Embracing The Ways Of The Kingdom

What truly matters as a believer is following Jesus and prioritizing the kingdom. The kingdom is of immeasurable value, and God brought us into His kingdom through His beloved son Jesus Christ. Understanding your value to the kingdom that God has brought you into will change your demeanor, mindset, and focus. We are children of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven and should be acting as such.

You are a child of God because He chose you (John 1:12-13 NKJV), and you received Jesus by faith. In and through Christ, every believer is a child of God (Galatians 3:26 NIV). You are not just called a child of God; that is who you are. (1 John 3:1 NIV) You must know who you are. If you don’t know who you are, the devil will tell you who you aren’t and try to convince you to accept the identity he has for you. If God calls you something, that is who and what you are. Call yourself what God calls you. Not only are we children of God, but we are also citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20 NKJV). God did not just adopt you and leave you outside of the kingdom. You are a member of God’s family.

People today place their identity in their sexuality, culture, and earthly things above their heavenly identity in Christ. So many are distracted and deceived, basing their worth, value, and identity on a shaky foundation, on fleeting things that can change from moment to moment. When you get distracted from who you are in Christ and start looking for labels, it puts you in a bad place. Satan uses all the “isms” to distract you from the word of God and your identity in Christ and keep you divided with an ”us versus them” mentality.

Put your priority and focus on your kingdom citizenship. Do not put who you are above whom God has made and called you to be. Love your heritage but prioritize God’s. Your identity is in Christ. When you see yourself as a child of God and a citizen of His kingdom, your thoughts, words, and behavior will exemplify the kingdom, and you will live by the kingdom’s principles.

We have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness, and the driving factor of our life should be the principles of the kingdom. The kingdom way is the king’s way. You can’t help but receive kingdom results when you follow kingdom principles.

There are 7 kingdom principles that, if you practice, will establish you in God’s word and will and help you embrace the ways of the kingdom.

Prioritizing the Kingdom

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

The first kingdom principle is to prioritize the kingdom of God and seek God first. It should be the foundation of your faith and relationship with Him. Jesus directs us as believers to prioritize kingdom pursuits and our relationship with God.

When you make the kingdom of God your priority, God will make you His priority. By seeking His kingdom, we are encouraged to live by faith, conscious and mindful of him. If you address the spiritual and relational, your physical needs will be taken care of.

Following Christ and prioritizing His kingdom means denying yourself, embracing Him, and living according to His kingdom principles. In everything you’re dealing with, put God first and be aware of His presence. How you think, speak, and act should reflect this awareness; how you live should align with your relationship with God. Being mindful of the relationship you have with God will be helpful in your pursuit of God and keeping His will. God is committed and wants to know what your level of commitment will be and is.

Recognizing the value of the kingdom

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Matthew 13:44 (NKJV)

The second principle is to recognize the value of the kingdom. As believers, God wants us to know the value of the kingdom of God. When you understand its value and take ownership of it in your heart, you are willing to sacrifice everything for it.

This parable is a profound message from Jesus concerning the true value of the kingdom and the level of commitment required to attain it. This man saw the value in what he found but did not immediately tell everyone he knew. There are some things of value for you that are not for others’ ears. You see value in it, but others won’t and will trample on it or chew it up. When you tell people who don’t value the knowledge, blessing, and the move of God you have experienced, they will trample over it and you, causing you to lose faith in the valuable thing you found.

Instead, this man sold everything and took ownership of what he found. He had so much faith and understood the value of what he found that he sold all he had to get that which had more value. Are you ready to go “all in” for God and be willing to trade everything you have now for the immense value of your relationship with Him? If you do not own it and make it a core part of who you are, you can be talked out of it or convinced to give it up.

God will not be what he wants to be for you until you’re willing to become what He needs you to be to Him. God is a protector, provider, and guide. What are you looking for in your relationship with God, and what are you willing to give Him? When you value something, you give it great attention and care, protect it, and care for it. God wants the same.

The Mysteries of the Kingdom

“10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” – Matthew 13:10-11 (NKJV)

The third principle is the mysteries of the kingdom. The kingdom’s secrets are personal between the king and His subjects. Things will remain a mystery if you’re not in a committed relationship with Him. There are some things Jesus wants you to know, and the Holy Spirit reveals those things to those committed to God. Be careful what you are sowing into your life and what you allow to remain in your life (relationships with wrong people, mindsets, habits). Seek the kingdom of God with genuine faith, and you will begin to see your life transformed as you gain understanding.

The Principle of Sowing and Reaping

“26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.” – Mark 4:26-27 (NKJV)

The fourth principle that will help you embrace the ways of the kingdom is the principle of sowing and reaping. This principle is automatic if you live a life of faith-filled expectations. Trust God no matter what is happening around you. Don’t be afraid to do what God has called you to do. Believe for what He has already said is yours.

When Jesus tells you, “The kingdom is like..” He tells you how the kingdom works and how you should apply that principle. Jesus wants you to put your faith in the word and trust God. Mix your faith with the word you believe and rest in the Lord. When you work the word, your faith will make it come to pass. Once you sow your seed, you do not need to check on it constantly. Your faith will cause it to yield a harvest, so rest on the word of God and trust Him.

The Principle of Divine Provision and Blessing

The fifth key principle to embracing the kingdom is the principle of divine provision and blessing. We are all looking for security, protection, and provision. However, many are looking in the wrong place and to the wrong things to see those needs fulfilled.

God is our divine and supernatural supplier. He has provision for us in every area of our lives, but He waits for us to hear and listen to His instruction. There is no limit to His provision, and when you are obedient and do what God instructs, His provision will become a vehicle for abundant blessing and prosperity in your life. We see one example of this principle in Genesis 26.

“There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you… 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;” – Genesis 26:1-2, 12-13 (NKJV)

God instructed Isaac, and by being obedient and following that instruction, Isaac received provision. It is through Isaac’s continued obedience that the provision became a blessing. Not just for him but his descendants and the people around him.

God gives you provision, but you find the blessing in your obedience. When you do what God instructs, you will be blessed. This does not mean things will always be easy. Your faith will be tested just as Isaacs was later in the chapter. The devil wants to destroy your faith, but God wants to strengthen it. Trust in God and His word no matter the circumstances you face.

The Principle of Speaking by Faith

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” – Mark 11:23 (NKJV)

The sixth principle of embracing the kingdom is speaking by faith. Speaking is one way we exercise our faith as believers. You will have whatever you say when your heart and mouth align and speak in faith or with faith-filled confidence. Whatever mountain is in your life, you can speak to it. Put a word on it. Give your problems instructions by the word of God.

Speaking in faith is an area that I find needs the most maintenance and attention. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it can be easy to get caught up in your feelings, complaining about every perceived injustice or problem you face. Speaking is easy, but speaking the right things requires attention and focus. Check out your words, take inventory, and ensure they work for you and not against you. Will you speak what is true or the Truth(God’s word)? Faith words are simply words that agree with God’s Word. Say what God says about you. Refuse to say things contrary to God’s Word concerning you. Allow God’s Word in your mouth to change things in your life.

The Principle of Praying in Faith

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” – Mark 11:24 (NKJV)

You can have all the faith in the world, but if you do not put your petition before the Lord by praying for what you believe, it does you no good. The seventh principle of embracing the kingdom is praying in faith.

You must pray the Word in faith, for the Word of God is the power of God. Jesus taught us how to pray faith-based prayers that produce results. Notice that Jesus’ emphasis in this scripture wasn’t on prayer but on belief and faith. When you pray, you must step further, believing you have received what you requested. Learn to pray in faith and have faith in prayer. Say what you believe and pray because you believe.

The word of God expresses many kingdom principles, but these seven will aid you in your walk as a believer and help you embrace the kingdom as a citizen and child of God. As believers, we must live by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP) and be principle-driven. Don’t allow the situations or adversity you face to change what you believe. Seek the kingdom, be rooted in the word, and mix it with your faith in applying the principles of the kingdom. If you do so, you will see kingdom results in your life. Have faith in God’s provision and not the difficult circumstances that will come.

 

 

The information expressed above is excerpted from the sermon “Embracing The Ways Of The Kingdom” preached by Dr. Lee A. Simpson. You can listen to the complete sermon on our YouTube channel.