Actualizing Your Kingdom Identity
John 7: 18 - 28
SOLID IN HIS CONVICTIONS
There was John’s manner. He had relatively few tools in his toolbox. When he saw that the truth of God had to be upheld and the sin of the powerful rebuked, he reached into his toolbox and came up with its one and only tool: confrontation. It wasn’t long before he confronted Herodias, wife of Herod the ruler. John looked her in the eye and said, “First you married Phillip, your uncle Phillip, no less. Then you ‘fooled around’ with the man who is currently your husband. Then you allowed your daughter, Salome, to dance like a stripper in order to inflame a crowd of half-drunk military officers. You, Mrs. Herod, are incestuous, adulterous, and a pimp all at once. It’s an abomination to God; you yourself are a disgrace; and the stench of it all looms larger than a mushroom cloud.”
- NOT MEN PLEASERS
- BRAVE
- UNCOMPROMISING WITH THE WORD
SECURE IN HIS PURPOSE – Put the Kingdom 1st: Think of John’s appearance. He wore a camel-hide wrap-around, and it stank as only camels can stink. (Jesus, by contrast, wore a robe fine enough that soldiers gambled for it.)
Then there was John’s diet: wild honey. How many bee stings did he have to endure to procure the honey? No doubt he had been stung so many times he was impervious, bees being now no more bothersome than fruit flies. John’s habitat was noteworthy. The wilderness, everywhere in scripture, is the symbol for a radical break with the posturing and the pretence, the falsehoods and phoniness of the big city and its inherent corruption. Jerusalem , hier shalem, describes itself as the city of salvation. But is it? Jerusalem kills the prophets and crucifies the Messiah. By living in the wilderness John contradicted everything the city represented.
- WILLING TO SACRIFICE
- DRIVEN BY PURPOSE NOT MATERIALISM
- HUMBLE - He must increase
EXCELLING IN HIS CALLING
- HIGHLY COMMENDED BY HIS COMMANDING OFFICER
- FAITHFUL TO HIS FOREORDAINED CALL
- EXCELLED IN AN ETERNAL ENTERPRISE {POINTING THE WAY TO JESUS} – Great harvest of souls, even notorious sinners
HIS EXAMPLE OF EXCELLENCY IS THE LOWER BAR FOR THOSE IN THE KINGDOM ERA
The privileges of the Kingdomites:
- DIVINE ACCESS – The name of Jesus
Those connected to the vine, living in obedience to The Word receive whatever they ask for in His name
- DIVINE AUTHORITY- We have been given power and authority over every form/manifestation of the enemy as well as over every power he possesses.
- DIVINE ASSISTANCE – We have been given the Holy Spirit to aid in our ministry. He is comforter, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, and Strengthener. John 15: 26. The prayer ministry of the Holy spirit Rom. 8
- DIVINE ANOINTING – We are each recipients of the gifts of the Spirit by the grace of God [prophecy, practical service, teaching, exhortation, helps, mercy, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, wonder working faith, healing, miracles, discernment, various unknown tongues, interpretation of tongues Rom. 12: 5 – 8. 1 Tim. 1: 5 – 8 Fan into flames the gift that is in you…
SOLID IN HIS CONVICTIONS
There was John’s manner. He had relatively few tools in his toolbox. When he saw that the truth of God had to be upheld and the sin of the powerful rebuked, he reached into his toolbox and came up with its one and only tool: confrontation. It wasn’t long before he confronted Herodias, wife of Herod the ruler. John looked her in the eye and said, “First you married Phillip, your uncle Phillip, no less. Then you ‘fooled around’ with the man who is currently your husband. Then you allowed your daughter, Salome, to dance like a stripper in order to inflame a crowd of half-drunk military officers. You, Mrs. Herod, are incestuous, adulterous, and a pimp all at once. It’s an abomination to God; you yourself are a disgrace; and the stench of it all looms larger than a mushroom cloud.”
- NOT MEN PLEASERS
- BRAVE
- UNCOMPROMISING WITH THE WORD
SECURE IN HIS PURPOSE – Put the Kingdom 1st: Think of John’s appearance. He wore a camel-hide wrap-around, and it stank as only camels can stink. (Jesus, by contrast, wore a robe fine enough that soldiers gambled for it.)
Then there was John’s diet: wild honey. How many bee stings did he have to endure to procure the honey? No doubt he had been stung so many times he was impervious, bees being now no more bothersome than fruit flies. John’s habitat was noteworthy. The wilderness, everywhere in scripture, is the symbol for a radical break with the posturing and the pretence, the falsehoods and phoniness of the big city and its inherent corruption. Jerusalem , hier shalem, describes itself as the city of salvation. But is it? Jerusalem kills the prophets and crucifies the Messiah. By living in the wilderness John contradicted everything the city represented.
- WILLING TO SACRIFICE
- DRIVEN BY PURPOSE NOT MATERIALISM
- HUMBLE - He must increase
EXCELLING IN HIS CALLING
- HIGHLY COMMENDED BY HIS COMMANDING OFFICER
- FAITHFUL TO HIS FOREORDAINED CALL
- EXCELLED IN AN ETERNAL ENTERPRISE {POINTING THE WAY TO JESUS} – Great harvest of souls, even notorious sinners
HIS EXAMPLE OF EXCELLENCY IS THE LOWER BAR FOR THOSE IN THE KINGDOM ERA
The privileges of the Kingdomites:
- DIVINE ACCESS – The name of Jesus
Those connected to the vine, living in obedience to The Word receive whatever they ask for in His name
- DIVINE AUTHORITY- We have been given power and authority over every form/manifestation of the enemy as well as over every power he possesses.
- DIVINE ASSISTANCE – We have been given the Holy Spirit to aid in our ministry. He is comforter, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, and Strengthener. John 15: 26. The prayer ministry of the Holy spirit Rom. 8
- DIVINE ANOINTING – We are each recipients of the gifts of the Spirit by the grace of God [prophecy, practical service, teaching, exhortation, helps, mercy, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, wonder working faith, healing, miracles, discernment, various unknown tongues, interpretation of tongues Rom. 12: 5 – 8. 1 Tim. 1: 5 – 8 Fan into flames the gift that is in you…
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