Matthew 28:18-20(NKJV) 18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
It is the Lord’s will that his church “occupy until he comes” in this historic hour. What does this mean? I believe it means that church must rise up and take a position of dominance in the earth. However, I do not think this means political dominance or economic dominance. I do not even think it means dominance of the culture. I believe that all those things can be part of the effect of an occupying church. What the Lord really wants from us is that we rise up in the spirit and become the dominant force in that realm.
Both Jesus and Paul called Satan the God of this world. From the fall of man until the birth of Jesus God’s access to the world system was limited. This was not the case because he could not do anything about the problem, but because he chose not to do anything that would cause him to lose the man he created to love. When Jesus came all that changed.
Jesus became the dominant spiritual force in the earth from the moment of his birth. He was God incarnate or God in the flesh. He was fully human, which gave him full access to the world and the world system dominated by the devil. However, he was also fully God, which gave him the power to overrule Satan in every area. Where Jesus walked, he was the God of this world. Wind obeyed him. Water obeyed him. Sickness, sin and the demonic realm could not stand against him.
There was no struggle in the life of Jesus against any of these things. Demons cried out when they came into his presence because they recognized who he was. Sickness was simply healed when it came into contact with Jesus. Even Satan’s greatest weapon against man, death, could not resist the one who came to occupy the place of spiritual power and authority in the earth. When Jesus stood at the tomb of Lazarus and called out his name this man who had been dead for four days got up from his tomb and walked once more among men. Jesus occupied.
However, Jesus was just one man. He was God manifested in the flesh, but in one place at one time. He was the dominant spiritual force in the earth, but only as far as his physical presence could reach. This was not God’s endgame. There came a point where it looked like the old spiritual god seemed to overcome the new one. Jesus was arrested, endured a mock trial, was beaten, ridiculed and crucified. From Satan’s perspective order had been restored. Or had it?
Three days later Jesus returned to the scene. The god of this world could not hold him in hell. He could not keep Jesus in the grave. This time Jesus was changed. He walked through walls. He appeared in places seemingly out of nowhere. He was still God and man, but there was a difference. He was greater in some ways than he had ever been, but in one important way he seemed less powerful than before. During the time between his resurrection and his ascension, he never talked to anyone except those who already believed in him.
It seemed that Jesus was still powerful but that he no longer had access to the world. He could strengthen and instruct those who already believed in him, but no one else. There are no records of healings or miracles during this time. He had defeated Satan, but it seemed that Satan’s power and authority were still intact. What would happen now? Would the ministry of Jesus be just a temporary interruption in the satanic reign on earth?
The scene shifts. Jesus is just getting ready to leave the earth. He will return. He has promised that. However, in the mean time who is the God of this world. Who is to be the dominant spiritual force in the earth? In today’s scripture, we read what almost seems like an afterthought.
There are three very important points in these verses. First, all authority has been given to Jesus. This authority is not just in heaven and not just in earth. The ruler of the heavens has once again become the ruler of the earth. Jesus is the God of this world as the Father is the God of heaven. They are one and the same.
Second, Jesus tells his disciples to go in that authority. Jesus is the rightful God of this world but he will not be in one place at one time any longer. He is a God with representatives. He gives the right to exercise his authority by giving them his name. In Marks account of the same events, Jesus says this.
Mark 16:17(NKJV) 17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.
Jesus says that his representatives in the earth are authorized to do everything that he did and they will do it all “in his Name.” He gave them the legal right to walk in the authority of the rightful God of this world.
Finally, we see the purpose of this authority. We are to make disciples of people from every nation. We are given the responsibility to extend the influence of the God of this world throughout the earth. We are to preach the gospel and bring people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are to baptize them into his name and teach them their new position and how to walk in it. We are to extend the effective influence of the God of this world in all directions and in every way. We are to occupy until Jesus, the true God of both this world and the next makes his second appearance on planet earth.
Who is the God of this world today? Rightfully that title belongs to Jesus the risen Christ. However, his reign can only extend as far as his representatives will exert it. Satan has many allies in his quest to regain what Jesus took from him. The system that governs this world is largely dominated by his influence. He may not have the official title any longer, but in a very real way, Satan has maintained his influence as the god of this world. I believe that is what God intends to change in our day.
Jesus is the rightful God of this world. He won that title by defeating Satan in the realm of the spirit and conquering death once and for all. However, is he functioning as the dominant spiritual force in the earth? I think we would have to say that the answer in most places is no. Why is his reign in the earth less than what it should be? It is because he has given that responsibility to his Body, the church. He told us to go into the world. He told us to spread his Kingdom. He told us to take up our cross, follow him and become the dominant spiritual influence in the earth.
I believe that is what it means to occupy. I believe God is calling the church to take its rightful place and exercise the authority given to it in the great commission. He has enabled us to do this by the power released on the day of Pentecost. I believe it is time for the Church to become the dominant spiritual force in the earth. That may be reflected in many natural things, but it is in the spirit that we are called to occupy. It is the realm of the spirit that affects all other realms.
This was a bit off the topic we have been studying. It was my intent to look at more of 1 Peter 4 today, but as I began to write I felt the prophetic unction. We must occupy. To occupy and be the dominant spiritual force in the earth we must live according to the principles of the Kingdom we represent. I believe it is time for the church to rise up in the authority of the Name of Jesus and, as the representatives of the true and only King, become the voice, the hands, and the feet of the true God of this world.
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