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Kingdom Dynamics
Disciples of the Kingdom of God
| ° | “Every scribe who has become a disciple (been instructed) of the Realm [kingdom] of heaven is like a householder who produces what is new and what is old from his stores” (Matthew 13:52. NASV) |
| ° | “He said to them, Therefore every teacher and interpreter of the Secret Writings who has been instructed and trained for the Kingdom of heaven and become a disciple, is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new ands old,– the fresh (as well as) the familiar. (Matthew 13:52. Amp.) |
| ° | “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12: 28,29.) |
| ° | “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8.) |
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A. INTRODUCTION
Jesus devoted the whole chapter of Matt.13 to the kingdom of God, and in the midst of it He used a phrase, “a disciple of the kingdom of God.” ( 52 ) This is a profound revelation. He had called them to be His disciples, and He was to call them to make all nations His disciples, but here He went further and called them to be “disciples of the kingdom of God.”
Jesus combines these two things and made them one, to be His disciple was to be a disciple of the kingdom of God. To be His disciple was to be a disciple of His message: the Kingdom. He taught them many things, but He never asked His disciples, to be disciples to anything else except Himself and His Kingdom. He identified Himself and the Kingdom so completely that to be a disciple of one was to be a disciple of the other.
We have called men to be disciples of Jesus, but not disciples of the kingdom of God. So many were taught to accept the King but not His kingdom. This has weakened the impact of Jesus upon the world. We have emphasized a personal relationship, of a person with a Person, but not a relationship with the order embodied in that Person. This is a vital loss, for the Kingdom was to be the life program and emphasizes of the disciple.
Nothing can be compared with this loss, and nothing can be compared to the gain when once, we become disciples to the Kingdom. The disciples of the Kingdom are the sons of the Kingdom who are called “the good seed … the sons of the Kingdom”
B. THE DISCIPLE’S DOMINANT FOCUS
| “But if any group of the followers of Jesus were ever called the sons of the Kingdom, I have never heard of such a movement anywhere in the world. This reveals the loss of the kingdom of God in Christendom. The kingdom of God was lost as the dominant quality, so the phrase, the sons of the Kingdom was never adopted.”
Stanley Jones. |
This message was to be the dominant quality in the followers of Jesus. For this reason they were called sons of the kingdom and never was a more significant name given. There is however thousands, sons of the Kingdom around the world in this present hour. The appointed time for the fulfilment of this prophecy has come.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14.)
We live in the midst of a mighty movement and God has engineered the circumstances for the fulfilment of this movement. No man or movement can glory in the fact that they have ordained or motivated this.
1. The disciple to the kingdom of Christ produces from His stores. He has stores. These stores could refer both to the conscious and to the subconscious mind. We keep storing up in the subconscious mind, daily, hourly, momentarily, a good store if we are in the Kingdom and the Kingdom is in us. Our spiritual life is no longer unstable because it has reserves of power. The area of the work of the Holy Spirit is largely, if not entirely, in the subconscious mind. These reserves are under the control of the Holy Spirit and are available when you most need them.
2. You are a disciple who belongs to Christ’s Unshakable Kingdom. “The kingdom of God is within you” but not only within you, it is at your doors. It is a progressive revelation, which is focused on Christ the King, and His Realm of reign. Those who obey the laws of this kingdom do belong to an Unshakable Kingdom here and now. They also belong to the Unchanging Person, Christ; they have become the salt of every situation they are in, and they also have become the light of every situation they are in. They become dominant, not because they want to be dominant, but because every situation they are in demands the very things they stand for and represent. God divinely arranged every situation. This is the wave of the present hour.
3. Someone has put it in these words: “No group of human beings, however implemented, has been able to challenge the great Design,” The great design is the Unshakable Kingdom of God. Align yourself to the great design and you have the sum total of reality behind you.
We now turn to the qualities of character and life, which characterize the disciples of the Kingdom, who represent, the light and salt of this moment.
C. THE DISCIPLE’S MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION
Jesus said: “You know that in the world, rulers lord it over their subjects, and their great men make them feel the weight of authority; but it shall not be so with you. Among you, whoever wants to be great must be your servant, and whoever would be first must be the willing slave of all–like the Son of Man; he did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give up his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28.)
This statement of Jesus unfolds the central pattern of character in the Kingdom.
1. They are to be servant-minded rulers. Note He expected them to rule. He set his lowly followers and His kingdom in the framework of rulers, contrasting their rule with the rulers of the Gentiles. He expected them to rule the world in the name of, in the spirit of this new order, the kingdom of God. It was a reversal of the prevailing spirit of rulers. Among the prevailing rulers those were the greatest that had the greatest number of servants; but in the Kingdom, those were greatest who served the greatest number. If you as a disciple wanted to be first you were to be the slave of all.
2. The Highest of all, the Son of man, came not to be served but to serve and surrender His life as a ransom for many. Here we have degrees of greatness: Great–servant of all; first-slave of all; highest–the Son of man who surrenders his life as a ransom for all. Therefore the way up is the way down for man and God.
3. Never was there such a method of greatness revealed. And never was there such a method of greatness that made it beneficent to all concerned. Those who are being served go up (are blessed) through the ministry they received; those who serve go up only through this lowly and humble attitude.
ARE YOU A STUDENT OR DISCIPLE OF THE KINGDOM?
IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD SOMETHING TO BE STUDIED OR TO BE FOLLOWED?
Jesus announced the Kingdom as good news–not good views. It was a total life plan to be practiced now, both in individual and group life. We saw that the Kingdom of God was used interchangeably with life–enter into life now, and enter the Kingdom now. If the Kingdom is life, then it is something to be lived, lived now, not merely hereafter.
In the Book of Acts we saw the Kingdom was used synonymously with The Way. It is a way to be followed, not a road map to be studied with no journeys taken.
“About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,” (Acts 19:23, 24:14)
One of the remarkable truths about the Kingdom is that not two people are led into it in the same way. As far as we know, it is only Paul that had such an experience on the Damascus Road as it is recorded in Acts.
Have you by now discovered the position of the Kingdom of God in relation to the total Christian belief and movement? What place does it occupy?
Luke after writing his gospel, which has been called the most beautiful account ever written, also wrote the Acts of the Apostles where everything that Jesus expounded and exposed in Him was to be transferred into the lives of his followers. They were set aside by Christ Jesus to give account and to sum up the meaning of what Jesus taught and brought in the Gospel.
Those early Disciples can be defined in two statements of Jesus their Lord and King.
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8.)
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matthew 21:43.)
These men and women brought forth the Fruit of the Kingdom, which their forefathers never did. Are we not in danger of going through the same tragic and awesome experience?
The total truth about the Church is not the total truth about the Kingdom. It is much more because it declares also God’s authority over the nations. Together with this is a powerful prophetic word about God’s future rule over the nations.
The restoration of this truth concerning the Kingdom in the minds of God’s people is an absolute must in the end times. (Matthew 24:14.) This world with all that it includes is seen as another Kingdom, in opposition to God’s Kingdom. Unto the Church Christ has given the keys to heaven, which in all truth can also be seen as the keys into God’s Kingdom. This makes it of utmost importance that we should consider:
D. THE DISCIPLE’s MISSION.
a. The Church is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9.) and it is in the present mission of the Church, as it carries the Good News of the Kingdom of God unto the entire world, which the redemptive purpose of God in history is being worked out. The divine purpose in the nineteen hundred years since our Lord lived on earth is found in the history of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Why has God done it in this way? Is He not taking a risk that His purpose will fail of accomplishment? It is now over nineteen hundred years, and the goal is not yet achieved.
b. Why did not God do it Himself? Why did He not send hosts of angels whom He could trust to complete the task at once? The fact however, is that He did entrusted this task unto us, and unless we move out in obedience, trusting the Holy Spirit to work through us, it will never be done.
c. Let this command of Christ set your heart ablaze. God has said this about no other group of people. The Church in the entire World must preach this Good News of the Kingdom of God, for a witness to all Nations.
d. A kingdom disciple is someone constrained by the King. They are sold out, lock, stock and barrel to Kingdom issues! They are moved by Kingdom causes, thrilled with Kingdom victories; loves Kingdom subjects. They are committed to Kingdom agendas and stands for Kingdom standards.
e. They follow Kingdom orders. Preaches the Kingdom gospel, invest in Kingdom enterprises. They are on a Kingdom schedule, engages in Kingdom conversation, and holds to a Kingdom value system. They are in a Kingdom army.
f. Knows the Kingdom’s Book. Speaks the Kingdom’s language. Fulfills the Kingdom’s purpose and gives lavishly to Kingdom projects.
g. They enjoy the Kingdom’s blessings. Fights the Kingdom’s battles. Achieves by Kingdom power. Defends Kingdom positions. They endorse Kingdom conquests, and worship the Kingdom’s King. They cheer the Kingdom’s efforts. Mourns the Kingdom’s losses. Pays the price for Kingdom membership, and if need be, dies for the Kingdom’s honor!
h. This is the definition of God’s programme for every kingdom disciple. This means that for the ultimate, eternal destination of our human nation, you and I are more important than the United Nations.
This Fact Gives Us No Ground For An Inferior Complex. From The Perspective Of Eternity, The Mission Of The Church Is More Important Than The March Of Armies Or The Action Of The World’s Capitals, Because It Is In The Accomplishment Of This Mission That The Divine Purpose For Human History Is Accomplished. No Less Than This Is Our Mission.
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