The Kingdom Mandate
8 July 2007
1. Introduction:
· Each believer needs revelation:
Ephesians 1:17-19 - Paul’s prayer for wisdom, revelation and understanding.
- How to see life – How to live life – How life really works.
- God’s purpose for us – God’s inheritance in us – God’s power through us.
· God’s design in creation:
Genesis 1:1 - “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”.
- God is the owner of all that can be seen by right of creation.
- Because God is the owner – His authority is absolute over all creation.
- God has a divine right to do as He will – to give it to who He will.
- Daniel 4:25, 34-35 - “No one can restrain His hand”.
- Romans 1:20 - “The hand of God is evident in all he has created”.
· God’s design for man:
Genesis 1:26 - “Let us make man in our image and likeness”.
- Man is created a spirit being who lives in a human body.
- The DNA of God is imparted into how man is designed to operate.
- Luke 17:21 - “The Kingdom of God is within you i.e. DNA.
- We are designed to operate according to the life, principles and values of Kingdom.
- Ambassador = a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by one sovereign state to another as its resident representative.
= Person sent to represent his country and fulfill a mission.
= A governmental minister appointed to live in another country, to speak and act on behalf of its government.
- Man = God’s ambassador – Family member sent to advance Family Business.
2. The Original Mandate/Mission:
· Genesis 1:26-28 - “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, let them have dominion”.
· Blessed = To speak or proclaim, to confer success or prosperity upon.
· The mandate is global – fill the earth.
· Man is called to occupy the Land God owns and colonize it.
· God’s design is to bring the life, values, ways, and presence of heaven to earth.
· Jesus’ Prayer – Matthew 6:10 – “Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth...”
· Colony = A group of people who leave their native country to form in a new land, a settlement subject to the Governments of their own nation.
= a group of people having similar interests and values coming from their country to establish the values, culture and government of their government in another territory.
· Man is changed with colonizing earth with heaven and extending the government and culture of heaven throughout the earth.
· Man is called to extent the culture and government of God into every area of life – finance, culture, sports, government, education, health.
· Adam’s disobedience – violating the law of God cost him his authority to rule and his connection with heaven.
· Romans 5:12,17-19 - One mans sin – Death reigned = to rule, have dominion.
3. Jesus Ministry - Restore the Man and Renew the Mandate:
· Matthew 4:7 - “Repent, the Kingdom of God is at Hand”.
· Jesus came to restore the relationship with God.
· Repent = have a change of mind, attitude, values, lifestyle – obedience.
· God wants us to change how we see life and how we live life.
· People want to be blessed by God – God’s desire is change.
· Luke 4:18 - “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… acceptable year of the Lord”.
· Acceptable year of the Lord is same as OT year of Jubilee.
· OT – The land belonged to God men were stewards of God’s land.
· Year of Jubilee – All debts released – people restored to their land – Leviticus 25:23-24.
· Jesus came to restore relationship, inheritance, and mandate.
· Matthew 28:18-20 - “All authority – Go – disciple all nations – teach and obey”.
· The Great Commission is the restoration of our mandate – Global.
· All believers are called to advance the Kingdom of God.
· Culture = attitude, beliefs, values, customs that distinguish people.
· Agriculture = soil that has been tilled => set of traits ploughed into people.
· Culture – shapes, who we are, how we think, relate and live – it imposes.
· Ephesians 2:2 - The culture of the world – varies from group to group.
- Character by disobedience.
· The spirit of the world operates through culture and imposes it on everyone.
· Our mandate: “Teaching then to obey”.
· Jesus loved his disciples – but required them to change.
· Spirit of the world is Anti-Christ – against the rule of Christ: “If I like, agree, then will do”
· The Spirit of the World works through “Opinions”
4. The Kingdom of God and the Church:
· Matthew 16:13-19 - “Who do men say I am? Who do you say I am?”
· Opinion = personal idea, belief, attitude, prevailing way of seeing things.
· Opinions reflect belief and how I want to live.
· Many opinions about Jesus – He is the Christ – The Son of the Living God.
· Peter got revelation but still opinionated how to live life.
· Matthew 16:22-23 - “Pity yourself – offensive to the Kingdom of God”.
· Jesus is the Anointed – He is King, He rules, He leads – I will follow.
· Jesus not receptive to Peter’s opinion – wanted him to yield to Kingdom.
· Peter wanted position and power – Jesus required obedience to the will of God.
· Peter had “opinions” about what it meant to be King – ideas from his culture.
· Our King is a Servant King – Matthew 20:25-28
· The Church = ecclesia = called out ones – Greeks = Senate.
- The Church is the governing people of God – chosen by Him to advance His Kingdom throughout the world.
· Matthew 5:13-16