Repent, the Kingdom of God is at Hand ~ Part 2

Repent, the Kingdom of God is at Hand ~ Part 2

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Change The Way You Think, For The Kingdom of God Is Here Now!

Text: Matthew 13:3-9, 19-23, Matthew 3:1-2

Right after Jesus came out of the wilderness experience where He was tested by the enemy, Mat.4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The church has used the message of repentance to be like: You had better watch out, Jesus is coming back, He is making a list and checking it twice, He is coming back – get right or get left.

The word Repent = met-a-noeo = To change your mind. Not merely an intellectual change, but a transformation of your goals and attitude toward life. It implies turning from sin with a HUGE emphasis on submission to God – your New LORD of your New Life.

Ro 2:4 “…the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

When I have an encounter with God’s goodness, it causes me to change the way I think.

Today I want to challenge us to: Change The Way You Think About Serving God!

Change your mind about your part in the Kingdom.

We have an opportunity to partner with God to fulfill His dreams about the Kingdom of God being here now.

Bill Johnson quote - "If God is your servant, He will always frustrate you, if you are His servant, you will always be amazed."

Every one of us have been called to full time ministry.
But we usually think ministry is: preaching, teaching, - upfront pulpit ministry.

Ministry – Greek word diakonia = service given in the name of Jesus
1Co 16:15 “I urge you, brethren--you know the household of Stephanas, … that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints.”

The people I get excited to see embracing ministry are those in the “market place” – where they realize God has placed them in their job to minister.
God has placed them in a neighborhood, on a volunteer committee, etc.

Yes we need people to minister at church, but I think as important are people to minister at the saw mill, at the grocery store, ministers to teach at school, to teach tennis, to coach soccer, etc.

We can partner with God to build His Kingdom.
Recently, I have felt the invitation for us to build God’s Kingdom here in this valley with prayer.

I have been given two different books on prayer, and what captured my attention is in Acts, where the Disciples in Acts 6 said v.2, “we shouldn’t leave the word of God and serve tables,” but they found “Spirit Filled” men to minister in that area, but as leaders their responsibility was to v.4 give themselves to facilitate corporate prayer.

There is something unlocked in the heavenlies as we get together and pray.
When you pray by yourself at home, you are a force to be reckoned with.
I believe that’s why the enemy works so hard to convince us that prayer isn’t that important.

We don’t actually say that with our words, but actions speak louder than words.

I think when believes get together and come into agreement with the heart of God, then we touch each other in agreement, the spiritual world is shaken.

I want to ask you, when opportunities make it available for you to gather and pray with other believers, why do we find something more important to do?
Why is this not a HUGE priority for us?

I think in part because our enemy steals God’s Word on this topic from our hearts to where it falls into our “optional - mild in importance box.”

Mat.13: 3-9, 19-23
Ver.19 – the “kingdom word” can be stolen from our hearts.

The last thing I want as Pastor of this church is for you to go to a prayer meeting out of obligation – that actually affects the atmosphere in a negative way.
But I LONG FOR the day when people gather out of passion to “minister to God, to serve” God in prayer.

We actually have this happening here on our Sunday afternoon prayer time.

Can I repeat the title of this message? Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Allow supernatural revelation to Change The Way You Think About Serving God!