In this article I want to share something with us, something that will challenge us. Perhaps it is something we must have heard before but the Holy Spirit wants to still resonate it with us that we might begin to walk more in the consciousness of it.  So, we are going to be looking at Understanding the Link Between Discipleship and Dominion. I want to start by looking at what discipleship mean or what it means to be a disciple. But before I begin to talk about what discipleship mean, I want to talk about who a disciple is. We will look at the meaning and then we move forward from there.  

Who is a disciple? A “disciple” is more like a student. He is someone who follows the teaching of, learns from and models his/her life after someone else — in this case, we can say it is Jesus Christ. So, people model their lives after people, and a people can also model their lives after Jesus. So, a disciple in the context of what we are looking at tonight is someone who is the student of Jesus Christ, someone who has been following Jesus. Apostle Paul was speaking to one of His protegee, and he said Imitate me just as I imitate Christ. So, who is qualified to be a discipler? A discipler is one whose life has been modelled after Christ and who a disciple wants to model his own life after.

I want us to look at what Discipleship is. Discipleship is the process of making someone become like Christ. A disciple of Christ is to become like Christ in everything. So, while discipleship is a process, a disciple is one who goes through the process which is called discipleship. The essence of looking at this subject matter is so that people look at us they would say they have been with Jesus. So, it means that when we have been properly discipled, the ultimate goal is that we become like Jesus, acting like Jesus, seeing like Jesus, speaking like Jesus, walking like Jesus and ultimately having the mind of Jesus. The Bible says let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. So, if there is a mind which was in Christ, there is a pattern or a way in which that mind can be transferred into one that follows Jesus. And that would be the focus of this article and I pray the Lord will help us and supply grace in the name of Jesus.

 There was a time the disciples of Jesus came to a particular city, and the Bible says Jesus sets His face towards another city, and the Bible made us to realize that He was rejected in that city, and the disciples of Jesus, especially the two sons of Zebedee; they said should we call down fire on this people? And Jesus rebuked them and said I am not sent to those who are saved, I am sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So, what does this means? It means that discipleship is the process that makes disciples to have the mind of Christ and to carry the kind of Spirit that Jesus Christ carries. So, He, talking about was beginning to drive a consciousness in them that there is a manner of Spirit that they are of. So, what kind of Spirit does Christ have, what kind of Spirit did Christ impart into His disciples, we also are meant to be imparted with that same Spirit. so, in discipleship, there reproof and correction which might seem painful but will yield in the disciples, peaceable fruit of righteousness.  

So, I want us to look briefly at who is Christ Jesus. If we are saying a disciple is one who follows after Christ, if we are saying a disciple is one who should model his life after Christ. Who then is Christ? I am sure a lot of us have an answer to this; and I want to read two Scriptures to us, it explains who Christ is and why we must be followers of Christ.  

Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 to 18 says; “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or Dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. ¹⁸And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence.” So, this was Apostle Paul in Colossians chapter 1 describing who Jesus Christ is;

Now, in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 to 9, the writer of Hebrews also describing who Jesus is, and he said; “God who at various times and in various ways spoke to the Fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. So, Jesus christ is the Son of God. Then He said; Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ^[b]worlds. So, that was why Apostle Paul speaking at a point, He said I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified. So, discipleship is a disciple going through the process of discipleship, then becoming like Jesus Christ, following Jesus Christ and ultimately being built by Jesus Christ who is the word. The primary material which God used to create and establish the earth, that is the mold He wants us to become like.

In verse 3 it said; “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power,- this is the continution of the description of jesus. It says He upholds all things by the word of His power, when He had ^[c]by Himself ^[d]purged ^[e]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”  And so, while God was witnessing concerning His Son on the mountain of transfiguration, He gave a witness saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Then He went further to say hear Him. We have been following the series of sonship over the weeks and we learnt extensively and over the weeks in disciplers convocation we have been looking at the mandate of Dominion.

And now God is beginning to say that if you will have Dominion on the earth, then you must pattern your life just as Christ. The reason is because, He is the express image of the invisible God. And so, God was giving a witness and He was saying it is Him that you must hear. So, you don’t pattern your life after any other person, you don’t pattern your life after the pharisees, you pattern your life after Jesus. And then verse 5 says; “For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? ⁶ But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” ⁷ And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” ⁸ But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A ^[f]scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” Apostle Pater was speaking in Acts chapter 2 while he was addressing the people on the day of Pentecost, and He was saying that there is no other name under the heavens given to man by which we must be saved. So, if you must be saved; which is the beginning of Dominion, it is until you have believed in the name of Jesus and then you begin to follow Him.

And so this Scripture was saying here; “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A ^[f]scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” So, what has made Jesus Christ qualified to be the one which we should pattern our lives after? Bible says He is seated at the right hand of God and He has been given a name. and it says a scepter was given to Him and that scepter is the scepter of righteousness. Of course, we know that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach. But what makes righteousness the scepter of His kingdom.

It means that Jesus Himself is going to judge with righteousness and He is going to lead by righteousness. Most times when we read the prophecy concerning Jesus, the Bible keeps telling us that He is going to judge in righteousness. And of course, we know that the righteous are as bold as a lion. So, having followed Jesus Christ, we also become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. So, as He is, so are we in this world. So, what makes us perfect disciples of Jesus is that we become exactly like Him. And when He was about to depart, He said the works that I do, the same works you will do, and greater works than this you will do because I go to the Father.

WHAT MAKES HIM WORTHY TO BE OUR DISCIPLER? BECAUSE;

1. He has been Exalted. Talking about His Position

In Philippians 2 verse 6-10.  What makes Him worthy to be your discipler? What makes Him worthy to be the one who must disciple you so that you can become just Him?  The Scripture says; “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” That is one of His characteristics. It says; “But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” The Bible says; We do not have a high priest that is not touched by  the  feelings  of  our infirmities, He was tempteted in every way, yet without sin. This is one the qualities that qualified jesu christ to be our discipler. This is why we must look unto Him who is the author and the finisher of our faith. The Bible says; who for the joy that was set before Him, He dispised the shame and He endured the cross. Verse 9 then says; “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” So, number one He has been exalted, and He has been placed in a position, and He has been given a name that is above every other name.  If Jesus Christ has been exalted and has been placed above every other name, then it means that the same authority that He has is the same authority that we have if we correctly follow Him.

2. The mysteries of the kingdom have been given to Him.

This is the second point that qualifies Him to be our discipler; it is because the mysteries of the kingdom have been given to Him. So, while He was doing His earthly ministry, He spoke to the disciples at some point and He said it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom. So, while we are on the journey of discipleship, as we walk with Christ, one of the things we must come to realize and begin to experience is that we have access into the mysteries of Christ. So, if there are mysteries of Christ that we have not had access into, it is one of the things that we must press-in that we might begin to experience.

In Revelations 5:1-5 the Bible says; “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ²Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. ⁴So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” So, whatever is written in the scrolls and has been sealed with seals, because you follow jesus christ, then you have the priviledge to behold what jesus christ Himself beholds. So, as He looks upon it, He has given you His Spirit to also be a pertaker and to access thesame secrets and mysteries that have been committed to Him. And the challenge tonight to each and every one of us is this; what kind of mysteries have been committed to you? Even as you have began to walk with christ, what kind of mystery has jesus christ revealed to you.

So, He told His disciples it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom. So, until you are discipled you cannot have Dominion. Every kingdom has mysteries, so, it is upto you to follow chriost to be able to know the mysteries of the kingdom.

3. All Authority has been given to Him.

What has qualified Christ to be our discipler is because all authority has been given to Him. In the book of Matthew 28 from verse 18 downwards, Jesus was commissioning His disciples and He said all authority has been given to Me, go therefore and make disciples of all nations. The reason why Jesus is qualified to be a discipler and why we must be able to follow Him, it is because all authority has been given to Him.  

In the book of Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 to 14. The Bible says; “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.¹⁴Then to Him was given Dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.” In this verse 14 I noted that all authority has been given to Him and what was the authority that was given to Him? It says; Dominion was given to Him; glory was given to Him and a kingdom was given to Him.

So from the place we read in the book of Revelations that they were asking who is worthy? They were saying that Jesus Himself who has become our high priest, He went through a process which led to an experience; an experience of glory which God exalted Him, and we are seeing at this point that what actually happened was that God gave Him Dominion, God gave Him glory and God gave Him kingdom. And this is where Dominion comes in;

Dominion does not operate or exist in a vacuum, there has to be a kingdom for there to be a Dominion. There is no Dominion without a kingdom. What does Dominion mean? It means the domain of a king. So, you can’t talk about Dominion without talking about a kingdom. So, in Genesis chapter 1 verse 26, when  God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have Dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over ^[g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” What God was simply saying was that let us give them a kingdom, let us give them a domain. A kingdom comprises of a ruler, territory, laws, citizens and a culture. So, when God had exalted Jesus Christ and has given Him a domain, His Dominion was not restricted.

He said all authority in heaven, on the earth and even beneath the earth. So, if this was given to Jesus, then having become His disciples, there is also a Dominion that each and every one of us must begin to walk in as an experience.  There is a sphere of influence that He has given to each and every one of us, and we cannot walk in that experience until we are properly discipled. When a disciple is properly trained, he becomes exactly like his master. So, I began to introspect, having been discipled by Jesus overtime, how much of Him have I become? How eager or desperate towards becoming like Jesus? Am I setting Jesus in my front as the goal or I am setting other things as the goal. Because it is going to be a misplacement of priority if you are not beholding Jesus and you want to exercise authority on the face of the earth.  

So, in Luke chapter 22 from verse 28 to 29. “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.” This was jesus speaking to His disciples; He said; But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials, verse 29 says; And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me.” He said you are those who have continued with Me in My trials, He did not say you are those who have stopped when trials came. He said you are those who have continued with me in my trials. That continuation there talks about endurance, not stopping, it talks about fellowshipping with Jesus even His trying times. And that was why Apostle Paul was saying; that I may know Him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His suffering. He said you are with Me; you have continued with Me in My trials, are of those who have followed in my sufferings. And He said because of that there is something I am going to give you; He said I am going to bestow upon you a kingdom. And what was that kingdom Jesus was speaking about?

I want us to look at the book of Acts chapter 1, I will read verse 6 to verse 8. It says; “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” One of the things i came to realize wheile i was mediating on this Scripture was that having followed jesus christ over the years, there was a consciousness that jesus christ brought them into, and that consciousness was the consciousness of the kingdom. But is was just that they didnt get it right. But they began to ask Him, will you at this time restore the kingdom to isreal and He said in verse 7;  “And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. ⁸But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

What was that kingdom that Jesus christ was beginning to say i will bestow upon you those that are my disciples. He was speaking about something and because that thing is going to align with the statement of God in Genesis chapter 1 verse 26. And that was why when jesus began His ministry, He kept saying repent for the kingdom for the kingdom of God is at hand. And so having walked with Him as disciples, they came into the consciousness of a kingdom. And this is a question the Holy Spirit is putting out to us; have you come into the consciousness of the kingdom? Which kingdom do you belong? And have you become one who wants to take responsibility even in the kingdom? They were begining to ask, will you at this time restore the kingdom? We want to see the kingdom come to us. But jesus said that will be under the authority of the Father, He said but you shall recieve power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you.

What was Jesus trying to tell His disciples. Let them have Dominion over. And He said you sahll be witnesses to me jerusalem, judea and even to the ends of the earth. So, the restoration of the kingdom is under the authority of the Ftaher, but what you ought to do is to bring the kingdom of God even to the earth. When jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray, He said our Father who art in heaven hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. So, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, what He will do is that He will help you to replicate the kingdom on the earth. So, wherever you go, you are going to begin to express the kingdom on the earth. How is the kingdom restored? The Bible says; the heavens even the highest of the heavens which belongs to God and the earth which He has given to the sons of men. How then do we have Dominion on the earth, that the whole earth will be covered with the knowledge of the word of God as the water covers the sea. It is that we carry His Spirit. So, when that Spirit comes upon us, it gives us the power to do three things;

• Number 1: He gives you the power to become a life-giving Spirit.

What that means is that you replicate exactly your kind on the face of the earth. So, what Jesus was trying to say is that the kingdom that you are trying to talk about is that you are asking me to restore, that one is under the authority of the Father, but there is something that God had intended from Genesis 1 verse 26, that the life which you have does not stop with you, that that life will extend even from you to others. Apostle Paul gave a comparison between Jesus and Adam He said the first man talking about Adam He brought sin and death, but the second man which is Jesus, He is a life-giving Spirit. so, how much of life do we have in ourselves we must be able to give others. Because, that life does not stop with you. We saw an example of God doing that in Gnesis 2 verse 7, when having formed man, He breathed upon the man and the man became a living being. If God can do it for man, Jesus Christ came to give us the same capacity to also wield the same authority on the face of the earth.

Having followed Jesus Christ over the years, can you actually say I am able to or I have the capacity to be able to give life to others just as Jesus Christ has given me life. It is impossible to give what you do not have, so, how much of Christ do you have that you are able to give unto others. Jesus was speaking and He said the words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life.  The reason is because all authority has been given to Him. What this means is that for you to exercise Dominion on the earth, there is a spirit that must impart you. If we are on the earth and we must exercise Dominion on the earth, then we must carry the Spirit of Christ. You become fruitful because he has put His Spirit in you. That was what He came to do and He promised His disciples in Acts 1 from verse 6.  Because, you will have and possess the capacity to also be able to give life just as I have given.

So, while He was on the earth, He kept emphasizing the same matter, He said do not think that I come to bring peace on the earth, He said I have come to set fire upon the earth. What does that mean? It means I have come to bring a life; I have come to bring a spirit. He said how distressed I am until it is accomplished. He said but I have a cup to drink from and a baptism to be baptized. Talking about the process. So, as you follow Jesus and as you are drinking of the cup, there must be a baptism which you should be willing to be baptized of, there is an ultimate goal to it; it is that you may have life and also be able to transfer that life to others.  He I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly. This was the capacity we saw that was exclusive to God, when He was speaking in Matthew 28, He was saying that this is what God did, I also want to give you the capacity to do the same.

Moses as powerful as he was and with the great wonders which he did in his time, he was not able to replicate that, Bible made us to understand that a spirit was taken out of him and was distributed among seventy elders and they began to prophesy. Why was Moses not able to do that transfer? The dispensation that we are, which we have been able to come to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, which we are able to do as Christ was able to do on the earth.  

• Number Two: He will reveal your identity and purpose to you.

We noted that the first is that He will give you the power to become a life-giving Spirit, number two is that He will reveal your identity and your purpose to you. When you see people who are in Dominion you will observe three things; the first is that they become a life-giving spirit, the second is that they know their identity, purpose and calling. It was Jesus that said to Peter, you are Peter upon this rock I will build my church. Jesus knew His purpose and He opened His disciples up to their purpose. If you will have or walk in Dominion, it is important that you know your purpose and calling.

• Number Three: He teaches you the culture of the kingdom.

So, a man who knows the culture of the kingdom, a man who can give life even unto others, and a man who is able to know His identity, is a man who is walking in Dominion on the face of the earth. And that was what the Spirit came to do. So, if I say I am walking in Dominion, am I able to give the life of Christ that is in me to others? Secondly have I come to the realization of my identity? Do I know my purpose? Do I know why God has sent me to the earth?  Thirly, do I know the culture of the kingdom? So, what the Spirit comes to do is that it gives you the power to be able to speak like Christ-giving you a mouth and a wisdom, He gives you the power to be able to bridle your tongue, and then He helps you to walk and to work like Christ. That is allowing Him guild you into all truth; walking in light and in truth. At this point what should we do? if we must walk in Dominion on the earth.

• Accept the invitation to follow Jesus or accept the invitation of the one who has been able to walk in Dominion on the earth. He said come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.  He said to Peter; follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Having given him a great catch, having giving him money or a big business means or idea, He still expected him to abandon fishing and follow. The reason is because, It is vain to rise early in the morning to sleep late at night only to eat the bread of sorrow. The starting point to Dominion is abandoning all in order to follow and it is in following Jesus that the makes you, it is in that process that Christ is formed in you.
• Allow Him to make and mold you as He wills don’t struggle with His will, His dealings and His process. 

• Let His word seat deep in your Spirit. Psalm 1 verse 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.² But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. ³ And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. So, if the Spirit is in you, He causes you to be fruitful and to multiply. You must allow the words of Jesus Christ to seat deep in your spirit.

• Be humble and stay humble because He gives more grace to the humble. God resist the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. This is the secret to Dominion.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Apeh Francis Abah!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!