Good evening, I’m
honored to be with you this evening; sharing the word of God during this awesome
solemn assembly. Our theme this year –
Repositioned for the Kingdom – is so applicable if we’re to move forward in the
will of God. This word for today doesn’t
matter where you are; rather you’re a babe in Christ or you have tenure, rather
you’re soaring with eagles, strutting with turkeys or anywhere in between. Where ever you see yourself; grab hold and be
receptive to God’s word.
I want to address the need to be repositioned in the kingdom. So let’s start where we are today; dealing with an old network of ‘churching’ that doesn’t work today. The old network of our forefathers is not adequate for today, the world is constantly shifting and changing and if we’re to be spiritually relevant in it, we have to be repositioned in God so we can be the instruments of godly change in the world. Above all, we want to be fit for the master’s use.
I want to use Joshua as my backdrop to show the necessity of being repositioned in order to continue the work of God. The work doesn’t stop because those that were leading the way are no longer here. So, let’s take a look at Joshua and Moses. In this account, after Moses died, God allowed Joshua a space of time to mourn. The move forward to the promised land had come to a halt as Joshua mourned the loss of his beloved leader. How long would Joshua have languished there if God had not told Him to get up, there was still work that needed to be done; he had to carry on in Moses’ stead but he couldn’t do it until he had been repositioned. God’s plan didn’t die with Moses’ and it didn’t change with Joshua. God’s intent was to get the Israelites to the promised land. Moses’ job was to lead his people out of Egypt, Joshua’s job was to lead them into the promised land. Joshua’s way was not Moses’ way but the commonality between them was still God’s way. Their purpose was the same but Joshua’s monsters were not the same as Moses’. He had been in the fight with Moses but he had to be repositioned for his fight. But Joshua had an issue. He was stuck in his mourning to the point that God had to intervene. God told Joshua to get up and when you get up, I need you to :
®
He
told him to meditate in the word and observe to do all that is in it
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And
he told him don’t be afraid or dismayed
He was instructed to reposition himself to continue the work of God. If Joshua was already strong and of good courage, was meditating on God’s word and doing it, if he wasn’t afraid or dismayed there would not have been a need for God to tell him those things. But he was being repositioned from where he was in his mind to where he needed to be to carry out the next phase of God’s will. Let me pause here and say all of our hindrances are not sin-related; Joshua’s wasn’t. It was a need for a renewal in his mind. How often do we consider ourselves unworthy or not capable, fearful of the unknown, too burdened with the cares or circumstances of our life so that we can’t do what God has called us to do?
Previously Joshua had
Moses to lean on and now Moses was gone.
Just like Joshua with Moses, there are some of us who’ve had the honor
and privilege to be in the company of some mighty men and women of God but now
they’re gone and it’s left to us to carry on – not to be them – but do the work
of God given to us for this time. It
takes some shifting; some repositioning to break away from the norms and antiquated
networks; to have a new mindset. Joshua
needed a new mindset. He was no longer 2nd
in command, he was the new leader with a mission that needed to be completed.
We have a mission just like Joshua; ours comes from Jesus who said, “I didn’t come to call the ‘righteous,’ but to call those who are sinners and bring them to repentance.” Luke 5:29-32
The cure for this sin-sick world is repentance and it’s the responsibility - our obligation, - those of us who are citizens of the Kingdom – to bridge the gap of sin-sick men to a forgiving Father. Until Jesus comes again, we have to continue the work left to us by our savior, Jesus.
There’s a great spiritual gap – the gap is between the challenge of Jesus to reach the world with the Gospel and the failure of His people to fulfill that challenge. That’s why we need to be repositioned. It’s time now for the body of Christ to shift, to move, to reposition to meet the need, to reach the world before it’s too late.
When we recognize and accept our personal responsibility to the multitudes of sin-sick people, we become part of a special group; a group of believers from all over the world who’ve joined together spiritually; the body of Christ – we all have a role to play in the body.
Apostle Paul explains Jesus as the head, who joins and holds together the whole body; providing the support needed so each part works according to its proper design [Ephesians 4:16]
My role may not be the same as yours but we work together as a united front to accomplish the will of God and sometimes it takes some repositioning to get us in proper alignment.
If we’re to continue to fulfill the will of God and bridge the gap between sinful man and a righteous God, we have to get out of cultural, theological, and denominational ruts. We must be repositioned in the kingdom to meet the spiritual needs of today! We have to be repositioned to go fourth as Jesus instructed and share the good news of the mediator between a merciful God and sin-sick man.
We’ve become so acclimated to the standards of the world, trying to blend in and fit in where we can that we’re casting shadows rather than shedding light! We’re trying to blend in when we should be beaming the light of Jesus. We need to get repositioned so that our light shines brightly!
There has to be someone who will intercede on behalf of a sin-sick world, someone who will usher sinful men to a faithful God; a God who is rich in mercy and faithful to forgive us; someone who will cast the light that leads to the path of eternal salvation. Playtime is over; if we’re not repositioned, – no one to effectively pray, no one to fast, no one to encourage, no one to preach and teach the word – then it’s a wrap for the world; men and women under our watch who could’ve been spared - fatally lost. That’s why it’s imperative that we allow ourselves to be repositioned in the kingdom; what we did 10 years, 5 years, even 1 year ago may not be what is needful for today. That’s why we have to be willing and pliable to the repositioning. We can’t get stuck and comfortable like Joshua; languishing in his grief – Do like God told Joshua and get up!
The times we’re living in demands it! It’s time to get up, all you 'Joshuas' – those who are scared, fearful, comfortable where you are, there’s work to do! The times are perilous. We know the condition of the world and we know the condition of the church today. In the world, these are critical times. In the church there’s a great falling away, we're almost spiritually catatonic as the world plummets to a destructive end and not only that, the love of God has waxed cold in the hearts of many in the church.
We can see the world living out the word of God today. Just like in the bible days, we’re living in
perverse times: I hear God saying,
asking the question: Can’t you
see how wayward and wrong this generation is? Matthew
17:17.
We don’t know how long God will stay His hand so we have make haste to be about our father’s business. We have to be repositioned to be relevant in reaching out and getting the attention of a sin-sick, dying world to let them know that there is a way, a path to salvation, a hope that can only be found in and through Jesus.
God made it possible to bridge the gap that separates us from Him. He sent His son Jesus and Jesus let us know:
. . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
There’s no other way. The Bible tells us:
. . . there’s one God, and there’s one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 2:5)
The need for a mediator indicates there’s a gap or a separation between two parties who can’t accept each other.
Jesus is the mediator between sinful man and a righteous God. Neither can accept the other without the mediator. Jesus made it possible for man to be redeemed from sin and accepted by a righteous God. The body of Christ isn’t left out of the equation; somebody has to lead the way to the mediator. How do sinful men make it to Jesus – the answer is by those who are repositioned in the kingdom!
Multitudes of people still wait for the message of the mediator who can bridge the gap between them and God. They may not know exactly what they’re waiting on, but we know there are many, many people in the world just waiting to be found. The bible says:
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Romans 8:22
Groaning and travailing for the hope that is only found through Jesus! The sin-sick needs someone to point them in the right direction; lead them to Christ.
The world is crying out, lost, confused and without hope; many not even realizing that there’s a place where their spiritual needs can be met, a place where there’s hope and a place where they can be healed and delivered from their sin-sickened state. Some are spiritually dying and don’t even realize it. But the bible says that
So, what must we do? First and foremost, because of God but secondly for the sinner’s sake, as a repositioned child of God, we have to live a life that is a reflection of our heavenly Father. Others see us, they observe us and they make note of what we do and what we say. The bible talks about living epistles; through our actions as well as our speech; people should see the God in us. (2 Corinthians 3:1-3)
For anyone who calls themself a saint of God, a child of the king, a kingdom citizen – however we refer to ourself, everybody in our life should know who we are and what we represent. We can’t be wishy-washy, doubleminded or lukewarm. We have to be alert to the timing of God. How impactful are we? We need to prick the hearts of the sin-sick one way or the other – either they run to Jesus (like in the case of Peter preaching his first sermon) or they cut you off like in the case of Stephan (who was stoned for his words). But either way our impact should be big.
Secondly – We have to do our part and work as a united force. This is how it should be: people working in all positions in the body of Christ; all working in unison; all staying in their own lane because they know their assignment; fitly joined. No one trying to outdo the other or do a job that they haven’t been positioned.
People can’t be totally delivered and set free because some are not allowing themselves to be repositioned; nor are they focused on the goal; they’re not seeing things and doing things from a godly perspective. They’re looking for applause, a position, a title, promotion; when it’s not about that at all.
We wonder why we see so much confusion and corruption in the church;
That’s another
reason why we need to be repositioned so that we can combat every ungodly thing
that comes against the kingdom of God. We
need to shut some stuff down; we need to set proper boundaries; we need to hold
the standard of God up as a defense against all ungodliness – particularly as:
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold. Matthew
24:12
This is what we need to understand, no matter what state we’re in; rather we’re out of God’s will or in His will, He still loves us. No, He doesn’t like or approve; nor is He accepting of the sin but He loves us. His word tells us that He sent His only begotten son not because we’re so good, but because He loves us! [John 3:16]
It
should be our desire to point people
to Jesus. Despite the times, we know that we serve a God that is omnipotent and that
when we open our hearts to Him and obey His will, allow Him to mold us, shape
us – that we become repositioned for His glory to be manifest.
It’s time to be repositioned into a: New
year, new beginning, new mindset, new focus, new start, new intentions, new
results!
Lord, we thank you for your word on today. I pray that it fell on good ground; that where ever we’re at in our walk with you, put it in us to be pliable to your will, to be repositioned to where and what You called us to be! In Jesus name, Amen.
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