THE CHURCH IN KINGDOM SERVICE

We spoke about the building blocks of the Church. When the Church is not a physical structure but is spiritual, and we still call it a building, how do we identify the building blocks in this construction—in the engineering work? The Word makes us understand that we are the Church. You are the Church, and Christ is the Head. The Church is about Christ and His Body. Christ is the Head; His Body is the Church. 

Today, we are looking at ‘The Church in Kingdom service’. Christ, being the Head of the Church, directs the Church to provide Kingdom service. As 1 Corinthians 12:18 (NIV) says, “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” He arranged the parts of the body in a way that pleases Him—so that the body functions efficiently and effectively to fulfill its purpose. In the same way, God has arranged the Church—His Body—so that each part contributes uniquely and meaningfully to Kingdom service. The Church is a spiritual Body—a spiritual entity—created by God in a unique and special way to fulfill His purpose. We are not accidents. The One who has arranged and brought all of us together has a reason for doing so. Many of us, about 95%, came here on our own. It wasn’t through evangelism. No one visited your house to invite you—God brought you. He brought you in. As Jesus said in John 6:44 (NIV), “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them.” It is God who put it in your heart to be here. He knows why He brought you—to fulfill Kingdom purpose. Even the children born in this place are part of His plan. As God said to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV), “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” God knew Jeremiah before he was conceived, and He called him. Likewise, all of us here are part of God’s divine arrangement. In His eternal design, He brought us together to do His will and fulfill His purpose. It is a finished work. We are part of God’s finished work. This is not a result of human decision. It’s just like being born again—not from a father’s will, but through the living and enduring Word of God. From where you came, there are thousands of people. Yet you are the one who is born again. Out of the thousands, He chose to give you new birth and to make you His child—a new creation. God is at work. You are a product of His labour. As Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ for good works, for His eternal purpose. Even the location of this Church—again, not the building—is a result of His divine arrangement. There is land all over Akure. We didn’t go to Ado Road, or Ondo Road, or Ijoka. But He chose to bring us here—an undeveloped estate. If you go inside, you may only find one or two houses where people live. The rest are vacant plots. Yet He brought us here for a purpose—to fulfill Kingdom purpose.

In John 3:16 (NIV), the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus died as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But when He rose from the dead, a High Priest, He committed to us the ministry of reconciliation—to reconcile the world back to God. As Romans 5:8 (NIV) says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Now that we are His children, we are a peculiar treasure. He loved us even while we were still sinners—but He hates sin.

As 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV) says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Now that we have been reconciled with God, we are His children—His peculiar treasure. We are the apple of His eye. As Romans 8:30 (NIV) says, “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” He has given us glory. He created us in true righteousness and holiness—His very nature imparted to us. His life, He gave us. His love—we have become His love children. We are not of this world. Though we live in the world, our lives are governed by Kingdom principles. We live the Kingdom life—not under the world’s system, but under God’s. The things of God are more real to us than what we see around us. The visible things are temporary; the invisible things are eternal. As 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Once, this land was empty. Once, you were a bachelor or spinster. But your story has changed. Greater is He who is in you. You are more than just this flesh—you are a spirit. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. You are of the Spirit, and that’s why spiritual things are more real to you. They may seem foolish to others, but not to you. As 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) says, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” So we can relate easily with the things of the Spirit. They are natural to us. Do not affirm the things that are temporary—they pass away. The things of the world pass away. Today they exist; tomorrow they don’t. But the things of the Spirit are eternal. They do not disappear.

As 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Though we have long spoken of His return, He delays because He wants more to be saved. Imagine if Christ had come when you were still in sin—without God, without hope. Where would you be? He delayed because of His love. Don’t we want our brothers and sisters in the town to be saved? To experience this joy and peace we now have? Spiritual death is a life separated from God—a life of sin, a life without hope or inheritance in the Kingdom. But God is patient, giving more people the opportunity to receive the abundant life He offers. The first manifestation of that life is love. When you meet someone who has the life of God, you see love. But someone filled with hatred reflects the adversary. God’s kind of love is sacrificial, unconditional, and constant. As 1 Corinthians 13 teaches, love never fails. It is patient, kind, not envious or boastful. It keeps no record of wrongs and always hopes, trusts, and perseveres. God wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). That’s the ministry of the Church—to spread the good news of the new life in Christ. We must give an account of our Kingdom service. When was the last time you told someone about Christ? We are responsible for those around us. Last week, a pastor reminded me of the importance of the “One man, one soul” principle. Even if it’s just one soul a year, bring someone to Christ. Share what He has done, how He took our sins and gave us new life through His resurrection. As Romans 10:9–10 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” We must make this truth clear. The Church continues the work of salvation and redemption. God has made us a priesthood to carry this message to the world—that they may repent and believe in Jesus. People don’t go to hell because of what they’ve done wrong—they go because they reject Jesus. And believers don’t go to Heaven because of their own righteousness, but because they believe in Jesus. When you believe in Him, you are joined with Him. Where He goes, you go. He said, “The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing” (John 5:19, NIV). In the same way, when you are joined with Jesus, you go where He goes—seated at the right hand of the Father. But if you reject Him, you are tied to the adversary. And when Satan goes to hell, he takes you with him. There is no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved except the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12, NIV). There is no salvation in any other.

God wants to love. He wants to save. He wants to bless. He wants to pray for somebody. When you see Him doing these things, you join in and do likewise. Praise be to God! Reading from the book of Revelation, chapter 1, verses 5 and 6: “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” From Jesus—the faithful witness, the absolute witness—He is witnessing over your life of salvation. His testimony is a testimony of your healing, your deliverance, and every good thing we see in your life. What greater witness do we need? The Lord Himself testifies about you—that you belong to Him. You are His child. He desires continuous fellowship with you. Oneness, unity in the Spirit. He is a faithful witness concerning the life you live. He will never deceive you. He will never lie to you. He will always tell you the truth. If you do well, He will tell you. If you do wrong, He will tell you the truth—but He will not condemn you. He will never condemn you. Who is he that condemns? Is it the One who died for you? After He gave His life to save you, would He now turn His back and condemn you? Never! He may rebuke you so you can stay right with Him. And when you sin, you can repent. You can confess your sins and forsake them, so your fellowship may be restored. Look, when you are a child of God and you sin, your relationship with God remains, but your fellowship is broken. If a born-again believer sins, he or she is still a child of God. Their relationship remains, but their fellowship is disrupted. Many times, what you experience is broken fellowship. That’s why, when you want to pray, you can’t pray. You want to sing, but it’s as though a padlock is on your mouth. Your body feels heavy—you can’t pray, can’t worship, and can’t do acts of righteousness. You are like the prodigal son. Still a child of the Father, but distanced from the Father—broken fellowship. Relationship and fellowship—these are crucial. If your relationship with God is broken, you are lost. You become a child of the adversary. And what can destroy your relationship with God? Only one thing: sinning against the Holy Spirit. That is the one sin that severs relationship with the Father. For many Christians, their fellowship with God is broken and restored repeatedly—daily. Every time sin enters, fellowship breaks. But don’t let your fellowship remain broken. You cannot enjoy your Christian life that way. Don’t live in broken fellowship. It’s like a husband and wife who are not divorced, but no longer live together. Their marriage exists, but the intimacy is gone. The moment they divorce, that’s the end. Likewise, build your fellowship—because fellowship is built on relationship. You cannot worship God in spirit and truth unless you are a child of God. Fellowship flows from relationship. That’s why a sinner cannot worship God in spirit and in truth. He worships only in the flesh—because he does not belong. He is not connected. But we are those who come to God through Jesus. Jesus is the Word. The Word connects us to the Father through Him. When you walk in that fellowship, there is confirmation in your life. As it says in Isaiah 55:11: “So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (NIV) There is authority in you. I see power at work in you! By reason of relationship birthed into fellowship, there is a confirmation: you are a child of God. Jesus is testifying about you. He’s speaking on your behalf. He says you are good. You belong to Him. He is protecting you. When you realize who you are in Him, you begin to see the extraordinary power at work in your life. When you call on Jesus, He is right there—present in the scene. Jesus is here now, continuing the work He began on earth—through the Word. He and the Word are one. You cannot separate Him from the Word. He is the Word. The Word is Jesus. As we speak in His name, He is here. And He assures you: no Word will return empty. It will accomplish what your spirit has released it for. It will achieve its purpose. You can call those things that are not as though they were, and they will answer. You can call life out of death. That power is at work in you. Because you have a relationship—a relationship that carries the gospel message. The message of salvation. The message of love. Of new life. In Jeremiah 1:12, the Lord says: “I am watching to see that My word is fulfilled.” (NIV) Unlike us, God watches His Word. Many of us speak without watching our words—but God pays attention to every word. So speak life. Speak power. Don’t deviate to the left or right—speak only what edifies. Whatever a man sows, he reaps. Your words have power. If you say, “I am blessed,” you are blessed. If you say, “I am healed,” your healing is confirmed. Jesus is a faithful witness to your confession. He is the absolute witness. Whatever you declare in faith, He affirms. So speak powerfully. Speak positively. Speak purposefully. And you will see results. They will come to you. No word is a waste. Be careful what you speak. Let your words carry life and blessing. Never curse others. God is watching your words—to fulfill them. Luke 1:37 says: “For no word from God will ever fail.” (NIV) From now on, because you have the authority of the absolute witness, nothing will be impossible for you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. The Word cannot be broken. It cannot fail to accomplish its purpose. Speak with purpose. Speak with authority—knowing that the Lord stands behind your words to make them reality. Many are haunted by careless spoken words. Don’t be one of them. Speak the Word. Load your mouth like the barrel of a gun—with the Word of God. Let the Word dwell in your heart richly—and when you release it, it will accomplish your desire. Praise be to God! Revelation 1 calls Jesus “the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is our first brother—first to rise from death into spiritual life. And now we live in that spiritual life. He came that we may have life—and have it abundantly. We share in His eternal nature. A kingdom that cannot die. Death has no power over it. The grave is too weak before the life of God. Jesus, having risen from the dead, now walks in resurrection power—and so do we. You can only rejoice! You are alive. You are victorious. Death cannot scare you. We are not in death—we are in life. Say to yourself: “I am in life. I have abundant life!” Though one day this body will be laid down, you have a building from God—eternal, indestructible, not made by human hands. When that time comes, we will leave this temporary body. But we have a spiritual body from above—death cannot touch it. It is built for eternity. Say: “I am made for eternity.” Yes—you are made for eternity! The life of Christ in you cannot die. It is everlasting life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV) This life of Christ is eternal. It is not natural—it is spiritual. Never forget: you are the body of Christ. And Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is a mystical, spiritual body—beyond human understanding. And He has made us into a kingdom and priests to serve His Father. In 1 Timothy 6:15: “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” (NIV) And Revelation 19:16 says: “On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (NIV) Say after me: “King of kings and Lord of lords!” That is what is written on the Lamb—the Messiah, the Savior of our souls. God has given Him a name above every name. He has honored Him as the King of kings, and made us part of a kingdom of priests. In 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (NIV) We are chosen. We are royal. We are holy. We belong to God. And in 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! … God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (NIV) These six things are your identity: A chosen people; a royal priesthood; a holy nation; God’s special possession; a new creation; the righteousness of God. Put your hands together for the Lord! Heaven is testifying to this. You won’t find these things in the world. The world does not give holiness. It does not produce priesthood. We are in the world, but not of the world. We understand spiritual things. That’s why we pray. That’s why we read the Bible. That’s why we listen to the Word. Because we belong to God. The world doesn’t understand these things. They find them strange. But you—since the day you were born again—look back and reflect. Every activity around your life has being God drawing you closer. From that moment, God has been shaping you for intimacy with Him—for His will. You are different. You are not like the people of the world. Anything can happen to them, but for you—child of God—take notice of everything that happens around your space. God brings people and situations your way for a purpose: so that you can build relationships that are strong, intimate, friendly, peaceful, and glorious—relationships that testify to His goodness. These encounters are not accidental; they are divinely designed. Some are meant to open your eyes, some to open your ears, and some to enlighten your understanding so you can experience God in a new dimension. From today, if you haven’t been paying attention to the things happening around you, begin to take notice. Nothing is by accident. You are not here by your own strength or will. If it were up to you, you might prefer to be sleeping at home. If you thought this was your idea, you might choose to be somewhere else entirely. But God brought you here. If He brought you here, then understand—it is not your own initiative. I see the divine hand at work. I see the hand of God moving in your life. He is working so that you may be in the center of His will, so that you can do kingdom service and offer yourself in service to Him. You are very important in the mind of God. In God’s program, you are special. You are unique. You are great. Take notice—begin to see God in all that happens around you. The divine, invisible hand is working. He is molding you, shaping you, building you. As the Word says in Philippians 2:13 (NIV), “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” You are God’s will. Do not let anything go by unnoticed. Don’t trivialize anything. Don’t say, “Oh, this is too small to matter.” Take notice of both the big and the small things—and your life will be transformed forever. God uses these things that look foolish to draw you nearer to Him so that He can bless your life. When you are in God’s will and you obey Him, blessings come as a result. The children of God do not beg for blessings. Children of God do not ask for blessings directly—“God bless me, God bless me”—because they understand that obedience attracts blessings. When you obey God, what follows is a blessing. When you walk where God is walking, blessings locate you. Why waste time saying, “God bless me in this, bless me in that,” when blessings come naturally through obedience? Pray for others—bless them, intercede for them. As Hebrews 7:25 (NIV) says, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Since He has given you life, intercede for the people around you. This one wants to get married, that one needs a breakthrough, someone else desires the fruit of the womb, promotion, admission, a scholarship, a green visa—when you pray for them. You are already praying for yourself. Because in your obedience, your blessing is guaranteed. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” He always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. You are wonderful. You are valuable in God’s service.

As it is written in Ephesians 4:16 (NIV): “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” We are all held together. The things that hold us together as a church are not visible to the natural eye. They are spiritual. The love, the peace, the unity that bind us—you cannot see them with your physical eyes, but they are real. You cannot see love itself, but you can see the works of love. You cannot see peace, but you can experience its manifestation. Jesus said in John 14:27 (NIV), “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” He has given you peace, and He is not taking it back. You have it—in the name of Jesus. We are joined and held together by every supporting ligament. We grow and build each other up in love. It is all about love. Love is the defining principle in our unity. God uses love to draw us together and bring us to Himself—because God is love. We are His beloved children. He has made us a new creation in Christ Jesus and adopted us as His children. We are His love children. So love one another. This is the command He gave us. As it is written in Ephesians 4:2–5 (NIV):

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. When He ascended on high, He took many captives and gave gifts to His people (Ephesians 4:7–8). Have you received your gift? “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge, by means of the same Spirit, to another faith… healing… miraculous powers… prophecy… distinguishing between spirits… speaking in different kinds of tongues… and interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines” (1 Corinthians 12:8–11, NIV). The gift you have is from God. It was given so you can function effectively and play your role in the body of Christ. As Ephesians 4:11–13 (NIV) says: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,

to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by every wind of doctrine and the deceitful schemes of men. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow up into Christ, who is the Head. The gift you have is for kingdom service. As it is written in Isaiah 9:7 (NIV): “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” We are called for kingdom service. The Lord is waiting on us to go all out—with zeal—to do kingdom work, that the body of Christ may be strong and united. Let’s keep at it. Iron sharpens iron. Let us grow together as one body, one Spirit, one faith—and conquer the world for Christ! You are the one who has been anointed. And I tell you—God is backing you. As we speak, He is on the scene, working. Let’s join God in doing what He has called us to do.