SERMON: YOUR LANDMARKS
INTRODUCTION: The story In Dan 10:-21 TRANSITIONAL-STATEMENT: As much as Daniel was shown the future for the moving of kingdoms on earth, He was shown how it happens through the spiritual realm, and his part through prayer and righteous living. This shows our influence and responsibility involved! 1.BOUNDING-IN-AUTHORITY Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; We don’t see them but we are given boundaries of authority and influence, and even land! It is vital to kow this to be effective for God’s Kingdom. I. A law against frauds - De 19:14 ¶ Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 1. Here is an implicit direction given to the first planters of Canaan to fix land-marks, according to the distribution of the land to the several tribes and families by lot. Note, It is the will of God that every one should know his own, and that all good means should be used to prevent encroachments and the doing and suffering of wrong. When right is settled, care must be taken that it be not afterwards unsettled, and that, if possible, no occasion of dispute may arise. You cannot assume your areas of authority, influence or land, you must understand that to gain anymore must be done in war. 2. An express law to posterity not to remove those land-marks which were thus fixed at first, by which a man secretly got that to himself which was his neighbour's. This, without doubt, is a moral precept, and still binding, This talks of actual land/territory dealings of Israel, but its moral precpts go into the spiritual realm. (1.) It forbids, The invading of any man's right, and taking to ourselves that which is not our own, by any fraudulent arts or practices, as by forging, concealing, destroying, or altering deeds and writings (which are our land-marks, to which appeals are made), or by shifting hedges, meer-stones, and boundaries. Though the land-marks were set by the hand of man, yet he was a thief and a robber by the law of God that removed them. Let every man be content with his own lot, and just to his neighbours, and then we shall have no land-marks removed. The enemy has encroached, and moved their hedges closer to you! He has stolen what belongs to you. (2.) It forbids the sowing of discord among neighbours, and doing any thing to occasion strife and law-suits, which is done (and it is very ill done) by confounding those things which should determine disputes and decide controversies. If respected, even in the spiritual, we can use this respect to gain, and influence others! (3.) And, It forbids breaking in upon the settled order and constitution of civil government, and the altering of ancient usages without just cause. This law supports the honour of prescriptions. Consuetudo facit jus--Custom is to be held as law. Always important not to usurp authorities. Just becuase its the devil, doesnt mean can trample over. There is method! Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Eph 6:1 ¶ Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Eph 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. See the context that leads to the final verse. All talking of submission and authority. So like wise we must understand the rights of the enemy (principalities, against powers, against the rulers) in territories! Lu 7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it]. 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel. As Pastor, I have authority over this Town and area, because I am under authority for this region and province and God. Each of you has a your part in it under me, in the chain of authority, as God’s work here. Order of steps. . .We can only occupy our own land, we can only do business, make progress in our territory. Ac 17:26 (God) hath . . . determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; God’s boundaries give legal right to each owner. So the strongholds are legally the devils! Only a stronger one can win over them! We progress in our landmarks, marking for God’s kingdom, setting up Christ flag! 2. OCCUPIED-TERRITORY Ex 23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. You maybe cheated! God may have land that is meant for you/us, and we’re settling for what we have, what we think is ours. These bounds were given while the enemy was still there! The enemy has much that doesn’t belong to him. Some is his by what people give and corrupt. Lu 19:11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this [man] to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, [here is] thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, [thou] wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? 24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give [it] to him that hath ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me. This is one of two similar parables. Many think they mean the same thing, use your talents! But this ones context leans much more towards actual land or spiritual territory to further His Kingdom while He is away. Occupy means to do business or make PROGRESS! Talents will be part, but He expects ground to be gained. Each of us have an allotment of Spiritual/physical land to excercise authority over. Are you? Ge 13:9 [Is] not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if [thou wilt take] the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if [thou depart] to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched [his] tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. What land have you chosen? Have you chosen Fox Creek? What land are you seeking? Are you seeking good land to cleanse for the kingdom or wicked to enjoin yourself to? Will you Occupy? Isa 10:13 For (The Lord) saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, I have robbed their treasures, I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: He removed their bounds to give them over to their enemies. Bounds are not to restrict but to protect! When we are ready to advance God will leave the enemy open to attack! In other words, to gain ground, church, we need to wage war!! But only until you have taken your rightful authority over your territory can you move onto to taking more! Even if it is supposed to be yours! Lu 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. We have authority to conquer, but it is even greater in our sphere of authority! To wage war we need to first control what is ours in the first place then be ready and stable to advance! Be sure to establish your own “Land” before you endeavor to take more, for if yours isn’t settled, it will leave you open to be undermined! If you go against gambling in this town and there is addiction in your territory, you could open a can of worms! Deal with your own sphere first. But in the midst of settling your Occupational shere, you can always make headway with the people in your sphere of influence or Sheparding Territory . . . 3.SHEPARDING-TERRITORY Occupying is doing business, making progress - establishing. Sheparding is influencing for good to help other occupiers, bringing their territories before God. This can help if war comes for that territory. For we shepard the people + them spiritually, we occupy the land + spiritual realm. When both are engaged, we have greatest effect! We can only occupy our own land, we can only do business, make progress in our territory. God’s boundaries give legal right to each owner. So the strongholds are legally the devils! Only a stronger one can win a war over them! But we can always shepard outside our bounds, in outreach and care. Ge 18:24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that [are] therein? Abraham assumed intercession for the area he was in. He assumed sheparding! Do you? You are given right to shepard in your area of influence which is always greater than your area of occupation. So, at work, though you may not have ownership, you still can influence, like Abram! Lu 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. This is what the Lord wants from those who dwell in His house. That we fill up and as we subject ourselves to His authority and leaders, we then have it in our territory to turn our houses into churchs of their own under this corporate church. Where all those who enter are in your authority to be pastored! Your home should be refuge for brothers and sisters in the Lord as well as your beighbors. For at home you also have occupational authority, more productive! So now shepard where your at whether you own it or not - work - school - neighbor. You have your occupant territory and your sheparding territory. God gives you grace for both. Are you being responsible for sheparding those in your influence territory? Are you establishing your occupant territory? For we can legally take possession of what we have, to make proper progress in it. Have you? This is the focus today. And then we can take back what we were given and don’t have yet. Are you? And finally we can make war and take new ground and occupy more. Do business, progress in more territory! Will you?!What area has God given you? Why has he given it to you? To Occupy or/and Shepard! What are you doing about it? Are you occupying or/and sheparding? Are you willing to advance His kingdom by taking ground? Only until you have taken your rightful authority over your territory can you move onto to taking more! But if your willing to shepard, you can, where you are, even if its not yours! Ge 28:16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not. Jacob didn’t realize for he didn’t know it. You will be given more revelation for your territory to be more productive. See your work place like this! See your neihbors like this! See Fox Creek like this! though it seems dark, your God of light is waiting to gain ground and shine through you! Go and shepard those in your places and leave your Land marks! Marks of the cross on this land that you minister. More and more will we reinforce our own territory and bounds, but we will ready ourselves for battle. Jos 4:9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. Mark this land with Jesus, pray, bless, and battle. Leave your Landmarks! Today we realize and set free your ministry authority in this Town, we will set rocks where we encounter both God or the Devil and will act accordingly in influence and war! Please keep in mind the centurion, and use your authority only while your in submission to those over you, or your authority will be greatly effected! Luke 19:13 And he called his . . . servants, and delivered them (goods), and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
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