Introduction
As Christians- often focused on getting people saved while Jesus is looking for- salvation of the nations.
Mtt 28:18-19
Jesus is saying- all authority- all right, power, has been given to me- THEREFORE
I am sending you
in my power, wisdom, strength, to
make disciples of all the nations.
(NOTES): Nations- ethnos- a race or tribe of people.
You and I think in terms of saving individuals, God wants us to think in terms of saving the nations.
In other words, as God’s sons/daughters, our calling is not just next door- but to the nations of the world.
Review
Last Sunday- Mike Black talked about the importance of supporting the local church and the
mission work the local church is involved in.
(NOTES): As the Body of Christ on earth today, we have been given a heavenly calling to complete the work that Christ began.
Jn 4:7-10
Jesus meets this woman, ministered to her and many of the people in her city are saved.
The disciples are focused on getting food and they come back and try to get Jesus to eat.
Jn 4:31-34
In the same way, our food is to do the work of God.
It is easy for us to become overly focused with our own personal lives- instead of
the heavenly calling we have been given as believers and as the Church of Jesus Christ.
Many believe that much of the turmoil we see in the world today is the birth pangs of- end of the age.
Our end time focus, as God’s children, is not to be, “how am I going to survive.”
(NOTES):
We are not called to be survivalist, but conquerors.
Rom 8:31-39
As children of God how do we respond to the heavenly calling to complete the work of Christ?
Challenged- by- article in Mike Black’s newsletter
“What would you do if your church or home group received an anonymous phone call or letter under your door asking you for $500 every month or else a church member would die every week or a member of your family would be kidnapped?”
This is happening in Guatemala today as gangs and organized crime target churches/church groups.
How would we respond to this type of coercion knowing- the police are as corrupt as the gangs?
Would you
pay them,
stop going to church,
sacrifice a church/family member to stand for God and His Kingdom?
A Kingdom Perspective
If we are going to complete the work of Christ in these end times it is going to take
courage, sacrifice,
taking a long view of life, and
having a Kingdom of God perspective.
Too often we have reduced the message of the Gospel to that of salvation.
God loves you, come to God, He will take care of you, everything will be okay.
It is interesting that both John the Baptist and Jesus started their ministry w/same message
Matt 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." NASU
Repent- think differently about life and morality.
For the Jew it meant a return to the law, a return to God’s order, a change in the way one lives.
Kingdom- realm, a place where dominion or power is exercised, a place where people are ruled by a king
(NOTES): Kingdom of God (Heaven) is where God’s rule is acknowledged and obeyed.
God’s purpose is to establish His Kingdom on earth.
Not a Kingdom of coercion, but one where men are willing to come under the King’s rule- however
Phil 2:9-11
Today we can make a choice, tomorrow it may be decided for us- as will our eternal destination.
We often pray the Lord’s prayer
Mtt 6:10 ’Your kingdom come.
Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Where the King is, there is His Kingdom.
The destiny of a nation is in the hands of the church. Lance Wallnau
If this is true we have a great responsibility.
(NOTES): The Gospel of the Kingdom of God includes both the sacred and the secular.
We have created a sacred/secular divide that allows us to behave
like Christians in the church and
very differently outside the church.
We separate the gospel from our culture
next life/this life,
eternal/temporal,
sacred/secular,
spiritual/natural,
salvation of souls/transformation of nations.
The church desperately needs to become relevant again to our culture, as it has been in times past.
The church in the past has had great influence on the culture and the morality of a nation.
This will only happen again as we understand our role as Kingdom minded men/women.
Today- overly focused on seeing ourselves as recipients of God’s blessings for our benefit.
We must instead see ourselves as carriers of God’s blessings for the benefit of the world.
As Christians we think way to small.
We are hoping to get a few people saved-
God wants to position us to save the nations.
It is important that we begin to understand
what our gifts/callings are and
what arena we are called to serve in.
I like the way Lance Wallnau looks at culture- divides it up into what he calls seven mountains
(NOTES): Seven mountains of culture- Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts, Business
These are simply seven spheres of influence or seven mind molders in our culture.
Each of those cultural mountains is controlled by a very small group of people.
At the tops of these mountains are high places where demonic powers are worshipped.
The problem with the church is that we have focused on one mountain- the religion mountain.
As a result we have abandoned and neglected the other mountains that shape culture.
Col 1:25-27
What the church has done is locked-up the glory of God inside of people.
(NOTES):
God wants to release His glory through people.
Take Joseph for an example of how God wants to use His people to influence all areas of our culture.
Joseph was gifted by God- God gave him dreams. These dreams were part of his destiny. Joseph was also proud/arrogant in the way he handled what God had given him. His brothers sold him into slavery. Even in Potiphar’s house he flaunted himself and got in trouble with Potiphar’s wife and was thrown into prison. The baker and the cupbearer forgot him.
Finally Joseph steps into his destiny
he is brought before Pharaoh,
interprets his dream, and
gives Pharaoh a divine strategy for- famine.
It was in this moment that the glory of God that was in Joseph was released.
He was broken open for the benefit of Egypt as well as Joseph’s family and- glory of God was released.
Conclusion
God wants to do the same for us.
The glory of God is within each of us and God wants it released for the benefit of others.
(NOTES):
Our responsibility is to discern the invitation of God.
To join Him in what He is about to do next in our life.
What sphere of authority has God given you or into what sphere is he calling you to release authority?
As we move into the next season of God and the out pouring of His HS, what is your assignment?
Rachel is an example- technical writer at Harris, has limited influence in her office. She follows a dream that God had given her and steps into a new sphere of influence.
She was given a much larger sphere of authority where she can be of greater influence.
Pastor Greg starts out in life wanting to be an entertainer, and God takes Greg, breaks him open, and releases his gifting to be used in the church, on radio, etc.
Today Greg is allowing God to break him open in the school system and giving him greater influence.
Adolf Hitler is an example of a man very gifted by God who gives himself over to demonic forces where he affects the whole world.
God is inviting us to play the game at a much higher level than we have been playing.
Yesterday at the men’s meeting Pastor Tony was encouraging the men to step into their calling.
Do not worry about your current station in life, ask God to show you His plan for your life.
2 Cor 10:12 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. NASU
Do not evaluate yourself by others.
Learn to dream of great possibilities, beyond yourself, that can only be accomplished w/the help of God.
Do not settle for less than God has for you.
The glory of God is bottled up in many of us and God wants to break us open for His Kingdom.
He wants to release His glory in us, not just to get those saved around us, but to save the nations.
We are coming into a time in human history when the church is going to need a Kingdom understanding.
The Gospel is not just about salvation.
It is about the battle of the Kingdom of darkness against the Kingdom of God.
And you/I have been called by God into this battle.
Challenge/Ministry
What dreams did you have when you were younger that you have let go of.
Take those dreams to God and see if they are sanctified, dreams He has given you.
Do not look to others, look to God.
In order for the glory that is in you to be released there must be a breaking.
Joseph had to undergo such a breaking.
