Selling out for the kingdom …

If you’re a Christian, you probably think you’re committed to God and kingdom living, but Jesus taught that we’re to be sell-outs for the kingdom of God. That’s a standard of commitment not many are manifesting today.

Instead of being sell-outs for the kingdom, our level of commitment is more in line with the type of fellow referred to by pioneer Christian missionary and explorer to Africa, David Livingstone. The Good News Broadcaster reported this little story back in 1985:

“A missionary society wrote to David Livingstone and asked, ‘Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.’ Livingstone wrote back, ‘If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.'”

Just as the missionary didn’t want men whose standard of commitment was one of comfort, Jesus taught a radical commitment that was nothing short of selling out for the kingdom of God. Just survey a few scriptures …

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field,” Matthew 13:44. This fellow literally sold out for the kingdom of God.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” Matthew 13:45-46. This fellow also literally sold out for the kingdom of God.

Without using parables, Jesus spoke clearly about an all-in commitment required to be His disciple:

“Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me,'” Luke 9:23.

“As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.’ He said to another person, ‘Come, follow me.’ The man agreed, but he said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God,” Luke 9:57-62.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” Matthew 6:33

So Jesus used parables to describe the only appropriate level of commitment toward the kingdom of God is one of completely selling out for it, and then used other examples to demonstrate the radical commitment He calls us to.

Is that the kind of commitment to Christ and His kingdom that you’re living? Have you completely sold out for the kingdom of God? Do you seek the kingdom of God above all else? Or are you still looking back for a “good road” that’s a lesser level of commitment?

Scotty