If you have been carefully following the blogposts on Kingdom Systems, you would discover that so far, we have examined four sub-systems under the kingdom systems series. But I have come to realize that it is not enough to know that you are supposed to operate in a system, you must also harm yourself with the knowledge of how to operate in that system. How do you make that system work for you? Because we know that the kingdom system comprises of sub-systems, and these we have examined in the previous weeks. We started with THE LIFE SYSTEM, we went into THE FAITH SYSTEM, then THE LOVE SYSTEM, then THE GRACE SYSTEM.
It is important that we understand those systems, but how do we apply those systems to our lives? How can we as children of God, as kingdom citizens, as sons of God be able to apply these systems? Last week we looked at grace systems, how that grace is the adequacy of God coming to help our inadequacy. We understood that grace is the God-factor in the journey or in the race of any man. We understood by the Scriptures that grace is actually the supply of Gods resources in the direction of man’s weaknesses. We looked at Apostle Paul when he was praying and he went to the throne of grace and said Lord there is a messenger of Satan, a thorn in the flesh can you take it away? He said I beseech the Lord; I went to Him three times. And what was the response of the Lord to him? My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness.
So, we understood that grace is the supply from God. So, today we will be looking at the application of the kingdom system. From the life system to the grace system; how can we apply it? So, by a means of writing to make it convenient, we are just looking at the application of the kingdom system. So, that’s going to be the topic and the sub-topic is how to master the atmosphere of the kingdom. These systems cumulate into an atmosphere for the kingdom. Meaning that the kingdom of God carries with it an atmosphere. The atmosphere of the kingdom is the atmosphere of the systems of the kingdom. So, the atmosphere of the kingdom of God is the atmosphere of life, faith, love, and grace.
Now how do we master the atmosphere of the kingdom? How can heaven on earth become an experience for us as sons and children of God? How can we walk the face of the earth having a heaven on earth experience? That’s all that the Lord will be allowing us to see today. But we will start our observation from Hebrews 12 as the Holy Spirit leads us this morning. Hebrews 12 we will read verse 28 and we will stop at verse 29. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.”
“Let us have grace” I am going to also read that verse 28 and 29 in the amplified version. “Let us therefore receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable, and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service, and acceptable worship with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe, for our God is indeed a consuming fire.” So, we want to unbundle this Scripture this morning. It says “since we are receiving a kingdom.” So, the kingdom of God is to be received. We received the kingdom, in receiving the kingdom we received the systems of the kingdom. So, when you are receiving the kingdom what do you receive? You receive life. How do you receive life? You receive life in Christ Jesus.
When Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dead of the night, and said Rabbi you are so phenomenal the things you do are so overwhelming, we have never seen the kind before it looks as though there’s an atmosphere around you different from the atmospheres that are around other people. You are so unique. So, Jesus quickly understood that what Nicodemus was saying has to do with the kingdom experience that He was having. Yesterday I was seeing a particular program called the voice, and there was a particular lady called Esther, she came to sing. From the blind auditions of that program, you will know that there is something about this young lady, she carried an atmosphere. It was beyond the talent, it was beyond the gift, there was an atmosphere. And when the lady sang and the judges heard her, they were crying. In fact, many of them acknowledged that there was a spiritual transference every time she sings. They acknowledged that the atmosphere around her singing was not ordinary. One called it heavenly, another said you brought us to church, another one said this is spiritual, another said I am having goose bumps all over my body. Why? Atmosphere! She sang again in their knock out stage and they said the same feeling that they had when she sang the first time they encountered her, was the same feeling they were having. And the lady was quick and smart to acknowledge as a kingdom citizen, that it is God that made it possible.
So, there’s actually an atmosphere that you must carry as a kingdom citizen. Kingdom is not about talk, it is not about eating and drinking, kingdom is not about religion, kingdom is not about pretending to be religious and to be pious, kingdom is about you carrying an atmosphere, heaven on earth; kingdom is spiritual. So, in Hebrews 12:28-29, it says; “therefore since we are receiving a kingdom” we are receiving life. How did we receive that life? In Christ Jesus. Jesus said to Nicodemus, except a man is born again, born of the water and the Spirit the person cannot enter the kingdom. So, in receiving the kingdom is to receive life, that is where the atmosphere starts changing. When you receive the life of God in Christ Jesus, it brings about a different atmosphere.
Your salvation at the point where you believed and said with your mouth I receive the Lord Jesus, and you confess it with your mouth, and you believed it in your heart, an atmosphere had been created. That’s why every time anyone becomes born again, there’s a seal, that seal is not a physical seal, it’s a spiritual seal, it’s an atmosphere. The Bible says we are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of promise. It creates an atmosphere, you can’t explain it, when a man becomes born again, there’s just a difference. What happened? Is your body not the same body? Have your physical features change? No! but there’s a spiritual shift of atmosphere. Your physical body is the same but something had happened your spirit has been regenerated. So, it creates an atmosphere. In receiving the kingdom, we received life, and that life changes your atmosphere.
That’s why Apostle Paul said work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Because it’s such a delicate piece. The devil will fight you once you become born again because he constantly wants to change your atmosphere. Why do you think the devil is about people that have received Jesus as their Lord and savior? You may say this person is already out of your hands, devil why are you still fighting? Because he lost that atmosphere and he doesn’t want anybody to be in that atmosphere. So, it’s important that we treasure the life we have received in Christ Jesus. You can’t make light of it; you can’t make little of it. The life we have received in Christ Jesus by the life system is so important and it is the foundation. That’s why the Bible says if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? If the foundation is affected, everything that is built on it crumbles.
That’s why Apostle Paul will say, that the foundation has been laid, no other foundation can be laid except that which has been laid; -Christ Jesus, He is the foundation for our life in this kingdom. He is the foundation for our atmosphere. Our atmosphere was toxic, corrupt, until Jesus came with the gift of life. When Jesus came with the gift of life, He changed our atmosphere. So, in receiving the kingdom, we receive life, we receive faith. The Bible says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, and that word we received, that faith we received by the word changes our atmosphere. So, it’s not enough to say yes I believe everything they say about the word of God, not of it is a lie its true, but how is that faith visible?
James said show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works. That means I must work out, there is something I must add to my faith that will make it potent, tangible, that will create an atmosphere around me. Faith comes by hearing, but you don’t just stop at the first layer of hearing, you must move to the second layer of hearing. That second layer of hearing is when you start ingesting the word, and absorbing it into your system. That is what creates the atmosphere. Imagine if you are just chewing food and you don’t swallow it, if you don’t swallow it, nothing will process in your stomach and it doesn’t change your person. Many of us what we do is that we continue to chew the food the word of God we have received; we have not swallowed it.
Until we swallow it, we can’t absorb it. And it is in absorbing it that you change your atmosphere. Are you meditating on the word of God? Are you receiving light? Are you drawing life from the word? That’s when the faith system can change your atmosphere. We are looking at the applications this morning. It is not enough to confess the word; you can chew it in confession and actually not swallow it. Do you believe? The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. Those that come to God must believe that He is. So, what is your belief system like? You must believe that He is and He is a rewarder. There is going to be a reward by the reason of your belief. Do you believe? And if you have believed, do you believe He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him? The word diligence means hard work, you are not lazy with the word, when you go to the word you sit with it, you eat it, you digest it.
That’s when the atmosphere around your life can change. You can put the Bible under your pillow for all I care nothing will happen. The Bible says the letter kills but the Spirit gives life. Are you drawing the Spiritual life from the word? That’s when your atmosphere will change. For your atmosphere to shift in the kingdom, for your atmosphere to shift from just being a normal person, to become somebody that carries the tangible presence of God, He must dwell within the midst of you. Let’s go to John 1:14 so that we will know how the word works in faith. The word is not just for us to feel good. John 1:14. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, [this is how the word must change our atmosphere] the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is how the faith system must work for you. The word must become flesh, the word must become palpable in your life, the word must become visible, you must wear the word as of a garment. That’s how it changes you, ancient word ever true, changing me and changing you, it is until there is a change, that word has not become flesh. It is not enough to receive the word; it will not benefit you until that word becomes flesh. The Bible says until a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone. The essence of the word is for it to grow (Isaiah 55.) You must plant the word into yourself. Jesus was speaking about the parable of the Sower, He said the Sower went out to sow, He said the seed that the Sower was sowing is the word of God, but he wasn’t sowing into glass bottles, he was sowing in soil.
Until the word of God is sown in the soil of your heart, there is no growth, there is no change of atmosphere, there’s is no life, there is no light. Until we start absorbing, the seed must fall into the ground, the ground must absorb and receive it and start working on it, it dies, it decays, then it starts sprouting. That’s how our lives must sprout, must grow out. It must grow out as a result of the word of God that is planted in the soil of our heart, that is the life of God. When we start sprouting as a result of the word of God that has been sown in our heart we start living God. And that takes us to the love system. How do you produce God? How do you live your life in such a way that the presence of God, the nature of God is radiating through you. Galatians 5:22 says; “but the fruits of the Spirit” as a result of the word that has been sown in the soil of your heart, there is a nature, there is a growth, there is a sprouting that is coming out, and that sprouting is love.
So, you are now producing the life of God, you are producing God, then your atmosphere is shifting, when people encounter you, they are no longer encountering a man, they are encountering God in a man. The Bible says you are gods, you are sons of the most-high, but if you don’t connect to your origin, you will die like mere men. So, for us not to live as mere men but as gods on the earth, we must connect to our origin. You have received the life, the life in Christ Jesus, you will receive a word and that word is what will enable you your growth, enable you to live the life of God. This is how our atmosphere shift. It is not just enough that you come to a gathering and you say praise the Lord hallelujah, they say in Jesus name, you say amen. That does not confer on you the atmosphere of heaven.
This what many people do; you speak the language, you attend the event, that does not, mean you will carry the atmosphere. It doesn’t mean the portion of the kingdom will be given to you. The Bible was talking about you knowing the length, the breath and the richness of inheritance that the saints have in Christ. You can’t be part of it except you carry the atmosphere. There is somebody that you must become. That’s why the seven sons of Sceva, they wanted to do because they have been attending the event, they have been speaking the language, and they wanted to have a portion. Bible says these are the signs that will follow them that believe, they don’t believe, they are not believers, but they want to do the things the believers are doing. They have not gone through the system, but they want the result. And they went and said we have been attending the event, by now we should be able to speak like them and command the same result. They said we come in the name of Jesus that Paul preaches, we have seen Paul, we have attended Paul’s event, the one that Paul preached come out. And the demons beat them blue and black. Because that life was not in them, they didn’t have the atmosphere, that atmosphere talks about the authority. They were not conferred on the authority that makes it happen.
For example, the son of the president of Nigeria, suddenly wakes up one morning and wears his father’s Agbada and put on the cap, because he has stayed with his father so much, he knows how to speak the way his father speaks and comes out and say since I live in the same house that he lives, I wear the same cloth I am talking like him, all the Nigerian army we deploy you, now go to Benue state. Who will listen to him? That’s what happens in the spiritual realm. Because the spiritual is more real than the physical. In fact, we take light many things in the physical, in the spiritual, there is no joke. Don’t say I didn’t mean it; why did you think God told the children of Israel don’t call the name of God in vain? Because you can’t jokingly call it. You say O God! the angels come and you say I was joking, go back, I didn’t mean to call God, when you call O God next time and you joke with it, do you think you will have the same response?
Yesterday we were looking at exercising by reason of use, this life you are called to; you must exercise your authority, you must exercise your atmosphere, if you don’t you won’t get used to it. You won’t know the things that have been made available, the provisions that have been made available for you in God; What are those things that have been made available for us, when we operate in the nature of God, when we operate according to the nature of God, we become gods on the earth, you are able to command. Jesus said to His disciples, I give you the keys of the kingdom, whatever you bound on earth is bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven. Why? Because you have come by the systems, you qualify. It is not enough to listen to these things, have you become one with it? Has the word become flesh? When you are praying do you still pray with a beggarly attitude? When you are speaking, are you still speaking as one that does not have authority? What was the difference between Jesus and the Pharisees? Any time Jesus speaks they will say and He spoke as one that has authority. They say He spoke like one but He actually has authority. Because He said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. That’s why when we make mention of the name of Jesus, knees will bow, tongues will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The Lordship of Jesus is not in doubt, the Holy Spirit has supplied, the Holy Spirit has come to confirm every word of Jesus, that’s His assignment.
Jesus said Himself, that He would take of what is mine and share it with you. He will not speak of Himself, He will speak of Me. The Holy Spirit confirms the word of Jesus just like in the beginning. In Genesis 1:1 the earth was without form and void and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the water, and God said; it is the creative force of the trinity. God said let there be light and the Holy Spirit made it happen. Everything that Jesus says; everything the word is, is what the Holy Spirit executes. The Holy Spirt is the executor. And that’s the kind of atmosphere that it creates around us. so, imagine that you are a believer, what was Jesus always speaking? Because He knew there was power in His words, He just needed to say it, the executor was there to do it and the reason why we are finding it difficult to witness as children of God is because we actually want to do the work of the Holy Spirit. It convicts the world of sin and righteousness. And that’s His assignment, Jesus said go into all the world, and witness Me, did He say convict the world of sin and righteousness?
He said make disciples. And He said before you go tarry here in Jerusalem, until you are endued with the power that will make it happen. Do we understand it? That’s grace! the Holy Spirit is the adequacy of God in our inadequacy. No matter how wonderful we are, we are men at its best. The God factor in every man is brought by grace, and the Spirit of grace is the Holy Spirit. So, anything in your life that you are struggling with is because you have refused the help of the Holy Spirt. He is called the helper. So, do you need help? The Bible says come to the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help, the grace is available to help. So, the reason you have not been enjoying grace is because you have not acknowledged to God that you need help. Do you acknowledge to God that you need help? God I am weak, God I am not enough, until you do that His grace to help will not be available for your need. His grace to help will not be available for your need until you acknowledge that you need mercy.
Obtain mercy, that’s why grace is there. The adequacy of God in our inadequacy. How do we apply this? You must always come to God. Romans 12:1, it says; “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies” when you present your body, is your boy strong? No! you are presenting your weaknesses. Present your bodies to God as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. This is how you obtain grace.
Can we truly acknowledge that Lord I am not able, you are the ability in my inability, you are the strength for my weakness, you are the riches for my poverty, you are the blessing that erase my curses, you are the wisdom for my foolishness, Lord you are the might for my weakness, can we acknowledge? When we present ourselves, do we present ourselves full, able and like we have it all figured out? Men looks at the outward appearance, but men look at the heart. in your heart, you may be looking helpless but God knows your heart, you are looking like this because you have an expectation, but in your heart truly you are not trusting me. God looks at the heart; the hearts of men are laid bare before God. God is about the process, He is about the motive, what is your motive? What’s the intent of your heart? God weighs the intent of the hearts of men. The reason why many of us are not enjoying grace is because our motive, and our intent is wrong. Scripture says you pray and do not receive because you pray amiss so that you can lavish it on your own selfish interest, your intent is wrong.
Your intent is wrong, your motive is wrong, when you come to God how do you approach Him? How do we come to the throne of grace? Do we come as though we have it all figured out God, I just need your endorsement? Just endorse this thing I have figured out. God don’t worry I don’t want to stress you, I have already found the person to marry, just endorse it, put your blessing, you are the priest and let me go I will be fine. When He gave an invitation saying come unto Me, all ye that labor and heavy laden and I will give you rest for your soul because our soul needs rest.
Have you ever decided to lay down and say today I don’t want to think about anything and you successfully, did it? You did not think about anything? It’s not possible! Because our soul has been created like that. There’s is always this continuous trouble and burden. So, to find true rest is in God and how do you do it? Abandon your thoughts trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. “Lean not” what does it mean to lean? You are relying, I can figure it out, I can do it, just give me time I can think it through. Many times, we have thought it through and we have eliminated the place of grace. We so engage ourselves and say I am just a thinking person, it’s my wiring, it’s my nature, I think a lot. And God is saying come to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. What is He now saying you should do? Take my yoke, lets become one.
When you yoke something together, they have become one, they are in alignment, align with me Christ, let’s move together, every step I take I take in you, you and me move Jesus, that’s yoking, you are yoked with Christ. So, as you are moving, you are moving with Him. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. So, it’s about Christ, not about you, and when you are yoked with somebody that is more powerful than you, is it not wisdom that you leverage on the strength of the person you are yoked with? Why do you want to stress yourself? He has taken everything for you, He has taken all the burden for you, all He said is; take my yoke. And He said my yoke is easy, and truly if you are smart, the yoke of Christ is easy, Christ became all things for us, He became poor so that we can become rich, He was stricken so that we can become free, He died and resurrected so that we can be justified, He became all things for us, so why are you stressing? The life of grace, the life of the kingdom, is about leveraging on Christ.
Apostle Paul said I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; [See the understanding of the yoking, Apostle Paul understood that, he took the yoke]. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, the life I live now I lie by faith in the Son of God, [we are yoked], who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Why do you want to still die? The only death that is necessary for you is to die in Christ, die to self and be alive in Christ. Die to yourself and your understanding, acknowledge Him, acknowledge all that Christ has done for you and leverage on it, the reason why we are in all these quagmires is because we are not leveraging enough on Christ. Does my leg need to coordinate its own movement? Let’s think about it. No! that’s malfunctioning. The head has the responsibility to coordinate the movement of my legs. That’s how Christ has the responsibility of coordinating our movement and ours is to respond. What’s the function of the body? Your body responds to your head. Who is the head? Christ.
So, every time we are responding outside Christ, we are malfunctioning. How can the leg be moving on its own without the coordination of the head? Something must be wrong. There’s a malfunction somewhere. So, every time in the church of Christ in the body of Christ, we are functioning outside Christ, we are going ahead of Him, we are coming behind Him we are malfunctioning, we are not yoking. Take my yoke its easy and my burden, its light. Take it, He said when you do this you will find rest for your soul. That is how the atmosphere is built. The atmosphere of the kingdom is the atmosphere of rest.
So, let’s go back to Hebrews 12 that we were reading. Verse 28 to 29. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, [and we understood the reason why it cannot be shaken, it’s a kingdom that is sure and steadfast, it’s a kingdom that is built on solid foundations, the foundation of the life. we are receiving a kingdom in Christ] let us have grace [let us have the God factor, let’s have the enablement for the race, let’s have the adequacy for our inadequacy, let’s have the sufficiency for our insufficiency] by which; [so grace is the reason why] we may serve God acceptably.
No man can serve God in the flesh. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Let us have grace, [the grace is the by which] we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. He is a just God, because haven given you all that you need, there is an expectation from God, that’s why we can’t afford to joke with the kingdom. God is business conscious. The kingdom business requires us to function appropriately. Jesus told the parable of the talent describing the kingdom of God, He said a man, a leader, a business man, an entrepreneur was going on a journey and he had servants, three of them, and he entrusted, he put talent in their hands in trust. To one he gave five, to another two, to another one. And he went on his journey. And when he was away, the one that had five traded and got five more, the one that had two traded and had more but the one that had one went to bury it. And when the master returned and the one he gave five said master, welcome back you gave me five, while you were away, I traded with it I had five more, so its 10. Your returns are 10. Hundred percent return on investment. The one with two came and said master you gave me two, and I also traded and I have two more. Hundred percent return on investment. And the one that had one came and said master, I know you, you are a wicked man, you like to reap where you did not sow and because I knew this about you, I just took the one you gave me, buried it waiting for your return and now you are back I will go and dig it out for you, take it this is what you gave to me, I am returning it back the way you gave me.
The master turned to him and called him; wicked and unprofitable servant. I invested life in you in this kingdom, I invested faith in you in this kingdom, I invested my nature-love in you in this kingdom, and my person grace; I gave you and this atmosphere I gave you; you could not produce with it. The atmosphere I gave to you, you could not trade and become profitable with it. He said you are wicked and unprofitable. And he was cast out. This kingdom that we have received from Christ, this kingdom we have received that is sure and stable, this grace we have received, this grace we have received, what are we going to do with it? How are you going to live your life that you will profit the kingdom? That there would be returns on investment for the deposit and investment of God on your life. How will you carry this atmosphere? How will you trade with it? How will you treasure it?
Yesterday in the Evening Bible School we were led to understand the gifting’s of God, how we can build spiritual capacity by the gifts of God, the Holy Spirit supplies, we must operate in them. this kingdom system is an atmosphere. How will you use it? The life you have received; how will you use it? The faith you have received; how will you use it? The love that you have, how are you using it? The grace that has been supplied in your direction; how will you use it? Are we ready for what God has prepared for us? The Bible says the earnest expectations of creations, they are awaiting eagerly, a particular translation says they are in tip toe waiting in expectation. They are eagerly waiting for the manifestation, for the children of God to carry this kingdom atmosphere and change the world.
The manifestation of the sons of God, are we ready to manifest? The supply is not in doubt, are we going to operate? Are we going to be useful in His hands? Are we going to be that man, that woman, that boy that girl that will treasure the atmosphere and produce with it? Whatever you don’t treasure you can’t multiply, whatever you don’t treasure cannot increase. It starts with you treasuring, acknowledge. Paul was saying to Timothy, acknowledge every gift, acknowledge every good thing that is in you, that you received in Christ Jesus. Acknowledge the life of the kingdom, acknowledge the faith system, acknowledge the love, acknowledge the grace, and we were told yesterday, when we acknowledge it, it will grow. Why you think some people carry the thicker atmosphere than others? Acknowledgement! By reason of use. Do you acknowledge the life in you? Do you acknowledge the faith that you have received? Do you acknowledge the grace? do you acknowledge the love? Or do you think its common place, it’s one of those things? I don’t even know why God is bothering me, why must I live this life? There are other things, people are enjoying themselves, but do you acknowledge this treasure? The Bible says but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency is not of us but of God. The kingdom is the treasure we have received, and the Holy Spirit is the embodiment. He comes in this dispensation to embody this different dimension. He is the Spirit of life, faith, love and grace. do we acknowledge Him, are we ready to walk with Him, are we ready to allow Him have His way in us? Are we ready to allow Him have His free course in us?
Are we allowing Him and say Holy Spirit, do as you will, let Christ be revealed in me, the glory of the Lord be seen, let this treasure be made manifest? Are we cooperating? Are we yoking correctly? I pray the Lord will help us in the name of Jesus.
