The Kingdom Of God: "God’s Pattern For Kingdom Living”

The Kingdom of God

“God’s Pattern for Kingdom Living”

Philippians 3:12-16

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbrnYa9PU7w

There are a lot of books in today’s market dealing with the topic of success and how to be successful in business, relationships, marriages, and in life. And people rush to bookstores or the Internet to buy them thinking that somehow, they’ll solve all of life’s problems.

But what I’ve found ironic is that when I look at some of these books, are not written by those who are considered experts in the field. Some of these books are written by those were trying to establish their credentials in their field or line of work. Further they contain a whole lot of filler and very little meat.

Personally, when I want to learn about something I want to go to those who’ve accomplished it, because when learning anything we tend to learn more from those who model what we desire to learn more than we do from reading a manual.

And so, if we want to be successful in living life in this crazy mixed-up world, the best person to model our lives after is Jesus Christ. And we can find out how from the Bible which is all about Him.

Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39 NKJV)

The Bible is also filled with stories about those who through their actions, or lack thereof, have succeeded or failed. It’s about how they lived and how God met and changed them.

While Jesus is our ultimate model, I’d like to instead focus on the Apostle Paul, who said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV)

Paul successfully planted churches throughout Asia and parts of Europe and helped to plant even more through his disciples. Paul was successful because he followed Christ.

In the third chapter of his letter to the Philippian Church he gives his autobiography, and from these verses, especially verses twelve through sixteen, we can see God’s model for Kingdom Living.

And after Paul’s description he says to follow this example as he followed it.

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” (Philippians 3:17 NIV)

Paul is giving to us a pattern by which we can live our lives, a pattern for successful living in the sight of the Lord.

Read Philippians 3:12-16

From these passages we see the example Paul left behind, a pattern that we can use.

1. Evaluation

This is where we honestly face our faults.

This is where we admit we don’t have it altogether; that we still have a long way left to go and grow, and that we are in no way perfect. This is where we do an inventory of our lives; in 1 Corinthians 13:5, Paul tells us to examine ourselves. Why? Because we have to know where we are before we’ll ever move forward in the calling God has for our lives.

What are the areas we need improvement? And so Paul did an evaluation, an inventory, and he was honest about his shortcomings and that he still had a long way to go.

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12 NKJV)

What an amazing statement. Paul’s an old man at this point, and if anyone had the right to say they’ve arrived, it would have been him. Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, he wrote the majority of the New Testament, and helped spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.

But still at the end of his life he says, “I don’t have it all together. I haven’t arrived. I’m still a work in progress.” The point is that to live a successful Christian life we must never stop growing, but continue to develop, expand, and learn.

The longer I’m around, the more I realize my own inadequacies, limitations, weaknesses, and faults. Hopefully I’ll never say, “Look at how far I’ve come.” That scares me, because I know God will show me in no uncertain terms just how far I fall short.

So doing an honest evaluation is the first part of this pattern for successful Christian living. Solomon said, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV)

God is saying that we’ll never succeed in life if we’re trying to hide our sins. Instead, we need to confess them and repent, that is, turn away from them and turn to God instead. Then God will show us mercy. We need to be honest about our faults.