LOVE IS THE NEW COMMANDMENT (35)/ THE KINGDOM OF GOD (3)

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the books of Romans 14:16-18 (NKJ); Matthew 5:13-16, 20; 6:1-4 (NIV); Esther 4:1-17.

THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD

Love is the greatest word in the Bible. In Greek, there are three words for love. Eros refers to sexual love. Philio refers to friendly attachment. Agape means unconditional sacrificial love. This Love is not just a feeling. It is the highest, most pure form of love, born not out of natural attraction or obligation, but a willful choice and a command to be obeyed.  It is the unselfish, pure, powerful, and sacrificial love that desires the best in another person. This love is best expressed as the Fatherly Love of God for humanity. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). This is the Gospel: God the Father sent God the Son to become a Man and die on behalf of sinners. The unbelievers may be religious, but they do not know this agape love. Love is a gift given only to the children of God, who are saved by grace and thru faith in Christ. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn15:13). Because we are born sinners, agape love does not come naturally to us. Agape love requires faithfulness, commitment, courage, strength, wisdom, faith, and sacrifice. Agape love is the magnet God uses to attract the world to Jesus! It was so in the early church, and during all the revivals in the history of the Church! God the Father gave us His only begotten Son, to save us! God the Son gave up His Life to pay for our sins! There is no greater Love than that!!!

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).

Apostle Paul reminds us about the Kingdom of God. It is easy to get lost in detail, until we forget the main issue. Matters of indifference are not as important as the central revelation that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20). The Kingdom of God is defined as the rule and reign of God done by His Word and thru His Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of His Kingdom. “He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev 19:16). Let us not get distracted by other matters and forget our King!                

Let us start with what the Kingdom of God is not. The Apostle Paul says that it is not ‘eating and drinking’. It is not ‘meat and drink’ (KJ). It is not made from material things, man-made, temporal, or perishable items. It is not a collection of some little things that you can buy with money. We often forget the littleness of this material world and the amazing majesty of the eternal God. We forget that all things do not have the same power or value. For example, Jesus said that life is more valuable than food and the body is more than the clothes that cover it. “Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matt 6:25). To worry about food and clothes, and to ignore your life, is foolishness. But for the unbelievers, food, drink, and clothes are more important than their souls. Here you see that the doctrine of the Kingdom of God is not a matter of indifference. The Kingdom of God is not just a little religious behavior. It is not something small, narrow and negative. The Kingdom of God is the realm of God, the rule and reign on God, having Jesus Christ as its King, advancing on earth, and bringing healing, deliverance, prosperity, freedom, righteousness, peace, and joy, by driving away the forces of darkness. God’s Kingdom is the realm of God Himself, filled with truth, righteousness, power, grace, and glory!  It points to spiritual things, to eternal life, the atmosphere of heaven, the authority of God, and to the worship over there. The Kingdom of God has three basic attributes: Righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Spirit! 

Generally, righteousness means conforming (agreement) to the standard of morality, to what is right or good. It means to be good and to do good. The righteousness of men is conformity to the laws in the Constitution or according to their culture. God does not accept that. Righteousness is an attribute that belongs to God, our King, Savior, Judge, and Lawgiver. It’s revealed in His laws. “For the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us” (Is 33:22). Righteousness means acting in accord to God’s moral law and being free from guilt, shame, or sin. Righteousness is found in Christ alone. It is God’s gift to men, thru His grace and His Love. Righteousness means being right with God and man; in your behavior, words, character, and conscience. God gives men His laws. For example, the Laws of nature as the Law of gravity or the Law of motion, are given by God. Apart from these, God has given moral Laws that reveal His righteousness as the King, Judge, and Lawgiver. These laws regulate man’s relationship to God and to one another. Breaking the law of God is sin. By His Righteousness, God punishes sin. “But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. 8 He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness” (Ps 9:7,8). Selah!

PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS

Righteousness as a lifestyle leads to life. Death does not exist where there is righteousness. “In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway, there is no death” (PV 12:28). Righteous behavior should be jealously guarded, especially from the influence of bad company. “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray” (PV 12:26). Apostle Paul confronted those who denied the resurrection, who denied that there is a judgment after death. If these people were right, if there is no hope of going to heaven, then we should ‘enjoy life’ today and forget about tomorrow. To live only for the present, to live only to pamper the body, and completely forget about your soul, that is a deception that weakens the spirit. “If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1Cor 15:32-34). God commands us ‘to awake’ to righteousness. We see here a man who pampers his flesh, a glutton and a drunkard, who has now fallen asleep. He is like a fool. He must come back to his senses, be revived, becoming sober again. Righteous behavior means self-control, sound mind, wisdom, and peace. The righteous always experience revival and make progress in life!

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven“…  “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt 5:20; 6:1-4; NIV).

These are words of life spoken by Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. They are part of the Sermon of the mount. He thought them for at least two reasons: to teach His disciples how to apply the Word in daily living, and to contrast the righteous behavior with the false religious behavior of the Pharisees. Our Lord contrasts the godly practical righteousness of a child of God with the false religious self-righteous proud behavior which is rejected by God. Our Lord teaches about the right religious behavior; how-to do-good deeds, how to pray and how to fast. These are different issues, but the principle is the same: do everything in the presence of God! Please God and not men or yourself! In that way, God will reward you ‘openly’ (NKJ). The Lord exposes man’s tendency to be selfish. Remember that God sees everything. He judges not only the actions but the hearts, the motives of actions. Because we are born sinners, we tend to do everything, including good deeds, not for the pleasure of God, but for the pleasure of men. The reason why we want to please men is because they will praise and flatter us in return. Pleasing men means pleasing yourself. Jesus said that He does not accept the honor or praises of men. He only seeks the honor that comes from God. “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (Jn 5:41-44). We are to be right and do right just like Jesus.  By God’s grace, we too should not covet the praise or flattery of men. We should seek God’s praise!

God’s Word is a double-edged sword. Reading the Bible is hard because it exposes our hearts. To learn how to love you must learn to examine yourself, your motives in serving God. Ask yourself, why do you want to do good deeds? Sin in the heart is so deep, so deceitful, that it is hard to detect. Religion is a great cover for sin. Many Christians are ignorant of the sin of self-righteousness, selfishness, and pride that dwells in their hearts. In trying to be righteous and do righteous deeds, we must expose the natural desire to be praised by men and to take some credit for ourselves. To practice righteousness is not just a set of rules and regulations. Any good thing you do, if it is not ignited, led, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, it’s of the flesh; it’s sin! God will reject it. Never forget! We live and move in the presence of God. God searches all hearts and motives of actions. It is only the Holy Spirit that has the key to help us do ministry accepted by God. 

ABOUT REWARDS… Some Christians preach that it is sinful to desire rewards from God. But we are encouraged to know about heavenly rewards and desire to have them. Look at the testimony of Moses, the great man of God. “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb 11:24-27). The knowledge of the promise of a reward from God helped Moses to die to the world, and to sin. He chose to identify with Christ and His flock than to be the king of the world in Egypt. It is the reward ahead that helped Moses to endure, to persevere against much opposition from men and demons. The revelation of a reward in heaven strengthens Moses in his faith, seeing the invisible God by faith. Of course, the greatest reward of all is God’s constant presence. God told Abraham:  “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Gen 15:1). The main warning here is not to please men or to desire reward from men. We are to desire our reward from God alone. For example, if I give my son some work to do, and I promise that I will give him a gift, that promise is enough for him to refuse any other payment from strangers and all forms of bribes. Faith in God’s reward is a form of protection for the heart against the love of the world.

Jesus also said that when we do good, we should not announce it with ‘trumpets, like the hypocrites’. Our Lord says that you should be humble even when doing good deeds. Lesson: Do not focus your attention on yourself or on your gift. When you give a donation, do it simply, for the sake or Christ and not for your praise. Our Lord says that when you do good things, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Practically, this means to do all things in a way that people do not know about it. That is easy. But the Lord says that even you should not know what you are doing!!! Selah!  This is to avoid the praise of men, and self-praise too. This command is hard to practice. You need to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit. You need to be dead to sin, to the world, and even to your own fleshly desires to achieve fame. Many believers become proud because they are wealthy and able to help others. It takes humility and self-discipline to do things in the secret place of the Most High God. The danger in ministry is the possibility of coveting the glory of God. That is major sin!

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of helps. God empowers some believers to give from what they have to others who have less than they. This is God’s word about this gift: “He who gives, with liberality… he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity (Rom 12:8;NKJ, KJ). In Greek, the word liberality is also translated as purity, simplicity, sincerity, and singleness of motive. Lesson: when you give a gift to someone, do it simply because God has blessed you and you want to give Him all the glory. A gift given with a secret desire to gain fame for yourself has lost its power of righteousness and godliness. By receiving praise from men, you have blocked your spiritual account. God will not reward you by Himself. Lesson: you cannot receive two rewards at the same time, from men and from God.

Another way to avoid getting proud when doing good is by trying to forget what you have done. Once you do a righteous deed, simply thank God for the privilege to serve Him and to be a blessing. From that moment, the matter is in God’s hands and not yours. After that, forget about it. The next time you see the needy person that you have helped, you treat him (her) with respect, greet him and move on. You do not want to remind people about the good you have done to them in the past. Stop thinking about the good you have done! You should meditate on God’s Word, not upon your past deeds. “Love keeps no records of wrongs”(1 Cor 13:5; NIV). At the same time, Love keeps no record of doing good works. When you do good things, learn to forget about them. Just trust that God sees and knows everything. One day, He will say to you: “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter the joy of the Lord!” That is all that matters. Your good deeds are an investment towards your future, not to your present life. Your righteous life is a blessing to your family and descendants. To the glory of God!

TESTIMONY

There is a right way and a wrong way to announce helping the needy. For example, in our church, when we are led to help the needy in our midst, we make a simple announcement, about two weeks in advance. This is necessary so that those who want to donate food items can get ready to do so. On the day of distributing the food, we do it simply and orderly, knowing that we are in the presence of God. We share food as a form of worship. We also tell people not to take pictures of videos during the exercise. By doing this, we do not grieve the Holy Spirit through pride. By the grace of God, we give God all the glory, in all things, big or small. Praise the Lord!

When we were building this church, we spent a lot of money. My husband, Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh and I, decided not to keep accounts in our minds about the expenses. This is to avoid becoming proud. After the building was completed, many people came and asked: ‘How much did you spend to build this church?’  We always answered, ‘we don’t know how much’. This was the truth. Glory!

LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  14. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:13-16). These holy words are also a part of the Sermon on the Mount, preached by our Lord. He says that just as salt’s identity is in its saltiness, so light’s identity is to shine. Some products can be used in many ways. For example, water can be used to drink or to take a bath. A car can be used for transport or to sleep in it. But salt and light do not have secondary benefits. If salt has lost its saltiness, it is good for nothing. It cannot be used as fertilizer or as building material. It will be thrown away as dung and trampled by men. It is the same with the light. A light that is covered is useless to men.

Light must shine so that men can see. God’s Word is the light dwelling in the believer. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments” (Ps 119:105,106). A believer shines the light of Christ in him. God commands us to preach His Word. That is a righteous judgment. We must keep it! A Christian cannot hide from being seen or heard. A Christian who hides from men, who is silent, who is shy, is clearly backsliding. To hide your identity in Christ is foolish and dangerous. The devil will assume that you are a child of darkness and will come close to you. A nominal or a backsliding Christian is totally useless to God and man. He knows something about God, but he does not share his knowledge with anyone. Because he knows some scriptures, he is not totally happy in the world. And because he hides in the church, he is not totally happy during the services. The criminals know that the best place to hide is not to go alone in a forest, but to hide in the crowds in the city. Many Christians hide in the congregation because of fear of persecution, afraid less their unbelieving friends will mock them for being Christians. They are ashamed of Christ. This is the Lord’s warning: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels”(Mk 8:38). Our Lord warns the believers that if their love for God does not manifest, does not shine out for men to see, He may take away that light from them. “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Rev 2:4,5). Selah!

How do we keep shinning our lights for Jesus? During the time of Jesus, people used lamps that had oil and a wick to burn. The lamp needed to be filled with oil constantly. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. We need to be filled daily. The wick also must be trimmed daily so that it can burn well. The wick stands for our lives. We must read God’s Word and pray daily. The trimming of the wick means that we should humble ourselves. Like the burning bush attracted Moses, you shall attract people. They come not to see your beauty or your intelligence, but to hear God speaking thru you. It is a temptation to think that people are attracted to your person. People do not need you. They need God’s Word spoken by you. Therefore, a Christian should not be afraid to be seen or heard. But self must be dead on the Cross with Jesus. A Christian is never self-conscious. He has no inferiority or superiority complexes. He is not foolish, and he is not proud. This balance is extremely important when we stand as ambassadors of Christ. We do not draw back in fear from opportunities to speak for Jesus. At the same time, we are not forward or ambitious in our attitude toward men. We do not advertise ourselves through the ministry. Maintaining this delicate spiritual balance is another word for practicing righteousness. May God help us to do it better! Amen!

As a Christian, you cannot live in fear, be shy, hide from men and have the attitude of a monk, or of a grasshopper. You must live in the light, in the open. Being transparent and fearless before men is a proof that you are a mature Christian. By your words and deeds, as a Christian, you will surely attract attention from men. Light cannot hide. You should not desire men’s attention. Let it come by itself. When it comes, God will give you the grace to manage the ‘fame’ in a humble and wise manner. It takes strength to remain humble in the light. He will use your visibility for His glory. Then, He will reward you ‘openly’. Worship the Lord!

QUEEN ESTHER DID WHAT WAS RIGHT (Est 4:1-17)

This is the beautiful story of a Jewish girl, an orphan, who grew in Babylon, among the exiles. Her Jewish name was Hadassah. It means the Myrtle tree who grows in the desert (Is 41:19). But in Babylon, her name is Eshter, meaning Star. By God’s design, she became the queen in Babylon. Mordecai is her uncle and foster father. He told Queen Esther about the King’s decision to kill all the Jews. The king was manipulated by his prime minister, Haman, who hated Mordecai and his people. None knew that Queen Esther was also a Jew. Mordecai tells Esther that she has to go and plead with her husband, the King. Esther had not seen the King for thirty days. She was the Queen, but she was not the only wife. She may have lost the King’s interest. Esther also knew that her husband had a hot temper and made decisions that he later regretted. That was evident in the way he treated Queen Vasthi. Eshter also tells Mordecai that none can go to see the king on his throne except if invited by him. Going uninvited meant death. That was the law. Mordecai tells her that all the Jews depend on her intercession. What was she to do? Is she ready to die trying to save her people?

Put yourself in Queen Esther’s position. If she takes it for granted that her husband will always see and listen to her, that is presumption. Her deed is rooted in pride, selfish ambition, and self-confidence. God cannot reward her for that. If she becomes afraid and refuses to act, she will display the attitude of a grass hoper. Hiding her light, she becomes useless to God and man. In this moment of crisis Hadassah stands as a real queen, a child of God, a royal priesthood, and a citizen of the Kingdom of God. She does the right thing. She displays great spiritual balance. This is righteousness in action. She offers herself as a living sacrifice on God’s altar. She tells all the Jews to fast and pray to God for three days. She is not confidant of herself, but her total trust is in God. Though it is against the Persian Law, uninvited, she goes to see the King. “If I perish, I perish”, she says! Before the throne, she finds fresh favor with the King. In this picture, the king is a symbol of Christ. He stretches his scepter of righteousness, mercy and grace to her. She touches it. She is saved. Thru her intercession, the Jews are saved from slaughter. The enemy, Haman, is dead. Mordecai is promoted and takes his place. Righteousness is displayed: the humble are rewarded with peace, prosperity and good name. The wicked receive their judgment of death.

What changed Esther? It was Mordecai word of challenge: “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Est 4:14). Suddenly, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Esther found her identity and place in Christ. This revelation became destiny moment. Once she saw herself not as a citizen of Persia, but as citizen of the Kingdom of God, she stood unafraid, ready to be used by God, for His glory. In the Book of Esther, all the women are seen as victims of selfish men. This is the first time that a woman stands for Christ amid men who controlled politics and culture. In Christ, there is no male no female! Esther’s stand to fulfill destiny is the moment that starts the turning of tables. The rich and powerful Haman starts to fall. The persecuted Mordecai starts to rise. Nobody can stop this new arrangement. It is righteousness in action. The Kingdom of God has spoken! Like Esther, may God use us as catalyst for revival. Worship the Lord!