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Game Of Thrones - Pt. 1 - Pulling The Chair! Series
Contributed by Steve Ely on Jul 1, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: We talk, sing, and pray using the language of the Kingdom . . . words like Lord, King, and sovereign. However, citizenship in a democracy keeps us from understanding the throne.
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Game of Thrones
Pt. 1 - Pulling the Chair
Introduction It has taken from August of last year to get here. We have been actively trying to destroy and uproot 5 principalities that I identified as our primary targets. I have shown you how these powers work hand in hand to layer their control and domination in our lives to produce the greatest level of destruction. We began by attacking isolation. Isolation leads to poverty mentality which then births hopelessness. Hopelessness germinates and produces apathy towards people and towards God. Finally it all works together to spawn compartmentalism.
Compartmentalism is pervasive in our society and apparent in the church. Our apathy about others and God leads us to believe that we can cut our lives up into carefully controlled slices and that those slices can stay in their respective areas with no bleed over. In other words, we can come to church each and every Sunday, read our Bible and listen to praise and worship music but that part of our life has no bearing on our attitude when someone does us wrong. Our spiritual slice has no bearing on our social slice so we can do things socially that contradict the standards that we embrace in our spiritual life with no guilt or any understanding of the hypocrisy this presents to those around us. We can lie when it is convenient. Cheat when it benefits us. The spiritual is a segmented slice that has no impact on business practices, entertainment choices, dating, or vice versa. Our spirit man is confined to spiritual matters and we will not allow the Spirit to have any rule or reign over any other area of life. We are literally playing a game of thrones.
Because we are part of a democracy rather than a monarchy I don't think we really understand the concept of thrones. We talk about the throne of God but because we are not accustomed to honoring a king, serving a king, or answering to a king in our society then we struggle to appreciate the importance of enthroning someone as king. However, if we are going to combat compartmentalism, we must once again come to grips with the revelation that we are citizens first in a different KINGDOM and there is a King to whom we answer. See no one voted Him in. No one selected Him. He selected us. No one can unseat Him. No one can stand up to His power. No one can overthrow Him. He is more than a king He is THE King. Since we answer to the King we must also understand the implications of the throne.
I bring this to your attention because I am afraid that at times Jesus feels like we are playing a game we used to play as children. You remember the old game don't you? You were either playing the game or you were the victim of the game. We would wait until the moment a person was about to sit down and then we would quickly and quietly pull the chair out from under them and laugh as people would fall backwards. I think we come to church and talk, sing, and even pray using the language of the Kingdom . . . Words like Lord, King, sovereign, and Jesus positions Himself to sit down on the throne of not just our church life but rather our entire life and then when He tries to rule over those areas we pull the chair our from under Him. We play a game of thrones. We only allow Him to sit on the throne in areas we choose based on whether we like the blessing and protection that comes from allowing Him to reign. If He tries to offer correction we pull the chair.
Before we talk about some of the areas we tend to separate from God I think we first must revisit the idea of enthroning God.
Text: Isaiah 6:1-4
In the same year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a grand throne way up high with a flowing cape that filled the whole temple. Bright flaming creatures waited on Him. Each had six wings: two covering its face, two covering its feet, and two for flying. Like some fiery choir, they would call back and forth continually. Flaming Creatures: Holy, holy, holy is the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies! The earth is filled with His glorious presence! They were so loud that the doorframes shook, and the holy house kept filling with smoke.
In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the sovereign master seated on a high, elevated throne.
Many of you are familiar with this passage. It is the call of Isaiah to become a prophet to the nation. His call comes via a vision of God. I want to draw your attention to what He sees. He sees God this way . . . High and lifted up, on a grand throne way up high, on a high, elevated throne.