“Let a man so regard us as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:1-2).
Even though God is sovereign, transcendent and complete in His own makeup, He has chosen in His eternal, ongoing plan to reveal His greatness and glory in the earth through His people. We see this in the Old Testament through the nation of Israel, as well as through the church in the New Testament and throughout history.
The church is actually the midpoint or center from which the Lord exercises His authority and power in the earth. Therefore, as the people of God, we have been commissioned, designed and created to glorify God and express His greatness throughout the nations of the earth. In Matthew 15:13-16 we are actually referred to as, “the salt of the earth, and “the light of the world.”
With that being said, it is also important to recognize that God does still have a glorious plan for the nation of Israel and the church plays a vital role to pray for her, as well to evoke her to jealousy.
The church is to be an apostolic expression or reflection of the heart and greatness of the Lord. While fulfilling this role, we ultimately enable the world to behold the reality and holiness of our God. The church actually becomes a living expression of God’s heart on earth, when our hearts are pure and He is receiving the glory He deserves.
Our allegiance must therefore be to Jesus exclusively, and His agenda must be our continual goal in order for us to truly be the authentic people of God in the earth. This commitment resulting in deep union with the Lord Himself, gives us the ability to walk out or to manifest the kingdom of God with all of its promises, dynamics and eternal purposes.
It is therefore vitally important, especially as we move, minister and operate in kingdom power, to continually acknowledge that who we are and what we do is beyond our own strength, ability and creativity. We are divinely tethered to the eternal purposes of our God, and only through His ability and strength are we able to fulfill His purposes in and through our lives. In other words, we are attached by the Spirit to something that is way beyond and bigger than we are.
When we know our identity as the church, it then behooves us to ask the Lord how we are to impact the culture and world around us. We need to understand the fact that our role is much more than attending regular church meetings. We must be more than a group of people that identify with a certain group or denomination.
Our role is paramount, and our calling is one that has eternal results in life and death dynamics. We must therefore experience the responsibility that we have in this hour of history to take a stand for Jesus and His eternal purposes, despite what that looks like or what it might cost us.
Join me this week on my Maintain the Flame podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network as I share about the role of the church and how we are to respond to the world around us. I know that you will be challenged and encouraged as you listen. {eoa}
Keith Collins is the founder of Generation Impact Ministries and Impact Global Fellowship. He is actively involved in itinerant ministry, teaching and writing. In recent years, Keith served as the president of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry and as the director of FIRE School of Ministry, which were both born out of the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida. His recent book, Samuels Arising: Waking Up to God’s Prophetic Call, is now available on Amazon, and his podcast, titled Maintain the Flame, can be heard on iTunes and at cpnshows.com. You can contact Keith via his websites at keith-collins.org or impactgf.org.
