Yeah.
The other statement is that to renew your mind, and you need renewal of mind especially
when things are not going well.
That's when our minds default to a certain way of thinking, a certain way of reacting.
So to renew your mind, especially in difficult circumstances, I'll write it down so you can
write it down.
Okay, we shall go back to our default mode which I'm looking forward to.
I have decided that in difficult circumstances, I have decided that in difficult circumstances,
I will renew my mind.
Thanks.
I will renew my mind by discovering the Father's heart and affection for me.
These are two statements you can ponder on this week.
The first one was, God deals with me.
God deals with me as he deals with Jesus.
These are the two statements we have to ponder on during the week.
It's really helpful.
One, God deals with me as he deals with Jesus.
I'm just fascinated that the Father deals with me just as he deals with Jesus.
We are on the same footing.
And then the second one is that I have decided that in difficult circumstances, this week
and going forward, I will renew my mind by discovering the Father's heart and affection
for me.
My mind is renewed.
You can read the Word and yet walk away not having your mind renewed because you do not
believe or because you haven't discovered the Father's heart for you and you haven't
discovered his affection for you.
So you can still walk away after reading the Word with your mind unrenewed.
It does say that the Word renews your mind, but you have to know the Father who wrote
those words so that you are able to receive those words in a way that is astounding.
So in your difficult circumstance this week, whatever your situation is, renew your mind
as in begin to think afresh by discovering, exploring the Father's heart for you, knowing
that he deals with you just as he deals with Jesus.
And trying to locate yourself in his affection.
It helps deal with really difficult circumstances well because otherwise what happens is your
mind immediately kicks into those usual places you've been going to for the last 20, 30,
40 years depending on how long you've been alive.
Yeah?
Okay, that's on the side.
So we were talking about the kingdom and we'll be stuck in the kingdom for a while.
And I'm so looking forward to being stuck in the kingdom.
So today we talk about, so what's the gospel of the kingdom or the good news of the kingdom?
The Bible talks about that often so today we'll go down that route.
So let's begin by defining the kingdom.
We've done this before but every time we define it, it gets better.
So the kingdom is the rule, the control, the influence of the king.
Over his domain.
The rule, the control, the influence.
So when we say rulership or kingship, we don't understand it because most of us have lived
in democratic nations most of our life.
So trying to define rulership or kingship.
And one of the ways to define it is his rule, his control, his influence.
It's not, I lived in Bahrain for a while.
Bahrain has a king.
And it's very different from here.
Like right now, the rule in Bahrain is if you're not fully vaccinated, you cannot go
to restaurants, you cannot enter government buildings, you cannot attend church that is
held in a hotel.
You cannot.
There's no question of you saying no to it.
That's the way it is because it's a kingdom.
Let's just pray because surprisingly this thing is hard to understand and is usually
hidden.
Jesus had to spend parable after parable after parable trying to explain kingdom.
After all these years, we don't have a decent understanding of it.
There's a dullness when it comes to kingdom.
It's not, it's a dullness that is external that is sometimes forced upon us.
For whatever reason, we don't grasp it.
And I think it's important because this is something Jesus talked about quite often.
So let's just pray for us.
Father, we want to understand kingdom.
And I want to acknowledge that there is a dullness about it in our hearts.
We've been talking about this for years, but then it becomes a teaching that is then
shelved because there are other important things that we run after.
But this time around as we explore king and kingdom and the series that we are on, I just
pray that you would sharpen our minds and our spirits.
Our spirits to receive our minds to understand and our hearts to then begin to walk in it.
Oh God, we need this because this was something you so emphasized.
We have kind of lost.
We've lost the plot on this one, Father.
So Holy Spirit, would you quicken our minds, hearts, spirits?
Would you open our eyes?
I ask for all of us.
I ask for me.
I don't want just understanding.
I want to be able to know it like I know certain other things about you.
I know your fatherhood quite well.
I'd like to know this too.
So Spirit of God, as Paul prays in Ephesians 1, open the eyes of our hearts and minds.
Quicken our spirits so that we may grasp the enormity of what you said in Jesus' name.
And I rebuke and drive away dullness.
It's an external dullness.
It's a devilish dullness that prevents the church from understanding kingdom and I break
its strength upon us in Jesus Christ's name.
Amen.
Yeah.
So the rule, the control, the influence of the king over his domain and in God's case,
his domain is Psalm 24, 1.
The earth and its fullness thereof belongs to God.
So when it comes to this king that we are talking about, his domain, domain is basically
the extent of his rule, the extent of his rule.
That's what domain means.
And the word kingdom is basically the king's domain.
That's what it means.
And so you take that off and you connect it and it becomes kingdom.
So the king's domain.
In the case of Jesus Christ, the extent of his rule is Psalm 24, 1, where it extends
beyond anybody else's domain, the entire universe is his domain.
And so no king is wealthier than the king of heaven.
He owns everything everywhere.
In the natural, in the spiritual spheres, he owns everything everywhere.
These are things we don't comprehend because our minds can't fully understand it.
But imagine this.
This king owns everything everywhere in this supernatural realm, in the spiritual realm,
in the physical realm.
He owns seed, soil, birds, plants, animals, people, and everything is in his domain, everything.
And there is no wealthier king than this king.
No king is wealthier than the king of heaven.
He owns everything everywhere.
It just so happens that he's righteous, he's benevolent, he's generous.
He's righteous, he's benevolent, he's generous.
Guys, don't forget these things.
He's righteous, he's benevolent, he's generous.
He's righteous as in his ways are right.
He's benevolent as in he's kind.
And he's generous as in his kindness shows in his distribution of his wealth.
We need to live in a place called...
We aren't aiming at plenty, we aren't aiming at lack.
Solomon said it this way in Proverbs 30 verse 9,
Don't make me so rich that I forget you, don't make me so poor that I steal.
We live in a place called sufficiency.
That's where most Christians live.
And I'd suggest there's a better place than that called all sufficiency.
And when you live in all sufficiency, you don't just have enough for yourself,
you have enough to give those that have plenty, and you have enough to give those that have lack.
Question is, was Jesus a blessed man?
And your answer is?
So, you say yes, and when you think of Jesus as a blessed man,
you do not think of him as wealthy or filthy rich.
And yet your response when I asked the question, was Jesus a blessed man?
Yes.
But today if you ask Christians what a blessed man is,
you're always connected to prosperity.
Yet when you talk about Jesus and you ask the question, was he a blessed man?
You say, yes, why?
Because Jesus lived in a place called all sufficiency.
And he lived there because he knew he had a father who was all sufficent.
Learn to live here and learn to understand that if God deals with you the same way he deals with Jesus,
that it is possible to live a blessed life that is all sufficent and can supply people when they have lack
and supply people when there's plenty.
The problem with living in sufficiency is you are taken care of.
The great thing about living in all sufficiency is you are taken care of and you take care of others.
And it is because you're deeply rooted in someone called the all sufficent one.
Never not think that being in Christ will not be a place of blessing.
If you are in Christ, you must be blessed.
If you are in Christ, it is impossible not to be blessed.
It is impossible to be in Christ and not be blessed.
blessed. We do not believe this fully because otherwise we'd be shouting at
least whispering Amen by now. It is impossible to be in Christ and not be
blessed. Amen is a good place to start.
But because we connect blessed to money it screws up everything. But blessed is
sufficiency. Blessed is all sufficiency. All sufficiency in every area. We're not
talking just about wealth, peace, joy, wants, needs, provision, healing, strength,
sight, hearing, direction. That is what you call all sufficiency. Who wants to
have wealth here without health? Who wants to have wealth and health here
without direction? Who wants wealth, health and sufficiency without hearing
the voice of God and His presence? Who wants it? We're not talking about that.
We're talking about all sufficiency. There is something about being in Christ
that makes us very distinct and if we don't think like this we don't inhabit
it. Remember guys this is I know I've said it a million times perhaps you only
inhabit what you think. Why does one inhabit fear? Because one thinks fear. You
only inhabit what you think. And we think a certain way by repeating a thought
many times. How do you get to a place of fear? By continuously visiting the
thought of fear. Visit it again and again and again. How do you visit a place
of shame? By going back to your past and thinking of a place of shame. How do you
visit a place of anger? By going back to a place in your past where it can provoke
you to anger. How do you visit this place of all sufficiency? By going to the
all-sufficient one who is giving you statements to sellah to ponder on during
the week. Saying think like this guys think like this. God deals with you the
same way he deals with Jesus. Any questions? Abundance? Oh yeah it's part of
it but I'm so scared of connecting blessedness to abundance because that
then warps the whole thing when it should be a part of the whole thing. It
is not the only thing. It is not the main definition because my all sufficiencies
should supply anyone who has plenty and anyone who has lack in any area. Joy, love,
peace, prosperity, healing, sickness, whatever it be I should be able to supply.
All sufficiency allows you to supply. Sufficiency takes care of yourself.
Christians have to move from sufficiency to all sufficiency. You can't quantify.
Yeah. I mean how do you quantify someone who's inexhaustible in this? All
sufficient immediately means... sufficient means just enough. All
sufficient is a whole different term man. He is called the all-sufficient one.
Yeah yeah which is so great so let's assume Diana lives in a part of the
world where she has nothing and May lives in a part of the world where she
has everything and I am God. Okay so now because she understands all sufficiency
she is able to take of the all-sufficient one and supply it to the
one who has lack. By the one who has understood it coming and sharing it with
you. How? Why? Yes. Yes. By learning this principle of all sufficiency. This is
what Jesus would teach in Israel. Look at what he says. Man this is such an old
principle. In the book of Exodus he says doesn't matter whether you
collect six baskets or whether you collect one basket. At the end of the
day there'll be enough manna for everybody. And if yeah and sometimes you
can know Jesus and not know this truth. One of the things we have to do is teach
people that whether you live in India, North Korea or Vancouver it is possible.
It is possible. And guys who are learning this truth are finding out that
without Western help. I mean there's a pastor I ask every week can I send you
some money can I send you some money? No. Why? Because he learned it. Now what does
he do? He distributes it. Last week I asked him can I send you some money? He
said no and then two days later he called and said you can send it to this
person. While he is learning it, May must supply her need. While Diana is learning
it May should supply her need. 2nd Corinthians 9 then borrows from Exodus
and puts it this way. I pray that your present plenty will supply someone
else's lack so that neither the one who has much nor the one who has little will
have a problem because we will share equitably. I pray God that we become like
this. Actually you guys behave like this.
You guys actually behave like this. I'm praying that this will become common
place everywhere.
Yeah and that's why it's so insistent that we understand that it's not just
money. It's peace, it's joy, it's love, it's healing, it is comfort. Wherever there is
lack someone else now begins to supply. This is what all sufficiency looks like
and this our King specializes at. And the greater my heart becomes like God the
greater ease with which I supply. The greater my heart becomes like God the
greater ease with which I supply because I'm no longer concerned about my own
sufficiency. I do not look towards my sufficiency. I look towards the all
sufficient one and I become a conduit. The moment you look at your sufficiency
know that there will be a limit on how much you will distribute. Or there will be
a time where you will say once I get to this level I will distribute. Whatever
it be peace, love, money, joy, comfort, goods, spiritual gifts you will you will
wait till you get to a level where you have enough before you supply. I come
against that in my life. That may I never wait to have enough before I supply
because that is exactly how philanthropy in the world works. I refuse that. I come
from a better kingdom which does not wait for things to be stable before they
distribute. There's something wrong with that. We're just like the world. May there
not be our philosophy that we will only supply once we have taken care of
ourselves. Go ahead. Oh Shucks I'm sorry I thought you were just resting your
hand. I didn't know your hand was up. Okay go ahead.
Yeah.
So how do you deal with that?
One if there are two ways to deal with that. One when someone keeps harming me
as I bless them. Three ways of dealing with that. One if someone keeps harming me
as I bless them I'll start blessing them from a distance so that I don't get
harmed. So instead of going and going up to Sam and giving him something because
every time I go up to Sam and give him something he hits me I'll stand at the
distance and supply him. And that is difficult because he's not showing the
gratitude that he should and now my heart becomes resentful against him. But
if Christ is my standard then now I have to stand at a distance and supply him. So
that's one. Second thing is there are some people that if you supply to they
do not learn how to provide for themselves. So now I have to while I'm
supplying him learn to help him provide for himself so that the supply is not
cut off but he also learns to provide for himself because he has to be one
that has to supply someone else too in the future. And the third one is that I
am so connected to the all-sufficient one that exploitation is no longer a word in
my dictionary. I've told you the story of how I used to go to a home in Bristol.
The guy owns a candy shop and every time guests come his kids come with pockets
full of candy and they start distributing it. I'm talking about like
good candy like the stuff that grown-ups would go for and he this yeah they start
distributing it and some take advantage like some of the kids will go and instead
of taking two will put their little fists and grab more than a grown-up can
grab and then put some in their pockets and mouth and go grab another total
exploitation. But these kids don't know what it is to be exploited because their
dad owns the candy shop. So all they do is go into a secret room and fill their
pockets and come out again. Why? Because they have found that when it comes to
candy they have an all-sufficient father where they've lost the sense of
exploitation. What a marvelous place to live in. Where it doesn't matter how much
peace you take from me and leave me in turbulence I seem to have this constant
supply of peace. It doesn't matter how you beat me up I still find this place
called joy. It doesn't matter that I was healed of something yesterday and then
there's something else happening today I know that I can go get more. It doesn't
matter that I gave money away and you turned around and slapped me I know
where it lies. It doesn't matter where you may have trodden upon the love that
I showed with much grace I go find more so that the one that is loved now has
the ability to love. This is the magical place we are supposed to live in in
Christ.
Yeah there might be places like that but I would say our problem is not God saying
no our problem is us saying no yeah our problem is enough I don't want anything
to do with Sam that guy yeah. Now I understand why he doesn't come back next
Sunday. Sorry man and I think to myself I've got nothing to do with Nick anymore
like
guys this is the kingdom we live in this is important to understand it's
important to understand. I mean moving towards it hey guys we have it in our
midst I'm fascinated by how you meet each other's needs I hear about it two
months later and it just in an odd way puts me to shame because I heard and I
didn't react and you heard and you took care of it already. Fascinating but now
it must begin to spread because the thing with the kingdom is guys God's
kingdom actually is the entire earth he owns all people not Christians he owns
all people they have disowned him but he owns all people and he's already paid a
price for their ransom too so his kingdom is not limited to Christians his
domain is Psalm 24 verse 1 and a day will come when the kingdoms of the world
that have taken people captive as they held us captive till some years ago
will become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ so when we talk about kingdom we
are talking about the rule the control the influence of the king over his
domain and why does he exert rule and control and domain over why does he
exert rule control and domain rule control and what's the third word
influence over his domain because he wants to impact it with his personal
will with his nature with his value system with his culture so that the
king's glorious as in majestic splendor glorious nature and desires may be
accomplished so the reason he exerts over his domain his rule his control his
influence the reason the king of heaven exerts his rule his control his
influence over his domain is because he wants to impact it with his personal
will his personal purpose his personal intent and he will have his way guys he
will have his way he's not a day late on his plan he will have his way
everything about him is on time God is both in charge and in control when he
wants to God is both in charge and in control when he wants to he can switch
on the turbo switch like any time he wants he is in charge he lets you
control your own life but man there are times when he thinks enough is enough
history needs to change his flicks a switch and everything changes in a
second a despot a tyrant a king who was causing havoc disappears from the face
of the earth overnight the world in its pride is humbled to its knees by a virus
that is smaller than the head of a pin he can do anything he wants whenever he
wants and he exerts his rule his control his influence so that he can impact his
domain with his purpose his intent his personal will his nature his values
system his culture why so that the citizens can realize our shucks this
king has a glorious nature and desire any questions okay the next thing then
is hey Evan do you want to turn on the AC it's getting kind of humid and warm
the next thing is this king always wanted his invisible spiritual rule to
be expressed physically and visibly here on earth this is not a new thing right
from the beginning this king always wanted his invisible spiritual rule to
be physically visibly expressed here on earth and that is why he appoints Adam
as his regent and sends him on earth saying show them who I am he's always
wanted this all this means that he always if he wanted it then he also
wanted now guys this is why Jesus came and what did Jesus preach the only thing
he preached is I want to invite you into a kingdom I want to invite you into a
kingdom I want to tell you that the kingdom is near I want to tell you the
kingdom is here I want to invite you into a kingdom he always wanted it to be
physically visibly expressed through man and therefore he appoints Adam
Genesis 128 is a kingdom mandate listen guys I'm putting you here on earth so
you can rule on my behalf everything I place under you now go rule multiply go
forth subdue go he's always wanted this and then Satan comes and steals it
sometimes when you read scriptures and you suddenly pops it's crazy go to
Matthew 25 verse 34 and you'll suddenly realize that this has been God's idea
for a while before you go there let's go somewhere else guys sorry Satan stole
what was God's intent by deceiving Adam and Eve he stole it what did he steal
he stole a kingdom Satan stole a kingdom he offers it back to Jesus listen if you
bow before me I'll give you back the kingdoms he stole a kingdom Jesus then
comes to restore it and it's beautiful first Corinthians 15 I think was 23 or
something says and a day will come and all the enemies of God will be made his
footstool and then Christ having received the kingdom in its entirety
the everything is consummated he will take the kingdom and he will place it
before the father and he himself will bow before the father that is how this
ends it starts with a kingdom it ends with a kingdom first Corinthians 15 first
Corinthians 15 verse 23 24 first Corinthians 15 verse 23 24 first
Corinthians 15 verse 23 then the end will come when he hands over the
kingdom to God the father after he has destroyed all dominion authority and
power for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his foot
I mean it again 15 23 and 24 but each in turn sorry 24 then the end will come
when he hands over the kingdom to God the father after he has destroyed all
dominion authority and power for he must reign until he has put all his enemies
under his feet so our purpose while we are on earth is to inhabit the domain
that belongs to God and influence the domain with the culture and the values
of heaven that means inhabit the domain of the king influence the domain with
the values and cultures and culture of the kingdom this is what we are called
to it was Jesus's fashion to do this day to establish the kingdom the father's
kingdom here on earth Matthew chapter 6 verse 10 our father who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name your kingdom come your will be done here on earth as it is
in heaven this is the prayer he's teaching his disciples listen I want you
to learn how to pray this talks about the father and how he is holy and then
immediately goes into his express purpose I have come here so that I might
bring the father's will here on earth and establish his kingdom hi take up hi
Phoebe
yeah so no we are saying that the domain of the king is the world and we are in
this saying that we are to influence the world with the values and cultures of
the kingdom yeah guys the difference between the church and the kingdom is
the kingdom is you enter the kingdom by being born again born again is just the
entry-level thing it is just the door you enter the kingdom by being born
again when you enter the kingdom you become part of a people that people is
called the church and the church is supposed to demonstrate the values the
culture the life the benefits the voice of the king let me say that again so
Sheldon come out stand there he's a pagan and so I'll make you the good guy
come so this is Jesus okay so now Sheldon is a pagan this is Jesus and we
are the church and this entire place is a kingdom he can only enter the kingdom
by being born again so he receives Jesus into his life you can give him a hug or
something and now that he's received Jesus into his life he's born again
when he is born again he comes into the kingdom his wife who was born again some
years ago is finally relieved that you can sit down son is finally relieved
that he is born again so he now joins the church when he joins the church he
and his wife begin to demonstrate the life of the kingdom in their home they
demonstrate the life of the kingdom at work they demonstrate the life of the
kingdom that is how we distinguish the church from the kingdom the kingdom is
the rule of God in lives once those lives are born again they enter the
church once they enter the church it is the church that is the crucible in which
the life of the kingdom is demonstrated our problem is we present Jesus the king
as the way through whom we can be born again we stop there we do not talk about
the kingdom let's look at some scriptures Matthew
Matthew chapter 4 verse 23 Matthew 4 23 Matthew 4 23 Jesus went through Galilee
teaching in the synagogues proclaiming the gospel or the good news of the
kingdom and healing every disease and sickness amongst the people and we read
that again Matthew 4 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their
synagogues proclaiming the good news of the gospel of the kingdom and healing
every disease and sickness among the people Matthew 9 35 Matthew 9 35
Matthew 9 35 Jesus went throughout all the towns and the villages teaching in
their synagogues proclaiming the gospel of the good news of the kingdom and
healing every disease and sickness this is it's not a Matthew's writing it again
but he's writing it in a different context Matthew 24 14 Matthew 24 14
Matthew 24 14 starting at verse 12 because of the increase of wickedness
the love of most will grow cold but the one who stands firm to the end will be
saved verse 14 and this gospel of good news of the kingdom will be preached in
the whole world what gospel the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the
whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come let's
go to a parable that Jesus spoke Matthew 13 19 Matthew 13 19 there's a
very well-known parable but look at what it says there when anyone hears the word
about the kingdom or the message about the kingdom and does not understand it
the evil one comes and snatches it away what was sown in the heart this is the
sword seed sown along the path so the seeds that are being sown is the
message of the kingdom how come we don't understand this how come we don't
know about it how come as soon as it falls on the ground the birds come and
snatch it away how come we've always thought that the seed that is being
sown is about being saved how come we haven't read that it is the word of the
kingdom that is being sown
why did Jesus preach the gospel of the kingdom why did he ask us to proclaim
the gospel of the kingdom go to Matthew 25 34 Matthew 25 34 oh hey
Matthew 25 34 I was so fascinated by this verse then the king will say to
those on his right come you who are blessed by my father take your
inheritance and what is our inheritance the kingdom prepared for you since the
creation of the world didn't know that your inheritance is the kingdom take
your inheritance the last the first words you will hear when you've done
well is hey come well done take your inheritance and what is your
inheritance your inheritance is a kingdom that has been prepared for you
since the beginning of the earth that was stolen away from you by Satan who
deceived Adam and Eve and I've come to restore it and when you're all done the
the inheritance you will receive is the kingdom that was prepared for you even
before anything started so what is the kingdom don't look at the board what is
the kingdom the kingdom is the rule the child the control the influence of the
king over your life my life our lives why so that he can impact us with his
culture his values his lifestyle why so that people may see his splendor his
glorious nature his glorious intent through whom through us to what intent
that they may choose to be part of the kingdom how do they get to be part of
the kingdom by being born again what do you mean being born again unless you be
born again you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven most churches are presenting
to the world the door they're not presenting what is behind the door they
present the door saying this is the door through which you enter the kingdom but
people have no idea of what you are entering into because there is no one to
kingdom benefits look like so what did Jesus do he says I'll form a group of
people called the church Christ will be the head of the church and what will the
church do the church will be a place where my works my values my words my
voice my presence my benefits everything will be displayed through a people who
will let the world know hey guys this is what we do we show you what the kingdom
looks like we show you what life behind the door looks like there's a reason why
people are not immigrating to North Korea
because it doesn't matter what kind of brochure you put out from North Korea
you're not going to go there saying I want to go immigrate to North Korea you
don't do that people come to Canada people go to Australia New Zealand why
because what is presented is a life that is so idyllic among the sheep
why is this important for us because we got to demonstrate what this looks like
in our miserable measly ways that will improve every day and it'll keep getting
better keep getting better keep getting better you on your most miserable day
we are still better off than one who doesn't have Christ
this is a this kingdom was my inheritance created for me before the
foundations of the earth and if you're going to wait till you die to taste it
we begin to explore it now we come of age now we move from immaturity to
maturity now so that we can be removed from guardianship and given a taste of
what our inheritance looks like in our difficulty in our decaying world we get
to experience it now because here's the thing if you cannot experience it now
you cannot express it to the world all you can give them is Jesus the gate and
a place called heaven isn't that what churches do we present Jesus the way to
be born again and we present heaven Jesus presented the kingdom of heaven
Jesus presented the kingdom of heaven
if I do not experience it I cannot express it if I cannot express it you
will not see it
everything in this kingdom is derived from the nature of the father everything
in this kingdom is derived from the nature of the father kindness power
sonship promise generosity healing abundance servitude everything is
derived from the nature of the father the nature of the kingdom be it kindness
beat love beat abundance beat healing beat promise beat sonship or
daughtership beat power beat generosity beat servitude everything is derived
from the nature of the father it stems from the nature of the father it was
made visible to through Christ and now the Holy Spirit is like saying please
let me break out through you and show the world the same things that Christ
came to show you so wear it live it out wear it every day fail at it but wear it
fail at it but wear it
guys as much as kingdom citizenship is a spiritual reality it's a mentality
it's a mentality I just think like this I knew a guy from who used to work for
Xerox man he was third or fourth in the Xerox rank and you should see he would
dress a certain way always it doesn't matter whether he's coming to church
whether he's coming for a party whether he's going for work he would dress a
certain way and when someone asked him why dresses that way he says most people
know I work for Xerox and I'm the CFO whatever and I have to make sure that
regardless of where I go represent the company well that was his way of doing
it but the mentality was stuck he would dress up a certain way so that nobody
could say he wasn't who he was and I have to think a certain way so that the
kingdom is something that I'm consumed with because it did consume Jesus's life
go to Acts chapter 1 verse this is another fascinating thing that bothered
me Acts chapter 1 verse 3 Acts chapter 1 verse 3 the first some of the first
verses in the book of Acts and the last verse in the book of Acts are very
similar Acts chapter 1 verse 3 and both were at the end of a person's life Acts
1 3 after his suffering as in after he was crucified and he rose again after
his suffering he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that
he was alive we're talking about Jesus he appeared to them over a period of 40
days before he ascends to heaven and what did he speak about he spoke about
the kingdom of God so his last days were consumed with speaking about the kingdom
of God now go to Acts 28 verse 31 or thereabouts last chapter Paul is leaving
the earth now Acts chapter 28 verse 30 and 31 for two whole years Paul stayed
there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him boldly
and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord
Jesus Christ he taught about the kingdom of God and the king why do these two men
in the last years the last testament of their lives why are they choosing this
to talk about to evangelize people and bring them to Christ without
demonstrating to them what life in Christ looks like is actually doing them
a disservice because they'll spend their entire lives here on earth not
experiencing anything but waiting for a heaven that they will get to and that is
important but this is why things slow down
so the kingdom is so great how come people are not rushing to it if the
kingdom of heaven is so full of promise and provision how come people aren't
rushing to get a hold of it so here are three reasons why people are not rushing
to get a hold of it one they have not heard of the message of the kingdom they
have not heard of the message of the kingdom
two their minds their minds are blinded their minds are blinded so they cannot
see the kingdom this happened during Jesus's time too so they cannot see the
kingdom and third
they have heard the wrong message of the kingdom
they've heard the wrong message of the kingdom
so I want we'll try this out with a few of you just like we tried things out
with Sam and Sheldon we'll have a few of you come out and do this but I'm going
to put in Christianese what the message of the kingdom is and you have to
translate it into Vancouverese okay so here's in Christianese this is what the
message of the kingdom is one God's kingdom has come on earth remember what
his kingdom is his rule his control his influence two anyone who wants can come
three if you do you will be united to his spirit and become his friend four
anyone who wants to come as and come to Jesus four you will be fully restored
you will be fully restored to you will be fully restored to your full position
as a son or a daughter
it will be fully restored to your full position as a son or a daughter or a
five you will have the full benefits of citizenship this is the Christianese
version so I'm going to ask for some volunteers and we'll see how it goes if
we made this like normal how do you explain it so obviously the first one
I'm going to pick is Diana so come Diana I don't know I just get this sense that
you want to come come sister come come yeah but this is a teaching moment and
you are a teacher come new Jane where do you think you are going come Diana show
us how this will be done so let's pick yeah yeah okay so Nick so let's assume
Nick Nick you come up and let's assume Nick is just he is someone from a
Buddhist background who you have been witnessing to and you want to tell him
about the gospel of the kingdom come down at least try it and then you can
tag someone you can tag someone after you start the process I truly don't
want to answer your questions most of the time but I do it anyways come yeah
it's okay to fail we will remind you of it and no you have to make an effort go
ahead so how do we how do you explain this to so he's already inquiring about
stuff can someone give her a mic so this is recorded
guys can you turn it on okay hello do you have any math questions
ah that would be that would guys you're ruining my sermon infinity is so he's
already inquiring and you're trying to explain it to go ahead I'm not good at
this Nick I'm sorry so if you have any questions feel free to ask but God
has already made a place for you he's his kingdom is is his kingdom is here
and you are invited to his kingdom so you just have to say yes I want to be
part of the kingdom that's that's all you have to do and that's Jesus is the
root to the kingdom he's the door and God's kingdom which I'm just learning
about one more about is his rule God's rule God's intent God's I don't have my
notes here but but God's purpose and intent is good he sent Jesus because he
has a desire for you to know him he sent Jesus so that you can see God in Jesus
and you can enter the kingdom and guys it's far much more difficult than you
think huh it's much more difficult than you think good stuff Diana Nick you can
still be you're still not converted okay so let's have Emily come up so she can
either embarrass herself or show herself off before her mom yeah this is
much more difficult than you think because we it's so hard to take these
words and make them normal yeah that's why I thought we might as well use this
time then send you home to practice it on your own at least yeah go ahead so
there is a God this God existed before the world was made and he'll exist after
the world was made and he actually made the world and he made everything in the
world and the world has always been his and everything in the world has always
been his so you and me and everybody else were actually his but not everybody
knows that so he has a son who is Jesus and with Jesus this God made a way for
you and me and everybody else to know that they are his when Jesus came he the
message that he told everybody what he was talking about all the time was that
everything on this earth is God's and God want God is a king and he wants his
kingdom to be shown on earth so his kingdom is everything that has to do
with the way he wants live life to be lived his righteousness which is like
his right ways of doing things his culture his values those are all part of
his kingdom and since the whole earth is his and since he's a king his kingdom
has come on earth and anybody who wants to be a part of that kingdom can come
because of Jesus his son Jesus invites us into the kingdom and if you want to
be part of God's kingdom you can if you say yes to being part of his kingdom so
God also has a spirit like all of us have a spirit and hit he will send his
spirit to be with each and every one of us to help us walk in all of the things
that he says are good and right and to hear from him to be close to him to
experience him just like you'd experience another person who you're with
but even more and even better so if you say yes to walking in his kingdom then
you also get to walk with his spirit all the time whenever you want and be his
friend he will also completely restore you to everything that he made you to be
initially no lost time no lost opportunities and not even just your own
idea of what you wanted to be but who he set you out to be from the very
beginning because you were planned in his mind from before the beginning of
time when he made the whole world because he wanted you to be his son so
he's actually going to restore you to that original position that he had for
you from the beginning and because you're part of his kingdom you have full
access and full benefits to everything that his kingdom entails wow not bad oh
you did okay Cheryl okay so now Nick is converted and so now Nick is going to
tell us Nick is going to tell Jillian who's an agnostic how it changed his
life what happened how did it change your life when you received this kingdom
and the only catch is now Nick cannot use the word kingdom so you cannot use
the word kingdom but you have to say okay when you did receive this King into
your life how did it change you what did what did it mean to be united to his
spirit what was it to become his friend what is what do you feel like when you
talk about being a son what are the benefits of this kingdom that you've
experienced because now you're no longer talking about King dumb you're talking
about what actually happened to you so that an agnostic like she can understand
no you can do it any which way you want though this board no go ahead go ahead
okay so the story goes that I used to do everything my own way and I made a big
mess of my life and essentially somebody came and told me about a new way of
living and said do you want in and they said that if I they said that if I that
God has that there is that God has this has this other way of living where
everything is everything when when God has God himself is perfect and and his
relationships are perfect his he's good natured and all these things and he said
and if you if you want to have his life in you his thoughts and his feelings then
you just say yes you come to Jesus say I want to I want to trade lives with you
and and then and then he'll do it and then it just kind of happens like it
just kind of happens what happened to you so then I started to I started to
not to worry about it guys just take your seats not because you weren't doing
a good job but because I'm also realizing that we have to get out of
here so guys this is far more difficult than far more difficult than we think so
in the process of talking about King and Kingdom have you noticed how did the
prospect of the King dying on the cross for my sins and my acknowledging myself
as a sinner has suddenly gone out of the window and we can't lose that bit bit
because the King of heaven came down to the earth and took on my sins and I have
to acknowledge that I'm a sinner and that I'm in the need of a Savior and
this is why the message we convey in the end is so piecemeal that if we don't
practice this we will miss out on one element or the other as an ambassador
people practice what they need to say before they go before a president or
this thing or they write it down so I need to on one hand present the King I
need to present that the King came down to the earth to die for sins and that I
am a sinner and I needed to acknowledge that but that the King came to give me
back or restore me to or have me inherit a kingdom then I have to tell them that
in my experience this is what it looks like these are the benefits I presently
have last week I had this and then God did this then I lost this and God did
this the kingdom should be real through my experience without my experience of
the kingdom I cannot express either the King or the kingdom through my life I
must demonstrate it and as I do I'll cover this without knowing and my point
is guys it is already here did you you can step into it may you can step into
it Jillian you can step into it just like I stepped into it our stories are
our best shot at this so we we weave this into our stories that I am united
in spirit to God that I'm a friend of God that I'm a child of God that the
benefits are real and you list off the benefits one by one how God has changed
you and you touch on the benefits at the end because this is not a hard sell the
benefits are the byproduct try and practice this guys if you don't
practice this when needed we will not know what to say and it'll be piecemeal
so let me end because you've taken my time but well done Diana well done Emily
well done Nick well done Jillian I just wanted to use you to show how difficult
it is how difficult thank you yeah guys what we don't realize what we don't
realize is that mankind actually lost a kingdom and inside them they are always
searching they're unaware of what they're searching for but Adams sons and
daughters lost a kingdom and Adams sons and daughters are always seeking for
that they don't even know it they cannot put it into words but there's that empty
place inside where there's constant seeking and the satanic kingdom is
supplying them counterfeit goods we talked about that last week instead of
submission we look for power instead of love we look for lust instead of those
different things we showed last week so that's where we are instead of
responsibilities we look for freedom
yeah I think if someone this might sound grotesque but a human being who's lost a
part of their body will always know that it is missing doesn't matter what you
put in place they will always know it is missing with that with the sons of
Adam you know sons and daughters of Adam you know without a shadow of a doubt
that they don't know how to say it but there is something missing and you're
constantly seeking for it and what they lost is a kingdom and the presence of
the king what we have done is we have divorced the king from the kingdom and
you cannot so time to show and tell guys time to show and tell not heaven not
even the church but the kingdom when you receive the king you transfer from one
from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of the Sun
Colossians 1 13 and the church is made up of those that believe in the king and
who have decided that they will live by the Constitution of the kingdom and will
pursue the king's agenda that's what the church is the church is a group of
guys who have received the king as their Lord they have decided that they're
going to live by the Constitution of the kingdom and they've decided that their
agenda is to pursue the king's agenda that's what the churches and so we begin
to demonstrate what it looks like and we demonstrated where we are at some of us
are single some of us are married some of us are divorced some of us are poor
some of us are rich some of us are sick some of us are healed some of us are not
having a good time some of us are some of us have gone through tragic
circumstances doesn't matter in our circumstance we begin to display the
kingdom right there
thrill at your joblessness and display what it is to be someone who is jobless
but displays the kingdom don't did that for one year partly because his brother
helped him but he did that for a year in your misery show the kingdom
last line my hope for us as a people belonging to the kingdom is that we
clearly increasingly and corporately my hope for us as a people belonging to the
kingdom is that we will increasingly we will clearly and we will corporately as
in together reveal the nature the voice the resources the benefits and the glory
of this king and the kingdom that is your inheritance and that we will do
this in the midst of suffering and in good times and in a decaying world
please allow me to say it again my hope for us my hope for us as a people
belonging to the kingdom is that we will increasingly clearly and corporately
reveal the nature the voice the resources the benefits and the glory of
the kingdom which by the way is your inheritance and that we'll do it in the
midst of suffering and in good times and in a decaying world here and now this is
hope so wear it well wear it fail at it but keep increasing in it keep increasing
in it let them see what it is to have a life that is fathered and owned by a
king put it into words put it on display please go home and remember Diana and
Nick and how it is a struggle when you put on the spot and how writing it will
really help to be able to convey this yeah fuller invitation but following
the method of Jesus he preached the gospel of the kingdom Paul taught the
gospel of the kingdom and that involves both King and what you have entered into
and it must be demonstrated must be shown through our lives and we're not
talking about we're talking about values to kindness long-suffering
forbearance love peace in really difficult times all sufficiency
generosity healing supply all these things demonstrated through your lives
I was thinking of breaking bread but I think this is enough we'll break bread
another time during the week guys we are having hub meetings here this week we
get a lot of time for healing for prayer for healing and let other people
in the church know that if they need healing to turn up so it doesn't matter
which hub is meeting if someone else from Timbuktu wants to come Timbuktu is
another name for Coquitlam one who wants to come then then you can come to any
other hub meetings the hubs meet here on Wednesday and Thursday and so come and be
healed because that's part of the reason yeah sorry yeah two other meet on
Wednesday one on Thursday yeah so just feel free to come and get healed yeah
hey guys I know that it's best to let you go but can you just quietly pray to
what we've heard before you leave father I'm done and we can go but we just want
to we just want to really not let the bird snatch away the seed so we just
want to take a maybe a couple of minutes to let the seed develop deep roots so
that in the scorching Sun it won't dry up that the cares of the world that we
face Monday to Saturday won't choke it up and that the birds won't snatch it
away so I don't know what that looks like but could you help us because you said
that whenever the word of the kingdom is preached this is what happens but if
this does not happen then you get a 30 60 hundred fold
I open my understanding of God so that the seed will sink deep
the next thing I do is I call to remembrance any one sentence that stood
out that I can build around this week so father we would you just give each of us
a different any phrase or sentence that stood out that we can then put in the
ground and build around during the week so could you give each of us a sentence
right now
you
father I sense you're saying go through the sentences and I'll highlight one so
we do that
measure view calibrate everything in kingdom terms this week measure view
calibrate everything in terms of the kingdom this week when you eat give me
thanks saying ah the king of this kingdom provides and supplies when you
have a sickness or a pain say the kingdom value says that healing is part
of the benefits of this kingdom when you break bread say that a day will come
when the kingdom will be consummated and we will eat together with Jesus when you
leave this place look at the building I have given you and say this is an
embassy of the kingdom
calibrate view measure everything in terms of the kingdom develop a mentality
you
in Jesus name man okay guys time to go you can hang around till two o'clock and
then slowly begin to leave the Chinese Church is not coming today so you can
stay longer but we got to get used to the habit of leaving by two so that they
can park their cars that is one thing and then as you begin to think like this
guys one of the things that will happen is you'll be proud of the kingdom you
belong to once you're proud of the kingdom you belong to you will display
it easily when my house is clean and everything is looking good and all my
planes are in place I put a record on the record player I've got an old little
thing and I played and I got no problems who comes home so I've got
these horse pictures on my wall room looks beautiful there's a jazz record
playing my coffee is brewing you are welcome you have to leave but you are
welcome and that's how once you get proud of the kingdom you'll display it
pretty easily so you can only be proud of the kingdom when you measure evaluate
calibrate it according to this awesome