Living with a Kingdom Mentality, Part 1

Kingdom mentality is a framework that allows us to see things from God’s point of view. It’s the unshakeable commitment to the sovereign cause of Christ that motivates us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice and to seek first the Kingdom of God (Romans 12:1, Matthew 6:33).

As we navigate the good and bad, successes and failures, and pains and triumphs in our lives, we need to develop the eyes and heart to see, think, and respond from His perspective.

The Lord Jesus lays out this viewpoint in Luke 19 as He positions Himself toward Jerusalem—the place where He was destined to accomplish His mission through complete humiliation on the cross.

"'For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'” -Luke 19:10

Before He spoke these words, Jesus encountered Zacchaeus—a tax collector and reject in his Jewish culture—and went to his house with all the other rebels.

Zacchaeus believed in Jesus as Savior and Lord, and Christ declared again His overall purpose for coming to Earth. By dining with Zacchaeus and inviting Him to follow Him, Jesus corrected the disciples’ thinking about what He was up to—seeking and saving the lost.

Then Jesus told a parable about how we are to live until He returns. His instructions in Luke 19:11-27 and the Kingdom mentality they instill in us can be summarized in five points:

• We are to do gospel business until Christ returns.
• We are all servants, called to carry out the task of seeking and saving the lost.
• As servants, we are called into account.
• Jesus is the King.
• King Jesus owns the resources for the task.

Jesus tells us this story to correct our wrong thinking about Himself and His mission. 

The disciples thought Jesus would usher in His Kingdom by kicking out the Romans. I’m sure they concluded that they would serve in all the power positions with Jesus as King.

But instead, Jesus tells them He is leaving Earth and calling them to continue in service to His mission until He returns.

More than 2,000 years ago, Christ died on the cross, and those who have trusted in His glorious work cannot continue on with business as usual. Jesus left glory and came to the world to seek and save the lost, and He’s called every one of His followers to participate in this task.

The first point of Jesus’ parable can be summed up in this statement: Do His business until He comes back.

Today, our Lord conducts His business of seeking and saving the lost through us, using our God-given personalities, intellect, and gifts to redeem many for eternity.

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