A DELIBERATE AND ZEALOUS ADVANCE

Matt 11v12:

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

Matt 13v23:

But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

The idea of the Kingdom of Heaven 'forcefully advancing' can be a somewhat uncomfortable one for us at times. After all, the connotations of the word 'forceful' in our culture are usually negative. When we think of forceful we think of words like 'violence' and we imagine someone being forced to do something against their will. When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom 'forcefully advancing' however, He didn't use that term in the way we would think about it. He used it to speak of how the spiritual Kingdom makes its progress in the earth by His will and power, and through the people of God. He used this word to denote just how we must choose to advance the Kingdom of God in our own lives; with specific purpose and decisive action in a way that is relentless. No matter what happens, the word 'forceful' shows us that as much as is possible, we must be 100% resolute in our determination and unyielding. 

Often as Christians we 'wait' for His purposes to reveal themselves before we do anything. While there are times where we must wait for the specific purposes of God to reveal themselves and for specific doors to open, this never implies that we should do nothing in the meantime. God ALWAYS has a purpose for us in the present, and that purpose ALWAYS has in mind the direct advancing of the Kingdom of God: 'Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things shall be added unto you.' God has gone to great lengths to reveal exactly what His will for our lives and our service is exactly in His Word, so it's up to us to just accept it, be thankful for it, and obey it by added action to belief! Now crop is harvested without there first being a sowing, and so we must actually sow something in order to reap something for the Kingdom. If not, we just become like the servant who took His talent and hid it in the field. No fruit came from that servant, and when the master came back He wasn't just a little upset with that servant, He called Him wicked and slothful and threw that servant into outer darkness! We don't really like to think about that, but it's true! It's not good enough to know that we've been blessed with talents and then to simply hide them because it's not convenient right now for us to use them, we MUST use what we've been given! We must be seeking to advance His Kingdom, otherwise we're just being wicked and lazy servants. 

Sometimes we also say that we are waiting to hear His voice. Again, while there are particular times where that may be especially important in order to continue to the next step of service for Him, Jesus said that His sheep HEAR His voice- present tense! He also said, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.' Jesus is always speaking in the present, because He is our Shepherd who is leading us in the present. The Word of God is for us NOW, not just tomorrow! The Word says, 'Today if you hear His voice'. Even when the disciples were waiting for the Lord to reveal His next step for their service in the Upper Room, they weren't doing nothing. They weren't simply sitting in a room with blank minds. They were seeking Him. They were seeking the Kingdom! And they got what they sought for! The fire of God came down, and many lives were evangelised and the first New Testament Church was started. The Word of God goes to incredible detail in showing what we are expected and directed to do for the Lord and His Kingdom. We even have the very example of the life of the Lord Jesus to imitate. We must also believe that what He has asked us to do for His Kingdom, He has also equipped us for by His Spirit.  How exciting! What an honour! What a responsibility! 

None have been perfect here however, we're all sinners, we all have times where we fail and we become apathetic, and times where the Holy Spirit has had to continually remind us to wake up and to get us back to serving and advancing the Kingdom. But in-spite of this His grace remains, and what He willed yesterday, He also wills today. God's grace is sufficient for us, and He is wanting us to serve Him while it is still called today! If we make excuses and seemingly good reasons why we can't serve right now, we deceive ourselves in thinking that this is ok and that the Lord understands and that He's fine with it. Matthew Chapter 25 shows that the Lord is very much not ok with it. So what are the main reasons that result in us not advancing the Kingdom? Matthew 13 shows us that there are a few. One is that sometimes we don't properly understand the Word, and so fail to take the actions we should take to serve (Matt 13v19). But again, this isn't a good excuse. If we don't understand a direction the Lord has given, we need to be diligent in searching through the Word and praying to gain understanding, even to talking to those that may have the insight that is needed. Some even believe that just keeping their understanding about Christian service as simple as possible is the best course of action for them. After all, life is complex enough, why have a complex doctrine, right? Wrong. While simplicity has its place, after all, the doctrine of the gospel as the foundation of our salvation and faith is very straight forward, as we grow as Christians, the fruitfulness of our service should also grow, as we become fitted for the works that the Lord has prepared for us in advance to do (Eph 2v10). It also makes sense that as we understand more His Kingdom, we become more and more useful to that Kingdom, but if we know very little of it, we will not be very useful at all. Similarly, if we don't know much of the Lord, or wrongly understand Him, then our usefulness becomes a very minor thing. Some don't want to understand more and more however, because, if they do, it will mean that will have to give up more and more of their lives in order to serve Him, and they are not prepared to do that. This is very sad, if only we would realise more and more just how great an honour it is to serve, and what a Kingdom awaits us in heaven if we will but be willing to serve that Kingdom now! 

We also make the excuse that now we have much trouble, or persecution in some way, and so couldn't possibly serve right now in our lives. Again, that excuse, for all of us, isn't good enough! (Matt 13v21). If we say that trouble or persecution means that we will not serve in this life, it mean that really we have no real root in ourselves, that is, we either don't have proper saving grace, or we don't have the Word at the centre and foundation of our lives. Because of this, when trouble comes, we let our service slip on the basis that it isn't really a part of the foundation of our lives, and it isn't really the thing which guides and directs our life, or that which sustains our lives. Jesus said that, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent me.' His very food and sustenance came from doing His Father's will! Jesus' whole life was driven and directed by doing that will, wherever that meant that He had to go and whatever that meant that He had to do.

To have trouble in our lives cannot be our excuse for not serving God at any moment in our lives. Jesus' and the Apostles seemed to have continuous trouble, and yet the grace of God was sufficient for them to continue to do His will, and to advance the Kingdom of God. And how amazingly successful they were! If we had to wait till we weren't experiencing trouble in our lives, we'd NEVER EVER do anything for Jesus. Chances are they'll NEVER be an ideal time to serve the Lord, for there will ALWAYS be something else to do, and ALWAYS be something else to endure, the flesh, the world and the enemy will make sure of that. But while our flesh may say that the only thing that is needful is our welfare, our happiness and our survival, there is really only one thing that is needful. Jesus said to Martha that ONLY ONE THING WAS NEEDFUL- that one thing was Him, and waiting upon Him and serving Him. Yes, there are things that we must do in our lives, those practical and good things, but they must not be at the centre of our lives. The centre must be His will, then whatever we do will be done FOR THAT WILL, and with that will in mind, not in-spite of it and not just in addition to it. 

The next excuse isn't just an excuse, but simply an action, and those actions show where our heart and focus is really at. Jesus says in Matthew 13 that the worries of life and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, that is, His will, and so we don't become fruitful. Again, what worries are there that justify us not purposefully advancing His Kingdom? Should our lives and any of those good things in it take precedent over His Kingdom? Certainly not. All other Kingdoms, and all other things, even the very best and most precious of things in our lives will one day pass away, then what shall remain? Only HIS KINGDOM and HIS WILL will remain. That does not mean that we have to ignore our lives and those good things in it, but that all those things should be submitted to the primary goal of our lives, and should be loved in light of His will for His Kingdom. All the service we do, and all the work that we do, whatever it may be, can and should be done for the Kingdom of God. Whatever impact we think we may or may not be having is pretty much irrelevant; His Word doesn't return to Him void, and we can be sure that God will bring about the increase and fruit He desires, as long as we're willing to serve His Kingdom, and are active in doing as much as we can for it. Yes, God can reap even where He hasn't sown, BUT THAT DOESN'T EXCUSE US FROM SOWING. That didn't excuse the wicked servant, and it won't excuse us*. But if we sow what we can, even those small seeds, He'll make sure they'll be eternally fruitful.

*Matt 25:

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The last reason we give, often whether we know it or not, is 'the deceitfulness of riches.' Riches are deceitful because they promise much, but deliver very little. They also bring unwanted burdens and temptations for our flesh. The natural man is convinced that if it has the riches of this world, that it will be content, and so it will continue to seek more and more of these things, even when it has most of them, because of its fallen nature. Riches also distract. While the spiritual man desires the things of God and the things of the Kingdom, the natural man will blind us to all these things if we let it. The riches of this world keep our minds and hearts on the physical and natural things of this world, while the Lord desires to keep our minds, hearts and desires on spiritual things. Often we need riches to be taken away from us to even realise how little we are actually doing to serve the Kingdom of God. And it is only when they are taken away do we realise that this has been the case. While we may be sowing and reaping many physical things now, and things which embolden only our pride and excite only the senses, our spiritual man, purposes and assignments languish, because those things don't seem relevant enough for us while we are living in this world (because even the world says that they're not relevant, expedient or needed!). That is why the Bible says that we must put our mind 'on things above,' and not on things on the earth. Where our true treasure is will show up in whatever we do. If tomorrow we found ourselves in heaven, how much treasure would we have? How much in heaven would excite and thrill us? How much in that place would set our hearts burning? How much would we love there? How much would we cherish? Would we find that very little that we ever did on earth benefitted such a place and brought glory to the only one to whom it is due? Did we ever do much bring souls there? Did we do anything to heal those that are there? Did we do anything to make those souls that are there wiser to who Jesus is and what He loves? Did we encourage souls there to make it to that amazing place? Did we strengthen minds and hearts? Did we give life-giving encouraging, direction, warning and rebuke? Did we counsel? Did we teach? Did we console? Did we give to those in need? Did we leave it all on the table so to speak? Did we do everything we could that Jesus and His Kingdom, by His grace, be made any richer and any more beautiful?

Or, sadly and tragically, when we get to that awesome place, will we find that we have left our hearts on earth? Would we, along with Lot's wife, turn our eyes back to where God has brought us out from? And would we only escape, 'as by fire?' One of the reasons Christians hate God's judgments, and any talk of judgment, is because they are afraid God will destroy the world they are so in love with, and they cannot bear to think what they'd do without it. How will they then be employed? How will they then be entertained? What purpose will they then live for? How will they function without the world to guide them and motivate them? What will they learn then? What will they strive for? It is best that we examine our lives now to see, not only HOW we are employed, but examine our hearts to understand what MOTIVATES us in that employment. Are our desires, at their heart, heavenly or earthly? The cornerstone for what we do, say and the essential drive of our desire should be to see HIS KINGDOM ADVANCE. Not our Kingdom, not our desires, not other peoples' happiness, not our success, not our fulfilment, but the Lord's purpose and everything that entails. Is our food, like Jesus' was when He was on earth, 'to do the will of Him who sent Him'? Or is it to do our will, and only His whenever we feel like it? How much of HIS DESIRE are we filled with? Do we truly want to be making our way to heaven now, and to see that Kingdom that we are supposed to be serving now, or are we taken up with unprofitable things? and are those things quashing the very Spirit of God inside of us and making us immune and unaware of His Will for us in serving Him?

None of us our perfect here. In fact, we all are sinners, and that fact seems to be something that is clearly made plain to us each and every day, but thank God for His goodness and His grace! He picks us up when we fail, and He doesn't look at our past record to determine whether we're worthy to serve Him, because we're only worthy because of the blood of Jesus, and His imputed righteousness. All that is needed is for us to be in agreement with Him, and to serve as best we can in His grace. All He is after is our hearts and our desires. This is often a constant battle, and we know that the flesh will lust against the spirit, but the Lord does not condemn us for those things, we are justified by faith in Him! Even though the flesh lusts, the spirit also lusts, and all He desires is that, inspite of those evil lusts, to follow after His Spirit (Gal 5v17). So yes, two desires will always be going on inside of us, but by His Spirit we can know which is of Him, and which is of us. By His Word we can know what His exact will for us is, and by looking at the life of the Lord, we can know what life and what exact service He wants us to imitate. But we must be those that are 'forefully' laying hold of His Kingdom, for without a forceful advance, there will be little to no fruit for His Kingdom. And that, God willing, will be part 2 of this post.