The Advancing Church Part 1 by Pastor Philip Olubakin: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Isolation is the first step to destruction

The enemy doesn't like believers coming together, because there's strength when we come together. When the enemy comes against you with depression, the first thing it does is try to isolate you from people. But in relating, speaking, fellowshipping, bonding with people comes healing, itself by itself is therapy. We must not abandon the coming together of the brethren.

This month we're re-emphasizing the theme of the year, refocusing on kingdom. Kingdom is critical. We have to take our minds off our selfish needs and focus on God's work and kingdom.

Text: Matthew 16:18-19

The church was built for war

Matthew 16:18, "And I say unto thee, thou art Peter. And upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail." From the outset it is clear that the church was built for war. The church is not a gentle place.

Number two, we are on the offensive, not defending our territory. Offensive means you will offend people, their ideologies. Anyone who doesn't know Jesus is going to hell, no matter how nice, moral, or philanthropic they are. The enemy paints a picture that you can be good and don't necessarily have to accept Jesus.

Isaiah 41:15, "I make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth. Thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small." God is making us a sharp threshing instrument.

Matthew 16:19, "I've given you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatsoever you bind on earth I will bind in heaven, whatsoever you permit on earth I will permit in heaven." Whatever we see going on is what we have permitted. We lose the right to criticize corruption in government when we fold our hands and let it happen.

Boko Haram started with small groups teaching children extremism, and nobody raised alarm because "it wasn't our concern." The best time to nip something is when it's still an idea.

Characteristics of the advancing church

1. Boldly proclaims the gospel — not ashamed

   Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation."

   • Not ashamed of being called SU, or extreme. A man praying is called extreme, but a drag queen teaching nursery children, or two girls kissing in public, is not called extreme
   • Some can't even post a gospel flyer on their status because they don't want to offend their clients, or pray openly in their own office
   • A Muslim will lay his mat down in the middle of an office and pray at prayer time, not caring who's watching — that is what it means to be unashamed of the gospel

   2 Timothy 4:2, preach the word, be ready in season, convince, rebuke, exhort.

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Pastor Philip Olubakin
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2. Actively breaks down strongholds

   We know the things we see are beyond the surface — there's a spirit behind corruption, banditry, sexual addiction.

   2 Corinthians 4:4, "the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not."

   • The way some steal money in this country, running into hundreds of houses and billions, is beyond ordinary human capacity — it has to be spiritual, like the demon that came on Gehazi
   • It's not normal to behead people and post it — even wicked people have limits. Only Satan has capacity for that
   • There's a demonic spirit behind sexual perversion and bondage practices — believers must be able to see through the lies and see Satan behind them

3. Lives out of a robust gospel

   (Already preached on Tuesday — available on YouTube.)

4. Makes intentional discipleship

   Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

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   • Make disciples, not just converts. We need to be deliberate about raising solid Christians who can see a bag of dollars and say no, who can't be cheaply bought
   • As long as we keep doing what we're doing, we will raise up weak people who can be bought

   Illustration — Gideon's 300: Gideon had 10,000 to face 100,000 Midianite soldiers. God tested them at the water. Those who threw down their weapons and dived in to drink because they were slaves to their thirst were sent home — they were already defeated, already slaves to their own appetite. Only the 300 who stayed guarded and drank with caution were kept.

   2 Timothy 2:2, "the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." That's how a generation transfers what it has to the next.

   We have the biggest church auditoriums and gatherings in the world, yet we can't combat cheap, strategic opposition — because we are weak in character and integrity.

5. Unafraid to offend

   The advancing church fears God more than it fears men. It speaks biblical truth on marriage, finance, sexual sin, and salvation — without apology.

   Galatians 1:10, "Do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

   Personal testimony: my father, an herbalist, beat me every day I went to church, and beat me until he died — but I kept going back.

   • Some of us are afraid to offend a roommate who's borrowing from us, or a colleague we know is having an office affair, telling ourselves it's not our business. But there's a reason God placed you there — you are an ambassador for Jesus in that place ("could it be that thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this," Esther 4:14)
   • If your friends bring their girlfriends or side chicks to sleep in your house, your house is a slaughter house — you don't want to offend them, but your friends are going to hell

   Illustration: A brother in church posted photos drinking at a birthday party. I called him aside privately and told him to take the picture down — that's what it means to speak the truth in love. The lady whose party it was left the church over it, but my own pastor backed the correction publicly: "some of you, your own is too much — leave my workers for me."

   I don't disclose what people confess to me privately as a pastor. I called the brother aside and rebuked him sharply, but didn't disgrace him publicly — because I couldn't disgrace him without disgracing the woman involved too. What women don't know: a brother who sleeps with many women in the church can still find someone to marry him there, so it does no good to publicly expose only him.

   Illustration: I counselled a lady who was cohabiting to leave the guy. She said if she left him she'd have to move back to her parents' house and their church. I told her, go — we'll meet in heaven. There's God in the Methodist church, the Anglican church, all of those churches too. Just don't stay perpetually in sin. A lot of pastors can never tell people, particularly women, the truth.

   Illustration: I once told a lady her makeup looked like a disguise, not makeup, when her friend was telling her "you go, girl." You have to hold someone who will tell you the truth in very high esteem — it means they don't care if they lose you, so long as they can save you.