LoveKey Church
The Keys of the Kingdom II
Hello everyone and welcome to our fifth session of our "Reign in Life" series entitled: "The Keys of the Kingdom" It is also our one-year anniversary of LoveKey Church! Enjoy the celebrations with us! https://linktr.ee/lovekeymission info@lovekey.co.za
Locations & Times
John Murray Dance Studio
Urtel Crescent, Triangle House, Firgrove Rural, Cape Town, 7110, South Africa
Sunday 10:00 AM
LoveKey Church
LoveKey Church Website
https://lovekeymission.com
LoveKey Church Podcast
LoveKey Podcast Link
Be encouraged, inspired, and challenged with our LoveKey Church Message of the Week, and our Love Unlocks Live Sessions.Please subscribe and write a review.
https://linktr.ee/lovekeypodcast
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Connect Groups
Contact Details for Connect Group Leaders
What is LoveKey Church All About?
Our name comes from the fact that we believe that the KEY to salvation (giving your life to Jesus, becoming a reborn Christian) is the revelation of how much God LOVES you. And the KEY to living the life He has for us is to LOVE him back. That’s why LoveKey Church is a local expression of a part of the body of Christ with a focus on creating a place, opportunity and atmosphere where all people can encounter God, align with His purposes in order to reign in life, and help others to do the same.
ENCOUNTER, ALIGN REIGN, HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME - easy way to remember it.
We believe the Bible is the word of God and we commit to be obedient to it with the leading of the Holy Spirit
We believe that marriage and family is God’s idea and His way of doing it is the right way and the best way. We want to see marriages thrive and families be healthy in Jesus. Because healthy families build a healthy nation - notice I didn’t say “perfect” families, I said healthy - whole in Jesus, reconciled in Jesus, redeemed by Jesus, focused on Jesus.
We stand for unity in the body of Christ - we can be diverse but not divided, and celebrate our different gifts and roles in the greater body of Christ. We really resonate with Jesus’ prayer in John 17 where he asks that the Father will make us all one as He and the Father are one so that the world will know that He sent Him. Our biggest evangelical tool is unity!
We want to help eradicate fatherlessness and shine a light on the crisis of cultural Christianity - South Africa has a physical fatherlessness rate of 62% and other forms of fatherlessness in the remaining percentage - it truly is a huge problem.
Cultural Christianity is where people grow up in a so-called Christian home or culture and believe that that makes them a Christian, when in fact it is very possible that the culture they’re in has adopted a version of God that is convenient, made it apart of their culture and they’re actually worshipping their culture.
We want this to be a multi-generational, multi-cultural church that lives to know Jesus and to make Him known.
ENCOUNTER, ALIGN REIGN, HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME - easy way to remember it.
We believe the Bible is the word of God and we commit to be obedient to it with the leading of the Holy Spirit
We believe that marriage and family is God’s idea and His way of doing it is the right way and the best way. We want to see marriages thrive and families be healthy in Jesus. Because healthy families build a healthy nation - notice I didn’t say “perfect” families, I said healthy - whole in Jesus, reconciled in Jesus, redeemed by Jesus, focused on Jesus.
We stand for unity in the body of Christ - we can be diverse but not divided, and celebrate our different gifts and roles in the greater body of Christ. We really resonate with Jesus’ prayer in John 17 where he asks that the Father will make us all one as He and the Father are one so that the world will know that He sent Him. Our biggest evangelical tool is unity!
We want to help eradicate fatherlessness and shine a light on the crisis of cultural Christianity - South Africa has a physical fatherlessness rate of 62% and other forms of fatherlessness in the remaining percentage - it truly is a huge problem.
Cultural Christianity is where people grow up in a so-called Christian home or culture and believe that that makes them a Christian, when in fact it is very possible that the culture they’re in has adopted a version of God that is convenient, made it apart of their culture and they’re actually worshipping their culture.
We want this to be a multi-generational, multi-cultural church that lives to know Jesus and to make Him known.
Offer to Serve
Offer to Serve Link
OFFER TO SERVE INVITEIf you feel led by God to be a part of this vision and mission, please contact us at info@lovekey.co.za or fill out our Offer to Serve form on the Church Center app, or online:
https://forms.gle/ufM5cD8KYabn365s6
Please Pray for our leaders, members, marriages, families and our nation
Partner with LoveKey Church
What You Partner With:
Thank you for partnering with our ministry so that we can: 1. reach more people with the gospel message 2. Positively impact marriages and families 3. Play a role in eradicating fatherlessness 4. Shine a light on the crisis of cultural Christianity 5. Minister Unity to the body of Christ 6. Sow into what we hope to be future social justice projects in our local community 6. Sow into trusted organizations preaching the gospel in Israel to Jews, and helping Jews relocate to Israel.- FIRM Foundation and One For Israel
https://lovekeymission.com/partnerEFT: Banking Details: LoveKey NPC, FNB, Current Account Number: 62824888525, Branch code: 250655
Card Payment link: https://pay.yoco.com/lovekey-npc
PayPal: partner@lovekey.co.za
Card Payment link: https://pay.yoco.com/lovekey-npc
PayPal: partner@lovekey.co.za
Cheerful Giver
Here is another easy way for you to partner with our ministry. Cheerful Giver enables you to easily give any amount of your choice to LoveKey Church through whatsapp. You set up your profile and link your card once, and then you're good to give!
https://www.cheerfulgiver.co.za/give/LK
Ways to Partner
Praise and Worship Scripture
Reign In Life - Series
The Keys of the Kingdom II
MAIN MESSAGE:
REIGN IN LIFE - “THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM II”
New Series: REIGN IN LIFE
Main scripture:
Romans 5:17 - 'For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.'
RECAP:
Matthew 16:13-19
'When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to 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 also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”'
Revelation 1:17-18
'And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. '
We saw from these scriptures that Jesus may have been referring to himself and/or to the revelation that Peter had about who He is.
Holy Spirit revealed to us that the gates of Hades are just that - gates, and therefore cannot attack us as children of God.
So we are not in a defensive position, we are actually supposed to be on the offensive - we are called to breach the gates of Hades, which symbolizes death - dead people who don’t know Jesus, and dead people who are heading for eternal death.
Jesus says he will give Peter the keys of the kingdom - that whatever he binds on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever he will loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
We saw from Revelation 1:18 that Jesus has the keys of Hades and death. So there is a possibility that even in this scripture Jesus was prophesying what he would do through his death, burial and resurrection - he himself would breach the gates of Hades and conquer death itself, fetch the keys - and in this way he made the way for us open, his children, his brothers and sisters, his co-heirs.
Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven:
Matthew 13:11 - The purpose of parables
'He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. '
Matthew 13:18-23 - the parable of the sower explained
'“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”'
Matthew 13:37-43 - the parable of the tares explained
'He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'
New Scripture to bring into this context:
Matthew 6:31-34
'“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.'
Confirmation scriptures of the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
Matthew 18:18-20
'“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”'
John 20:21-23 (after Jesus’ death and resurrection)
'So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”'
Ok, now let’s bring all these elements together:
On this rock I will build my assembly of called-out ones (ecclesia, church) - and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it - the church is supposed to actually take an offensive stance against sin and death - we should be focused on how we get the next person who is dead in sin to come alive in Christ.
We are given the keys of the kingdom with two functions.
The parables reveal two distinct groups of people - those who respond positively to the message of Jesus and accept him as their Lord and saviour, and those who don’t - and those who don’t are divided in categories of degrees of coming close to being saved, to not even considering it and purposefully rebelling against Jesus
Two kinds of keys. Two groups of people. Death. Life. Eternal death. Eternal life. Two options. A tale of two kingdoms (remember?). Each is accessible with a key. Bind. Loose.
Can you see that Jesus has actually given true born-again believers immense authority. Overwhelming power. The ability to literally make life and death decisions. Can you see that? Have you ever realised that and got excited about it? Do you realise it now? Are you getting excited now? Or are you a little freaked out and don’t know what it means? I hear you. I understand that feeling.
I have seen and heard some people bind and loose things, and I’ve even tried it myself, but it didn’t work. I made noises, but nothing was bound and nothing was loosed. I was trying to wield it like it was a magic trick. I was applying it in a selfish manner. I was applying it in a foolish manner.
Look at John 20:21-22 again - doesn’t this look irresponsible to you? Jesus giving mere mortals the power to set free and condemn? To forgive sin or not to forgive sin? What?! But look properly - can you see how this lines up with Matthew 16?
Ok, now remember we always need to keep the whole Bible in mind, we need to see it all in context and stay within the spirit of humility and total dependency on God. Now read this well-known scripture:
John 15:7 - 'If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. '
Psalm 112: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and greatly delights in obeying His commands
John 14:15 - if you love me you will keep my commands.
1 John 5:3 - for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome.
Also, it is important to note in John that Jesus breathes on them and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit - but the day of Pentecost only came days later. I believe what we need to understand from this is that if we are truly born-again, truly Holy Spirit-filled, then Jesus will trust us with the keys of the kingdom of heaven and then when we bind whatever, we will be binding something in line with Jesus’ will, and when we loose whatever, we will be loosing something according to His will. The righteous choice will flow from the love relationship we have with Jesus.
But we should not expect to selfishly and recklessly shout “bind” and “loose” whenever we think and expect a magic trick to take place.
Binding the lies someone believes and the demons that torment them, and loosing the truth of their God-given identity and purpose through repentance and salvation remains the most Kingdom-minded and righteous thing we can do.
Let us get ready to immerse ourselves in the fullness of what God has for us, what Jesus died for and what the Holy Spirit has equipped us for.
When we wake up in the morning and open our eyes and start to pray, speak, love and move - the gates of Hades should shudder! Oh no! Here those people from LoveKey Church are coming! Hide the dead people so they can’t save them!
BUT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE KEYS BY JESUS HIMSELF! THROUGH HIM WE HAVE OVERCOME SIN AND DEATH AND WE CAN HELP OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!
SO LET’S DO IT!
REFLECT AND RESPOND
Let’s reflect on today’s celebration and message, and respond by answering this question, not to me, but to God himself:
HOW WILL YOU LIVE FROM THIS MOMENT ON KNOWING THIS TRUTH FROM THE WORD OF GOD? Will tomorrow and the days that follow of the rest of your life be different, or just the same? Do you know that you have the kesy of the kingdom of heaven? Do you know what they’re for? Good. Now go and use them.
PRAYER
REIGN IN LIFE - “THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM II”
New Series: REIGN IN LIFE
Main scripture:
Romans 5:17 - 'For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.'
RECAP:
Matthew 16:13-19
'When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to 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 also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”'
Revelation 1:17-18
'And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. '
We saw from these scriptures that Jesus may have been referring to himself and/or to the revelation that Peter had about who He is.
Holy Spirit revealed to us that the gates of Hades are just that - gates, and therefore cannot attack us as children of God.
So we are not in a defensive position, we are actually supposed to be on the offensive - we are called to breach the gates of Hades, which symbolizes death - dead people who don’t know Jesus, and dead people who are heading for eternal death.
Jesus says he will give Peter the keys of the kingdom - that whatever he binds on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever he will loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
We saw from Revelation 1:18 that Jesus has the keys of Hades and death. So there is a possibility that even in this scripture Jesus was prophesying what he would do through his death, burial and resurrection - he himself would breach the gates of Hades and conquer death itself, fetch the keys - and in this way he made the way for us open, his children, his brothers and sisters, his co-heirs.
Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven:
Matthew 13:11 - The purpose of parables
'He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. '
Matthew 13:18-23 - the parable of the sower explained
'“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”'
Matthew 13:37-43 - the parable of the tares explained
'He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'
New Scripture to bring into this context:
Matthew 6:31-34
'“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.'
Confirmation scriptures of the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
Matthew 18:18-20
'“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”'
John 20:21-23 (after Jesus’ death and resurrection)
'So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”'
Ok, now let’s bring all these elements together:
On this rock I will build my assembly of called-out ones (ecclesia, church) - and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it - the church is supposed to actually take an offensive stance against sin and death - we should be focused on how we get the next person who is dead in sin to come alive in Christ.
We are given the keys of the kingdom with two functions.
The parables reveal two distinct groups of people - those who respond positively to the message of Jesus and accept him as their Lord and saviour, and those who don’t - and those who don’t are divided in categories of degrees of coming close to being saved, to not even considering it and purposefully rebelling against Jesus
Two kinds of keys. Two groups of people. Death. Life. Eternal death. Eternal life. Two options. A tale of two kingdoms (remember?). Each is accessible with a key. Bind. Loose.
Can you see that Jesus has actually given true born-again believers immense authority. Overwhelming power. The ability to literally make life and death decisions. Can you see that? Have you ever realised that and got excited about it? Do you realise it now? Are you getting excited now? Or are you a little freaked out and don’t know what it means? I hear you. I understand that feeling.
I have seen and heard some people bind and loose things, and I’ve even tried it myself, but it didn’t work. I made noises, but nothing was bound and nothing was loosed. I was trying to wield it like it was a magic trick. I was applying it in a selfish manner. I was applying it in a foolish manner.
Look at John 20:21-22 again - doesn’t this look irresponsible to you? Jesus giving mere mortals the power to set free and condemn? To forgive sin or not to forgive sin? What?! But look properly - can you see how this lines up with Matthew 16?
Ok, now remember we always need to keep the whole Bible in mind, we need to see it all in context and stay within the spirit of humility and total dependency on God. Now read this well-known scripture:
John 15:7 - 'If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. '
Psalm 112: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and greatly delights in obeying His commands
John 14:15 - if you love me you will keep my commands.
1 John 5:3 - for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome.
Also, it is important to note in John that Jesus breathes on them and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit - but the day of Pentecost only came days later. I believe what we need to understand from this is that if we are truly born-again, truly Holy Spirit-filled, then Jesus will trust us with the keys of the kingdom of heaven and then when we bind whatever, we will be binding something in line with Jesus’ will, and when we loose whatever, we will be loosing something according to His will. The righteous choice will flow from the love relationship we have with Jesus.
But we should not expect to selfishly and recklessly shout “bind” and “loose” whenever we think and expect a magic trick to take place.
Binding the lies someone believes and the demons that torment them, and loosing the truth of their God-given identity and purpose through repentance and salvation remains the most Kingdom-minded and righteous thing we can do.
Let us get ready to immerse ourselves in the fullness of what God has for us, what Jesus died for and what the Holy Spirit has equipped us for.
When we wake up in the morning and open our eyes and start to pray, speak, love and move - the gates of Hades should shudder! Oh no! Here those people from LoveKey Church are coming! Hide the dead people so they can’t save them!
BUT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE KEYS BY JESUS HIMSELF! THROUGH HIM WE HAVE OVERCOME SIN AND DEATH AND WE CAN HELP OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!
SO LET’S DO IT!
REFLECT AND RESPOND
Let’s reflect on today’s celebration and message, and respond by answering this question, not to me, but to God himself:
HOW WILL YOU LIVE FROM THIS MOMENT ON KNOWING THIS TRUTH FROM THE WORD OF GOD? Will tomorrow and the days that follow of the rest of your life be different, or just the same? Do you know that you have the kesy of the kingdom of heaven? Do you know what they’re for? Good. Now go and use them.
PRAYER