DEPLOYING THE ‘I MUST’ PRINCIPLE

1. DEPLOYING THE ‘I MUST’ PRINCIPLE PASTOR EJIRO OTIVE-IGBUZOR PALACE OF PRIESTS ASSEMBLY

2. SCRIPTURE READING Psalm 115: 1-5 Hebrews 12: 2

3. DISTRACTION VERSUS FOCUS • A central POINT, as of attraction, attention, or activity; POINT of CONCENTRATION • Physics. a POINT at which rays of light, heat, or other radiation meet after being refracted or reflected. • Geometry a POINT having the property that the distances from any point on a curve to it and to a fixed line have a constant ratio for all points on the curve. 4. Geology. the POINT of origin of an earthquake. 5. Pathology. the primary CENTRE/POINTfrom which a disease

4. DISTRACTION VERSUS FOCUS DISTRACTION – Shifting our FOCUS/ATTENTION/CONCENTRATION from something of GREATER IMPORTANCE to something of LESS importance. • Distraction can be likened to idolatory– Read Romans 1: 25 – ‘Shifting our focus from the CREATOR and worshipping the things HE CREATED. • Between the CREATOR and the things He CREATED, which is more important/has greater value?

5. THE CREATOR VERSUS THE CREATED • Psalm 115: 1-4 Why should the nations say, "Where, now, is their God?" But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. • Answers prayers by fire – 1 Kgs 18: 16-45 – Battle on Mount Carmel • Rock of Gibraltar, my defender • God of Providence • The I am that I am • Omnipotent; Omnipresent, Omniscient • Our High Priest –touched and moved by our troubles. • Q – Are the Priests still in touch with their High Priest? Easter calls for self-reflection. Psalm 115:4 –5 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell;… Worshippers live riotously and in a fruitless racket

6. IN YOUR LIFE, WHAT IS YOUR POINT OF CONCENTRATION? WHAT ARE YOUR DISTRACTIONS? DISTRACTIONS What are those things that take your focus/attention away from these tangible things? • Idols in your life – silver and gold • Trust in mortal humans • TV, entertainment, internet • Laziness • Proscratination – postponing the most important things • Bitterness, malice, anger – Fruit of the flesh – Gal 5: 16 - 20 FOCUS • You ministry/calling – We are Priests • Your career/business • Your marriage/family life/parenting • Your academics/Studies

7. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Questions: • GAL 5: 16-22 – Why is it easier to exercise the fruit of the flesh than the fruit of the Spirit? • What effort does it require to fail an exam; to be a failure? Why? • Why do the things of the Spirit/tangible life ventures e.g. Study (2 Tim 2: 15); Praying; Planting; etc – more difficult than the fleeting unimportant things – entertainment, etc Answers: • IT IS BECAUSE, LIFE IS A BATTLE – 1 Pet 5:8 – Your adversary…, Eph 6: 12-13 – We wrestle…; 2 Cor 10: 4-5 – The weapons of our warfare • VICTORY ASSURED – If we stay in God’s Camp – Romans 8: 31-39 • NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY

8. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES • YOU ARE YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS FACTOR; • A LOADED RESOURCE; ORDAINED TO AFFECT YOUR WORLD POSITIVELY; • RECEIVE COURAGE TO CLAIM YOUR SPACE. WE SUCCUMB TO PRESSURE TOO EASILY! • ONLY YOU CAN STOP YOU. YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS! • TIME TO DEPLOY THE ‘I MUST’ PRINCIPLE

9. DEPLOYING THE ‘I MUST’ PRINCIPLE • JOHN 9:4 – Jesus declared – I ‘MUST’ work the works of He who sent me while it is day; for the night cometh when no man can work. • MUST – Mandatory; Strong resolve; POINT OF CONCENTRATION; a Command; Connotes difficulty that has to be Overcome. • Time to COMMAND your body, senses to obey • Time to COMMAND your day • Time to command your future and SPEAK IT INTO REALITY.

10. DEPLOYING THE ‘I MUST’ PRINCIPLE - HOW • QUIT THE BLAME GAME – ‘Self-serving bias’ - People’s tendencies to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external ones.  • TAKE RESPONSIBILITY – Things won’t change unless you change how you do things. It starts with a change of mindset. Put on a ‘CAN DO’/’MUST DO’ mindset. • PREACH THE ‘CAN DO’/’MUST DO’ SERMON TO YOURSELF UNTIL EVERY FIBRE IN YOUR BEING GETS IT. • SPEAK FORTH YOUR VICTORY – Words are serious business. God uses words to call those things that be not as though they were.

11. FAITH; A CALL TO FOCUS • FAITH IS A CALL TO FOCUS – 2 Cor 4:18 – YOUR ABILITY TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN IS A SIGN OF MATURITY/A SIGN THAT YOU WILL MAKE IT • Your glorious future, not seen now…but it is coming • If you have seen it and you believe it, you will be motivated to put in what it takes. God’s Grace is guaranteed.

12. THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS • A man on mission. He had CLARITY – Isaiah 61: 1-3; Luke 4: 18 • He stayed focused from beginning to end • He deployed the ‘I MUST PRINCIPLE’ – John 9:4; • Time consciousness – While it is day! • He paid no attention to distractions on the way to the Cross – It is darkest before dawn; Opposition/distraction increases when you are close to victory. READ - Matt 27:27-31 - The soldiers take Jesus away, strip Him, scourge Him, place a crown of thorns on His head, give Him a reed scepter, and worship Him in mockery. They spit on Jesus, and hit Him in the head with the reed scepter. Jesus, not having said one word, is dressed again, and led away. • Hebrew 12: 2 – Looking onto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith WHO, FOR THE JOY BEFORE HIM, ENDURED THE CROSS. CHALLENGE: Can you catch a glimpse of the glory before you when you succeed?

13. PRAYER POINTS • SALVATION/RE-DEDICATION • THAT DISTRACTION IS PART OF THE DEVIL’S SCHEME TO PULL YOU DOWN – RECEIVE GRACE TO OVERCOME. • RECEIVE GRACE TO DEPLOY THE I MUST PRINCIPLE.