The Dominion Lifestyle

Activity: Sunday Sermon

Anchor Scriptures: Mark 11:1-11; 16: 17-18

Introduction
The materialism mentality of the world in which we live is helping some so-called men of God to turn the Scriptures upside down by which they are trying to put the Word of God in chains in order to elevate their own understandings which are taught by the philosophies of men.

When God created man and woman and gave them dominion (Gen. 1:28), did He meant only in terms of their material needs? And before the fall of man, could a snake bite man?

Is it only the financially buoyant man that is living the dominion lifestyle designed for man by God? When does a man truly has the dominion created by God? What are the dichotomies between the God's dominion and that created by man.

It is instructive for us as children of God to examine these questions in relation to the lifestyle of the slain One and His Triumphant entry into Jerusalem which we remember and celebrate today. After all, He was sent to for an example. May God enlighten our hearts of understanding. Amen.

Message
The topic of dominion centers around the power, influence and control that a man may have or exercise over other men and things around himself. It is the coveted privilege to call one, but for  a thousand to answer. It is the authority that says and it is done, almost immediately. Dominion it is that says "go" to one and he goes; and "come" to another, and he comes. It is the ability to command the non-living things around and they obey as if they are living. The dominion lifestyle is that of an overcomer.

Brethren, a cursory look at the few days our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, lived here on earth depicts all described above of what dominion is all about. However, scriptural records did not record that He was able to do all that He did or exercised dominion because he was born with a golden spoon in His mouth.

Think about these: He was born in a manger to an ordinary carpenter and his mother had no known trade; so, she was not a business tycoon. He preached in a borrowed boat, ate the passover in a borrowed chamber, was buried in a borrowed sepulchre, and rode on a borrowed ass. Yet, He turned water into wine, commanded both the raging storm and sea to be still, and quiet they both went! He raised many dead, restored many sights, many that were deaf, heard, the dumb spoke clearly, the lame worked, healed many other infirmities and finally, death was not powerful enough to keep Him under the earth; thus, He rose on the third day and was going to judge the world later on.

Wow! But He lived a life of borrowing; never had his own things, but ALWAYS borrowing. Even when He was to pay tax, He still borrowed from the mouth of an ordinary fish. How then was He able to exercise so much dominion as we enumerated above if truly as the pervading theological teachings of today that  teaches that it is when one is rich that one has dominion or can live the dominion lifestyle is true?

Many doubting Thomases may want to argue that Jesus Christ was able to do all those because He was God personified. To that I answer that you are very correct! But my question is: how come God was borrowing from His creatures knowing fully well that He gave us all things, including the life we live (Acts 17: 23-25).

Brethren, be not deceived further. Here is how Jesus Christ was able to live the dominion lifestyle He led all through His sojourn here on earth: at a tender age of twelve, He was found (after being declared missing, Luke 2:42-45)  in the temple teaching elders. When His mother said they have been looking for Him, He replied saying: ". . . How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49). In John 4, after he has preached severally, the disciples thought He must be hungry and requested Him to eat, but He replied, saying:  ". . . My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."  (John 4:34). For this reasons He was bold enough to command in Matthew 6:33 saying, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Jesus Christ was not concerned about the nice things of life. He was too busy for that; doing the Will of God and the task for which He was sent here on earth. Whenever He needed those "nice things" but could not afford them, He went borrowing and used them to the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel.

Godly dominion therefore, does not depend on our material possessions, but on doing the Will of God (Deut. 8:3). The man who will and can control the thoughts of others effectively is that which has learnt to obey God by doing and pursuing His Will (John 15:5-7, 1 John 5:4-5). Jesus Christ demonstrated that in our Anchor Scripture today. In Mark 11:1-11, He asked His disciples to go take the ass-colt, and that when men asked them why (He knew they were going to be questioned), they should tell them that the Lord needs it. Lo and behold, when the disciples thus responded, the owner of the animal couldn't say 'Jack'! Such was Christ's dominion on the thoughts of other men.

Conclusion
God created man to be blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4). Our dominion is rooted in our blamelessness before God (Mat. 7:21). Any dominion that is gotten without strict obedience to the Word of God is not of God, but of the world, and can not last (Eccl. 3:14, . We cannot live the Godly dominion lifestyle by pursuing the things of the world which is what some ministries preach today (1 John 2:15-17). God says: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John:2) So, God wants us to prosper and have dominion, but definitely not at the expense of our spiritual prosperity which is embedded in obeying/doing His Will.

Till we meet again, keep keeping on in Him.

Happy Palm Sunday!