The Mandate (kingdom Summit 2022) by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The mystery of light

• In the beginning there was darkness and void, until God said, “Let there be light.” Everything else happened because light was present. Genesis 1:2-3
• Where the Bible describes some things given only to some, access to light is given to every man.
• Without light, understanding stays darkened, alienated from the life of God through ignorance. Ephesians 4:18
• Arise, shine, for your light has come. Rise out of the depression and prostration that circumstances have kept you in. Isaiah 60:1
• The light shines in darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it. John 1:5

• Illustration: at night, the make, size or type of a car does not matter, only the quality of its light. A brand new car with a faulty light is in trouble; an ugly car with a good light has dominion.
• There are false lights: bodies of knowledge that feel comfortable, spiritual or socially acceptable, but carry no potency to bring liberty. What you know may not be what is needed. A key may open a door, but not necessarily the one you are standing in front of.

Opening scriptures on kingdom and dominion

• We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, mandated to show forth the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
• In prayer, our desire should be that the kingdom comes and God's will is done on earth as in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10
• The kingdom and dominion shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Daniel 7:27

Dominion is a means, not an end

• Dominion only finds relevance connected to a higher kingdom purpose. Discussed in isolation, it will destroy the person carrying it.
• God is a God of purpose. Nothing he does is arbitrary. Ecclesiastes 3:1
• Man was made in God's image, a spiritual quality, and likeness, functioning like him, then given dominion over the fish, the air and the land: realms and spheres, not just animals. Genesis 1:26-28
• Everything in the kingdom was designed to reflect and reveal the glory of God. Anything that stops revealing his glory is dead even while it is alive.

The test for what stays in your life

• You are the salt of the earth. Salt that loses its saltiness is good for nothing. You are the light of the world, set so men may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16
• Herein is the Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen and ordained you. John 15:8, 16
• Test everything by one question: does it reveal the glory of God? Not whether it is good or bad. Many good things do not pass this test and should still be released.
• Prayers are answered to the degree they will reveal God's glory. The power of God only functions within the jurisdiction of the will of God.
• Man was crowned with glory and honor, set above the works of God's hands, with all things put under his feet. Psalm 8:4-6, Hebrews 2:8

The two-fold mandate of every believer

1. Establish the lordship of Christ in the hearts of men

• This is not a mandate only for preachers or evangelists. It is upon all men, in order of priority.
• The gospel of salvation is a revelation of the Father's love, expressed through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus, with man and creation as its object.
• I am not ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Romans 1:16
• Preach the gospel to every creature, not to men alone. There is a way to evangelize to nature and to territories. Mark 16:15
• Confession and belief lead to salvation. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing needs a preacher sent. Romans 10:8-15
• The madman of Gadara published his testimony across ten cities. The woman at the well left her water pot to tell her town, come see a man who told me everything I ever did.
• Of roughly 8 billion people on earth, only about 2.6 billion are professing Christians, a gap that crusades and conferences alone cannot close.
• Those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever. Daniel 12:3
• Lot was personally righteous, but his territory was in decadence. He still needed rescuing, and Sodom was still destroyed. Personal conviction does not shield an unreached territory.
• The word of God is more than a book of history or literature. From a child you can know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation. 2 Timothy 3:15
• I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among the sanctified. Acts 20:32

2. Establish the lordship of Christ across every strata of human activity

• This is where dominion and influence come in: compelling people to embrace Christ's ideology and value system, not only saving them personally.
• An organization can reject Jesus outright and still reflect a measure of heaven by obeying kingdom values such as order, diligence and accountability, even without naming God as the source.
• Illustration: swap a CEO and a gateman for two months without changing anything else. The gateman, without a growth mindset, mishandles the office. The CEO, out of habit, brings order even to the gate. The environment follows the mindset, not the title.
• Talents were given to each according to his own ability, not according to love. Matthew 25:15

Dominion through influence

• When Jesus went to pray alone, Simon and those with him followed after him and said, all men seek for you. Mark 1:36-37
• Kingdom influence is reached when Gentiles come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising, not to you, but to your light.

Four pillars of influence

1. Growth and transformation

   Genuine influence is a product of growth. Anything held that did not come by growth will soon disappear. Through desire a man seeks and meddles with wisdom. Proverbs 18:1 If any man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 1 Corinthians 8:2 Joseph kept preparing in prison, ready for the moment he would stand before his destiny helpers.

2. Wisdom and excellence

   Commanding influence over people and territories requires a dimension of kingdom wisdom and excellence at work in you.

3. Wealth and abundance

   Poverty is not neutral. It interrupts God's program and can rob a family of dignity. The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

4. Supernatural signs and wonders

   With great power the apostles gave witness of the resurrection, and great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33 A powerless gospel only repeats cycles of frustration. One genuine miracle can preach many sermons in people's lives.

Never pursue anything until it connects to kingdom purpose

• Ambition detached from kingdom purpose will destroy you. Wanting to build a business or rise in a bank because everyone else is doing it is too small a reason.
• God has assigned each life a kingdom measure. Falling short of it, even while wealthy by worldly standards, still means falling short of assignment.

The favor of God

• Three biblical indices measure the presence of favor: unusual kindness from men, unusual access to men, and unusual acceptance.

Altar call

• Let tonight be the beginning of a genuine experience with Jesus. The matter of salvation is beyond church, beyond a man of God, beyond a conference, it must be true for you.