The Question of the Kingdom
(5 minutes)
Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, this is where the rubber meets the road. We've been on this journey discovering what Abba's heart is for us, to be fully alive. And we've even gotten a glimpse as to what that could look like. Now we have to answer the question that the Kingdom of God brings to us, and how we respond to the question will determine if anything changes. It will determine if we actually experience freedom.
"I want to talk about the reason we are still waiting on some of these things to happen. There is a question that the Kingdom asks." (Pastor Tim)
But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)
"When you turn your heart to God, a veil is then lifted from your heart and you are able to see the things of the Kingdom. But it doesn't stop there. That's where American Christianity stops. That's their priority. But that's why we haven't seen Isaiah 61:1-4. Because they say the end all of God's Kingdom is you accepting whether or not you want to go to heaven or hell. And Jesus says that question is not even on the table. That is not the question. The question is not, 'Where are you going to spend eternity?' The question is not, 'Are you saved?' The question is, 'Who is Lord of your life?'" (Pastor Tim)
Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)
There's only one problem: there are areas of my life where I'm still not seeing freedom!
That only means one thing: "Wherever God is Lord there is freedom. That means every area of your life where there's no freedom, He is not Lord. And here we are, where the rubber meets the road. Who sets your standards? Who makes your decisions?" (Pastor Tim)
The question of the Kingdom is this: Who is Lord of your life?
Who sets your standards? Who makes your decisions? You, or the Spirit of Yahweh inside of you?
The hard thing about this truth is that there's no guesswork involved. We don't have to ponder long on the answer to these questions, because Abba has given us the litmus test of Lordship.......freedom. Wherever He is Lord, there is freedom. And wherever He is not Lord, there is no freedom.
We can read Isaiah 61:1-4, until we're blue in the face, and still not see any of it established in our own life. Why? Because freedom is on the other side of Him becoming Lord. He must become the One who calls the shots, makes the decisions, and leads us in every area.
Do you know why Lordship is a tough conversation? Because it deals with the question, "Who is in control?" And this is the last thing that some of us want to let go of - control. But we can't have the freedom of God's Kingdom and keep ruling our own life. That's not how kingdoms work.
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Worship: "Your Will, Your Way" by Bryan & Katie Torwalt
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!