Today's episode is called Seeing Beyond Yourself. We're going to talk about the ability or the necessity to see beyond yourself and the priorities of the kingdom and not just your own priorities.
Let's get started.
Let's lay a good foundation, a good groundwork. We need to understand kingdom priorities because that is what we're all here for.
Okay, this is a ministry based podcast, I'm assuming. Those are listening are ministers or at least care about the ministry. And so that's our priority. Kingdom priorities are centered on God's will and the advancement of his kingdom. That is above an individual's goals and desires. We say that, and we say, we understand that, but yet it's tricky when it comes time to choose between one or the other.
And oftentimes we don't realize. The conflict, we don't realize we're choosing our own priorities over the kingdom priorities. And it causes problems. We need to make sure that we are at all times focused on God's will, even if it conflicts with not just our will, but maybe even our wellbeing, you know, we act like God's will won't hurt us.
And that is silly. Every one of the apostles, except for John, died a martyrous death. Don't act like God's will won't hurt you. Don't act like it's not God's will for you to suffer something. He may need you to suffer for the king, for the sake of the kingdom. So you cannot make choices based on what's best for you.
And there's a biblical basis for it. Matthew six and 33, we all know the scripture, but I don't think we apply it to his fullness. It says, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be bestowed upon you. We act like that's just to the center that applies to all of life.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. That is your job as a minister to seek ye first the kingdom of God. And then you're somewhere else down the line is your resume filler. Somewhere else down the line is what's best for you. Somewhere else down the line is what entertains you, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
And Jesus gave us that example. He said in John 6 38 for I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me How many of us really live by that in our ministry today? We say we do but come on Let's be honest how many of us I I see it all the time. We say we're living for God But we're, we're living for God as long as it's convenient.
Okay. Yeah, I'm committed to my ministry. As long as it focuses on my music, I'm committed to the ministry. As long as I get the attention of, of being a good preacher. Yeah, I'm committed to the ministry. As long as I get recognized and get the respect, as long as I get treated, right. As long as I get what I want, then I am committed to the ministry.
That is not what Jesus said. And that is not. Anywhere near the priority of the kingdom. Jesus came in his entire ministry was serving others and fulfilling the kingdom's priority, even when it came to personal sacrifice, Philippians two and five through eight says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, ought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation.
And took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Some of us are worried too much about our reputation. Now, yes, we had a previous podcast about protecting ministry and we've got to protect the dignity of our reputation, make sure that we don't give evil room to speak.
I'm not talking about that, but we're worried about. Like I said earlier, if people think we're a good musician, if we're being used to our fullest, and if people think we're a good preacher, people think we're a good teacher, people think we're a good this or good that, Jesus was the best. And he didn't come to do the best that he could do.
He came to do the best that he needed to do. He could have drew much larger crowds. He could have won over the Pharisees. If he had wanted to win over the Pharisees, he could have done our model of success if he had wanted to use our model of success. But that was not what it took,
so what are you doing? Can you see beyond yourself? Can you see beyond your resume? I remember attending a conference in Sykeston, Missouri. It was called the Mid Shepherds, Mid South Shepherds Conference, or something like that. Rick Lovell was pastoring there at the time. This was a long time ago, because I just, I told you, if we're Rick Lovell was a long time ago.
And he had Nate Smith there who is now pastoring new life in Cabot. Congratulations on your recent election, Nate, proud of your brother. And I, I don't know if Nate got this on his own. I'm just giving credit. Nate is where I heard brother Smith. However you want, we use first names here. He's where I heard it.
And I don't want you to think that I'm claiming authenticity of it. I heard it from my friend, Nate. He was talking about Joseph, the coat of many colors, Joseph. And how he had a dream that his brothers would bow down to him and that everyone would bow down to him. And then he found himself in prison and he was seeing us helping other people with their dreams.
And then faith, you know, the, the butler, he, he had his dream come true. Of course, you know, the Baker too, but that's a different story. Pharaoh, but what about his dream? In order for Joseph's dream to come true, he had to help Pharaoh's dream to come true. Now that's submission. This podcast isn't really for the pastor.
Again, I'm here to help the young minister, the new minister. It's not about you. It's about the kingdom. Can you put your dream aside long enough to help someone else see their dream? Quit worrying about your vision of grandeur, your vision of being this popular evangelist, your vision of being this big time pastor and help your pastor with his church.
That's what Joseph did. And then once he helped Pharaoh's dream come true, then his dream come true. His brothers did not bow down to him until he helped Pharaoh's dream come to fruition. That is seeing beyond yourself. And that's what we're talking about today. Can you do that?
It takes selflessness. You have to be able to look beyond. Beyond your own ideas. Philippians two and three, I read you earlier in Philippians two and later on, but this is earlier in two and three, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look, not every man on his own things, but every man also in the things of others. John 15 12 through 14 Jesus said this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends You are my friends. If you do whatsoever, I command you, can you see past yourself and lay down your life for the kingdom?
Not martyrship, although that may be required, but I'm talking about your livelihood. Can you lay down your dreams? Can you lay down your goals for the sake of the ministry, for the sake of your church, for the sake of God's plan? And if you can not, you're in the wrong business because this is not an entrepreneurship.
This is a ministry. We're here to serve. So to do that, you have to broaden your vision. You've got to see, be, you got to broaden it. Look beyond again. I keep saying that that's our title. Be, you know, look beyond yourself. You got to adopt a kingdom mindset and focus on the community. Focus on the church, focus on things beyond yourself.
First Corinthians it mentions that we're one body with many members. Sometimes we want to focus on ourself and we forget just how big the body is. You know, and there's practical steps you could do to, to do this with. You could always practice humility, make sure you're humble in leadership.
Make sure you serve others, engage, always practice reflection in prayer. And you need to realize at all times that there are different perspectives. Everybody sees things differently. This whole time we're talking about kingdom priorities. You have your idea of what a priority is. Your brother may have a different idea.
No one here is the villain. We all want what's best. And I remember talking to my staff about this and I'm going to bring it up here. We all want what's best, right? But what if we have different ideas of what is best? Does that make one of us a liar? No, we have to understand that what we think is best is not necessarily a fact.
It's an opinion. Your idea of what is best is just an opinion. You need to devalue your ideas a little bit. You're not always right. People can, are allowed to be different. You have to acknowledge different perspectives, recognize that everyone has a different idea. All in Barnabas, you know, they had different ideas and they wound up having to have, having to have separate ministries because of it, but that's just an example of two Holy Ghost filled people having different ideas.
You have to align your vision with kingdom priorities. And I'll give you a clue. If you're not a pastor, you need to align with your pastor. Cause that's what submission is. Submission is not submission. As long as you agree, it's submission. When you don't agree. And you still submit, seek God's will. We need to work to unity, encourage active listening, focus on common goals, promote respectful dialogue and see beyond yourself.
The kingdom is your priority, not your ego, not your pride. So far, this lesson has been easy, right? Nothing too culturally shocking, maybe a little eye opening, but not much. But you can live up to it. I didn't say anything too hard, but here's where it does get hard. It's not always easy to put the kingdom first.
It's not always fair to put the kingdom first. But regardless of what is fair, regardless of what is easy, there are no exceptions to the priorities of the kingdom. I saw a quote on the internet and I've saved it for just such an occasion, waiting for a time to talk about it on the podcast. It says, you think you're humble?
Wait until God instructs you to serve someone who has hurt you. Bless someone who has betrayed you and minister to the very people who have salted your name. Are you humble enough? You're not allowed to turn your back on someone just because they hurt you. If God has called you to minister to them. See, that's that.
You see what I'm saying now? It's not always easy. It doesn't. God never says, do you feel like it? Well, God has never said, tell me about your feelings. He has never laid anyone on the couch and says, tell me how that makes you feel. He told Peter, follow me. And he kept walking. All right. There's, there was another quote that I saw on the internet that fits this.
It says, You're not faithful until you've been overlooked and still serve. That was by Bishop S. Y. Younger.
You're I'll read it again in case you missed it. You are not faithful until you've been overlooked and still serve. It's not about how often you get your name called. It's not about being used to your fullest. It's about the kingdoms. Priorities. Your pride is not the priority. Your ego is not the priority.
Your development is not the priority. Yes. A good leader will develop you to, to the fullest, but God may have you there learning how to be humble and learning through a bad leader, your idea of justice is not the priority. God is a just God, but we, but he handles things on his time and his way. And it is not an importance to your plan.
You need to be in prayer at all times to make sure that you're not in the way of the kingdom, just to make sure you have your way. Do not change things around, trying to get your way when God has already told you what he wants you to do. Don't act like you can't hear them just because it's not what you want to hear.
You have to learn to see beyond yourself. Those were the things I wanted to talk about today on embracing kingdom priorities in unity. I invite you to commit to seeing beyond yourself, embrace a mentality that is not about you, you are not the priority. I want to remind you that God honors those who seeks his kingdom first.
And that their efforts will contribute those who seek his kingdom. First, their efforts will contribute to a greater and divine purpose. That's our lesson today. Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoy the podcast. Find someone you could refer it to like, and subscribe, interact with me on Facebook and Instagram or Tik TOK.
Let's help this thing grow. Appreciate you.
