In this article, I want to show us the need to step out of religious and legalistic attitude into embracing the kingdom of Christ. Christ Jesus did not come for a religion, He didn’t come to start one, He didn’t come to propagate one. His life was completely about the kingdom. In Matthew 4, after He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and His triumph over the devil in that temptation, the Bible says He went out from there and started proclaiming and speaking about the kingdom of God. So, it’s important that we listen and follow the lead of Christ Jesus.
Something happened in Luke 9:35. God made a statement that introduced us to the fact that God has made Jesus to be glorified before all men. “While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them.” This was the experience Peter, James and John had when Jesus was transfigured before them on that mount. The Bible says; while he was speaking, because Peter got carried away with the experience, and said you know what? Let us create a tabernacle here, and create one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for you Jesus. Because what has happened here, we need to build an institution around it. What we are seeing with our eyes today, we can’t recover from it quickly, we need to build something around this experience. And it says; while He was saying this, while he was still uttering this statement, God interrupted them, and a cloud came and over shadowed them, and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.
Remember that the children of Israel became a nation that was disciple directly by God. And when they had that experience, the mindset of these people has been altered for years has a result of living in Egypt under the rulership of Pharaoh, and they were used to the customs and the traditions of the people of Egypt. That’s why when they were going on the journey with God, they were reminding themselves of what they used to experience in Egypt. They said: “O Moses! you want to come and kill us here. At least we were doing fine, we were having garlic and cucumber in Egypt, and you just brought us to this place in the middle of nowhere and we are just supposed to die here.” No of course, they weren’t going to die in the wilderness.
So, they started rebelling against the move of God in that nation. So, you see that whenever Moses wanted to go into the presence of God, He enters into the clouds and he goes up to the mountain and God descends on the mountain and the clouds usually serves as a sign of the presence of God. So, the Bible says it’s the same experience that happened in that Luke 9:35. So, we are sure and we know that it is God that came to that mount. It says: and they entered the cloud and a voice came out of the cloud saying; this is my beloved Son, hear Him. A voice came out of the cloud, God spoke out of the cloud, while he was still saying what he was saying, God spoke out of the cloud saying; this is My beloved Son, testifying of Jesus saying, you don’t have to build a tabernacle for Moses, nor for Elijah, this Jesus Christ walking on the face of the earth before you, is My beloved Son; listen to Him.
So, don’t get the identity mixed up, He is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. That’s the first thing God said the first time. But this time around He said: hear Him, listen to Him, pay attention to Him. So, God is saying Jesus has His complete authority, whatever He says to you, hear Him. Is that not what the Mother of Jesus said they went for the wedding in Cana of Galilee? And there was a need for wine; the wine had finished, and the mother of Jesus looked at the servants; whatever He ask you to do, do it. So, Jesus from this Scripture was backed up fully by God as an example, as a model.
So, we are looking at Kingdom Culture as Shown by Christ Jesus. When we are talking about this Jesus, why is it so important to hear Him as God said? Why is it so important to look at Him like God said? John 14, we are still establishing that fact, that Jesus has been set for us as a model. John 14:8-9. “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father.” Now His disciples have been walking with Him for years. Remember that when each of them has encounter with Jesus, they chose to follow Him because they saw something about Him. When Philip was going to call Nathanael, he said come and see the one that has been spoken of. And that’s why they started following Him because they saw something. “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” We will be okay if you show us the Father. We will be satisfied if you show us the Father. And it looked to Philip as if he was saying a correct thing. As if he was making a lot of sense.
See what Jesus said to Him in verse 9, “Have I been with you so long, have you been seeing Me and yet you have not known Me, Philip?” That’s the first thing Jesus said. Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me Philip? Meaning that if you had known Me you would not ask Me show us the Father. And He said; He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Jesus said whoever have seen Me, has seen the Father. So, you are not confused, when you see Me; Jesus, you have seen the Father. Hebrews 12:2. Jesus made it clear to His disciples, if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. It says: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Looking unto Jesus, no other image, no other structure, no other personality but looking unto Jesus. I love the way the amplified Bible puts this Hebrew 12:2, it says don’t be carried away or distracted by any other, but focus on Jesus, so, looking unto Jesus, it should be your focus, your priority, He is the author and finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
So, in Luke 9:35, God said this is My Beloved Son, hear Him. Jesus said in John that we read, that if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. And Hebrews 12:2 says looking unto Jesus, He is the author and the finisher of our faith. Meaning that Christ Jesus is the limitless limit of our curriculum in the kingdom. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher, He is not just the author, He is also the finisher of our faith. So, everything about our faith is curriculum in Christ Jesus. That’s why God said: hear Him. Listen to Him, when you listen to Him, you are listening to Me. When you see Him, you have seen Me. This is so important for us to note. If you have seen Christ Jesus, you have seen God.
So, what is that kingdom culture you need to see in Christ? To understand the kingdom, you have to understand what Jesus did and how Jesus lived. To understand the culture; what is culture? Culture talks about the ideas, the customs and the social behavior of a particular people. So, you want to know what is kingdom idea? What kingdom is about? If you want to know the thought pattern, and behavior of a particular people study; their culture. When you study their culture, you will understand the people. The same way in the kingdom. For you to understand the kingdom, then you must understand the culture of the kingdom. Meaning that you and I have a responsibility of demonstrating the culture of the kingdom for people to understand the kingdom. And that’s what Jesus came to do.
The Bible says; we have been alienated from the life of the kingdom, we have been separated from what happened in Genesis 3, we have been separated from the life of the kingdom. And Jesus came to reintroduce that life back to us. We have lost touch with the culture of the kingdom, we have lost touch with our true identity, and Christ Jesus came to reintroduce that back to us. So, we had been living like the world, that’s why the Bible says; we are in the world but we are not of the world. We are living here but our culture does not come from here. And that’s why it’s important for us to understand kingdom culture so that we don’t get mixed in the multitude. If you see a Yoruba man that comes to a Hausa land, and starts drinking fura de’ nunu, and starts eating massa, and starts to eat wa’ ake’, and he starts speaking the language, and he starts doing certain things like the Hausa people, even though he is a Yoruba man until he opens his mouth to say so, you won’t be able to identify such a person. Why? The person has decided to blend in with the culture.
But imagine you saw Him truly, in Hausa land, but he is not drinking fura de’ nunu, he is drinking pap, and he is eating amala, he is doing certain things according to his culture, you will say I suspect this man to be a Yoruba man. Even though he is “in” he is not “of”. Do we understand it? So, you are in the world, you are not of the world, you are of the kingdom. So, even though you are in the world, you must demonstrate the culture of your origin; which is Kingdom! We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven even though we are on the earth. We are sojourners, we are on a pilgrimage, as it were on the earth. We must demonstrate the culture of our origin. So, you don’t speak like somebody in the world, you don’t dress like somebody in the world. You don’t behave like somebody in the world. It’s part of culture. Your custom is different. And we are going to see that from the Scriptures. Let us first see the example as shown by Christ Jesus.
In Philippians 2:5-11, the Bible says: Let this mind, let this thinking, let this thought, be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. So, where are we sourcing our culture from? Christ Jesus. The Bible says He is the express image of the invisible God. That was why He was telling Philip, have I been with you for so long and yet you are saying you don’t know Me? You are saying show us the Father? I am the express image of the invisible God. So, the Bible says; let this mind be in you, let this culture be in you, let this thought pattern be in you which was also; in Christ Jesus “because that’s your origin” who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. So, we are going to take it step by step. Even though you are a child of God, the Bible says you are gods, you are sons of the most-high, still you did not count it robbery, even though you have so much ability within you, because you are made in the image and in the likeness of God, yet you choose to submit your ability to the throne of God.
You chose to submit yourself to the one that made you and say Lord I am nothing without you, without you I can do nothing. Even though you have your own ideas, even though you have your own plans, even though you are a working house of ideas, you still choose to say Lord not my will but yours be done. Even though He was God, He could command the angels, and say this people want to kill me I don’t want to die, just destroy them. In fact, without calling the angels Peter had already taken it upon Himself, He brought out a sword. He said Jesus what are you talking about? we have seen you do mighty things in case it looks as if you are weak at this moment, let us bring out sword, we will cut off their ear. Jesus said no! you are here but not of here. When His disciples wanted to misbehave, and say see Jesus see what they are doing, let us call down fire and destroy them just like Elijah did, He said you don’t know the manner of Spirit that you are of.
The kingdom culture is not something that drops on you like that, you get accustomed, you get used to it, you get built into it by the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice. That’s what Jesus did. He said for being in the form of God, He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, so, what did Jesus do? He presented Himself, Lord not my will but yours be done. In sacrifices and burnt offerings you have no desire, and what’s that body going to do? To do your will ‘O God, this body is here to do your will. So, in Romans chapter 12:1 it said present your bodies to God, even though God has made you in His image and likeness, and you are God walking on the earth, submit yourself to Him. That’s the culture of the kingdom. Submit to the king.
Even though we are all great, He has intricately created us, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Yet we submit ourselves to God. Those are the things that the daughter of Saul could not understand. She said to David: see how you are dancing; in fact, you are almost naked. Because you are praising God. are you not a king, the king of the whole Israel? But David understood it, He said this God, He made me king, in fact He preferred me to your Father. I will live my life in submission to Him. Because its only then He can exalt me. So, we have seen that God had seen the heart of David over and over again. And He made a covenant with Him. The sure mercies of David. So, we understand that Jesus had shown us this example, who being in the form of God; are you in the form of God? yes! You are made in the image and in the likeness of God, you are in the form of God.
He did not count it robbery, He did not say God let me have my way just endorse it, this is what I am thing about, God let’s do it my way. He said no, it’s your way God. That’s the culture of the kingdom. The king has the final and only say. That’s why Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and every other thing will be added to you. It’s a secret in the kingdom, it’s a culture. It’s not something that you just do, it’s a way of life. So, God is saying to you, this is My will concerning you in marriage, you are not arguing, but you are saying you love someone else, I don’t like your will it’s looking funny, it’s not settling well with me. Jesus said not as I will but Your will be done. It said He counted it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. What’s the body that God has prepared for you?
In this kingdom, whatever shape and form God gives you, that’s how you serve. And that’s why Joseph will understand that when God says go and serve in the house of Potiphar even though in your making, in your DNA is a prime minister, you will first be a servant. Even though in your making and in your DNA is a ruler of nations, you will go to the prison and become a prisoner and head that prison for Me. It says He took the form, that’s how God want wanted to use Him. He was God, He left His glory in heaven, when Jesus was walking on the earth, He lived in a very harsh region, a desert like region, do you know that there are some days that the sun actually scorched Him? The angels didn’t bring umbrella. That’s why the Scripture says He was like us, He felt what we felt. He was hungry, He was thirsty. Just think about it for a moment that Jesus remembered the glory He left in heaven, and just remembered how the angels, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures are bowing before Him and says Lord just give Me back my glory I’m not doing again. Let’s abort this operation, I am not doing again.
But He didn’t do that, the Bible says He made Himself; He knew, He could command the angels, because He asked God, at the latter part, the glory I had with you, give it back to Me. Why didn’t He pray that prayer before He finished the task? He knew the assignment of the King must be done. Let’s understand kingdom culture, this is what Jesus showed us. Apostle Paul said I became all things to all men. “I became” he made himself of no reputation. When God says I need an agent under cover, I need an agent that will just be a barber in Liberia, will you go for Me? Then you say Lord I wish you say president, if you had said president I will go. Lord I don’t think I can go as a barber. And God says that is what I want to do, through a barber I want to reach out to that country, and you say God I am not available.
Do you know in Revelations; the Bible says there was weeping in heaven? No one was worthy to take up the scroll, it was in the hand of God, it was an assignment, a responsibility, no one was ready to make himself of no reputation. Nobody was willing to leave all the glory in heaven and come to the earth. So, they were crying, and Jesus came and took it because He was worthy. What made Him worthy? What He did. He made himself of no reputation, taking the form, so it was like the coat of a bond servant was hanging and He decided to wear it. That’s kingdom culture. We are all at the service of the king, and Jesus shows it first class as a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death.
His obedience took Him to death and He was still obedient. When we talk about obedience in the kingdom, it’s not when it’s convenient. It is when it is not even convenient. So, we see from the life of Jesus, that kingdom culture is about submitting ourselves to God, whatever the king says; the culture emanates from the king. We are all on the mercy race with God, whatever God wants to do with you, are you willing? Remember prophet Hosea, God told him to marry a prostitute? God knew that even after she marry Hosea she will still go back to prostitution, and God said I want to show Israel a message, I want to demonstrate, I want to show them first hand, what I am telling them, and I want to use your life, did Hosea run away? No! he submitted himself saying God not my will but yours be done. Hosea married a prostitute, knowing she is a prostitute for the sake of the king. That’s kingdom culture, it’s always about the king. And that’s why Jesus made it emphatic; seek first the kingdom of God. everything in the kingdom, starts with first seeking the desire of the kingdom.
Seek the desire of the king, be about pursuing the king. Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and every other thing shall be added. In the kingdom you are not expelled from school, what He will do is that you will keep coming to class, He will keep teaching you, but you won’t promote. In His Mercy He won’t promote you; you keep repeating until you get the lesson. So, the King is so merciful that He will allow us stay until we get it. When we get it, we simply move. So, our promotion is not because of the number of years we spent in the class, it is the number of lessons learnt and the number of exams passed. So, when we talk about kingdom culture, it is not a religious and legalistic mindset, take it off, it’s about the king and His interest. So, if the king is not served and His interest not served, you are not culturally sound. So, the Bible says Jesus was serving the King and see how He served Him.
This is the culture. “even the death on the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him.” Until Jesus went through, He was not taken high. Bible says; Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So, Jesus showed us first class how to serve the king, that’s the number one culture. In serving the King, our heart must be filled with love for the King. And that’s why classic in Galatians 1:5, because of our time we might not finish this teaching today, we might continue next week, but I want us to see this place. We are familiar with it, but we want to see how Jesus exemplified all of this. Galatians 5:22 says: But the fruit of the Spirit is love. I think where we are going to stop today is just love. Jesus loved the Father so much, that He made Himself of no reputation. He humbled Himself, if you go to 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, and we start to read about the attributes of love, I want us to go there, because that’s where we are going to stop this morning.
1 Corinthians 13:1, Though I speak with the tongues of men, He is now distinguishing between kingdom culture and religious mindsets. Because what usually conflicts most of the time because we have come to realize that worldly things are worldly things. But what we have not come to realize is that there is a difference between kingdom and religion. So, He said; Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love. Love is a culture of the kingdom. I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. So, if I am so religious that I am always speaking in tongues, I am just everywhere speaking in tongues, I don’t have love, I don’t have kingdom culture. He said I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Verse 2, And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. Do we understand it? There is a difference between religious and legalistic mindsets and kingdom culture. You could have religious mindset and say to yourself I have faith that should be able to move mountains, I should be able to do this and that, but if you are doing it outside the context of love, you are doing it outside love for the king. Outside love for the King is empty.
Why are you praying? Why are you fasting? Why are you studying the word? Why are you doing the things you are doing? Is it because you love the Lord? There are two laws that are the most important, it says love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your might, and love your neighbor as yourself. He said this is the greatest. Bible says there abide faith, hope and love, but the greatest is love. So, the greatest culture of the kingdom is love. You must love. And in verse 3 it says; And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. And he started talking about what love is; Love suffers long and is kind; so, are you willing to suffer long in the hands of God? Are you kind?
Love does not envy; so, you are not speaking bad against a brother or a sister, you are not judging, you are not condemning. Love does not parade itself; it’s not puffed up; these are the things that Jesus showed us. Before Jesus started His ministry, because you will wonder, when Jesus was twelve, how comes He was going to the synagogues, He was doing all those things, He was going to hear what they had to say. The Bible says and Jesus will go into the synagogues, He will go into the temple, and He will meet the teachers of the law, and He will start hearing their thoughts, He will start hearing their belief system, so, when Jesus was calling them names, He wasn’t calling them names in ignorance, He had been with them. He didn’t hate them; He hated their mindsets. Jesus did not hate the Pharisees; some people will look at the things that Jesus said like when He went to the temple and drove out those people that were buying and selling. Jesus did not hate the people, but He hated their mindset and the things that they were doing. Why? The Bible says the zeal of the house of the Lord had consumed Him.
There was a love He had for God that He cannot stand not to see God, in the midst of Gods people. So, He was angry at the fact that they were without God. He didn’t hate the people. Understand this, it says love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. When that woman came to Jesus, and they said they met her in the very act of adultery, and they wanted to stone her, condemn her to death, and Jesus said if there is any of you, that have not sinned before, be the first to cast the stone. And they started dropping their stone one after the other, and Jesus looked at her and said, where are your accusers? She said they are no more, and He said neither have I condemned you. What they did was to condemn you, they thought evil. They condemned that nothing good can come out of this woman that was caught in the very act of adultery.
But Jesus would always see through the eyes of the Father. That’s why we said kingdom culture cannot be removed from the King. The King is an embodiment of the culture. Everything God is, is the representation of the culture of His kingdom. So, it does not parade itself, it does not behave rudely, and Jesus said neither have I condemned you, go and sin no more. I don’t have any issue with you, the issue I have is with the sin. Go and sin no more, we must learn from Christ Jesus. We must learn, He does not condemn, He does not attack human beings, He doesn’t have hatred for human beings, He has hatred for issues, for their sins, for their mindsets. And that’s why when He was talking to the Pharisees, He said see, you are blind, it would have been good if you know you are blind. But you don’t even know that you are blind. It’s a mindset issue and I am angry about that. Because if you know you are blind, then you can now see. So, it does not think evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, so, Jesus never rejoiced in iniquity, He would always pardon sins, He would always speak to the people.
But rejoices in the truth, bears all things, love believes all things, hope all things, endures all things. These are the characteristics of God. For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, that’s the culture of the kingdom. We don’t condemn, we don’t judge, we don’t judge people, we judge issues. In the kingdom you don’t have your opinion, it’s what Christ says; and that’s why you will never get into trouble if you are truly a kingdom citizen. In the kingdom it’s about the king, and that’s why everything is born out of love.
You are not judging, you are not condemning, the Bible says owe no man anything but love. The only thing you owe humans on the earth is love. I would love us to go back and read it at home, Matthew 5:27-47. How Jesus was debunking every religious mindset and introducing the culture of the kingdom. He said your ancestors told you an eye for an eye, but I say to you, love your enemies, that’s kingdom culture, you can’t be religious and legalistic and please God. you can’t! The Bible says without faith it is impossible, faith in who? Faith in Christ Jesus. Those that come to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. So, love endures all things and verse 8 says; Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. No matter how you want to act religious. There are many things we may forget that Jesus did, but we can’t forget His love for us. In that He died.
You might forget the name of the blind man He opened His eyes, but you can’t forget that He died for you. That’s love, that’s the show of love, that’s kingdom culture. Jesus said by this the world will know that you are my disciples in that you have love for one another. That’s what the kingdom is all about. We don’t live in hatred, its love. That’s what He came to show us, He left His throne in heaven, He left His glory in heaven and He came down. The Bible says He took the form of a bond servant and came in the likeness of men. How much sacrifice can we make for another person just like Christ did for us? I was speaking about what the Holy Spirit has been teaching me, and recently He has been calling my attention to some things, and He has been telling me; Lara you have to get it, you have no reason under heaven to go outside the confines of your covenant in Christ because of somebody’s behavior.
Love is easy with some people, for others it is difficult. Now, how do you show love to this kind of person? Jesus had preempted it, He said love your enemies, even those that are your enemies, they have declared upfront that I don’t like you, I don’t like your face, I don’t like anything about you, He said love them. He said when you do this, you are putting a rain of coal of fire upon them. Scripture says owe no man anything but love. That’s the culture of the kingdom. Our love stems from God, it’s not about us. Every human being is inherently selfish; me, myself and I, but God has demonstrated that love towards us, what we do is receive that love and reflect the same love back. Often times they say the moon is just an empty circle as it were, the moon shine according to the strength of the sun. So, when you see the moon shining, it is not trying to prove any point. It’s just reflecting.
You are not manufacturing love, God is love, you are just reflecting. God is love personified, our assignment on the earth as His ambassadors and representatives, go and reflect God. So, when we are talking about kingdom culture, its kingdom representation. Who is your Father? Reflect Him. So, everywhere we go we have an assignment, a responsibility to reflect God. just as the moon would draw strength and intensity of light from the sun and comes to reflect it at night, the same thing we draw our intensity of love from the Father in heaven, and we come on the earth, to reflect it. That’s what we have been called to, the only language that the world understands is love. It might look difficult to comprehend but it’s the truth. How that people will forget many people, but they can’t forget how they make them feel; talking or relating with them. Its love, It’s a demonstration of love. Why is it difficult for us to leave the Holy Spirit? Because we can’t forget how He makes us feel, how he speaks to us like no other person does, how He exposes certain things to us like nobody else does. We can’t forget and that’s why we can’t leave Him.
That’s why David will say create in me a new heart, take not your Holy Spirit, it iss precious. Take not your Holy Spirit from me, I can’t afford to lose Him. So, in our lives when we engage with people, can people say don’t take away that woman from my space, I can’t afford to lose her, that’s how God wants us to be on the earth.
I believe you have gleaned something from this!
