In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of the gospel of the kingdom of God. He explains that the gospel not only saves us from the kingdom of Satan but also transforms us into kings and priests in the present. The preacher references Matthew 24:14, where Jesus states that the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed to all nations before the end comes. He also shares the story of David and the ark of God, highlighting the lesson learned when they praised God with loud instruments but faced a disaster. Ultimately, the preacher encourages the congregation to learn from David's example and seek to understand the lessons God teaches them.

Well, more or less where I left off, I spoke in the previous session about a sovereign visitation of the Lord that came to our church in Fort Lauderdale, and about the impact that it had and the change in our whole attitude toward prayer. And then I spoke about some kind of birth that took place out of that prayer. And I'd like to build on that now, and make some very simple practical suggestions for what I believe God is asking of his church, really, worldwide, at least in what we call the Western world. I think probably in some parts of the third world, and in areas of real political oppression, the situation may be somewhat different. I would like to speak about two central thrusts of the purpose of God, intercession and outreach. I've said for many many years, and I still believe it, that if you want to sum up what God has been doing for his people in this century, the one word that I would choose would be restoration. I believe this has been a century of restoration. And I define restoration as putting things back in the right place and the right condition. And taking an overall view of God's dealings, I personally believe that God has two covenant peoples in the earth, Israel and the church. And that for both, the 20th century has been a period of restoration. Putting Israel back in their God-given political, geographical, and at the same time putting the church back in its spiritual inheritance. And from my point of view, the church has been as far away from its spiritual inheritance in Christ, as Israel have from their geographical inheritance in the land. And in many many ways, the process of restoration is parallel. In fact, I think the church can learn a lot from what has happened to Israel. But I'm not going to dwell on that. I'm going to focus on restoration in the church. I believe it's an unfolding process. It's by far from complete. But if we were to focus on certain areas of restoration, I would say first of all the supernatural power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. I believe that's the thrust that opened the way for restoration. I believe that the New Testament church was supernatural through and through in all its functioning. I tried to check this out once by reading the book of Acts. Which has 28 chapters in which I consider to be the New Testament pattern for the church. And I read it to see what would happen if I removed all reference to the manifestly supernatural. And I discovered this, that not one of its twenty. So I conclude that to talk about New Testament Christianity without the manifestly supernatural is an error. There is no such thing. And I believe that a great deal of what God intends to do can only be done on the level of the supernatural. I don't believe the supernatural. I believe the supernatural. And I see this as being the first thrust beginning in the early decades of this century. I see another area of restoration is spiritual life in the houses and homes of God's people. Something that has generally speaking accompanied most periods of revival in the church. And which was very manifestly present in the early church. Where the phrase the church is used four times. I believe that also being restored are what we call eleven apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors. And in 1963 in the last church of which I was officially pastor. On Sunday morning I preached a rather long-winded sermon explaining why there could be no more apostles in the church. On that I have one simple comment to make. I was wrong. It's very interesting most places in the church today. But they would be threatened if somebody was presented as a pastor. If you go through the New Testament. You'll find apart from Jesus himself. There was only one man who was called. You know who that was? Philip. That's right. I have counted 28 persons in the New Testament who were 14 before Pentecost and 14 after Pentecost. So I personally believe that the church was and it never will be what God intended it to be without apostles. In the book of Acts the only or in the whole of the New Testament. The only people who appointed elders were apostles. I'm not going to talk about them. I believe another area of restoration which I if I remember rightly I spoke about. The restoration of what the gospel is. It's not just the gospel. It's the gospel of the kingdom. It's the message that God is willing to take over the government of the human race. And that is appointed governor is Jesus. You see the gospel as we have tended to think of it. It's something like this. If you believe in the death of Jesus Christ for your sins you can be forgiven. Takes us out of the kingdom of satan and into the kingdom of God. And it's designed to make us kings and priests. Not in the next dispensation but here and now. Jesus said in Matthew 24 14 this gospel of will be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will come. He made very careful provision that we would never water down to the end of this age. That same message is to be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. Now having said all that I'm not going to preach on any of it. Not directly. What I believe emerged from God's dealings with us as a community. And I'm one of those persons when I see God doing something. I try to give careful attention. I go to my bible to see what the bible has to say. And I try to learn what is the lesson that God is trying to teach us. And in so far as I've been able to understand this lesson. I want to share it with you. That this is the direction. And I see that the two main practical thrusts. That God wants to bring forth from the church. Our intercession and apostolic outreach. And I want to take a little while to talk about both. If we were to. Well let's put it this way. God has called us to be a kingdom of priests. I'm not going to give you all the scripture references. Because you're all preachers and ministers and you know them all. But God has called us to be a kingdom of priests. In other words if you want to be in the kingdom you have to be a priest. See the kingdom is for priests. Like if we were talking about a society of botanists. If you wanted to be in the society you'd have to be a botanist. Or if we were talking about a race of giants. If you wanted to be in that race you'd have to be a giant. So when we talk about a kingdom of priests. If you want to be in the kingdom you've got to be a priest. What is the distinctive ministry of the priest? Can be summed up in one word. Sacrifice. That's right. In the Bible the only persons permitted to offer sacrifice were priests. If anybody other than a priest. Now Peter says we are called to offer spiritual sacrifices. We are not called to offer the animal sacrifice. What are the spiritual sacrifices that we are called to offer? In Hebrews chapter 13 and verses 15 and 16. Hebrews 13 verses 15 and 16. Therefore by him that is Jesus Christ. Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise. That is the fruit of our lips. Giving thanks to his name. But do not forget to do good and to share. There are, I suppose you could say, four sacrifices mentioned. Praise, thanksgiving, sharing and doing good. And the writer of Hebrews says those four sacrifices please God. If you look in Romans chapter 12 and verse 1. You find another sacrifice that is required of Romans 12.1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Holy, acceptable under God. God requires that his body or her body. These are basically the sacrifices of Jesus. In Hebrews the seventh chapter verses 24. Speaking of Jesus in his heavenly ministry. But because he continues forever. He has an unchangeable priesthood. Notice it's a. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come since he ever lives. To make intercession for them. What is the priestly ministry of Jesus there? Making intercession. So we can kind of round out the picture. Our priestly ministry is first of all the offering of ourselves. A life of sacrifice. And in a certain sense it's constant is intercession. It's interesting to consider the time span in the life of Jesus. 30 years of perfect family life. Three and a half years of intense public ministry. And almost 2,000 years of intercession. I think if we could see that it would give us a different perspective on ministry. Now I want to suggest that within the body of Christ we are all called to be priests. To offer praise and worship. But that there is a very specific calling to be intercessors. You've probably heard my wife Ruth say. She's called to be an intercessor. And I bear testimony to that. Intercession is part of her life. She intercedes basically when she breathes. My first wife Lydia had a tremendous ministry of prayer. She prayed too as naturally as she breathed. But it wasn't, it was more I would say in a way spiritual warfare. What I'm suggesting to you is what I believe the Lord is saying. And it's particularly to those of us who are. We need to give much greater priority to intercession. And we need to give much greater scope and recognition to our intercessor. I've heard since I've been here in Christchurch at least three different projects for extending the kingdom of God. And I'm sympathetic to every one of them. But I believe the ultimate measure of success in each case will be determined by the intercession that's behind them. I would like to take a little picture from the Old Testament. I would like to take the priestly tribe of Levi. And the priestly house of Aaron. As types of intercession and intercessors. And I want to share with you very briefly the place that was played in the victories that Israel won by the priestly ministry. Just take two examples, very simple ones. Two instances in which Israel won total victories and without having even to fight. And in each case the key was the priestly ministry. The first example is Jericho. The ministry of the priests with the ram's horns. We read very quickly verses six and seven. Now I'm speaking to people who are familiar with the outlines of the story. So it was when Joshua had spoken to the people. That the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of round men went before the priests who blew the trumpet. The priests blowing the trumpet depict a continuous ministry of intercession, prayer, praise, proclamation. Verse 13. The seven priests bearing seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets and the continuing emphasis on. And then in verse 16 and the seventh that Joshua said to the people. And in verse 20. So the people shouted when the and it happened when the people heard this. Then the people went up into where was the emphasis on the ministry of the priests all through. Now let's look at another example of total victory in second chronicles. King Jehoshaphat of Judah was informed that a very large hostile army was advancing. And he realized that he did not have the resources to deal with them. And so at the beginning of the chapter. He proclaimed a period of fasting and prayer and call. And then we read in second chronicles chapter 20. Following on. That after they prayed. One of the Levites gave a prophetic. Obeyed the directions. And this is the result. Then the Levites of the. Then the Levites of the children of the Corinthians stood up to praise them. And they rose early. Hear me O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God. And you shall be established. Believe his prophets. And you shall prosper. And when he had consulted with the people. He appointed those who. When they began to sing and to praise the Lord. The Lord set ambushes. Again for the people of Ammon. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness. They looked toward the multitude. And there were their bodies dead. Fallen on the earth. Again an absolutely total victory. Over a vast hostile army. What was the essential ingredient in the victory. It's the ministry of the priests. I believe that in a certain sense. The lesson for us is that. In so far as we understand. And release the ministry of the priests. That's how far we'll experience total victory. And I want to suggest to you. On the basis of what I observed in the church. In most parts of the earth. That really. We are not giving the priests. Their proper position. We are not giving sufficient recognition. To the ministry of intercession. Basically. We make our plans. We have our program. We go on with what we've been accustomed to do. And we ask somebody to pray for us. I'd like to look for a moment at what David experienced. You know the story of his bringing the ark into Zion. And the first time he met with disaster. We look in 1st Chronicles chapter verses 7 and following. We don't have time to go into the details. But we just look at 1st Chronicles chapter 13 verses 7 through 10. So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab. And Uzzah and Ahio drove the cart. Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might. With singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines and with trumpets. There's a kind of tendency in the charismatics to prove that isn't necessarily true. They were praising the Lord. Verse 9. And then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah. And he struck him. Because he put his hand to the ark. He decided there was a lesson to learn. And he better learn it. And when he'd learnt his lesson. Praise God he went back. And in 1st Chronicles 15 verses 1 through 3. David shares the lesson that the Lord has taught him. 1st Chronicles 15 verses 1 through 3. Then David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared. Incidentally what's the good of bringing the ark if you don't have a place prepared for it. Then David said no one may carry the ark of God but the Levites. And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem. We didn't give the Levites their job. We substitute. And then in the same chapter verses 11 through 16. And David called for Zadok and Abiath and the priests. And for the Levites for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shammaiah, Eliel and Aminadab. Then he said to them. Excuse me. You are the heads of the fathers houses of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves. The Lord our God broke out against us. Because we did not consult him.