Message Note · Day 2 · Opening SessionSaturday 24 October 2026 · Houston, TX
Theme of the session
Know Who You Are
Everyone is designed for impact and nobody is useless — but impact turns on three keys, and the first of them is identity. It is also the one the enemy attacks hardest.
Anchor text
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling…"
Ephesians 1:17–19
Ministering
Rev Victor Ayodele
Host and Convener, Leadership & Impact Conference · CGMI Joy & Harvest Centre, Houston
Know Who You Are · Rev Victor Ayodele · 34 min · MP3, 14 MB
Recording coming soon
The video and audio for this session will appear here once published.
Setting the frame
Why LIC exists
"LIC was born out of a vision to fulfil the mandate of our Archbishop: to build people into leadership with a global passion that is deeply rooted in Christ. So it is about birthing, growing and developing leaders to go into the world to make impact." That, he said, is the conference in a nutshell — leaders are birthed, then equipped to grow and to be developed.
Honoured in the room
Rev Ayodele opened by thanking Bishop Wale Ajayi of the historic Miracle Centre; Pastor Chukes Osborne, who brought him; the Bishop of North America, Bishop Kingsley Ewansiha, and the First Lady, for taking up and sponsoring the meeting; his wife, Pastor Joanna Ayodele; Pastor Sam Shekari; and Professor Agboola and his wife, who came from Austin.
The three keys, from Ephesians 1:17–19
"In the journey of growth and development towards impact, there are three keys." He identifies them with the keys of the kingdom that Jesus handed to Peter in Matthew 16:19.
Key One
Identity
"That ye may know what is the hope of his calling." What did He call you to do? What is your assignment?
Who are you?
Key Two
Inheritance
"The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." After you know who you are, you must know what you also have.
What do you have?
Key Three
Influence
"The exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe." He preferred "influence" or authority to the word power.
What can you do in Him?
The teaching in eight movements
01
Nobody is useless — everyone has something to offer
God did not make anyone that is useless. We have differing gifts according to the grace given to us; my gift is different from your gift. There are diversities of gifts, differences of administrations and diversities of operations, but the same Spirit and the same Lord. In the CEV, verse 7 brings it home: God has given everyone a special way to serve others. Your way may not look like the next person's way, but it can be equally effective.
Romans 12:6 · 1 Corinthians 12:4–7
02
Designed for impact, but you must be equipped
The way God made us is a design to impact others — but for you to be able to impact, you need to be equipped for it. And the instrument of that equipping is the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified. The gift is not meant to stay dormant in you; it is meant to be developed.
Acts 20:32
03
Three keys, and they are the keys of the kingdom
Know who you are, know what you have, know what you can do in Him. Rev Ayodele believes personally that these three are an important part of the keys of the kingdom of heaven that Jesus gave Peter after the Father revealed to him, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Ephesians 1:17–19 · Matthew 16:16–19
04
Identity will always be tested — and tested immediately
The very man to whom the key was revealed had it tested viciously. One moment Peter receives the revelation of who Christ is; in the next moment he takes Jesus aside to rebuke Him and is told, "Get thee behind me, Satan." He had an identity crisis the moment the revelation came. Every believer will be tested the same way.
Matthew 16:22–23
05
Adam and Eve failed the test; Jesus passed it
In Genesis the challenge was, "He doesn't want you to become like him" — and they ate. That was identity crisis, and the earth paid for it. In Matthew 4 the challenge was, "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread" — again a direct attack on identity. Jesus did not fall for it: "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
Genesis 3 · Matthew 4:3–4
06
The most lethal weapon the enemy has against the church
If a believer does not know who he is, he cannot know what he has, and he cannot do anything. There must be no two-way or in-between about it. Illustration: a church sat near a drinking bar and prayed so loudly they could be heard for blocks. Lightning struck and the bar burned down, and the bar owners sued the church, insisting their prayers had caused it — while the church defended itself by denying that it had any such power. The judge was left with a bar affirming the power of God and a church denying it. That, he said, is the church today.
2 Corinthians 5:17 · 1 Peter 2:9
07
Coming to yourself: the prodigal son
When identity is not known, the believer can suffer for a prolonged time — Adam and Eve suffered until redemption came through Christ. The way out is to "come to himself," Elizabethan English for the soul holding a conversation with you and beginning to reason: my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here. And you cannot come to yourself and not take a decision — the next word is "I will arise." Dealing with identity crisis means coming to yourself by realising who your Father is.
Luke 15:16–18
08
So look at your Father: the throne room, and the scale of His universe
We are invited to come boldly to the throne of grace, so come and see who sits on it. John saw One like jasper and sardine stone, a rainbow like an emerald round the throne, twenty-four elders in white with crowns of gold, lightnings and thunderings proceeding out of it, seven lamps of fire burning of themselves which are the seven Spirits of God, and a sea of glass stretching as far as the eye could see. Four living creatures full of eyes before and behind, each with six wings, rest not day and night saying, "Holy, holy, holy." (Note: before the lion was created on earth, there was a lion at the throne.) Ezekiel saw the same as one creature with four faces — man, eagle, calf and lion. Those are the emissaries that attend your Heavenly Father. If that is your Father, will you be afraid of any evil altar? Then consider the scale: our sun is one star, the Milky Way holds millions like it, and there are billions of galaxies holding billions more — and the Creator of all that is your Father. Hold that picture and your problem takes its right proportion.
Hebrews 4:16 · Revelation 4:1–9 · Ezekiel 1:10
Settle it in your mouth
Be sure of who you are in Christ
"I am not useless. God has given me a special way to serve others."
"I am designed for impact, and the word of His grace is building me up."
"I know who I am. I know what I have. I know what I can do in Him."
"If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new."
"I come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
"My Father is the Creator of the universe. I will not be afraid of any evil altar."
"Father, thank you, because your love is already shed abroad in our hearts, and you want us to know that you love us as you have loved Christ. Anyone with an identity crisis, oh Lord, will come back."
Go deeper
Study questions with answers from the message
Work through these alone or in your small group. Try answering before you open the answer, then check it against the scripture.
+1. What is the vision LIC was born out of?
AnswerTo fulfil the mandate of the Archbishop: to build people into leadership with a global passion that is deeply rooted in Christ. It is about birthing, growing and developing leaders to go into the world and make impact.
+2. "Nobody is useless." Which scriptures carry that, and what do they say?
AnswerRomans 12:6 — we have gifts differing according to the grace given to us; and 1 Corinthians 12:4–7 — diversities of gifts, differences of administrations and diversities of operations, but the same Spirit. The CEV of verse 7 puts it plainly: God has given everyone a special way to serve others.
+3. If we are already designed for impact, why doesn't impact happen automatically?
AnswerBecause you still need to be equipped. The gift is not meant to stay dormant in you; it is meant to be developed. The instrument of equipping is the word of His grace (Acts 20:32), which is able both to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified.
+4. Name the three keys from Ephesians 1:17–19 and the question each one answers.
Answer(1) Identity — "the hope of his calling": who are you, what is your assignment? (2) Inheritance — "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints": what do you have? (3) Influence or authority — "the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe": what can you do in Him?
+5. How did he connect those three keys to Matthew 16?
AnswerHe said he believes personally that they are an important part of "the keys of the kingdom of heaven" that Jesus handed to Peter (Matthew 16:19), right after the Father revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
+6. What happened to Peter immediately after he received that revelation, and what does it prove?
AnswerIn the very next moment he took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him — "Be it far from thee, Lord" — and Jesus turned and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan." The same man who had the revelation had an identity crisis as soon as it came. It proves that the key of identity will always be tested, and tested quickly.
+7. How was identity tested in Genesis, and how was it tested in Matthew 4?
AnswerIn Genesis the serpent's line to Adam and Eve was that God did not want them to become like Him — a challenge to who they already were — and they failed and ate. In Matthew 4 Satan said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread." Jesus did not take the bait: "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
+8. Why is identity crisis called the enemy's most lethal weapon against the church?
AnswerBecause the keys run in order. If a believer does not know who he is, he cannot know what he has, and he cannot do anything at all. Take out the first key and the other two are useless.
+9. Tell the story of the church and the drinking bar. What is the point?
AnswerA church prayed near a drinking bar loudly enough to be heard for blocks. Lightning struck and the bar burned down, and the bar owners sued the church, claiming the church's prayers had destroyed their business. The church defended itself by denying it had any such power. The judge was left with a bar affirming the power of God and a church denying that it had it. That, he said, is the state of a church in identity crisis.
+10. What does it cost a believer not to know his identity?
AnswerProlonged suffering. When Adam and Eve lost the battle of identity they suffered for a long time, until redemption came through Jesus Christ. Until you come to yourself and get a revelation of who you are in Him, the crisis will not abate.
+11. What does "when he came to himself" mean in Luke 15:17, and what must follow it?
AnswerIt is Elizabethan English for his soul holding a conversation with him — he began to think and to reason: "How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger." What must follow is a decision. The very next verse is "I will arise and go to my father." You cannot come to yourself and not take a decision and an action.
+12. So how do you deal with identity crisis in the body of Christ?
AnswerYou come to yourself by realising who your Father is — by talking to yourself and getting an understanding of who the Father is, exactly as the prodigal son's turning point was a realisation about his father.
+13. According to Hebrews 4:16, where do we find out who the Father is — and on what terms?
AnswerAt the throne of grace, which is where the Father is seated; and we are told to come there boldly, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We do not creep in.
+14. What does John's vision of the throne room show us about our Father?
AnswerOne seated on the throne like jasper and sardine stone, with a rainbow round about like an emerald; twenty-four elders in white with crowns of gold; lightnings, thunderings and voices proceeding out of the throne; seven lamps of fire burning, which are the seven Spirits of God; a sea of glass as far as the eye can see; and four living creatures full of eyes before and behind, each with six wings, who rest not day and night saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." His throne is terrible in majesty.
+15. What did he point out about the lion among the four living creatures?
AnswerPicking up Bishop Wale's teaching that God brought the animals before Adam to see what he would call them: before the lion was ever created on earth, there was already a lion at the throne.
+16. How does Ezekiel's account differ, and what is the conclusion drawn from both?
AnswerEzekiel describes a single creature with four faces — the face of a man, an eagle, a calf and a lion. The conclusion: those are the emissaries that attend your Heavenly Father. If that is your Father, will you be afraid of any evil altar? We are not serving a dead or flaky God, but a living God with beings big and terrible fighting on our behalf.
+17. What was the point of the illustration about the galaxies?
AnswerOur sun is a single star; the Milky Way alone holds millions of stars like it; and there are billions of other galaxies holding billions more stars. When you consider that the Creator of all that is your Father, you get the right perspective — your problem is insignificant.
+For personal reflection
Write your answersWhich of the three keys is weakest in you right now — do you not know who you are, not know what you have, or not know what you can do? Where has your identity been challenged recently, and what did you answer? And like the prodigal son, what is the one decision you must take now that you have come to yourself?
