Today, we’re going to be talking about Upside Down Kingdom Values. The values of the kingdom of God are opposite the values of the world. All of us have a strong tendency to follow the values of the world. Why is it important for you to learn about kingdom values?
Because when you’re a part of the kingdom of God and you live by kingdom values, you will be blessed. When a person lives by the world’s values, the Bible calls that sin. Sin not only robs you of blessings, it also brings curses into your life. God desires for each person to be blessed and spread the blessing of the kingdom to others.
Luke 4:43 (ESV) but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Jesus’ teaching was first and foremost about the kingdom of God. When a person becomes a believer or follower of Jesus, they enter into and become part of God’s kingdom. However, they do not automatically live by kingdom values.
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
In Jesus’ instructions to his disciples, including us, new believers needed to be taught to obey everything He had commanded. What had Jesus’ commanded? That His followers live by kingdom values. For that to happen two things must take place. First of all, a believer must be taught what God’s Word commands us concerning kingdom values. But being taught and knowing kingdom values is not enough. After knowing about kingdom values, we must observe and obey God’s commands. That is when the blessing of God is released into our lives.
Today, we’re to see Jesus’ disciples failing in multiple ways to live by kingdom values. The problem for them and for us is that we have been engrained with worldly values. These worldly values seem right to us, but kingdom values are upside down from them. We’re going to learn from Jesus’ disciple’s failures, how we can live by God’s upside down kingdom values.
The more we live by kingdom values, the more blessing and power there will be in our lives. The blessing and power of the kingdom are released to us so that we can use it to advance the kingdom of God. We are blessed to be a blessing to others.