"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33 - NRSV).
Last week we identified Jesus as "The King of the Kingdom"; and in that we saw that to confess Jesus as Lord, is to confess Him not only as God, but also as King, thus our declaration that Jesus is "The King of the Kingdom."
So, now that we have identified "The King of the Kingdom" as Jesus, we now turn our attention to "Knowing the King of the Kingdom." In this, we look at Philippians 3:3-11, wherein the Apostle Paul says, "For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh---even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead."---NRSV.
In the aforesaid verses, we see the Apostle Paul above all else wanting to know Christ Jesus his Lord (King). But didn't Paul already "know" Jesus, after all, he was one of the greatest, and probably the most influential of the apostles in the 1st Century; so how could he say that he wanted to "know" Christ Jesus? Well, Paul's knowledge of Jesus went beyond a head knowledge and went into a heart and experiential knowledge that ultimately was demonstrated in and through his life. Paul wanted to have a continuous knowledge of Jesus that would result in a continuous changed life, and that is how we should want to know Jesus our Lord (King).
Now, if we are going to know Jesus, there are at least three things that are going to take place in our lives; and they are as follows:
1) Surrender (to Jesus). We must surrender our lives daily, if we are going to continually know Jesus. The Apostle Paul was surrendered to Jesus, that is why he could say that he wanted to know Jesus. Knowing Jesus, requires surrender to Jesus.
2) Fellowship/Prayer (with Jesus). We must continually be in fellowship/prayer with Jesus, if we are to continually know Jesus. For how can we know someone if we never or hardly ever communicate with them; and that is what prayer is, communion and communication with God. Therefore, we should make it a habit to fellowship/pray with Jesus daily. Knowing Jesus, requires a life of fellowship/prayer.
3) Word (of Jesus). We must continually be in the Word of God, if we are to continually know Him. We should make it a habit to read the Word of God daily, so that not only our head knowledge of Jesus increases, but more importantly our heart and experiential knowledge of Him increases to the point that our lives demonstrate His life. Knowing Jesus, requires a life of being in His Word.
March 21, 2010
Words To Remember - "The King of the Kingdom"
"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33 - NRSV).
Under the direction of the Spirit of God, we have been on a journey through the kingdom of God. Our journey has taken us from "The Kingdom Factor" to "Factors of the Kingdom" to "Ways of the Kingdom", and now to "The King of the Kingdom." For the most important part of a kingdom is the king; without the king, there would be no kingdom. So, that is why we now turn our attention to that of "The King of the Kingdom."
In Romans 10:9-10, we see these words authored by the Apostle Paul, "because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved." (NRSV). It is imperative for us to understand the significance of Paul's declaration that Jesus is Lord, especially in the context of his day.
In Paul's day, the Roman Empire was the governing force of the known world, and the head of the Roman Empire was the emperor or Caesar. Lordship, which entailed deity as well as kingship, was attributed to the emperor by the people of the land, insomuch that the cultic act of emperor worship was a practice of that day. So, Paul knowing this, makes the bold declaration not that the emperor is Lord, but rather that Jesus is [the] Lord, thus ascribing not only deity, but kingship to Him. Therefore, to confess Jesus as Lord is to declare Him as both God and King. Jesus is "The King of the Kingdom!" God the Father rules and reigns through His Son, Jesus! Paul says it like this in Philippians 2:9-11, "Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NRSV). And the Psalmist says in Psalm 24:7-10, "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory." (NRSV).
Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords! He is "The King of the Kingdom!"
Under the direction of the Spirit of God, we have been on a journey through the kingdom of God. Our journey has taken us from "The Kingdom Factor" to "Factors of the Kingdom" to "Ways of the Kingdom", and now to "The King of the Kingdom." For the most important part of a kingdom is the king; without the king, there would be no kingdom. So, that is why we now turn our attention to that of "The King of the Kingdom."
In Romans 10:9-10, we see these words authored by the Apostle Paul, "because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved." (NRSV). It is imperative for us to understand the significance of Paul's declaration that Jesus is Lord, especially in the context of his day.
In Paul's day, the Roman Empire was the governing force of the known world, and the head of the Roman Empire was the emperor or Caesar. Lordship, which entailed deity as well as kingship, was attributed to the emperor by the people of the land, insomuch that the cultic act of emperor worship was a practice of that day. So, Paul knowing this, makes the bold declaration not that the emperor is Lord, but rather that Jesus is [the] Lord, thus ascribing not only deity, but kingship to Him. Therefore, to confess Jesus as Lord is to declare Him as both God and King. Jesus is "The King of the Kingdom!" God the Father rules and reigns through His Son, Jesus! Paul says it like this in Philippians 2:9-11, "Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NRSV). And the Psalmist says in Psalm 24:7-10, "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory." (NRSV).
Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords! He is "The King of the Kingdom!"
March 15, 2010
Words To Remember - "Ways of the Kingdom"
"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33 - NRSV).
Under the overarching umbrella of this year and season of Order, we continue to explore the depths and riches of the Kingdom of God. Our last two sessions took us to explore the "Factors of the Kingdom", of which we identified as the Spirit of God, the Word of God, and Faith in God. Now in this session, we are going to explore the "Ways of the Kingdom."
In looking at the "Ways of the Kingdom", we look at some ways and characteristics that are indicative amongst those who are within the Kingdom of God. We will list three things, which are by no means considered to be exhaustive, but can most definitely be considered to be a good start.
The first way or characteristic of the kingdom is that of Right Living. In I Thessalonians 4:3-7, the Apostle Paul says the following: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness." (NRSV). Here we see plainly that God's will (remember His "will" is one of the expressions of His kingdom) is for His people to live right; and Paul here particularly addresses the issue of sexual purity. This is just as relevant for us today as it was for the Church in the 1st century; for with all of the many ministers and people of God who have and are still falling in this area, it is of utmost importance that we with grace and truth continue to teach and exemplify God's standard of right living. Kingdom people live right.
The second way or characteristic of the kingdom is that of a Right Attitude. In I Thessalonians 5:16-18, we see the Apostle Paul again; however, this time saying the following: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(NRSV). Here we see again plainly God's will for our lives, but this time we see it as it pertains to our attitude. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks have to do with our attitude. We should constantly have a rejoicing attitude; we should constantly be in an attitude of prayer; and we should constantly keep an attitude of thanksgiving. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks is the will of God for our lives. Kingdom people have a right attitude.
The third way or characteristic of the kingdom is that of a Right Testimony. In I Peter 2:13-15, we see the following words from the Apostle Peter: "For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish."(NRSV). Here again, we see plainly God's will for our lives, and in this context it pertains to our testimony. When we are good citizens in our land, not troublemakers, but rather peacemakers, we are then positioned to silence anyone who would attempt to accuse us for wrong doing. For although they are really trying to ridicule and disdain our faith, under the guise of saying we troublemakers to society, our testimony of being peacemakers will silence their voices, and they will in turn see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Kingdom people have a right testimony.
Under the overarching umbrella of this year and season of Order, we continue to explore the depths and riches of the Kingdom of God. Our last two sessions took us to explore the "Factors of the Kingdom", of which we identified as the Spirit of God, the Word of God, and Faith in God. Now in this session, we are going to explore the "Ways of the Kingdom."
In looking at the "Ways of the Kingdom", we look at some ways and characteristics that are indicative amongst those who are within the Kingdom of God. We will list three things, which are by no means considered to be exhaustive, but can most definitely be considered to be a good start.
The first way or characteristic of the kingdom is that of Right Living. In I Thessalonians 4:3-7, the Apostle Paul says the following: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness." (NRSV). Here we see plainly that God's will (remember His "will" is one of the expressions of His kingdom) is for His people to live right; and Paul here particularly addresses the issue of sexual purity. This is just as relevant for us today as it was for the Church in the 1st century; for with all of the many ministers and people of God who have and are still falling in this area, it is of utmost importance that we with grace and truth continue to teach and exemplify God's standard of right living. Kingdom people live right.
The second way or characteristic of the kingdom is that of a Right Attitude. In I Thessalonians 5:16-18, we see the Apostle Paul again; however, this time saying the following: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(NRSV). Here we see again plainly God's will for our lives, but this time we see it as it pertains to our attitude. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks have to do with our attitude. We should constantly have a rejoicing attitude; we should constantly be in an attitude of prayer; and we should constantly keep an attitude of thanksgiving. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks is the will of God for our lives. Kingdom people have a right attitude.
The third way or characteristic of the kingdom is that of a Right Testimony. In I Peter 2:13-15, we see the following words from the Apostle Peter: "For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish."(NRSV). Here again, we see plainly God's will for our lives, and in this context it pertains to our testimony. When we are good citizens in our land, not troublemakers, but rather peacemakers, we are then positioned to silence anyone who would attempt to accuse us for wrong doing. For although they are really trying to ridicule and disdain our faith, under the guise of saying we troublemakers to society, our testimony of being peacemakers will silence their voices, and they will in turn see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Kingdom people have a right testimony.
March 08, 2010
Words To Remember - "Factors of the Kingdom" Part II
"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33 - NRSV). This verse has been and continues to be our key verse in this season of Order.
In our last posting, we began looking at what we call "Factors of the Kingdom", in which we explored certain things that influence how we ultimately are able to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God. The first thing we mentioned as a factor of the kingdom,was that of the Spirit of God. In this, we looked at Zechariah 4:6, wherein the Word of the LORD came to Zerubbabel saying, "...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts." We need the power of the Spirit of God in order to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God.
The second thing we mentioned as a factor of the kingdom was that of the Word of God. In this, we looked at John 6:63, wherein Jesus said these words, "...The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." To walk by the power of the Spirit of God, means to walk in line with the Word of God. For the Spirit of God and the Word of God do not contradict one another, but rather agree with one another. We need to walk in line with the Word of God in order to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God.
Now the third factor, which brings us to Part II of our title, "Factors of the Kingdom", is Faith in God. In John 14:1, Jesus said the following, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me." In order to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God, we must have faith in God. To do God's will; to allow His rule to rule, and His reign to reign in our lives, takes walking by faith in God. For our natural mind/flesh does not want to do God's will; it does not want to allow His rule and reign to actually rule and reign, so that is why it takes faith to ultimately submit to God's rule, God's reign, God's will, God's kingdom for our lives. If we are going to navigate properly and effectively within the kingdom of God, we must have faith in God. "Factors of the Kingdom."
In our last posting, we began looking at what we call "Factors of the Kingdom", in which we explored certain things that influence how we ultimately are able to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God. The first thing we mentioned as a factor of the kingdom,was that of the Spirit of God. In this, we looked at Zechariah 4:6, wherein the Word of the LORD came to Zerubbabel saying, "...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts." We need the power of the Spirit of God in order to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God.
The second thing we mentioned as a factor of the kingdom was that of the Word of God. In this, we looked at John 6:63, wherein Jesus said these words, "...The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." To walk by the power of the Spirit of God, means to walk in line with the Word of God. For the Spirit of God and the Word of God do not contradict one another, but rather agree with one another. We need to walk in line with the Word of God in order to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God.
Now the third factor, which brings us to Part II of our title, "Factors of the Kingdom", is Faith in God. In John 14:1, Jesus said the following, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me." In order to navigate effectively within the kingdom of God, we must have faith in God. To do God's will; to allow His rule to rule, and His reign to reign in our lives, takes walking by faith in God. For our natural mind/flesh does not want to do God's will; it does not want to allow His rule and reign to actually rule and reign, so that is why it takes faith to ultimately submit to God's rule, God's reign, God's will, God's kingdom for our lives. If we are going to navigate properly and effectively within the kingdom of God, we must have faith in God. "Factors of the Kingdom."
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