Sunday 11/04/15
Series: Living in the Kingdom II
Message – The Economy of the Kingdom II
Our teaching today is a continuation of Sunday’s message about the Economy of Heaven. What we mean by this title is the stewardship those in the Kingdom of God have over the natural resources God has committed into our care.
We are doing this on the heels of our teachings concerning the King and the Kingdom purposefully. It is SO vitally important to place ALL doctrine within its stated scriptural context. One cannot truly understand their stewardship before God without first understanding, that “Christiandom” is a Kingdom – not a religion filled with disconnected doctrines intended only to modify behavior. In this Kingdom – Christ is King! In this kingdom behavior modification has NEVER been a primary doctrine – it has ALWAYS been secondary to loving God and holding Him in deep reverence as Creator, King and Father. Behavior was ALWAYS intended to spring OUT of our deep love and admiration for Him – not the other way around. So, understanding stewardship in the Kingdom, from the position of genuinely loving and respecting God, is of paramount importance.
A few years ago God gave me a verse illustrating this point. I had read the passage countless times, but this time He spoke it to me in the quietness of my soul AS I was teaching. I felt much like David must have when he confessed to God,
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.” ~ Psalm 40:6
I later looked up the passage to even discover if I was remembering it correctly. It is found in Gal 3:21,
“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.”
Consider the heart of this passage. Paul was writing to the believers of in the province of Galatia who were being manipulated by pagan Jews to turn to the law alone for righteousness. Paul’s reply is almost romantic in its beauty and clarity. He says that the law God gave is NOT against the promises God gave to Abraham of righteousness by faith alone. For if there had been a law God could have given which could have created intimacy with Him (life = knowing Him), then right standing with God (righteousness) would have come through the law.
Do you hear what Paul is saying? It was NEVER about our actions of right or wrong, it was about the ability to have perfect union and fellowship with God forever. Being “right” in heart and action is necessary in order to draw near Him in intimacy. “Two cannot walk together unless they are agreed”, says the prophet Amos. Religion has clouded the understanding of God’s intentions for us. We have focus so long and hard on righteousness as God’s goal, and His reward to us was that He will allow us to know Him. In reality, it was always about God’s ability to intimately know us that righteousness ever became an issue!
So I say again, as I said earlier…
In this kingdom behavior modification has NEVER been a primary doctrine – it has ALWAYS been secondary to loving God and holding Him in deep reverence as Creator, King and Father. Behavior was ALWAYS intended to spring OUT of our deep love and admiration for Him – not the other way around. So, understanding stewardship in the Kingdom, from the position of genuinely loving and respecting God, is of paramount importance.
Since our teachings on the King and the Kingdom, we now have a better understanding of God has manifested His kingdom throughout the ages – past, present and future. We are now in a position to examine ourselves in relation to LIVING in that Kingdom in a way which fully pleases Him.
We’ve begun our journey by examining our stewardship concerning money, possessions and giving…
Our Needs and His provision
Mat 6:1-34
Make particular note of the use of the phrase “WHEN YOU” throughout these verses. This says A LOT! It is not “IF” but “WHEN” which presupposes actions you WILL be busy about doing.
Vs. 1 – TO BE – speaks of intention. It does not mean others cannot discover it or find out about it, but that our intentions NEED to be purely to honor God, delight His heart and lend aid to others in the body.
Motive is imperative – this is a place where it would be appropriate to invoke the phrase “He knows our hearts”. That phrase should never be used to side step the egregiousness of sin – but to purify our actions with pure motives.
If one does good by giving – but their motive is self-promoting, then their good deed becomes evil by means of their motive.
Vs. 2 – Glory from men. The word here is Doxazo and is derived from Doxa – the word used by Christ in John 5:44 (TURN THERE)
John 5:44, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”
Thus the dóxa and doxazo of man is human opinion – it is shifty, uncertain, often based on error, and to pursuit it for it’s own sake is unworthy of godly character. There IS a glory of God which must be absolutely true and changeless whose pursuit is honorable and completely worthy of godly character. God’s opinion marks the true value of things and are not subject to opinion but absolute truth which has its source in God alone.
Vs. 3 – don’t let left know what right is doing. This can mean several things. The most obvious is that our actions should be in secret – not announced and that is in keeping with the overall tone of the passage. Another possible meaning which would also agree with this is that it has been said by some, that those who are at the left hand of a man are those who are cherished friends and those who are on the right are those most honored by a man. Though this is most often seen as representing seating at supper, it may have some bearing upon the meaning of the passage.
Gill says that the verse indicates that we are not to acquaint our nearest and dearest friend with it what we give our honor too in giving; don’t let the one who sits at your left hand know what your are doing with your right hand;
That this MAY be based upon a proverbial and hyperbolical Jewish phrase, expressing the secrecy of the action is quite possible. Christ often came against the laws of the Judaizers because they were fence laws created by man – yet, place on par with the words of God as though they had come from Him.
In the Jewish canon it is said that,
“he that gives a gift to his friend out of love, may make it known, אבל לא בצדקה, “but not if it be by way of alms”.”
Jesus however is saying, that even if it is a gift to a friend (left hand) do not make it known.
“You have heard it said…but I say to you…..etc.”
Vs. 6 – the purpose of giving or prayer needs to be intimacy with God. We are NOT to live our lives as though we are in it to commune with man, but with God. All others in our lives are peripheral to that relationship – NOT the other way about.
Vs. 13 – Do not allow us to be brought under the power of evil. Do not let us be tempted beyond our ability to resist.
Vs. 14 – Paraptoma – either an unintentional error or a willful transgression.
Vs. 16 – Again notice the words “WHEN you fast” not IF you fast.
Remember, the pharasees asked Christ why the disciples did not fast…what was His answer to them?
How can they while the bridegroom is with them. There is a day when the bridegroom will not be here and on that day they WILL fast.
Vs. 19 – Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.
This verse, though it is used in good ways to say many other things – it is in direct reference to all that has been said above. Do not do anything you do to be seen, honored or glorified by men or you will NOT be rewarded in heaven.
We should look at our actions as storing up for ourselves – either here or in eternity.
Vs. 21 – we are still talking about intimacy with God – treasure HIS praise, honor and glory!
Vs. 22 – Our eyes should be looking towards this end – God’s approval.
Example – Jn. 12:42-43; Rom. 2:29; 1 Cor. 4:5;
Vs. 23 – the deception of darkness is that it blocks you from seeing what should be obvious. If your intentions are not pure, then you may not even know it. So the goal is not to find out IF your intentions are pure, for if you do not know – they almost certainly are not – the goal is to know for certain that your works spring out of a heart of devotion for God alone.
Vs. 24 – Love more vs. love less…..hold fast to one vs. disesteem the other.
This was almost certainly an indirect reference to 1 Samuel 2:30,
“Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”
Vs. 25 – For this reason – do not worry about self – food, clothing basic provisions.
Vs. 33 – Seek first the Kingdom (remember Jesus’ prayer…”Our Father….kingdom come – will be done…”
That is all for today, but we will pick up here on Wednesday – studying to show ourselves as approved in regards to money, possessions and giving in the Kingdom.
Blessings!
I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Attendance at our church will NOT even be mentioned nor will money.
If you have been spiritually fed by this ministry and wish to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but all outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.
Blessings!
