Mar. 16, 2025

DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, TO HEAR THE FULL SERMON, PLEASE LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.

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Dominion (BTS 16 mar 25) — Pastor John Custer

Introduction - This lesson introduces several others to follow regarding an often overlooked aspect of our relationship with Jesus.  It concerns dominion, which is the ability to govern and control things.  In church life, very often the primary reason we start following Jesus is to gain relief from some kind of problem or testing.  After that is attained, it seems that the highest goal is to remain happy, be blessed, and teach others how to achieve the same.  These feelings and general state of well-being will be the inevitable result of following Jesus, but they are just the start of the abundant life which God has in store for the Christian: 

Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” 27So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” NASB

This section of Genesis is sometimes called the Dominion Covenant, or the Dominion Mandate.  It is a command to Adam and all of his posterity to subdue and rule all the created order of things on the earth: the earth itself, and all living and moving creatures made by God to inhabit the earth. Shortly after these commands were given, Adam rebelled and came out from under the sovereignty of God.  God never retracted the command, even though Adam chose to sin and came out from under the sovereignty of God. This command was repeated to Noah after the flood:

Genesis 9:1-3,7 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every animal of the earth and on every bird of the sky; on everything that crawls on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea. They are handed over to you. 3Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I have given everything to you, as I gave the green plant…7“As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.” NASB

David spoke of it in the Psalms:  

Psalm 8:4-8 What is man that You think of him, and a son of man that You are concerned about him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen and also the animals of the field, 8 The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. NASB

Jesus reinforced this mandate by equipping us, in this age, with the Holy Spirit and His Word to go forth and preach in His name.  We are to subdue as much of the world as we can, even in its fallen state, by changing people through the Word and the Holy Spirit.  

2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work. NASB

Conclusion - We CAN have a real impact on this fallen world!  God has destined us, not unsaved mankind, to be the people who really affect this planet! From the time of Adam right through to the church age, we were chosen to be his regents and stewards.  Don’t believe the lie that things are too far gone to change!  This is how you can really express love to God, by fulfilling this task which He appointed you to.  YOU are God’s man or woman to advance the kingdom in this hour.  Much more to come…