God’s Design For You
Written by Brigitta Tedja
#Bethechurchseries
Watch full sermon here
Happy Independence Day, Ekklesia! On this day of freedom, we thank God for the blessings of life, liberty, and happiness for this generation and the generations to come. May America continue to be one nation under God and may justice flow like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream until this country is filled with Your glory as the water covers the sea. We are also thankful that Christ has set us free so that we can be sent out to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners held and bound by the enemy.
Our Senior Pastor Tan is focusing on a new topic this month underscoring our main theme, “Rise Up and Be Radiant.” The month of July will be focusing on “Be the Church.” We are the called-out, sent ones, because Church is not a building, but is made of God’s people.
As the great Architect, God has a special design for each individual, family, and Church. Each of us have been given special skills and talents and have a specific calling. Pastor shared the story of the eaglet and the chicken. God’s design for the eagle is not meant for it to be living as a chicken, looking down to eat worms and seeds. When an eagle gets attacked by other birds, it flies higher than its enemies to defend itself. The eagle has special eyes that other birds do not have and it can withstand the powerful rays of the sun. God designed us special as well. Do not look to the earthly matters but focus on the things above. When you are challenged and go through difficult times, do not look down but look up, look above, look towards the Son. You are powerful like a dynamite, energizing power. You are eagles. God has called us with a special design, He built you so well that you can take every challenge that comes your way. Before life puts things on you, God has put things in you because He is the great Architect.
1. God’s Design and Purpose
Matthew 16:18, NLT
“I will build my Church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
And another translations states, “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
This indicates that the Church is not passive but is active and even proactive. It is what we are designed for. The word Church in Greek is Ekklesia, the called-out ones, or sent-out. From the very first time Jesus launched the Church, He launched it in front of the gates of hell. Jesus is confrontational towards the powers of darkness and He thrust His Church into the midst of a war. It was the first functional use of the term is Ekklesia. The gate(s) is plural. Gates were the defensive and political structures in the ancient world. Jesus stated the nature of His Church has to do with attacking and undermining the ideologies and dark forces that granted earthly empires their political, economic, and spiritual influences. The battle is not with other beliefs, religions, or against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness. This is the call of the Church. He designed us and provided us with the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to go and make disciples!
Peter C. Wagner appointed Pastor Paul as the chancellor of Wagner Leadership Institute in Asia and it grew fast due to so much demand. It is currently already in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, and China. Pastor Ché Ahn, as the International Chancellor, is now collaborating with Pastor Paul to launch our first class on “Spiritual Warfare” in our CBC Walnut campus on July 23rd. God is raising up our Church so that we can “rise up and be radiant.”
Below is an excerpt from an upcoming book by Femi Reis regarding our current spiritual warfare:
“The greatest battles fought today never make the news. They are neither fought with boots on the ground nor jets in the sky, yet their casualties far exceed all the combats ever fought with missiles and tanks.
These battles happen in cyberspace, the assault weapons are technologies and tools that fit into the pockets of anyone who cares bear them, the ammos are software and apps that can be downloaded in seconds with just a click, and the victims are the very users who own them but are yet to realize that they are fully at war.
In the midst of such intense warfare with weapons of mass distraction, majority of Christians have taken the worst battle position possible—naïve, unarmed and online—and as a result we have become one of the most badly hit on the battlefield.”
Ephesians 3:8-11, NLT
“Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ (please note that the Apostle Paul was a Jew). I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning (when God keeps secrets, He does not keep it for you but from you). God's purpose (God has a design and purpose) in all this was to use the Church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God has this design, plan, and purpose and it does not change. In Genesis, God chose Abraham and through him all nations will be blessed. Those who blessed him will be blessed, and those who cursed him will be cursed. God stated that He would make Abraham into a great nation and spoke those words to Abraham before he had a son. In the book of Revelation, John saw a vision of people from every nation, tongue, tribe, and language. What God said is fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled. God is using us—the Church and it is not contained in a building. Musical instruments cannot share the Gospel, LED screens cannot preach—but you can! This is God’s design for you.
“Many people are busy doing Church instead of being the Church.” Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger
Programs, events, and trainings are all good but you have to know why we have them. Catch the vision! Many people back-slide and are no longer on fire not because they do not go to Church enough, but because they are bored once they leave the service.
2. Contrast Between Ekklesia and Modern Congregation Assembly
You are not weak but you are powerful because you have the Holy Spirit in you. He not only gave us the assignment but He also goes with us, He is with us, He is in us.
The following is taken from Bishop Joseph Mattera, who pastors a dynamic Church in New York:
Prayer Points:
Pray to know our specifically designed purpose and calling
Pray to be empowered by the Holy Spirit
Be the “dynamite box”
Pray to be burned with the fire of the Holy Spirt
Pray to stand up and represent the King of kings
Pray to become Jesus’ witnesses (martyr)
Pray to be sent out into the mission field