Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo’s inaugural sermon at WAFBEC 2015 was titled Maximising Grace. He defined grace as, “Grace is the ability of God that He displays through His people”.
1 Corinthians 15:10 -“But by the grace of God I am what I am…”
He explained that when you operate under grace, you will do extraordinary things and will be ahead of your peers. Paul operated by grace he did exploits; he wrote most of the books of the New Testament. The God we serve is never tired of bestowing grace upon His children (John 1:16).
When the grace of God is upon you, you will exceed anything you can achieve by your ability, or by fasting and prayer (Acts 4:33).
Pastor Ashimolowo explained that grace brings favour, God’s favour will bring underserved blessings. Hannah was barren but God favoured her and gave her a child. He also favoured Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. (Daniel 3).
Pastor Mathew noted that when operating under God’s grace, there’s no need to fear anything. When God backs you with grace, you will not be a failure, you cannot be behind.
Grace imparts wisdom for ministry. God’s favour enabled Moses, a stammerer to have a highly successful ministry as prophet (Exodus 4:26). Talent without God is dangerous. God told Moses to throw down his rod and when he was told to pick it up, it had become God’s rod. Grace changes your talent into something greater.
Grace gives sweat-less victory, it terminates suffering and struggling. Grace changes physical situations. If there is sickness in the body, it is grace that brings healing through Christ. Grace also brings restoration (Joel 2:25).
Obadiah 1:21 – “saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s”. God empowers believers to function as saviour [with a lower case ‘s’]; and to impact their generation. He explained that every believer is called to be a saviour.
Stop complaining about the situation in the country; be a solution provider, he advised. The world celebrates solution providers and they set the price of the solution they offer.
Pointing out that whoever enjoys grace will initially experience resistance, before being accepted and then tolerated before acceptance takes place. Grace positions the possessor to provide answers to questions and to become a bridge to the future for others (Titus 2:13).
Pastor Ashimolowo admonished that when grace is enjoyed that it be not wasted for God wants you to be a world changer.