Whose Kingdom Are You Building, Anyway?

Jesus spoke often of the Kingdom. He spoke of how it should operate, and who and what believers should be. For example, we’re not to lord positions over one another (something many who get even a little bit of position or authority tend to forget):

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

And if this wasn’t enough of an example: Jesus washed feet, and died for the many! All too often, people want to posture for positioning, and exercise authority over others. What is more, and I’ve had this conversation with everyone from those who clean the church, to those who do maintenance, and more, people in the church treat those who serve, whether the church compensates them or not, like a commodity that they are entitled to as opposed to sisters and brothers in Christ. They say things like “I place my tithe in the box,” or “is this what I pay for?” The Church is not a product, and NO member, staff or not, paid or not, is below anyone else! THIS is not the Kingdom Jesus established, so whose Kingdom are we building? Some like praise of others, and to this, Jesus also had some words:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”- Matthew 6:1-8

As a minister, much of what I do is seen by others, but more goes unseen. Most of my time is volunteered, and is “after office hours” (I don’t know what office hours Jesus, Peter, James or Paul kept, but it’s funny that we expect such things in the modern Church, right?). I do not say this to blow a trumpet: I don’t want your recognition! I don’t want compensation for it! I want to serve Jesus, glorify God and build up His people. Yet, all too often, people want to donate their way in to people’s good graces, keep up appearances, so that they may be seen by others. I ask you: when we do this, whose Kingdom are we building?

People often complain about comfort as opposed to Kingdom and salvation issues. While some complaints are valid, most come from a position of entitlement. We complain when we don’t get our way. To a complainer, Jesus said this about getting one’s own way:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” -Luke 12:13-21

Trying to insist on your own way is not being rich toward God! Complaint is earthly, and draws one to be influenced toward the earthly! It calls us to get what we’re owed, instead of seeking God’s glory or the building up of others! It breeds in us covetousness and calls us to our own desires instead of God’s calling. When we complain, whose Kingdom are we building?

Our attitude towards the Kingdom matters, and we’re only ever either building God’s kingdom, or trying to build our own. Choose wisely!

Luke 12:22-34

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”