TAKE CHARGE

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s
schemes

Psalm 127: 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when
they contend with their enemies at the gate.

My main text is John 15:4-9 please find it I’ll be asking someone to read it for me later.

As a teenager you may ask yourself what am I taking charge of? When I’m at home I’m under the
authority of my parents and when I’m at school I’m under the authority of my teachers. Can I really
take charge? As I reflected on this, I realised that it was during my teen years that I made some of
the most significant decisions of my life. It was as a teenager that I decided which career I would
study; as a teenager I made some of the best friends that I still have till date; I met my husband as a
teenager, although we didn’t start a relationship and get married till I was in my 20s. Most
important of all, I surrendered my life to Christ when I was a teenager. All these decisions that I took
as a young person had a tremendous effect and impact on the person that I’ve become today.

Many of the great heroes and heroines of the Bible were teenagers, people like - Mary, the mother
of Jesus, Daniel, Joseph, Timothy, David and Solomon. The accounts about their lives, in the
scriptures, started from when they were teenagers and some even younger. I will refer to some of
their stories later on in this talk.

Therefore, do not let anyone despise your youth II Timothy 4:12, and when I say anyone, that
includes you. As a person do not despise your youth, don't keep thinking you're too young, that
what you say and do don't matter; everything counts. You can take charge. This is how Jeremiah felt
and limited himself, telling God I cannot speak, for I am a child (Jeremiah1:5-7) but the Lord
encouraged Jeremiah and responded, don't say you are too young. God already had a destiny, a
purpose, a plan for Jeremiah right from his mother’s womb. He has a plan for you as well, to prosper
you and not to harm you, a plan for your good and not for evil, to bring you to an expected end, to
give you a future and a hope. God has a high calling for you.

Going back to II Timothy 4:12, where the Bible states - let no man despise your youth, it continues by
saying, but be an example to the believers in Word, conduct, love, spirit, faith and purity. You can be
an example, you can make a difference to those around you. When I gave my life to Christ as a
teenager, everyone around me noticed the difference. I experienced an inward transformation that
led to a change in my attitude and behaviour. It affected my family and brought my family members
to a closer deeper, relationship with Christ. I lost some friends but a desire was sparked in some
other friends to get closer to Christ. You’re not too young to be an example.

Now, what are you supposed to be taking charge of? You are taking charge of your destiny, to
establish God’s purpose in your life. You are taking charge of your mind so that you can fulfil your
destiny. You are taking charge of your family, of your school, of the atmosphere around you. You
are taking charge to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. You are taking charge to ensure that the
enemy, who goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour, does not take you as his prey.
You are taking charge to be conformed to the image of Christ.

How do you take charge?

The ways of God are quite distinct and different from the ways of men, so when a Christian is asked
to take charge it does not mean
I am now in control.

I don’t have to listen to those in authority.

I can do what I want the way I want.

My voice must be heard.

After all I am now 16 or 18 I can make my own decisions or choices.

What I mean by all these statements above is that you don't take charge by rebellion or
stubbornness. You don't take charge with pride and you don't take charge by being selfish or putting
self in control. These are the enemy’s ways of taking charge and they may lead to destruction.

Taking charge in a spiritual and biblical way begins with submission and surrender. The starting
point of any spiritual journey is to acknowledge that you cannot do it on your own. Even our
righteousness, what we think we can do well, are like filthy rags before the Lord. There is a need to
acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour. It doesn’t matter if you were born in a
Christian family or have been coming to church. It’s not about being a good girl or boy or academic
excellence. You can never be good enough in yourself.

Remember the story of a man that the Bible describes a, the rich young ruler, who came to Jesus and
asked what he could do to be saved (Mark 10:17-22). Now this guy had all the advantages you could
think of, he was rich, he was young, he was a leader, he was cultured, respectful, as he knelt down
and addressed Jesus with a nice title and, according to his assessment, he was morally upright. Yet
when Jesus put him to the test, and said give up all your possessions and follow me, he failed the
test. He was not looking for a Saviour but a mentor, a good master. BUT what we all need is a
Saviour John 3:23 declares that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God! Nobody
measures up, not the prostitute, not the armed robber, not that rebellious teenager in your school
and not even the nice teenager in church.

You need to personally come to the Lord and acknowledge your sins and surrender to Him and
accept the sacrifice that Jesus made on Calvary as a full and complete payment for your sins. II
Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God. We can become the righteousness of God in Christ by surrendering our sinful
nature to Him and receiving the righteousness He offered to us by taking our sin upon Him at the
cross. After that you can stand boldly before God, man and the kingdom of darkness and declare I
am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This is the breastplate of righteousness that protects
your heart when you contend with the enemy at the gate. This knowledge of your righteousness in
Christ is a crucial part of your armoury – when temptation comes your way remind yourself, in fact
say it out (whisper to yourself) I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Turn to the person on
your left and declare it. Tell the person on your right. Don’t depend on willpower to resist
temptation that is self and it will fail you. Depend on the finished work of Jesus on the cross and
declare your position as righteous in Christ and it will manifest accordingly.

After submitting and surrendering to Christ you need to remain connected. If you plug an iron to a
power source it begins to heat up and you can use that heat to press out the wrinkles from your
clothes and make them presentable and make you look sharp. However, when you disconnect the
iron from the power source it begins to cool and before you know it’s cold and ineffective. It’s still an
iron though but no longer effective for the purpose it is to be used for. When we are connected to
our source of power, we are effective tools in the hand of God, we are like one of those arrows in
the quiver, that can be used to contend at the gate.
John 15:4-9 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain
in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you
do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are
picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain
in my love.

This was one of His last messages to his disciples. He needed them to understand how much God
loves them. Let me begin from the last verse 9 – As the Father has loved you, so have I loved you,
now remain in my love. Submitting and surrendering leads you into a love relationship with God as
your father giving you a helmet of salvation, protecting your head in battle. John 1:12 Yet to all who
did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
And I John 3:1 NIV See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of God! And that is what we are!

God had revealed himself in the Old Testament with different names, El shaddai, Yahweh, Jehovah
raphai and several others. But in the New Testament under the new covenant that Jesus contracted
for us, He introduced us to God as our Father. A Father who loves us dearly. We remain connected
through a love relationship with our Father God through our Saviour. A classic example of this is one
of Jesus disciples. There was a particular disciple, John, that was known as the disciple whom Jesus
loved. I heard from a sermon and confirmed it that it was only in the gospel of John that this phrase
was used. So John referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. In other words he lived in
the conscious knowledge of how much God loved him. He wasn't like Peter who had confidence in
how much love he had for the Lord. John rested in the love that the Saviour had for him.

During the last supper, Jesus revealed that one of the disciples would betray Him. In John 13:22- 25
MSG The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about.
One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder.
Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So, being the closest, he said,
“Master, who?” Being constantly conscious of how much God loves you, brings a closeness and
intimacy with God. John was the closest to Jesus, sitting next to Him, leaning against him. He was
connected to the source and so others had to tap from his supply. You ask Jesus, Peter requested,
and he asked and Jesus responded. Later on we see the result of this intimacy. When all the disciples
abandoned Jesus during his trial, Peter, who had been confident in himself earlier that same
evening, denied Jesus, but John, who lived in the awareness of Jesus love for him, was the only one
found at the foot of the cross, in a position where Jesus could give him an assignment - to take care
of his mother. Knowing that you are loved gives you confidence in your Saviour and the grace to
stand in the face of adversity. It enables you to serve from the abundance of the love you’ve
received and can share with others.

A child that is confident in the love of his earthly father when he hears the horn at the gate will start
running to the door of the house - Daddy oyo oyo! He’s excited his father is back, he may have some
gifts for him, he will spend time playing with him or telling him stories. However, the servant hears
the same horn at the gate and begins to run away and act busy, dreading the master’s arrival -
expecting the assessment of his work, accusation if it is not well done and possible punishment and
condemnation. There is no father and son relationship, there is no connection. This is where the
enemy wants to keep you - subservient, cowering before God in slavish fear, believing that God is
angry with you and only wants to accuse you and punish you; instead of enjoying the relationship
that salvation through Christ has given you. Meanwhile, it is the devil that is the accuser and that
operates using condemnation and fear but if he keeps you disconnected from your loving Father
then it gives him access to you. Romans 8:15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so
that you live in fear again; rather the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry out Abba Father.

I recall that one of our fathers here told us that he used to take his daughters out to a restaurant for
a meal so that when a man is trying to lure her with a date she is not susceptible. Its not a new thing
to her, she knows she is loved and treasured. When you know you are loved you are empowered to
resist temptation, to withstand adversity, you have the confidence to take charge and walk into your
destiny.

Remaining connected means there is communication between you and your heavenly Father. John
15 says If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done
for you. You read God’s word and store His promises and instructions up in your heart, like a love
letter. The is the belt of truth that keeps your armoury together. You pray, telling God – what you
wish and you get results because you are the Father’s beloved and your closeness to Him helps you
pray in line with His will. You are fruitful, because a vine that is connected to the branch naturally
yields fruit - John 15 continues This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing
yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my
love. You are effortlessly taking charge by remaining connected.

You have submitted and surrendered, you are remaining connected to the love of the Father
another step in taking charge is asking for wisdom. One of the statements Jesus made in John 15 is
“that apart from me you can do nothing”. You have no sufficiency of yourself to take charge. There is
way that may seem right but the end is destruction. When you are faced with a challenge, an
assignment, a change in circumstance, when you need direction and have to make a decision - ask
for wisdom. Do you know that Solomon was just a teenager when he became king? He knew that
this task was beyond him, he could not do it, he did not have the capacity and he admitted that to
God. And God loves it when we admit our weakness II Corinthians 12:9 - My grace is sufficient for
you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Or in the NLT, My grace is all you need. My power
works best in weakness. When you are weak, turn to the Lord, your heavenly Father, ask for Him to
strengthen you. Ask for wisdom. II Chronicles 1: 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead
this people for who is able to govern this great people of Yours. God responded in verse 12 giving
him wisdom and knowledge and adding to it wealth, possessions and honour.

James 1:5 buttresses this point - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. This wisdom is available for you in
every facet of life spiritually, academically, in your relationships with friends and family, when you’re
making decisions or at a crossroad. I remember as a teenager in secondary school I enjoyed the Arts
classes, I read all my novels in English Literature long ahead of the class, loved learning history and
writing essays in English. Then there was Maths and Chemistry which I dreaded!!! We began organic
Chemistry and my first assignment I got a U. What do you think that is - I failed to the point that it
was ungraded. I did not understand it at all so I asked my Chemistry teacher for help and she looked
at me with disdain - like is it even possible to help her. I’m sure she was just looking forward to me
dropping the course. So by this time I had already given my life to Jesus so I turned to God and
asked for wisdom and understanding of organic chemistry. I picked up the text book and prayerfully
went through it several times and I began to understand and even remember. The teaching in class
started making sense. The next test we took I got an A, I was amazed and my chemistry teacher was
dumbfounded. I did not drop Chemistry I wrote the GCE exam, the equivalent of SSCE, and got a B.
God responds in spectacular ways when we ask Him for wisdom. In fact that result combined with an
A in biology (and the Lord had also granted me grace to get a credit in Math) tricked my father into
thinking I should study medicine. He did not realise that it was simply God’s strength being perfected
in my weaknesses. He filled medicine on my JAMB form which gained me admission to the Ahmadu
Bello University Remedial science programme. I had to take charge, pray and respectfully reason
long and hard with my dad before he pursued admission for me to study Law in the University of Jos
and delivered me from a life of going to hospital daily, a place where I can barely stand to visit. Hays
off to all the doctors and nurses in the house. God bless you for your noble service.

The wisdom from God is anchored in God’s word and not contrary to it. James 3:17 NIV But the
wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full
of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Ask God for wisdom that will enable you to take
charge, expand His kingdom, do things His way, overcome obstacles, bring solutions to problems and
make a way where seems to be no way. It is only the wisdom of God that can help you outwit the
schemes of the enemy, to see through lies and discern the truth.

An important aspect of asking for wisdom is seeking good and godly counsel. Solomon’s son,
Rehoboam, did not take after his father, Solomon. He rejected the counsel of elders of the wise and
discerning and took the advise of the foolish. 2 Chronicles 10:6-11 NIV Then King Rehoboam
consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise
me to answer these people?” he asked. They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please
them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” But Rehoboam rejected
the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were
serving him. He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to
me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” The young men who had grown up with him replied,
“The people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now
tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will
make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’ You see
Rehoboam taking charge in a worldly way. Submitting to peer pressure. Not praying or seeking God’s
face. Showing no consideration for others. He disappointed the nation and the legacy his father and
grandfather, David had left for him. The nation of Israel disintegrated in his hand and he was left
with Judah only because of God’s mercy towards David. You need the wisdom of God not to
succumb to negative influence from friends, social media or the standards of the world. Rather
stand firm, ask for wisdom, take godly counsel, contend and overcome.

You submit and surrender

You remain connected to God your good and loving Father through your Saviour

Keep asking God for wisdom and direction.

In addition taking charge requires faith. I’ve heard the saying that Faith is the currency of heaven.
The kingdom of God transacts in faith not Naira or dollars or pounds or Euro. Hebrews 11:6 NIV And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he
exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Now what is faith? Now faith is confidence
in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV. Faith is part of the
armour that equips you to take a stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:16 NIV enjoins us to
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
We see faith in the life of Mary. The Angel delivered to Mary, a message that was impossible. It was
something that had never happened before and has never happened since. She was told that she
was the vessel that God would use to bring forth his son , our Saviour into the world. And she asked
a question – How will these things be? Not out of doubt, like Zechariah – but to understand how to
fulfil God’s purpose and as soon as it was revealed to her. She submitted herself in faith – be it unto
me according to your word. As young people you need to search out God’s word to understand it
and know what is God word’s saying about you, especially your new covenant relationship in Christ.
As God reveals his word to you, believe it and act on it. Be ready to obey, obedience and faith go
hand in hand.

Speak out. Having your feet shod with the gospel of peace. Share your testimony with others.