Jun. 08, 2025

Dominion 2 - Start Changing the World Now -- Pastor John Custer

Introduction - This lesson is an attempt to equip our church with some spiritual knowledge with which we can start changing the world this week!  Last week we started learning the important concept of the Dominion Mandate, found in Genesis 1:26-27:

Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” 27So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  NASB

The intention of this command is unmistakeable.  Man and woman, not the state, were to be the overseers of Gods creation of the earth and all that is in it.  This mandate has continued, without change, even through the major interruption of man’s sin and fall from grace, which brought about the need, thousands of years later, for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.  God repeated the mandate to Noah and his family after the flood.  David later repeated the same essential mandate in the Psalms.  The only difference was that when God spoke it the first time, mankind had not yet sinned.  Today, every man needs to be evangelized (saved) applying God’s dominion to his own life, before he can apply dominion to God’s creation.  

So, God’s created people did several major things over the years which really weakened their and our ability to subdue the earth as God intended:

1. As mentioned above, man’s sin made evangelism the first step before an individual man could be given authority again.  

2. In the early 300’s, Roman Emperor Constantine supposedly converted to Christianity and made it the official religion of the Roman Empire, immune from persecution.  This is view by most people as a bittersweet mixture of pagan practices into Christianity which made it very different from the pure gospel practiced by Jesus and the apostles.  Constantine practiced sun worship and made special days for it in the Christian calendar,  He made it possible the accumulation of money for the church and opened the possibility of worship buildings, a specialized clergy, and many of the complex denominational structures and hierarchies existing in the church today. The State became the church’s Savior, in effect.

3. The church slowly abandoned the Dominion Mandate and began to move its life inside buildings, not having much to do with the world around it.  Rather than being the “church going,” people started “going to church.”  The people of God stopped subduing the earth.  Men who were not God’s people began increasing and the result is the world today in the condition we know it.  Try to find a simple list of world wars and you’ll be looking a long time.  The total number of wars since earliest man walked the earth is not known, but the tabulations of known wars between people groups have to number in the millions.  I have given up every time I have tried to put a number on it.  Unsaved mankind has done little except destroy itself.  

You still have more power than any politician to change the world!  Here are some recommendations and testimonies about how you can begin changing the world;

First, Pray.  

•  for the unifying of the church in your city.  Jesus’ biggest identifiable prayer was in John 17 

        where He prayed that all believers would be one as He and the Father are one:

John 17:11 Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are.  NASB

The church in just about any city is all divided up by beliefs, denominations, traditions, etc. It is                 sobering to think that the famous 7 churches of Revelation do not exist today.  Most are in                 Muslim lands. Today, our city pastors are meeting about accepting and receiving each other in ever greater numbers.  

• for the leaders of the cities and states in which we live.

    1 Tim 2:1-3 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in             behalf of all people, 2for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet             life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,  NASB

A small group of men and women quietly undertook praying for our city about 5 years ago.  There are usually more God-people involved than is apparent, but these concertedly started praying and recruiting people to pray.  A year later, our city elected an overtly Christian mayor who has openly asked for the participation of pastors and Christians in the workings of the city.  Major spiritual changes are underway which will affect the welfare of families and individuals because of the blessing of God.  

Secondly, Make Friends.

    Luke 16:8 for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.             9And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that             when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

    Elder Rich Vensel and I started years ago to visit local bars and bar/restaurants, not to drink, but to             buy a meal, tip well, and make friends.. It raised some eyebrows in the church community amongst             very conservative pastors.  Nonetheless, We have been blessed many times over by the rich                 acquaintances we have made.

Conclusion - Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 

The “gates of Hades” is an ancient term widely used to refer to the elders, kings, rulers etc., of ancient city-states.  You are part of the church.  This Scripture predicts what the finish of the Creation mandate will be.  Even the very elders and rulers of hell will never keep you from subduing the earth until God has returned it to the peaceable paradise he intended for it to be.  It is all Good!  You were made to dominate!!