We the Kingdom | Chris Senty | Sermon Only

Church members are reminded that their identity is rooted in positional sonship with Christ—joint heirs seated with him in heavenly places—and that this identity undergirds kingdom living. Believers are called to intimate oneness with God, walking in the Spirit so the old nature’s fruit is reckoned dead and the new nature bears godly fruit. Submission to Christ’s authority is emphasized as the posture that unleashes God’s delegated power; believers are to act only as directed by the Father and the Holy Spirit, learning to partner rather than to control. Community is central: the church is not a building but a spiritual organism whose unity and mutual care form a throne for Jesus and make his presence manifest. Practical discipleship—joining home groups, cultivating one-on-one relationships, and equipping the body through the fivefold ministries—reorients ministry from consumption to participation, calling every believer to build others up.

The talk surfaces the theological conviction that reconciliation extends beyond individual salvation to the restoration of human relationships, enabled by Christ’s permanent, unbreakable joining of humanity to God. Humility and selfless service modeled by Christ are presented as the means by which believers become one in mind and heart; such unity is supernatural, produced by the Holy Spirit and expressed in sacrificial care for neighbors. An expansive vision for the city is cast: when churches lay down isolation and pursue unity across fellowships, the manifest power of the kingdom increases—bringing conversions, deliverance, and the unseating of principalities. Finally, the gathering of the people and the mutual practice of prayer, testimony, and ministry are offered as immediate, practical ways to activate these truths, encouraging believers to speak, pray, and minister through the Spirit for the flourishing of one another and the city.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Positional sonship secures authority Belonging as joint heirs with Christ is not merely legal language but the basis for authority and bold kingdom action. When identity is rooted in what Christ has accomplished, fear and performance-driven religion lose their grip. This security empowers believers to step into delegated authority without proving worthiness through works. [00:44]
• 2. Submit to Christ as Commander Recognition of Christ’s sovereignty reshapes initiative: kingdom action begins by asking, seeing, and following the Father’s lead, not by entrepreneurial faith apart from obedience. True spiritual fruit flows from alignment with Christ’s authority, not from well-intentioned activity that bypasses his direction. Submission is the pathway to increased responsibility and revelation. [03:39]
• 3. Unity becomes spiritual warfare strategy Deep, Spirit-wrought unity among believers is not optional fellowship nicety but a strategic instrument that reveals Christ and dislodges spiritual strongholds. When the church embodies one another’s needs and worships together as one body, God’s glory becomes visible and the city is contested effectively. Division surrenders ground that unity can reclaim. [13:23]
• 4. Equip the body, not just perform Leadership’s role is to equip every believer to minister, not to centralize ministry tasks in a few hands. A mature church releases people to speak, pray, and testify so the whole body grows healthy and full of love. Equipping produces spiritual resilience against deception and cultivates mutual building up. [25:34]
• 5. Small groups activate kingdom life Intentional, localized relationships—home groups and practical caregiving—translate theology into sustained care and spiritual authority in neighborhoods. As each person tends their sphere of influence, collective capacity to love, pray, and disciple multiplies exponentially. These rhythms form the practical engine for city-wide transformation. [41:17]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:21] - Gratitude and Leadership
• [00:44] - Positional Sonship Explained
• [03:39] - Submission to Christ’s Authority
• [05:18] - Walking as Jesus Walked
• [08:06] - The Importance of Home Groups
• [12:51] - Jesus’ Prayer for Unity
• [18:47] - Walking in the Light Together
• [25:34] - Equipping the Body (Ephesians 4)
• [32:33] - Unity Across Churches, City Vision
• [40:20] - Practical Prayer Exercise and Breakouts
• [49:59] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Bible reading

John 17:20-23 (ESV)
"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."

Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV)
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Joshua 5:13-14 (ESV)
"When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, 'Are you for us, or for our adversaries?' And he said, 'No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, 'What does my Lord say to his servant?'"

Observation questions

1. In Joshua 5:13-14, how does the Commander of the Lord’s army respond to Joshua’s question about whose side He is on? [04:02]
2. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, what is the specific purpose for which Christ gave leaders (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers) to the church? [25:34]
3. In John 17:21-23, what is the repeated reason Jesus gives for why His followers must be "one"? [13:23]
4. Based on Ephesians 4:14, what are some of the risks or behaviors associated with being "immature" or like "children" in the faith? [26:18]

Interpretation questions

1. Joshua had to shift from thinking about his own personal agenda to submitting to the Commander of the Lord’s army. What does it look like for a believer to move from "entrepreneurial faith" to a posture of asking, "What does my Lord say to his servant?" [04:14]
2. Ephesians 4 suggests that maturity is measured by the "full and complete standard of Christ" rather than just individual knowledge. How does the "special work" of each individual part of the body contribute to the health and love of the whole organism? [26:48]
3. Jesus prays for a unity that is "perfectly one." Given that believers are "joint heirs" with Christ, how does this shared inheritance and identity serve as the foundation for resolving broken relationships within the church? [10:51]
4. Walking in the light is described as the prerequisite for having true fellowship with one another. How does the blood of Jesus cleansing us from sin enable us to be honest and transparent with other believers? [18:47]

Application questions

1. We are positionally sons and joint heirs with Christ, meaning we share in His inheritance and authority [00:44]. How does knowing that you are "already qualified" by what Christ did change the way you approach God when you’ve had a "terrible day" or struggled with sin? [12:20]
2. True spiritual authority comes from being under authority and acting only as directed by the Father [07:29]. Can you think of a time when you "got ahead of the Lord" by trying to make something happen in your own strength? What did that experience teach you about the protection found in submission? [06:37]
3. The church is not a building but a spiritual organism where we "create a throne for Jesus" through our unity [23:22]. In what ways can you move from being a "consumer" of services to an active participant who builds others up during the week? [27:17]
4. Unity across different churches and fellowships is a strategy to unseat principalities and powers in a city [36:08]. How can we practically "lay down boundaries" with believers from different backgrounds to show the world that we are one church in this city? [34:05]
5. We are called to "walk in the light" with one another, which involves sharing our needs and praying for each other [18:47]. What is one specific area in your life right now where you need God’s help, and who is one person in this group you can invite to pray with you about it? [40:20]
6. Every believer has a "sphere of influence" or a "dominion" prepared for them [37:32]. Who are the specific people—neighbors, coworkers, or family members—that God has placed in your path for you to "spur on toward love and good deeds"? [38:13]