Reigning In Life with Jesus

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I have an optimistic and hopeful expectation of the future because I have a hopeful and optimistic expectation of God’s kingdom. His kingdom will overcome all the kingdoms of the earth without fail. God, and everyone in Him through Christ, wins. There’s no hope for any other nation or kingdom. They will all succumb to His rulership and authority. God’s Kingdom is unrivaled.

He began establishing His kingdom in the earth when He sent Jesus, and to the increase of His kingdom there shall be no end. The kingdom is on His shoulders and what capable shoulders they are.

Jesus defeated all the enemies of His kingdom through His death, burial, and resurrection. He forever has all authority and power. He is the preeminent one, there is none greater!! Can I get an AMEN!!

Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

In His graciousness, Christ has chosen to share His authority with us.

Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

“Seated with Christ” means we are partakers of His rulership and His authority. We are joint-heirs of everything he inherited. We are powerful ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. We are citizens of Heaven. We are currently in the world, tasked with announcing the good news of the finished work of our king Jesus Christ. And He is seeking to exercise His authority in the earth through His believers.

Our shared rulership over the earth will continue until the resurrection and the restoration of all things. Until then, Christ must reign.

1 Corinthians 15:24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

We have been taught that Christ will reign once the end comes, but this passage tells us that Christ must reign UNTIL the end comes. That means He’s reigning NOW and will do so until ALL His enemies are under His feet. Christ has defeated ALL enemies, but they are not ALL currently under His feet.

There is a lot to discuss about that process, but I want to focus on the idea of Christ currently reigning in the earth through you. It’s what God has desired from the beginning.

A Nation of Priests

God has wanted a powerful family representing Him on the planet from the beginning. Look at His desire with the nation of Israel 4500 years ago.

Exodus 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Priests minister, it’s what they do. God wanted to dwell among His chosen people (the Israelites) and lead them in such a way that they were a blessing to the whole earth. They failed, but Christ didn’t fail.

Through Christ, God ups the ante. New Covenant believers are not only the fulfillment of that nation of priests, we are even more. We are priests that minister to the nations AND we are kings that rule the earth with Christ.

Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

At this moment, we are ruling and reigning with Him. Unfortunately, we aren’t doing a very good job. What’s it going to take to do a better job of reigning with Him?

• Walk in the light / love - 1 John

• Bear spiritual fruit - Galatians 5:22-23

• Take responsibility for your place in the body of Christ - Ephesians 4:11-12

All of these are done by resting in His finished work by grace through faith. You can not exercise the authority of Christ on this earth through your own strength or effort. We walk by faith, empowered by grace, accomplishing, or proving His will.

“You can not exercise the authority of Christ on this earth through your own strength or effort.”

The more you respond to His love for you by loving others, and rest in His spirit that abides in you, the more you walk in His authority. In other words, the more you trust and obey Him from the heart and allow Him to live through you, the more He will reign in the earth.

Walking In Love

Walking in love toward your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ allows Christ to reign through you in that it testifies that we are His followers.

Bearing Fruit

Allowing His word to abide in you and bear fruit in your life allows Christ to reign in this world by transforming you to reflect His character and glory.

Taking Responsibility for Your Place In His Body

This can be a tricky one because it does take effort. What kind of effort? It’s paradoxical because it’s not the kind of effort you exert by force, it’s by faith. It is the kind of effort that simply shows up and allows Christ to lead you.

Matthew 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

You are the laborer the Kingdom of God needs. You labor FROM victory. You labor FROM rest. You labor FROM acceptance. But you labor nonetheless.

Circle back to 1 Corinthians 15:25, Christ must reign until the end. How does He currently reign until the end? Through you. As you yield your heart to Him to bear fruit, walk in love, and take your place in His body.

He has assignments for you. He has a calling for you. Are you actively walking out your assignments from God? Do you know what they are? Do you have a life plan that puts God’s purposes for your life ahead of everything else?

No one can do it for you, not even God. No one can even tell you what those assignments are. That’s between you and God.

But I know this, He is an excellent teacher. He is an excellent leader. He is an excellent communicator. I truly believe that if you will go ALL IN and dedicate your life to His work, you will find that path. It starts with allowing His Word to abide in you. Take time to plant His written Word in your heart. Give the written Word and opportunity to become the Living Word.

You would probably say that following His will for your life is the absolute most important thing to you. But are you daily yielding yourself to Him to allow Him to shape you and guide you in His desires for you?

His kingdom needs laborers. Jesus instructed His friends to pray for laborers. Are you the answer to those prayers? Show up and watch God move in your life. Show up and watch Christ reign through you!!

It’s easier than you think. It starts in your daily life. Stop avoiding the daily opportunities you have to share your faith and pray for people. Stop avoiding kingdom responsibilities. Stop avoiding the hard things God is prompting you to do. It’s easier than you think if you allow His grace to empower you.

Show up and watch Him reign through you!!

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness REIGN IN LIFE through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

— Romans 5:17

Is there hope for our world?

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Do you have hope for a better future for our world? Or do you expect things to get worse? Do you think we can make a difference in this day and age? Or will the world just get darker and darker in your view? Our eschatology matters. What we believe about the future matters.

I want to encourage you to fight. We can still engage the culture and influence the world. We carry the presence and power of God. As we live out our Christian values, we can still be a voice in this world and turn the tide back toward God.

Don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! The soul of our nation and the nations of the world are worth fighting for. The good news is, we fight from victory. Jesus has already won. Jesus is the King of Kings, and there is none greater.

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name (authority) that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As Christians, we are to proclaim His preeminence. We are to rally around our king and announce His supremacy and majesty to the world. We are to spread the good news of what life is like in His kingdom, under His rule. A kingdom ruled by a loving and merciful God who can heal our pain and strengthen us to bear good fruit.

But if you believe that the kingdoms of this world are too great to influence, you will not engage. You will sit on the sidelines and wait for destruction.

What do you expect to happen? Think about it. How much is that influencing your willingness to stand up for God’s truth and righteousness and engage a failing culture?

Fight from Victory

The fight is not actually with people, it’s with their beliefs and ideologies.

Ephesians 610 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We are not fighting for victory. We are fighting from victory. Our king has already won. The dark forces and enemies of God in spiritual realms have not been fully destroyed yet, but it’s coming. Jesus has all authority and power but His kingdom is still increasing. It is the rock cast into the earth that will overcome all the kingdoms of this world, but it is not yet fully physically manifest. But it’s coming.

Consider this passage in light of Christ’s present kingdom. Paul is making a case for resurrection, but also gives us insight into the current reign of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Jesus Must Reign Until The End

You may be under the impression that Christ WILL reign when the end comes, but this passage says Christ must reign UNTIL the end. You have a role in Christ’s reign until the end.

1 Corinthians 15. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

The end comes after Jesus has destroyed all of His enemies. He has defeated all His enemies, but He has not yet destroyed them. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

Let me ask you a question; how is Jesus currently reigning? The answer is simple, through His church. THROUGH YOU!! He is the head, and we are His body. We are filled with His spirit, walking in freedom from sin and death, announcing to the world the victory of our king.

Christ must reign until the end. Many Christians believe that Christ will not reign until then end. The end is coming. One day God will sovereignly decide it’s time for the return of Christ and the resurrection. Until then, Christ must reign. I ask again, how does He reign until then? Through you!

The Body of Christ is the most influential and power demographic on the planet. We are ambassadors from Heaven in a foreign land, announcing the defeat of the enemies of God and His ever increasing kingdom.

Christ reigns today as you yield to Him and obey Him from the heart. He reigns by living through you as you trust and follow Him, displaying the fruit He bears through you. We must be willing to accept the difficult responsibilities that God calls us into. We must not shy away from our kingdom responsibilities and give up on this world.

God has not given up on this world. He is alive and active. He is saving people. He is healing people. He is inspiring people to step into their ministries and be voices of change for His kingdom. I pray you are not so pessimistic that you are just waiting for the destruction of all things.

“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:25

Influencing Culture with Your Vote

We can still make a difference as God’s kingdom continues to increase. We can still exercise our God given rights on this planet and be agents of good. In the US we have the privilege of voting. Voting will not solve all our problems but it is one way for us to exercise our kingdom influence.

With your vote you can protect life. You can promote personal responsibility. You can vote out Luciferian ideologies that manifest in the form or socialism and communism. You can stand against the consolidation of power and the financial oppression of those who hate God.

There is no perfect party. I don’t believe God is for one party or another. But there are policies that are closer to God’s values than others. You have the right and responsibility to speak up. Voting will not save the world, it’s just one way to influence our world. We still have work to do until the end. We must step into every realm of the world’s kingdoms and influence them from our position in God’s kingdom.

30 million Christians didn’t vote in the last Presidential election. My guess is because they think it’s no use. Don’t sit on the sidelines and pass up an opportunity to use your kingdom influence. If Christians united and put God first, the governments of the world would be forced to listen. We can make a massive difference through our unity.

Yes, there are well meaning Christians in all parties. I’m not telling you who to vote for, I want to encourage you to remember what kingdom you represent. Remember the values of that kingdom as you vote. Don’t stay on the sidelines, engage the world around you and spread the news of the Kingdom of God as you go.

How to Live a Life of Deep Meaning and Purpose

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“I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 3:14

When we hear the words “meaning” and “purpose,” we usually equate it to doing something for God, as if the reason God created you was to do a job for him. I say this all the time, God gave you life because he wanted you as His child, plain and simple. He intentionally placed you in the earth so he could be your Father. That’s WHY you are here.

But now that you’re here, and the world is in the state it’s in, God has assignments for you. You complete those assignments from a place of acceptance in Him, not for acceptance. You fulfill those assignments and missions from a place of security in Christ, not to try and hold on to salvation. You walk out the things He is leading you to do from a place of righteousness and holiness in Him, not to better your status in His eyes. He loves you, and He accepts you, period. How you live from then on is your choice.

Living with Meaning

Christ has set us free, but too many people abuse their freedom in Christ. We live selfish and unproductive lives. We have all kinds of reasons and excuses to be selfish, but they’re still excuses.

It’s time to let go of the excuses. It’s time to move beyond the pain and offenses of the past. It’s time to quit blaming others for your life's condition and answer the call of God on your life.

I think one of the reasons we never take our place in the Body of Christ is because we spend too much time avoiding responsibility.

We pursue happiness, but we avoid responsibility. We work hard to make our lives easier but end up empty and unfulfilled. We worry about our future to the point that it paralyzes us, but we never truly embrace the call of God on our lives.

God’s calling on your life is not necessarily formal ministry, but it is some facet of service within his church. God is building his church, and it is very creative. Church is not just buildings, organized programs, and staff positions. That is one manifestation of his church, but his church is also invisible in many ways. You may be an invisible member in his body, but just as important as the pastor with 10,000 members in his congregation.

My point is this; God has assignments for you. Are you seeing them through? Are you actively planning and executing the missions and assignments he has given you? We all have them. One of mine is to facilitate regular worship gatherings in the form of Forward Church, where I teach the Bible nearly every Sunday. I love it!

That’s an obvious assignment. Yours may not be as obvious. Your assignment may be to be a light at your job. If so, do it intentionally. Yours might be to give generously to anti human-trafficking ministries. Yours may be to feed the homeless or be a blessing to widows. Whatever it may be, do it with all your heart.

I have been a lead pastor for 12 years now. I have talked to so many people who are waiting for life’s circumstances to change to follow God. They don’t say it that way, but that’s what’s happening. Most people aren’t fulfilling their role in the body of Christ because they don’t want the responsibility.

Are you fulfilling your kingdom responsibilities?

Embrace Responsibility

I’d like to give you three quotes from clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson. I don’t endorse Dr. Peterson’s spiritual beliefs, but I do value his insight into human behavior. He has seen thousands of patients over decades and identifies the main thing people need in order to live productive lives - meaning.

Meaning. A reason to get out of bed. A meaningful life focus helps people heal from the past. Living with meaning empowers people to overcome adversity and pain. Peterson says that the pursuit of happiness is nice, but it’s a luxury many can’t afford.

“It’s a luxury to pursue happiness, it’s a moral obligation to pursue meaning. And that’s not easy, it may require sacrifice.”

“Meaning is the instinct that guides you through challenges and tragedies.”

“Meaning is most found in the adoption of responsibility.”

Dr. Peterson explains that people who avoid responsibility often live as victims and never move beyond past emotional trauma. Those who aim at something and have meaning in their lives move forward into health and productivity in greater numbers.

If we have a sense of meaning, we will face anything that comes our way.

For a believer, what gives our life the most meaning is discovering and pursuing God’s purposes in our lives. We can’t wait for him to tell us what to do. He is not going to split the sky and give you a reason to live. That is your responsibility. You are free to live for your own selfishness or lay your life down and allow God to live through you.

The Apostle Paul had a reason to face persecution. His compassion for his Jewish kinsman drove him into a difficult life. Nearly every original follower of Jesus lost their lives for the sake of the Gospel. They lived with meaning.

I’m not suggesting you need to get over yourself and die for Jesus, I’m saying you must find something in life to live for. As believers, of course, it should include the spreading of the Gospel, but maybe not just that.

What are you living for? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Are you just paying bills and trying to create a life of comfort? Or are you compelled daily by a purpose?

Only you can allow that to develop in your heart. God isn’t going to make it happen for you. I pray you watch the full sermon above for more on this subject. I pray this sermon inspires you to step into a life of meaning and purpose.

Don't Conform to the World's Version of Faith, Life and Culture

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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

— Romans 12:2

When it comes to matters of life, faith, and culture, we must think as God thinks. We must persuade our hearts and minds of His ways and adjust accordingly, rather than bend His Word and ways to conform to modern thought and culture.

God’s ways of life are never out of date. God’s ways are righteous and He leads us along the path of righteousness, in all that we do. Our faith is not separate from culture. In fact, our faith should shape culture.

What is righteousness?

Righteous means "as it should be." Evil means "as it ought not to be." When something or someone is righteous, they are as they should be in God's eyes. When a cultural system is righteous, it is operating as it should in God's eyes.

How does this apply to our lives?

There is a righteousness regarding our identity as children of God. Once we place our trust in the finished work of Christ, God cleanses us and places His Spirit in us, making us righteous before Him. Righteousness is a state of existence God gives us through Christ. It’s not a standard we live up to.

There is also a righteousness (as it should be) to life and culture. In other words, there is a proper way and order to everything, according to God's perspective. There is also a righteousness (as it should be) in sexuality, gender, relationships, justice, government, and every other aspect of life and culture.

When we go against God's natural order, the result is death. The death is not directly from God, it's produced on its own merit.

Righteousness is not achieved through rule-keeping and self-effort, it can only be recognized as God's truth and respected. We can yield to God's grace which empowers us to live well within the salvation He has provided in Jesus, but we can never attain righteousness on our own. Through behavior or laws.

As culture continues to reject God's righteousness, the more death, and destruction we will have in society and culture.

In our current political climate, there is no one party that is righteous, but there are policies proposed that are closer to God's natural order than others. No elected official can legislate righteousness, but we can vote for people who honor and respect God's natural order of creation. We can vote for people who value God’s righteousness or the way He created the world to function.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

— Proverbs 29:2

Some consider it judgmental or dogmatic to advocate for God's ways, but it is proven, the closer we govern society to God's ways, the better the state of humanity.

Every political party claims to speak for God. The Democrats say we need to take care of people’s basic needs. The Republicans say we need to first and foremost protect life. Libertarians say we need to take personal responsibility for our lives. All of which are godly values and principles. But all of those systems are flawed because they are man-made.

The government can not make a better society for us, but it can protect our right to do so. Vote in such a way that gives you the most freedom to follow God and makes room for His righteousness and values.

Stand Up for Righteousness

I’ll ask a question to personalize these ideas. Where can you speak up for righteousness? How can you speak up for God’s natural order? Where can you speak up for how God says it ought to be?

Maybe it’s at work when people are telling inappropriate jokes. Maybe it’s at the skate park with your kids. Maybe it’s at a restaurant when someone is forcing another person to say the name of a person who has been killed. Maybe it’s online when people are discussing transgender issues.

We can’t go around picking fights, but we can make God’s truth known when opportunities arise.

How else will our children know of God’s truth if they don’t hear it in church and hear it from us?

The culture is trying to tell people that all love is ok, referring to homosexual relationships. Grown adults are subjecting their children to hormone therapy because they believe gender is fluid. The education system willingly subjects our children to debt and calls it normal. Violence in the streets is encouraged by political parties because it fits their agenda. Even some Christians are saying the sacrifice of Jesus wasn’t necessary.

I’m not trying to be negative and say the world is going to hell, I’m saying that believers need to speak up for God’s righteousness and truth when we have the opportunities. People will not know if we don’t. Once we do, the Holy Spirit then has an opportunity to work on those people.

That’s the pesky thing about truth, once you hear it, you have to confront it. You will either let it change you, or you will harden your heart and fight against it.

But there are people out there who have not heard about God’s ways. They’ve heard from Netflix, they’ve heard from their progressive teachers. They’re heard from political candidates but have they heard of God’s righteousness from you?

God Is Building His Body

I am not proposing that we stand on the corner, threatening people with hell. I am suggesting that we lay down our fear of man, our hesitation in offending people, and speaking up for God’s ways when we have the chance. How will people know if we don’t tell them?

You have a unique position in God’s body. God has specific assignments for you. I want to help you find and fulfill those assignments in the weeks ahead. But we all have the responsibility to be God’s ambassadors in the world. Pray for boldness. Pray for opportunities. Speak up for God’s righteousness when you can.