You Must Be Improved To Be Approved, Says Pastor Whitcomb

The Word Explosion Conference Day 3 morning session, which also coincided with the monthly Leadership Conference, was graced with the ministration of Pastor Richard Whitcomb, Senior Pastor, Agape House New Testament Church, East Legon, Ghana.

In his precursory introduction, Pastor Whitcomb narrated a story of how in 2017 in Kumasi, Ghana, at the Kajetia central market, a lorry driver with overloaded mattresses ran his lorry into a low-tension electric cable causing electric sparks that caught the mattresses, burnt the lorry and a section of the market.

He said this could have been averted if the driver had heeded the warning of the police and the market women.

Attributing the impact of damages to lawlessness, he hinted that when men refuse to obey God’s commandment, it always results in disaster.

Titling his message “Lead yourself”, he read his anchor scripture from 2 Timothy 2:15, an instructive advice from Paul to Timothy for a thriving church through self-leadership.

Pastor Whitcomb, from the scripture, drew three scriptural truths for Christians to lead themselves into a successful ministry or calling.

Putting out the first truth, “Understanding your role in the ministry”, the clergyman explained that though calling, anointing, and the Holy Spirit are essential requirements for ministerial assignments, the aspect of diligence by the subject remains a priority.

Referencing Hebrew 5:4, he hinted that to grow, one must live correctly. One can never be approved unless you are improved, he added.

He also contrasted Samson, Saul, and Judas as personalities who failed to conform to the Holy Spirit for improvement and weren’t approved, with Joseph, Moses, and Jesus as those who conformed to the power of the Holy Spirit and were approved.

Quoting John 13:14-15, 1 Timothy 4:12, and Matthew 4:19-20, Pastor Whitcomb stated that leadership is never a position but an influence that should be hinged on lifelong learning.

Continuing his teaching, Pastor Whitcomb stated that “Understanding our reason for ministry” is the second truth. He explained that our role is never to make a name or gain followership, money, or titles, but we are basically to be approved by Jesus.

Reading from Matthew 22:37-38 and Ephesians 1: 9-11, the pastor stated that the believer’s life must revolve around God and should not be preoccupied with activities and rewards but with our purpose.

In his third truth, “Lead yourself to great results”, he noted that when we focus on our purpose in God, we are bound to have supernatural results beyond our expectations.

Again, citing Joshua 3:5, Pastor Whitcomb stated the need for consecration, dedication, and sanctification as a prerequisite for God to do great works among us.

Reading Romans 3:16, he admonished that destiny is never achieved by chance; destiny is achieved by choice. He added that we are one choice away from achieving a life-changing destiny by subjecting our lives to God.

In his conclusion, he said if Jesus could bear the believer’s pain and shame, the reasonable response should be living for Him as ascribed in Romans 12:1.

The session closed with questions and answers ranging from personal identity in Christ and career-centred ministry to the gestation period of calling.