Kingdom above preference
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 8/2/2026
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32:45
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to elevate the Kingdom of God above their own personal preferences, arguing that unity in relationships and the church is the only way to unlock God's commanded blessing.
Key points
- •Kingdom living requires prioritizing God's agenda over personal feelings, comfort, and the desire to be right.
- •Unity is not just a suggestion but a requirement for God to bestow His blessing and for the church to possess power.
- •Selfish ambition and personal preference act as tools of the enemy to create division in marriages, families, and the church.
- •Jesus modeled the 'Kingdom above preference' lifestyle by submitting His will to the Father, even in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- •True discipleship is marked by serving others rather than competing with them for status or recognition.
Scripture
Purpose
Community
Spiritual Warfare
Authority
Life application
This week, identify one area in your marriage, family, or workplace where you have been insisting on your own way. Intentionally surrender that preference to God and choose to serve the other person's needs instead of demanding your own.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life (relationships, career, ministry) are you currently prioritizing your personal preference over God's purpose?
- How does the realization that God 'commands a blessing' where there is unity change your approach to conflict?
- Are you currently listening to 'wrong voices' that are sowing seeds of division or jealousy in your heart?
- What would change in your daily interactions if you focused on building disciples rather than building your own platform or reputation?
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Full transcript
0:00Can you please stand for the reading of
0:00God's word this morning? Beautiful song
0:04by a worship team. Not by might nor by
0:08power, but it is by the spirit of the
0:12Lord.
0:14I want to turn your attention to
0:17Paul's writing in the book of Ephesians
0:21chapter 4
0:23from verse 1 to verse 6.
0:28And so we're going to do it a little bit
0:29different this morning. I'm going to
0:32read the first verse. You read the
0:34second and we'll continue that way. When
0:36we get to verse six, we'll read it
0:38together. Now, I know I have a
0:41microphone, but it's more of you. So,
0:43therefore, you should be louder
0:46than I am. All right? Because it's more
0:49of you. So, I really want you to pay
0:51attention to the screen. Those of you
0:53who don't have a Bible, I grew up where
0:55everybody had to have a Bible. In my
0:58time, we didn't have these fancy big
1:00screens where you could read. We didn't
1:03have no phones where you could download
1:05the Bible app. You had to bring your
1:07Bible to church. So, we made it
1:09convenient. So, if you don't have a
1:10Bible, you can pay attention to the
1:12screen. But Paul's writing in the book
1:15of Ephesians, chapter 4, beginning at
1:17verse one, he says, "As a prisoner for
1:19the Lord, then I urge you to live a life
1:23worthy of the calling you have
1:26received." Read.
1:36>> Make every effort to keep the unity of
1:39the spirit through the bond of peace.
1:43There is one body.
1:51>> One Lord, one faith, one baptism
1:56together, one God and Father of all, who
2:00is over all and through all and in all.
2:04Father, we thank you for your word this
2:06morning. May you bless your servant,
2:08bless your people. Let us leave this
2:11place today empowered in Jesus' name.
2:15And everybody shout, "Amen." Come on,
2:17let's give him another praise.
2:20And you may be seated in the presence of
2:23the Lord. For a brief moment, I'd like
2:26to bring your attention to the subject
2:29kingdom above preference.
2:33Kingdom above preference. What am I
2:37talking about? Kingdom agenda should be
2:40your priority,
2:42not your personal preference.
2:46Kingdom
2:47agenda should be your most utmost
2:51priority, not your personal preference.
2:55And so, one of the greatest causes of
2:59brokenness in our world is not a lack of
3:03talent. It's not a lack of opportunity
3:07nor resources.
3:10It is a lack of unity.
3:13>> You see it in dating relationships.
3:18We see dating relationships are in a
3:21crisis because there's no unity. We see
3:24it in marriages. Marriages are failing
3:28because it lacks unity.
3:31We see it between parents and children.
3:34[clears throat] We also see it in
3:36workplaces, in businesses, in
3:39communities. And sadly, we even see it
3:43displayed in the church.
3:46Many people spend their lives blaming
3:50their circumstances,
3:52their upbringing, their their finances,
3:55or the people around them for the
3:58dysfunction they experience.
4:02While those things may contribute to the
4:05challenges of life, scripture points us
4:08to something deeper than those things.
4:13I believe that where there is abs where
4:16where unity I should say is absent,
4:19division eventually takes over. I want
4:24to say it again. Where unity is absent,
4:27division usually takes over.
4:32So if there's no unity in your dating,
4:34if there's no unity in your marriage, if
4:37there's no unity in your family, if
4:39there's no unity at the workplace, the
4:41marketplace, if there's no unity in the
4:44church,
4:46division will take over. The world has
4:50mastered
4:52this idea of uh creating division.
4:58Mastered it. That is why we find in the
5:01world today there are borders. We're
5:04trying to put borders to separate
5:06ourselves to put ourselves in different
5:09classes.
5:10That is why racism and slavery was so
5:14dominant and still dominant today
5:17because if I can divide you, I can
5:20conquer you.
5:22>> It's a strategy of the enemy. And so
5:25Psalm 133:1 tells us, watch this, how
5:29good and pleasant it is when God's
5:34people live together in unity. Don't
5:38miss this. How good and pleasant it is
5:41when God's people live together in
5:45unity. Notice that David didn't say
5:48unity is merely good. He said it is good
5:52and it is pleasant because unity creates
5:56an atmosphere where p where powerful and
6:00godly things are produced.
6:03The enemy knows where there's no unity,
6:07he can increase his uh strategy. He can
6:12he can declare division. He can cause
6:15you to walk out of the full plan and
6:18purpose of God for your life. So in
6:21Psalm 133 and verse three, David
6:25declares "For
6:27there the Lord where unity, for there
6:31the Lord bestows his blessing, even life
6:35forever more." So what David is saying
6:37is where there is unity, God commands
6:40his blessing.
6:43Don't you see that the enemy doesn't
6:45want your relationships to be blessed?
6:48>> Don't you see he doesn't want you to
6:50work at a workplace that is healthy and
6:55where you can stay there until it's time
6:57for you to go until it's God's will for
7:00you to go. Don't you see the enemy knows
7:02that that workplace though though
7:05they're not perfect? They're not
7:06perfect. I get it. But could it be that
7:09God placed you there for his own
7:12purpose?
7:14>> And when you don't flow in unity, the
7:16devil's plan is to destroy and to
7:19disrupt God's plan for your life. So you
7:22will spend the next 20 years hopping
7:25from job to job, not building stability,
7:29not building a retirement,
7:32and then when you get old, you blame it
7:34on everybody else.
7:36but is because you are not a lover of
7:39unity.
7:41Some of you are walking around blaming
7:43men for everything that's wrong in your
7:46life
7:48because you've dated a few and and so
7:51forth and and not taking responsibility.
7:53That could it be that because you're
7:56dysfunctional
7:59and you're toxic
8:03that maybe it's disrupting your ability
8:06to find the good man?
8:11Some of you men, maybe the reason why
8:13you are toxic and miserable. And maybe
8:17the reason why you have yet to find a
8:20good woman is because you don't know how
8:24to embrace something that's good. You've
8:27been damaged so badly over the years by
8:31your mother
8:33>> and other women.
8:37>> Oh, I'm going to preach it, sweetheart.
8:39I promise you.
8:41I'm going to preach it.
8:46David says the Lord bestows his blessing
8:51when we're united
8:54and we can't keep going around blaming
8:56everyone else and the systems of the
8:59world. When we don't embrace the fact
9:01that God wants us to become one. So
9:05you're dating. Don't allow the enemy to
9:10cause trivial things to divide you.
9:13Could it be that that is the perfect
9:15union? Could it be that God has blessed
9:20your relationship to lead to the
9:22honorable position and that is marriage
9:26be one cuz that's where the blessing is
9:29at.
9:31If you're in a marriage
9:33and God has blessed that marriage, be
9:36united.
9:38Don't don't don't be in your feelings
9:40and and don't divide. Don't let the
9:43devil use you to bring a wedge between
9:46what God has built.
9:50>> The church of Jesus Christ possesses
9:52everything necessary to change the
9:55world, to change our lives. We have the
9:58gospel. We have the Holy Spirit and we
10:01have the authority of Christ and we have
10:04the power of prayer. Let me say it
10:06again. We have the gospel, the good
10:09news. We have the Holy Spirit. We have
10:11the authority of Christ and we have the
10:13power of prayer. Yet, one of our
10:17greatest struggles
10:19is that we are often not as united as
10:24Christ intended us to be. Why is that?
10:29Because too often we place, watch this,
10:32personal preference
10:34above kingdom purpose.
10:38It's always about us. Do you know how
10:40many of you have wrecked your life and
10:42your family because of personal
10:45preference? You rather burn the whole
10:48house down
10:50>> just to get your way.
10:53You rather kill something that's good
10:56just to prove you're right.
11:00You've lost good people
11:04all because
11:06of your personal preference.
11:11We prefer our own way. We prefer our own
11:13opinions. We prefer our own comfort. We
11:16prefer our own recognition. Instead of
11:19surrendering ourselves completely to
11:21God's plan, we insist on protecting our
11:26preference.
11:29You see, kingdom culture always ask
11:33what advances the kingdom of God.
11:38Personal preference ask what benefits
11:41me?
11:43What benefits me?
11:45So that's how we live our lives in the
11:47church, as a single person, married, in
11:52our family, at the workplace. It's
11:55always about us.
11:58And we are not ashamed to declare it.
12:02It's me, myself,
12:05>> and I.
12:08Jesus modeled kingdom
12:11before preference.
12:13Throughout his early ministry, Jesus
12:16never allowed personal preference to
12:18override his father's assignment.
12:21Repeatedly he declared, he says, "For in
12:25John chapter 6, he said,"For I have come
12:28down from heaven." And listen to this
12:30carefully, church. I've come down from
12:32heaven not to do my will, but to do the
12:35will of HIM WHO SENT ME. This is Jesus.
12:39He could have COME TO EARTH BRAGGING
12:42about his position.
12:45He could have said, "Do you know who I
12:46am? I am the son of God, and everybody
12:50ought to bow down to me. And if you
12:52don't bow down, I'm gonna use my power,
12:55and I'm gonna punish you." Listen, can I
12:58be honest with you? Some of us should
13:00not be given power.
13:08Some of us cannot handle power.
13:12>> Cannot.
13:14We want it, but we cannot handle it.
13:17Some of you have it, but you are very
13:20abusive with it.
13:24Again,
13:27Jesus said in John 5:30, he says, "I
13:31seek not to please myself,
13:35but him who sent [laughter] me." This is
13:37Jesus.
13:39He had every right to brag about who he
13:42is. And he said, "I didn't come here to
13:46please myself. This is not about
13:48preference now. This is about kingdom
13:51agenda." Even in the garden of
13:53Gethsemane,
13:55facing unimaginable
13:58suffering, Jesus prayed this prayer. Are
14:01you ready for it? Listen. This is what
14:02he prayed. He said, "Father,
14:05if you are willing, take this cup from
14:09me. Yet not my will,
14:14but yours
14:16be done."
14:19See, this is kingdom culture. Jesus
14:22could have said,
14:24I listen,
14:26I ain't doing this for these jokers.
14:29I'm not doing this. I'm not going to the
14:32cross. I ain't nobody going to put no
14:35sword in my side. Ain't nobody going to
14:37put no crown of thorn on my head. And
14:39you surely not going to drive no nails
14:41through my hands and feet.
14:45He could have said that
14:47because he felt the weight. This
14:49scripture is telling us we're humans
14:52just like God the Son, Jesus. He came to
14:56earth to prove to us that we can live in
14:58the flesh and still glorify God. He felt
15:02the pain. He felt the embarrassment, the
15:04betrayal. He felt everything. Yet he
15:08said, "It's really not my preference,
15:11not my will." Let your will be done.
15:15Because
15:17kingdom preference says it's your will,
15:20God. But you see, personal preference
15:22says my will. I want to have my way. I
15:27want to have my way. I want to have my
15:29way in this relationship. So if you
15:31don't do what I tell you to do, I'm
15:34going to punish you some other way.
15:37I'm going to punish you. So in marriage,
15:41if you don't do what I tell you to do, I
15:45will either punish you with my words or
15:47my body.
15:51It's quiet.
15:54Have you ever wondered
15:56what pollutes kingdom culture? Many
16:00believers begin well but gradually drift
16:03towards living according to personal
16:05preference.
16:07So we have a problem in the church
16:09today. I'm not talking about the faith
16:10center. I'm talking about the complete
16:12body of Christ. The enemy uses several
16:14tools to pull us away from kingdom
16:17assignment.
16:19Tools like greed.
16:23Yes greed jealousy
16:27envy pride comparison
16:32wrong voices.
16:34He used these tools,
16:37greed instead of just waiting your turn.
16:41Wait on the Lord and for God to do it.
16:43Jealousy.
16:45It's it's shocking to see how some
16:48people would go to the extreme to be
16:50jealous
16:52over people,
16:54envious over people, full of pride. The
16:58Bible says
17:00uh pride goes before
17:03You're going to fall when you're full of
17:05pride. When you don't humble yourself.
17:07When nobody can talk to you.
17:11I'm always right.
17:13Everybody got to come to me.
17:16Humble yourself when you compare
17:19yourself with one another. And watch
17:21this. Who's got your ears?
17:25Who's in your ears? I can't tell you how
17:28many times I've seen good people. Watch
17:30this. good people and all of a sudden I
17:33see them sitting with someone, walking
17:36with someone and instantly in my heart
17:41they're going to be poisoned now.
17:43>> Come on now. Don't leave me out here.
17:47>> Come on. You you know you it it it's
17:49it's only a matter of time
17:53>> that they're going to change. James 3:16
17:57tells us, "For where you have, watch
18:01this, envy and selfish ambition,
18:05there you will find what? Disorder and
18:09what? Evil practice."
18:13This is the word. The Bible says where
18:16you find envy and selfish ambition,
18:19whether it's in your dating life,
18:20whether it's in marriage, your family,
18:23at the workplace, in the church, where
18:25you find envy
18:28and selfish ambition. The Bible says
18:32that's the place you're going to find
18:34disorder.
18:36And every evil practice, might as well
18:39you call it witchcraft,
18:42>> manipulation,
18:44>> selfish ambition always produces
18:47disorder. When everything is about you,
18:50you're going to wreck your relationship.
18:53You're going to wreck your marriage.
18:55You're going to wreck your parenting
18:57skills. Some of your kids are hurting
19:00because you're out of order.
19:07You don't even notice that there's a
19:09generational curse in your family
19:11>> and God wants you to break it.
19:14>> But you're out of order.
19:18If five people going to clap, everybody
19:20should be clapping right there. Cuz you
19:22know it's the truth, man. You know it's
19:24the truth, right? Yeah. It It's not a
19:26sermon to make you shout today. I'm
19:28sorry. It's not a sermon for you to get
19:30up and throw your handkerchief at me.
19:32Preach, Rev. No, it it's a day for you
19:34to sit and absorb and say, "God, speak
19:38to me."
19:41[applause]
19:43But I want you to know that kingdom
19:45purpose always produces what? Unity.
19:49Here's the prayer, and I'm almost
19:51through. Here's the prayer. This not
19:53going to take long. Here's the prayer
19:55Jesus prayed for the church in John
20:00chapter 17.
20:03This is awesome. When I was reading it,
20:05it blew my mind. He's pray he's about to
20:09fulfill his father's will. He's about to
20:12complete the plan of redemption. He's
20:14praying for the church. And you would
20:16think HE WOULD PRAY, "GOD, help them to
20:18have a big revival. Help them to bust
20:21out with so many numbers and help the
20:23pastor and the priest and the Levites
20:25and the prophets to succeed and to be
20:28talented." No. Look at what Jesus
20:31prayed. Ladies, my prayer is not for
20:34them alone.
20:37I pray also for those who will believe
20:40in me through their message
20:43that all of them may be one. Father,
20:48just as you are in me and I am in you,
20:54may they also be in us so that the world
20:59may believe that you have sent me. Look
21:03at verse 22. I have given them the glory
21:07that you gave me that they may be one as
21:13we are one. He somehow his prayer was
21:17all about unity. Then he says, "I in
21:21them and you in me so that they may be
21:26brought to complete unity." Here's what
21:29Jesus is saying. The only way the church
21:32can be one is they've got to be one with
21:35me first. The same way, Father, I'm one
21:37with you.
21:40And then he said, "Then the world will
21:41know." The only way the world is going
21:44to know that our faith is authentic and
21:48has power. Jesus then said, "The world
21:51will know that you sent me and have
21:54loved them even as I have loved even as
21:59you have loved me."
22:02Did you get that?
22:04>> These are among the final recorded
22:06prayers of Jesus before his arrest.
22:09He was about to be arrested and he's
22:12praying for unity in the church. Not the
22:16building, the people
22:18>> who are dating, the people who are
22:21married, the people who are taking care
22:24of families, the people who are running
22:26businesses, the people who are working
22:28for people, and the people who gather in
22:31the temple every week.
22:35He's praying for unity. He had not yet
22:37entered into the garden to pray. Judas
22:40had not uh uh Judas had already, I
22:43should say, decided in his heart to
22:45betray him. Even with Judas's betrayal,
22:49the cross was ours away. knowing
22:53everything that was about to happen,
22:56what consumed the heart of Jesus
23:00was not God, give me what I you promised
23:05to give me while I was on the earth. His
23:07prayer was about the church becoming
23:11one. He didn't pray about buildings. It
23:14was not about programs. It was not about
23:17popularity. It was not about numbers. He
23:20prayed for unity. Could it be that maybe
23:23you're praying for the wrong things in
23:24your life?
23:28>> You're praying, "God, bless my family
23:30with more money. God, bless me so we can
23:33get a car we need. God, would you bless
23:35me so we can pay off this mortgage?
23:37Bless me that you can heal my son or
23:40heal my children." And maybe the prayer
23:42should be, "God, help my family to be
23:45one." Because the reason why there's
23:48probably dysfunction and and lawlessness
23:51in your family is because there's no
23:54unity
23:59>> and you the lack of unity will cost you
24:03>> because he makes his money, he doesn't
24:06discuss it with you. She makes her
24:08money, she doesn't discuss it with him.
24:11And instead of putting two resources
24:13together to become powerful,
24:17you are in the same house, but you're
24:18living separate lives.
24:22Okay. Okay. All right. All right.
24:26Please come back for your sermon next
24:27week. This this is not yours today. It's
24:30not yours. Come back and you get yours
24:32next week.
24:35Verse 21 says that all of them may be
24:39one. That's the prayer. all of them may
24:41be one. Verse 22, that they may be one
24:44as we are one. So when Jesus prayed this
24:49final prayer over the church, his
24:51greatest concern was not our gifts. It
24:55was really about unity.
24:58Because unity, watch this, will always
25:01be opposed.
25:03You'll be shocked. Unity will always be
25:07opposed. Jesus had 12 disciples.
25:1111 remained faithful. One betrayed him.
25:1711. They were faithful to some degree,
25:21but one betrayed him. That teaches us an
25:25important lesson here. What is the
25:27lesson? No matter how committed we are
25:31to unity,
25:33someone will always choose division.
25:40I know some of you honestly in your
25:42heart, you want to see your family come
25:44together.
25:46>> You want to see your church come
25:49together.
25:51You want to see your workplace come
25:52together. And I learned this being a
25:55pastor for 35 years. I learned this. You
25:58could sincerely in your heart want to
26:02see unity, but there's always one.
26:06There's always one Satan will find
26:09>> and have a conversation with
26:12and get in agreement with and Satan will
26:16say, "You be the one to tear this family
26:19apart.
26:21>> You be the one to wreck this marriage.
26:24You be the one to wreck this
26:27relationship. You be the one to wreck
26:30this church.
26:33>> There's always one.
26:35always.
26:37No matter how you feel, think about it,
26:39there's always one. Judas allowed
26:42selfish ambition to replace kingdom
26:45loyalty.
26:47Satan understood something many
26:49believers fail to recognize. A united
26:52church, watch this, is dangerous.
26:55A divided church is very powerless.
26:59Jesus said it best. Every kingdom
27:01divided against itself will be what?
27:05Ruined.
27:07>> Every kingdom, every home, every
27:10relationship that's divided among itself
27:13will not last. Satan attacks unity
27:16because he fears what unity can
27:19accomplish.
27:20The enemy really begins with the obvious
27:24rebellion. He begins with distractions.
27:28What are the distractions?
27:30Self-interest.
27:32Self-interest.
27:34Think about it. I want you to think
27:35about your life. Who you're dating, who
27:37you're married to, what family you're a
27:39part of, where you work, the co-workers
27:42that you're working with, and even this
27:45church that you're a part of. Think
27:47about it. Why are you here?
27:50What's your interest in your family?
27:53What's your interest in that
27:54relationship? Is it self-c centeredness
27:59or is it what God wants for you to bring
28:02to that relationship? So instead of
28:05asking, watch this,
28:07instead of asking um you know what can I
28:11get, you should be asking how can I
28:15serve?
28:18>> Instead of asking a woman that you're
28:21dating to, what can I get from you? your
28:24body.
28:26What can I get from you? Your money.
28:30What can I get from you, man? Well,
28:33comfort. Money. Instead of asking before
28:35you walk down the aisles to marry a
28:38person, be careful of marrying somebody
28:42who always find pleasure and is happy
28:46when they get something from you.
28:55>> [applause]
29:01>> You want to know the value of somebody
29:03you're going to marry,
29:06>> you better make sure you have
29:08experienced drought with that person.
29:13[applause]
29:18Don't don't don't let them see the
29:19pretty stuff all the time.
29:21>> Come on now. No, no, no, no. I'm telling
29:23you. I'm telling you. I'm telling you.
29:26Don't Don't always show up to pick her
29:28up on time.
29:30>> Don't always
29:32be late
29:34just to see her attitude.
29:45Don't always dress up for him. Don't
29:47always dress up for him.
29:52There ought to be a time you let him
29:53pick you up and go natural. I mean,
29:56really
29:58natural.
30:01>> And if he still opens that car door,
30:03he's the one.
30:07Cuz
30:10the last thing you want is to walk down
30:13the aisle and then start discovering
30:18the true identity of that person
30:22after marriage.
30:24>> People pursue positions
30:27they were never called to occupy.
30:32Why seek marriage
30:35>> if you're not prepared for it?
30:39>> If it's all about what you can get, you
30:41are not ready for marriage.
30:43>> Cuz marriage is not about preference.
30:48>> You're not going to get your way all the
30:52time.
31:03I hear the men shouting out, "Preacher,
31:06>> boy, I tell you, I'm loved by brothers
31:08today, man. You love me, man."
31:12Some are seeking titles instead of
31:14transformation.
31:16Some resist accountability and reject
31:20spiritual authority.
31:23Paul says, "Do nothing out of selfish
31:27ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in
31:31humility,
31:32value others above yourself."
31:36See, kingdom people serve.
31:39Preferenced driven people compete.
31:43Let me say it again. Kingdom people
31:46serve. You serve the person you're
31:48dating. You serve the person you're
31:50married to. You serve your children. You
31:53serve your boss. You serve your
31:56employees.
31:57You serve in ministry. But when you are
32:01about yourself,
32:04you love to compete.
32:10>> Sometimes churches become known more for
32:14personalities
32:16than for Christ.
32:19You see, our mission is not to build
32:21celebrity here at the faith center.
32:24>> This is not the church. Our mission is
32:27to build disciples. Jesus said, "Go and
32:31build." Jesus never said, "I should say
32:33go and build your platform.
32:36Go and build your name." Instead, he
32:38said, "Go therefore and make disciples
32:40what?" Of all nations.
32:43So many believers have become impressed.