The Advancing Church Part 2 by Pastor Philip Olubakin: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

You are a weapon in God's hands

Jeremiah 51:20-23 — "Thou art my battle-axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations... destroy kingdoms... break in pieces the horse and his rider... man and woman... old and young... the shepherd." You may look ordinary, but you're not. God has a kingdom to establish, and it is with you that He wants to establish His counsel on the earth.

Matthew 16:18-19 — "Thou art Peter, on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail... I will give you the keys of heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth is forbidden in heaven, whatever you loose is loosed." Anything permitted in the world is as it's permitted by us. Don't blame darkness for darkness — blame light for darkness. Wherever light leaves, darkness overruns.

The advancing church (continued)

1. Boldly proclaim the gospel

2. Aggressively break down strongholds

3. Discipleship

4. Unafraid to offend

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5. Create strong, safe communities

   The church should be a place where people feel safe. Gossip in the church has to stop.

   Acts 2:46-47 — "continuing daily with one accord in the temple, breaking bread from house to house, eating their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God."

   Romans 12:10 — "be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another."

   John 13:35 — "by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Not by the strength of your tongue or how loud or long you pray — by love.

   The people who should be fighting at the gates of hell are fighting each other instead, while the enemy waits. Jesus said the kingdom of Satan stands because it is not divided against itself.

6. Strategically place members in top and influential positions

   Daniel 2:48-49 — the king made Daniel a great man, and at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego over the affairs of the province.

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   Pastor Philip Olubakin

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   • A church that will take over kingdoms must be deliberate about having people in influential positions. A church with no one in key places can be silenced at any time
   • Joseph, as a key person in government, preserved the church in the wilderness and secured Israel the choicest land in Egypt. Joseph of Arimathea, as a key person, preserved the body of Christ
   • 1 Chronicles 12:32 — the sons of Issachar were men "that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do"
   • There is no kingdom without political dominion, no kingdom without political power
   • When laws and policies contradict biblical values on life, marriage, religious freedom and family, it is because the righteous are absent from the halls of power
   • The offensive strategy is that the church must pray for, encourage, and deliberately deploy believers into political office — raise up Christian lawyers, judges, and political advisers

   Proverbs 29:2 — "when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; when the wicked man rules, the people groan."

   Matthew 5:13-14 — "you are the salt of the earth... the light of the world." Being the light starts even in decision-making — a Christian in the room shouldn't just align with the last person who spoke without thinking it through.

   Psalm 92:5 — "O Lord, how great are thy works, and thy thoughts are very deep." Great works are the result of deep thoughts. We can't stimulate our spiritual competence and abandon our mental capability.

   Daniel and his companions were found "ten times better" than every wise man in Babylon — not because of an early morning devotion, but because they were genuinely, mentally excellent. Joseph didn't become prime minister of Egypt because the king pitied him — he proffered real solutions.

7. Generate and steward wealth for kingdom advancement

   An advancing church rejects the spirit of poverty as demonic and embraces God's promise of provision — not for luxury, but for kingdom advancement.

   Ecclesiastes 10:19 — "money answereth all things."

   Deuteronomy 8:18 — "remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant." God cannot establish His covenant in the absence of wealth.

   • Faith is the currency of the supernatural, souls are the currency of eternity — but here on earth, we spend money
   • Satan demonizes two things above all: politics and money, because with them you can control media and control outcomes. He cannot stand a believer who has money
   • You have to be deliberate about increasing what you have. The wisdom of a poor man is despised
   • It's easy to abuse someone who is financially dependent on you — including abusive relationships people stay in because they lack the means to leave

   Luke 7:1-6 — the centurion whose servant was sick. The Jewish elders came to Jesus on his behalf and said he was worthy of help "for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue." Then Jesus went with them.