Church Central – Essentials

So guys, today we start with a new series.

We start with a new series today.

Not telly-os, but we start with a new series.

And it's called Church Central.

It's called Church Central.

I think we'll be talking about it for the next five weeks.

So you know what your Christmas message will be?

No, I'm kidding.

We might take a break in between.

But that's what we'll be talking about

for the next five weeks, Church Central.

And it's based on Ephesians 1.22.

The message version is one of the versions I like,

but let's read it from the NIV first

so that we just don't go straight to the paraphrase.

So let's read Ephesians 1.22 and 23 from the NIV first.

Ephesians 1.22 and 23.

And here's what it says.

And God placed all things under his feet

and appointed him to be head over everything

for the church, which is his body,

the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Now if we look at the message,

it sticks with the meaning of it,

but gives it such a cool phraseology.

So it says in 1.22, message.

It says, he is in charge of it all,

has the final word on everything.

At the center of all this, Christ rules the church.

The church you see is not peripheral to the world.

The world is peripheral to the church.

The church is Christ's body in which he speaks and acts

and by which he fills everything with his presence.

So the idea of this new series called Church Central

comes from this particular verse.

And the intent is to show you that the church is central

and not peripheral to the world.

And at the center of the church is Christ.

And Christ is he who speaks through the church,

acts through the church,

fills the church with his presence

and rules through the church.

And we've talked about this before,

but this is where we'll be for the next five weeks.

The odd thing is Ephesians 1.22 draws its source

from Psalm 8 verse 6.

Psalms 8:6

Psalm 8 verse 6.

Psalms 8:6

If you go to Psalm 8 verse 6,

Psalms 8:6

you'll find that God actually through Christ

is doing what he always meant man to do.

So if you go to Psalm 8 verse 6, verse five onwards,

Psalms 8:6

it's talking about man.

You've made them a little lower than angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of your hands.

You put everything under their feet.

So here was God's intent.

And Psalm 8.6 draws its source from Genesis 1.28.

So if you go back to Genesis 1.28.

Genesis 1.28.

And so in Genesis 1.28, you see him say,

this is the Adamic mandate.

And it says, God bless them and said to them,

be fruitful and increase in number,

fill the earth and subdue it,

rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky

and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

So that was the original mandate given to man.

Man failed at it.

The mandate hasn't been rescinded,

but the mandate can no longer be a mandate.

Man failed at it.

The mandate hasn't been rescinded,

but the mandate can no longer be fulfilled by sinful man.

Psalm 8.6 is a reiteration of Genesis 1.28.

But in Ephesians 1.22 and 23,

we see that the second Adam or the last Adam,

Jesus Christ now steps in and is able to fulfill the mandate

and now comes and lives amongst the people

so that through that people,

he can act, speak, fill with his presence and rule

what Adam was supposed to rule at the beginning.

So over the next five weeks,

we are going to look at why is the church so central

and how can it influence the earth

and specifically what Acts 29 can do about it

and anybody else who's listening.

Guys, the church is not a rescue boat or an ark in a flood.

The church is not an ark or a rescue boat in a flood.

That's how we picture the church.

Oh, there's a flood and there's this boat

and people are getting saved as we pull them into the ark.

Not the exact picture.

The church is definitely not a cruise liner

because that's how some of the mainstream churches

think of themselves.

As long as we can cater to people,

give them a six course buffet,

take care of their children,

provide good music and dance,

the church will continue to thrive.

It is not a cruise liner for sure.

Then the next place we go to is

perhaps it's a battleship that fights on the stormy sea.

Not really.

It's not a battleship.

I've been watching on the Smithsonian channel.

I've been watching this series called Super Carriers

and these are just these amazing series

on aircraft carriers.

And the church must be pictured as an aircraft carrier

because it sends planes to carry the battle outward

and thereby rescue or do whatever is required outward.

The fight is never in here.

The fight is always there.

It is always an outward movement.

You send to fight outward.

So Acts 29 is supposed to do a few things.

It's supposed to display the privileges of the kingdom.

Acts 29 is to display the privileges of the kingdom

and the better show in your life.

Acts 29 is to display the privileges of the kingdom.

Acts 29 is to tear the veil for others.

Christ has already torn it,

but you are to tear the veil over people

and over their understanding.

Tear the veil for others so they can bow before your king,

so they can kiss your king.

Acts 29 is to smash satanic resistance.

Acts 29 is to smash satanic resistance

because there's plenty of that.

And Acts 29 is to release restorative shalom

one life at a time, affecting the nations,

to the nations one life at a time,

to the nations one life at a time.

I'm deliberately using the words Acts 29

instead of saying church

because it makes it more personal to me

and perhaps that may help in conveying the truth I want to.

So you can apply it to your church.

Let me reiterate again what we are trying to accomplish here.

We are saying that according to Jesus Christ

and according to what Paul has written

in Ephesians 1, 22 and 23,

that the church is not peripheral to the world.

The church is central and at the core of the church is Christ.

And the reason the church is central,

the reason Acts 29 is central

and not peripheral to Vancouver

or to other nations in the world

is because Christ fills with his presence,

Acts speaks and rules through Acts 29.

And therefore Acts 29 can no longer think of herself

as a church that is peripheral to the world

that perhaps may or may not affect things.

No, no, no, no.

Because before Ephesians 1, 22, if you look at 20 and 21,

it says Jesus Christ is above all powers and authorities.

It talks about rule there.

And so these are some of the things that Acts 29

will have to actually practically display.

Any practical display of any principle takes time

because it has to be like a vaccine,

tested, proven as effective.

And so this may take a while, but so what?

There are so many things that we've proven as real

through a period of time.

And so once it's proven,

it can be distributed very easily, very quickly

without storing it at minus 70 degrees.

It can be distributed immediately.

If you didn't get that,

I'm not talking about the Bible,

I'm talking about the vaccine,

the Pfizer vaccine in particular.

Guys, the news flash that I want you to be aware of

or the bulletin that came out 2000 years ago or more

was the nations are Jesus Christ's inheritance.

The nations are Christ's inheritance.

The nations are, is that Dawn?

Okay, surprising.

The nations are Christ's inheritance.

Psalm two, verse six.

The nations are Christ's inheritance.

There's no question to this.

It's a given, it's already done.

The nations are Christ's inheritance.

Psalm two, verse six to 12 talks about that.

Psalm two, verse six to 12 talks about that.

Secondly, there will be no end.

In fact, there will be unlimited increase

to his rule and to his peace.

Rule and to his peace.

Where do we see that?

Isaiah nine, verse six and seven.

Isaiah nine, seven.

It says in Isaiah nine, seven,

and the government shall be upon his shoulders

and there shall be no end to the increase of his government

and the increase of his peace.

So these are given.

It doesn't matter what is happening around you.

This is real.

It is already a done deal.

History is heading towards a point that Christ has ordained.

History is not heading the way despots, tyrants,

democracies and republics are going.

History is going the way of the Lord of the Lords

and the King of Kings and he's already set it up.

We're not lost of floundering.

When the church follows the agenda

that has been set by the kingdoms of the world,

that is when the church flounders.

When the church is able to steward God's prophetic agenda

and speak into the kingdoms of the world,

then the church is effective.

What is happening in the US very often

is the other way around.

The kingdoms of the world and the governments of the world

are determining how the church should respond.

Yes?

You said the US, but Canada?

No, Canada is not very different.

It is just that in the US at present,

everything is determined by who's gonna be in power,

which government will come,

which government should or should not come.

And that then is beginning to determine

how Christians respond.

And that is the way that the church is going.

And that is the way that the church is going.

And that is the way that the church is going.

And that then is beginning to determine

how Christians respond.

And Christian response should not be triggered

by the governments and the power struggles of the world.

And in Canada, it's a little less.

Yeah.

But it's all across the earth.

Yeah.

And to the church, and here's the thing.

God says that to the churches that do his will,

to the churches that do his will,

Revelation 2, Verse 26 to 28.

Revelation 2:26–28

to the churches that do his will,

to the churches that do his will,

God will give them,

God gives them power over the nations,

God gives them authority and power over the nations.

God gives them authority over the nations.

God gives them authority over the nations.

Revelation 2, verse 26 to 28 talks about that. If Acts 29 does God's will, if Acts 29 does

Revelation 2:26–28

God's will, not if Jacob does God's will. If Acts 29, please understand guys, that God

does not work through individuals effectively, God works through our people effectively.

Why? Because he has chosen to do so. In the Old Testament, it is very often individuals,

but in the New Testament, he uses individuals to step into the gap to clear the pathway

as forerunners, but then he expects others to join, to be raised alongside, to accomplish

things as a people. So if Acts 29 does God's will, then Acts 29 will have authority and

power over the nations to either raise them up or to smash them like pottery. Really Jacob?

Yeah man, Revelation 2, verse 26 to 28 read it.

Revelation 2:26–28

So Acts 29 can be church central and can be Christ unlimited on the earth. Acts 29 can

be church central, as in the world being peripheral, and Acts 29 can be Christ unlimited

on the earth. Because Christ unlimited always happens through people. But to get there,

Acts 29 needs to think and practice five essentials. Think and practice five essentials.

Think and practice five essentials. And those five essentials are what I think we will be talking

about for the next five weeks. I'll start them off today giving you a rundown on each one,

but I think each one needs to be elaborated over the next five weeks. Here is a possibility

that exists. That if Acts 29 actually understands, grasps, begins to think, and then begins to

practice these five essentials, then Acts 29 can become church central and Christ unlimited on

earth, not for her own sake, but so that it becomes a prototype that other churches can use too. This

should be our desire. We must have example models on earth so others can copy, not copy replicate,

because this is not something we can duplicate. This is Christ replicating it, but there's

something to look and improve. People should always improve on what we do. Any questions?

I miss you guys. There's nobody here. Yeah. Liji, I miss you walking past the camera. Happy birthday,

Liji. It was your birthday yesterday. Diana, I don't miss your questions. Okay. Is there a way I can move

this here? If I move this here, Mike Barnes says move it there, but who cares about Mike? So let's

move on. Yeah. If he ain't playing the sax, we don't care. Yeah. So here are the five essentials

that...Pardon? Diana sad face. I'm happy. Okay. So here are the five...the thing is with the

mask on, you don't know whether someone has a sad face or happy face anyways. Yeah. So here are the...I

hope you guys are wearing your masks at home listening to me. So here are the five essentials

that Acts 29 needs to think, understand, grasp, practice. First one. First one. It's a recognition,

and we'll spend a week on each of these in the future, a recognition of Christ's absolute

sovereignty and authority. Sovereignty and authority over the earth, over the world.

Michael says, I knew all I was good at was sax playing. So the first thing that Acts 29 needs

to do to become this kind of a church, like every church should, church central and Christ unlimited

on earth, the world being peripheral so that Christ can act, speak, rule, and fill with his

presence and through his presence affect the nations of the earth one life at a time. For a

church to become like that, the first thing is a recognition of his absolute authority and sovereignty

over this world. So I want you to look at scriptures. Guys, this is so hard for us to even begin to think

is true. All authority and all things have been handed to him by God. All authority. As in everything

that happens and all things have been handed to Jesus Christ by God. If we actually believe that,

we would live restful lives. Matthew 28 18. Matthew 28 18. Matthew 28 18. What? Matthew 28 18.

Then Jesus came to them and said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. All

authority. There is nothing outside of his purvey. Matthew 11 27. Matthew 11 27. Matthew 11 27. All

things have been committed to me by the father. All things. Nothing is left out. There's nothing

on earth that hasn't been given into the hands of Jesus Christ. John 3 35. John 3 35. John 3 35.

The father loves the son and has placed everything in his hands. Everything in his hands. No

exceptions. Everything. We do not believe this guys. If you believe this, your life would

be such an ocean of peace. We'd have to give you the middle name of serendipity or something

like that. A shalom or something like that. No not serendipity. Serenity. Sorry. My bad.

John 13 3. John 13 3. It says that Jesus knew that the father had put all things under his power and

that he had come from God and was returning to God. There is nothing outside his purvey.

Nothing. Everything is subject to him. Let's look at another scripture. All things were made

through him and upheld by his word. Everything that has been made is made through him. That we

already knew. But everything that exists is upheld by his word. Which means that if he chooses they

exist, if he chooses not, they cease. That is how much power he has. Look at John 1 3. John 1 3.

John 1 3. Through him all things were made. Without him nothing was made that has been made. What a

cool scripture. Through him all things were made. Without him nothing was made that has been made.

Hebrews 1 3. Hebrews 1 3. I think it says he is a visible image, visible radiant image of the

invisible God and upholds all things by his word. Hebrews 1 3. The Son is the radiance of God's glory

and the exact representation of his being. Listen to the next part. Sustaining all things by his

powerful word. Let's look at another scripture to show his absolute authority and sovereignty.

Daniel chapter 2. Daniel chapter 2 verse 21. Daniel chapter 2 verse 21. Daniel chapter 2 verse 21.

Daniel 2 · chapter mention Daniel 2:21 Daniel 2:21 Daniel 2:21

Praise be to the name of God forever and ever. Wisdom and power are his. Listen to the next bit.

He changes times and seasons. He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and

knowledge to the discerning. He sets up kings and he deposes them. He changes times and seasons. It

is not in the control of man. It is not in the control of man. It's not in the control of

democracies. It is not in the control of tyrants, despots, dictators. It is not. Look at Daniel 4

Daniel 4:17

verse 17. Daniel 4 verse 17. The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare

Daniel 4:17

the verdict so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men

and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets them over the lowliest of men. He gives as he pleases.

That's with the earth. Let's look at the cosmic powers or the spiritual powers. Ephesians 1 20.

Ephesians 1 20. Ephesians 1 20. Ephesians 1 20. Which he exerted in Christ when he raised

him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above all rule,

all authority, all power, all dominion and every title that can be given not only in the present

age but also in the one to come. All things, all powers serve him. Remember this guys. Satan at the

end of the day serves Jesus Christ even right now at this moment. Colossians 1 16. Colossians 1 16.

We don't think, we think Satan is in opposition to God. How can he be serving at this very moment?

And I know he hears this even as I speak. At this very moment the devil actually serves the purposes

of God. Colossians 1 16. It says, starting at 15. He is the image of the invisible God, the first

born over all creation for by him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible,

invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, authorities, all things were created by him and all things

were created for him. And then in 1 Corinthians 15 24 we find that all these powers are going to be

destroyed by Christ again. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 24. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 24.

1 Corinthians 15:24 1 Corinthians 15:24

And it says, then the end will come when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has

destroyed all dominion, all authority and all power. This is the absolute sovereignty and

authority of Christ and Acts 29 has definitely not grasped it to a point where we live and breathe it

but the hope is that we will because this is critical to our existence as church central

in Christ Unlimited so that the church is no longer peripheral to the world but the world is

peripheral to the church. This is not about politics of power. We'll talk about what it is.

Revelation 17 14 says he will always triumph because he is the Lord of Lords and the King of

Kings. He will always triumph because he has always been the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

Matthew 16 says that this church that he has built cannot be prevailed against. It cannot be

prevailed against. The world can be prevailed against. The world is fading away but the church

is only growing stronger.

1 Corinthians 15 says that even the enemy death which has enslaved the world has been conquered.

Genesis 3 before even the earth was populated said and Jesus Christ the seed of the woman crushed

Satan's head, the serpent's head under his feet and the best thing of all is he is so victorious

that anyone who is living on the earth at this moment can be saved.

I find that one of the most triumphant things that ever exists that anyone at present that is

living on earth can be saved because of what Christ has done. What kind of victory is that?

All-encompassing, nothing left out. Anyone who wants to be saved can be saved regardless of

their sins. Anyone. That is amazing victory man. Since Satan's death.

Now you can see why Jesus said all authority has been given to me therefore now go. Why?

Because anyone on the earth can be now saved. Before there were rulerships. There was a

rulership of the devil. There was a rulership of idolatry. There was a rulership of Baal. There was

a rulership of Astoria. There were different rulerships but those rulerships are subservient.

They no longer have the command they used to have. There was a rulership of death. No longer anyone

can be saved because I have all authority and since I have all authority go.

The second thing that Acts 29 will have to

Acts 29 as a church is pretty good at the second point but we have to make sure that everyone

participates in this beautiful second point that God has created for us

and that if you are not that you would choose to because otherwise guys here's the thing that'll

happen the people of God will move on and you will be a straggler

and you'll miss out on the adventure of a lifetime and will have to give account to God.

So second point that we need to practice as an essential if we are to become church central

and Christ unlimited is that we need to continuously go further into the fact that

we are members of his body and we belong to each other.

We are members of his body and we belong to each other. This is not some kind of a trade-off

where you say okay Jacob first you commit to me and then I'll commit to you. You're not committing

to me or me committing to you. First we are committing to this thing called the body of Christ

and in the process we learn how to commit to each other. Romans 12 5 Romans 12 5

Romans 12 5

Romans 12 5

Here's what Romans 12 5 says so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to

all others. How stark is this? How stark is this? Each member belongs to one another.

So here's what we are saying. We are saying that I follow Christ in the body and I belong to Christ

and the body. Think of what we're saying. I follow Christ in the body

and I belong to Christ

to Christ

and the body.

During COVID times it is critical that we follow Christ in the body as we even as we sit and watch

individually that we are aware of what we are a part of. I follow Christ in the body and I

belong to Christ and the body. If you've been at Acts 29 long enough you know these truths

and if you're resisting these truths then you will be held accountable. If you haven't been

at Acts 29 long enough then learn this

because you and I cannot afford to build the bride of Christ the way we want to because it's his bride

because it's his bride not mine not yours.

I know we have gone over this so I won't go over this right now. My family, your family,

my work, your work, my money, your money and my possessions, your possessions,

your possessions, your possessions, your possessions, your possessions,

they are centered, all this is centered around serving Christ and the body.

And if this is not true then we should work towards it but if it's being deliberately resisted

then you need to understand that you are a straggler on the outside because you're actively

resisting it. I have to call this out guys because if we are going to become Church Central

because if we are going to become Church Central and if you're going to become

Christ Unlimited then these are essentials that we cannot detour, skirt around.

I have to constantly work towards this that my family, my work, my money and my possessions

are centered around saving Christ and the body.

Now people who know me well know that this is true

and when I say know me well people who know the insides and outside of my life know that this is

true so I'm not asking you to do something I'm not doing.

Ruth 1, 15 and 16 just sum it up for me so brilliantly.

To be members of his body and to belong to one another

requires abiding relationship, requires abiding relationship, abiding relationship,

abiding relationship. During COVID times, during times when we can't meet, you know there's

something much superior to meeting face to face for two hours called abiding relationship

when Ruth says to Naomi wherever you lodge I will lodge. The next thing is even more serious, it is

relational ownership, relational ownership

that you own me because of my relationship with you, relational ownership.

It is not my place to say I own you, it is my place to say you own me just as it is your place

just as it is your place to say to me you own me. This is not an exertion of ownership, this is a

willingness to be owned relationally by others. We belong to each other, relational ownership

where Ruth says to Naomi that your people shall be my people.

The next one is divine ownership, divine ownership.

Where even though we may vary and differ over the minor things and the unimportant things,

when it comes to certain things of God these are a people that have one-mindedness about it

which is what Paul is trying to drive in the book of Philippians saying can you be one-minded,

can you be one-minded just as Christ was, can you be one-minded.

It's divine ownership, we are owned by one God and let us therefore agree with regard to what we know

about this God and have no variance on it and if you do have variance on it then let the Holy Spirit

make it clear.

But not hold on to positions that are dogmatic and have no reason or have no reason to be one-minded.

Have no reason or haven't migrated over the last 20 years and Ruth says to Naomi your God shall be my God.

And the last part of this kind of relationship is lifelong relationship, lifelong relationship,

lifelong relationship where it's not something on a Sunday, it's not something for a couple of years,

it is something that will go on forever, lifelong relationship. You know there are people that have

deviated completely from what Axe-Feninon believes and what I believe and so we've had to part ways

doctrinally and in terms of being able to walk together with them but even as it was happening

in my mind I was thinking but this is a relationship I've invested years in and it must remain a

lifelong relationship and I must check in on these people every so often because Ruth says to Naomi

where you die I will die and there I will be buried, where you die I will die and there I will be buried.

The third thing,

the third thing

that we must practice, we must grasp, we must understand, we must think like, the third thing,

pens are playing with me, the third thing is that we must grasp Christ's unstoppable mission

and this is an area that Axe 29 really needs to

excel at and hasn't gotten to where it needs to get. He has an unstoppable mission

that again like I said earlier will come to pass, it will come to pass and the unstoppable mission

was initially mentioned in John chapter 10 verse 16, John 10 verse 16, John 10 verse 16

John 10:16 John 10:16 John 10:16

and John 10 verse 16 Jesus said I have other sheep that are not of the sheep men,

John 10:16

I must bring them also, they too will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one

shepherd. There is this unstoppable mission that God has which is to gather his sheep from the

unreached of the world and his mission will not fail in Matthew 24 verse 14 he said this gospel

Matthew 24:14

will go out to the ends of the world before the end comes. Matthew 24 verse 12

Matthew 24:12

this mission will succeed, the question is whether I'll be a part of it or not. Matthew 24 verse 14

Matthew 24:14

and it says there and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony

to all nations and then the end will come. So there is an unstoppable mission and Axe 29

hasn't come to a point as a church where the fear of the Lord as the judge and the love of Christ

as the savior compels us to engage in this. In 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 11 and 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 14

Paul says two things, one he says the fear of the Lord drives us to persuade men

that there is a judgment coming and they need to turn to Christ

and so on one hand there is a fear of the Lord as judge who will one day judge the world that persuades

Paul to do what he's doing going from city to city preaching and then he says in verse 14

the love of God compels or constrains us as in the love of God drives us and the love of Christ as a

savior must compel and as your pastor and as a church I find that there's a dearth in this.

2nd Corinthians 5 20 sums up what a church that wants to be church central must do and

that this church must display, God has given us a task of showing everyone what he's doing

so that they may enter into his work of making things right so that they may understand that

listen become friends with God because God is already your friend. This is something we haven't

done yet. We've done the other part, Ephesians 4 12, we are learning how to perfect the saints,

we are learning how to be one in the work of the saints and we are learning how to be one in the

work of ministry. We are learning how to grow in the knowledge of the Son of God. We are learning

how to mature in Christ but I'm afraid that as a church we do not understand what it is to be

driven by the fear of God as judge and the love of Christ as savior to reach out to the sheep that

need to be gathered from unreached parts of the world and brought in and a church that does not

engage in this can never be church central. Never be church central. When a church doesn't see this

as critical to the existence then that church will go after influencing places of power,

affecting charity and stuff like that but all that is good but this is critical. In Acts 29,

if there is a place that we score really low at, the weakest link, it would be this.

Maybe you do it as an individual. As I talk, don't think to yourself but I do.

It's really not about you doing it, it is about us doing.

Hear this with ears of a church not with ears of an individual.

The fourth one is a church that wants to be church central. It wants Christ, whose presence fills the

church, to act, speak and rule through it so that the church is no longer peripheral to the world

but the world is affected by the church because it's central and at its core Christ begins to

relish being Lord and King. That kind of church needs to understand what it is to follow him

wherever he tells them to go at whatever cost. Follow him, follow me, follow him.

Luke 9, 57-62. I know it's a familiar passage. Luke 9, 57-62.

Luke 9, 57-62.

But first let me go back and say goodbye to my family. Jesus replied, no one who puts his hand

to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. The point being each of these

persons found an excuse to delay the going out till later, till conditions were right. A church

that wants to be the kind of church we are talking about must follow him at cost. Occasionally giving

offense to the ones who think you shouldn't. It is to leave your home and to go to a place of greater

need for the fame of Christ and for the sake of others. It is to leave your home, whatever you

call your home. Maybe it's your place of education, maybe it's your place of work, maybe it's your

actual home, maybe it's your bank account. To leave your home and go to a place of greater need for

the fame of Christ and for the sake of others. What if Acts 29 could become a church where

everybody actually thinks like this? Where even though you've come from India, you've come from

Brazil, you've come from Finland and Denmark and Iceland and the Arctic, you've come to Canada and

you've found great life here and yet you've come to this place where after having found a great life

you're saying I'm willing to go wherever there's a place of greater need for the fame of Christ and

for others at cost. And by at cost I don't mean an air ticket. Genesis 12, one set the precedent

for us long ago. Genesis 12 verse one and two set the precedent for us long ago. The Lord said to

Abraham leave your country, your people, your father's household, your ministry at Acts 29,

your pastoring at Acts 29, your comfort in terms of your home and go to the land I will show you.

I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I'll make your name great, you will be a great

blessing, I'll bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse and so on. I will make

you into a great nation and I will bless you. It didn't mean that Abraham ever lived in a house again.

He lived in tents throughout and he never saw the land he was being sent to but he

paved the way for others to walk into that land.

There is an apostolic nature to being church central. And what do I mean by apostolic nature?

The condition of the heart must be I will follow. The condition, the heart condition must be

I will follow wherever you tell me to go. Now here's the catch though.

Sometimes the command to follow will come from someone else, not directly from God.

Because what if you're not able to hear God? You may never go because you didn't hear him,

not because he didn't speak. Happened to Samuel, God called him three times, he didn't know

the first two times that it was God, he thought it was Eli. Sometimes the command to go comes from

someone else and then what do you do? You've got to verify it, check it out, validate it with God.

But you can't say no I won't go till God speaks to me directly.

So the heart condition is I will follow. The mind must become a student and say I will go.

The heart must say Jesus I will follow. You say follow me I will follow. Even if I don't know where

I'm going I will follow. Even if I don't know what's awaiting I'll follow. The mind must begin to

prepare saying I am meant to go, I am meant to go. The very nature of the great commission is I am

meant to go, go therefore, go therefore, go. At Acts 29 this is very normal, it should be normal

for everybody. See I understand that not everyone is called to go but everyone is called to go,

it doesn't have to be Mongolia or Timbuktu. But there is a go nature to the apostolic and this

church must have it always. If that dies this church has lost its mandate and then the feet,

the feet must say send me, send me, send me, send me, send me, send me, send me. And as the feet say

send me the heart will say I will follow and the mind will say I must go and the feet will say send

me. There must be a desire to be sent. There are people like that at Acts 29 who've come up to me

multiple times and said I'm ready, I'm retired, send me. And a time will come when they will be sent.

But have the desire send me. You know every morning almost I get up and say father COVID or

no COVID, quarantine or no quarantine, returning 14-day quarantine or no quarantine, you tell me

to go and I will go tomorrow morning, I want you to know that father. Send me, send me, send me.

And it has to be something I train my heart and mind and my feet to because otherwise like it says

in Ecclesiastes 11 I'll keep looking at the wind and the clouds to see when the conditions would be

right.

In John 21 verse 17 and 18, this is horrible verse. John 17, John 21 sorry, John 21 verse 17 and 18.

John 21:17 John 21:17

John 21 verse 17 and 18.

John 21:17

I tell you the truth when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted like

Phoebe does but when you're old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you

and lead you where you don't want to go.

The beginning of an intimate relationship with jesus is the end of self determination.

The beginning of an intimate relationship with jesus

is the end of self determination. The beginning of an intimate relationship with jesus

is the end of self determination. You give up your right, determine yourself.

You give up your right to determine yourself.

You increasingly become so united with Christ that you're dead to any other will than His.

You get to a point where you want what your will does not want because you love someone more than life itself.

You get to a point where you want what your will does not want.

That is such an amazing place to be, which is just completely exemplified in Jesus' statement,

not my will but yours be done.

Can this cup pass but not my will but yours be done?

Where you want what your will does not want because you love someone else more than life itself.

I plead with you, I plead with you, end self-determination.

Christianity does not have room for self-determination.

And at the end of the day, after having done everything, we still come and say, but we are unprofitable servants.

Any questions before I go to the final one?

And we'll expand each of these because we need to.

Okay, last one is, how do we as Church Central execute selfless judgment?

How do we execute selfless judgment?

It is one of the hardest things to discern, to practice, to audit, to correct, to persist, to model

because most of our judgments are filtered through ourselves.

When I hear you speak, when I hear you sing, when I look at your actions, I judge you through the filter of self.

But if you want to be Church Central, you have to be able to look at something and be able to execute judgment without self.

It'll have to be selfless judgment.

And this is critical to our existence as Church Central.

If we are to arbitrate the affairs of the world, we have to learn, discern, practice, habituate ourselves to check, correct, model what it is to hold the sector of justice that Jesus Christ holds that is perfect.

Jesus put it this way in John 5, verse 30.

John 5:30

I only judge as I hear my Father, and my judgment is just because I do not desire my own will.

John 5, 30. Just go to it.

John 5, 30. Yeah.

I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself, but him who sent me.

It is such a hard thing to arrive at, guys.

It's one of the hardest things to do.

To be able to judge things so, so perfectly because you no longer have any dog in the fight and you have no desire to please yourself.

But your intent is I hear and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself, but him who sent me.

See, Jesus Christ's Scepter of Justice carries mercy and restoration,

but at the same time it is also a scepter that violently removes corrupting leaven and dislocates oppressive wickedness.

It does both. The church still hasn't learned how to do that.

The church so quickly swings from side to side depending on the most recent prophetic trend.

Either it's judgment in brimstone or it is mercy unlimited.

That's not the way it is supposed to be.

Executing selfless judgment is so difficult and the church has to learn it.

It requires seeking James 3.17 kind of wisdom.

But see, seeking wisdom is the easy part.

Can you be responsible for the wisdom that has been given to you?

Seeking wisdom is the easy part.

James 3.17, the wisdom from above is pure, is noble, is peaceable, is kind.

There's a definition to God's wisdom, but having sought wisdom and the Bible says in James Chapter 1

James 1 · chapter mention

that if you, Jacob, seek wisdom, I will give it to you ungrudgingly.

But the question is having received the wisdom that has been given without grudging,

does Jacob have the ability to handle it responsibly or will he again default to pleasing himself

or seeing things through the filter of self?

Because if I do that, God cannot use me to affect the earth as a church.

What when a community practices these five essentials in accordance with the Holy Spirit?

What do you think will happen?

I'm done, so let me just summarize it.

According to Ephesians 1, 22 and 23,

because Jesus Christ fills the church with his presence,

because he speaks through the church, acts through the church, and rules through the church,

because he has been made head over all powers and authorities for the church,

therefore the church is central and not peripheral to the world.

The world is actually peripheral to the church and the church can affect the earth.

But to be a church that is central and to be a church that allows Christ to be unlimited through her,

the church needs to understand these five essentials.

Acts 29 needs to become these five essentials.

And the essentials are one, recognize the absolute sovereignty and authority of Jesus Christ

and how everything is actually going according to his plan.

And to dive into his Kairos every year to know this is what we are supposed to do

because this is your plan working out and this is how we are to respond.

To see and recognize his absolute sovereignty and authority.

Two, to be members of his body and to belong to one another.

That I can follow Christ only in the body.

Please be sure of this.

COVID is going to drive people to follow Christ without being in the body.

It's going to be one of the toxic side effects of this plague.

Members of the body and belonging to one another.

That I follow Christ in the body and I belong to Christ and the body.

I follow Christ in the body and I belong to Christ and the body.

Third, that God has an unstoppable mission

and if the church does not absolutely embrace that mission

and make it part of its core reason for existence

that the church will never be church central.

And the unstoppable mission is simple.

I have many more sheep that I want to gather from unreached places

and bring them into the flock under one shepherd.

And that the love of God as Savior and the fear of God as Judge

must compel and persuade us to reach and fulfill this mission.

Fourth, there is the requirement to follow Christ.

To go, to be sent, to follow at cost.

It will cost.

But there should be the desire that I will leave my home.

Whatever you want to term as home.

All I mean by home is a place that is safe and stable and secure.

I will leave my home and go to a place of greater need

for the fame of Christ and for the sake of others.

This must be constant.

Where I get to a point where I want what my will does not want

because I love someone more than life itself.

And the last one, I must learn how to execute selfless judgment.

Where my judgment is not colored by my thinking,

by my nationality, by my ethnicity, by my offense,

by my doctrine, by my denomination, by my preferences,

by my prejudices, by my liking you, not liking you.

Whether I like your package or not,

that is not what determines my judgment.

And the only way one can judge like that is when one thinks along

the lines of John 5.30, I judge as I hear and my judgment is just

because I have no desire to seek my own will,

but I only have here to do the will of the one who sent me.

This is called selfless judgment.

And when a church begins to carry the scepter of justice

with wisdom, responsibly, knowing how to on one hand

bring mercy and restoration, and on the other hand

dismantle oppressive wickedness and sweep the floor of corrupt leaven,

then God says, aha, she's ready.

And he begins to act, speak, and rule through her whom he fills.

Yeah? Let me just pray.

Father, I just want to read out the words of So Will I

as a benediction, the last verse.

Do you have the words?

Okay.

So here's the benediction.

God of salvation, you chased down my heart through all of my failure and pride.

On a hill you created, the light of the world abandoned in darkness to die.

And as you speak, a hundred billion failures disappear,

where you lost your life so I could find it here.

If you left the grave behind you, so will I.

I can see your heart in everything you've done,

every part designed in a work of art called love.

If you gladly chose surrender, so will I.

I can see your heart eight billion different ways,

every precious one, a child you died to save.

If you gave your life to love them, so will I.

Like you would again a hundred billion times,

but what measure could amount to your desire?

You're the one who never leaves the one behind.

You know, pastors get excited about the ones that are saved.

I think God gets excited about the ones that are lost,

which is why the angels start dancing like crazy when one person gets saved.

Father, we have started this new series.

I just want to commit the church to it.

It's an odd prayer to pray, but I pray a breaking of hardened hearts.

I pray a breaking of sluggish hearts.

I pray a breaking of proud hearts.

And then I pray a breaking of my heart.

So that in this church there will be no barrier

to you being able to teach us to practice these five essentials.

So that this church that you alone paid for,

that you love, that you water, that you guard,

that you dot over,

will be able to become church central and Christ unlimited.

Which simply means that you will fill with your presence acts we can rule through us.

Not for the sake of power.

But so that others may experience the freedom and the love that we experience today.

Institutions, nations, cities, lives, governments being touched by an ordinary people.

You heard that prayer, Father, break hardened hearts.

Break hearts that are distant and standing at a distance and don't want to be membered

and don't want to be relationally owned.

Break hearts that are sluggish.

And break my heart so that I don't stand in the way with flaws.

And break my heart so that I don't stand in the way with flaws.

Encourage us this week so that we come ready next Sunday to begin this process.

Holy Spirit, you must shape.

You must shape.

I declare us as molten iron, malleable.

Bendable, shapeable.

You must shape.

In Jesus name I ask.