Keys of Kingdom Living

What are some keys to Kingdom living that Jesus taught in Luke 12 and how does it apply to us today?

Read Luke 12:1-34

1. Be Honest

Chapter 12 starts in the middle of Jesus teaching.

Jesus had just got done calling out the scribes and Pharisees and apparently the other people loved it -they crowded in so much they were stepping on each other

Jesus says to his disciples -Beware of hypocrisy

Leaven -it spreads, it inflates, it makes something appear bigger than it really is

Hypocrisy -from the Greek root word that means “to play the part, pretend” -it means deceit

Luke 11:39 KJV 1900

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

v. 2 & 3 -nothing will remain covered -nothing!

This is also mentioned in Matt. 10:26

Numbers 32:23 KJV 1900

23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Jesus never had a problem being with those who knew they were sinners and had a hunger for the truth. But Jesus exposed those who thought they were righteousness according to their many laws, but their hearts were far from God

How does being authentic apply today? What keeps us from being authentic?

Doing things in secret -technology is likely the biggest stumbling block, we have apps and programs designed specifically so that others can’t find out what we did

Dressing up to feel good & we know our heart is carrying secret sin

Buying things to look good & finding our value in it

Root Sin: Pride

2. Fear Only God

v. 4-9

My friends, be not afraid (alarmed, frightened)

As followers of Jesus Christ we become friends of God -there is security in that

Jesus was never fearful and he never told his disciples to fear anything or anyone except God

Jesus was looking at fear from an eternal perspective

v. 4 & 5 -don’t fear those who can only kill your body when God is the one who controls your eternal destiny

v. 6 -Since God cares enough to know every sparrow and knows the number of hairs on our head, we can be assured that God cares much more for us who are created in his image and likeness

v. 7 -Because he values us so much we are not to fear

not man or circumstances

not the goodness or motive of God

v. 8 & 9 -Fear of man can ultimately determine our destination -

How does it apply today?

For some reason we have a natural tenancy to fear man

Types of Fear: (respect -yes, frightened -no), healthy fear?

Fear of those who can kill you

Fear of what can injure or kill you

Glossophobia -fear of public speaking

Fear of what others think

Root Sin: fear that is not of God

3. Rely on the Holy Spirit

v. 10-12

Speaking against the Holy Spirit is a sin that will not be forgiven -even in the world to come!

Blaspheme -to speak of or address with irreverence, revile (to despise) -Merriam-Webster

Recorded in Mat. 12:31, 32 & Mark 3:28, 29

If we need to take a stand for our belief in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us what to say

How it applies today:

Don’t make light of the Holy Spirit or our need for his power in our life

Don’t make light of his name -Holy, don’t speak profanities

Root sin of not valuing the Holy Spirit: Pride

4. Seeking First the Kingdom Must be Priority #1

v. 13-34

There are several things that can trip us up in keeping our priorities strait:

Covetousness (v. 13-21)

The desire to have something for oneself, a craving or passionate desire.

The idea is conveyed in the NT by a Greek word literally means “inordinate desire to have more.”

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Covetousness. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 539). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

It is interesting that Jesus didn’t involve himself with financial disputes. He demonstrated what he values more -the condition of the heart

Jesus saw that the man was being being influenced by the deceitfulness of riches -like he explained in Matt 13:22

So he told a story...

Story of the Rich Fool

The man was deceived into believing more money will bring more life, more happiness

Why was he a fool?

He was not “Rich Toward God” -rich in his relationship with God

He thought life was about what he could get for himself

How it applies today:

If we had to chose between working extra, and investing in bringing healing to someone’s heart what would we do?

If we get extra income, what do we do with it?

2. Worry & Anxiety (v. 22-30)

“Take no thought” -means, don’t be anxious

Life is more than what we can afford to eat or wear

If God cares enough to cloth the grass with beautiful lilies, how much more does he care about what we wear?

v. 31 Why seek the kingdom?

We are called to be different from the world in what we value and desire

v. 32 Fear Not -it is our heavenly Father’s desire to not only bless us with every spiritual blessing but also meet our physical needs.

What should we value the most? Everything that is part of the kingdom

What is the kingdom? It is where God is reigning, where he is being served and it results in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Romans 14:17 KJV 1900

17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

It is where the power of God is manifested -both in the salvation of our soul and in the supernatural healing he provides

Luke 10:9 KJV 1900

9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

The kingdom is accessed by faith & continual faith allows it to be manifested hear in earth.

Root sin of not seeking first the kingdom of God: unbelief in the goodness of God

How does all this apply to us today?

Jesus answer to the people is in verse 33 & 34 -sell what you don’t need and give to the poor, get heavenly money bags and fill them with treasures that will last forever

Luke 12:34 KJV 1900

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Closing...