Delegated Dominion

Introduction:

Once upon a time there was a nation that held a democratic election. Many of the citizens who belonged to one particular state within that nation, turned out to vote. When the votes were counted, new constitutional amendments were passed for that state. Question: How should those who voted in that election respond to the final results?

Once upon a time, there were parents of three children. All three children went to the same school. One day, the school superintendent sent home a letter that said every student will be required take new class as a prerequisite for graduation. The title of the class… “Being Responsible when you get drunk, high, and pregnant.” The bottom of the letter stated that parents have no authority to remove a student from this class. Question: How should these parents respond?

Once upon a time, a family was being beat up by an abusive husband and father. Since he believes he is the king of his domain, he thinks he has the obligation to scream at everyone and physically bring them into submission when the wife and kids got out of line. This guy is super sweet out by the mailbox, but can be heard being hysterically brutal while screaming through walls of his home. Question: How should the neighbors respond?

Once upon a time, there was a wife caring for her aging husband of 93. He had been fighting a cold so they went to a local urgent care. After some testing, it was discovered that he had a rare form of cancer. The pathologist highly recommended that it would be best to euthanize her husband. This would keep her from the pain of continuing to care for him. Also, he argued that this would prevent her and the state from paying for the exorbitant amount of money that would be required for treatment.Besides, he was dying anyway this would be the best way to alleviate her husband’s suffering. Question: How should this wife respond?

Transition: Church, God has equipped His people with answers to all of these scenarios. He has given us truth in the Scriptures that set the foundations for how and why those who belong to Christ have the authority and responsibility to answer and act in response to situations just like these.

Today, we are going to be focusing on the Biblical explanation and examples of delegated dominion. This teaching from Scripture sets the framework for the portrait of how & why Christians should respond to the various scenarios that we are faced with today. Let me begin by offering a definition for Delegated dominion.

Definition

God’s delegation of authority to His people for the stewardship of His creation.

Read Text. Genesis 1:26-31

Explanation

Transition: This passage explains for us the pattern of delegated dominion. It answers the why question…

Thesis: God created Adam to rule the earth as an expression of obedience. This rule and stewardship was a means of Adam enjoying God and multiplying life upon God’s earth. The command that God gave to Adam was that of Life giving stewardship.

Genesis chapter three revels that Adam failed. He yielded to temptation and sinned against God. The rest of the Bible records the expansion of death rather than life. Instead of exercising his responsibly to fill the earth with life, Adam sinned and filled the earth with death. The curse of Genesis 3 was the consequence of Adam rebelling against God.

The course of action that God had planned was to choose a people to be the recipients of His promised faithfulness. God used the blood line of a godly decedents of Seth , Noah, and Abraham, and David to send His Son, Jesus the Christ. God chose the nation of Israel to make His name known on the earth and multiply His glorious presence. He picked a people to be the conduit of His final solution to the world’s greatest problem.

In Christ, God provided His redemption from sin and death. Where Adam failed, Jesus did not fail. Because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, those who are redeemed by Him have the authority and responsibility to steward His creation. What was lost in the first Adam is redeemed in the last Adam. And some day, according to Revelation 22:1-5 those who belong to Christ will reign, rule, forever and ever.

Transition: But what about now? What about today? Plainly, those who are in Christ can and should live in such a way that obeys God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over His creation”. This reminds us that God is the first and final authority on all matters. If we belong to Him through faith in Christ we must give an account to Him for what He delegated to us. In other words, the teaching of delegated dominion does not mean that we get the be the boss. No, rather, we are only responsible for what He has specifically delegated for us to do.

Transition: Now, with a very brief explanation we are going to spend some time thinking through 2 examples of specific responsibilities we have been delegated to accomplish. How should Christians exercise dominion on the earth?

Examples

Ambassadorship Matt.16:13-20; Matthew 28:18-20 , 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Matthew 16:13–20 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 5:11–21 ESV

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Point: Jesus has given His church the authority to be His ambassadors. The church is made up of His representatives on earth. As those who follow Christ, we represent the King of Kings.

We don't pick our purpose or set our own agenda for our lives. As slaves of Christ, we must continue to express the key agenda of heaven; which is the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This means that… we have the Authority to multiply disciples. To speak the gospel. To tell other beggars where they can find bread. To share the good news of how sinners can be forgiven.

Application: The passing of Issue 1 in Ohio. There is a vast majority of people in Ohio who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Look around, the fields are white for harvest. Lest we were deceived to think that we live in a land full of those who love Christ and are committed to the flourishing of life in the world… now we have been gravely reminded of the great commission task we have been delegated with. How should Christians respond to the results of this election? Fulfill the task of our God given responsibility to make disciples. No blaming, no complaining, .... get to work!

Citizenship Ephesians 2:19-22, Romans 13:1-7 , 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Romans 13:1–7 ESV

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

1 Timothy 2:1–4 ESV

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Point: Our citizenship in heaven, delegates our citizenship on earth. Our position in Christ gives us authority to impact our society through submission- so as not leading to sin, honor- so as to honor Christ, and prayer- so to practice our authority. A usage of authority that can never be taken away. Our submission to Christ gives us the authority to make a difference in our society through prayer.

How do we respond to the various situations and circumstances of our day? We don't stress, we don't worry, we don’t fret and run away in fear. No, we fulfill our God given responsibility as stewards of God’s creation and PRAY!

God is never surprised by an election. Even when the results are not according to His word, God’s heavenly citizens can rest in His sovereign goodness and trust that all things are coming to pass for His purpose and glory.

Closing: This morning has been an attempt to introduce the Biblical teaching of delegated dominion. Hopefully, we discovered some answers, but also have provoked some more questions to continue studying Scriptures to give us further clarity and understanding and the many many other areas of the Christian life where we have been given authority.

We close with this reminder.... In Christ, delegated dominion is a beautiful reality of how God uses His people to expand His glory and establish life on the earth. In Christ, this authority is used for good and fruitful multiplication of God’s rule over the earth. Without Christ, this authority remains under the curse of which we easily see the ongoing devastation of wars, corruption, abuse, neglect, addiction, constitutional rights to murder, and tremendous other hurts to people created in the image of God.

It is my hope and prayer that we would be members of this local church who obey Christ with a renewed since of responsibility for the dominion He has delegated to us so that we would be for the praise of His glory we might be ambassadors for Christ and citizens of heaven. May God show us mercy that we might live in this way.

Church, we have been delegated with the dominion to be ambassadors for Christ and pray!