Category Archives: Welcome to the Kingdom

Jun 06 2012
Welcome to the Kingdom

The Authenticity Equation – Part 2

As I noted in Part 1 of this post, profession does not equal possession.  As Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’”(Matthew 7:21-23 ESV).  In addition, accomplishments for God do not equal relationship with God

Jesus will elaborate on this point later in Matthew:  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:31-34).  Therefore, the One who is our only means of salvation is also the judge in the end:  the Alpha and the Omega…the beginning and the end.

Does this mean that there are people all around the world who are doing things in the name of Jesus who are not authentic Christians?  Is this possible?

Consider the seven sons of Sceva:  Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled (Acts 19:13-17).  Yes, it’s most certainly possible.

Personally, my immediate concern is that today many young adults (and older adults for that matter) want experiences, but not obedience.  They want the Passion conferences, but not the quiet and often unseen service in the church body.  They want the mission trips to fun and exotic places, but not simple everyday sharing with other students on campus.  They want to express, debate, and be a part of a group party, but they don’t want to spend time consistently and daily studying God’s Word.  In summary, they want the outward expression without the inward obedience.  My sincere concern is that there are young adults in the church today who think they are Christians, but instead they are just church groupies.  There is no inner obedience in their life to match their outward expression.

D.A. Carson states my concern well:  “In the entire history of the church, has there ever been another generation with so many nominal Christians and so few real (i.e., obedient) ones?  And where nominal Christianity is compounded by spectacular profession, it is especially likely to manufacture its own false assurance.”

Examine yourself.  Do you do things for Christ but don’t have a relationship with Him?  Let’s get first things first.  Let me introduce you to Jesus Christ!

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Jun 04 2012
Welcome to the Kingdom

The Authenticity Equation – Part 1

In his discourse on discipleship, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’”(Matthew 7:21-23 ESV).  Or, to summarize:  profession does not equal possession.

It is interesting to note that in Matthew’s first use of the word translated “Lord” (kyrie) is a prophetic false profession.  Jesus explains that there will be those who call Him “Lord” who are inauthentic, false disciples.  Behind this false confession there can be malicious intent, such as the false teachers in Matthew 7:15-20, or it can simply be naivety, like someone who thinks that because they prayed a prayer or because they walked an isle at a church that they are a Christian.  But, not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven.

What then is the determination of authenticity?  If profession doesn’t equal possession, then what is the essential characteristic of possession?  Possession results in action, or more specifically, obedience:  “but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  God’s will, obedience to His Word, is not simply acknowledged or praised or studied or preached, it is ultimately done:  “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  Simply put:  Authentic profession results in obedience.

So incredibly important is doing God’s will that Matthew 7:21 says that only authentic kingdom citizens do God’s will.  How then do we commence in doing God’s will?  Can I do the will of God in and of myself?  Paul explained to the Roman church that this is impossible:  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  So, does “all” mean everyone, or has anyone followed God’s will perfectly?  Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Therefore, Christ fully obeyed God’s will and has provided His righteousness for us:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Therefore, it is through Jesus Christ that I do God’s will, and it is obedience to His will that flows through me by the grace of God.  So, entrance into the kingdom requires doing God’s will, but it’s not my meriting God’s favor, but instead it is repenting of my sin, submitting myself through faith to my Lord Jesus Christ, and walking in obedience to Him empowered by His Spirit dwelling within me.

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Apr 02 2012
FOCUS Church, Welcome to the Kingdom

Be Christian, not Critical

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you (Matthew 7:1-6 ESV).

Jesus’ “Discourse on Discipleship” (a.k.a. “The Sermon on the Mount) is meant to teach the Christian the life in the new kingdom.  We grow in godliness as we submit our lives to Jesus’ teaching allowing his Spirit to help us live lives unto him.  This is a remarkable gift from God, one that we must not take for granted.

With this said, if you are a Christian, does godliness lead you to criticize others?  Of course, this question is ridiculous.  Similarly, a judgmental attitude is likewise not a characteristic of citizen of the kingdom of God!

The Greek word translated “judge”(krinō) depending on the context can mean to discern, to analyze, to evaluate, to judge judicially, to be judgmental, or to avenge or condemn.  The context of verse one argues for a meaning of “to be judgmental,” meaning having a critical spirit, a fault-finding mentality, or a condemning attitude.  Comparatively, this same verb is used in Romans 14 and has a similar context and even includes an expansive description:

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

            “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

                        and every tongue shall confess to God.”

            So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

            Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother (Romans 14:10-13).

Therefore, Jesus is referencing a judgmental attitude in the life of a believer, which leads me to my first point:

1.  Your new kingdom citizenship does not permit you a judgmental attitude:  “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matt. 7:1).

Why is a judgmental attitude sinful?  The answer to this is where Paul was going in Romans 14:10:  “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”  When we have a judgmental attitude we put ourselves in the place of the judge instead of God.  This is very different from being discerning and acting on that discernment.  This is a form of rebellion in which we assert ourselves in the place of God.  D.A. Carson’s amplified translation of this verse captures this meaning:  “Do not assume the place of God by deciding you have the right to stand in judgment over all—do not do it, I say, in order to avoid being called to account by God whose place you usurp” (Carson, 183).

This leads me to my second point which ties the second half of verse one to two:

2.  There is a reciprocal nature to a judgmental attitude:  “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:2).

Practically, we can see this in everyday life.  People who habitually criticize others invite criticism upon themselves.  However, the real issue is not how people respond to you, but how does God respond to you?  God condemns a judgmental attitude because it is a direct affront to his sovereignty.  Consider these antonymous verses:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7) and “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matt. 6:14).  We are to extend mercy to others, because God extends mercy to us.  We are to forgive others, because God forgives us.  Similarly, we are not to have a judgmental attitude, precisely because we don’t want God’s judgment upon us.  Think about it.  Do you really want the standard of God’s justice to be applied to you in the way that you wrongfully judge others?  We don’t.

To drive this point home, Jesus give us two images straight from the carpenter’s workshop:

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye (Matt. 7:3-5).

Our tendency is to focus on the public sins of others with a judgmental attitude while completely ignoring our private and often ignored sins.  Consider the example of David following his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband:

And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul (2 Samuel 12:1-7).

We are not unlike David.  Examine your heart.  Can you find the sins of others more easily than your own sins?

This leads me to my final point:

3.  Having a loving and merciful attitude rather than a judgmental attitude does not mean being undiscerning:  “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matthew 7:6).

We are called to be discerning, which we will find in a few verses further into this chapter where Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits…” (Matt. 7:15-16).  Similarly, Paul cautioned, “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Phil. 3:2), or as Paul much more harshly exclaimed, “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!” (Gal. 5:12).  It’s not simply in dealing with false teachers that we are to exercise discernment, for example Paul describes the necessity for discernment in sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians 5, and John instructs us to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…” (1 John 4:1).

The problem is that we have a tendency to move from discernment to sinful criticism too easily.  We may even justify our judgmental attitude by calling it good judgment or discernment.  The issue here is in our attitude, which Jesus has confronted throughout his discourse and does so here as well.

Jesus contrasts what is of God (“holy”, “pearls”) with what is unholy, or literally unclean (“dogs”, “pigs”).  The pearl is a metaphor for the kingdom (which Jesus will use again in chapter 13).  By God’s sovereign plan through the work of Christ, we have become citizens of the kingdom of heaven, therefore we are to not to have a judgmental attitude, but we are to wisely discern the things of this world.  There will be those who aggressively reject the beautiful message of God’s kingdom, and we will graciously take the truth to others who will receive it.

God has called us as his children to live lives pleasing to him.  This means that we are discerning, and merciful, always seeking to glorify God, or as Micah 6:8 states:

He has told you, O man, what is good;

                        and what does the LORD require of you

            but to do justice, and to love kindness,

                        and to walk humbly with your God?

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Mar 19 2012
FOCUS Church, Welcome to the Kingdom

The Antithesis of Worry: Trust God – Part 3

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV).

In Part 1 of this series, we covered verses 25 and 26.  Last week in Part 2, we covered 27 through 32.  In verse 33, Jesus summarizes his teaching by directing his disciples’ attention on what is to be their focus.  To engage them in this focus, he commences with an imperative:  Seek!  This follows Jesus description of what “the Gentiles” or “the nations” seek:  “For the Gentiles seek after all these things…” (6:32). In the Greek the verbs are similar, but not identical.  The verb used in verse 33 (zēteō) means “to seek,” but can also mean “to ask” or “to search.”  Given its use (present tense, imperative), the connotation is that of a quest.  This is not something in the future that we are hoping for.  This is a present all-encompassing quest, and it involves the disciples’ active involvement.

What are you seeking?  What is your quest?  This should be the soul-searching question for every American Christian.  Personally, my life is a mosaic of seeking, but not only after the kingdom of God and his righteousness but also after success in business, and money, and professional prestige, and fulfillment as a man and as a family and even in church work.  I have sought vigorously after so many idols justified under the auspices of the “American Dream” that I am convicted by the imperative to seek, but to not only seek, but to be defined by this unceasing quest for Gods’ way in God’s world.

How about you?  What are you seeking?  After examining his life along these same lines, David Platt wrote:

I am convinced that we as Christ followers in American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe.  And I am convinced we have a choice. 

You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in the Christian life and in the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us.  Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him. 

…if Jesus is who he said he is, and if his promises are as rewarding as the Bible claims they are, then we may discover that satisfaction in our lives and success in the church are not found in what our culture deems most important but in radical abandonment to Jesus (Radical, 3).

Platt captures the intensity in which Jesus’ “seek” should grip us.

Our Savior the Lord Jesus, therefore, commands us, if you know him in this way, to seek “the kingdom of God” and “his righteous.”  What does seeking his kingdom mean?  It means seeking God’s kingship, his sovereign rule in your life, resolving to live under God’s direction and control.  And, when you live under God’s kingship, you are to live life his way, which is righteousness.  In fact, in this discourse, Jesus has already defined this as a characteristic of the life of his disciple:  “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10) and “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).  And, not only is it a defining characteristic, but we also are to desire it like hunger and thirst:  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).  So then, our quest is to be ruled by God and to obey him.  Similarly, when all of life was considered, Solomon’s conclusion of life was:  “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

When we live our lives with this kind of focus, worry is ridiculous.  And, the God in whom we trust provides:  “all these things will be added to you.”  What are “all these things”?  Is this some sort of equation that we can use to get what we want?  As if to say, “Just do these two things and you’ll get what you want!”  Contextually this is an absurd thought.  “All these things” is referring to those essentials that we are not be worried about:  food, drink, and clothing.  These are the necessities of life on earth, but they are not to be our focus.  God is.

God knows that we need them, and God provides.  In fact, as kingdom citizens, we are not to see this provision in isolation, but rather God uses us to meet these needs of our needy brothers and sisters.  It’s easy to read this verse and think of God’s miraculous provision or the fantastical stories of someone like George Mueller, and God can and does provide in this way.   However, the New Testament example is that God will use us as Christians as his instruments.  We see a beautiful picture of this in Paul’s direction to the Corinthians regarding their assistance of their struggling brothers and sisters in Jerusalem:

For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15).

Verses 25 to 33 of Jesus’ discourse focus on the Father’s care for his children’s needs, but in verse 34 Jesus changes his argument.  Verse 34 focuses on the illogic of worry:  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  It’s as if Jesus returns to the beginning of verse 25, “Do not be anxious about your life,” and then confronts the reality of life with a proverb.  In fact, his statement carries the pragmatism of a proverb:  worrying is pointless.

God is sovereign.  God provides.  If you are his child, don’t worry!  This should calm our anxiety and point us to rest in him.  What it should not do however is lead us to assume that life is free of trouble:  “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  To be clear, this isn’t just the trivial, trouble that causes a hectic day.  This is real trouble, or to translate the word (kakia) more literally, “evil.” That’s right.  You are living in enemy territory ruled by the evil one, but as a child of God you need not worry about it.  He provides.

God provides for his children as we continue to live in this sinful, fallen world.  Life has its own set of problems.  Trust God.  You have needs.  Trust God.  God is in control…all the time.  Trust him with this promise in mind:   “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

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Mar 11 2012
FOCUS Church, Welcome to the Kingdom

The Antithesis of Worry: Trust in God – Part 2

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV).

Last week, in Part 1, we examined verses 25 and 26.  This week, we will examine verses 27 through 32.  In verse 27, Jesus continues his argument with “And,” which connects verse 27 to verses 25 and 26:  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

Understanding this, then, Jesus asks a rhetorical question:  “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27).  This question is curious technically because the word “hour” is actually the word “cubit” which is a unit of measurement roughly 20 inches in length, and the word “span” is actually the word often translated “stature.”  In other words, technically, you could translate this verse: “Who can grow your life 20 inches taller by worrying?”  But, this doesn’t make sense because this is likely an idiom from the first Century and best translated as it is rendered here in the ESV.  Regardless of the terms, however, the message remains the same:  worry doesn’t help you in any way.  Period.  Why do I bring this up in our study of this passage?  As ridiculous as the thought that 20 inches added to your height would benefit your life, a child of God worrying about you’re his needs is even more ridiculous.  Think about it.  How has your life ever been benefited by sinful worry?  It hasn’t.  Jesus’ rhetorical idiom forces you to see how ridiculous worry really is.

Then Jesus directs our attention to the summer field:  “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matthew 6:28-29).  I absolutely love this phrase:  “Consider the lilies of the field.”  In times of extreme stress I have quoted this verse to myself, and it has comforted me.  I love the language and imagery of this metaphor.  The word translated “lilies” should not be confused with our domesticated flower called a lily.  This is a wildflower.   And, how do wildflowers behave?  Do they toil?  Do they work hard?  Do they labor?  Do they become weary?  No, they just grow under the watchful care of their Divine horticulturist, God.

As referenced last week, this too is a cosmological picture of a Biblical worldview.  As we consider the wildflower, we observe logical evidence of the creator of the universe.  In other words, study the wildflower!  Be amazed at the wildflower!  Are you observing?  Are you listening to the unspoken proclamation of the wildflower?  Listen:  God clothes the grass…in splendor.

In fact, the adornment of the grass is compared to one famous King of Israel:  Solomon.  Why Solomon?  The Bible says that “King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom” (1 Kings 10:23), and “when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her” (1 Kings 10:4-5).  God had blessed Solomon with great wealth and with that wealth he was apparently well-attired.  But, “even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Jesus then takes his metaphor to the most practical level:  our everyday life.  “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30).  Grass is temporal.  We are eternal.  Grass is cut, burned, and gone.  God created his children to be with him forever.  When we deny this reality, we sin.  We worry.

Jesus confronts this sin:  “O you of little faith.”  This is actually one Greek word (oligopistoi) and is only used in the Synoptic Gospels and only used by Jesus when addressing his disciples.  For example, Jesus uses the same word in Matthew 17:20 when he tells his disciples, “if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”  To be clear, faith used here does not mean salvific faith.  Jesus is not saying, “O you who have no saving faith.”  Rather, “faith” here means confidence in God that he will act on our behalf.  Look around you.  Do you see the evidence of God’s provision?  Allow the logical evidence that supports your Biblical worldview, also be a deterrent to your anxiety.

Trust God:    “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” (Matthew 6:31).  “Therefore”:  When we consider the evidence in nature, and we see how God abundantly provides, our logical response should be to trust God.  In fact, when we display a lack of trust in God, we not only insult God, we also display characteristics of a pagan:  “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:32).

The word translated Gentiles here is more literally “the nations” (ethnē).  Jesus is comparing worry over food and clothing as a characteristic of the rest of the world, but not God’s children.  In fact, this same word is used in the Great Commission:  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (ethnē), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).  This is an important distinction and should lead us to ask why are we not to worry like those who do not have relationship with God?  What harm does worry do?  Considering “the nations,” I propose two answers:  First, if we worry, it is obvious to the world that we are pursuing the same things the world is.  But, we are not!  As citizens of God’s kingdom, we are to pursue the things of God.  This is to look radically different to the world.  Second, our lack of trust denies God the worship that is due him.  God knows our needs and desires to be glorified by meeting our needs, but is robbed of this worship when we worry.

D.A. Carson rightly confronts the issue of our witness to the nations when he declares,

Away with secular thinking.  The follower of Jesus will be concerned to have a distinctive lifestyle, one that is characterized by values and perspectives so un-pagan that his life and conduct are, as it were, stamped all over with the word, “Made in the Kingdom of God.”

What if you applied this truth to all of your life?  How would you study and take tests at school?  How would you work at your job?  What kind of books would you read?  What kind of music would you listen to?  What kind of movies would you watch?  What kind of testimony would you send to the world if your life screamed:  “Made in the Kingdom of God!”  A day is coming in this nation, and may even be here now, when the greatest testimony for Jesus Christ will not be a Billy Graham crusade, but the distinctive life actions of a believer in the real world.

If you are a Christian, what is your life’s testimony?  Is your life a life full of worry over the temporal stuff of this world?  Is your lifestyle telling the story of who is your King?  Take this time to examine yourself and the kind of message that your life is telling.  If you are of more value than the grass, then consider how your life speaks compared to the unspoken proclamation of the wildflower:  “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

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