IS JESUS KING?

Something that is very important to me is to pursue a life that looks like I’m a follower of Jesus. Trust me, I don’t always get it right but my hope is that as the King reveals the ways of his Kingdom to me that I live those principles and mandates out in my everyday life everywhere I go. This world is not our home; We are representatives of the Kingdom of Heaven

That reminds me of an old song my grandma used to sing called this world is not my home.  Let me share a few of the lyrics to you:

This world is not my home. I’m just a-passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. Sometimes we feel way to at home in this world. 

If you are a follower of Jesus. You are child of a King (your’e actually seated with him, but that’s an entirely different sermon) Once you died to your “old man” and was born again you became a citizen of the kingdom of heaven and your primary service is the to the King of that kingdom Jesus. This isn’t our home.  We represent a different kingdom.  

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When we show up to the grocery store we represent a King.  People of Earth’s kingdom get mad when the workers at the grocery store are in the way pulling groceries for other people but the King of my kingdom says, prefer others over myself. People of this kingdom lose their temper in traffic and say things that only they and God can hear but all the while we are cursing that person with the words of this kingdom, with the heart of this this kingdom. Alternately, the king of my kingdom says that I will give an account for every careless word I say. 

People of this Kingdom respond defensively and in anger when someone disagrees with them, including their spouse, kids, neighbor, political opponents but the king of my kingdom says to walk in humility and gentleness. I’ll be a little vulnerable with you, this one, I’m still working on this one. 

I imagine that if I were to take a poll on how many of us believe Jesus Is King, most of us, if not all of us would say, “Amen”. We all talk about Jesus “the king.” The Savior of the world. All hail, King Jesus.  But what is he King of?  Is Jesus the King of your heart?  There are times when I even have to ask myself this question, Is Jesus truly King of my life. Do I respond like him?  Do I represent the King?  Do I serve the King?  Is Jesus King?

I would love for us to take a few minutes and consider what it looks like to serve a King.  I want us to answer the question, “Have I fully committed my life to serve a King of a different kingdom?”, for ourselves. What it does it look like to bow my will and ambition to the feet of the King of Kings and to allow his purpose, his rule to guide my life, my actions and my reactions?

When we talk about “bringing the Kingdom” or serving the King of a Kingdom I think have to start with “what is the kingdom?”.

Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

it’s not my intention to develop a deep theological study into what righteousness, peace and joy are. Trust me, I’m not that deep, and if you want that kind of study it is out there. What I would like to do is help you have a better understanding of what it means to be a representative of the kingdom of heaven. 

All through the gospels Jesus talked about the kingdom.  In Matthew 5 he lays out the law of the kingdom of heaven.  We’ve talked about these but let me just do a quick refresher:

Poor in spirit (recognize their need for God)

Mourn (are sorrowful and repentant for their sin)

Meek

Hunger and thirst for righteousness (want to be right before God, this happens through Jesus). 

Merciful

Pure of Heart

PeaceMakers

Persecuted and falsely accused because of Jesus

When I consider this list (we call the beatitudes) it is glaringly obvious how different the mandates of this kingdom look to the way the kingdom of earth functions. 

We as kingdom people are light not because we are trying to expose darkness.  We are light because we think, act and react so differently than the kingdom of this world that it makes people wanna know more about our King.  The way we live always point back to Jesus.  We show others if he is the King or not. As kingdom people and children of the king we act, react and think like the king Jesus.

A conviction that I have had is that if I am not choosing to respond to the rule of the king am I actually serving the king?

When I started on this journey of understanding what it looked like to represent the King of the Kingdom of Heaven, I don’t always get it right but on the journey of “bringing the kingdom” I started with the Lord’s prayer. 

Matthew 6:9-10

Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed (holy, revered, honored) be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  

As it is in heaven…What does that mean? When I found myself in trying situations, I began to ask myself “Is that how it is in heaven”?

Is there sickness in heaven?  Is there impatience in heaven?  Is there pride in heaven?  Is there anxiety or depression in heaven? Is heaven concerned with the political agenda of this kingdom? Is there social media in heaven? Boy, I hope not.

Being kingdom people, sons and daughters of the king should look different than this kingdom.  Today let’s address three areas that should be affected when we represent a kingdom that is righteousness, peace and joy.

1. How We Act

As servants of the King we actually act differently than the servants of this kingdom.  

Philippians 2:3

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Righteousness. Peace and Joy.   

Walk in a manner worthy of the calling.  If we are kingdom people we have to walk like it.  Eager to maintain unity. Guys, the society we live in is all about division, cancel, hate, judgment. We can’t buy into it.  The air is heavy with condemnation but that’s not the kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. Doesn’t that sound nice. A kingdom where we walk so much in peace that it actually brings peace to the earth. That we carry a joy even when we don’t feel it and the people of this kingdom don’t understand it but they want to know more.  

I understand that this kingdom will affect the way we feel because this is a noisy, opinionated and proud kingdom and it will push on you and pull on you to conform to it but I’m not talking about feels.  I’m talking about what’s real. The Truth is that we are kingdom people and we can, by the power the Holy Spirit who is in you, represent the King of Kings in the way we act and actually bring the kingdom to that moment.

I want to tell you a story about my vacation this year.  I was in traffic between here and south carolina.  I was feeling really anxious in all of the traffic. I sometimes can get worked up in a crowd or in traffic and I don’t necessarily love it when cars speed up on my right side when I’m in the “fast lane” and then wanna cut in.  Ooooooo…I’m sure I’m the only one but I totally feel the “get behind me satan” in those moments. In the moment of my anxiety and frustration Jesus asked me, “Is this how I would respond, why don’t you just let them in?” In that moment I had a choice to make.  I was modeling the wrong thing for my family. I was responding like I was a representative of this kingdom but when the King of Kings asked me if I was responding like him, I had a choice to make.  Would I consider what he asked or would I remain in what I considered to be control by forcing them to suffer the consequences of their action. What would Jesus do?

I then remembered Philippians 2:3

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

and Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Jesus would slow down. He would allow the one who was “wrong” right of passage. That’s what he did for me.  That’s what he did for you. He allowed one who was wrong the right of passage into his kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy.  So I slowed down and let the guy in.  I began to allow everyone who did that to come on over.  You know what happened?  I gave up my need to control and in that actually gained authority.  Not authority over the person but authority over the situation.  I brought a kingdom response to the situation and immediately peace filled my heart.  I was no longer upset I actually enjoyed slowing down and letting them in.  The response of kingdom brought peace.  It released the kingdom.   I don’t what all happened but that moment of me surrendering myself to the king brought me peace.  It brought the guy who I let in peace.  As sons and daughters of the King we are called to represent the Kingdom in the way we ACT.

2. Way we react

Luke 6:27-29

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.

Righteous. Peace. Joy. Love your enemies. Pray for those who abuse you. If they take your coat give them your shirt. That doesn’t sound like this kingdom.  What does loving our enemies look like when we are serving the King of Kings? 

In my previous job I was climbing the ladder. I didn’t internally step on others as I moved to the top but I had no problem stepping over you.   I had my eyes set on a goal.  In this process there was a guy who was added.  Not in a role that was oversight of me but a role that was in the way of me. At least in my mind. I didn’t like that we had hired him.  I felt like he was overpaid and didn’t know what he was doing. I voiced my complaint regularly to the CEO and even to this guy. It really had me feeling anxious. I began to pray about it because that’s all I could do to help me feel any peace or joy. You know what the King told me to do?  “Help him.” You see, I was the most tenured in my position.  I knew all of the answers and I even had kingdom solutions but I was upset about this guy who was hired and didn’t know anything but the King told me to help him.  So I began to direct him when he was off track. I would build things for him so that he could learn.  I taught him what I knew.  I humbled myself and I followed the King in bringing the kingdom. I preferred this guy over myself. Once I brought a kingdom response I once again had peace. 

Another story I’d like to share is also from a previous job. There was a guy that I had worked with and when I got promoted I became his boss.  He didn’t like that I was promoted and  he didn’t like the fact that I had replaced a friend of his.  After my promotion he gathered a few other managers of like mind and began to make up stories about me to try and get me fired.  These were stories that were absolutely not true but because there were a couple of people saying the same thing it caused me to have to go into the CEO’s office to address these matters.  Once I was vindicated and moved on I had the right and authority to fire them but I didn’t.  God told me that he was doing something else. A few months passed and the “ring leader” of this attack on me had an issue with another employee that had treated him in a way that was discriminatory.  As his supervisor I could have dismissed his feelings but instead I became his advocate. I defended the one who had tried to ruin me.  Though he did eventually leave the company we had developed a relationship where I gave him a reference for his next job.  This isn’t about me but what I hope you get is that there is a King that is telling us that his kingdom prefers others over ourself.  The people of his kingdom prays for those who hate them.  It’s what we do, we’re sons and daughters of the King.

The Kingdom of Heaven is Righteousness, Peace and Joy.

What if? In this kingdom we see political ads bashing the opposition but what if our ads talked about all the things that are good about our opponent or all the ways we were praying for them. It would close with “I’m Jesus and I approve of this message” What if we only acted in a way that Jesus could be the tag line.  Is the King approving your message? I know it seems crazy. Yeah.  Think about what Jesus said, he said, if someone hits you offer them the other cheek. That’s crazy. He said, if someone takes your coat, give them your shirt.  That’s crazy. The kingdom of heaven is crazy if we view it from the perspective of this kingdom but if you switch it and you view this kingdom through the perspective of the kingdom of heaven you’ll realize that everything you’ve been taught when it comes to how everything works in this kingdom is actually counter kingdom of God. 

What if, as kingdom people, we prayed for our business competitors. What if we offered strategy to help them succeed. You know that as kingdom people we have kingdom strategy.  We serve the king who has all of the answers.  You can know them.  You can have them.  You can share them. Think what righteousness, peace and joy would be released all the while expanding the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

As sons and daughters of the king we react differently.

3. Think

Romans 12:2

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

There are so many things that affect the way we think.  This kingdom is full of triggers that cause us to think people don’t like us, we aren’t good enough.  We have shame that comes from this kingdom to make us believe that we will never become everything we were created to be or we’ve messed everything up. The battle in the mind is powerful.  We dwell and focus on things that may not even be true. What are you thinking about?

Philippians 4:8

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

As I prayed about this portion of the writing God kept bringing me back to Philippians 4, specifically 4:4-9.

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

When I considered the way we represent the kingdom in the way we think it’s actually the prime catalyst to the way we act and or react.  We will act and react based on the way we think.

When I was upset and anxious in traffic, my heart was responding based on my mind. My mind said this guy is trying to push his way in. This guys is trying to run me off the road. This guys cheating the system. In the grocery store my mind told me that the person was pushing me past me to get the last best banana. I was in line first why is that person cutting in front of me. I wasn’t submitting my thoughts to the King but when I heard the King speak and I obeyed, the fruit of his kingdom filled my heart and changed the atmosphere.  Peace came. Joy came in the revelation of his kingdom being released.  Righteousness. Peace and joy. His Kingdom came.

As we consider about how we think.  How our mind affects the way we release the kingdom I want you to know that we all have different variables and reasons we struggle with things in our mind.  Some have diagnosis, while others possibly like me have shifts in the seasons where I get down or stressed, but our diagnosis isn’t our identity. Though there are different levels the way our mind is working, the truth is that all of the struggles in our mind, anxiety, depression, shame is fruit of this kingdom.  There is no anxiety in my Kings kingdom.  It’s just the truth.  

As I was reading Philippians, I imagined Paul in prison.  He’s locked up writing letters to the church.  Writing letters that would become our guide to following the King.  When he begins to exhort he starts with Rejoice. God is near. Don’t be anxious. But pray. Give thanks. Let God know what you need. And his peace, that we can’t even understand, will guard your hearts and your mind.  Keep in mind that he is in prison.  If you are looking or thinking from the perspective of this kingdom he had nothing to rejoice about. It appeared that he had plenty to be anxious about.  But he says, rejoice. Be reasonable. God is near.  In one of his lowest moment he penned a letter to the church to encourage us not to be anxious. To remind us that God is near. He says, talk to God and let him know what you need and HIS peace will guard your heart and mind.

There are several places in the scriptures where we are instructed not to be anxious.  Jesus says it in Matthew 6.  I Peter 5 tells us to “cast your anxieties on him because He cares for you.”  Paul says it in Philippians. Our mind and emotions must matter to our King.

We all have things that have affected us because of this kingdom. Things that are said to us.  Things that are done to us.  These contribute to how we act, react and think but today. I want to offer you another way. Is Jesus king? Is he King in he way you act in traffic?  Is he King in the way you react to those you don’t agree with?  Is he King in the way you see yourself?  How can you see others correctly if you don’t see yourself correctly.  

As followers of Jesus we are here, our primary purpose is, to live in a way that the Kingdom of God expands. You are a kingdom ambassador. You were created for this. 

As followers of Jesus, we are all trying to be more like the King than we were yesterday.  Sometimes I don’t represent him as well as I should but man I want to.  I want people who encounter me to know that I’m not from here.  This world is not my home.  This world is not your home.  We don’t have to be affected by it.  We don’t have to act, react or think like it.  Jesus Is King.  We serve a king that doesn’t bow to the things of this world and neither should we.  

Prayer

King Jesus. We submit to you.  We bow and give up our will to you. Show us how live like people of your kingdom.  Show us how to act, react and think like you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Maybe you’ve never made Jesus king of your life or maybe you want to re-commit you’re actions, reactions and thoughts to him.  Now is the time.  Don’t be afraid. Don’t be ashamed.  Run to the King.  He’s such wonderful ruler.  Such a peaceful master. Such a beautiful savior. What a lovely friend.  Let us all come to know Him deeper.