World Missions Light overcoming darkness Pastor Rob

Welcome to Logan City Christian Church podcast where we bring God's Word to you weekly.

We pray that what you hear will bring clarity to your situation and open doors in your life.

Enjoy the message.

How many here were not born in this country?

Raise your hand.

My goodness.

Let me just ask another question, is there anyone here that was born in Australia?

What a wonderful thing.

This is not about multiculturalism, this is about Christ with the nations.

About the nations.

And what a wonderful thing this is.

This morning I just feel to brief a little bit on where the missions are United World

Ministries.

The United World Ministries is the mission arm of Logan City Christian Church.

And it just seems to keep growing and growing, which is good, praise the Lord.

And there are reasons for it and I believe that as I speak later it's going to explain

the heart of God in this very thing.

And so we had started in 2007, registered in 2012 as its own standalone ministry because

the missions was growing so quickly we had to separate it from the church legally and

it just keeps growing, which is good.

I think anything that's alive should be growing.

Amen.

And it's just amazing the support that United World Ministries receives from so many people,

including yourself and this amazing congregation.

And so various countries at one stage it was 26 nations that we're in and doing work in.

16 of those we lost contact with through COVID and are in the process of trying to regather

that information.

But still there's a massive work that is happening.

And I'd just like to start an opening scripture that really blessed my heart when I got saved.

And I guess, you know, when we come to the Lord and we realize really what's happened,

the saving grace of God in our life and we feel this urgency, this sense that God wants

to use us to do something to make an impact on our home, our community, our nation and

the nations, because each and every one of us, we are world changers and we need to know

that you are a world changer.

And you might think, well, I've got no ambition or desire to travel to other nations.

You don't have to travel to another nation to be a world changer.

It's how we support the missions and how we, you know, deal with these things as to our

input.

So I just want to bring a scripture out here this morning, Matthew chapter five, verse

13 to 16.

And Jesus speaking, he said, you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor,

how shall it be seasoned?

It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Verse 14, you are the light of the world.

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under

a basket or a lamp, but on a lampstand.

And it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father

in heaven.

You know, we sing this song when I did Sunday school years ago, we'd sing this song, this

little light of mine.

I'm going to let it shine.

Remember that one?

And one day at dawn, it's not a little light.

Jesus is not a little light.

He's the light of the world.

He is, he is amazing.

He's not a little light.

And this revelation impacted me one day.

And I just thought, well, this big light lives in us as people.

And that big light wants to shine through us wherever we go.

And as it says here about, do they, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket.

In other words, the light of Christ that we have needs to be out there shining.

Really just shining.

And one night I was standing out watching a full moon, just intrigued.

This is probably about five years ago.

We had what they call a super moon and you didn't, you could read a book under the light

of the moon.

And the spirit of God witnessed to me, he says, you know, the moon doesn't have any

light of its own.

And I thought, yeah, I'm aware of that Lord.

And then it made me think the Lord was trying to tell me that the light only reflects the

sun.

The light does, the moon does not have light of its own.

You with me?

And so this moon is positioned over where I was and somewhere the sun is hitting the

light of the sun, hitting the moon and the moon is reflecting where I am.

And Christianity is exactly the same.

That we are the light of the world and that the light of Christ, the light, the glory

of God that shines upon us and in us and through us brings light to everywhere we go.

And I believe that missions is the life of the church.

There's a, I mean, Jesus is the head of the church.

You know what I'm saying?

I'm talking about when in the things that we do.

I heard a saying said, I think it was from Rory Jensen.

She's a very strong admissions.

She said, the light that shines the furtherest shines the brightest at home.

And that's a very powerful truth.

That if the light here is so bright that it shines so far that where the light is positioned,

the light is the brightest at that place, right?

And that's why I believe being missions minded is so important.

Missions we've been involved with the missions with indigenous people in this nation and

that's going to come back again.

There was a season that it went quiet for a while, but it's starting to stir up.

Local missions with community care that's always been part of the church and then the

international side of missions and it's just an incredible thing.

I look back and think, how did this all happen?

I can't tell you, but I know when God gives a vision, he gives you a vision.

He's kind of like saying to us as this is what you can do so easily if you trust me.

Now I know in this congregation, there are many missionaries.

There are many of you that have have ministered in different nations and do a work.

Some of you still now to this very day and it's an amazing thing that the just the presence

of missionaries in a church encourages me greatly.

Also I'd like to say this congregation is just an incredible congregation as Richard

mentioned before about the Unga, which is Ungali, is the flour that they boil to make

like food and I like it.

It's quite nice.

Ungali and the skoomawiki is it?

Yeah, it's good gear.

Hakuna Matata.

In Australia, I think that means she'd be right, mate.

That's what I learned.

Is that right?

Yeah, Hakuna Matata.

Praise the Lord.

So we are the light of the world and the lights not to be hidden under a basket.

The light needs to be put out to shine.

And what is the objective of light?

Light is to expel.

Let me hear that.

The light is meant to expel.

What is our mission in life?

Oh, come on, you can talk to me to expel darkness.

And it's the light of Christ in you that when we go, when God says speak, visit someone

or talk to somebody, the light of Christ in you.

Ministers to people.

It is powerful.

I am amazed that, you know, when when see the gospel message is not a message that someone

in this world put together, it wasn't a good idea by some human being.

The gospel message came from heaven in the form of Jesus Christ, the son of God, and

about this very incredible gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

And this message is being proclaimed around the world through many people has been proclaimed

in this nation of Australia, in this city of Logan, where we as Christians, we're talking

to people, sharing the love of Christ with them and letting them know there is a God

in heaven that loves them.

This message did not come from this world.

But when you and I and many of us have spoken to many of you that you've said that, you

know, I've been hesitant to go and witness and tell someone about Jesus.

But when I do, it's like it's like God just joins me and and empowers me.

And I just have the best time.

How many of you guys have experienced that?

As soon as we open our mouth and begin to speak.

And that's the anointing of God that rises up from within and empowers you.

And see, there's this this intimidation, like this anti Christ spirit intimidates.

But when you are we know we are children of the living God, that we are anointed that

Christ truly does live in us and that we are the light of the world, that when we just

begin to speak, that the power of God overrides that intimidation and every demonic stronghold

that's trying to hold a person back from seeing the light, it will eventually break to the

and submit to the power of God.

It is an incredible thing.

You know, for me, I've seen it witnessed it so many times in Australia and numerous times

overseas, like the crusade night that we had.

It went for eight hours.

The crusade.

It was incredible.

There were I lost count of how many people got saved.

And months later, testimony is still coming back of the miracles that happened from just

that trip alone.

And you see the signs and wonders follow the preaching of the word.

And the word was very simple that was preached.

It was about salvation and about healing.

And it happened.

And so we carry a message.

We carry a very powerful, powerful message that the message of the gospel is all powerful.

The message of the cross.

It speaks about his foolishness to those who are perishing.

And so people that don't want anything to do with God, you speak about Christ and him

crucified, they don't want to know about that, don't get it.

But I tell you, when people start to listen, it's the power of God unto salvation to them

who believe.

And let me encourage you never give up sharing the gospel with your friends and family.

It's powerful.

It's powerful.

It's like seed when you sow it.

One day it will germinate and it will come to pass.

I just want to share some of the lightbearers that some are sitting in this room here this

morning that are part of United World Ministries and doing incredible work, saving souls, seeing

families restored, the light of their ministry placed in darkness.

Just an incredible thing.

Last year in September was it when Chantal and I went to El Salvador.

Just so blessed again to see what pastors Francisco and Celia are doing in a country

that is not an easy place to preach the gospel.

And to see the people being blessed, the work that they do, the commitment they've given

their lives to the cause of the gospel.

And we honor you guys this morning.

I just wish Celia was here to be able to hear this.

But the light that they bring, the light they brought to El Salvador is incredible.

And to see when church service starts, the people that come, they can't wait to get there.

It's their moment of being topped up.

It's their moment of hope, their moment of change and something new and something different

and deeper in God.

And I have to say that pastors Francisco and Celia, you guys are anointed.

You call nobody could doubt.

You're calling the fruit of the work is there.

The salvations that have been there, gang member getting saved, a senior gang member.

Things like that just don't happen unless God is with you.

Amen.

And so it's wonderful.

It's just so we acknowledge the work, the light bearers that are in El Salvador, even

though you're here in Australia, your leadership over there are still bearing that light and

the light in El Salvador is transforming a community as we speak.

And this to me is just so powerful, empowering others to preach the gospel.

And we have Mama Carrie Burns, who's been in ministry probably long enough, been alive,

maybe I don't know.

Maybe not quite, but a pensioner received the call of God, a visitation of Christ and

sent her out to witness and to start ministry work in the world.

And now there's schools and orphanages in Kenya and India and all on a pension or on

a call.

It's like when Peter saw Jesus walk past and Jesus, he said to me, you know, Jesus and

Jesus said, come.

So Peter got out the boat.

Nothing happens in the boat.

Ideas are in the boat.

Vision, you know, static vision is in the boat.

But many of us that are called, it only happens when we step out of the boat.

You see, Peter, I don't, he did, but hear me what I'm saying.

He didn't so much as walk on the water.

He was walking on the calling on the word C-O-M-E, come, come.

And upon that word, that calling, I believe he at a moment forgot about that it was water,

but he was so taken by the call, come, come.

And he was so moved, he went out and stepped on the boat.

But as soon as his eyes shifted, it's when he's saying.

And so we acknowledge you, Mama Carrie, for the you've given your life, your whole life

into the cause of the ministry.

And we honor you to lightbearers, lightbearer in India and in Africa.

You do an amazing work.

I just want to, I think it's there, there are times to acknowledge those who go out

and do the work of the ministry that when you see on Sunday, you probably don't know

that they do these things.

It's a time to honor those who, who do these things.

It's just, and it's not easy.

How many of us know it's not easy when you leave your creature comforts at home?

But it is so worth it.

It is so worth it.

Pastor Cliff, Fiji, the things he's done over there that God called you.

One day he's a radical outlaw biker.

And the next day he's preaching the gospel in prisons and maximum security, a light in

dark place.

Absolutely.

And leading criminals to Christ.

I tell you, a good sermon would be the one on leading captivity captive.

No, that probably won't work.

But what a wonderful work feeding people as well.

The list just goes on.

I want to let you know there are lightbearers that go overseas.

You probably are not aware about, but I'm going to get to the some of the greater lightbearers

that are sitting here today.

And that's the congregation of this church.

There's a lot of it would never have happened if it wasn't for you.

Wouldn't happen.

This pastors, a Turo and Sharon, a Joshua care international, the Philippines, incredible

work, incredible work, what they are doing over there.

It's just amazing.

Just another husband and wife that heard the call of God and stepped out on C O M E or

probably more G O.

Go go.

Powerful word.

And Jesus says to go and we stay.

Nothing happens.

We got to get out of the boat.

Praise the Lord.

Pastor Mike Headley, mission moments, Mike, the Philippines and other countries.

Many of you don't know that Mike is a missionary and has been for many years and we honor

you.

Mike is a lightbearer that goes out into nations and going out again and taking a cut a cakey

Tommy Tommy.

There's a story behind that.

It was Tommy's birthday over in Kenya and they did a cake for him and there's massive

big dance with this cake and it was just awesome.

So Tommy has a nickname now, Blue Tongue Tommy.

As you saw on the video, cut a cakey Tommy that's cut the cake.

Tommy.

That photo that was taken with the blue tongues, one of them was Pastor Samuel.

The other one was Tommy was only moments before we met the governor.

We're all eating lollipops.

I had read one.

They had blue ones.

Some really funny things happen out on the mission field.

I can tell you.

And one of them laughed and I went, Oh my God, you look like a blue tongue lizard.

So we took a photo and showed it to them and they like trying to clean their tongue before

we get to see the governor.

It was just so funny.

It's just so, so funny.

This past the lie and UWM ambassador in Fiji, him and his wife do an amazing work and that's

about that's a contact from Pastor Cliff.

It's about to launch.

I tell you, it's it's just happening.

The light bearers over in Fiji is just takes it to another level.

There's Pastor Samuel Komoto.

He's the national ambassador in Kenya doing an incredible work where we saw the training

school it's taking shape there.

I'm not sure.

Is Megan here?

No, we've had I think another 200 affiliate pastors join United World Ministries on the

last trip.

It's just growing and growing and growing.

And now one of Mama Carrie's pastors, Pastor Alphas, who is in a region not far from the

border of Tanzania.

He came to the UWM conference and he just loved it.

He fell in love with the concept.

And right as I speak now, he is gathering numerous pastors and from over the border

to come for Pastor Samuel to sow the vision.

They're ready waiting wanting you.

It's going to explode.

He's a good man.

He is a good man.

Praise the Lord.

And so with Kenya, things there that are just happening, it's just you see when God's in

something you just see it happen.

You just got to keep up and let God do what he does and follow the call.

And so, you know, the director of education gave us the thumbs up.

He said, we need this in this nation.

What it is, it's a training school to help students that have dropped out of school that

probably thought they'd never get a chance of learning a trade.

That this training school gives them the opportunity to get their education up and also to go through

some character development and teachers from that are plumbers, a nurse, whatever, builder.

They're volunteering their time to take students for a three to six week course, whatever it

takes to give them like the pre vocational training before they can apply for polytech.

And even so, the governor found out about that meeting and contacted us and wanted to

meet us.

And that's when we met him.

Some advice I can give you if you're going to meet the governor, don't eat lollipops.

It doesn't work.

I want to thank Anthony because incredibly instrumental in seeing this school to get to

where it is.

We want to honor you too, Anthony.

We really do.

Student sponsorship in Kenya is a great need.

However, God is making it happen for the students to be able to apply with polytech or it's

$150 Aussie a year.

Some of you guys didn't even hear it from my mouth what we were doing and already giving

to the student sponsorship.

It's just amazing.

The process with NGO status is in play and other things that are happening.

The story with Rohan, we had the crossover prayer meeting this year and Rohan came to

a prayer meeting thinking that probably go home and never come back here again.

Maybe I don't know.

But a connection was made and Rohan's family in Kenya, Rohan born in Kenya, speaks Swahili.

I haven't heard you speak Swahili yet, but I'll have a go later.

But his father is in business, his mother in ministry, both of them in ministry and

yet his father's got the context to get all these legalities sorted out.

It's just only God does that.

It's just amazing.

And so I'm speaking about the lightbearers, lightbearers, people that have gone and brought

light in darkness and made a change and making a change in this world.

As Pastor David Kamara and his wife, Mariamma in Sierra Leone, National Ambassadors for United

World Ministries doing an incredible work.

And you might be thinking, what's a National Ambassador?

What it is is United World Ministries in every nation that we're in, God connects us supernaturally

with one person and that person we spend time with and we're convinced that this is a good

person to work with.

We establish them as a National Ambassador for their country and we help establish a

committee around about them.

So they're all of the resources we have in United World Ministries, we give to them and

then they administered out to their nation.

So what it is, say in Kenya, it's the Kenyans empowering Kenyans, it's not the white people.

So we're empowering the locals to do the work and it's very well received, very, very

well received.

So in Moys Bridge district, Eldorette and that, there's been over 1200 senior pastors

go through two years of Bible college and let me tell you, it has transformed their

churches.

The kingdom of God is growing, no matter what you may read or hear that Islam or whatever

is taking over Christianity, let me assure you, it is not.

Christianity is still the strongest growing, for lack of a better word, religion on the

face of the earth and always will be.

And I'll tell you why, is because the founder of all those other religions is not alive,

they're in a grave, but the founder of Christianity is alive forevermore.

He is not dead, he is alive and he's moving through his people and building the kingdom

of God here on earth.

So our founder is still alive.

How good is that?

How good is that?

Pastor Seth Tether and his wife Sandy, National Ambassadors in Ghana, incredible work that

these guys are doing, the light that is being shone, the resources we give to them, they,

boy, do they use it.

It's just amazing.

Pastor David Matavu and Pastor Betty, you remember Pastor David and his wife Somali

in Uganda, my goodness, their ministry has exploded over there.

Then there's Pastor Timothy and Swapna Manoa in India, Tribal Missions India, they do incredible

work.

They go and walk on foot.

One day he called me and he said, brother, he said, can you pray for us, we're going

on a mission.

I said, okay.

He said, we need protection.

I said, are you worried about rebels and things?

Oh no, the rebels don't bother us.

There's two nights we're walking through a forest that we got to sleep there and the

Bengal tigers, whatever they are, are there.

We just want you to agree with us.

I'm thinking, dude, you're a real Christian.

See, these are the kind of people that we are connected with, that you are connected

with.

We are planning an international conference where all of these ambassadors will be here.

We almost did it before COVID hit and I want you to meet these people personally and you'll

see what I'm telling you is true.

They are world changes, wonderful men and women of God that have given their life to

the cause of the gospel, doing incredible things.

We also now have on the go, Togo is calling every week, Rob, come.

I'm coming.

Liberia, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi, there are others but we just can't do it right

now.

We've got to do it in time.

There's such a thing called doughnutting.

You ever heard of doughnutting?

That you grow out too fast and you leave nothing in the middle?

You've got to be careful of that.

I've had to learn that.

As I mentioned before, trying to recover 16 other nations, their details, we will find

them.

It's just there's one of them is Haiti.

They have contacted us recently and said, are there any pastors in Australia that will

come to Haiti?

Can I put an invitation?

Anyone here want to go to Haiti?

They're quiet.

It's not advisable to go there now.

We have pastors, Rowley and Claire Thorndyke that have been a successful ministry in Warwick

and been to China, I don't know how many times, bringing Bibles across the border and ministering

to people.

The work of bringing light into a dark place is just an amazing thing.

But I don't want to forget the light bearers at HQ headquarters, the administration team

of United World Ministries and also the congregation of Logan City Christian Church that for a

bit over two years, you fed thousands and thousands of people, kept them alive.

I showed the videos when we got back from the August trip and one meeting there, there

were over 3000 people gathered taking food home to a family of five.

That's a lot of people.

And it was you, it was your generosity that from home through your giving, great light

was shining over in a foreign land.

And it made a big difference.

Let me tell you what happened.

When we were beginning to sow the vision of different things of United World Ministries,

including the school, people they hear but not necessarily are listening.

And when they found out this was the ministry that was feeding their people for over two

years, they dropped what they were doing and they came to listen.

We didn't know that that feeding program later on was going to open up great and effective

doors for the ministry.

We had no idea.

And you don't do it for that.

You do it because people are hungry and people were dying and they needed to eat.

And I know all of us, we gave sacrificially through that and great work had happened.

Absolutely.

That revival meeting that you saw on the church, what was not filmed was the multitude of people

outside the building that were dancing and they were just so grateful, just so, so grateful.

So I'd like to say that the light bearers, we're all light bearers.

We may never leave this nation of Australia, but we're light bearers.

Another exciting update is that in Kenya and they're spreading the news to other African

countries, I've put the word out there that how many of you guys feel that you're called

to be trained as a missionary to actually leave your country and go somewhere?

So many hands went up.

When I asked the question, how many of you have got Israel on your heart and nearly all

the hands stayed up?

Nearly all of them.

So we spent considerable time focusing on the very need that Israel has right now, right

now.

So these guys there, well, Pastor Samuel is just saying, you've started something, we

have to finish.

These guys have almost got their bags packed.

That's how keen they are.

Israel needs help.

Israel needs our prayer.

You know, we must never forget Jerusalem was the birthplace of the first church where

Jesus was born, our savior.

All these things originated in Jerusalem, in Israel.

And it's any wonder why it's the most hotly contested piece of real estate on planet Earth

and always has been.

I believe part of the reason is, as the prophecy is, is that Jesus is coming back to that same

place.

I believe the devil's in great fear.

There's nothing the devil can do to stop the work of God.

Nothing he can do to stop it.

Church pray for Israel.

Keep Israel in your prayers every day and pray for these pastors that are about to be

trained to go to Israel.

Some of them are going to countries where there are persecuted churches.

In time coming, a little bit after Easter time, we have Steve Swenson that is part of

Open Doors Ministry Now that brings awareness about the persecuted church.

He's going to be coming and showing a video.

I think you guys are going to be blessed, but also deeply grieved to hear the stories

what's happening in some church, some countries to the Christians.

It is so, so sad.

So, so sad.

So it's an awareness that we know.

I also like to make special mention and unfortunately they're not here today, is to Jeff and Betty

Armstrong.

Been sitting in the middle over there for the last few weeks and if you've seen them,

you probably don't know who they are and they don't tell anybody who they are and what they've

done.

Let me tell you, these guys have probably been some of Australia's most influential

people regarding missions and getting the gospel out there than I've ever known and

others have ever, ever known, yet you won't hear it from them.

Global Development Group, it's a world changing ministry.

I wouldn't know where to start to inform you the difference that they have made transforming

nations but I believe up to date they are in 42 different nations doing incredible work.

They have over nearly 2 million contacts around the world.

This is the last I remembered, 1.8 million I think it is contacts and the overflow effect

of that is multiple millions of people that their ministry is affecting on a daily basis.

There's a strong light shining there.

So missions is a very important part of our Christian walk and as I close, I'd like to

finish with Psalm 2, a very powerful passage of scripture that really Keith Hanna was

the man of God who trained me for missions and he brought this scripture to me and he

said if you can keep this understanding in your heart and know it and go over it and

over it and over it, he said the fire for missions is highly likely to be extinguished

and he's right.

Keith Hanna has done incredible work of missions as far as on the ground in Sumatra and other

countries India, I mean he's been everywhere.

Thousands and thousands of Bible schools, churches, you name it, it's been planted and

majority of which are still running to this very day.

Changing lives, changing lives.

But I want to read Psalm 2, all of it, it's only 12 verses and the verse 1 it starts,

why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the

Lord, against his anointed saying, let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away

their cords from us.

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall hold them in diversion and he shall

speak to them in his wrath.

To distress and distress them in his deep displeasure.

Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten

you.

Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth

for your possession.

You shall break them with the rod of iron and shall dash them into pieces like a potter's

vessel.

Now therefore, be wise, O kings, be instructed you judges of the earth, serve the Lord with

fear and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a

little less to those who put their trust in him.

We are seeing today like never before this passage of scripture playing out in real life

and it starts off by why do the nations rage and plot vain things?

You know in Acts chapter 4, I think it's verse 25 somewhere there, there's a story, an account

Acts 4 · chapter mention

of what happened.

Before that, Peter and John were on their way to the temple and they went, you know,

that time of prayer and there was that man that was crippled from birth sitting at the

gate beautiful and so they walked up to him and the man thought that they were going to

give him money and Peter says to him, silver and gold have we none but what I have I give

to you.

That is like the mission statement.

That is a mission statement right there.

He said in the name of Jesus, rise up and walk and this guy got up on his feet, crippled

from birth and started leaping and dancing and praising God.

I thank God I've had the blessing of seeing this happen in real life.

It is an incredible thing.

You tell me, ask me, does it change a community?

Oh yes, it does.

The first meeting there were probably 200 people.

The following meeting the next day you couldn't see four people.

There were just everywhere.

The word of miracles and signs and wonders, they come but you need to be careful that

they don't come for that and that alone.

Need to be careful to sow the word that it is Jesus.

That is what Jesus did.

Don't come for a miracle without wanting to know Christ.

I mean that happens but we need to be careful.

So what happened was they get arrested for doing a good deed.

They get locked up and then all these things happen that they got in trouble for doing

a good deed and then they let them go.

What they did, they got together with the apostles and they said exactly the same scripture

here.

Why do the nations rage and the people plot vain things?

The kings of the earth set themselves and rulers take counsel together against the Lord

and against his anointed.

Nothing has changed and this is what is happening.

Let me read on.

They say, let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.

So what does that mean?

What that means is they break their bonds.

They're saying let's break the bonds of Christianity.

We don't want Christianity to rule our lives anymore.

Let's break the bonds of this godliness.

That's exactly what that is meaning here today.

It's saying let us reject this godly authority that restrains us from doing what we want

to do.

Does that sound familiar?

Hello?

It's very familiar and this is where we're at today and we're not seeing it get any better.

And it says and cast away their cords from us.

What does the cords mean?

It means there's no obligation to serve God.

So we're going to go out and tell everybody you don't have to serve God.

We're going to break the restraints and we're going to be free.

Finally we'll be free to do what we want.

We want nothing to do with God.

We're hearing that today like never before.

But it says here, he who sits in the heavens shall laugh.

We always need to understand that God is always in control.

No matter what man does or what they engineer or how far they push Christ out of our schools,

how they push Christ out of our universities, how they push Christ out of Christian schools

that they're trying now and trying to bring in laws that churches will have to accept

this, I'm trying to think of the word what it is, that we will have to comply to like

an order.

Let me say that that'll never happen in the true church of Jesus Christ.

It's never going to happen.

It may happen with some but those who truly uphold Christ as the anointed one, as the

head of the church, the one in whom we serve, on whom we love, we will never sell out his

church at all, ever sell it out.

The Lord shall hold them, derision.

That means here that regardless what they're saying and what they're doing, they're going

to see the Lord's work continue no matter how hard they try.

He's going to humble them.

He's going to say, you know what, you're not as smart as you think you are.

These things that you're going to do, you're doing them but you're wasting your time.

But my mission, my missionaries, my people, my Christians, the churches and those that

are upholding truth and preaching truth and going into the nations, they're out there

bringing light into darkness, you're not going to stop them.

You will never hold them back.

And Jesus said about the church of Jesus Christ, even though the gates of Hades may come against

it, it will not prevail.

Amen.

We must remember these things.

And then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure.

Yet I have set my king.

Hang on.

God has said, but I have set my king.

God chose his king.

We got that?

That's important to understand here.

Because of ungodly authority and kings of the earth, God's going, it's not going to

work.

I have my king, I've set up my king and he's in place.

You're not going to move anything.

And he said, I've established him on my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me, you are my son.

Today I've begotten you.

In other words, that the ministry of Jesus Christ has been established forever and ever

and ever, never to change, ever.

Praise the Lord.

And then verse eight, ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and

the ends of the earth for your possession.

So this is speaking about Jesus asking the Lord, but it was already given to him.

What we are seeing today in Revelation chapter seven, verse nine, I think I wrote, I did.

It says, after these things I looked and behold a great multitude, which no one could number

of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the

lamb clothed with white robes, the palm branches in the hand.

How did they get there?

How did all these people of all these different nations, tribes and tongues get there?

They got there because of the work of missionaries, the work of the Christians, the light that

was continually shining on earth in spite of all of the negative oppression that comes

against us.

And these are the very people that the word of God says are the inheritance of Christ.

He came for people, didn't come for his own glory.

He came to seek and save those who were lost.

So he said, ask of me and I'll give you the nations as your inheritance to the ends of

the earth for your possession.

And this goes on that you shall break them with the right of mind.

In other words, it's saying the authority of Christ.

So what am I saying out of all of this scripture here?

No matter what this world is trying to dictate through multimedia, through the news, through

world orders, through whatever organization that they established throughout this world

that tried to contain or limit or cage Christianity, placing laws, restricting us, making things

illegal.

Nothing is going to work.

Come on.

Nothing's going to work.

It won't work.

The only way it'll work is we give up.

If we stop sharing the word, we stop going out to nations and stop helping people, that's

the only way it'll work.

Don't be intimidated.

Be strong.

We've been called to change this world one day at a time.

Guess what?

It's happening.

Christianity is a major influence in this world.

And it has been since the birth of Christ, the change that took place, shook this world

to its very core.

The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus made such an impact in this world that the

kingdom of darkness didn't know what to do and still doesn't know what to do.

Christianity, I love this, is the strongest, most powerful, loving, caring force on the

face of the earth.

You're part of it.

You are in.

You're doing it.

How good is that?

Now as I close, I'm not 100% sure that everybody here this morning has received Christ as their

personal Lord and Savior.

If you haven't, would you allow me to give you that opportunity this morning to receive

Christ and be part of a world-changing team, the Church of Jesus Christ?

I know for many years, 30 years, I was on the outer.

I used to mock Christians.

I used to imitate TV evangelists in the lunchroom at work, up on the table, you know, imitating

them.

And I think God had the last laugh because you don't mock the one who calls you.

But the thing is, is eventually God got my heart.

If you haven't given your heart to Christ today, I encourage you.

You have not yet done it.

It'll be the greatest thing that you'll ever do.

People are searching for peace through various different means.

Drugs and alcohol and sex and other things, they're trying to find that plate of fulfillment,

but you'll never find it until you accept Christ.

He's the missing part of humanity if you don't already have Him.

A person said to me one day, he said, the reason why I don't want to receive Christ

is because I don't want to give up everything I've got to receive Him.

I said, oh, so you understand the process.

He said, yes.

As I explained to him, the blessings that you get, it's not what you lose, it's what

you gain.

And I want to express that to you today.

Whatever Christ expects us to leave, it would be good for us.

But look at the benefits we gain when we accept Christ.

Eternal life with God the Father, a blessed life here on earth, favor of God and our lives.

Amen.

A peace unspeakable.

So today, the decision is only one prayer away.

It's only a heart change.

Today I just want you to consider receiving Christ into your life, those watching online

this morning.

If you own that place now that you know that this is what you need to do, sometimes it's

not what we want, but we know it's what we need to receive Christ into your life.

Would you all follow me in a very simple prayer, which will be the beginning of the first steps

of many to come where Christian walk.

Would you follow me in this prayer this morning?

Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus.

I believe in my heart and I confess with my mouth.

You Jesus are the son of God.

You died for me.

God you raised him from the dead.

I believe this and now I have just spoken.

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Jesus, I'm calling on your name today to save me.

I turn away from everything I know is wrong and I turn to you.

Please forgive me for all my wrongs and I turn my heart to you Jesus.

Amen.

Now if you're here today and you've prayed that prayer for the first time, you really

meant what you said.

Could you just raise your hand very quickly?

Just let me just see your hand up quickly.

Thank you.

Let me see your hand.

Thank you.

You can put your hand down.

Praise God.

Christianity is not about just attending a church.

We can go to church all our lives and never know Christ.

Christianity is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father but by him.

He didn't say that no one comes to the Father through a church or being baptized in a church.

It's through Jesus.

Do you know that there is no salvation in any church denomination or structure?

There's only salvation in Christ and Christ alone.

Now if that church or denomination preaches that and ministers Christ as the only way,

they've got something to say.

But to think that if you were born and raised in a denomination and that your denomination

is your salvation, you have been mistaken.

It is not how salvation works.

Some people have been raised in a particular denomination thinking, well I did the baptism

and I did this and I said all these words and so according to the creed of our denomination

that I'm a Christian, can I challenge that for a moment?

That's not what Jesus said.

That's not what Jesus said.

This is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

So if you've said that prayer and you meant it, that is your connection with God through

Christ.

Salvation, amen.

Anyone watching online today, if you've given your heart to Christ or renewed your life

in Christ, the information will be on the screen.

We'd love to hear from you.

Amen.

So God bless you all.

God bless you all.

Thank you for joining us.

We pray God's richest blessing on your life.

If you haven't already, make sure to join us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

You can also find us at logancitychristianchurch.com.

See you next week.

Amen.