The Kingdom and Its Choice Men

The Choice Men of the Kingdom

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. They carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart with the ark of God. And David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. (2 Samuel 6:1–5)

The NIV and other versions use the word "chosen," but the New King James uses the word choice — choice men. That's you and that's me. We are the choice men of God.

London and the World for Christ

What does "London and the world for Christ" actually mean for me? It means two things.

First, it speaks about influence. We are called to influence the people who live in London to turn their hearts to Jesus.

Second, it speaks about impact. Everywhere we go, we make an impact. When we go on our invasions across London, we make an impact — even when people are shouting, screaming, or telling us to "go back to Africa." It's still an impact. That's who we are called to be.

Gathered for a Purpose

The Bible says David gathered all the choice men of Israel — thirty thousand. To gather means to assemble, to put a group of people together for a purpose. God is gathering every single one of us for a reason.

David's task was to bring the ark back — to bring the presence of God into their midst. For that reason, he gathered thirty thousand men. Perhaps ten men would have done, but David gathered thirty thousand.

What is it going to take to change this city for Jesus Christ? We need everybody. We need you. We need every single person to be part of what God is doing and what God is saying.

We Didn't Start Yesterday

This church has been making an impact in the world for a long time. Thirty years ago some of us were in Albania — in 1993, when they had never seen a black person in their lives. We did water baptisms there. We went to Rwanda for Jesus, believing God to take that nation, just two years after the war.

Twenty-five years ago we gathered young people and business and professional people. We thought crazy ideas — we even put a consortium together and tried to buy London City Airport. We had "radical thinkers" weekends because we wanted to take the word for Jesus. We went to a West African nation full of Muslims and saw hundreds of people from Islamic backgrounds give their hearts to Jesus.

I thank God for the past — but I want to talk about the future. We've been doing these things for years, but there is more to be done in Jesus' name.

What It Means to Be a Choice Person

To be a choice man or woman means you are able by the grace of God. In this church, we must have what I call the can-do spirit. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

We are not called to sit down. We're not called just to come to church, sit down, and have some nice worship. We've got work to do. Some of these nations will not know about Jesus Christ unless you and I go.

Sometimes we have to behave as if we are the only church in London — not because we are, but so that we do the work God has called us to do. God has called us to go and display his power, to show the people of the world that Jesus is alive.

There is a gathering taking place in the spirit right now, where God is gathering men and women for a purpose — challenging us to bring his glory back to London.

Five Qualities of a Choice Man or Woman

1. Courage

Anybody who is going to do anything for Christ must be courageous. Courage means being ready to fight — not a physical fight, but a spiritual one. It means the strength to face difficult times.

You can't chicken out when things get tough. Life gets tough. The mission field gets tough. There will be opposition — mental and physical. But you've got to be brave. Courage is about moving things forward.

Be strong and of good courage... Only be strong and very courageous. (Joshua 1:6, 7)

Notice the emphasis: first "good courage," then "very courageous." That word "strong" means able — rest in the ability that God provides by his Spirit.

Courage is not by how you feel. If we lived by feelings, we would never do anything. Who feels like getting up in the morning? Sometimes I don't — but I must. You will never do anything in your life if you listen to how you feel. You do it because God says so. That's courage.

2. A Pioneering Spirit

We need champions. We need pioneers in the body of Christ. The reason I showed those old pictures is because we are breaking ground.

In the early days, there was only one flight to Tirana — on a Thursday. Miss it and that was it. Albania was a communist country; they had never heard the name of Jesus. But we were breaking ground. God is raising pioneers in this house — men and women who will break new ground by faith.

Our heroes in the Bible pioneered — Moses, Abraham, all these great men and women of God.

I am doing a new thing... shall you not know it? (Isaiah 43:19)

God is doing something new, and he wants you to be part of it.

Pioneering takes courage — and it doesn't have to be a big thing. When I lost my mother last year, I refused to allow the Muslim ceremonies of my strong Muslim background, even when I was threatened. In a few months we're doing a celebration for her, and I'm gathering all my family, including the chief imam — my first cousin. I've invited someone to preach for fifty minutes, and the ushers will lock the doors. They will hear the gospel. Nobody has ever done that before. That's breaking new ground — and it can happen right in your own family.

3. Barrier Breakers

Through faith and obedience we can break barriers. London is full of barriers, obstacles, and no-go areas — "you can't do this, you can't do that." Who are you going to believe? We're going to break those barriers in the name of Jesus.

Not through physical confrontation — God forbid — but in the spirit we bring barriers down. We are the can-do people of God.

And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines... (2 Samuel 23:15–16)

David simply expressed a longing. The enemy was everywhere, yet three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines to bring him water. If they could do that for a man, what can we do for God?

So what is God longing for today? What is on the heart of God for us? Souls. We have to find out what is on God's heart — and the one thing I can tell you is that he longs for more than where we are today. Mission to Brazil, Romania, Albania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran — who is going to lead? Come on, somebody.

4. Standing Your Ground

A choice man or woman must stand their ground for victory. Everybody may retreat, but you've got to stand. You start a prayer meeting for a breakthrough with five people, and one by one they back off. But somebody has to stand.

...Eleazar the son of Dodo, one of the three mighty men... he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines. (2 Samuel 23:9–10)

Israel retreated. Everybody ran. But Eleazar stood his ground.

I remember in Albania when nothing was happening and I knew that talking wasn't enough — we needed to prove who God is. I asked them to bring the worst case that needed a miracle, and they brought a man who had been in a wheelchair for ten years. My whole team retreated. Nobody believed. But that man stood — he walked. God healed him. The crowd began to mob me, saying, "There is a God among us," and the police had to lift me out. My point is: I stood my ground and believed God for a miracle. God is asking you to stand your ground for his glory.

5. Decisiveness

A choice man must be decisive — you must have a clear mind, understanding the will of God. We can't do this if we're double-minded.

There's a story about an apprentice mechanic asked to check whether a car's indicator was working. His answer? "It's working, it's not working, it's flashing, it's not flashing." Make up your mind! You've got to be decisive.

When eighteen of us were baptized here years ago, we had no mentors — we went home and threw a disco party, because nobody had told us it was wrong. But an unsaved friend of ours said it best in his broken way: "If you want to praise Jah, praise Jah. If you want to boogie, boogie. But make up your mind — choose one." Thank God, I chose to praise God.

If I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:16)

We've got to make up our minds. If it's going to cost you, let it cost you — because it's worth it. Nearly every Saturday we're on the streets of London proclaiming the good news — rain or sun. I've had guns pointed at me and been threatened with prison. But if I perish, I perish; I'm going to do the work of God.

God Is Raising and Releasing You

As we pray today, this is what I believe God is doing: God is raising and releasing people to become choice men. Some of you are going to do amazing things for Jesus — to take the nations, to take the city, to do things I cannot even put in your mind.

When Isaiah went into the temple, there was nobody else there. Nobody. Everything else there was angels and seraphim.

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? (Isaiah 6:8)

There was nobody else — but Isaiah knew God was speaking to him, and he said, "Send me."

That's what God is saying to us. You have to behave as if nobody else is going to go, and you have to be willing to be sent. God is sending you to all kinds of places where you will proclaim, declare, and bear witness to his name.