Moment Of Truth

A few Sundays ago, we began a new series called "Kingdom Values". The following will be some thoughts from each week of the series.

KIngdom Values
Matthew 6:23…21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Core values are principles or standards that are deeply important to you. They define who you are at your very CORE. They affect how you think, feel, behave, react. They reveal the TRUE YOU.
Everyone has core values. We may live every day of our lives according to them and not fully realize it. We may say things like…that is just the way I feel about work…or Family…or raising kids…or handling money…or treating people. These are all affected by our core values…who we truly are at our core. The fact simply is this…what we feel the most passionate about we will LIVE.

NO core value is wrong. While there are some basic core values that most if not everyone will share (honesty, compassion, respect, common decency not everyone will share the exact same values you do. There will simply be things that you place a very high premium/value on but someone else may simply not value that as much. The important thing is that our values ultimately align with God’s value. Again, our core values determine everything about us, how we live, think, respond, react, work, spend money, our home life, our spiritual life...every aspect of our lives. No one can give you your core values…ONLY you can discover what those are. My hope is that as we discover and define KINGDOM Values, this will greatly influence us as we adjust and align our values.

The Lord recently has really been speaking to me about what worship is and how vast and multi-faceted it truly should be as well as how BOXED IN we can be and have been about what true worship is. Worship is much more than a song or literary expression. It is more than how we use talents, gifts, or skills, even to the glory of God. Worship in its purest form is expressed in every detail of our lives. It is our living sacrifice of ourselves…the WHOLE of who we are. This is why setting our core values in a way that they align with HIS Kingdom values, is absolutely… deeply spiritual and pleasing to God.

If we want our lives to literally be worship to the Lord, we WILL seek to honor Him by examining our core values honestly then examining HIS values. As we do this, we, as His children who desire to please Him, will realign and if need be, adopt those values that do align with His Kingdom values. When we do, we will find a few things to be true about Kingdom Values:

1. Kingdom Values lay Kingdom FOUNDATIONS 

• Assuring our lives are built on the right foundation

2. Kingdom Values create Kingdom CONNECTIONS

• Assuring the right people are in our lives/businesses/Church

3. Kingdom Values determine Kingdom ATTITUDES

• Your attitude reflects what you truly think and how you truly feel about something. Actions are formed from attitude and do not change unless attitude changes. Actions will reflect our core values

4. Kingdom Values determine Kingdom ACTIONS

• Matthew 6:21...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
• What we treasure/value is reflected in the time, energy, effort, resources, and commitment we show toward it. No commitment to it shows the value or lack thereof we place. If we truly value something we give more of ourselves to it…it is that simple.

5. Kingdom Values set Kingdom BOUNDARIES

• Hebrews 13:20-21…Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
• When our values align with HIS values, we will love what HE loves and hate what HE hates Our values will be a guardrail for us, warning us that our lives are out of alignment with the word of God.

6. Kingdom values set Kingdom AGENDAS

• Proverbs 3:5-6…Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
• HE knows the plans and agenda HE has desired and designed for our lives because he is the originator, architects, author, and designer and He wants to be your GUIDE to discover and realize the purpose, mission, and vision he has for you. As we adopt HIs values, those values will absolutely SET our agenda. This means anything that does not line up with our core values…KINGDOM VALUES…is not an option no matter how good or OK it may be to the world or in the eyes of people. WE are seeking GOD’s heart and nothing less is acceptable.
• 7. Kingdom Values define Kingdom CULTURE
  • Matthew 6:9b-10...Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
  • Our lives, homes and church MUST reflect the values of the Kingdom. Either YOU will define your CULTURE or your CULTURE will define YOU Culture is either accepted or created…meaning it just forms randomly or it is strategically created. When we embrace Kingdom values it will be reflected in the very CULTURE we create.
  • Our Core Values, one way or the other, will determine the course our life takes as it influences every attitude, opinion, thought, choice, and decision we make…about every detail in each phase and aspect of our lives.
    
    Matthew Emmons, American Olympian in the 2004 Olympics 50-meter three position rifle needing only to hit the target on his last attempt, hit the bullseye that should have won the gold medal but hit the wrong target DROPPING HIM FROM GOLD MEDAL TO 8TH place. The lesson? We can spend our lives according to our own personal values and find out at the end of this life we have been aiming at the wrong target…OR we can seek God, align our values with His and hit the mark…and achieve the purpose for which HE created us.