KBM What It Means To Work In God's Kingdom
Kids Bible Minute • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Today, we are going to be taking a pause on our series of lessons on God’s Plan of Salvation because this week is a special week for Bible Way Media. Once or twice a year all the Bible Way Media podcasters are given a “theme” for that week. This years first “Theme Week” is “What It Means To Work In God’s Kingdom.” So, today that is the question we are going to set out to answer. Now, obviously we could spend hours upon hours answering the question, I have tried to boil it down to a handful of things that I think answers this powerful question proficiently. So, with that in mind, lets dive right in. To work in God’s kingdom means…
First, being a disciple of Christ. After all, how can you work in his kingdom, if you are not a follower of his. However, there is a huge difference between “talking about being a disciple of Christ, and actually being a disciple of Christ.
26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
One cannot work in the kingdom of God without understanding what it takes to be Christ’s disciple. Now to be clear, Jesus is not saying we must hate everyone and everything on earth to be his disciple, the point he is making is that we must be willing to “forsake” everyone and everything to follow Jesus if “anyone or anything” seeks to hold us back from being a disciple.
Second, we must be hard workers for Christ. When we obeyed the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and Jesus added us to his kingdom (Acts 2:47; Colossians 1:13) we were made a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Part of what we, as a new creation, were created into is found in Ephesians 2:8-10.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Christians, in other words, were created to work or serve God. This is why Paul wrote to the church in Philippi this…
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
To work in God’s kingdom means we have to put in the hard work to make sure not only we are glorifying God but that others are glorifying God because of us.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Lastly, but certainly not exhaustively, we must enjoy the work. Now, I know that sounds strange, because a lot of people don’t like their work. But the old saying is true, “if you love your work, you will never work a day in your life.”
Paul would write to those Christians in Philippi who were working for God in Philippians 4:8.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
16 Rejoice always
We must love our work for Jesus (John 14:15) not only because it is not a burden to do (1 John 5:3), but because the reward for all our hard work for Jesus is an eternal rest from our earthly labors.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
