Kingdom Values (7)
In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make them princes in all the earth.
I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever. Psalm 45.16, 17 (NASB)
Psalm 45.16, 17 (Manoah: When All Your Mercies, O My God)
When we at last Your palace gain, and others take our place,
then let our children with You reign, a legacy of grace!
Good today, good tomorrow
We’re considering the kind of Kingdom economy values that we should lodge in our consciences, to strengthen them for guarding and directing our minds and hearts to follow Jesus.
We’ve examined five values that are most likely to promote a Kingdom lifestyle: First, to remember that our calling is from God to His Kingdom and glory. We have a vocation from the Lord so seek His Kingdom and righteousness as the defining priority of our lives. It then follows that seeking God’s Kingdom should be our primary concern in all things. This will lead us to work for continuous renewal in all aspects of our lives and to pursue holiness, without which no one can see the Lord. All this is worked out in our mission to bring and proclaim the Kingdom to the people to whom God sends us.
To these we must add one more Kingdom value: legacy. It should be important to us, a matter of the highest priority, to leave something behind for others, to help them on their journey into the Kingdom and glory of God.
As the Kingdom of God comes to fruition in and through us, we can expect to touch the lives of others with many good things. We will help people learn, encourage them in the use of their own gifts, show them how to work their Personal Mission Fields, inspire them by our example of service and love, impart vision and skills to assist them in their own callings and ministries, and many things besides. If doing such things now is a good thing, wouldn’t finding some way for this to continue after we’re gone be a good thing as well?
But how do we do that?
Faithful, teachable, able
Paul explains how in 2 Timothy 2.2, elaborating on an idea expressed in our opening text.
The sons of Korah, who wrote Psalm 45, envisioned a day when the current leaders of Israel would be replaced by their sons, to extend the Kingdom of God beyond where their fathers had ever been able to take it (I follow NASB in thinking that the NKJV is wrong in capitalizing you and your in verse 16). Paul instructed Timothy for a similar kind of vision, and through Timothy, he instructs us as well. If we can invest in a few people, so that they embrace the Kingdom values we’ve been discussing in this study—embrace them so soundly and fruitfully that they pass them on to others—then those folks may be the ones to keep our contribution to the divine economy going long after we have finally entered the eternal Kingdom and glory of the Lord.
In other words, we must devote ourselves to making disciples (Matt. 28.18-20).
Paul encouraged Timothy to embrace a legacy vision reaching to the second generation beyond himself. Timothy should teach faithful men who would be able to teach others also. So, in teaching people about the Kingdom of God, Timothy would also have to give them, not only the values and skills for Kingdom living, but also a vision and the incentives and skills necessary to impart that lifestyle to others. If we value leaving a legacy of Kingdom calling, seeking, renewal, holiness, and mission, then we, too, will make it a priority in our lives to search out others to whom we can impart these values and the way of life that goes with them.
In his instructions to Timothy, Paul counsels us to look for a particular type of people: faithful people who have demonstrated a real desire to know the Lord, follow Him, and serve Him with their lives. Look for people who are hungry for God’s Word, eager to pray, committed to Christ and His Church, and willing to embrace the Kingdom values that can bring such peace, joy, and fruitfulness to their lives. Conversely, people who make excuses, are habitually “too busy,” or don’t follow through on things they’ve promised or agreed to do—such people may be sincere Christians, but they’re not the kind of faithful people who will allow you to leave a legacy of Kingdom living to the second generation beyond yourself.
Teach these faithful people. Spend time with them. Study the Word, read good books, take up projects and activities together, become prayer partners and soul friends, work hard to stir up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10.24). Gaining a Kingdom vision and embracing Kingdom values and a Kingdom way of life doesn’t just happen. Don’t wait for your church to do something; take charge yourself. Look for resources that emphasize the priority and values of the Kingdom of God, and work through them together with the faithful people you’re equipping as part of your legacy.
If you will be diligent in teaching faithful people, they will then be able to teach others also.
Put them to work
Then, finally, give the faithful people you are teaching opportunities to train others as well. Bring them into your disciple-making efforts and let them share in teaching and leadership roles. Encourage them to take the things they’ve learned and begin looking for faithful people of their own. Give them a vision for instilling Kingdom values and be available to encourage and assist them.
As we live out our callings in the divine economy, seeking the Lord and His glory, let’s leave some markers along the way, to guide and encourage those who will come after us. Take as a value, firm set in your conscience, to make disciples of faithful people who will teach others also, and you’ll be able to say truly and confidently with the sons of Korah, “I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.”
For reflection
1. Meditate on Matthew 28.18-20. With what has Jesus charged us? What is the state of disciple-making in your life?
2. What do you need to begin making disciples more consistently? To whom can you look to help get you ready for this work?
3. What are the biggest obstacles you need to overcome before making disciples will be a more consistent part of your walk with and work for the Lord?
Next steps—Transformation: Where should you start to work at the challenge of 2 Timothy 2.2? Who are the people closest to you, and how can you encourage and equip them as faithful people who will be able to teach others also?
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our read-through of Joy to Your World!. In our Scriptorium series, our new study of Matthew: The Coming Kingdom, continues in chapter 1. And our Crosfigell teaching letter looks more closely at the early 6th-century Irish saint, Coemgen. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
