Church transforming lives, reforming society

transcript

Transforming Lives

Reforming Society

The Church

School of Prophets - 2012

• Gen.28:10f

• Jacob had a powerful dream where God reassured him of His promises, protection and provision. However his life remained unchanged

• He still went out of the land of promise towards Haran and continued to negotiate his own destiny as Jacob the deceiver

• Like many believers he wanted the promises, protection and blessings of God apart from a transformed life

The Transformation of Jacob

• The result: Jacob struggled for the next twenty years with his wives, his brothers in law, and Laban, his father in law

• After enduring much sorrow and grief Jacob decided to heed the call of God he received at Bethel twenty years prior

• Like the prodigal son who returned to his father’s house & to his inheritance, Jacob wanted to return to the Promised Land

• The problem: Before Jacob could possess the land, his flesh had to be crucified. The flesh cannot inherit spiritual blessings. The nature of a deceiver (“Jacob”) was still very much alive in him

• In Gen.32 God sent angels to intercept Jacob’s journey. The encounter at Jabbok brought an end to the flesh. “Jacob” died on the inside and “Israel” (prince with God) was made alive (v.28)

• The implications: Every member of your church must have a “Jabbok encounter” in the spirit. They must be brought to the place of authentic transformation of life:

1. It must be personal (Gen.32:24 – “Jacob was left alone”)

2. It must be permanent (His name & walk changed forever)

3. It must bring the believer into a new position of stature in the spirit (He prevailed with God & with men – Gen.32:28)

4. It must bring protection (Prov. 16:7 “When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”)

5. It must come about by the proceeding Word (Jabbok and the Angel)

• Matt.16:16f – Peter connected to the revelation flow coming from the Father & declared that Jesus is the Christ

• Such access to the proceeding Word brings about transformation of life

i. Jesus called him “blessed”. A blessed life is implied here

ii. His name was changed from Simon (shifting sand/ reed blown by the wind) to Peter (rock). Nothing can be built on shifting sand. Peter’s name change therefore marked the new path of transformation of life he found by accessing the proceeding Word

The Transformation of Peter

• The problem: Peter’s mind was prone to interfering with the flow of the Father’s revelation. His mind was always leaning towards the agenda of the flesh (v.22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”)

• This became the portal of entry for satanic spirits that attempted to sabotage the purposes of God (v.23 Get behind me, satan!)

• Other incidents:

1. Matt.17:4 – In the midst of glory at the Mt of Transfiguration, Peter’s mind projects selfish agendas and good intentions. The Father interrupts him and commands him to listen to the Son

2. Matt.14:28 – Peter asks Jesus if he too can walk on the water. Whatever for? This was not their primary mandate

3. Matt.26:31-33 – Jesus speaks about how all his disciples would stumble this night. Peter retorts: "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."

4. Gal. 2:11f – Paul rebuked Peter for his double standards & hypocritical behaviour in Antioch

• The implications:

• Like Peter, most believers have minds that impose on the purposes of God. They continue to live in the confusion of double standards in the midst of this powerful season in God

• They must become the recipients of the proceeding Word if their minds are going to be renewed and their lives deeply transformed.

“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles

walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life

of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being

past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But you have not so learned Christ” (Eph.4:17-20)

We must transform their minds

1. There is an absence of the light of truth in their minds (“their understanding darkened”)

2. Hostile towards any injection of God life or Spirit input (“alienated from the life of God”)

3. Ignorant of God’s Word and ways {cut off the flow of revelation} (“ignorance that is in them”)

4. Blindness of heart – inability to apprehend the Word of the Lord (“blindness of their heart” ).

5. Their unregenerate minds feeds the flesh lifestyles and its lusts (“being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness”)

6. Their habits and lifestyles are contrary to the way of Christ (“you have not so learned Christ”)

1. We must accept that the mind can only become renewed by the proceeding Word of God. Only then will it not be conformed to the ways of the world

2. We will build our churches on the strong foundation of the proceeding Word i.e. on the revelation that proceeds from the Father

3. It is only the proceeding Word that is able to produce transformed lives, giving our churches spiritual stature to advance the Kingdom of God in the earth

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Transforming Lives

Reforming Society

The Church

ACTS 19

Apostolic Pattern for Changing Lives

1. Formation of the vessels (v.1-7)

• Arriving at Ephesus Paul discovered some disciples. As a wise master builder Paul immediately sought to find out their calibre

• He brought immediate upgrade to:i. Their knowledge of God and His waysii. Their experiences of the Holy Spiritiii. Their passion for a greater futureiv. The overall quality of their lives

2. Qualifying of the vessels (v.8-10) [Intensive training]

• They yielded to Paul’s authority and leadership. He caused them to rise above synagogue-style meetings (institutional religion)

• Paul withdrew the disciples and reconvened their intensive training at the school of Tyrannus. He trained them for two years

• They became carriers of this message and filled Ephesus with this doctrine. They went beyond the four walls so that all the Jews and Greeks heard the word of the Lord

3. Empowering the vessels (v.11-20)

• Paul transferred his grace, gifts and legacy into those whom he was mentoring and fathering. He was reproducing himself into his disciples

• When the members of the church can do what the Set Man or Senior Minister does, the church will advance to another level

4. Impacting the different domains of society

• When competent members rise in our churches, the spiritual atmosphere over our cities will be changed

• They will begin to affect the spiritual, the business & the political domains of society

• Those within our churches must move up and become equipped for the task to exercise dominion over every domain of society

Politics

BusinessMedia

Arts &

EntertainmentEducation

4. Impacting the different domains of society

• The Kingdom of God is all inclusive. It is not just the Church. It is beyond geographical boundaries. It includes all sectors of society: Politics, Business, Media, Arts & Entertainment, Education, Science, Engineering, Development, Technology etc

• The ekklesia is called out to advance and manifest the Kingdom of God in the earth

• Isa. 2:2 / Micah 4:1 – Our members must be raised up & prepared to possess the mountains

• Dan. 5:3-10

• This provided God with the perfect opportunity to display who was the real King

• At this point there is an interaction between the wisdom and power of Babylon and the wisdom and power of God. No-one in Babylon can decode the events of life

The Daniel Model

• Dan. 5:11-12• “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the

Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the

wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father - your father the king -

made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding,

interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar (named as a child of the god

Bel), now let Daniel (note: they called him his Hebrew name and recognised his true identity) be

called, and he will give the interpretation

The Daniel Model

• It’s a moment of validation and Daniel is ready. Years of growth and development have prepared him for this moment

• He was a “Trojan Horse” – right in the middle of Babylon. They had assumed the religious system was dead and so used the sacred things of that order for entertainment. But the seed of their own destruction was right there in the middle of their system.

• Who is really ruling in this situation? Is it Daniel or is it the King?

The Daniel Model

• You don’t have to be a Prime Minister or CEO to rule!

• Similar to Daniel, our progression into the end times will be marked by global political crises and social crises pushed to the point beyond which the wisdom of the earth has the capacity to provide answers. e.g. global warming, global epidemics & catastrophes, economic recessions, politically instability etc.

• Only a Daniel has the ability to live victoriously in the earth to provide analysis and solution, in the midst of the crises.

The Daniel Model

• Dan. 5:13-30

• The issue is one of ruler-ship or kingship. In Daniel’s situation the question is: Who has the power? We see that though Belshazzar appears to have all the trappings of a king, once there is a clash with a force of a higher order, we see that the king’s authority is limited – we have to recognise this

• The king only operates within a sphere of power given to him and in this case it is about to be taken away

The Daniel Model

• Dan. 5:13-30

• Daniel comes as the one who can exercise and adjudicate divine power in the midst of Babylon and so in the very act of judging the king and determining his future, we see God revealing Himself to be the greater power

• Daniel acts as a human agent of God’s authority

The Daniel Model

Transforming Lives

Reforming Society

The Church

Church transforming lives, reforming society

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