A Kingdom Mindset Part 1

A Kingdom Mindset Part 1

As we begin to make the shift from a Church emphasis to a Kingdom emphasis a new mindset is required.  We must embrace a new paradigm, that of a Kingdom Paradigm.

Mark 2:22

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

Adapting to a new wineskin can be difficult, changing the way we have always done things can be threatening and intimidating. We become comfortable with the familiar and any thought of change can cause insecurity to arise within us.  However, everything is subject to change your cells, skin, hair, etc seasons come and go, people come and go change is ordained of God, it is part of his renewing process. Where there is no change stagnation sets in growth is hindered and freshness wanes. My father used to say to me “if it doesn’t work, throw it out” Then he would say if the church did this it would be revolutionised. Whole congregations becomes comfortable with formality even us Pentecostals, oh I know we pride ourselves in “being led by the spirit” but mostly our churches are very predictable. This makes it difficult to embrace change and change in God is good and can be very fruitful.

It is Gods intention for you to be in a process of change

II Corinthians 3:18	But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Proverbs 4:18	But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Job 8:7	Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
Psalms 84:7	They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
Psalms 92:14	They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

I don’t know how the fat and flourishing appeals to you but bringing forth fruit in old age should.

Change requires a new mindset

We personally must undergo change in order to enter into major times of change. The change first comes within us, a new mindset is established, a new way of looking at things takes hold and we experience enlargement internally. Often this comes with new vision, new revelation which imparts faith to embrace the change. However we must be open to change for this process to begin.

Jeremiah 48:11

Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

This verse is describing the ancient art of wine making. The process involved first the crushing of the grapes and then putting the juice into a container for a season while the sediment settled to the bottom. The juice was then poured carefully into another container with great care so that none of the sediment entered the new container. The process was repeated many times, the wine would remain in captivity in the vessel until it was poured into a new container. This process of removing the impurities was vital before the wine went through the final fermentation stage where the flavour and scent changed.

Jeremiah used this illustration to highlight the need for change. There are seasons in God that are designed to prepare us for the next change in our lives, the next level in God, the next season of fruitfulness. This is even more so in the seasons of change the church needs to go through. Because we are in a continuous season now of acceleration we need to discern the seasons and move accordingly.

Jeremiah went on to say this: 

Jeremiah 48:12

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

Many Christians are wanderers they never find where they should be and therefore never experience inner change they wander form church to church never finding their place in God. We need to be in a fellowship but we also need to have a Kingdom Mindset.

A season harvest time

We are entering now a season of harvest, we must understand this and change with it the season. Its harvest time and we must understand the mandate of the hour.

What was the churches original mandate?

Mark 16:15	And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Matthew 28:19	Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Preach the Gospel and teach the ways of God

Preach and teach, if you just do the first: Preach the Gospel, new Christians wont mature. If you just do the second, teach Christians, they will stagnate. The mandate was Preach the Gospel and Teach the new converts, Jesus told us to do both.

Matthew 9:35

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Jesus told us to do both

In the early church evangelism was not done when the church came together

Now for centuries the church has come together and they have had one service for teaching and usually one evangelistic service, however the vast majority of unsaved don’t and will not come to a church gathering. It was not so in the early church, generally speaking when the church came together it was training, fellowship, and impartation. However we try to get the unsaved to come to church in order to get them saved. Now I am not saying that this does not happen, but this method will not gather in the end-time harvest. Jesus did not say go to church and preach the gospel.

Now: The apostles were told to prepare the people for the work of the Ministry

Ephesians 4:11	And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12	For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The problem is this, when we do that where are we going to put them?

On a Sunday there is no room for them to minister they all cant minister in the Sunday service. Where can they minister, if we prepare them for ministry where can they minister?

There is an interesting story in the Bible about a woman that was raised from the dead.

Acts 9:36	Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37	And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
40	But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

I often wondered why the Lord though Peter, raised this woman from the dead? Many people were dying in that day, why raise this one. Then it dawned on me, this woman was full of good works and giving to the poor and that’s the kind of people Jesus needed in the earth, so He would not let her go and raised her from the dead. Talk about a new mindset

Jesus said this:

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We try to bring people to church but the people are out there in the world. The church must go out there and be the gospel the good news to these people, the poor, the needy, and the lost. Christians have to become the Gospel  

Titus 2:14

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

More Christians would be healed by first becoming healing to the lost and needy outside the church, give and it shall be given to you. The church cannot impact the world by remaining behind the four walls of the church.

Acts 20:35

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

We must be willing to sacrifice for the Kingdom

Fasting was considered to be a sacrifice, denying ourselves. Now I believe fasting is important, as I write this I am on a fast, I’m not against fasting, going without food and seeking God. But there is another kind of fast.

Isaiah 58:6	Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7	Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

God then says this will happen to you

Isaiah 58:8	Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9	Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Blessings
Neville Johnson  Dec 8^th 2008