The making of Kingdom People

Can You See the Arrow? Moving from Believer to a Kingdom Person

Have you ever looked at something every single day and completely missed what was right in front of you? Take a second and Google the FedEx logo for a moment. Do you see anything special in there? Most people don't notice it at first, but once you see the arrow between the "E" and the "x," you'll never unsee it. "It's been there the whole time. You just haven't seen it."

I think that's exactly what happened to Jesus' disciples - and what happens to many of us today. We think we've got Jesus figured out, but then God reveals himself in a way we've never seen before, and everything changes.

The 40 Days That Changed Everything

Let me take you to Acts 1:3, because I want us to realize what God was trying to do 2,000 years ago - and what he's still trying to do today. "He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during the 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God."

Here's what fascinates me: Jesus didn't just rise from the dead and head straight to heaven, saying, "Phew, that's over. I don't have to mess with those guys any longer." No, He stayed for another 40 days, appearing to his disciples and teaching them about the very thing he'd been teaching them for three years - the kingdom of God.

But wait - "Jesus, haven't you taught them already about the kingdom of God? What more do you have to tell them that you've got to spend 40 more days talking to your disciples, teaching them?"

Finally Seeing Jesus Clearly

Here's the difference: before the resurrection, the disciples were "looking at Jesus as he's teaching, as they're living with them, and they're breaking bread with them... Jesus is teaching them the kingdom, and they're looking at him as a man who's never experienced the kingdom, not as a man who's been in the kingdom that has all knowledge of the kingdom."

But after his resurrection, "they know finally, this really is the Savior. Jesus is God.” Their doubt stemmed from the fact that they didn't really believe He was the Savior while He was with them. They couldn't really see clearly.

Think about it - Peter had declared Jesus was the Son of God, but when Jesus was arrested, what did Peter do? He denied knowing him to a servant girl. "Because they didn't know that He was a savior. They believed He was a savior, but they didn't know.”

Reading Scripture Through the Lens of the Cross

After the resurrection, Luke 24 tells us, "Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." Jesus takes them back to the Old Testament, walks them through it, and points himself out to them. ‘I was there. I was there.’

"It was as if He took the cross and He overlaid it over the Bible, over the Old Testament... and said, see me finally. See me finally for who I am. You've heard about me all this time, all your life... but you've never seen me clearly. See me clearly now."

Church, "one of the things that I think we lack as a body is that we lack reading the Scripture through the lens of the cross. We have to read the Bible through the lens of the cross... It's easy to see him in the New Testament, and it's just as easy to see him in the Old Testament when you look through the lens of the cross."

Understanding Kingdom Authority

Jesus wanted his disciples to understand something crucial: "The minute you accept Jesus as your personal savior, you now belong to the kingdom of God. And that kingdom of God is where Christ holds all authority."

He told them, "Understand, before I died, I came under the authority of the Romans and the Religious leaders. But now I have taken back all authority, and I am sending you out under that authority. You don't have to subjugate yourself... because I have all authority. And all that authority I've actually given to you."

Remember Peter in Acts 4? When they arrested him for doing a miracle and told him to stop talking about Jesus, what did he say? "Which is better? Do I listen to you or to God? Well, let me just tell you right now, I belong to the kingdom of God. I don't listen to you. I listen to God. And if God tells me to keep speaking about Jesus, you ain't shutting me up.” 

We Are Kingdom Ambassadors

In Luke 24:49, Jesus told them, "Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." He was saying, "I want you to understand, yes, I have all authority, but I'm going to give you all authority. I'm going to clothe you with power... so that wherever your feet hit, wherever you go, you have authority."

As 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us."

"Do you understand? An ambassador. When an ambassador goes anywhere, wherever they stand is their territory... Well, guess what? Let me just apply it to the kingdom of God. Wherever I stand, the kingdom has arrived."

But here's the problem: "I think we don't walk with authority. We're worried that when we walk into a situation, we might have to say something about Jesus. We're worried at our workplace. Well, I don't want us to talk about Jesus too much because I might get fired. You can't shut me up because I have a different authority."

The Kingdom Moves When People Move

Here's a truth that will challenge you: "God's kingdom moves when God's people move."

We're sitting around saying, "God, I want to see your kingdom move," and "God's looking at us, going, you first. I've given you all authority. I've given you my power. I'm going to speak through you. If you're listening to me, would you just move?"

Jesus told them to wait for one thing - the power. But once they had that authority, He said, "Move... then go into all the world. Judea, Jerusalem, Samaria, all the world. He tells His people to MOVE. We've got to move. The church has got to move."

"The kingdom doesn't just happen... It's activated by our prayer... Prayer is activating with God and being in conversation with God, continually in conversation with God."

No Pew Sitters in the Kingdom

You all are ministers. You are all ministers according to the Bible. You're a holy priesthood. You've all been given the ministry of reconciliation.

But so often in the church, there are people doing no ministry. They're not involved in anything. How can that be if you're part of the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God says that you are a minister, that you have a purpose, and there's victory in that purpose.

There are no bench warmers in the kingdom. We all have a ministry. We have all been called to something.

Living as Kingdom People

When we walk in God's authority as kingdom people, "it's going to produce victory and purpose." We need to remember that "your true home is heaven. It's not here. This is practice... We have to learn to live differently. We are kingdom people on a kingdom mission for God. And that mission is to tell the world about Jesus."

The question isn't whether you believe in Jesus as Savior - it's whether you live like he's your Lord. "Do you just believe in Jesus as your savior? Or do you believe that He is your Lord? Kingdom people desire what God desires because they know it is better than life.

Putting It Into Practice

See Jesus Clearly: Just like the disciples needed their eyes opened after the resurrection, ask God to show you who He really is. Stop seeing him just as a good teacher or prophet, and see him as the risen Lord with all authority.

Read Through the Cross: When you open your Bible, look for Jesus in every book. Read the Old Testament through the lens of the cross, asking, "How does this point to Jesus?"

Walk in Authority: You're an ambassador for Christ. Stop being worried about what others might think when you speak about Jesus. You have divine authority backing you up.

Move Forward: The kingdom advances when God's people move. Stop waiting for God to move and start moving yourself - in prayer, in reading His Word, in serving others, in sharing the Gospel.

Find Your Ministry: There are no spectators in God's kingdom. Every believer has been called to ministry. Find where God wants you to serve and get involved.

Live as Kingdom People: Remember, this world isn't your home. Live with the perspective that you're representing heaven wherever you go. Let people see the kingdom of God through your life.

The disciples spent three years with Jesus but didn't truly see him until after the resurrection. Don't let that be your story. Open your eyes to see Jesus clearly - not just as Savior, but as Lord. Step into your identity as kingdom people, walking in divine authority, ready to advance God's kingdom wherever He sends you.