The Kingdom Perspective

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

What drives our sinful pride and inability to humble ourselves before God and others? The Bible suggests that what drives our sinful pride is worry. We are anxious for our lives and so we worry. And in worrying we are implicitly worshipping ourselves. This is the very opposite of humility. Anxiety leads to pride, which lead to further anxiety. A vicious cycle.

This subterranean sin is what Jesus goes after in Matthew 6:25.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Jesus is suggesting that our worry about “worldly things” reveals that we are not worshipping God but ourselves. We are not seeking “first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Surprisingly, this suggests that the most impressive of us are often the most prideful—and therefore, under the surface, the most anxious.

And so, every area of our lives becomes warped:

Material possessions – I need to have more and nicer things than others.

Social status – I want to be powerful. I want to have an impact. I want to leave a legacy.

Spirituality – I want to be the impressive Christian that everyone looks to for wisdom and insight. I want to have all my spiritual and theological ducks in a row.

Happiness – I want to feel good all the time—especially about me.

Now, none of these things are bad things in and of themselves. But none of these are first things. God is the first thing, and so, the sun around which all the planets of our other priorities must orbit. What twists them is our anxious pride—putting ourselves in the place of God. When we fret about any of these other things, it inevitably leads to disordered relationships, especially a disordered relationship with God.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

~ Matthew 6:24-34 (NASB95)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

An argument could be made that the most critical quality of a truly Christian life is humility. Jesus said that the kingdom of God belonged only to those who were “poor in spirit.” The kingdom of God belongs to those that mourn over their sin. By Jesus’s estimation, only the meek shall be able to inherit, and so, rule the earth.

Humility is not some ancillary attribute for the Christian. It is not the icing on the cake, but the quality that characterizes every aspect of the “cake.” This is why you see the repeated commands to humble oneself.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10)

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another” (1 Peter 5:5)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21)

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)

Why does God make such a big deal out of humility? The reason for this is simple:

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

In God’s kingdom there is room for only one deity, and you are not Him.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

1 Peter 5 (ESV)

5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Leadership is critical to any organization and there are three qualities necessary for any leader. What are these qualities? Well, the first quality is humility. The second quality is… humility. And the third quality is… (you guessed it) humility. Like real estate is all about location, location, location. So too, leadership is all about humility; humility; humility.

If a person is not humble – if they cannot listen and be a follower themselves – then they cannot lead.

This is not to say that a good leader is passive or a push-over. Quite the opposite! It doesn’t mean that they must accept and submit to any critique or suggestion thrown at them. Actually, this just emphasizes the issue of why humility is so important in leadership. Anyone in a position of leadership will be bombarded with countless critiques and suggestions. Without a basic and pervasive posture of humility, they will not be able to process this bombardment without becoming insecure or prideful – or swinging wildly between these two opposite poles. Having a soul rooted in humility makes one stable in the storm, allowing one to keep their head and not become subject to “public opinion” nor their own pride.

A leader leads and the most essential leadership is modeling for those who follow the critical quality of humility. Humility is the foundation for all good leadership.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

1 Peter 5 (NASB95)

1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

“Seeking God” is one of those bottom-line imperatives of the Bible. We are called to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” We are to be like King David who cried out:

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

   that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

   all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

   and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

But how exactly do we do that? Well, we get a clue in the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles. The kings and the people of Judah were continually failing to seek God, and repeatedly there was one critical element that correlated with that failure. They failed to seek God, because they failed to treasure His Word—God’s Law.

So, for example, in 2 Chronicles 12:14 we are told that King Rehoboam “did evil, because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.” Note carefully: why did he do evil? “BECAUSE he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.”

And how exactly did he fail to do this? Well, just a few verses earlier, the chronicler tells us that he failed because he had previously neglected God’s Word, His Law. Listen:

“When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord….” (2 Chronicles 12:1)

Note carefully, abandoning of the Law of the Lord is equated with abandoning God Himself.

Now, if you think about it, this only makes sense. How do you seek to be in relationship with anyone? Well, first of all, you must listen and take seriously what they say. If you want to be in relationship with God, then you must take seriously what He says. You cannot seek God, if you do not seek His Word. To reject his Word is to reject Him.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

2 Chronicles 12 (NASB)

1 When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord….

13 So King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14 But he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

The scandal of the gospel is that it’s for the burn out, drop out and left out. It is not a gospel for those that deserve it but precisely for those who don’t.

Why? Well, the gospel is not about our achievement but about God’s acceptance. It is not about our performance but Jesus’s performance for us. In other words, it is grace.

This is very good news not only for the outsider but also for the overachiever. Overachieving is often an addiction, an obsession to prove one’s self—indeed, to save one’s self. It stems from a deep idolatry—a drive to worship one’s self and one’s own achievements. In this way, it can often be the most secular of us that are the most “religious”—constantly trying to prove ourselves by our accomplishments and accolades.

Now, into this context the gospel comes and says something shocking. Jesus in His dying breath on the cross declared: “It is finished.” The gospel spells the end of all attempts to prove or justify oneself. It is the end to both religious and secular ladder climbing. As the writer Brennan Manning (1934-2013) put it:

“Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about trying to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and are a flat out denial of the gospel of grace.”

Now, to be clear, there is nothing wrong with striving and working hard. It’s a question of motivation. What’s driving your drive? Does it flow from God’s acceptance of you in Christ or does it flow from an attempt to earn that acceptance by your efforts?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Matthew 11 (NASB)

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants. 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight. 27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him.

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”

References:

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning (Multnomah Books, 1990).

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

The notion of the rule of law is not something that just happened in the history of Western civilization. It was not accidental. Rather, just as ideas have consequences, so ideas also have antecedents. There’s always something that comes before.

Most clearly, this notion can be traced to writings of Scottish thinker Samuel Rutherford (c. 1600-1661). In his famous book Lex Rex (1644), as the Latin title would suggest, Rutherford was proposing that nations be ruled by law and not merely by kings. This means that the power of the governing authorities should be limited by something objective, something outside themselves—by a law or constitution. In other words, a government should not be a pure monarchy, oligarchy, dictatorship or even a pure democracy. Rather, we should be governed by objective law that restrains both master and mob, limiting both the prince and the people from having all the power.

Now, where did he get this idea? Well, he got it from the Bible. He was, after all, a Presbyterian minister. The Bible teaches that human beings and human society were designed to operate best under the dictates of God’s Eternal Law. For example, all throughout the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles, the peace and stability of the nation of Judah is correlated to their faithfulness to the Law of God. When the Law of God is revered, the king and the people flourish. But when the Law of God is ignored, evil and chaos ensue.

Now, as Christians, we ought not sit back and say, “Yeah, that’s what’s wrong with the world! People aren’t obeying God!” Rather, we should be more self-reflective. Are we and our churches marked by obedience to God’s Law?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

2 Chronicles 12 (NASB)

1 When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord….13 So King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14 But he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

2 Chronicles 15 (NASB)

1 Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you. 3 For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without the Law. 4 But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.

2 Chronicles 17 (ESV)

3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. 6 His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.

7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Freedom is a byproduct of virtue. And virtue is a byproduct of objective moral restraint. In other words, the only way you can be truly free is not by doing what you want, but by being the kind of person who does what’s right. This is why the late Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020), the former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, spoke of “freedom” as a “moral achievement”.1 

The Framers of our constitution understood this well. They knew the precarious position they had placed this new country in by not having a king or pope to restrain or rule over the moral behavior of the people. They understood that if the people did not voluntarily govern themselves before God, then this experiment in self-government would inevitably fail. As the great Benjamin Franklin put it:

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”2

This is why Rabbi Sacks spoke out against what he identified as the “idols” of our age: “self-esteem without achievement, sex without consequences, wealth without responsibility, pleasure without struggle and experience without commitment.” He correctly noted that such “relativism that tells us there is no [objective] right or wrong” leads only to nihilism, to meaninglessness. “A world without values quickly becomes a world without value” (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks). As the book of Proverbs suggests, where there is no object/divine moral law, the people become unrestrained (Proverbs 29:18). A world without objective moral truth is not a world of freedom; it is a world of chaos.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Proverbs 29 (ESV)

16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases,

   but the righteous will look upon their downfall.

17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;

   he will give delight to your heart.

18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,

   but blessed is he who keeps the law.

19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined,

   for though he understands, he will not respond.

References:

1 Speech delivered at 2016 Bradley Prize by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (2016). Accessed online at https://rabbisacks.org/free-society-moral-achievement-read-rabbi-sacks-acceptance-speech-receiving-bradley-prize/).

2 “Letter to Messrs, the Abbes Chault, and Arnaud” by Benjamin Franklin (17 April 1787).

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

The Christian knows that this world will never be perfected until Jesus returns. Nonetheless, we do believe that the church should have a positive and redemptive effect on society in the here-and-now.

But how exactly are we to do this? Well, we do this by being the church—by demonstrating a new society, a new way of living together.

Jesus put it this way,

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, [Jesus goes on to say] let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

Jesus tells us that we are to be a city on a hill—to demonstrate a new social arrangement visible for all to see. Note well, that He does not say we are to be a “chump on a stump”. We are not to be an individual moral prude merely spouting our religious opinions and moral platitudes. Rather, we are to be a city—that is a community. We are to be an alternative society that is redemptive in the midst of an otherwise rancorous culture. We are to be the church.

Thus, the way we live in community as the church is the key element. The most distinctive and attractive thing about us is not merely our individual lives or families, but our corporate life as the church—the family of God. How we treat one another makes us shine like a lighthouse, guiding others to safe harbor.

So, here’s the question: Does your interaction within the church shine like a thing of beauty? Does your attitude toward your fellow believers exude a positivity, fostering greater trust and community?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Matthew 5 (NASB)

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Living in a pluralistic society is not foreign to the New Testament. The Church was born in such a context.

And so, it is not surprising then when the Bible gives us instructions for how to live as followers of Christ in such a context. What are we to do when our values and belief are so misunderstood by the surrounding culture and attacked from both the left and right? Well, this is precisely the question that is behind Paul’s statement to the believers on the island of Crete. Paul commands the church not to be arrogant and divisive with their unbelieving neighbors and authorities, but rather to humbly serve them. They are to be “ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men” (Titus 3 NASB).

Paul gives at least two reasons for this response. First the Gospel humbles us. It reminds us that the sin at work in the world is exactly the same sin that once held us captive and still seeks to control us. “We ourselves were once…disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures” (Titus 3:3). If you know Christ, then you should be very familiar with your own sin, and therefore full of empathy towards your fellow sinners.

Secondly, Paul reminds us that the only reason we are set free from the absolute rule of sin is the absolute free and sovereign love of God in Christ. We did nothing to save ourselves; He did it all. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:4-5 ESV).

We need not feel threatened when attacked. We are secure in the sovereign love of God. Such security frees us, genuinely and gladly, to serve others.

Have you been so freed?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Titus 3 (ESV)

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

How exactly does the Gospel make us into the kind of people that seek the good of our neighbors instead of the narrowness of our own interests? Why is it that the Gospel drives us to be considerate of our unbelieving neighbors, even when they might not be considerate of our values and beliefs?

Well, Paul gives us at least two reasons. First, he tells us that we are a people who look up. We are “looking [up] for the blessed hope…the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13). Therefore, if we are defrauded in this world, if we do not get what we want in this life, we are not left hopeless. Our hope is still on its way; Jesus Christ will someday come again. The goodness and glory that will be ours at His return causes any loss in this life to pale in comparison. So, first we must look up!

But secondly, we are to look back. This Jesus, for whom we are waiting to return, is the same Jesus who 2,000 years ago “gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession” (Titus 2:14). Jesus willingly offered up Himself for our good, even when we were dumping all our evil on Him. Seeing His patience towards us should make us categorically patient with others.

Having these two things in sight keeps our souls on track, so that we can perseveringly move forward in service to others, to be “a people…zealous for good works” (Titus 2:15).

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Titus 2 (ESV)

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.