THE NATIONAL HOLY SPIRIT CONFERENCE
Theme: THE CHURCH IN GLORY
Topic: THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD
(Talk – Friday 11th September 1992)

SYNOPSIS
This document focuses on the Church’s mission as being that of a political action:
establishing Christ’s Kingdom of Righteousness by overthrowing evil and controlling
national decisions.

PREAMBLE
The conference proceedings so far very encouraging… The vision and mission – The
Church in Glory – two dimensional:
i. The Church received up in glory without spot or wrinkle when Christ would have
perfected all things. That underscores the Church working in obedience now – in
holiness, righteousness and faithfulness in all humility and perfect submission to
GOD, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
ii. The second dimension is The Church shining as LIGHT in the Darkness of the
world.
Both aspects have been receiving attention so far, though the second aspect which
pertains to the Church in Mission or witness in the world has been receiving greater
attention.
This emphasis has become necessary primarily because of the current events in the
Church and in the world. Our main objective has been to highlight how the church can
affect or influence the spiritual and social environment, the political, economic and
cultural events of our times, with particular reference to the political changes that are
in process now in our country. What place, what role the Church, what vision, what part
Christians in the present processes.
There seems to be a general consensus now, and we may have this confirmed during the
symposium on Saturday, that Christians must express their personal piety and social
awareness not only in practical action in social righteousness and justice but also in
political action, not excluding active involvement in political leadership and governance
of the country. We now seem to agree that it is not enough to pray about events,
preaching and making prophetical utterances and statements on political and social
issues, nor for that matter participating in discussions on political and social issues and
casting votes at election time. We are convinced and hence are in agreement, are we
not, that Christians must feel free to actually take on political office as governors and
ministers of state, as judges and as administrators, as soldiers and police offices for that
matter in t heir nations, in Ghana to wit.
Please note that we have included the arms of government as political offices. And this
indeed they are, occupied as they are with policy execution as well as to a large extent
policy formulation also. However, the most crucial and potent force to the political
processes is policy-formulation and decision-making in national affairs.
It is the people who take the decisions that normally determine the life-conditions of the
people, the nature and state of affairs, and the destinies of nations. It is the cabinet and,
in most cases, the central committee or executive of political parties that control the
national processes.
It is this most important area of nation-building and national processes which involve
mainly the control and distribution of national wealth that the forces of evil have so
manipulated things to force Christians and good-natured men in society to clear away
from it. They have deliberately and consciously polluted the waters, so decent men do
not find it attractive to get into the pools. Of course, the whole issue is battle over wealth.
Wicked and unrighteous men cannot bother about decency, truth, honesty, when it
comes to fighting over the spoils. In any case, they are only true to character, both in
themselves and to the character of their real master – Satan the devil, who controls the
kingdoms of this world.
INTRODUCTION
This brings me to the topic for discussion this morning, Friday September 11, 1992 – THE
CHURCH and THE KINGDOM OF GOD on EARTH.
Now as I stated earlier, we seem to have a consensus that Christians should engage in
politics at all levels – policy, for mutation, decision-making and execution. We deem this
necessary not just because we do not want believers to rule us but because a society, a
nation after God, for the praise and glory of God on earth.
In fact, we have a commission not only to reconcile humanity and the world to God but
also be instruments for God to establish the new Thing, A New Society, A New Nation
where His Will be Done as in heaven, a society unique and very distinct from the Satanorganized, Satan-controlled society.
In short, we have a commission to being the whole of humanity, the society where we are
at least under the Power and Dominion of God. We not only want to transfer the faith of
the people from Satan to God (Acts 26: 18) but also to bring them fully under the
sovereign Reign and Rule of God through His Spirit and His Truth, the Word of God, so His
will be done on earth as in heaven.
This is God’s ultimate plan in this respect, to transfer all the kingdom of this world unto
Himself and His Son Jesus Christ, and to remove rebellion and evil totally from human
society, the final product will be a new heaven and a new earth, when He comes and
makes His abode with man (Rev. 21: 1-7).
In this connection, what the church is engaged in essentially is building the Kingdom of
Jesus Christ, a first step towards the full manifestation or evolution of the Kingdom of
God on earth. In other words, the church’s mission now is to make Jesus KING and LORD
of the human scene and creation, subjecting all authority, and power, thrones, dominion
and kingdom under the Authority and Power of Jesus Christ (2nd Cor. 10: 5) until finally
Christ submits all things to the Father, and the Father be all-in all (1st Cor. 15: 24-28).
Towards this The Great Commission – Matt. 28: 18-20
• All authority given ME
• Go make Disciples of all the nations……not just the individuals
• Teach them to observe…….
• Lo, I am with you always to the end of the age.
The disciples understood the commission, at least its political implications when they
asked in Acts 1: 6, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?” Jesus did
not say NO to the political implication of the commission. At Acts 1: 7-8
His answer can be interpreted to mean ‘YES’ however it is not for you to know Times or
Seasons…. that is when exactly things will be, that rest with the father alone…… (and we
may add, but I am going to the father).
What a crucial and necessary is The Enduement with Power – for the battle is not just
political, it is essentially Spiritual, involved as it will The Overthrow of the real person,
in control of the human scene – Satan and his host of spiritual forces, principalities and
powers who are dictating and controlling the affairs of the world.
Thus Acts 1: 8 says: –
• But ye shall receive power
• Ye shall be witnesses of me. Not just in Jerusalem or Israel but in the whole world,
in all the nations of the world as the commission states.
It must be emphasized here the Political or Kingdom Agenda – The Church is primarily to
witness of Jesus Christ presenting Him as Saviour, Lord and King……the Father sent Him
to bring Light, and with-it Reconciliation and Liberation to mankind. This He has done,
making us kings and priests in and for the Father’s Kingdom on earth (1st Peter 2: 9-10).
As we know it is the Father who has first chosen us for adoption and unto inheritance in
His Kingdom. But the first step towards entry into the Kingdom of God is the New Birth
by and through the Spirit of His Son Jesus Christ. In practical terms, where we stand now
is The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Col. 1: 12-14). He is our Lord and King. To Him is given
all dominion and power now, who also is the head of the Church (Eph. 1: 18-23). We have
access to the Father through Him and the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2: 18) but without Him Jesus
Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Hence the Church’s main mission is to Witness of
Jesus Christ – proclaiming as the Light, The Saviour, Lord and King.
In this regard, the Holy Spirit has not just come to endue us with power but also to
accompany us and superintend the work of the ministry. His main mission in this respect
is to teach us the truth, testify of and Glorify Jesus Christ. As we preach the truth,
testifying of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, He convicts the hearers, the world of sin,
of righteousness and of judgement, so believing, they might put their Trust in God through
faith in Jesus Christ.
Now when we present Jesus Christ as Saviour, Baptizer, Healer, Deliverer, Liberator,
Wonderful, Miracle Worker, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, etc., etc., the Holy Spirit
confirms whatever we say with signs, that glorifies Jesus Christ. And when Jesus Christ
is glorified by and through the church, the church is also glorified. Jesus is happy to let
this be so …. John 17:22-33.
THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST/THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Now, the primary nature and character of Jesus Christ and hence His Kingdom and that
of the Father is LIGHT, as we read in Isaiah 9:2; 1st Pet. 2:9. This light is the main identity
or character of the glory in and of the church (1st John 1:5; Is. 60:1).
The scriptures also reveal in Heb. 1:8-9 that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is a Kingdom of
Righteousness (cf. Psalm 45:6-7). Righteousness is also presented as a feature of the
Kingdom of God in Romans 14:17.
We might conclude that if the Church has a mission to establish the Kingdom of God on
Earth, the political agenda, the Church shall incorporate peace, righteousness and the
joy of Salvation and Happiness in society through the working power and operation of the
Holy Spirit.
It might be appreciated in this connection, the primary concern of the Church or
Christians in society is not economic but mainly spiritual and social – the establishment
of a society which acknowledges and worships God in spirit and truth (religion) and where
peace, righteousness and happiness are the keys or pillars of action.
Hence, Jesus taught in Mathew 6:33 – BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD… and
the economic shall be an automatic and autonomous addition. God will bless the land.
Finally, we know that God’s ultimate objective is to remove evil and Satan’s hand or
influence in human affairs. Thus, the Church’s mission with regard to the Kingdom of
God on Earth is spiritual warfare and political and social action against Satan and evil in
society.
The Church is aware in this connection of the presence of evil in human affairs, not just
personal sins, but organized crime, organized systems of wickedness, unrighteousness
and evil, man’s inhumanity to man in diverse ways.
Unfortunately, the Church has not merely been made to get out of politics where policies
and decisions are made affecting social conduct and the creation and distribution of
wealth, but also to accept the satanic crafty option that the Church’s mission regarding
the Kingdom of God on Earth should not be concerned with the stamping out of evil as
such but only with the mitigation of pain – feeding the poor and providing for the needy –
leaving the crucial area of decision-making to the very perpetuators of evil in society. The
Church has meanwhile been surfeited and silenced by the “icing” on the cake. She does
not and cannot even take up her PROPHETIC ROLE of open denunciation of evil in
society.
CONCLUSION
The Great Commission must be interpreted or re-interpreted to cover the whole of
human experience, bearing in mind that the main task is not only gathering the people
unto God, nor only discipling the nations and teaching all the doctrines of God, His Will
and Purposes on Earth, but also that the Church is actually involved in building the
Kingdom of Jesus Christ as a necessary and inevitable prelude to the Kingdom of God on
Earth.
In this connection, the church should be fully involved in all aspects of decision – making
and action in society as kings (political) realms, as priests (religious), as prophets – God’s
voice and power of elimination of rebellion and evil in human affairs and social
transformation in general.
When the church is fully engaged in all aspects of human existence of revealing the
LIGHT, GOD demonstrating with love, concern, passion and power of God, and being all
power and authority under Jesus Christ, the church will have put on The Glory of Jesus
Christ to the praise and glory of the Father.
As I said yesterday, there is no better time for the church in this mission than when all
that man knows and built has failed and darkness has covered the earth. Above all, all
this time of political change, the Light indeed has appeared and is risen upon the church.
GLORY BE TO GOD.
Amen!!!