The Christian and the Kingdom of God: Do You Have a Kingdom Perspective?

Text: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25–34, NIV84)

Theme: The kingdom of God in this world comes through the reign of God in the believer’s heart.

Date: 08/26/2018 File name: TheChristianAndTheKingdomOfGod04.wpd ID Number:

In the Christian life we frequently become preoccupied with the vain things of the world. We allow our lives to become so cluttered with materialistic and insignificant concerns that we lose perspective of the things that endure. In this section of his Sermon on the Mount Jesus is telling his listeners their perspective on life in out of wack. Their focus is on the wrong things. We are all too preoccupied with food and drink, and clothing and shelter, and sowing and reaping. It’s not that those things are unimportant. Certainly not. But when they become our primary focus, then our perspective on life is myopic — that is short-sighted.

As we contemplate the theme: The Christian and the Kingdom of God, we’ve previously considered three questions. 1) Do I Have a Kingdom Identity? 2) Do I Have Kingdom Character? and 3) Do I Have Kingdom Priority? This evening I want you to consider Do I have a Kingdom Perspective? In other words, do you look at things from God’s point of view or from the world’s? In Psalm 119:37, the writer asks God for help in fixing his attention on developing a Godly or Kingdom perspective: "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." NIV

I. DO YOU HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE?

1. the dictionary defines perspective this way: The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance

ILLUS. Perspective can be seen in the following letter a daughter, away at college, sent to her parents. It goes like this: Dear Mom and Dad:

I'm sorry to be so long in writing again, but all my stationary was lost the night my dormitory was burned down by demonstrators. I'm out of the hospital now, and the doctor says my eyesight should be back to normal sooner or later. (Another reason I’ve not written sooner!) The wonderful boy, Bill, who rescued me from the fire kindly offered to share his little apartment with me until the dorm is rebuilt. He comes from a good family, so you don’t need to worry when I tell you we are going to get married. In fact, you always wanted a grandchild, so you will be glad to know that you will be grandparents in about five months.

When they flipped the letter over, they read: Please disregard the previous page. There was no fire, I haven't been in the hospital, I'm not blind. I'm not pregnant, and I don't even have a boyfriend. But, I did get a "D" in French and an "F" in Chemistry, and I wanted to be sure you received this news in its proper perspective. Love, Mary.

2. the Apostle Paul was a believer who understood the comparative importance between his relationship with God and his relationship with the world

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ," (Philippians 3:7-8, NASB95)

3. do you have that kind of Kingdom perspective?

A. DO YOU HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE IN REGARD TO TIME AND ETERNITY?

1. from the world’s perspective, most men live life as though they think they will live forever

a. the result is that their focus is on worldly success rather than eternal life

b. Jesus told a parable about such a man

". . . “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ (Luke 12:16-19, NASB95)

2. here is an attitude that says, “What’s mine is mine and I have lots of time to enjoy it.”

a. what’s the problem with that attitude?

1) listen to the Apostle James

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment," (Hebrews 9:27, NIV)

b. when you stand before God on judgment day, your car, your house, your stylish clothes, your college diploma — all the things that are so significant to you and define you to the world — are all going to be worthless

3. the basic problem is that we are self-centered creatures

a. like Jesus’ twelve disciples we get caught up in the world’s preoccupation with who is the greatest and how to climb the ladder of success

b. God sees time and eternity differently than we do

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." (2 Peter 3:8, NIV)

4. do you view time and eternity from God’s perspective or the world’s?

a. do you make time for kingdom activities in you life?

5. do you have a kingdom perspective in regard to time and eternity?

B. DO YOU HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE IN REGARD TO YOUR CAREER?

1. having a kingdom perspective in regard to our jobs means working hard at all you do for the Lord's sake

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)

2. no matter what you are doing as a career choice, if it’s honorable work, if it’s moral and ethical work, then serve the Lord in your doing of it

a. it may appear that you are working for a government agency, or a paint company, or an accounting firm, or a home builder, or a school district, or an insurance company, or a software company, or a retail store, or a hospital — but you don't

3. if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you work for him

a. that place where you work is just the specific location where you work for Jesus

b. this has several implications

4. First, it gives the quality of your work new importance

a. if you're working for Jesus Christ, then it matters how you do your job

1) He cares whether you're working diligently or goofing off

2) He cares whether you are doing your best, or just getting by

3) He cares whether you are doing the right thing, or just doing the easy thing

b. the quality of your work matters to Him

1) Why?

2) because all honorable work, done well as an expression of devotion to Christ, brings honor and glory to Him

3) your conduct on the job either honors Christ or dishonors Him

4) He cares about that

ILLUS. Novelist and author, John Gardner once said, "The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water."

4. Second, it gives your work new purpose

a. your job isn't just a way to make a living; it's an sacred assignment from Christ

1) how will that job be done differently because it's being done by a Christian?

2) what difference does your presence make in that workplace?

3) when you succeed or do well, do you give God the glory?

4) are your professional or work ethics guided by your faith, or do you leave your Christianity at the door when you go into work?

ILLUS. Most of you know that the Protestant Reformation revolutionized the Church. You may not know that it revolutionized virtually every part of society — including work. In Medieval Europe you had laity and clergy. The clergy — priests and monks — were those who did sacred work. The laity? They just had jobs. Their work was secular. Along comes Martin Luther and the other reformers and the lost doctrine of the priesthood of believers. If were all priests before God then there is no such thing as “secular” work. Luther wrote, “The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays — not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

5. in this passage, the Apostle Paul gives us the reason for why we should work wholeheartedly — because we are working for Christ

a. if something is being done for Christ, then we should give it our best effort

6. do you have a kingdom perspective in regard to your career?

C. DO YOU HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE IN REGARD TO YOUR FAMILY?

ILLUS. A number of years ago I saw a sign on a church marquee which put its finger on a real problem in our society. It read "The most difficult job young people have today is learning good conduct without seeing any."

1. I fear that too many Christian homes are Christian in name only — not practice

a. far too often we want our children to grow up to be Christ-honoring Christians without demonstrating to them Christ-likeness

b. if the next generation of saints is going to continue to carry on the tradition, the mission, and the message of the church, then they must learn it from this generation

2. every Christian parent must ask themselves the question, "What kind of spiritual legacy am I leaving my children?"

ILLUS. Several years ago the Christian Life and Faith magazine presented a historical survey of two American colonial families and their influence on American culture. The original author was scholar and theologian B. B. Warfield who had charted the decedents of two families. One was headed by Max Jukes, the other by Jonathan Edwards. Both men were born in the same year.

Max Jukes was a notoriously immoral man who married a notoriously immoral woman. He was a drunkard who could not hold a steady job. He never went to church and he refused to take his children to church even when they asked him to do so. Warfield recorded nineteen hundred descendants from Max and his wife. Of these, 771 became criminals to one degree or another. 680 were known alcoholics. 60 were thieves, and 39 were convicted for murder. 190 were known to be prostitutes. 300 were sent to prison for an average term of thirteen years. The descendants of Max Jukes spent a combined total of 1300 years behind bars and adjusted for inflation cost the State of New York nearly $85,716,785.71.

The other family was headed by Jonathan Edwards. You may recognize that name as one of the great New England revival preachers and the pastor who preached the sermon Sinners I the Hands of an Angry God. Edwards is still considered by many historians as the greatest intellect America has ever produced. He was a devout man who married an equally devout woman.

Of the 1,344 descendants, 65 were college professors and 13 became college presidents. Three hundred became ministers of the gospel. 80 became public servants of some kind including governors and ministers to foreign countries, 3 were Congressmen and one vice-president of the United States. 30 became judges. There were 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, 60 physicians, 75 army and navy officers. Sixty became authors of prominence. No reference was made of anyone spending time in jail or in the poorhouse.

3. now let me hasten to say that not all children of good parents become useful citizens, nor do all the offspring of wicked people turn out bad

a. but the possibility of a child getting the right start in life is enhanced if he comes from a home where love prevails, the Bible is taught, prayer is offered and church attendance is non-negotiable

4. the story of the Jukes family and the Edwards family is an example of what some sociologists call the five-generation rule

a. how a parent raises their child — the love they give, the values they teach, the emotional environment they offer, the education they provide — influences not only your child but the four generations to follow

4. do you have a kingdom perspective in regard to your family?

D. DO YOU HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE IN REGARD TO MORALITY AND ETHICS?

1. in this letter to the believers at Rome, the Apostle Paul exhorts these believers to live a pure life

" Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)

a. Christians are to be distinctly different because of the supernatural presence of God in our life

b. every day, the Holy Spirit performs the miracle of character transformation in which we become more and more like Christ

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:29, NIV)

2. unsaved people live lives of habitual sin

a. even their righteous deeds are filthy rags in God's sight

1) their lives are dominated by Satan, Sin, and Self

b. it is an even sadder state of affairs when the Church substitutes filthy rags for righteousness by condoning sin

ILLUS. In 2004 the Episcopal Church USA ordained Gene Robinson – who is openly Gay – as Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire. It caused a mass-exodus from the Episcopal church. Even so, many in the Episcopal Church lauded the decision as ground-breaking. Even Robinson’s exwife praised him as a man of honesty and integrity and said his election by Episcopalians in New Hampshire had sent a message of inclusiveness that ultimately would strengthen the church.

Such decisions do not happen in a vacuum. Way back in 1971 four mainline churches – the Episcopalians among them – announced their new perspective on sex outside of marriage. They concluded, after careful analysis, that the commandment "Thou shalt not" really meant "maybe," and that sex was intended to be enjoyed by any two lovers of either sex as long as it was a "meaningful relationship." Here was the church liberating people from sexual bondage. Millions celebrated.

Now, thrity years later, we're reeling under an epidemic of thirty-eight different sexually transmitted diseases, with devastating new micro-organisms showing up every few years. Cervical cancer in young women has soared to unprecedented rates. AIDS continues to be a scurge. Millions of girls are having babies before they're out of childhood. Over a half million abortions are occurring every year in the United States alone. And most importantly, the family has been deeply wounded – and may never recover. But these mainline Church has said, “It’s OK.”

c. I think they lost their Kingdom Perspective

2. Christians who have a Kingdom perspective toward morality and ethics simply do not live lives of habitual moral sin

"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:4-10, NIV)

a. truly saved people cannot and do not live in sin as the overall pattern of their Christian lives

3. those who are truly saved look forward with anticipation to assembling together with other believers and above all, pleasing their Heavenly Father by following in His footsteps

4. do you have a kingdom perspective in regard to morality and ethics?

E. DO YOU HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE IN REGARD TO YOUR STUFF?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV)

1. in these verses Jesus is talking about keeping money and material possessions in the proper perspective

a. He warns His listeners not to lay up treasures on earth

2. God's grace is nothing short of amazing!

a. it is amazing because there is nothing within ourselves that is comparable to god's grace

3. the question is: If God's grace is amazing why do we sell it short when it comes to our material possessions?

a. we trust God with our eternal soul

b. but too many believers won’t trust Him with their temporal blessings

4. giving ought to be an experience that puts a smile on our lips and joy in our hearts

a. the Scriptures indicate that our giving ought to be spontaneous because we so desperately want to be involved in and a part of God's work!

5. to be brutally honest with you, too many Christians have become spiritual-freeloaders

a. they want the church warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but they don’t contribute to it

b. they expect the facilities to look nice and be kept up, but they don’t contribute to it

c. they expect the church to be mission minded, but they don’t contribute to it

d they expect the minister to be at their beckon call, but they don’t contribute to his support

ILLUS. The average evangelical Christian gives a mere 2% of their income to Kingdom work.

6. why is God so concerned about our pocket books and wallets, anyway?

a. if He owns the cattle on a thousand hills why does He need my fifty bucks?

b. the answer: He doesn't need your fifty bucks, but you need God's blessing and fellowship

c. those do not come to you without faith and an attitude which places your time, your talents and your possessions in their proper perspective

7. do you have a kingdom perspective in regard to your stuff?

In the Christian life we frequently become preoccupied with the vain things of the world. We allow our lives to become so cluttered with materialistic and insignificant concerns that we lose perspective of the things that endure. Do you have a Kingdom perspective on these things?