Last week, I mentioned the dream I had in which I saw a cloud of death sweeping the earth. To escape this cloud, I had to enter a house, which I knew was the house of the Lord. When I got to the door, even though I knew I had the key to the house, I could not find it quickly enough, and the dream ended with me frozen in panic. This week, I want to discuss this key and how it relates to us finding our proper place in the body of Christ.
The key was the "key to the kingdom," which we see in Matthew 6:33: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." The key to entering and building our lives on the kingdom which cannot be shaken, is to seek the kingdom first in all that we do, which is to seek the interests of the kingdom first and foremost in every decision that we make.
How does this apply practically in relation to us finding our place in the body of Christ? One complaint that I hear frequently from Christians is that there is not a church near them where they fit in. If this is true, it is likely because they are in the wrong place. Many Christians, and some think most Christians, are not in the geographical will of God. This is because they made the decision on where they would live based more on professional or job opportunities, wanting to be near family or relatives, or just loving a certain geographical region, other than seeking the purposes of the kingdom first.
If we made the decision about where we live based first on the purposes of the kingdom, which would be where we fit into the body, everything else would be added to us. But if we have not made this most basic decision by seeking first the kingdom, then it is not likely that we will ever fit into the place where we are spiritually, and everything else in our lives will also start to become shaky. Everything that can be shaken is starting to shake, and we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken, but we must build our lives on that kingdom by seeking it first, hearing the words of the Lord,and obeying them.
There is a great repositioning now going on in the body of Christ, as many are repenting of this basic mistake and correcting it. When we were redeemed, we were bought with a price and we no longer belong to ourselves—we are now bondservants of Christ. Bondservants do not determine where they want to live, but where their Master wants them to live. Bondservants do not just choose what job they want, but what job the Master wants them to have. In fact, true bondservants do not make any major decisions without consulting their Master and resolving to do their Master's will above all things.
Times are coming when true bondservants will be the only Christians who survive. This will be the proof of those who called Him "Lord," but did not obey Him and often did not even seek His will in major life decisions. Such people's lives will become increasingly shaky. However, with repentance, everything can change. Repentance is not only being sorry and asking forgiveness for our foolish disobedience, but it is resolving to change—to live like true bondservants.
In my dream, I knew as soon as I woke up that the reason I could not find the key was because I was not using it as frequently as I should. I was told that if I had been using it like I should, it would have been on a lanyard around my neck, over my heart. I got the message. The key to the kingdom should be over my heart because the interests of the kingdom, or the King, should be my desire in all things. Being in the right place geographically is important, but even more important is getting our hearts right, and the only heart that is right is the one that seeks the Lord and His interests first in all things.
If our main identity is not who we are in the kingdom, then we are not where we should be in the kingdom. Our first response to who we are or what we do should be our ministry, not our profession. All Christians have a ministry, and all Christians are called to be in full-time ministry whether they have professions or jobs or not. If we are seeking first the kingdom, then the kingdom will always be first in our hearts and therefore our thoughts.
Some have felt when I started preaching this message that I was seeking to have people move to Heritage to join us here, but that is not the case. We are happy for all who come who are supposed to be here, but if this is not where the Holy Spirit is seeking to place you in the body, we know that you will end up being much more of a burden than a help to the work here. If you are supposed to be here, then we will have a void until you get here. If the Lord is directing you here, please come, but don't unless you have a clear leading from Him.
When I share this, I inevitably get many questions about how someone is to know where the Lord is leading them. This is a result of the sad state that many Christians are in. The Lord's sheep are supposed to know His voice (see John 10), but if this is something that you are not sure of, I can tell you how to begin to know His leading in this matter—repent for not seeking the kingdom first in all things and resolve to do so.
You can have the best job in the world, live in the best house in the most beautiful place in the world, and be miserable if you are not in the will of the Lord for your life. You can have a difficult job, and live in a cave, and be the happiest person on the planet if you are in the will of God for your life. Even so, this is not about our happiness—we are here to do His will. There will be an increasing dichotomy between Christians who truly follow the Lord and those who call Him Lord but do not do what He says.
We are coming up on the New Year when many make resolutions to change things in their lives. There will never be a more important one than resolving that you are going to seek to know the voice of the Lord, hear Him, and do what He says. This alone can result in one of the most radical changes for good in your life that you have ever experienced. This does not mean that it will not be disruptive, or hard, as change usually is, but it will be worth it—that you can be sure of.
