SUBDUE & TAKE DOMINION

1. Rule over & subdue all domains.

a) 26Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:26-28 NIV)

2. We want to particularly look at Genesis 1: 28.

a) 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28 NIV)

i) It all began with God’s blessing unto man and woman first before they can be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and ultimately subdue it.

ii) How much do we understand the meaning of the word? How can we apply in our daily lives?

@1. Meaning:

#1) Fruitful​ - to bear much fruit; productive; producing results; profitable.

#2) Multiply ​- to increase in number, amount, extent, or degree.

#3) Replenish ​- to make full or complete again by furnishing a new supply.

#4) Subdue ​- to bring into subjection; conquer.

b) We know that God wants us to be fruitful and multiply so that we can replenish the earth, to replace that which has been consumed or destroyed. Where there is barrenness, God gives us the power to replenish it with fruitfulness. Not only to multiply and replenish the earth but to subdue it.

c) Jesus used the word “occupy” instead of subdue in Luke 19: 13 “… and said unto them, Occupy till I come”. The word occupy is a military terminology referring to a foreign alien power invading a country and imposing somebody else’s will on it. Yes, God wants us to take dominion, subdue, occupy, rule and impose His laws and principles over the earth.

d) To subdue & take dominion, we need to have the understanding of the kinds of domain we are dealing with.

e) In Genesis 1: 26, we see the waters the air and all the earth are domains. A domain is a kingdom where there is a king. God is saying, here is a domain – here is a kingdom, where there is a king, a ruler – God wants us to take dominion and rule over all that.

f) Every kingdom has its own king. In the metal kingdom, gold is the king. The birds of the air have their own kingdom and their king.

g) Then,

i) Who is the king of the birds? Eagle.

ii) Who is the king of the wild animals? Lion.

iii) Who is the king of domesticated animals? Ox.

iv) Which is the king of metals? Gold.

v) Which is the king of precious stones? Diamond.

3. How shall God going to make sure that we have the ability to subdue and take dominion over all domains?

a) God shall:

i) Make us creative.

ii) Make us inventive.

iii) Make us productive.

iv) Give us new ideas and ways of doing old things.

v) Give us new ways of communication.

vi) Give us new ways of ministering to the poor.

vii) Give us new ways of creating food, medicine, traveling, etc.

viii) Give us the ability to harness all kinds of energy and resources.

b) Before we ever start thinking about taking dominion, we need to take a closer look at 4 aspects of personal dominion:

i) Sin shall not have dominion.

@1. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:6-8 NIV)

@2. Sin is not to have dominion over us and master our life.

@3. Are we going to allow sin to dominate us or are we going to dominate sin? If we are to dominate sin that means that we are also to dominate the devil. We don’t have to bow to him, his ways, and do not allow him to ever have dominion over us.

ii) Possess our souls.

@1. 4that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, (1 Thessalonians 4:4 NIV)

@2. Jesus said, "Stand firm, and you will win life" (Luke 21:19 NIV). That means God is going to do something in us to develop a fruit while we are learning to dominate our soul (mind, will & emotion) by the spirit of God. We have to rebuild our mind, our will and our emotion into alignment of God’s Word.

iii) Put our feet on scorpions and snakes.

@1. Jesus said, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."(Luke 10:19 NIV)

@2. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:17, 18 NIV)

@3. 20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you (Romans 16:20 NIV). The word “crush” means to trample on or break into pieces or bruise. Whatever God has assigned to us, we are allowing our feet to get on top of that. Every time we crush the headship of Satan no matter what he is speaking to us, we have taken dominion.

iv) We can overcome.

@1. 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. (Revelation 12:10 NIV)

@2. How does the church overcome the accuser? 11They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Revelation 12:11 NIV)

4. Prayer focus

a) Pray that God will fill us with power to take dominion and subdue every challenge in life.