Property Rights (Good Friday)

Yeah, and if you want a topic for today, a title for the teaching, it's property rights,

property rights, P-R-O-P-E-R-T-Y, property rights, that's the title of the teaching.

And I'm assuming you're all settled.

Jeevan, you want to bring the board and let the world know that you're the chairman of the board.

That really is a bad joke.

No, here. This is Jeevan, by the way.

He's wearing white, he looks like a typical pastor.

Okay. Okay, guys, so if you go to Revelations 5, 1 to 4, Revelations 5, 1 to 4,

Revelations 5, 1 to 4, it says that,

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides

and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice,

Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? But no one in heaven or on earth

or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was

found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. So guys, why was John weeping? What was

the reason he was weeping? To have an idea what is happening, we've got to go to Revelations 4,

Revelation 4:1

verse 1. So if you go to Revelations 4, verse 1, here's what it says. It says,

Revelation 4:1

After this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.

And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said,

Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. So on one hand, John's been invited

into heaven to have a look at what is supposed to happen. So here is God saying, Hey John,

I want you to come up. I want you to see what is yet to come. And so there is this invitation and

in what God wants to show him lies what is going to transpire in the world from there on.

And then you look at Revelations 4, 1 and then you come to Revelations 5, verses 1 to 4

Revelation 5:1–4

and you realize that yes, God wants to show things to John, but it's all written in this scroll

and there is nobody that can open the scroll. And this is why John begins to weep because the

destiny of mankind is locked up. The promise of Revelations 4, verse 1 is thwarted because

Revelation 4:1

there's nobody that can read the scroll or break it seals. It's like telling you that, listen,

think of it this way. Imagine that the world is being ravaged by COVID and I have a scroll in my

hand and I say to you, here in this scroll is the secret cure of vaccine that can now set the world

free. And so I call you up, I say, come up, let me show you how this is going to be done.

And you come up and the scroll that I'm holding in my hands has seven seals, but in it lies the

vaccine that will now unlock the future of the earth. And then you hear this mighty angel beginning

to shout out saying, is there anybody who can open the scroll? And they scour the heavens,

they scour the earth and they scour beneath the earth and they can't find anybody who has earned

the right to break open those seals. And that is when John starts weeping because he knows that

the destiny of mankind is locked and the promise of God is thwarted because there is no one.

Hey, this is a vision and John is weeping. I pray God that one of the things that happens to you

and to us as a church is that at some point certain things that you know of God that await the earth

are so important that they unfold through us and through you that you begin to have such a deep

Isaiah like Jeremiah like lament saying, oh God, if this doesn't happen, if this doesn't happen,

if this doesn't happen, then how will the earth survive or how will Israel survive or how will

a people survive? That is the kind of lament that I want to be grasped with sometimes. It

has happened occasionally, but it's way too rare. And so here is John weeping and then

verse five suddenly shifts everything where it says in chapter five, verse five, it says,

it says, and then I looked and behold, I saw the Lion of Judah step up and he looks and there is

the Lion of Judah, a reference to the Christ from the Old Testament from Genesis 49. And so then the

Lion of Judah steps up and let me read it. It says in verse five, then one of the elders said to me,

do not weep, see the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has triumphed. He is able to

open the scroll and its seven seals. And so now Christ begins to approach the throne. But as John

looks at the Lion of Judah, what he sees is a lamb that bears the marks of slaughter,

but is no longer dead, but is risen, is standing tall, ready for action.

So even though he's presented the Lion of Judah, what he sees is the wounds of sacrificial slaughter

borne by a lamb who has seven horns and seven eyes, which by the way represent perfect power

and perfect wisdom contained in the person of the spirit where it talks about how this read verse

six, it says, then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne

encircled by the four living creatures and elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes,

which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth,

representing perfect power and wisdom. And guys, this one scene, this singular scene

sums up Genesis to Revelation, that the power of God is the lamb on the cross, that the power of God,

the absolute power of God is the lamb on the cross. The power of God is the lamb on the cross.

Everything that we have today, the fact that he is sovereign, the fact that the earth belongs to him,

the fact that man can be redeemed, the fact that healing can happen, the fact that the dead can

rise, the fact that Satan is being crushed under our feet, the fact that he will be thrown into the

depths of hell, the fact that Christ has triumphed, the fact that we are seated with him in heavenly

places above everything else, the fact that powers and principalities are ruled over by him,

the fact that he fills the church with his fullness and that he is head so that the church can triumph.

All these things come back to one simple singular fact, that the power of God is the lamb on the

cross, that the lion of Judah is actually the lamb on the cross. Can't ever take away that all this

has been achieved for us as humans by the lamb on the cross. What I want to explore today is,

okay, so the lamb breaks the seals and is worthy to open the scroll. So what

did he do that made him worthy to open the scrolls? What are the three reasons

that makes him worthy to open the scrolls? And so I just want to look at those three reasons

and in that we'll find for ourselves during this time a way to think of God. So the first thing guys,

so here's the question we're asking. We're saying he's worthy to open the scrolls and why is he

worthy to open the scroll? What makes him worthy to open the scroll? And here are the three reasons.

The first one is that he was slain in factual history. As in this wasn't some kind of myth

like the Greek myths, like the Babylonian gods that were mythology. This wasn't a myth.

It was factual. This wasn't some cleverly devised fable. This wasn't even a spiritual analogy.

This wasn't fake news. This was, Christ was slain in factual history. In fact, it becomes a marker

that divides the ages into BC and AD. And why is this important? How does this make

Christ worthy to open the scrolls? Guys, this is God himself, a God himself breaking into time.

The timeless one before whom the present, past and future are all at once. Before him, time is

not linear. It is now. The one who says I am. The one through whom everything was created.

The one who the universe cannot contain. The one who is alpha and omega.

I mean, I was looking at the moon two nights ago when it was the pink moon, when the moon is closest

to the earth and you could see these little craters and little lines on the moon. I was using my

binoculars to look at it and I'm thinking to myself 300,000 miles or something away. I'm looking at it

thinking you made that and that seems so distant and you live beyond that and then there are

planets beyond that and there are galaxies beyond that and you are bigger than that and this God

now takes on finite form and enters into time, into history.

He earned the right to open the scrolls because he entered history. He became someone who actually

dwelt in history as man and two, no more can people say that no one knows what happens after you die.

No more can people say that I don't know what happens after you die because now there is a

case that can be made that there is someone who historically can be verified as having lived on

the earth, as having died and has having come back to life. I mean you guys may have heard

Emily's song that she recently sang that's up on YouTube and the last verse says if you rose from

the grave then I know that I will too and so the first thing that makes him worthy to open the

scrolls that will unfold the destiny of the earth, the first thing that makes him worthy to open the

scrolls that will unfold the destiny of the earth is the fact that he did come into time,

into the history of the earth as a person like you and me and thereby has earned the right to now

decide the fate of the earth. So that's the first point. The second one and this is the

this is the center point man I was reading this and I was so blown away. Second,

but before I go there, oh let me go there, he purchased people for God, he purchased

people for God, he purchased people for God. The second reason why he is worthy to break open the

scrolls is that he purchased people for God. He purchased people for God. He purchased people

for God. Guys before I talk about purchasing people for God I just want to have you look at this

thing called property rights which was common then and is surprisingly common today. When it

came to property here are some things you have to keep in mind. One, property requires

legal ownership, property requires legal ownership.

Two, only a single user, only a single user

possessed legal claim over a property,

possessed legal claim over a property. Only a single user could possess legal claim over a property.

Three, property could be transferred.

Why are we talking about this? Because Jesus Christ purchased people for God and to understand

what is involved in a purchase you have to understand property rights that were alive then

and that are still present today. So property could be transferred.

Four, the transaction was always between

the transaction was always between an owner

and an interested party.

Five, and five this really got me.

The value at which the property was exchanged, the value at which the property was exchanged

depends,

depends on how valuable it is to each party.

How valuable it is to each party.

It's important to understand this guys. We just think Jesus Christ paid a ransom. Great, so God came down became man paid a ransom and hallelujah. No, there was so much involved in this.

He was mankind who had sold themselves into slavery and belonged to somebody else.

Property requires legal ownership. There was legal ownership exerted by the serpent, by Satan upon man.

You can only be owned by a single user because a single user possessed legal claim.

And so here was a world that was sold into slavery by Adam now belonged to a single user called the devil.

But a great thing is property can be transferred.

But the transaction that takes place is between an owner and an interested party.

But there's a price to be paid so that property can be transferred and the price is determined or the price depends the value of the property depends on how valuable it is to both parties.

And here comes this whole idea of God giving away, giving up the most valuable priceless possession in the universe for who?

For us, for you, for me. What is he trying to do? He's trying to buy back the world.

Purchase mankind back. What kind of God is this man?

This is why you now see the book of Hosea and prophet Isaiah when they talk about how Israel is a woman who walked away from her husband.

And Hosea talks about how he is a woman who walked away from her husband.

And he is a woman who walked away from her husband.

And he is a woman who walked away from her husband.

And they talk about how Israel is a woman who walked away from her husband.

And Hosea talks about how he goes back and marries her even though there's a divorce that has happened.

He pays to marry her and bring her back.

This idea of being bought back has tracked the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

But it wasn't the Lion of Judah who went roaring and pawing and brutalizing to get back what was his.

That's a strange thing, eh? Every other religion gets back things by force.

This religion has an odd way of getting back things.

It doesn't get things back by force even though he's the Lion of Judah.

His power is displayed as the Lamb of God on the cross.

Because at the end of the day, property that is usurped is not property that has been transferred nor is it a transaction that will stand forever.

A property has to be paid for.

Mankind had to be paid for.

And the value was set by the owner and the one who was buying.

And the value was the most precious thing on the face of the earth.

God gives up his son to get back mankind.

This suddenly gives Jesus the right to open those scrolls.

But think of it this way, guys.

His sacrifice has purchased mankind.

They are now his property.

See, we sometimes think that Christians are his property.

You must understand that Christ paid a price with his blood for mankind.

He purchased mankind back.

They are his property.

You know, it's so odd.

On one hand, we sing songs saying, ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance.

It's a coronation psalm where Jesus is declared king and it says, ask of me and I'll give you the nations as an inheritance.

We as churches ask God to give us the nations as an inheritance.

But we don't realize that when Jesus needed to get his inheritance,

there was a price that had to be paid because inheritance had been sold to another owner and it had to be purchased back.

And the purchase price was blood.

And now we can't sit back and say, well, we'll think about it.

No, no, no. Now there's an active need to go and cultivate the inheritance that has already been purchased.

It's like land that has been purchased by your brother and he's left it to you.

And now you're supposed to cultivate it.

Otherwise, it'll grow with thorns and brambles again.

But we'll talk about that another day.

See, guys, in his death, I love this part.

I love this part.

You know why?

Because at times like this, if we think like this, God will be able to do more through our people to think like this.

Just one sec.

So in his death, in his death, here's what Jesus has done.

One, he has taken control of mankind's history again.

This is so important, guys.

See, once he purchased mankind in his death, Jesus has taken control of the course of man's history.

He's taken control of the course of mankind's history.

He owns it now.

He owns it.

For thousands of years, man was thrown asunder.

The flood had to be used to cleanse the earth.

Sodom and Gomorrah were removed from the face of the earth.

Now that he's purchased mankind back, he once again owns

And therefore has taken control over the course of the history of man.

Huge, man.

COVID cannot dictate.

Satan cannot dictate.

The world systems cannot dictate.

Because someone else owns mankind.

Someone else owns mankind.

He now has the right to dictate the course of the history of mankind.

And if he has that right, then here's the second point.

The second point is he can now guarantee its future.

He can now guarantee its future.

This is where Jeremiah 29,11 should bring great relief.

I have good plans for you.

I have a good future for you.

But see, he owns it now.

He purchased mankind.

He can guarantee its future.

Do you see now why we sing songs about him being the hope of nations?

Do you see now why we call him the desire of nations?

He can guarantee its future.

Every tried tongue nation, he can guarantee its future.

He decides now the course of those that he purchased

because he decides the course of mankind's history.

It's not that the women fancy of world systems or of satanic systems.

The devil knows this.

Christians don't.

And thirdly, I love this one too.

In his death and in purchasing mankind with his blood,

he rendered the satanic kingdom illegal.

He rendered the satanic kingdom illegal.

It would be like if you had a property and people used to come and squat there

and build their little encampments and you decide you buy the property

and you clean up the property and now squatters may still come.

But if squatters come, they are illegal and there is a way to enforce laws

so that they can be removed.

So this idea of him purchasing the...

The message put it this way.

He bought back people.

He bought people back to God.

Do you see now why millions of angels and the elders and the saints

burst out in song when the lamb opens the scroll?

Because they realize what he has done.

They realize he, having paid a price in blood,

he having entered history, factually as in real,

and he having purchased mankind back,

has the right to break the seals and open the scroll

so that destiny can unfold and promises can be fruitful.

We don't realize when John is weeping why he's weeping.

Because he's in the thick of the vision.

Like I said when I began that if I had the cure to the present pandemic

and I give it to you but you can't open it because you don't have the key

or don't have the right to open a box that has a cure

and the world weeps as people are dying.

It's the same kind of weeping that John is going through.

Now you can see why millions of angels and elders and saints

break into jubilant worship because they know that the earth will never be the same again.

That it is in good hands.

One who has earned the right.

And so that's when they begin to say all power, all wealth, all strength belong to you, O Lamb.

Please don't think that power, wealth, wisdom and strength

were qualities that Jesus Christ received after he died and rose again.

No, no, no. These were qualities ascribed to him as early as

1st Chronicles chapter 29, verse 10 to 13,

where David ascribes to him the same qualities.

If you go to 1st Chronicles 29, it talks about that.

1st Chronicles 29, where David is, I think it's, David is on his deathbed

and he begins to ascribe to God these qualities.

Reading from verse 10, it's like a song.

David praised the Lord in the assembly, the presence of the whole assembly saying,

Praise be to you, O Lord, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor

for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you. You are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise to your glorious name.

In the book of Revelation, now the earth and its inhabitants can join in ascribing to God

that which has always been his and that which he has always freely given.

What he has is what he gives. Wealth, power, honor, strength,

these are the things he now bestows upon you.

He longs to bestow it upon the earth, but sometimes the earth is not in a place to receive it.

But whoever recognizes him, and we'll talk about that.

The third reason why he gained the right to open the scroll is

the third reason is he made people from different tribes and nations

to be priests and kings.

He made them to be a kingdom and priests, not priests and kings,

he made them to be a kingdom and priests.

He made them to be a kingdom and priests.

He made them to be a kingdom and priests.

You know, here's another property right that we need to just consider right now.

And here it is.

An owner has exclusive rights to use and benefit from his property.

An owner has exclusive rights to use and profit or benefit from his property.

But here's the strange thing.

Even though Christ paid with his blood and purchased mankind back to him,

this divine owner who has the right to use and profit exclusively from his property,

he buys mankind back so that he can free them to choose who they will serve.

What a god eh? What a god.

Leaders, we must be like this.

Bring people into a place of freedom so that they can choose who they serve.

Here is a divine owner who pays a price, buys people back to God,

and after buying them back, having paid a ransom and after setting them free,

he then as a divine owner frees them to choose who they will serve.

It's almost this idea of jubilee.

At jubilee and at every seventh year,

there was this practice where slaves that you bought would go free.

And so the cross is a jubilee eh?

The cross is a jubilee.

Go to Exodus 21, Exodus 21,

Exodus 21, verse 5 and 6,

Exodus 21:5

Exodus 21, verse 5 and 6.

Exodus 21:5

Every 7 years and every 50th year, 50th year it used to be one.

Huge thing, but every 7 years too,

you see this idea that God just practices over and over again.

Exodus 21, verse 5 and 6.

Exodus 21:5

Let's look at verse 2.

If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for 6 years,

but in the seventh year he shall go free without paying anything.

That's a crazy thing eh?

Here is the owner who pays the price, you pay nothing.

And then go to verse 5 and 6.

But if the servant declares,

I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,

then his master must take him before the judges.

He shall take him to the door of the door post and pierce his ear with an awl,

and then he will be his servant for life.

And this is what this divine owner does.

He buys me so that I can be set free to choose who I serve.

And then once he frees me, I have this choice and my choice is to say,

I love you too much master.

And I do not want to go free because I couldn't find a better place to serve.

And then his master takes me before the judges.

And then he takes me to the door and to the door post and then pierces my ear with an awl.

And then I become his servant for life.

What a crazy privilege eh?

What a strange God man.

And if you choose him,

that's when his death transforms men and women like Sheldon and Jane,

men and women like Dawn and Karen,

men and women like Betty and I could,

I would have to go through the whole list and we are running out of time.

The point is if you choose him, then his death transforms.

The reason I mentioned all these people is because they're very ordinary people.

Nothing makes them stand out.

And he takes ordinary people like this and transforms them into a powerful kingdom.

They will reign, he says, and into priests who serve God.

This is what he does eh?

This is what he does eh?

This is what he does.

And notice he doesn't say I'll transform you into powerful kings.

He says I'll transform you into a powerful kingdom and priests who serve.

And the strange thing is guys,

you'll see the same thing being repeated throughout Revelations.

In Revelation chapter 1 verse 6, he talks about,

Revelation 1:6

I have called you to be a kingdom and a priest.

In Revelations 5-10, I've called you to be a kingdom and priests.

In Revelations 20 verse 6, kingdom and priest.

Revelation 20:6

And the idea is a kingdom that will reign with him and priests who will serve God.

I want to say this, especially during these times,

Guys, the reason I'm teaching this particular topic is so that through this time we think a certain way.

We think a certain way.

We understand that the entire earth has been purchased by God.

That mankind has been purchased by God.

That the history of man is now in the control of God.

He decides the course of history.

We realize that he has guaranteed its future.

That good things await.

This allows us to pray a certain way.

If you don't think like that, then you won't pray that.

We'll try to escape this place.

We'll be continuously speaking judgment and doomsday.

And that satanic kingdom has been rendered illegal.

That the works of the enemy are therefore illegitimate, illegal.

So, like I said, he's made them to be a kingdom and priest.

A most powerful kingdom.

A most powerful kingdom.

A most powerful kingdom.

See, guys, we were purchased so that we may constitute a kingdom.

We were purchased to constitute a kingdom.

You don't represent Christianity.

You represent a government, the kingdom of heaven.

You represent a king, King Jesus.

You do not represent Christianity.

We talk about everlasting to everlasting.

We talk about how the kingdom existed before anything

and the kingdom will continue to exist at the end.

We talk about how Jesus came to preach the kingdom.

We talk about how John the Baptist said the kingdom is near.

Jesus said the kingdom is here.

And so, we were purchased to constitute a kingdom.

A most powerful kingdom.

The most powerful kingdom.

You don't represent Christianity.

You represent a government, the kingdom of heaven.

You represent a king, King Jesus.

We don't think like this.

Therefore, the systems of the earth can dictate what happens

when the one who purchased mankind thinks otherwise.

And in a sense, your expectation of the king determines the

largeness of the kingdom in you and through you.

Hear me again.

Your expectation of this king.

Your understanding of this king.

Your understanding of how he thinks.

Your understanding of what he has unlocked.

Your understanding of his heart attitude.

Your expectations of this king determines the largeness of this

most powerful kingdom in you and through your life at a time like this.

Sure, the kingdom will be consummated at the end of times.

But my God, if we postpone everything to the future,

then Jesus' words ring hollow.

That the kingdom is here because I am in your midst.

And what's your expectation?

Your expectation is that the slain...

Here is your expectation through this time of COVID.

Just to make sure that you understand,

here is your expectation through this time of COVID.

Okay?

Let me just write it down.

Here should be your expectation during this time of COVID.

That the slain, risen, ascended king, the only king,

the only king, the only king, there is no other king.

There's only one.

That the slain, the risen, the ascended king has broken into 2020,

has broken into 2020, and is actively present through his people,

and is actively present through his people to do good on earth

because he has a plan and a future for mankind who he purchased.

This must be my thinking during this time.

This must be my thinking as I read the news.

This must be my thinking as I hear people dying.

This must be my thinking when the world forecasts a time like this to go on forever.

This must be my thinking when we talk about the demonic powers

that are involved in this pandemic.

This must be my thinking as systems of Babylon begin to rise,

offering the world solutions.

This must be my thinking that the slain, the risen, and the ascended king

has broken into 2020, as he always does, broken into 2020,

and is actively present through his people to do good on earth,

to do good on earth.

And how does he have us do that?

Because it's Acts 10.38 all over again.

I won't quote that. I know you know that.

To do good on earth because he has a plan and a future for mankind,

who he purchased and who he dearly loves.

God sent his son so that none may perish, but all may be saved.

This must be your expectation through this time, guys.

This kind of an expectation, this kind of a, ah shucks,

God can unfold the scroll that dictates how COVID goes.

Not some vaccine that may, and I pray it happens quickly.

Those are solutions, but God has a plan.

And we pray into that plan.

We figure out the desire of God, the desire and the intent of God.

You know, in Haggai chapter two, verse six and seven,

it's a strange scripture, Haggai chapter two, verse six and seven.

It almost is talking about our times.

Haggai chapter two, verse six and seven.

Haggai is, yeah, chapter two, verse six and seven.

The New King James is a little different.

I'm just reading from the NIV.

I like the New King James version.

This is what the Lord Almighty says.

In a little while, I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,

the sea and the dry land.

I will shake all the nations and the desire of the nations

or the desire of the nations will come.

And I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.

It's this idea of, you know,

It is the idea now.

This was when Haggai was at the juncture of building the temple.

The idea now is that the desire of nations shall come

in the middle of the shaking of heavens and earth

that is happening and present.

And he shall come and he shall fill the temple with his glory.

Only now that the Lord Almighty has said,

we will come and we will fill the temple with his glory.

We will come and we will fill the temple with his glory.

And he shall come and he shall fill the temple with his glory.

Only now the temple is different, guys,

as the waters cover the seas.

Habakkuk 2.14.

He shall fill the temple with his glory

in the midst of the shaking of the nations

and of the shaking of heaven and earth,

the desire of nations arrives.

It doesn't say the judge of nations here.

He says the desire of nations,

the one that nations long for.

I forgot to ask if there are any questions.

Do you have any questions?

I think I answered it, right?

Yeah.

Guys, at the end of the day,

we are supposed to do here on earth what he did.

God has come to save his people,

to set the captives free,

to set the captives free,

to forgive sinners,

to heal the sick,

to raise the dead,

to drive out demons,

to set the spirits free,

to intervene, to restore.

Luke 4, verse 16-19.

Luke 4:16–19

Strange, eh?

Strange. What's strange?

Strange that in Luke 4, 16-19,

Jesus is opening another scroll.

He's gone into the synagogue

and he opens another scroll

and it opens to Isaiah 61

and that's when he begins to read.

And now, at a time like this,

shouldn't you and I be doing exactly the same?

God has come,

we have come to save people,

we have come to set the captives free,

I've come to forgive sinners, I've come to heal the sick,

I've come to raise the dead, I've come to drive out demons,

I've come to pour out the spirit

where he wants to do what he wants to do,

I've come to intervene, I've come to restore.

Jacob, you, yum, and we.

You've got to think like this, man.

Yup.

Do you want to just read that question?

There's a question.

Now that Jesus has taken control of the world,

owns mankind's history and earth,

and Satan no longer has any legal rights,

why is it that the powers of darkness,

principalities, are still in the hands of Satan?

Why is it that Satan is still in the hands of the world?

Why is it that Satan is still in the hands of the world?

Why is it that Satan is still in the hands of the world?

Why is it that the powers of darkness, principalities,

are still able to affect the earth?

Yeah.

It would be like Canada saying

that there should be no thieves

or drug pushers coming into Canada.

That is the law. It's been established.

And if any of them come in,

they are illegal,

and they will be punished.

But that doesn't stop the thief from trying to come in.

That doesn't stop drug pushers from trying to come and sell drugs.

So what then goes into effect?

The RCMP, drug enforcement agencies,

and other law organizations.

What is their job?

Their job is to come and stop these men,

enforce the law, and punish them.

It doesn't stop them.

They know they can be caught and they will be punished.

This is the job now of the Church.

Read Romans 16, verse 19 and 20.

Romans 16:19

That Christ will soon crush the serpent under our feet.

Read 1 John 3, 8.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down to the earth in flesh

to destroy the works of the devil.

Luke 10, 8.

I have given you authority to trample over serpents and scorpions

and all the power of the enemy,

and no hurt or harm by any means shall come to me.

Acts 10, 38.

And God anointed the Church, Jacob, Acts 29,

other people listening, with Holy Spirit and with power,

just as He anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

And Jesus went around doing good,

delivering those that were harassed by the enemy.

Psalm 149, verse 6 to 9.

Psalms 149:6–9

That saints lie on your beds with high braces in your mouth

and a two-edged sword in your hands.

Why? So that you can execute upon the enemy

the written judgment that you can bind their kings and fetters.

Eutronomy 33, verse 24 onwards.

The God of Jerusalem is your help.

Look at His everlasting arms and how He carries you.

And you shall dwell in a land of safety,

and as God shouts, destroy, you shall thrust out the enemy.

And as you thrust out the enemy,

you shall trample upon His high places,

and He shall cower before you.

I could go on.

A day will come when there will only be one kingdom standing,

the kingdom of our God and Christ.

But meanwhile, we keep advancing this kingdom

through the absolutely powerful weapons that the enemy has given,

that God has given us against the enemy.

I'll talk about priests who serve next time

because we'll cover that next time

because I think we can stop at a most powerful kingdom.

The next part I wanted to cover was,

okay, so God has made us a kingdom and priests who serve,

but I'll talk about that next time.

I wanted to think like this.

I want to think like this.

That I actually work for, that I actually belong to,

that I actually serve,

and that I actually constitute and represent a government

and represent a king who purchased mankind,

who dictates its course,

who rendered Satan illegal,

and who guarantees its future.

If angels and creatures can get excited about it,

I definitely want to get excited about it at a time like this

because these are the times when the voice of God,

if spoken through the body, begins to affect the earth.

I hope this week you were able to take one of those ten things spoken of last week

and were able to employ it, and if you didn't,

then you still have tomorrow and Sunday to practice it.

But may you not come to the Sunday service

not having attempted at least one of them.

Yeah?

Because this is a responsibility, guys.

Rights have been given us as a church,

but there are responsibilities that we now need to carry out

because we represent both a government and a king,

and not a religion.