The House of Miracles Evangelical Church was filled as congregants gathered to hear Senior Pastor Akin Obafemi deliver a powerful sermon titled “Kingdom Mercy.”
Drawing from scriptures such as Proverbs 11:17, Joel 2:12-13, Matthew 18:21-35, and 1 Peter 3:8-9, Pastor Obafemi challenged the packed hall on the profound and often counterintuitive nature of divine forgiveness.
Pastor Obafemi opened by defining “church” as “those that have been called,” emphasising that, as “people of the kingdom,” believers must operate by the kingdom’s rules and principles. A core principle, he stressed, is limitless forgiveness. Referencing Matthew 18, where Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive, suggesting seven, Pastor Obafemi highlighted Jesus’s startling response: “Not seven times, but seventy times seven” (490 times).
“In the kingdom, you don’t count the offence,” he declared, dismantling human mathematics of retribution. He explained that Jesus’s answer implies an endless cycle of forgiveness, mirroring God’s own boundless mercy. “God forgives as if it had never happened. That’s the way God is calling us to forgive.”
The sermon delved into the parable of the unforgiving servant from Matthew 18:23-35, illustrating the stark contrast between receiving immense mercy from the King and then refusing to extend even a small measure of it to a fellow servant.
Pastor Obafemi passionately questioned the congregation, “How many people are we choking? We receive mercy every day, and we are choking our fellow men.” He stressed that “Kingdom living is not like that,” advocating for humility and the strength it takes to release grudges, even when feeling wronged.
He concluded with Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Pastor Obafemi emphasised that mercy often “reigns over justice,” allowing forgiveness to supersede deserved punishment. He urged believers, especially during this season, not to let their prayers be hindered by unforgiveness. “Where there is mercy, favour flows,” he affirmed.
The impactful message culminated in a call to action, encouraging congregants to forgive those who have offended them, demonstrating maturity and allowing divine favour to abound.
Pastor Obafemi’s sermon was a profound reminder of the transformative power of mercy, both received and extended, within the Christian walk.
