Kingdom Ambassadors

So I'm going to ask, there's another pastor called Manny Sadiq, whose wife Violet, and

she's come to us at times for prayer.

She had surgery on her knee and it's gone completely wrong and it's caused her a lot

of problems.

And so we can pray for that and we can pray for my sister and her family.

So I'm going to ask May and Jane, who met them, to come up and pray.

And just pray that these symptoms, pray whatever you want.

And then pray for Violet too.

The mic is there.

Father, I just want to...

Sit up?

Yeah.

Okay.

We just want to lift up Reba and her family up to you, Father.

Even though the virus has already affected them, Father, your work is never done, Lord.

So we just pray against any further effects, any further spread, especially for KJ, that

he will not be affected as well.

And Father, I mean, they've gone through so much quarantining and being locked down together

and just being...

Trapped is not the right word.

Being confined together again, Father.

I just pray that there will be a unity in the family.

There will be an uplifting.

There will be a building up of each other.

Even though it can be hard, it can be stressful, Father, with teenagers and grown children.

Yeah, I just pray for unity for them of coming together, really experiencing your love and

compassion over them, Father.

And I pray that against this tiredness feeling of it's happening again, that against any

thought that God isn't watching over us.

Yeah.

Yeah, so I just pray that it stops.

It does not spread to KJ.

The symptoms end here and that they just can really be revived and refreshed for the rest

of their quarantine time.

Amen.

In your most precious name, I pray.

Amen.

Father, I just want to ask for two things.

One that this be a time, just like May was saying, of regrouping for them.

That it be a spiritual regrouping.

Yeah.

That it be a mental regrouping.

Yeah.

That it be a physical regrouping.

That everything is seen through your eyes again.

Hallelujah.

That there is a bolstering of strength, of wisdom, of heavenly sight.

Yeah.

Of resources, everything they need, Father, for what's to come.

Because they are an extended arm of this body and we just extend the grace and all

the blessing, all the what you called us into.

Yeah.

It's extended to them equally.

Hallelujah.

So Father, I just pray that this be a time of regrouping for them.

And the second thing is I just pray that instead of COVID spreading, immunity would spread

from that family.

Yeah.

I speak it in the name of Jesus.

Hallelujah.

In the name of Jesus.

In Jesus' name.

That COVID ends today.

Yeah.

In the name of Jesus.

Thank you, Father.

For that family.

And just as your glory goes out from your temple, that immunity will go out and spread

from this family and that your light will go with it.

Your glory will go with it.

Your healing will go with it.

And I speak this in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Father, I just bring Violet to you.

I know her and her efforts to bring people from non-Christian faiths to know you.

You said how lovely are the feet of those that bring good news.

So in Jesus Christ's name, we command the restoration of her feet.

We command that which is wrong to be corrected and healed.

I command that that which is decaying, that which has been bruised, ruptured, that is

any past formation, any decay in the name of Jesus Christ, I speak life and healing

so that her feet will once again begin to be able to carry her and carry her to bring

good news to a lot of Punjabis and Hindus that she has brought to the faith.

I pray that she will find help during this time as she recovers.

These are the things we pray for this woman.

In Jesus Christ's name.

Amen.

Amen.

Cool.

Okay, guys, last week we were talking about how one of the things Jesus did was preach

the message of the kingdom.

And the message of the kingdom was, my kingship is here, so I want you to change.

And I also want you to go heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out

demons.

This was his proclamation.

We talked about it last week.

And we said it is our duty too, our privilege and our duty and our command that I want you

to go do the same.

That if I'm going to show mercy in this land through this amazing thing called healing,

I need you to proclaim what I proclaimed first.

And the proclamation was, my kingship is here, as in Jesus' kingship or the kingdom is here.

Therefore change.

And not just change.

When you tell them to change, you have to show them evidence that my kingship is here.

Therefore go cleanse lepers, heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead.

And when you do that, again say, see, these things are happening.

Surely God is here, his kingship is here.

Therefore repent.

And so for the next little while, I'm hoping we can stay with this idea of being kingdom

ambassadors.

So when we talk about kingdom ambassadors, the first thing we need to know is that every

human being who is born is born into the kingdom of darkness.

This is a very odd but true thing.

Every human being that is born is born into the kingdom of darkness.

And Jesus came to deliver us from the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of light.

So there's no human being that is presently being born that isn't actually being born

into the kingdom of darkness.

Every one of them since Adam has been born into the kingdom of darkness.

And Jesus Christ came to deliver us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

So if you look at Colossians 1.13, Colossians 1.13, it says that, for he has rescued us

from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves in

whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

Follow with me guys, just open to scriptures.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of

the son he loves in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

Let's look at another scripture, 1 Peter 2.9, 1 Peter 2.9, 1 Peter 2.9.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priest to the holy nation, a people belonging to

God that you may declare the praises of him again who called you out of darkness into

his wonderful light.

Let's look at another scripture, Ephesians 5.8, Ephesians 5.8.

For you were once darkness, now it's not even you were once in darkness, it is you were

once darkness.

You were once darkness but now you are light, not even you are in the light, you are light

in the Lord, live as children of the light.

And so Jesus' assignment then was to reconnect us to the father and to break in the kingdom.

So again, one part of Jesus' ultimate assignment was reconnect us to the father, the second

part was break in or usher in the kingdom which was his right from the beginning but

to usher it in he would have to introduce the Holy Spirit to the earth.

It was not that the Spirit of God wasn't there before but he had to reintroduce the Holy

Spirit to the earth because the kingdom only comes to pass by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If there is no Holy Spirit, there is no kingdom.

And then God had another problem.

The Holy Spirit would have to indwell man for the kingdom to be in their midst.

The Holy Spirit would have to indwell man for the rulership or the kingship of Jesus

to be in their midst but he couldn't indwell man, therefore Christ had to go to the cross

on Calvary so that the Holy Spirit could now indwell man.

We don't realize how important this was to both the father and the son and the Holy Spirit.

Reconnecting us back to the father and breaking in the kingdom that was God's from the beginning.

What do they say of him in the Old Testament?

You have been a king from everlasting to everlasting.

You have no beginning, no end.

The king of kings and the lord of lords.

A kingdom that has been forever.

Any questions on what I've said thus far?

They're trying to fix this thing and we don't have a board so I'll try and go slow and if

they fix it so be it.

So the presence that was lost in Eden was restored at Pentecost.

The presence that was lost in Eden was restored at Pentecost.

We don't realize how heinous Adam's crime was.

We just saying Adam sinned, ate an apple.

No, he was given a kingdom.

He committed treason.

He gave the kingdom over to another counterfeit king and the kingdom was lost forever.

So much so that that counterfeit king says to Jesus, you bow before me and I'll return

it to you.

But Jesus knows that the only way to reconnect us to the father and to bring in the kingdom

is by having the Holy Spirit come.

The Holy Spirit was always here.

He was there in Genesis 1.

By having the Holy Spirit come to indwell us and therein lie the problem.

That was the problem.

And that problem could only be solved by Jesus' death, Jesus' life, Jesus' death, Jesus'

resurrection, Jesus' ascension.

All four were important.

In his life, one of the things, I mean why live 33 years?

One of the things Jesus was trying to demonstrate especially during his ministry years was to

say that listen, you want to see what the kingdom looks like?

Let my life demonstrate the reality and the power of the kingdom.

Let me show you.

This is what the kingdom looks like.

There was a place called Eden.

There will be a place called the city of Jerusalem in the end.

But in between, these are the things that must happen to give people a taste of what

awaits and therefore through his life he began to display the reality and the power of the

kingdom.

Through his death, he paid the price for us to be rescued from the kingdom of darkness,

life for life.

One man's life for another man's life.

That's what is happening through his death.

So here is Jacob trapped in the kingdom of darkness.

Well, I'll exchange life for life.

You take me, you release him.

His death again was so that we could be rescued out.

But rescuing out wasn't enough.

New life had to be given and that new life happens when he is resurrected.

And so now not only are you rescued out, you have life restored to you as was in the Garden

of Eden.

And then he takes it one step further.

It's not enough to be resurrected.

One has to ascend.

This is very distracting.

One has to ascend.

Why did Jesus have to ascend?

Guys, ascension without ascension.

Guys, if it doesn't work, just put it off because it's very hard not to keep your eyes

on all that's happening there.

So just wonderful to read.

Tell us, tell us, tell us again and again and again.

All righty, he's doing his own sermon there.

I'm sorry, I might have spoken out of turn when I said you raised two good children.

So yeah, ascension was important, guys.

We don't really, I mean, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

But if he hadn't ascended, he would not send the Holy Spirit.

Because he said that unless I go to my father, the Holy Spirit will not come.

I will not leave you as orphans.

When I go to my father, the Holy Spirit will be released.

And so it was important for him to ascend to the father so that the Spirit of God could

be released.

Ascension releases the Holy Spirit.

And therefore on Pentecost, sorry.

Yeah, yeah, go ahead.

How are babies saved if they're born into the kingdom of darkness?

Jesus' blood is sufficient for mankind because it pays the price for all mankind.

Till a person, and not just babies, till a person is at an age of understanding to receive

Christ, they are not responsible for that decision making.

And therefore the blood of Christ covers them.

In Isaiah, there's a scripture that says, by the time this child has the ability to

taste curds and no difference between right and wrong, such and such a thing will happen.

So we can't even say babies.

Sometimes people are not in a position to confess, believe in their heart and confess

in their mouth, with their mouth, because of things that have happened to them physically,

mentally.

And the great thing is the blood of Christ actually paid the price for the sin of every

man, woman and child that exists.

But it is ours to ask that.

And if we are not in a, if you don't have the capacity to ask that, his blood covers.

This is a God who creates loopholes to get in.

So every child, every baby, every person who is not able to decide, as in because of physical

challenges, will have brand new bodies, brand new minds, brand new in the presence of God.

So baptizing a baby doesn't get the baby any extra brawny points.

So, so Jesus is the architect of the kingdom, because when he ascends, he sends the Holy

Spirit.

And now the presence that was lost in Eden is restored at Pentecost.

And so guys, the degree to which I am yielded to the Holy Spirit is the degree to which

God's kingship will be displayed through me.

The degree to which I am yielded to the Holy Spirit is the degree to which God's kingship

is displayed through me, or through us.

So why are we going down this road is so that we begin to think a certain way so that we

can be a certain way.

So I would suggest for the next maybe three weeks at least, we begin to think of ourselves

as ambassadors of this kingdom that Christ has restored.

That we begin to think of ourselves as ambassadors of this kingdom that Christ has restored.

Ambassadors of the kingdom that Christ has restored.

Or I don't even know if he restored it, he reintroduced it.

So if you go to Ephesians 620, and whenever you think of ambassadors, you think of like

one of those really stretched Mercedes with a flag in front.

But if you get that, so be it.

But in Paul's case, he was also in chains.

So if you look at Ephesians 620, starting at verse 19,

Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly

make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.

So there are times when you can be the ambassador of the kingdom in chains, and there are other

times where you can be an ambassador who is not in chains and is taken care of and doing well.

You're taken care of even when you're in chains, but let's look at another scripture.

Second Corinthians 5, verse 20.

2 Corinthians 5:20

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God was making his appeal through us.

And so, want to explore this idea of being ambassadors of the kingdom that Christ has

restored.

And before we even touch that, if that is the case and the Bible says so, then the church

is an embassy, then the church is an embassy.

It's a sovereign territory of the kingdom, and it is respected by other nations that

the embassy is in.

So, I mean, if you were in trouble in a certain nation and you ran to the Canadian embassy

and went in, you cannot be extracted because you have now sought refuge in a geographical

location in a foreign land, and yet that geographical location in the foreign land is actually the

sovereign territory of the country that has an embassy there.

That's why it's so important to stay connected to your local church.

You cannot stay connected to the church. You have to stay connected to the local church,

but it extends to you embassy-like privileges that keeps you a certain way.

When my sister wrote to me, what I liked about what she wrote to me is, we are connected

to you.

We don't have elders or things like that here because we are not in a church here.

So, when you ask the church to pray, and so when May was praying the way she prayed, I

thought to myself, great, this is an extension.

We don't realize the safety that is in it.

This is nothing to do with Acts 29 or Jacob.

This is a scriptural principle.

And if you are disconnected, then, yeah, I've talked about that so many times, so I won't

go there.

And this sovereign territory or embassy is only breached by compromise or treason.

It's only breached by compromise or treason, as in when we begin to cooperate with the

devil in things, then the embassy is breached, or when we compromise, as in our values are

no longer the values of the king that we serve, then the embassy is compromised.

Otherwise, this is a safe place, and by safe place, I don't mean a building.

I'm talking about a people because the kingdom of God is not in a building.

The kingdom of God is a matter of love, matter of love, sorry, no, not love, joy, peace.

It is not a matter of talking, but a matter of righteousness, righteousness, joy and peace

and power in the Holy Ghost, because another scripture talks about power.

Let's go check it out.

First Corinthians, righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, righteousness, peace and

joy in the Holy Ghost, that's the kingdom of God.

Songs are great for remembering scripture.

That's Ron Canole, which most of you don't know.

You.

First Corinthians, 420.

First Corinthians, 420.

Every time you talk like that, I expect you to have long hair and a flowery t-shirt.

That can be arranged.

No, it's okay.

First Corinthians, 420.

We can hardly handle you with these clothes.

First Corinthians, 420.

Silence in the peanut gallery.

First Corinthians, 420.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.

And then Romans, Romans, can someone find that verse in Romans?

It's only 16 chapters.

Righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost.

Come on guys, Google it.

Romans 14, 17.

Yeah.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness,

peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

And so, yeah, so the church is an embassy.

So let's talk about ambassadors.

Ambassadors represent the king's government.

So if you're an ambassador and you are, then you represent the king's government.

You don't represent the king only.

You represent the king's government, as in the way he reigns, the way he rules,

the way he conducts his business, the way he conducts his affairs.

You represent the king's government.

So as we learn to see ourselves as ambassadors, we will change the way we think and live.

As we learn to see ourselves as ambassadors, we will change the way we think and live.

I was once with a government official from a certain country,

and he would not meet me openly because he knew I was a Christian and he was a Muslim.

So he sent his aide to invite me to the hotel room he was staying in,

and it was absolutely unofficial, and I went and met with him and wasn't on his agenda of meetings that day.

Why? Because when he represents his government, who he meets with, how he conducts himself,

is being watched, and he could not do it publicly.

What's the point here?

The point is when you are an ambassador, people that come and meet you are not meeting just a person.

They're meeting the intent, they're meeting the culture,

and they're meeting the voice of the government you represent.

They're meeting the intent hecho, they're meeting the culture,

and they're meeting the voice of the government you represent.

Therefore, when someone comes and meets you, they're not just meeting Vivek, they're not just meeting me,

they're meeting the intent of God, the voice of God, the culture of God, and how he rules and reigns.

That's why I think over the next three weeks as we begin to think like this,

we may begin to live a little differently. Not live a little differently, live differently.

Any questions? How's it going there?

You think I'm going to give it to you?

If I give it to you, then you'll have my bank account, man.

Ambassadors represent the kingdom government of God.

When someone is in the presence of an ambassador, they are in the presence of the government he or she represents.

His or her words are the words of the government. Just imagine that.

If for a second the world actually thought that you, Dilna, that every word you speak was actually from God,

it is because the world doesn't think so that we are okay.

They have no expectations of Jacob or Dilna to speak for God.

But you wouldn't think like that when you go to meet the ambassador of Netherlands or of South Africa.

You would expect that when you enter his embassy that the words he speaks are not his opinion,

but they are the words of the one he represents.

I mean, there was some official light that falls on each of us. I think, whoosh, you are now an ambassador.

But because it doesn't, we don't think so. So we, yeah.

What if I actually began to think that my words are the words of the government of the king?

It doesn't mean you stop joking about probation and putting four people into the furnace.

But it does mean that I'll be measured in everything I say.

So when people come and meet me, when they are meeting me, they are not just meeting the person,

but they are meeting the voice, the voice of the king.

When they are meeting me, they are not just meeting the person, but they are meeting the voice and the intent

and the culture of a king and his kingdom.

When they come into contact with me, they should not just meet the person, Jacob,

but the God whom I belong to and who dwells in me through the Holy Spirit.

I want to be aware of this. I want to be aware of this.

How's it going?

Guys, one of the things about this kingdom is it's relational.

And therefore, the government of this kingdom is relational, and as an ambassador, you have to be relational.

And when you are sent to a country to represent a king, you can't be picky and choosy about who you relate to.

You relate to whoever you are sent to and whoever you encounter during the day.

You cannot be picky based on color, creed, wealth, attitude. You cannot. I cannot.

This kingdom was created through relationality. What do you mean by that?

An invisible king becomes visible so that he can relate.

An invisible king becomes visible so that he can relate.

And now that Christ related that way, he has left an embassy on earth saying,

why don't you guys now go and relate the same way? As ambassadors, you go relate.

And so this kingdom is built entirely on relationality, and therefore you have to do the same.

And the only way one gets born, that's the other thing. It's got an open visa immigration policy.

The intent of this kingdom is whichever nation we are in, we are going to have people enter this kingdom.

And the only way to enter this kingdom is by being born again.

And the only way to be born again is to come into relationship with people and tell them about your king.

This was always the plan. The plan was to have a king.

This was always the plan. The plan was not to distribute tracts and Bibles and show movies.

That was supposed to be an aid.

It was supposed to be an aid. I'm not saying that the Jesus movie hasn't done tremendously well in many nations across the earth through Campus Crusade and YWAM.

No. But these were aids. They were not the primary method.

You think Jesus couldn't send a video with each child that was born?

Open at age of eight. Watch. Get born again. It's not the way it happens. The baby comes just as a baby.

So all these were supposed to be extra aids that would be used.

But primarily this kingdom, this is the strange thing about this kingdom. It's so wonderful and so painfully slow and brilliant.

It can only be built through one life at a time relationality.

How does Jesus go about it? How are we where we are today on the earth?

By Jesus going picking one man called Peter and building a relationship with him.

That's where it started.

These parables about the kingdom, do you realize now how weighty and powerful they are?

That the kingdom of God is like a seed, like a mustard seed. Small, insignificant.

But over a period of time, over years actually, that little mustard seed grows into a bush that is greater than most others.

That birds come and dwell in.

There's a reason he says this. He's not in a hurry but he's absolutely on time.

So as ambassadors, not working guys?

You guys won't make it into the bitcoin mining industry. Couldn't solve that puzzle.

Yeah.

Yeah. Guys, remember this is relational. Remember that we, this is a kingdom that has an open door saying come we'll give you a passport but you have to be born again.

And you can only be born again by recognizing the kingship of Jesus who came and died.

How we proclaim it.

Know that the kingship of Jesus is here. You receive it. Change. You must change. You must change.

And then let me show you the evidence of the kingdom in our midst.

The sick are healed, the dead are raised, the demons are cast out and the lepers are healed.

Now having seen that, let me say to you again, the kingdom of God is here.

Keep wrapping our heads around this guys. Nothing in the kingdom is instant except salvation.

And the reason salvation is instant was because it was drawn out over 33 years and culminated on Calvary.

Everything else. Why is it that we struggle the way we struggle? Because we are growing in relationship.

Why is it that we are not struggling the way we used to struggle? Because we have grown in relationship. Brilliant.

Why is it that we will be better tomorrow? Because we continue to grow in relationship.

Why is it that we'll be worse tomorrow? Because we are not interested. We are on our phones Googling while someone is teaching.

And if that hat fits, wear it. It is very deliberate.

Being an ambassador is a privilege but it also comes with responsibilities.

Being an ambassador is a privilege but it also comes with huge responsibilities.

Being an ambassador is a privilege but it also comes with huge responsibilities.

So the first responsibility, let me write on the board, is since we are pretending we...

These are the things that the Chinese pastor will ask, what were you doing when you were writing in the air?

Here are some of our responsibilities.

Proclaim the King's words. Proclaim the King's words.

As in look into the word of God and proclaim his own words.

Like parrot them thoughtfully.

It's a parrot.

Proclaim his own words. Like parrot them thoughtfully.

I know it's a paradox or an oxymoron but parrot Jesus' words thoughtfully.

Proclaim his words. Say exactly what he says.

Especially when it comes to proclamation in this kingdom. Use his words.

So even though it's a privilege, it comes with huge responsibilities.

Proclaim the King's words.

Second, be obsessed with the King's interests. Be obsessed with the King's interests.

Obsessed. Not be passionate, not be interested.

Be obsessed with the King's interests.

Obsession is when everything else including food, including food, is being obsessed with the King's interests.

Is set aside because you're so obsessed with something.

Be obsessed.

This is where that whole idea of my family, my work, my money and my time is no longer at the service of anything

but the interest of the King because I'm obsessed with the interests of the King.

Let me say that again. Your family, your work, your money and your time and possessions are no longer to serve anything else

but the interests of the King and Kingdom.

For those of us who weren't here two years ago, it is never God, family, church.

That is as anti-biblical as it comes.

It is always God, church, family.

Any questions on that one?

How would you, if it came to a point of choice, how would you work with it?

If it came to a point of choice, how would you work with it?

If it came to a point of choice, we would do what Jesus did when he says,

Who is my mother and who am I?

Brothers.

But those that do my?

Will.

Everything he asks of us he already does.

Part of the reason he had to live here on earth is so that I can't say, but you have no idea what I'm talking about.

That excuse he's removed.

You know, disruptive glory. Glory cannot be disruptive unless extremes are pushed.

God's glory hasn't ever been some kind of soft afterglow as the sun sets in the west.

It's always been pretty weighty and disruptive.

Why isn't it that we experience God's glory as disruptive?

Because if you want his glory to be disruptive, you have to be willing to push the limits in your own life so that his glory can come crashing through like the waves.

Break what is necessary, shape what is necessary.

And that's where we are heading.

And no one person can do it.

The glory of God cannot settle on one person.

It would consume him and destroy him.

The glory of God cannot be destroyed.

It would consume him and destroy him.

The glory of God can settle on a people because that's always been his plan.

We're not even talking about the Old Testament now where the Holy Spirit would come upon a person for a little while and go.

We're talking about God in the third person dwelling amongst a people and only a people can kind of contain him and even that they can't.

So the first one was proclaim the king's words.

Second, be obsessed with the king's interest.

Third, speak on the king's behalf on behalf of his government.

Speak on the king's behalf.

These are not verses from the Bible.

This is when you're asked something.

You may be struggling inside but you have only one opinion.

And that ain't your opinion or your preference.

You have only one opinion of the king and you speak on behalf of his government and on his behalf.

How do you speak on behalf of the king and the behalf of the government of God?

Very simple. You've got to know the nature of the king.

You know the nature of the king. You know the nature of the kingdom.

And what is the nature of the king?

Very simple. The nature of the king is that of a father and he is good.

Start there. You cannot get it wrong if you start there.

The nature of the king is that of a father and he is good.

Whenever in doubt, whenever in turmoil, whenever confused, whenever things are coming against you,

you go back to the simple thing that the nature of the king and the kingdom is he is a father and he is very good.

You start there and it's impossible to be messed up for too long.

Every time you're messed up, you come back to this.

It is the surest thing in the universe, guys.

There is nothing that is as permanent as that.

Nothing as permanent as that.

And yet it's hard to believe.

Any questions?

You in the second blue shirt, you have a question?

When did that click for me?

I don't know, man. I think my dad was a pretty okay dad.

And so the only way I began to relate to God was as a dad.

And so it was immediate for me.

And every time I tried to picture God, I had no problems connecting with God.

I have no problems connecting him to my dad.

That is not the experience of most people.

My dad may not have been the best in other areas, but in this one area, he seemed to have gotten it.

While I was young, once I grew older, everything changed.

But while I was young, he was just a great dad.

And so it was easy.

So I have never related to God as anything but Father.

And I have had to deliberately relate in ways that are not Father with God.

Because there are other aspects to God you have got to grow in.

But the most important aspect is that of a father.

Because that makes up more than 50 to 60% of God, if you could put a percentage on it.

Those that do not know God as Father do not know the Christian God.

Those that do not relate to God as Father do not know, aren't relating fully to the Christian God.

Those that are not approaching him as Father on a daily basis and see yourself as son are not functioning in the fullness of who they are as Christians.

And I can show this from scriptures. This is not my view.

And you will be surprised as the number of people who know him as Savior, Lord, Redeemer, Jesus, Son of God, but do not know, cannot approach, aren't able to relate to him as Father.

Partly because we superimpose our dads and mums on God and completely distort him.

But the great thing is, just because the copy is distorted doesn't mean the original was damaged.

It is the photocopier that ate it up.

Be obsessed with the King's interest. Speak on behalf of the King's government.

This really bothered me that Father, there are so many times when I don't represent you well.

When I say speak, I'm not just talking about words. I'm talking about attitude. I'm talking about tone. I'm talking about facial expression. I'm talking about approach.

Everything can be so negative even though the words are positive.

Yeah, what do you want? What do you want?

Great, I'm representing the Kingdom. Jesus said, ask her what she wants. What do you want?

That's hardly approachable.

Someone else shuddered when I asked that question.

What we don't realize is when you represent the King and the Kingdom, so much more is conveyed.

And the way we convey it is not just words. It's approachability.

It is the dignity you place on someone when you approach them. It's the words you speak. It's how you speak them, the tone. Everything matters.

And my God, can I be a colossal failure in that many times?

Even though I'm delivering authentic goods from the Kingdom.

Maybe take away the colossal. Can I not be a failure? Maybe colossal was a little too harsh.

Fourth thing, these are responsibilities that come with being an ambassador.

Be in constant communication with the King.

Be in constant communication with the King.

Be in constant communication with the King.

Be in constant communication with the King.

One of the funniest and most ironic sites during the Gulf War, which was a war that happened before most of you were born,

was that the Iraqi ambassador would come on CNN.

And we were in Bahrain at that time.

And he would come on CNN and CNN would be showing the airport being overrun by US troops and planes bombing the airport.

And the Iraqi ambassador would come and say, no, everything is okay. Everything is peaceful.

No, no, no, airport hasn't been taken. And in the background you can see the airport being taken and overrun and bombs dropping.

But the guy had no choice. He only speaks for his government and for his president.

And if the president says the airport is fine, it doesn't matter that there's a picture showing the airport is not fine, he continues to say the airport is fine.

This is how it is, guys. You do not have an opinion if you're an ambassador.

Be in constant communication with the King.

Jesus was like this in John chapter 8 verse 28 and John chapter 5 verse 19 and 30.

John 8:28 John 5:19

I can do nothing if I'm not connected to my father. I can only say what I hear him saying. I can only do what I see him doing.

Constant communication allows you to be a brilliant ambassador.

There are rewards too. We'll talk about the rewards.

I said last week I was kind of looking forward to talking about things of the Kingdom and I am.

It'll be good, guys.

And the fifth one is we carry out the King's policies. We carry out the King's policies here on earth.

We're not deciding policies, we're just carrying them out.

He decides policies. We discern them, we learn them.

And what do I mean by discern? We try to figure out what's he saying now.

And this King multitasks. So if people don't multitask, the people get stuck.

This King multitasks. He's multitasking 8 billion times a second right now.

This King multitasks.

Praful and Brandon were trying and they couldn't succeed with one simple laptop.

So, yeah.

Carry out his policies. Carry out his policies.

Yep.

Yeah, so what I mean by multitasking is this King can be building this pew and then he can suddenly leave that half done and go and start building this pulpit.

And so what happens with us as people is we have this tendency to want to finish things before we really get to the point.

And so we have this tendency to want to finish things before we really get to the point.

We have this tendency to want to finish things before we will move on to something else.

But this King doesn't do that. I mean Jesus learned that the hard way.

So he would be walking to go to Jairus' daughter and then there would be a woman with an issue of blood.

Then he would stop there, then he would go somewhere else and he would finally get to Jairus' daughter by which time most of the people he was going to visit were dead.

Yeah, yeah. And when all of us begin to do this, it becomes easier.

Lazarus, same thing. Jesus could have saved him before he died. No luck there.

Father told him to wait for four days until the guy was dead.

Not only was he dead, now he was put in a tomb. He was stinking. Now you can go.

So this is what I mean by he doesn't necessarily finish things the way we want to in a certain timeframe.

And that can be pretty annoying.

Because most of us, especially in the Western world, are finishers.

Not because we are good finishers, but we've got to finish it.

Yeah.

Guys, do you want to switch off the AC for a tiny bit? People are beginning to...

Like...

I brought... Oh, the fans. Yeah, just switch the fans off. Keep the AC on. Yeah.

I brought an extra shirt after last week.

But the thing is, I wore that shirt and came in and Mike's wife, I don't remember her name, said that

watching you in this shirt makes me feel warm, so I had to go change the shirt.

It's a very demanding shirt sometimes.

So guys, an ambassador who voices personal opinions or conducts himself shamefully

jeopardizes his king's reputation and jeopardizes the embassy's security.

And is usually recalled. Let me say that again.

An ambassador who voices personal opinions or conducts himself shamefully

jeopardizes his nation's reputation or the king's reputation and jeopardizes the security of the embassy.

Yeah.

Yeah. An ambassador who voices personal opinions

and who behaves or conducts himself shamefully

brings disrepute or dishonor to the king

and jeopardizes the security of the embassy.

And the great thing is, it's not like one of us is an ambassador. All of us are ambassadors.

And so there's this responsibility.

So you don't decide what to believe.

You just come into agreement with the king and if he calls something sin, it's sin.

I want to show you a certain article after the live stream is over.

Just to show you what lies ahead perhaps in this part of the world, in BC and places like that

how some of the things we are talking about we may have to actually face up to.

But we'll show it after the live stream ends.

So when you look at the culture of the kingdom of darkness

and the culture of the kingdom of God, you'll see stark differences.

The kingdom of darkness focuses on power.

What stark differences?

And if this is not distinguishable in my life, then that is a way of knowing that

Jacob, you're not being the kind of ambassador that makes your kingdom very obvious.

So the kingdom of darkness focuses on power.

The kingdom of God focuses on submission.

Because this goes against the grain of who we are.

Because remember where we were born. We were born in the kingdom of darkness.

This is why kids who find them early are blessed.

They're not educated enough in the ways of the kingdom of darkness.

You don't have to be bad to become good.

You can just start good. It's a distinct advantage.

So the kingdom of darkness focuses on power.

The kingdom of God focuses on submission.

You see this in Jesus' life.

To the Father and to the people around him.

Second, the kingdom of darkness focuses on freedom.

The kingdom of God focuses on responsibility.

Very odd.

The kingdom of darkness focuses on freedom.

Got to be free. Got to be free.

I mean, totally bound. The more they are free, the more they are bound.

So the kingdom of darkness focuses on freedom.

The kingdom of God focuses on...

The kingdom of darkness focuses on freedom.

The kingdom of God focuses on...

Responsibility.

As in I'll be responsible.

There's something much greater than freedom called responsibility.

I'll be responsible with the freedom that God has given me.

I don't pursue freedom for the sake of freedom.

I pursue freedom for the sake of being responsible for the freedom that God has given me.

I love what Paul says in 1 Corinthians.

He says, everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.

What's he trying to say there?

Listen, you are free.

You've been saved. All your sins are forgiven.

Past, present, future.

Your eternity is secure.

You are free.

But I want you to know that even though everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial.

So even though putting off the fan is permissible, it is not beneficial.

So could you put it back on?

The kingdom of darkness focuses on gain.

G-A-I-N.

The kingdom of God focuses on giving.

One focuses on gain.

Very obvious.

It's how the entire world runs.

One focuses on gain.

The other focuses on giving.

I was just thinking of Nandigama.

I mean, they should keep what they have.

Because they've struggled for years.

But what are they doing?

They're not taking it and distributing it in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Gain.

Giving.

Just two days ago I was sitting looking at the world and I was thinking,

Father, I've got to release this into your hands.

My bank account is looking good.

I have to release it into your hands.

If I don't, this thing will start exerting a certain amount of power over me.

So last night at 12.02 I got up and sent money all over the place so that it would be broken.

That I have lessened lessened my debt.

That I have lessened less control over how much I...

Whenever you think you are dictating where money goes, it's actually money that is dictating you.

Whenever you think you are dictating where money will go, you are actually having money dictate you.

Gain.

Giving.

The kingdom of God focuses on giving.

Gain.

Giving.

The kingdom of darkness focuses on compromise.

The kingdom of God focuses on purity.

Kingdom of darkness, compromise.

Kingdom of God, purity.

And now as you stand, it should be a sword that cuts and you have to see whether you're half and half, three quarters, and one quarter, or fully on one side or the other.

Half and half indistinguishably.

Any questions?

The kingdom of darkness wants immediate results.

The kingdom of God focuses on lasting fruit and it takes time.

I pray that you have fruit.

I have appointed you to bear fruit.

I pray that you have fruit and your fruit remains.

Jesus' words, John 15.

Immediate results versus lasting fruit.

The kingdom of darkness is self-serving and gratifying.

Self-serving and gratifying.

As in, it wants to gratify immediate needs.

The kingdom of God, oh Jesus, portrayed it so well.

Where it was, I came not to be served but to serve.

This is how the world will know.

This is why the first century church was quite different.

There was something so counter-cultural about the first century church when it came to these matters.

The kingdom of darkness is self-serving and gratifying, like immediate gratification.

While the kingdom of God is one that serves others and one that exerts self-control.

Gratification versus self-control.

Gratification versus self-control.

Guys, we are already a long ways into the kingdom of God.

We just got to make sure that we just keep going down this road.

This is not to tell you that you and I are not doing this.

This is to tell us we got to make the distinctiveness of who we belong to and the government we work for.

In the kingdom of God, we have entered so different that people cannot but notice.

It has to be distinct.

We've come a long way in this.

The kingdom of darkness competes.

The kingdom of God cooperates.

The kingdom of darkness competes.

The kingdom of God cooperates.

And one last one.

The kingdom of darkness loves the praise of men.

The kingdom of God loves the approval of the king.

Okay.

Let's just look at the rewards and then we'll stop for today.

So guys, as you concentrate on the king's interests and as you represent him faithfully, life is taken care of.

As you concentrate on the king's interests and as you represent him faithfully, life is taken care of.

As you concentrate on the king's interests and as you represent him faithfully, life is taken care of.

Matthew 6, verse 31.

Matthew 6:31

Matthew 6, verse 31.

Matthew 6:31

I know you know this, but let's just read it.

Matthew 6, verse 31.

Matthew 6:31

So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat?

What shall we drink?

What shall we wear?

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them.

But seek first his kingship, rulership, government, kingdom, and his righteousness, as in his right ways.

And all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.

For tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Concentrate on the king's interests and represent him faithfully, and life is taken care of.

Because an ambassador's government provides for him everything he needs to live and perform his function or her function.

An ambassador's government, an ambassador's government provides for him everything he needs to live and perform his functions.

He's provided an office, he's provided a home, he's provided a car, he's provided staff, he's provided funding.

And he's occasionally provided persecution too.

Go to Mark 1028.

Mark 1028.

I'm not sure we believe this, eh?

We may know it in here, but I don't think there's this constant connection of Matthew 633 between head and heart.

There's this constant connection of Matthew 633 between head and heart.

That if I seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, God will take care of all the other things that you would normally chase after.

Why is it that we are not able to place wealth, money, time, family, possessions, work at the feet of Christ and his embassy?

Why is it? Because those are important.

How do you live if you don't take care of those things?

So there is a disconnect between head and heart.

That is why we struggle with it.

We would not struggle with it if there was no disconnect.

Peter at one point ended up in a place where there was no struggle and he says in Mark 10 that,

Jesus, we have given up everything and look at Jesus' reply.

Mark 10, verse 28.

Mark 10:28

Peter said to him,

We have left everything to follow you.

I tell you the truth. I love it.

When Jesus says, I tell you the truth, like really take notice, because he usually isn't in the habit of saying anything else.

I tell you the truth. Jesus replied,

No one who has left home, or brothers or sisters, or mother or father or children, or fields for me and the gospel,

will face to receive a hundred times as much in this present age,

homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields with them, and with them, persecutions,

and in the age to come, eternal life.

But many who are first will be last in the last first.

So as God's kingdom and righteousness becomes your first priority.

So what are we talking about?

As God's rule, reign, proclamation, words, representation here on earth, his intent, culture,

as those become your priority, and as his right ways of functioning, right ways of living become your priority.

When those two become your priority, then all other things are added.

So when you focus on accomplishing his will and expanding his domain, he takes care of life.

And he doesn't take care of life as a miser. He takes care of life well.

Takes care of life well.

Experience it. But after experiencing it, increase in it.

Hear me. Most of us have experienced this in this room.

But after experiencing it, increase in it.

God wants this God of ours is a God of increase. I'm not talking about increase of wealth.

I'm talking about increase in the display of your life being taken care of.

I have a good manager. The Lord is my shepherd, I.

That is what I mean by increase.

That is what I mean by increase.

And this is not a, it cannot be a faith statement. It must be an evidence statement.

I can see the love of God in this place. I receive his mercy. I receive his grace.

I delight myself at your table, O God. You have delight myself at your table, O God.

You've done all things well. Just look at, oh.

That's just super. I mean, whoever wrote that song, those two lines, he was inspired.

Delight yourself. I delight myself at your table, O God. Just look at my life.

I delight myself at your table, O God. You do all things well. Just look at my life.

Increase in the display of God's managing of your life.

Not your boss's managing, not your work's managing, not your savings managing, not your investments doing well.

But people will scratch their heads and say, how? How? Very simple.

I just pursued this thing called his kingship and I try and represent it well as an ambassador.

And I pursue living right. Right ways of living.

How when I do these things, all other things that the pagans and Christians, unfortunately now, chase after,

are added to me.

So that every now and then I look back and I realize, oh shucks, that long line of stuff following me is getting longer.

And then you count your blessings and you renounce them one by one.

And you renounce them so that it has no ownership over you.

And every time you begin to suspect that it is exerting ownership over you,

wake up at 12 or 2 and give a whole lot of it away.

And you realize that you've been given a lot of it.

You've relinquished your ownership over you.

Wake up at 12 or 2 and give a whole lot of it away.

It will break its strength over you.

Wake up at 12 or 2.

So I would suggest to you that an understanding of your position as an ambassador

will increase your faith

not for the things of life,

but increase your faith for the things of the kingdom

because you are no longer focusing your faith on the things of life.

An understanding of my position as an ambassador

will increase my faith,

not for the things of life,

which is where most faith currency is spent,

but it will increase my faith for the things of the kingdom,

as in the expansion of his domain,

and life will be taken care of.

Good teaching?

Thank you, sister.

The kingdom of darkness loves the praise of men.

Yeah.

So how do we respond?

Come, you respond from the pews.

Say what you want in response to this teaching.

I love pews that you can lean on and they won't go down.

You respond.

Respond as part of his embassy.

You respond in our limited view at present

of what we're being taught over the next three weeks.

Feel free to respond as you want.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You can pray, you can make statements.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So true.

People know what you're most interested in.

It scares me that there might be people who don't know what I'm most interested in.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Actually true.

Yeah.

Amen.

You have kept us well above.

Gosh.

You know, nobody in this church is really rich or came from money or stuff like that when I look around.

But God has kept us well.

He's kept us through COVID.

He's kept us well financially.

He's kept us well.

Every day.

Thank you.

Jesus, give me the ability to over the next two or three weeks bring to the forefront

what else we need as ambassadors so that you could fully equip us to walk well.

It will almost change the way we even walk about once we understand this.

Yeah.

Yeah, so true.

Yeah.

God actually said that.

He said,

So he said, don't be afraid.

You don't have to fight, reach out, grasp, strive.

It's not like I'm grudgingly doing this.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for it's my pleasure.

It's the Father's pleasure to give as in really send you the kingship of Christ.

Anyone else?

Cool.

I just want to sing this song and then remind me to show you the thing that I said we need to have a look at.

If Sheldon is around, it's fine.

Otherwise, hey, can you pull up the song called Scent?

It's in the PowerPoint, the old PowerPoint.

It's called Scent.

And yeah, I don't need the mic.

Mic.

We come not in our name, but the name of the Lord.

We represent not our fame, but the fame of our God.

It's in the PowerPoint, guys.

The ones we used to use before things got techie and modern.

Oh, you don't have that?

Oh, shucks.

Yeah, you can't Google it.

You won't find it.

Okay.

Okay.

Let me see if I have it.

I don't have it.

Don't have it, right?

All righty.

Too bad, guys.

It's a nice song.

Okay.

Can't find it, right?

Okay.

It's a beautiful song.

It goes, we come not in our name, but in the name of the Lord.

We represent not our fame, but the fame of our God.

We not here to grow in riches or to chase the things of the world.

But we are here to grow in the stature of the Lord who changed the world.

We are a people set apart, the people that I send.

Yeah, don't worry.

Let's go to the PowerPoint.

No singing.

The one time I grabbed the guitar.

Pardon?

No.

Oh, okay.

I get it.

Yeah, we have to stop the live stream officially.

So for all our folks watching from all over the world, you can join us on Facebook, on Twitter, and this, and that, and that, and that.

They now sign up.

Yes.

Leave a comment here.

Rita to us.

And if you want to support this ministry, yeah.

Thank you.