Victory Life KY

• 1 Peter 2:9-10, NKJV- But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God...

• Communion is possibly one of the greatest acts of a humility we can display. It's our reverent acknowledgement of Who Jesus is, what He did, but also who He’s made us to be.

• The apostle Paul sums it up perfectly, "Because of all I've done I don't deserve to be included in the family of God. But because of God's grace, because of Jesus, here I am."

• Romans 8:29-30,MSG- God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. 
• He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of his Son. 
• The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored. 
• We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him.
• After God made that decision of what His children should be like, He followed it up by calling people by name. 
• After He called them by name, He set them on a solid basis with Himself. 
• And then, after getting them established, He stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what He had begun.

• Think about Jesus' sacrifice, He shed His blood for everyone, knowing some wouldn't receive what He did.

• Communion is a God ordained reminder that Jesus' broken body and shed blood was the price required for our freedom. It was God’s plan from the beginning. Remember, Jesus is the Lamb slain before he foundations of the world.

• Isaiah 53:3-5,NLT- He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 
• Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! 
• But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

• Today as we gather around the Lords table let Isaiah’s words from God inspire us to see His new covenant as so much more than just our passage to Heaven.

•  Listen to Peter’s words again, We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, called out of darkness into His marvelous light; who are now the people of God

• It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-days of everyday life and let the significance of what Jesus did become a religious tradition, sometimes even an after thought.

• And one of the main reasons we take communion together as a family is to acknowledge and honor His sacrifice.

• To remind us of His unearnable grace. To reinforcer of our righteousness.

• And even though it's a very simple thing we do in our humanity, in the eternal, it's a living declaration of our King's death, resurrection, and accomplishment.

• Colossians 1:22, Jesus has reconciled you to Himself through the death of His physical body. Andhas brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.

• I know I say this every time we take communion, but people still remain confused about it.

• So listen carefully, communion isn't for perfect people, it's for anyone recognizing their need of a Savior.

• Communion is an immortal, eternal declaration of God's amazing grace.

• Colossians 3:1,3,NLT- Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of Heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
• For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

• Communion is an anointed reminder of our new lives in Him.

• It can also provide the sometimes much needed spark of encouragement to draw closer to Him.

• Here's the thing, the closer we are with Jesus, the great our influence will be with others.

• The closer we are with Jesus the more His nature will be evident in our lives.

• And you all know this, His nature is love.

• Paul wrote in Colossians, "Love ties everything together."

• And every time we take the bread and the cup, we’re embracing and declaring His undying love.

• It’s that love that makes us His. A new creation in Him, called, appointed and anointed.

• And this is why God says things like, "Make the most of every opportunity, live reverent, faith filled lives."

• This is why He told us that every time we take it we make sure we have this truth in mind; Communion is our eternal memorial, that His sacrifice alone makes us one with Him.

• And as irrational and unreligious as this may sound to some of you, in the middle of your worst times, on the other side of your biggest failure,

• Jesus' broken body and shed blood still stands eternal, boldly declaring, I’ve made you new.

• You can't blow it so bad in your life that Jesus' unfailing love won't be there.

• Sometimes one of the greatest things communion does is simply redirect those that have gotten distracted. That have allowed the enemy to deceive them with condemnation.

• Remember, someone actually gave their life for you!

• 1 Peter 1:18-20,NLT- For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 
• It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 
• God chose Him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days He has been revealed for your sake.

• Think about this, Paul’s writes, “If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we should be pitied more than anyone else in the world.”

• Make no mistake about it, you are not here today by chance or accident.

• God clearly tell us that in the last days He will send times of refreshing. Today is one of those days for many of you.

• Psalm 139:16,NLT- You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

• For me personally, one of my favorite things communion does is help me refocus.

• Something I’ve discovered over the years is; “If we’re always focused on ourselves then our life in Christ will always be out of focus.”

• I love how Paul says it, “Don’t focus on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. Because things that are seen are temporary, but things in the unseen are eternal.”

• Jesus alone secured our salvation, so regardless of where you are today in your understanding of this revelation, communion isn't for perfect people, it's for anyone recognizing their need of a Savior.

• Remember Colossians, Jesus has reconciled us to Himself through the death of His physical body. He has brought us into His presence, making us holy and blameless as we stand before Him.

• We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, called out of darkness into His marvelous light; who are now the people of God.

• This is why He told us that every time we take communion make sure we have this truth in mind; Jesus alone made us righteous people.

• We have communion Sunday, because sometimes in our humanity, we simply need a reminder of just how amazingly awesome our Savior is.

• According to Galatians, we are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. Philippians reminds us that we are currently citizens of Heaven. And Corinthians instructs us that we are ambassadors for Christ.

• And because we are still in this world but no longer of it, it’s up to each of us heirs, citizens, ambassadors, to make room in our thinking for the realities of our new world.

• This is why Jesus told us to put the things of the Kingdom first. Being a disciple doesn’t automatically happen because we accept Jesus into our lives.

• It requires training, discipline, commitment, it requires reverence.

• AMBASSADOR = DISCIPLE 

• We cannot be one without the other. And neither will happen on accident. Something has to be first. And according to Jesus, there is no grey area here.

• He knows that whatever we prioritize, what we put first is what will shape how we live.

• Acts 1, Jesus appeared to them over forty days withmany infallible proofs and unquestionable demonstrations, talking to them about the kingdom of God.

• Something every disciple has to come to terms with concerning the realities of the Kingdom of God is that we can only function to the level of our current revelation.

• Not only of who Jesus is, but who we are in Him.

• But because of free will, the desires of this world, not to mention the deception of our enemy, kingdom realities being a priority can certainly be a challenge.

• Like we said last week, it's our priorities that define us.

• Let me say this, discipleship will require sacrifice. But at the end of the day, it only comes through transformation. So never give place to the condemnation of the enemy or the people he’ll try using.

• Something we’ve got to stay aware of is the fact that these instructions, revelations, are designed for the born-again. Corinthians makes it clear that the message of the cross is foolish to those perishing.

• But when the born-again neglect to put the things of the Kingdom first; Ephesians shows us that we remain children tossed in different directions.
• Confined to and governed solely by human nature.

• This is why the enemy works relentlessly from within the church, many times under the deception of religion, keeping us divided.

• I believe God's raising up disciple that will dare to believe that all things are possible.

• That will make the choice to seek first the Kingdom of God.

• As His ambassadors, He will position us for influence. This is why He told us, if you seek Me you will find Me.

• And it's not like He's hiding. He’s simply in a different dimension. A  different Kingdom, a different world, what most believers call the spirit.

• SPIRIT, SOUL, HUMANITY

• And I absolutely understand, there will always be Christians that just want to live a good life and go to Heaven.

• And because of God's amazing grace, you can. 

• But, what if our King is actually counting on us becoming a disciple, an ambassadors for Him while we're here?     Moody was right.

• Colossians 3:17,MSG-  Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

• And God's plan from the beginning is for His government to be established in the earth through His body, the church.

• Luke 17:20-21,NKJV- Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, See here! or see there! For indeed, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU

• At some point, we have to accept the reality that God's plan from the beginning is for His government, the Kingdom to be established in the earth through His body, the church.

• Is it possible that God created a life for us where everything we need in this earth is independent of the current world we live in?

• John 14:12,MSG- Believe me: The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. 

• What if Jesus is right?

• What if we actually started putting the things of the Kingdom of God first?

• Christians need to realize Jesus isn't telling us we have to live a certain way out of some religious, legalistic obligation; 

• He's trying to get us to understand, kind of like a fish out of water, we can't live in two worlds.

• As He said, even though we're still in this one, we are no longer of it.

• What if this is the place God is talking about where all things are possible?

• Remember, as new creations, citizens of His world, ambassadors called by Him, we’re built to live a different way.

• But until we practice practice putting our new world first, it will constantly be a challenge, not only experiencing the Kingdom of Heaven, but even more difficult expressing it to others.

• This is why Paul repeatedly tells us through his letters that we are to put on our new nature.

• Ephesians 4:21-24,NLT- Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 
• throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 
• Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 
• Put on your new nature, CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD, truly righteous and holy.

• And I realize this may be a stretch for us, but every time we allow what He says to shape out thinking it establishes boundaries that shape our living. 

• And as we embrace our born-again nature, we begin embracing our new life that has the ability to take us beyond these natural boundaries.

• And while we're part of this world, God is expecting us to learn how to live out of our new world.

• This is why a relationship with your bible is vital, it's where revelation from our Father comes from.

• At the end of the day, it's only revelation from Him that can take a human beyond our own intellect.

• This is why we're instructed not to be double-minded, as long as we are, not only as a Christian, but as a church, the world can't help but look at us like any other religion.

• But, the more single-minded we become, the clearer our role here as an ambassador to the Kingdom of Heaven gets.

• As we said earlier, it’s absolutely vital we understand this truth. Before  Jesus our King asks any of us to become ambassadors, He asks us to become heirs of the Kingdom.

• Just this revelation alone provides the confidence and authority we will need to be an authentic expression of Him. 

• Matthew 28:18-20,MSG- God authorized and commanded Me to commission you: 
• Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
• Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.

• Possibly one of our most valuable lessons we have to acknowledge is that before Jesus gave out any assignments, He wants the issue of who He is to be settled.

• Next, He wants the issue of who we are in Him settled. We are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, anointed and appointed for this time.
• Sent on behalf of our King and Kingdom, exercising our God given authority.

• 2 Corinthians 5:14-15,17-21,NKJV- For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 
• 15, and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
• 17,Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 
• 18,Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 
• 19, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 
• 20, Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 
• 21, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

• Philippians reminds us, we are citizens of Heaven.

• I’m just wondering how many of us go through humanity, confident that Heaven is our destination, grateful Jesus made us righteous, but give little consideration to the world God says we’re currently citizens of.

• We get so consumed with this portion of what we call life but leave the Kingdom this distant, future reality.

• Remember, Jesus told us to put the Kingdom of Heaven first. He knows that when we do this, God will open doors and surround us with His favor.

• As His ambassadors, He will position us for influence.

• Psalm 18, He arms us with strength, gives us victory, enlarges our path, making us great. He will deliver us from the strivings of people, putting us in leadership roles in society.

• His original design was and is, “Let them have dominion.”

• 2 Chronicles 16:9,NKJV- For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 

• Something I think we might still struggle with, God is Sovereign. Which means, “Let them have dominion” hasn’t changed, because He doesn’t change.

• This is why He’s constantly looking for His sons and daughters, heirs to the Kingdom to be His ambassadors in the earth.

• And I get it, putting the unseen world above what we see can be a challenge. And most definitely requires sacrifice.

• Romans 8:28-30,NKJV-  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 
• For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 
• Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

• And I realize, because of our enemy’s constant distractions, vision drift can set in. Let’s face it, it’s just easier to accept Him as Savior than Lord.

• The enemy knows that if he’s even the slightest bit successful, this world will dictate our decisions and actions, limiting our authority and influence.

• This is why Ephesians makes it very clear, “Give no place to the devil”

• And even though Chronicles tells us God is looking for loyalty, without revelation of who Jesus actually is to us, that loyalty will be nothing more than religious practice. 

• Matthew 16:15-16,NKJV- He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

• And on Peter’s revelation of who Christ is, Jesus gave him the keys to the Kingdom.
• Keys represent, access, possession, and authority.

• Our ambassadorship hinges on this reality, who do you say that He is?

• You remember, Jesus told us us to pray, the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven?

• As His church today, our role is to be an extension of the Kingdom. To exercise authority, demonstrating God’s government.

• The thing is, it was never His plan for it to be reduced to what we do within the walls of what we’ve concluded is the church.

• We come together for fellowship, unity, worship, inspiration, edification and equipping. But we actually become the church when we go out.

• Ephesians 4:11-16,NKJV- And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, 
• 12, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 
• 13, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 
• 14, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 
• 15, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ,
• 16, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

• From God’s perspective, in our new nature, we are seated with Christ in Heaven, but in our humanity, just like Jesus when He was on the planet in a body, was our example, and now we’re assigned to finish what He started.

• This is why He gave us the keys to the Kingdom. But when we refuse to step into our role, not only do we undermine God’s government, we actually give place to the enemy.

• Let’s go back to what Jesus told us concerning His Kingdom.

• Matthew 6:24,33,NIV- No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
• 33, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

• He knows that whatever we prioritize is what will shape how we live.

• Throughout Jesus' short time here He spend a large portion of His ministry teaching and revealing the Kingdom of God.

• But like most of us today, even His closest followers had issues with what many refer to as the "mysteries of the Kingdom."

• It was such as issue that after His resurrection, He came back and spent another month with them going over Kingdom realities.

• Acts 1:3,AMP- To these men He also showed Himself alive after His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross, by a series of many infallible proofs and unquestionable demonstrations, appearing to them over a period of forty days and talking to them about the things concerning the kingdom of God.

• Something every disciple has to come to terms with concerning the realities of the Kingdom of God, and that is that we can only function to the level of our current revelation.

• Remember, who do you say that I am?

• But because of free will, not to mention the deception of our enemy, kingdom realities becoming a priority don’t always make the cut.

• Think about it for a second, it's our priorities that define us.

• When we neglect to put the things of the Kingdom first; Ephesians shows us that we remain children tossed in different directions.

• So the enemy works relentlessly from within the church, many times under the deception of religion, keeping us divided.

• I believe we're having this talk because God's raising up disciple that will dare to believe that all things are possible.

• That will make the choice to seek first the Kingdom of God.

• Let's remember, God told us if you seek Me you will find Me.

• And it's not like He's hiding.

• It's just that He's in a different Kingdom, a different world, what most believers call the spirit.

• And I get it, it's difficult to practice putting a world first that we can't see, when we're constantly putting the one we can first.

• And it’s absolutely understandable, there's a lot of Christians that just want to live a good life and go to Heaven.

• And because of God's amazing grace you can.

• But, what if our King is actually counting on us being ambassadors for Him while we're here?

• Colossians 3:17,MSG-  Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

• And God's plan from the beginning is for His government to be established in the earth through His body, the church.

• Luke 17:20-21,NKJV- Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, See here! or see there! For indeed, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.

• Is it possible that God created a life for us where everything we need in this earth is independent of the current world we live in?

• What if Jesus is right?

• What if all we have to do is seek the Kingdom of God first?

• Christians need to realize Jesus isn't telling us we have to live a certain way out of some religious, legalistic obligation; 

• He's trying to get us to understand, kind of like a fish out of water, we can't live in two worlds.

• As He said, even though we're still in this one, we are no longer of it.

• What if this is the place God is talking about where all things are possible?

• Remember, as new creations, citizens of His world, ambassadors called by Him, we’re built to live a different way.

By a show of hands who here text?? 

Silly question right… I mean how can you survive in today’s day and age without it? 

I have friends that if you try and call they hit ignore and say hey what’s up? Is my voice that annoying? 

It has become a normal part of life… Brief, quick, and often to the points. 

Or how about those 3 dots meaning they saw it and was going to type something or is typing something and then they disappear. You wait in suspense. What will they say? What happened. . . Where did they go… 

This visual should set us up for today’s talk…. Imagine our conversations with God, if you viewed it like your text, how would it look? 

Would it be one sided? 

Would it be all requests, like He is a genie in a lamp granting wishes? 

Would it be full of compliments and praises? 

Would it be a conversation, like a relationship

I would say most of us, and I am just as guilty of this at times. It looks more like God is speaking to me and I am not listening but every now and then I throw in that ask into Him. 

I want to challenge us today to think about what does that conversation look like for you and our Lord? 

But make no mistake about it… God is speaking WE need to do a better job on listening.

God speaks through his word

God speaks with a small voice

God speaks by his people 

God will speak to you in His word. So often when you are reading it’s like the words pop off the pages. Or you see something that speaks to you in that moment.

This is how He uses the word to speak to us. Each time we are here in Church and the Word is being spoken He is speaking and revealing things to us. 

Are we listening, is the key? Are we in a guarded stance? We need to be ready to receive and open to hear His still small voice. 

So lets jump into the scripture. 

I don’t think there is any better scripture to paint of God speaking to us in the still small voice than this picture in 1 Kings 19: 11-13

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but-the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a]a still small voice.So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

We often think God is in the big and He certainly can be, but often it’s the small it’s the subtle. Because when the small, the subtle, the meek do mighty things in His name oh the sound that it makes. It moves mountains. It shakes the ground. It changes nations. 

Our nation doesn’t need any more loud politicians, or loud noise. 

Our nation needs the people of God to listen and adhere to the still small voice. 

To be intentional to His will and His ways… 

We need to stop, slow down a bit, 

tune it all out…… 

and listen…… and listen… and listen….. 

It’s kind of like an old radio you know back in the day you had to turn the knob and get it just right for the music to be clear.. 

It took some time and there is some static, but being intentional, being patient, and keeping focus the right frequency is found and we get it loud and clear. 

The more we do it the easier it gets and clearer He is to us. 

A great place to practice this is at Prayer Service (usually the last Wednesday, however October, November & December it will be the second to last Wednesday). It’s your chance to stop and really just focus on tuning out the world and tuning into God. 

Someone told me they love coming in on Prayer nights, because ashamedly they don’t do it at home. 

No shame…. That’s from the enemy…. But start and what a better place to start than here. 

A great man once told me “If you want to learn to pray get around praying people!” 

This place right here is our training ground its our place to learn and grow closer to Him. So we can be His light to man when we leave here.

You don’t train for war in war time, you train for war in times of peace. 

Learning to be in His presence and hearing the still small voice

Someone in my life said God is not up there jibber jabbing all day long.

At the time I was young and my relationship with God was not what it is today, so I believed it. So I never looked or listened to the still small voice except times of need or prayer and when I did, I did the talking and didn’t do any listening! 

Today say I agree with that statement to a point…  He is not jibber jabbering, but He certainly is guiding us, directing us, instructing us. 

He is speaking to us often and always.

It goes back to what I said early are we listening and tuned in? Most of the time we are not! 

But that changes today, right church?  

Job 23:12 NLT “I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.”

He cares about us and sometimes we don’t understand the direction at the time, but in time we will. 

Will we be obedient today and trust Him? 

13After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20“Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

21So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

STORY:  I had this nudge to travel a different way home. I even had an argument in my head, no that way is 2 minutes longer. 2 minutes, well as I came up to the intersection I ended up behind an accident clean up for 30 minutes. At that time I realized the Lord loves us and every detail. He was by His still small voice trying to warn me, but I argued with it in my head and brushed it off. 

On the flip side I would of never gotten that lesson if I would of gone the alternate route right. Think about it. I would of went and it was uneventful and would have just moved on. Passing thought, it must have been. We often don’t see what He has just protected us from. 

Isaiah

STORY: Friend of mine felt this nudge to go to this restaurant. So in his mind he worked up that the Lord was going to do something huge… Someone there needed to be witnessed to and the Gospel was going to be shared.

How often do we do this, right? We expand on what God has shared with us. 

So my friend does what he heard, but nothing happened. He ate his biscuit and left.

In those times we question, did God really say? Then we second guess did I really hear correct? This goes back to what I said before, sometimes we don’t see what is being done, but we are to be obedient and follow those directions? 

Sound familiar? Look at Genesis 3:1

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

This was the first thing ever spoken by the enemy. It wasn’t a command or direction, but it was doubt. This is his tactics this is his way. Deception and lying. Often he will cause us to second guess God and plant doubt. 

So when we do have something uneventful happen or it didn’t happen the way we built it in our minds, we have that in there…. Did God really say?? 

If left unchecked and we do not recenter ourselves we can quickly drift into not listening to the still small voice. Because the doubt over takes us…. We start to believe did God really say? 

Our enemy has no power except the power we give him from the lies he tells us. When we stop believing his lies, he loses all the power he thinks he has over us. 

When you hear that in the back of your mind “Did God really say”, answer back. 

Heck yes He did really say. My God also said you are a liar, a cheater, and He has already defeated you. So get beneath me to where you belong! 

Going back to Joseph, if he would of ignored God, he and his family would have been killed. On the other hand he listened and traveled to Egypt. Avoiding harm, avoiding the plot to murder Jesus. 

Joseph probably thought it was uneventful at the time when he left. 

I don’t know about you, but I choose the uneventful over death each and every time…. 

Do not discredit what we see as uneventful, rejoice in it! Thank God for the uneventful! 

God speaks to me through revelation when reading His word and through the knowing he puts in my heart. It’s not an audible voice for me, but it’s like He speaks directly in my mind. 

This is why cultivating the relationship and knowing is important I have to cut my thoughts from His voice. But through the years of development it gets so much easier. 

This is not a one size fits all! We all hear and process differently. God will speak with and reach you how He sees fit. 

But the most important piece of today and if you take anything away today is get into the Word. This is God living word. God is always speaking to us, but for me I seem to hear Him the best when this is in my hand. It’s not because He only speaks when this is open, but I am engaged and listening in the moment. 

I am being intentional and go into listen mode! 

What you will find is the more time you spend with Him in the word and when we are mentally ready we get used to hearing His voice and we will pick up on it more in our everyday actions. 

For example the next sermon I have already started writing. God gave it to me while I was driving and the whole family was in the car. I have 3 teenage boys they are not what you call quiet! 

It’s important to cultivate the relationship in the quiet times, so we can hear Him through the noise of everyday life. 

Parents will be able to relate to this. As a parent you learn your child’s voice, their cry, their scream. I know there would be times that I heard a kid crying in a group of 30 and know that it was one of my boys. 

We know it so intimately, we grow so use to hearing it, that in a crowded and noisy place we know who is crying out. What do we do as parents we jump into action. 

God wants us to know His voice and communication like this. The more time we spend with Him, the more intimately we know His voice. The more we grow in our hearing of His voice. 

It will cut through the noise of the day to day and that still small voice will come through crystal clear. 

He does not need to speak louder, He does not need to speak clearer. We need to listen better and be more attentive. 

As we wrap up today Church, know he is speaking, He is guiding, He wants to build a relationship with us. 

He is ready and waiting so let’s meet Him. Turn off the TV, put the phone down and get you a paper Bible to remove distractions and read it to hear from Him. 

Come to Him with an expectation to hear the still small voice. 

Think how your life, our communities, heck our nation will be when we listen, hear, and follow His still small voice. 

• As we get into part 2, we’ve got to get this issue settled in our thinking if we’re ever going to be successful in our ambassadorship. The things of the Kingdom are spiritual in their reality. 

• Brought into this world through the born again yielding to the Kingdom that’s already functioning in us.

• Remember what Jesus told us, “We’re in this world but not of this world.” Paul adds to this revelation with this statement, He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness and into His Kingdom.

• “LET THEM HAVE DOMINION” is one of the fundamental principles of the Kingdom of God into this visible world God gave His creation.

• Make no mistake, comprehending all that Christ has made available for His people demands a life of faith. A new way of living.

• 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We live by faith, not by sight.” NLT, we live by believing, not seeing.”

• But here’s the deal, way too many of God’s people are still governed more by the natural than the spiritual. 

• Truth is, it’s not the powers of the kingdom of darkness that stop us, it’s our refusal to embrace the world we’re born of, embracing a way of living that is beyond humanity. 

• This is why we have to stop reading God’s word as some religious, rule book. Look at it as his instruction manual for the Kingdom.

• Philippians 3:17-20, NLT- Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 
• For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 
• They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 
• But we are CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.

• Paul helps us see this clearer in 2 Corinthians 5, In Christ we have been given these new lives through Him and now since He’s given us the ministry of reconciliation, He’s calling others through us.

• 2 Corinthians 5:20, NKJV- We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

• Ambassadors- A diplomat of highest rank, sent on behalf of their homeland, representing, and coordinating relations and events of the foreign land they’ve been assigned.

• In this passage in Corinthians, when he tells us we’re new creations, what do you think new creations really means? 

• John 1:12, NIV- “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God”

• Galatians 3:29, MSG- Since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.” 
• Chapter 4, And because we are sons of God, His Spirit lives in us, making us heirs of God thorough Christ.
• Romans 8, We are joint heirs with Christ.

• Remember, CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

• God’s original design was and is for His people to be the light of the world. In other words, we, His body the church are supposed to be the influence in business, education, government, in every aspect of society.

• Isaiah 48:17,NKJV- Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.”

• According to Isaiah, God will lead us in success, but we’ve got to do it His way. The church His body, has been sent to inspire communities, impacting culture, being the driving force in society. 

• Remember, let them have dominion. Jesus restored what man lost. This is why He told us, “All authority was given to Me.” Then He sent His disciples out.

• And as we become successful in following the Lord, the more the Kingdom of Heaven is advanced. Check this out, Isaiah 11:9, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

• As God’s ambassadors, the church should be the driving force of influence. Now when I use the term church, I’m in no way referring to any one denomination or organization.

• I’m referring to the spiritual reality of the body of Christ in the earth functioning through those He has called. 

• Unfortunately, we have given place to the enemy in these areas of society.

• And because we have allowed the enemy to have too much liberty, he’s turned things around to the point where now society is having to much of an influence in the church. 

• Causing great division in the church, diminishing our influence, and it’s time for that to change. The prophet Ezekiel actually says, “This land that has become desolate, out of control and unrecognizable, is now becoming like the garden of Eden.”

• Jesus never intended for the gospel of the kingdom to be limited to just missing hell and making heaven.

• He’s expecting the Kingdom of Heaven, His government, His ordained system, to be implemented by His governing body, the church in the earth. 

• This is why Jesus makes statements like He did in Matthew 6:33, AMP- “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”

• We literally are ambassadors for this kingdom we’ve been born into.

• But when the influence of God is removed from our culture, people are left to their own conclusions.

• Proverbs tells us, where there is no divine revelation from the Almighty, people make their own decisions.

• The thing is, without any revelation on how to live out of a world we can’t see, the faith God has given us will be useless.

• Proverbs 14:12, NKJV- “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

• The challenge for a lot of Christians is that we’re so consumed with this world, (sleeping with Delilah)
• that believing in a way of living that we cannot access through our natural, human senses isn’t something we honestly consider.

• This is why faith is an absolute in God’s Kingdom. Anyone who comes to Him must believe… we have to embrace the reality that this world we represent is spiritual. And our God is supernatural!

• Remember, 2 Corinthians 5:7, We live by believing, not seeing.

• Stop letting this natural world dictate every decision we make. Let’s stop looking at what we’re not, the training and education you may or may not have. The titles and positions, who you may or may not know. And start expecting God to be the God of the Bible.

• The children of Israel repeatedly show us types of the Kingdom life.

• Understand, God doesn’t change. He’s still waiting on His people to go in and possess what He’s already given.

• Numbers 13:1-2,30-32, NLT- “The Lord now said to Moses, “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.”

• But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” 
• But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 
• So, they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.”

• Ten out of the twelve leaders God sent to bring back a report of the promised land, brought back nothing but unbelief.

• This prophetic picture lets us know that just because everybody’s doing it doesn’t make it right.

• The majority was wrong, led only by their senses, governed by unbelief.

• The Kingdom of Heaven is an already established government that cannot change, far superior to this fallen world.

• The question is, how long will we continue putting off possessing what God has given you?

• Ten unbelieving leaders led almost an entire nation away from God’s promises, all because of where their focus was.

• So as ambassadors for Jesus, walking in the Kingdom of God, we are going to have to watch who we associate with.

• This is why Paul told us, don’t kid yourself, evil company corrupts good habits, bad friends will destroy you.

• Remember Isaiah’s words, “The Lord will lead you in the way you should go.”

• As I was thinking on our talk, I was going through our homework and the Lord began taking me in another direction. Lets be real, none of us want to hear a lot about anger management…

• Now we’re still going to look at the peace and joy Jesus left us because I’m 100% convinced that a big part of our witness will be our peace and joy form the Lord.

• But as I was hanging out in John 14 looking at what Jesus was saying in light of a scripture I shared last week out of Romans 14:17,NKJV- For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• But as I’m hanging out in John the Lord began showing me that we all need a clearer understanding of exactly what He did through Jesus. Who we are as His people, while we’re still confined to our humanity.

• And this is where faith comes in, we’ve actually gotta believe this stuff. Believe God will empower us to take on this new nature. And that nature is found in our new Kingdom we’ve been born into.

• But not just born into, but born with an assignment, a calling if you will.

• Paul helps us see this clearer in 2 Corinthians 5, In Christ we have been given these new lives through Him and now He’s calling more back to Him through us since He’s given us the ministry of reconciliation.

• 2 Corinthians 5:20,NKJV- We ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

• MSG- All this comes from God, who settled the relationship between us and Him, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. 
• God has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives, His ambassadors.
• God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work.

• This is Jesus’ point in John 17, Because they’re in this world but not of this world, sanctify them with Your word. As You’ve sent Me, I’m sending them.”

• So as we begin to discover and develop our new lives, it’s so important we remember, the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• Make no mistake, these are not just suggestions from the Lord. He said, the Kingdom of God is!!

• So the more we yield to the Kingdom of God, which according to Jesus in Luke 17 is in us the moment we give our lives to Him, the more visible the Kingdom becomes to those He sends us to.

• And what things will be visible? Righteousness, peace, and joy.

• You see, the more Kingdom minded we are, the more the things Jesus said to us take on a much clearer perspective. Right in the face of challenging situations.

• John 15:11,NKJV- “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

• Remember, the things of the Kingdom are spiritual in their reality. They come from the spirit into this world. Paul’s instructions in Romans is simply the result of the born again yielding to the Kingdom that’s already functioning in us.

• This is why faith is so important, a key principle in understanding the Kingdom of God is being open to multidimensional thinking.

• Remember in Luke 17, Jesus tells us, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”

• And the more I dug into this, the further back I found myself going. In Genesis 1, God says, let’s make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over all the earth.

• Psalm 115, The heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth He has given to the children of men.

• The invisible taking on the visible. Adam was 100% spirit and human.
• Jesus, the last Adam 100% spirit and human.

• “Let them have dominion” is the fundamental principle of the Kingdom of God into this visible world God gave His creation.

• Remember what Jesus told us, “we’re in this world but not of this world.”

• This is why Paul makes radical statements like he did in Galatians when he told us to walk in the Spirit. In other words, govern our lives according to the Holy Spirit’s leading. 

• And since joy is a fruit of the Spirit, i think it’s fair to say, joy is the personality of the Holy Spirit.

• Let me add this here, we can’t confuse joy with happiness. One is natural, inspired by emotion, the other a spiritual reality.

• And I know I’m highlighting joy a little more than peace, but lets not kid ourselves, they go hand in hand. You see, God knows that these two spiritual forces will absolutely draw anyone that’s away from Him closer.

• Think about it, would you rather be around someone joyful and upbeat, full of faith, or someone that’s always worrying, serious and grumpy all the time?

• Joy and peace is this contagious quality of His character that He’s ordained for us to be a part of.

• And this is why we’ve got to get our minds settled on this issue of faith, our born again nature is built to live by faith. But faith will not look like the world.

• 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We live by faith, not by sight.” NLT, We live by believing, not seeing.”

• Peace and joy are products of Heaven, so stop looking for situations and people to provide only what God can.

• Understand, God didn’t give them to us just to make us feel better, but to improve our countenance, strengthen our witness, improve our health and overall quality of life, 
• so that those we cross paths with will see and know, its not just something in ands of ourselves. He gets the glory.

• Keep this out in front of you, Ambassadors 

• Let me ask ya this, how many of you think joy and peace have anything to do with our attitude?

• Paul believed that choices not circumstances determined his attitude.

• This is why we have to exercise our faith and put into practice what Paul told Timothy, “Stir up the gift that is in you”

• And one unfortunate reality that way too many of us are guilty of is a negative mouth.

• Think about it, there’s no way any of us will ever tap into peace and joy if all we do is think and talk our problems.

• Seriously, we can’t rejoice and complain at the same time. This is why I think it’s absolutely vital we make a habit out of speaking the word over our lives, our situations.

• Psalm 16:11,NKJV- You will show me that path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

• As citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs to the throne, ambassadors for Jesus, our assignment is taking the kingdom everywhere we go.

• Colossians 1:11-13,NLT- We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. 
• May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light. 
• For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.

• But here’s the thing, possibly one of the biggest challenges the born again face isn’t so much the powers of the kingdom of darkness,  it our refusal to embrace the world we’re born of, embracing a way of living that is beyond humanity. 

• Listen to Paul’s words again, He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light. 

• Make no mistake, comprehending all that Christ has made available for His people demands a new paradigm, the Kingdom of Heaven can only be accessed by faith.

• Philippians 3:17-20,NLT- Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 
• For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 
• They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 
• But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.

• This is why Colossians is so powerful, God has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.

• Remember Psalm 115, The heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth He has given to the children of men. 
• God put man in authority over the earth.

• Kingdom of Heaven principles aren’t even legal here without an heir of the Kingdom exercising dominion.

• Why do you think Jesus told His disciples to pray, “Father, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

• One of Jesus’ primary objectives was restoring God’s original creation to his God ordained position. This is why Corinthians calls Jesus the last Adam.
• Jesus came to restore all that Adam lost through his rebellion against the Kingdom of Heaven. 

• Remember the kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And according to Jesus, the Kingdom of God in in us.
•  

• Ephesians 4:26-27,NLT- Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

• The more traditional writing says, “be angry and don’t sin.”

• The Lord made us. He knows we’re emotional people. Some things should make you mad, but because we have His Spirit living in us, we have the ability to not let anger be what drives us.

• Paul reminds us that we’re not ignorant of our enemy’s tactics.
• And make no mistake, he’s making a major push on society, more specifically, trying to divide the church.

• This passage in Ephesians in the more traditional writing actually says in v.27, give no place to the devil.

• The danger with giving into anger is not only habitual, but self-destructive. It opens the door for condemnation and rejection.

• James reminds us to be slow to get angry.

• Galatians 5, Walk in the Spirit, let the Holy Spirit guide your life and you won’t give in to your sinful nature. After all, He is the Spirit of peace that passes understanding.

• Galatians 5:22-23,NLT- The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

• So I guess we can control our anger if we choose to live out of the Kingdom rather than the ways of this world. Ultimately we have to stay aware of the fact that Jesus is counting on us to represent the Kingdom of God.

• Romans 14:17,NKJV- For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• The things of the Kingdom, like Holy Spirt led living is 100% spiritual, never a bunch of natural, religious practices.

• What we’ve got to realize is that in this passage in Romans Paul is not only looking out for the ones that have just given their lives to Christ, he’s also addressing the religious mindset of that current situation.

• Think about it, most of these people are still used to their ungodly ways they’ve lived with all their lives.

• We have to remember, just like in our own lives, the ways of the Kingdom come to each of us through revelation from the Holy Spirit.

• So lets stop getting mad at people that may not be where we sometime think we are.

• Let me say this, if anger is your first response to things not going your way, it simply means you’ve go some growing to do.

• According to the Holy Spirit in Corinthians, you’re still carnal, babies in Christ.

• Here’s some food or thought, Ecclesiastes says that anger labels you a fool. Not to mention, it’ll keep you changed to whatever that offense was that made you mad.

• This is why Paul is addressing the church about this issue. Those of us that are spiritual are to help others get to the place where we’re walking in more of His nature.

• Remember, the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And the more we yield to His nature, the more His nature will be recognized in our lives.

• Ephesians 4:31-32,NLT- Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 
• Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

• This is where faith comes in, we’ve gotta actually believe this stuff, believe God will empower us to take on this new nature.

• Here’s thing, it takes absolutely no faith to be negative, discouraged, unbelieving, critical and judgemental, but that’s not who we are!

• Remember, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• A big part of our witness will be our peace and joy form the Lord.

• John14:27,NKJV- “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

• John 15:11,NKJV- “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

• Remember, the things of the Kingdom are spiritual in their reality. They come from the spirit into this world.

• Romans 15:13,AMP-May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing, through the experience of your faith, 
• that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

• Let’s help each to not underestimated the power of peace and joy. Help one another stir up a little confident anticipation that God is the Almighty. He is the God of the Bible.

• You see, the more we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire our thinking, the more fixed and confident our expectations will be.

• This is why God’s word is so vital to the believer, it literally is the doorway into the world of the spirit, into God’s Kingdom.

• Remember Proverbs, “As a man thinks, so is he.” Romans says, “Set you mind on heavenly things.”

• Check it out for yourself, you think about anything long enough and it absolutely effects your imagination.

• And never underestimate the imagination of the born again. It’s our spiritual seeing.

• In Matthew and Luke, Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye, and if the eye is single, the whole body will be full of light.”

• Our challenge today is that we’re so double or triple, minded, bombarded with everything but Him. 

• Too often we’re simply too influenced by the world. Maybe staying a little closer to the things of the world rather than the things of God. (Story of boy falling out of bed)

• This is why Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4, “Stop going along with this empty-headed, mindless crowd.”

• We are new creations in Christ, this is why the Holy Spirit repeatedly tells us to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.
• God actually takes it a step further, telling us to walk in the Spirit and we wont fulfill our worldly nature.

• Let me remind you again, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• Everything about a life of faith hinges on us making room for Him in our soul, our thinking.

• Galatians 5:22-23,NLT- The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

• The Bible is full of inspiring stories of God’s people practicing their faith in Him, right in the middle of very challenging circumstances.

• Acts 16:25-26,NIV- About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

• This is why Paul instructed us to cast down every though that tries to exalt itself above who we are in Christ. And stir ourselves up in our faith.

• Think about it, it would’ve been very easy to get mad at what happened to them; seriously, they’re doing what God told them to do.

• So make no mistake, the enemy doesn’t just want you getting mad about certain situations, he wants to torment you to the point that anger becomes a stronghold in your thinking.

• Ephesians 4:26-27,NLT- Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

• Genesis 8:22,NKJV- While the earth remains, SEEDTIME and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.

• Matthew 13:24,NKJV- “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field”

• And just like with each of us, someone sowed the seed of God’s word into our lives and it took root and produced, now we are the ones God will use to sow His seed.

• The moment we give our life to Christ, not only do we become part of His Kingdom, we’re heirs to the throne of Heaven.

• Colossians 1:13,NLT- He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

• Then He anoints us to be Ambassadors for the Kingdom of Heaven. We’re seed He’s sowing all, over the world.

• This is going to be a reality that believers have got to get settled, as long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest will also. In other words, sowing and reaping.

• This is how every aspect of God’s world works; the gospel, discipleship, love, joy, kindness, money, etc...

• Whatever a man sows, that’s what he’ll reap.

• Mark 4:26-29,MSG- Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown in a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. 
• The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. 
• The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. 
• When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!”

• This is how the Kingdom of Heaven operates. 
• Seedtime - Harvest time

• There are two very significant statements Jesus makes concerning His Kingdom: First, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Second, “The Kingdom of Heaven is in you.”

• And the only way a human accesses this Kingdom is through faith. And faith only comes through the seed of the word of God. Romans 10

• Like a seed, faith acknowledges from God’s word, that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

• As a matter of fact, the apostle Paul teaches us that the same way we received Christ is how we’re designed to live in Him.

• This is why the word of God is absolutely vital to the born again. The seed produces after its own kind. And in Luke Jesus said, the seed is the word of God.

• Remember. As long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest will also.

• The Kingdom of Heaven law of sowing and reaping, “Seedtime” is how we function in that unseen world.

• It’s how our faith grows. After all, He created us to live by faith, but our soul has to be transformed in order for us to live there. This is how Paul could say what he did in Galatians;

• Galatians 2:20,AMP- ...The life I now live in the body I live by faith, by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting in the Son of God.

• You see, God inspired faith comes from His word. His word is seed sown into His creation.

• But because of free will, there has to be transformation of the soul.

• Romans 12:2,NKJV- Donot be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

• NLT- Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

• The tendency with humanity, especially in today’s world of information, is to think faith can be accessed and managed by human intelligence.

• But the things of the Kingdom of Heaven are design to function in a different dimension.

• 1 Corinthians 1:26-29,NKJV- For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 
• But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 
• and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 
• that no flesh should glory in His presence.

• Remember, a life of faith comes from His word. His word is seed sown into His creation.

• The parable of the sower makes it very clear exactly how God’s seed, His word, works in the life of every human.

• One reason Jesus repeatedly taught in parables is because He told His disciples that it had been given to them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom.

• He uses everything He can in this natural world to explain His unseen world.

• And that mystery is, God’s kingdom is like seed sown in a field. The seed sprouts and grows, he has no idea how it happens. 

• The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. 
• When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!

• 2 Corinthians 9:10-11,NIV- Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion...

• Whatever a man sows, that’s what he’ll reap. And according to God, every seed produces after it’s own kind. But it’s God who gives the increase.

• Think about it, we don’t have to know how tomatoes grow to enjoy tomatoes.

• In Luke 17, Jesus told us that the Kingdom of God doesn’t come through visible signs, He said the Kingdom of God is within you.

• Ultimately, God’s Kingdom is spiritual in its reality. And if we’re ever going to experience the supernatural, we’re going to have start thinking supernatural.

• 1 Corinthians 1:26-29,NKJV- For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 
• But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 
• and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 
• that no flesh should glory in His presence.

• A major point Paul is making in this passage is faith acknowledges that all the God ordained potential we’ll ever need is already in us. But its in seed form, waiting to be developed.

• You see, God inspired faith comes from His word. His word is seed sown into His creation.

• Keep this in mind, we’re not built to base our believing on our human experiences, but on what our God says we are and what we can do.

• 1 Corinthians 2, It is to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 
• And we have received God’s Spirit, so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

• As disciples, as ambassadors, as heirs to the Kingdom, we’re suppose to be operating at a higher level than the rest of the world,

• But until the seed of this truth is sown into our soul, it all remains a mystery.

• Remember, Jesus told us the Kingdom of Heaven is like someone sowed a seed. As long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest will also.

• We are His ambassadors, He’s counting on us manifesting His Kingdom in the earth.

• Here’s the deal, we cannot continue to live double-minded and expect to function in a different reality.

• James 1:6-8,NKJV- Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

• In Philippians Paul actually instructs us that it’s our responsibility to manage our mind. So we don’t have to be double minded. Make your mind available to God.

• The quality of our output is in direct proportion to our input.

• We are the seed of Abraham. Sown by our Father into a world desperate for the same blessing Abraham had on him.

• Truth is, from the garden, God’s purpose hasn’t changed, reintroducing His Kingdom to His creation.

• God plants the righteous among the wicked, the fallen, for one reason.

• His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

• Genesis 8:22,NKJV- While the earth remains, SEEDTIME and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.

• Matthew 13:24,NKJV- “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field”

• Mark 4, Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed a man sows in the field.
• The seed grows—he has no idea how it happens. 
• The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. 
• When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!”

• Whatever a man sows, that’s what he’ll reap.

• Keep in mind, Jesus told His disciples that it had been given to them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom.

• And that mystery is, God’s kingdom is like seed sown in a field. The seed grows, no one knows how it happens. 
• When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!

• 2 Corinthians 9:10-11,NIV- Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion...

• This is how every aspect of God’s Kingdom works; the gospel, love, joy, kindness, money, etc...

• The Christian is born again of God’s incorruptible seed. 

• 1 Peter 1:23,NKJV- Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

• 1 Corinthians 3:6,NLT- “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.”

• According to Genesis, every seed produces after its own kind.

• According to Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven works like seed.

• Think about this, the fruit of God’s seed is what Jesus is coming back for. Remember, He is the first born of the Spirit.

• But until He returns, as His seed in the earth, we are the stewards of His word, His Kingdom. And we are to continue seedtime and harvest until He returns.

• God empowers us to actually live our life in Him, not just accepting what humanity serves up.

• But when we don’t see results within our preconceived plan, the way we want it to be, or the way it’s always been, too many of us get frustrated and quit.

• Galatians 6:9,NLT- “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

• Let’s not kid ourselves, God’s not empowering us to just do our own thing.

• Colossians 3:1-2,MSG- So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. 
• Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. 
• Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ, that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

• Galatians 6:7,NKJV- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

• Since God’s Word is incorruptible seed and we sow His word into our souls concerning any area of our lives, we can reap harvest if we don’t quit.

• Remember what Jesus told us in Luke, His word is seed of the Kingdom.

• Proverbs 4:20-23,NLT- “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 
• Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 
• for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 
• Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

• This is why Joshua told us to meditate on God’s Word day and night, keep it in our mouth and do it.

• It will take discipline to redirect our thinking. Because the reality is, we’re already thinking about something day and night. And we will go in the direction of our most dominant thoughts.

• I’m more convinced than ever that we’ve totally underestimated the realities of our thought life.

• Seriously, look at how many times Jesus addresses issues in people directly from their thinking?

• Truth is, thoughts are spiritual. We’re in the world but not of it. Our souls are exposed to both kingdoms.

• Isaiah 55:8-11,NKJV- For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD. 
• For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 
• For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 
• So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

• This is how the Kingdom of Heaven works. It’s how God works.

• In Jeremiah God says, “I know the thoughts I think toward you.”

• Believing is a choice. It’s the result of right thinking. After all we have the mind of Christ, it simply has to be developed. Then it has to be given a voice.

• Romans 8:5-8,NKJV- For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 
• For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 
• Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 
• So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

• What we’ve got to do is make room in our thinking for what God says verses everything else.

• Does it really matter what we put our mind on?

• Acts 19, And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

• Remember, His word is incorruptible seed that we are born of.

• His words are life to our spirit and health to our flesh.

• Every time we make ourselves available to His word either seed is planted or watered.

• Example, “By His stripes you were healed.”

• This statement like all His word is incorruptible seed. It has to be sown, watered and believed.

• Hebrews 4:2,NKJV- For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

• And according to the law of faith, His incorruptible seed can be working in us and we still have symptoms.

• Listen to what Paul says,
• 1 Corinthians 3:6,NLT- “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.”

• Remember, first the seed, then the blade, then the fruit.
• This is how the Kingdom of Heaven operates.

• A good example is like grass and weeds in your yard.

• Mark 4:14-20,NKJV- The sower sows the word.
• v.15, And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 
• v.16, These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 
• v.17, and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 
• v.18, Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 
• v.19, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 
• v.20, But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

• Listen to the prophecy of King David, “Trust in the Lord, commit your way to Him. He will bring forth your righteousness like the new day sun.
• Don’t fret because of evildoers, they will soon be cut down like grass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath, for in just a little while the wicked will be no more. For the Almighty upholds the righteous!”

• Matthew 16:3 (NKJV)  Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

• Here’s something Jesus said that we should get settled on, “Blessed is the servant the master finds watching when he returns.”

• And since we have His Spirit living in us. The Spirit Jesus told us would show us things to come, we should absolutely be able to discern the times we’re in.

• Matthew 24, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branches have already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.”

• That being said, we’ve gotta start thinking big picture. We have to realize that the stage is being set for the anti-christ. He is making his push for a global reset. 

• It’s amazing how everything the enemy is trying has already been lade out in the book. Seriously, all the way back in Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel was one of the enemy’s first attempts at global government.

• Centuries later Babel becomes Babylon, that grew from there east into Persian Empire, the Greek Empire include all the the first two eastward. Then Roman Empire went from Babylon conquered all westward.
• Here’s what’s interesting, Babylon is modern day Iraq. And expanded eastward into Iran and Afghanistan.

• I bring this up because the enemy has no new tactics. The major difference today is he owns the media. The spirit of Babel is desperately trying to infiltrate our land. Remember the prophecy, “This is My Nation”

• Unfortunately, too many of our self titled leaders are under the influence of the spirit of Babel. In other words, satan. And God is saying today, “Watch what I did to each of those that came before you”

• The church has to understand, to discern where we are right now, and recognize that the enemy can only be so effective as long as we’re still here.

• A.W. Tower, “A scarred world needs a fearless church.”

• Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

• MSG- Take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way. 
• This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. 
• This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.

• We, the born-again become very dangerous to the enemy when we’re fully awake, and embrace who we are in Christ.

• Remember, even though we’re talking about His return, Jesus was very clear, occupy till I return. Blessed is the servant the master finds watching for Him and busy about the master’s work when he returns.

• Occupy, do my business, exercise dominion, run things
• Till I return, there is a day He’s coming back

• Here’s two key statements Jesus made about His return, Blessed is the servant the master finds watching for Him, then He said, Blessed is the servant that’s busy about the master’s work when he returns.

• Matthew 24:36, The day and hour no one knows, not even the angels, only the Father.

• And I know there are different views on this subject, and I can take some scripture and partially support some of those beliefs, but I can only support one with 100% confidence from the scripture, and it is this same revelation God gave the apostle Paul.

• So when it comes to this event that we call the rapture, there are types throughout the Bible. But God’s children going through the great tribulation, we can’t find them.

• As a matter of fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:21, There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

• He wouldn’t have told us to be watching and busy about His work at the time of His return if it wasn’t important. I believe He wants us to use this revelation God gave Paul as an evangelistic tool, not some religious scare tactic.

• But if we cant have a confident, intelligent conversation about these truths, people will be just like they were in the days of Noah when God delivered his people from the wrath to come.

• Jesus actually tells that it will be as it was in the days of Noah when this event takes place. They went about they’re business, ignoring, mocking, even coming against what Noah was doing, until the day the Lord shut up the ark.

• Think about it, if you’ve read the book of Revelation, how is there any way we can comfort and encourage each other to look forward to facing that kind of wrath and destruction, not to mention the antichrist.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NLT) “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 
• 14, For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 
• 15, We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 
• 16, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 
• 17, Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 
• 18, So encourage each other with these words.”

• This word caught, (harpadzo) snatched away by divine energy.

• So when we read Revelation and the terrible things to come, this revelation in Thessalonians absolutely brings comfort and excitement! 

• Don’t let anyone talk you into believing that the God who loves us so much that He sacrificed His firstborn, won’t keep us from that wrath that’s coming.

• So, be watching, be busy, live ready!

• Now keep in mind, Paul is dealing with a number of false teachings as well as fear, unbelief, not to mention much opinion.

• One of the biggest was dealing with those misguided souls that were assuming the rapture had already taken place and the antichrist was already at work.

• What I want to do with this teaching is simply give a different perspective on what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying through Paul’s letter.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 
• not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 
• Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 
• who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

• Ive always with struggled with the “falling away” commentary on this passage, and after watching the documentary on the Galilean wedding, I was absolutely convinced.

• Think about it, it just doesn’t make sense that Christ would be returning for a bride that has fallen out of love with Him, not prepared for Him or looking for His return.

• I have a very old Oxford dictionary and this phrase falling away in the Greek is the word apostsia, is translated 2 ways, rebellion and departure.

• If you look at the history of our nation and our founders, the Geneva bible was one of the first they used.

• v.3, Geneva bible, Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition.

• Before the Geneva bible, William Tyndale”s first translation also used the word departure in this passage.

• The Wuest translation, “Unless the departure of the church came first...”

• And I get it, this word, apostasia can be translated either way, departure or rebellion, but in the context of the chapter, it actually ties everything together.

• I personally think it’s simply more of a common sense interpretation.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 (NKJV)  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 
• And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 
• For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 
• And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

• He who restrains until He is taken away; think about it, He, the Holy Spirit is the person and life of God in the church.

• In John 14, Jesus said that He would abide with us forever.

• Not to mention, He is part of the Holy Trinity. He is omnipresent.

• He’s also the only way a human can be born again, and millions will be born again during the tribulation.

• He the Holy Spirit, in His earthen vessel, the body of Christ, exercises His authority. And yes we are also the bride of Christ, that will be taken out of here. A departure. According to the Holy Spirit’s revelation to Paul.

• We’ve got to remember, Jesus told His disciples on more than one occasion, “I’ve given you all authority over the powers of darkness.”

• In Acts, the born again receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them.

• The apostle Paul reminds us the we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

• And I love this one, Jesus said, if anyone receives you they receive Me.

• I’m more convinced than ever the restrainer preventing the antichrist from manifesting is the church, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

• Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT) God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, 
• that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 
• For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 
• So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

• Jesus told us in Luke, “I give you all authority over the power of the enemy.”

• Remember, He’s returning for a glorious church. And as the world around us grows darker, according to Proverbs, The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

• Even though we are able to get a glimpse of what’s next on God’s calendar, we stay about the masters work until!! Maybe even get a little more dialed in because we recognize our time is short.

• Seriously, during Jesus’ first coming, there came a point where His disciples had to make some hard decisions concerning their faith, their lives.

• A.W. Tower, “A scarred world needs a fearless church.”

• That being said, the next event the church should be ready for is our departure. The Lord gave Paul this revelation in his letter the church of Thessalonica. 

• Paul actually gave the Corinthian church just a little glimpse.

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NLT) “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.”

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 
• 17, Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 
• 18, So encourage each other with these words.the servant the master finds watching when he returns.”