Kingdom Force!! 2008/18 08/24/08
Just several chapters back, if you want to call them chapters in our walk, we read and commented on Matt. 11:12, where Jesus was speaking of taking the kingdom by force, and that is what we want to share today. We first want to look at the word used here, ‘force’. If they take it by force, then if we are going to get in on this, we need to know what force they use.
The word is from the greek “harpazo”, and it means that those who function in this walk are those who are possessed of eagerness and zeal, and instead of yielding to the opposition of the world’s ideas and pressures, they, through all the trials that they could encounter, press through into the kingdom life that defies the system that we are in but not of. But that is only the tip of the beginning, so let us go on from here. Turn to and only start out from 1 Cor 13:4 and we will shorten our reading to the basics, but we will end with verse 13a;
“Love endures long and is patient and kind ..
“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes at it..
“Love’s hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening…
“Love never fails … so…
“FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE – ABIDE”
Faith here is reflected in my relationship to God, coming from my knowledge of His character. Hope is faith’s vision of the evidence of kingdom provision ... and there is ‘Trust’ that is faith’s patience, but ….
LOVE IS FAITH’S VICTORY
FAITH’S TRIUMPH
FAITH’S POWER
All that we have covered is the foundation of where we are headed today, so hold on and bear with me through this walk, you’ll be exercised and gain ground, kingdom ground and the force that takes it, but in light of what we have just read, turn to Gal. 5:6;
“For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.”
Now, turn to Ephesians 3:17 through 4:3 and this is all kingdom territory. This is a long read, but it is exciting when you grab what Paul was hearing from the Holy Spirit;
“May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
Let me stop you there and look at those dimensions. The ‘breadth’ stretches across all boundaries with the love of God and embraces all men: The ‘length’ is its reach throughout all the ages of man to touch all people: The ‘height’ is that it is beyond the reach of all who would try to fault it in any way, it is above all; The ‘depth’ is the great wisdom that love sees all through, and sees the very best of all.
[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] with all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power [force] that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] –
To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen
I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk and (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service,
Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.
Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony ond oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”
We need to recognize that this is the character of all who will reside in the kingdom and it is the life and harmony that they will enjoy, but your faith will be tested even in “harmonious” times.
Note: The keys to the kingdom of God will be continuously opposed by the world’s system [by its kingdom of darkness].
I am now going to exercise teacher’s choice, and go to a book that I love to look into, for the fruit of what we have just read about. Turn now to Song of Solomon 3:1-4, and lets rest here for a while;
“In the night I dreamed that I sought for the one whom I love. She said, I looked for Him, but could not find Him.”
True heart seeking after God is a force born out of love. It is not a matter of an obedient discipline that you have worked to develop, but one of pure, excited zeal. It is not a sacrifice, just unquenchable love that refuses to be distracted by anything from its search. It says, “My rest can never be complete, for I will never have enough of my Lord, I must seek after Him, until I find Him.”
There is one thing that we begin to uncover about ourselves on this quest, and that is, the more I think I have of Him, the more of Him I know I need to have. Lets look at Moses attitude after being used to bring his people out of the wilderness, and dwelling in His presence for forty years, suddenly understands that he hadn’t even began to know Him and prayed, in Duet. 3:24:
“O Lord God, You have only begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth that can do according to Your works and according to Your might?”
There is a divine dimension in the Lord, that scriptures call the “secret places” of the Most High God, and seeking Him becomes an exciting quest that cannot be quenched, but then you must also remember, an unrelenting bride will not stop until she gains an intimacy with He Whom she sought. So, she decides to take the next step. Go to verse 2, Song of Solomon;
“So I decided to go out into the city, into the streets and broad ways [which are so confusing to a country girl] and seek Him Whom my soul loves; I sought Him, but I could not find Him.”
In verse one, she said, “I looked for Him but could not find Him”-
So I made a decision to arise, and by faith get out of my comfort zone, my safe place and go out into areas where all is a risk and there are forces of distraction and confusion and so many that want to take you into areas where you should not be. You have to have a determined purpose like Paul to stay on this quest, and she is determined. Paul said that he was determined to know Him, he had a determined purpose and declared that I will leave all my past and my safe places and go forward and press on to reach the supreme reward of standing in His Presence.
A large portion of this concerns our prayer life and these are some things to watch for.
We never want to become too satisfiedwith our prayer life.
We never want to become static(really not expecting answers) about our prayer life.
We never want to become stoic (apathetic) about our prayer life.
Most of this would sound like, I prayed, and waited and nothing happened, so I think I’ll just get on with life.
If we find Him in the way and depth that He desires we find Him, we will become even more avid about staying in His Presence regardless of the cost.
Lets go with her another step, for she is now out of her comfortable, safe place and has ventured into new, uncharted arenas of prayer and seeking; (into areas where satisfaction is elusive) into new dimensions of faith, new and deeper depths of study concerning her quest. [verse 3]
“The watchmen who go about the city found me, to whom I said, Did you see Him Whom my soul loves?”
There will be no satisfaction in her heart, for she is now experiencing the fruit spoken of in Eccl. 3:11;
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
As we hunger and thirst after His Presence more and more, we may find ourselves in deeper studies, or a new book, or even traveling to a meeting somewhere, for if we are serious (and God knows our hearts) then the Holy Spirit joins the search and His direction is as the wind blows; He will lead you in ways you do not know, to places and experiences only dreamed of, to reach what you could not reach without Him.
No one else can find Him for you, the persistence needed is up to you, but you can always take comfort knowing that if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him and when [not if] you do, you will also find that He truly is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The watchmen mentioned here could be those in anointed ministries [people and places of the Holy Spirit’s learning and encouragement] that are out in the highways and byways ministering to all who come.
Struggle will tarry but for a night or moment ..
but
Joy comes in the morning!
When Jesus rose from the dead, He empowered the kingdom to be found. It was “at hand” when He began, but now it is here, empowered! He left, but He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us in our search.
Look back at her asking, “Have you seen Him?” and she went on… verse 4;
“I had gone but a little way past them, when I found Him Whom my soul loves. I held Him, and would not let Him go until I had brought Him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who had conceived me.”
She found Him and would not let Him go!!
How often have we rejoiced at an answer to prayer that seemed to be impossible, but God made it possible! O we rejoiced for a season, and then we just began to settle back into life as usual. Why, did we not make that answer a new, elevated platform, a new launching pad for our faith, and begin to function in a new confidence, from this level in kingdom life, with an exciting testimony in the here and now, and never settle for anything less?
She found Him and would not let Him go!!
In Jer. 29:13, we read; “Then you will seek Me and will find Me, when your search for Me with all your heart” Jesus tenderly embraces your soul and your hear deep within, “All Is Well”
Let me just take you for a moment to John 20, and the scene is the morning of the resurrection. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb, while it was still dark, and could not find him and ran to get Peter and one other disciple, and when they arrived, they too looked in and Peter went in and saw only the linen burial cloths laying there, but the napkin that had been wrapped around His head was laying away from the rest, just rolled up and tossed aside. This is prophetic of what they did not understand (John 20:9). They did not recognize that when the master would get up from a jewish meal table and just throw his napkin aside and not folded, that meant that he would be back. Jesus was illustrating to them that He would return. Now back to the story, and there is an important principle to this.
Mary lingered and wept, and stooped down and looked, seeking Him. Her soul longed for Him. She noticed two angels standing, one at the head and one at the feet. They asked her why she was sobbing, and she asked where they had laid Him? And turning around she saw Jesus but did not at first recognize Him, for He was glorified, and He said, “Woman, why are you crying, and for Whom are you looking?” Sir, if you have taken Him, tell me where, and I will take Him away” I will not let Him go!!
Jesus said, “Mary” and she knew, and acknowledged…”Rabboni” and Jesus said, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.”
I told you there was a principle involved here and it is this, and take note, for in days ahead we may need this truth.
JESUS INTERUPTED HIS ASCENT TO THE FATHER IN HEAVEN TO ANSWER THE CALL OF TRUE, SEEKING LOVE. HE WILL GO OVER ALL THAT LIES BETWEEN YOU AND HIM TO GET TO YOU WHEN YOU CRY OUT TO HIM.
The bride’s love today, when it is in one accord is going to draw Him back from heaven to take her home …[John 22:17a] She will be the bride that will not let Him go – until she had taken Him to her mother’s house. To get a better picture of what this means, think on the Samaritan woman, who left her water jug at the well and went to tell all the people of the One she had found. Jn 4:28/29.
We may think, where is Jesus when anyone is seeking Him diligently? Is He aloof, indifferent or sitting in heaven not noticing?
No, He is watching and waiting and longing for her to find Him, and now He speaks, and it is in Song of Solomon 4:9-10;
“You have ravaged My heart and given me courage, my sister, my [promised] bride; you have ravished my heart and given me courage with one look of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.”
My heart beats in a new rhythm because of your love and diligence. He speaks of her necklace and this, I believe is the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit that she is exhibiting in her life. She is full of the Spirit, and His peace and joy and all the rest are the brilliance of her presence. He has heard her extol of her love for Him everywhere she has looked and her testimony to all she found caressed His heart.
vs. 10
“How beautiful is your love, my sister, my [promised] bride! How much better is your love than wine! And the fragrance of your ointments than all spices!”
The first line here, in the original language would read as follows, and see what you think of it;
“How bright and beautiful are the tokens of thy love, thy caresses”
The word love here is not an emotion, it is the outgoing of her spirit, showering her love in all she does and all she says. Can you imagine living in the kingdom in this kind of an atmosphere? Better than fine wine. Then He speaks and says;
“…and the fragrance of your ointments than all spices!”
Here the Bridegroom rejoices in the fragrance of her oils, which, to Him, is much better than all manner of spices. The fruits of the Spirit, and the fragrance of the Christ-life, are beginning to appear and bear fruit and fragrance and are all being perfected in her life, that she is now living for Him alone.
Just a bit more and we will shut down for this time, but I want to put in one last portion. The oils mentioned here are the anointing oils and they are always symbolic of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and bear the significance that it is He Who baptized each of us in the Holy Spirit. He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Jesus is coming for His bride, and she will be one that has sought Him and His kingdom and His righteousness. Her thoughts and her words have enticed Him to come, and we can hear it in Revelation 22:17a; “And the Spirit and the bride say, “COME”!
Love is the kingdom force and it is love that fuels all in the kingdom. Remember, for the past two sessions, we have used the words, He did all He did, as we are, as a man. Turn to 1 Jn.4:16-17
“And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [this is kingdom]
By this love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we, in the world.”