We are expected to rise to occasion.
One of the anointing that was on Saul’s head even though he was rejected was that hence forth he will do as occasion demands
The failure to be GOD’S advocate has pushed the church to the brim.
The reasons why the church is suffering is because they have no advocate.
Corrections that needed to be made are neglected because everyone wants to play nice.
One of Kingdom levity is the neglect to play advocacy.
Every king in the old testament had an armour bearer.
Even our president have people who defend the actions of the President.
They are his advocates.
In Every organization, there should be advocates.
There have to be people that argue in favour of this ministry.
Who is An Advocate?
1 An advocate is a person who argues for, recommends, or supports a cause or policy.
2 An advocate is a person who puts a case on someone else’s behalf
3 An advocate is a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular policy.
As an advocate, You must have facts and data to project and prosecute your cause.
A lawyer cannot defend his client unless he has enough facts or else he will fool himself on court.
An advocate is similar to a lawyer.
Of you are guilty and you have a good advocate to fight for you and to defend you with facts , you will be freed
On the other hand, if you are innocent of a crime but you have a weak advocate, you will go to jail.
The work of the prosecutor is to make sure the testimony of the witness useless.
What does this tell us?
That we have a role to play in defending the cause of God
Zechariah 13:7
The job of every member of this ministry is to defend first the vision and the commission and the ministry at large .
You must be an advocate of God.
2Sam.21.17 - But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
If you don’t defend your pastor, you will grow old in the darkness.
Be an advocate for the light of ‘Israel’ to stay on
Your prosperity is determined by the shepherd because he has to be alive and free from every form of pressure to be able to pray and intercede so he can lead you to greener pastures
You can’t expect to prosper when you don’t believe your pastor.
Amos 3:7
Hosea 12:13
How can you have a person that God has placed over your life and you refuse to defend him?
Securing him is securing your destiny.
You need to be an advocate for those who are weak, helpless and deficient.
What do we do to the weak?
We castigate them instead of strengthening them and helping them.
Be an advocate for change
Be a catalyst
Proverbs 31:8-9
Why do we need to advocate for others?
Because we have another ultimate advocate defending us: Jesus Christ the righteous.
Prov.31.8 – Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Prov.31.9 - Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
God by every right was supposed to reject us because the devil have brought evidence of our sins but because we have an advocate in Jesus, we know that our sins will be forgiven and God will not use our sins against us.
What we need is God planting advocates all around us.
If you want God to plant advocates all around you, you have to be an advocate yourself.
But if you sit back and condemn the work and the people doing it, you have KILLED your destiny.
If God was to judge us by our thoughts and actions, none of us will be standing.
The Ministry of Zadok
This is a good human example of an advocate
2nd Samuel 15, 18 and 19
The ministry of Zadok reflects loyalty.
Zadok was one of the high priest, Abiathar was the chief priest and Nathan was the Prophet.
Abiathar was loyal to David but when Absalom rose up to plan a coup against David, Abiathar and Zadok influences the Levites to follow David .
While David was running away, they followed him with the Ark of God
But David saw no sense in them following him so he sent them back to the Palace so they will be instruments of giving David news as spies.
When Absalom wanted to kill David in the night, Zadok hid him in a well and this spared his life.
Zadok also fed Nathan that there was a coup against Solomon.
And Abiathar was involved in the Coup against Solomon.
They ( Zadok and Nathan) continued to stay loyal to David and Solomon.
Whole Adonijah was anointed by Abiathar, Nathan and Zadok crowned Solomon.
So when you discuss the Church with people ,they know where your loyalty lies.
The end of every rebel is sudden death.
God needs us as advocates.
Ezek.48.11 – It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.
You are astray every time you stand in opposition to the Altar. There is a curse for it and there is a blessing if you stay loyal to the Altar.
God continued to preserve the family of Zadok because of their loyalty.
To do yourself well is not as strong as doing the Church well.
There is nothing you give that is a loss.
There is nothing you will give now that will end up as a loss, there is a reward waiting for you somewhere and if not you your generation will be rewarded.
You can never get blessed unless you are an advocate for good things.
But if you are always after your own acquirements, no matter what you gain, you will lose it because in the Kingdom, to gain is to lose
Be an advocate for change.
When you do something for God, He will bless you.
The Church needs Advocates.
If you are an advocate for the Church and you are not ready for the problems then you are not an advocate. You are selfish and greedy and An Abiathar.
Are you an Abiathar or a Zadok?
Abiathar’s loyalty ceased when there was nothing to benefit from but Zadok Loyalty stays because it is his calling.
May the blessings for your good works not stop with you, may it continue to the third and the fourth generation.
Mary Slessor was an Advocate for the poor and she stopped the killing of the innocent twins in Calabar.
Mother Theresa was also an Advocate. She cared for the beggars on the streets in India. She cared for the poor and fed them .
PJC 