Before we look at our personal empowerment, let us first study the example set forth in Scripture about Jesus Himself. His disciples were blessed if they were in the kingdom. Home / Sermons / Kingdom Expansion. Yet I am certain to lose some of you now, because I will depart from the mainstream a bit with this teaching. (Matthew 28:19-20a). We should expect people to take time to ask questions and to express doubts. Likewise, I suggest that you find some Spirit-filled folks to lay hands on you and pray for youthis is a clear pattern throughout Scripture as well. They must surrender all to Goddemonstrated by the signing of the blank piece of paper. Failure on any of these is immediate disqualification. You just want commitment for now. I think a lot of that stems from our understanding of the process. Although the kingdom began very small and obscure and inconspicuous, it will have a glorious ending, spreading throughout the world, and influencing peoples from every quarter of the globe! The Last King of Israel Could He have really meant what He said? I am confident that if you have read this far, you have decided who will receive your allegiance and affection. read more, Scripture: The house has changed ownership, yet we still have a few items that we try to keep hidden. If we sin, we give the devil dominion and authority to operate in our lives. He spoke exactly what the Father told Him to say. Prevail in all things for your glory. If only we had Christians as the Presidents of universities around the world. A clean slatethat is, PERFECTION! Now go out there and spark an unquenchable fire of Kingdom expansion! There isa lot to learnin Christianity. Sermons; Resources; Spiritual Growth Plan; Bible; Prayer; Podcasts; Get Involved. Therefore, you cant simply teach people to be on the mission; you must show them. But just give it some time. Well, what he is saying is that anyone walking in the Light, abiding in Christ, will subject themselves to the Spirit and repent, confessing their sins to God and to each other. We have turned it into information and meetings, rather than a walk empowered by the Spirit.. Was that just wishful thinking, or did Paul really mean what he said? In essence, we sense safety in numbers. And to what shall I compare it? All other ministries must be understood in the context of the mission. This is not a hard and fast rule; just be wise. When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Recall the illustration of the epic custody battle between God and Satan for the hearts of men, which was presented in the first chapter. 7:13 and 23:15-18, there are sacrifices in which God intentionally instructed the Israelites to include leaven. We must tap into His power. They may be working, but not on the right mission. Why must we do this verbally (out loud)? Back to top. Write down a list of the most important things in your life (people, possessions, interests, goals, and so on). For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . Give them the weaponry and ammunition they need to fight on the frontlines of Kingdom expansion. So does the freedom from sin grant us eternal life, or is it the holiness derived from the freedom from sin that grants us eternal life? He demonstrated what the Kingdom life looked like and followed up with letters to address specific issues within the churches. However, I would be remiss to not teach this material, since the purpose of this series is to mobilize the reserves to the battle field. The work of Gods grace through the power of the Spirit is not a completed on the cross kind of thing. Amen. The kingdom of God has come. I urge you to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit if you are not already baptized. He must have been mistaken when he wrote that! Then, we help them get closer to their righteous and holy Father, and nurture a zeal to take others on the journey of truth, freedom, and empowerment. So even though we work it one part at a time, with sweat on our brow, we never get it done. Now take the disciple through the same exercise next week. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it felland great was its fall. When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Conversion without transformation seems to rescue some from a fiery end. Next Steps; Serve; Connect @ Woodlands. Nor are we the center of the battle that continues to rage to this day. The best place to identify disciples is by ministering to needs in your community. However, Satans worst nightmare is about to unfold. The mentor must instill in the disciple an insatiable desire to glorify God, understanding the shortness of time and the spiritual battle that wages for the allegiance of men. Sinners God is working on are eerily attracted to the counter-cultural lifestyle of Kingdom saints. In this section, I just want to make it clear how all of the discrete pieces fit together into a seamless pattern. In fact, the house is outright purchased by God, and we are no longer even the rightful owners. (Matthew 7:13-29). Sometimes they reluctantly sign up, almost as if they are doing their recruiter a favor. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:11-13). 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. This wee parable is actually about us and its about the kingdom of God the reign of God in our lives. A version of this quote was first uttered in 1918 by US Senator Hiram Warren Johnson. The one who says, I have come to know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. Perhaps then we would truly see the saints mobilized for the harvest! This results in a very linear Kingdom growth curve (again, the limitation is not the harvest, but rather the labor). In actuality, sin has no permission to reside there. Help your disciple count the cost of surrendering his or her life to God. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do those in our camps know that when they signed up, we were not at peacetime, but in the throes of battle? God is on the move and enlisting the willing. Presented within the covers of this little resource is the truth to give us authentic freedom and power to expand the Kingdom at rates that most of us never thought possible. Where is the best place to find disciples? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.. Well, prayer is two-way communication. It is no secret who will be saved and who stands condemned. Jesus Himself simply took on 12 and circumstantial evidence suggests Paul took on less than half that number. Expect a few hours of commitment per week per disciple. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Because you will incur a harsher judgment if you have known Him and reject Him by continuing to willfully sin. The faith that took saints victoriously into the Coliseum was handed down through personal discipleship. Between meetings, one of the assignments can be to study the Scriptures about the baptism and to pray for this gift. But this much He made clear: discipline has real protocol. They are cut off and thrown into the fire. Might Jesus be saying that someone got through the Gate, but didnt walk in the Way? Jesus, knowing the doubts and struggles His disciples must have been experiencing, kindly gave them these two parables to encourage their faith. The religious system that diverts our efforts today was totally avoided by the early church. Evangelical/Non-Denominational, Prayer Sermon to dealing with enhanced spiritual problems, This is the prayer line of the Believers Evangelical Fellowship International. Go. If they failed to repent, they would be erased from the Book of Life. 9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. They must hold onto the vision and keep their sights on the mission. You dont believe me? By and large it was the Christians who built the hospitals, and the schools, and the universities, and the orphanages, and who ministered to the poor in the countries in which they lived. Marcs perspectives on American Christianity are refreshingly out of the box. They arent the critical attacks we often read that offer no solutions. This passage reminds us that, in God's kingdom, we don't need more pretenders. This may seem obvious, but too often when Christians share the faith, it turns into a heated argument. One consideration in choosing a disciple is the convenience of investing quality time with him/her. Many verses have been provided at the end of this text concerning truth and lies, and light and darkness. I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Now I wish I had unlimited space to deal with this subject, because it is so important for freedom from sins power. A clear understanding of the spiritual dynamic at work can empower us to achieve victory over sins power in our life by stopping the progression from temptation, to sin, to death. Authentic faith results in fruitfulness. One: A large front line force. I have been radically transformed. Yet, John says, let no one deceive you; otherwise, this is the correct standard to apply. If people don't want to talk, you probably won't persuade them by raising your voice or trying to force them. These folks do not carry the vision to the next generation (and if they did, it would be the wrong DNA). Therefore, walking in freedom from sin, obedient to His commands and free from all worldlinessthis is the measure of whether or not you know the father and are indeed born again, receiving eternal life (I didnt say it, he did). As stated earlier, glory that rightfully belongs to God has been directed toward the devil and his works via our sin. Amen. But the Serpent set out to cast doubt on this truth. 18 He said therefore, What is the kingdom of God like? This robs God of His glory. 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most. Are you willing to engage in the mission yourself? I also know that this subject is both deep and controversial. This is the single most important book I have ever written in my life. Likewise, it is prudent to match more mature mentors with less mature disciples, so that they have the experience to provide life counsel (you dont want a college kid mentoring a married man with multiple children, for example). For me, waiting rooms are the best places for evangelism because the people are sitting there with nothing to do. The absolute upper limit for a mature saint with full-time commitment to discipleship should be about 10. Likewise, Jesus dissertation to the church in Sardis (Revelation 3) shows that the church was soiled and could only be cleansed by repentance. The enemy is extremely vulnerable at this phase of the assault and can be easily thwarted by a retaliatory strike from the defensive reserves. (2 Corinthians 10). They allow us to have an understanding that fits with our Western thought patterns. In fact, dedicated soldiers yearn for the front lines. Having trouble logging into your account? But they soon saw Gods blessing on this little kingdom when on Pentecost 3,000 others were added to the church, and then a short while later, 5,000 more were added. The rules have changed. Now, with Jesus putting so much emphasis on the kingdom, the twelve disciples must have been very confused. To sustain the victory (and to keep Satan from getting his foot in the door again), teach the disciple to live moment to moment, not day to day. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. Read Acts 2:37-41, 8:36-38, 16:15, 16:33, and 22:16. Do they know that they are asked to surrender everything to God for the mission? At the end of year one, the score is evangelism 366, discipleship two; year two, evangelism 731, discipleship four; year three, 1,096 to eight; year five, 1,826 to 32; year 10, 3,651 to 1,024; year 20, evangelist 7,300, and 1,048,576 saints made through discipleship. Lord God Almighty, I pray that you will open minds and hearts, and remove anything that hinders your Spirit from reaching the heart, and allow your truth to sink in deep into the soul. Are you prepared to mentor a disciple to complete freedom from sin? The enemy keeps us clinging to the chains, when all the while, we have been granted freedom from them. The reason for the quick turnaround is because the sooner your disciples engage in the mission, the more likely the vision and healthy spiritual DNA will make it to the next generation. Then have another disciple in queue within two to three months, preferably two. Read John 12:47-50. Im sure youre familiar with the remainder of Galatians 5 and the fruit of the Spirit. Concerning fruitfulness, John the Baptist said: Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. I know many would say that He would forgive many times and that we can repent many times for the very same act. Visit us on Sunday morning. In fact, make it difficult to be saved. Read the red letter text with First John, and then James, with the Pauline lens removed, and you will see divergence from the modern Christian experience. Philippians 2:5-8, the single best discourse concerning the mystery of the incarnation, indicates that He voluntarily emptied Himself of His divinity and took on the form of a man. He says that if you are born again, you will not continue to sin. Likewise, many leaders are often so focused on administrative duties, they are not on the mission either. When praying for Gods will and kingdom to come, we are actually asking God to use us. When Peter spoke to the Gentiles in Caesarea, he described Jesus to them in this way: You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Home Posts Blog Kingdom Expansion. . We engage with our minds and not our spirits. Get beyond traditions, denominational persuasions, how to fellowship, and surrender everything for the Pearl of Great Worth. Read Matthew 7:13-39. If every believer would simply accurately represent Christ wherever he goes, this world would be influenced more and more for Christ. Make it very clear for them. Other sermons in the series. However, we were told in no uncertain terms that the Spirit is sufficient to instruct us (see 1 John 2:27 and John 16:13-15). Even when American soldiers sign for selfish reasons, they still receive the same training as those who sign with more noble intent. In Jesus name, Amen. As I walked around the camp, it was full of people that I remember from growing up. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers - and it was not there . The First Corinthians 13:8-10 argument that perfection has come (in the form of the canon) is a bit wanting. 15 Outstanding Quotes To Recharge Your Preaching. Leaven is what actually changes the character of the bread. What should your disciples start praying for 15 minutes a day and fast one day per week, right away? 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