Kingdom Outposts: Ordinary People Bearing Witness

Wherever ordinary Jesus loving people are, kingdom outposts are established. Today, Jesus will build his church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. So let's just take a few moments. I'm gonna ask a question. Sit comfortably. Ponder this. What have I witnessed that enables me to be a witness bearer? Have I seen, tasted, experienced, heard? If so, I am a witness bearer. Who was a witness near me? Who witnessed to me? Who continues to witness to me? What hinders me from being a witness bearer? Remember, we can only bear true witness to what we have personally seen, heard, and experienced. Amen. [01:11:54] (83 seconds)  #BeAWitness

And the gates of hell will not prevail. There will always be the church regardless of what experts say. And here's the interesting thing. The more the powers and authorities try to stamp out the church and truth, the more it grows. Isn't that interesting? The easier we have it, the less vital we are. It's his church, his body, his dwelling place. The gates of hell will not prevail. Remember that. Doesn't matter what anyone says or what's happening in this world, the church will survive. You got that? Amen. That's good. [00:51:33] (45 seconds)  #ChurchWillPrevail

We said no to God's love. We said no to the good life. We said no to flourishing and abundance, peace, and goodwill, and harmony. We said no to that, but god set out to bring us back to enjoy this god speak. Humans were created in his image to produce to produce a flourishing community and to work together as carers and rulers of a god given authority over earth. Carers love people, loving them, flourishing, working together. This was not a complete work of god. Wasn't finished. This was an ongoing work in partnership to care for this sacred place where heaven and earth meet. [00:59:01] (59 seconds)  #StewardsOfCreation

Peter is given the keys of the kingdom. He can open and close the door to the kingdom. We are people of the kingdom, God's own precious people, kings and priests. That's what Peter calls us, kings and priests. We have this authority to extend the kingdom, to invite, to say, let's sit down, open it up. It is Jesus himself who'll bring the revelation, but we have this opportunity to partner with God. We are kingdom proclaimers. We are kingdom proclaimers partnering with the king Jesus or witness bearers, if you like. That's who we are, partnering, but it is the spirit of God who does the work through us. [00:52:17] (55 seconds)  #KingdomProclaimers

Jesus is king. The kingdom broke into Peter's life. And he could say, you're the Messiah. You're the king. You're the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus had been waiting for his disciples to finally recognize who he was. He didn't go around proclaiming, I am. I am. I am. He went around doing good, living among them, showing them what Jesus was like. And, wow, now they finally know who he is. This knowledge came from god's grace, revelation, or as the word is here, apocalypse. This was not human understanding but by revelation. [00:48:28] (52 seconds)  #ChristRevealed

They cared for the needy. They practiced what Jesus did. They healed. They were Jesus to the community. Unfortunately, because the authority of Jesus' teaching was now in the streets or in households. The corruption of the church at that time, the corrupt people didn't like it, so they were persecuted. And the pope declared them nonexistent, But they continued. It was countercultural. They predated the reformation, yet were calling out the corruption of the church. They valued an experience with God, a love of God and a love of neighbor. They were witness bearers. [01:09:25] (59 seconds)  #LivingLikeJesus

Now the kingdom outposts are when heaven space meets god's space throughout the world, where one or two, three or four go. And I was thinking about when someone came here a hundred and thirty plus years ago, always get the number wrong, and a tent mission was held, and a kingdom outpost was established here in Launceston. And then the Launceston people who discovered the beauty and wonder of belonging to god, they have gone to other places and little kingdom outposts have been established. We call them churches. The church is the face of the kingdom. [01:00:58] (48 seconds)  #KingdomOutposts

Notice, Jesus will build the church. He said, I will build my church. Whose church is it? I'm glad if sometimes I am going to my church, but it really is God's church. And, whether you attend one in, New Zealand or Australia or other parts of Launceston, Jesus is building his church. He does it. And the gates of hell will not prevail. There will always be the church regardless of what experts say. And here's the interesting thing. The more the powers and authorities try to stamp out the church and truth, the more it grows. [00:50:56] (58 seconds)  #GodBuildsTheChurch