doctrine — what Christ has done — then give the application. That is how Paul did it. That is how Peter did it.

There is no marriage teaching, in whatever context, that should not first start with what sounds like "boring doctrine." That doctrine becomes the soil from which application grows with authority.

How to Formulate Teachings from Questions

Is there a technique to formulate inspiration for teaching?

Any question that drops in your heart — find the answer. That is how to be a teacher. A teacher is not someone who lectures. A teacher is someone who answers questions. If you have a genuine question, another human being has the same one.

The title of a sermon determines its direction. If you say "The Spirit of Fear," you will analyse it — describe it, explain its nature. If you say "How to Deal with the Spirit of Fear," your mind immediately becomes prescriptive. You start thinking about steps, answers, solutions. That is what a teacher is for. People don't need someone to tell them they have a problem they are already feeling — they need someone to tell them what to do.

Most people know what their problem is. What they need is a guide out of it.

How to Disagree Without Destroying Relationships

When you notice you are becoming argumentative or combative about doctrine, how do you handle it?

Remember that there was a time when you were genuinely wrong and thought you were completely right. Once you hold onto that memory, it humbles the position from which you speak. It also gives grace — what you are saying, the other person may not receive now. Light is coming for them.

Two practical tools: First, when you want to share a different view, say "and" rather than "but." "But" tells the listener to be defensive. "And" opens the mind — it sounds like a continuation, not a confrontation.

Second, before disagreeing, acknowledge everything you genuinely agree with first. Make the person see that you are together. Then introduce the correction. The goal is not to be right — the goal is to be a blessing. If that is your motivation, it will shape every word.

A genuine minister also makes reference to other ministers. You cannot be the only voice you have ever heard. Even Jesus quoted Moses. Nobody learns from nobody — and a teacher who only quotes themselves is a red flag.