Immediate Results – Sue and I get a newsletter from a stock trading service. They had a recent meeting for their clients and the report is that that one presenter stole the show. He had a new AI generated stock trading technique that got immediate results. The story of humanity is one of temptation for my immediate results. The secret is that something like this happens at every meeting. It encourages existing clients to sign up or more services, a mix of garden-variety marketing and spin on additional value.
Even in the Kingdom, believers are very prone to translate their experiences through the introverted lens of “self.” What about my gifts, my ministry, my calling, my finances, my prominence, my microphone, my marketing, my exploits, and me hearing, Well Done! …to the applause of men and angels.
Sonship is all about the opportunity to be part of God’s Council and see the big picture of what Father is doing. There is a spiritual experience that happens when we do. We get to trade our introverted agenda for Father’s. There are two choices:
#1. Â We can surrender all with a realization that the only thing that matters is our relationship with God. He is my lot and my heritage. Nothing else matters. This response is trading introversion for mysticism. We withdraw from trying to make a difference in culture and pride ourselves in a form of hyper-spirituality and self-promotion that perverts our identity as sons.
#2. We can simply put self in perspective. We are one part of a very large initiative that leads to Reformation. Our part may come sooner or later, it really doesn’t matter in the bigger scheme of things. We can celebrate Kingdom progress wherever we find it. We can even celebrate the exploits of those who go before us. If we experience personal delays, or setbacks, or discipline, we still love God. We’re still carrying our purpose, and we know Father will leverage those things for our good (Rom 8:28). We can drink the cup, knowing that death and delay both lead to resurrection and life. The dream Father wrote in my heart does come true because it’s His dream too. I’m willing to allow Him to make mid-course corrections to my story. I can survive all this because I’m part of the conversations in the council around His strategy. I can see the big picture! I’m even part of volunteering to make it happen!
The irony of sonship – The fastest way to the desires of your heart is the slow way, #2.
- If we intentionally lay our life down, lose it for His sake (and it does feel like death, Jn 10:17-18),
- Then we have authority to take it up again in a resurrection that Father intentionally undertakes.
Jn 12:24 – Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25) Â Â Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Mt 10:39 – Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
My Spiritual Turf (metron) – Sonship is learning to share Father’s purpose and to realize it is exactly the desire of our heart too. We come to a place where it doesn’t matter who’s purpose it is, how risky it feels, how long it takes, who leads the charge, or who gets glory for the win. We are no longer trying to protect our turf from God. We are on His team, part of His family, giving our lives to the same initiatives, and sharing the same victories.
Surrender doesn’t describe the process of sonship. We start with the seed Father has written in our hearts and our God-given personality. But if the seed dies, we can inherit the much fruit of Father’s purpose. The distance between Father’s heart and our ours is an adjustment, a promotion, or an adoption, not a surrender.
On the Same Page – The definition of righteousness is being on the same page with Father. We are not resisting his path whether it’s easy or hard, whether it’s Life and promotion or suffering and obscurity. Son’s experience both! The reason sons say Yes to that lifestyle is because they have access to the council and the conversations behind the strategy. We are not pinballs subject to the random karma of a cosmic force. It’s not blind trust, we can ask and see in the Council. We have a loving Father who hides nothing from His sons. We don’t know everything, but we do have access to our purpose and our Father. Surrender doesn’t describe
The Paradox of Sonship – This process of letting go, or experiencing some degree of death of our own vision is exactly what releases version #2 that Father has, which is exceedingly and abundantly beyond all we could ask or imagine. It’s first the death then the resurrection; first the brokenness, then the breakthrough. Sonship is a 3-step process: 1) you have to have enough initiative to try, 2) be willing to risk failure and shame, and 3) you have choose resurrection life. Almost none of those experiences feel under your control; exactly why many are called, and few are chosen.
Initiative – Sons on the same purpose page with Father have an amazing degree of latitude and ability to implement that purpose. There is a new level of creativity, authority, and power. Sons return from the Council with the grace of all 7 Spirits of God. In truth, nothing can stop God’s sons from prevailing.
- Creativity – because we have insight on where the purpose leads. Holy Spirit shows us things to come.
- Wisdom – Sons carry the spirit of wisdom and revelation, a gift from Father (Eph 1:17)
- Authority – Jesus is the name above all names given to sons to release Father’s purpose on earth.
Lu 10:17 – The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
18) And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19)Â Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
Mt 28:18 – All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19)Â Â Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations.
For more great info on exploring your sonship…
We have a couple links for inspiration and resources to leverage the purpose of your heart with the purpose in God’s heart. Those are closer than you realize!
- Join the free Face Book Community – Kingdom Culture Partners with Purpose
- Free weekly video and blog https://releasingkings.com/category/blog-entries/
