Pastor Jimmy Odukoya @ Sunday Service
Continuing the sermon he began the penultimate Sunday, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya explained that the manna God provided for the children of Israel in the wilderness, though unfamiliar, was ultimately pointing them to the true Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who could not be hoarded just as the manna could not be hoarded. “Manna was never about the bread; it was always about the presence. It was not about the bread, it was about the Person; it was about Jesus,” he stated.
Speaking from Exodus 16:1-7; 16:14-15, the clergy noted that the Manna revealed their hearts, that they were still stuck in Egypt. This, he noted, was revealed by their murmurings against the servants of God, Moses and Aaron, not knowing that they were actually murmuring against God. In his words, “Complaining against spiritual leadership is often disguised as unbelief in God. God takes spiritual authority seriously because that is a reflection of His nature.”
Referencing Numbers 16:30, he emphasised that God does not take lightly how His servants are treated, even though they are not perfect. For this reason, he urged believers to be mindful of their attitudes and behaviour toward God’s appointed leaders. “When you rebel against spiritual authority, you rebel against God. God reacts swiftly when His leadership structure is mocked,” he warned.
Pastor Jimmy further explained that the Israelites’ reaction to manna highlights a timeless truth that God’s provision often comes in unfamiliar forms, adding that the unfamiliarity does not diminish its divine origin. “Old mindsets can never recognise new miracles,” he said, encouraging the congregation to stay humble and open to God’s leading even when it comes in unexpected ways. “The litmus test of God is not based on what we recognise. God often wraps supernatural answers in ordinary things.”
He therefore urged the congregation to maintain an open heart toward the gift of Jesus, symbolised by the manna in the wilderness, and to receive Him, as well as His representatives on earth.
Pastor Toluwani Odukoya took a new dimension earlier in the service, while sharing the Promise of the Week from Psalm 128:1-2, by prophetically pronouncing blessings on the congregation, stating that because they love, fear, and honour the Lord, His blessings are guaranteed upon them. She also extended these declarations to Nigeria.
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