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In Pursuit after Kingdom Treasures

“Looking to Jesus who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. Heb. 12:2

That is, who in view of the entire honour, which he would have at the right hand of God, and the happiness, which he would experience from the consciousness that he had redeemed a world, was willing to bear the sorrows, connected with the atonement.

A.  GOD’S WORD EXHORTS US TO HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE

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“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:25

B. MEN WHO FAILED BECAUSE OF AN EARTHLY PERSPECTIVE

Gideon Jdg 8:24?27                   And Gideon said to them, I would desire a favor of you, that each man of you would give me the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

And they answered, We will gladly give. And they spread a cloth, and each man threw the earrings of his prey in it. And the weight of the golden earrings which he asked for was seventeen

hundred of gold, besides ornaments, and pendants, and purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains around their camels’ necks. And Gideon made an ephod of it,

and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went there lusting after it, which thing became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

Solomon 1Kings 11:1?11            And Gideon said to them, I would desire a favor of you, that each man of you would give me the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

And they answered, We will gladly give. And they spread a cloth, and each man threw the earrings of his prey in it.

And the weight of the golden earrings which he asked for was seventeen hundAnd King Solomon loved many foreign women, even the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites; of the nations which Jehovah had said to the sons of Israel, You shall not go in to them, and they shall not go in to you; surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For it happened when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites; and Solomon did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and did not go fully after Jehovah like his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill which is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And likewise he did for all his foreign wives, and burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. And Jehovah was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from Jehovah, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; and he did not keep that which Jehovah commanded. And Jehovah said to Solomon, Since this is done by you, and since you have not kept My covenant and My statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. red of gold, besides ornaments, and pendants, and purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains around their camels’ necks. And Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went there lusting after it, which thing became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

Judas Mt 26:14?16             “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief;      as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

Jn 12:6

Ananias Acts 5:1?6                   And a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the price, his wife also knowing, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart for you to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold,

was it not in your own authority? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. And hearing these words, Ananias fell down and expired. And great fear

came on all those who heard these thing. And the younger ones arose, wound him up, and carrying him out, they buried him.

Demas 2 Tim 4:10              “for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.”

C.  TESTING WHERE WE STAND

What do I take most pleasure in?

What am I most concerned about?

What am I most committed to?

What do I put most trust in?

D. MEN WHO PURSUED A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE

Abraham      Heb 11:9-10 By faith he lived in the land of promise as a stranger, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise with him.

For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God

Jacob            Gen 47:9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have been the days

of the years of my life, and I have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

David           1 Ch 29:15 For we are strangers before You, and pilgrims, as our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow,  and none abides.

Jesus Math 6:10 “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

John 9:4- I must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is day. Night comes when no man can work.

Paul 2 Cor 4:17 – 5:10 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. ……

….For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body,

according  to that which he has done, whether good or bad.

E. TRAITS OF A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE

Believers who exhibit the following characteristics surely treasure the Kingdom of Christ:

a Desire to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ Php 3:8?10

But no, rather, I also count all things to be loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be dung, so that I may win Christ and be found

in Him; not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by faith,  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings,

being made conformable to His death;

a Desire to live for the glory of God            Eph 1:5+6+12

having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,  to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He has made us accepted in the One having been loved.

for us to be to the praise of His glory, who previously had trusted in Christ;

a Desire to pursue the things of the Holy Spirit     Rom 8:5

For they who are according to the flesh mind the things of flesh, but they who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

a Desire to progress in godliness         1 Tim 4:7+8

But refuse profane and old-womanish tales, and exercise yourself to godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the present life, and of that which is to come

a Desire to prove a faithful servant           Mt 25:19?23

After a long time the lord of those servants came and took account with them. And so he who had received five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered five talents to me. Behold, I have gained five talents above them. His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered two talents to me. Behold, I have gained two other talents above them. His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

a Desire to hasten Christ’s return 2 Pet 3:12

looking for and rushing the coming of the Day of God, on account of which the heavens, being on fire, will melt away, and the elements will melt, burning with heat?

F.  VITAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR A DISCIPLE PURSUING AFTER KINGDOM TREASURES

  • He is on his way to his real and better home:  Jn 14:2+3;  Heb 11:13?16
  • He lays aside every hindrance along his way: ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”; Heb 12:1 see also 1 Co 9:24:25
  • He focuses on eternal values:  “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Co 4:18 See also  Col 3:1+2
  • He seeks to prepare for heaven:  1 Pet 2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.;  see also 1 Jn 3:2+3
  • He endures suffering in view of eternal glory:  2 Co 4:17 “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweigh them all see also Rom 8:18
  • He looks forward to a heavenly inheritance:  1 Pet 1:4 “and into an inheritance that can never be perish, spoil or fade ? kept in heaven for you see also Heb 9:15
  • He expects to reign with Christ:  2 Tim 2:12;  Rev 5:10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.

G.  WAYS OF LAYING UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN

  • Through living totally under Christ’s lordship:  Mk 10:29+30
  • Through developing a righteous character:  Pr 10:25
  • Through labouring for God:  “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Co 15:58
  • Through soul?winning:  Dan 12:3
  • Through a prayer inheritance amongst the nations:  Ps 2:8
  • Through acts of kindness to other people:  Mt 25:31?46; 19:21 “Jesus answered, “if you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”

FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION:

Compare the responses described in 2 Kings 5:15, 16 with 2 Kings 5:19?27

Never forget that in us we carry a treasure that is so grand and magnificent that all who see it will know it is only from the father and that it is all from Him and for Him

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us;

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