Watch “The Robber, Religion and the Redeemer” Jentezen Franklin, host of Kingdom Connection & Pastor of Free Chapel.

this remarkable man who’s mentioned in

all four of the Gospels

he lived in a little obscure Village and

called Arimathea which is about 20 miles

from Jerusalem

and yet his contribution to the kingdom

of God

is is so incredible again that every

writer of the Gospel every new test of

the four gospels they included the story

of Joseph of Arimathea the Bible tells

us a few facts about him number one it

says in verse 57 he was a rich man he

was wealthy

he was blessed we would say he had

tremendous resources

and then the Bible says in the same

verse that he became a disciple of Jesus

so you can be wealthy and you can be a

Christian you can be wealthy and be a

disciple of Christ

God doesn’t mind if you have things he

just doesn’t want the things to have you

and then notice what else it says it

said that this man

with all of his giftings with all of his

ability with all of his wealth with all

of his Prestige with all of his name

Fame and his popularity he was a member

of the Sanhedrin we’re told which was

the political system of that day he was

but he did not consent to their ways the

scripture said in other words he was in

it but he didn’t agree with everything

he was there to influence so he had

influence he had wealth he had power he

had Prestige but he understood it wasn’t

about him and this man used the

influence the wealth

the giftings that were significant to

him and he knew that that gave him an

opportunity to go where nobody else

could go except him because I guess he

had probably given to this and given to

that he understood God gave me all of

this wealth and Prestige for one purpose

to affect the body of Christ

I need to get the body of Christ into my

city and prepare a place to put it I

don’t care what condition it’s in I’m

going to move it from a death position

to a resurrection position

and it’s my responsibility think about

what I’m saying one man move the body of

Christ

one man said I’m moving it from where it

is to where it ought to be

and he said the only way I can do this

is I understand God has not blessed me

with wealth and with Fame and with

Prestige and with popularity to be all

about me

but he has given me this influence and

resources for one purpose to the body of

Christ then was a physical body of Jesus

but Paul calls the church the body of

Christ

and here’s what I want you to understand

he went to Harry he went to pilate and

the Bible said that he begged King James

says he begged for the body of Christ

he was begging for the opportunity to

get involved with the body of Christ

which is the church now

under the New Covenant he was you don’t

you didn’t have to beg him usually the

more Fame people get the more wealth

people get the more independent they get

the more they think they don’t need God

as much he’s lucky to have me but this

guy had the total opposite idea he said

God has blessed me so much has raised me

so much has been so good to me I’m

begging you pilate let me get my hands

involved with the body of Christ I’m not

going to use all the blessings that God

has given me to keep me disconnected

from the body the only reason I was

given all of this stuff was that it

should help

impact and influence the body of Christ

in my city to have a place

it’s pretty amazing are you willing to

beg for the opportunity to be involved

in the body of Christ