Matthew chapter 25
Today we are walking in: Engaging The Popular Culture
Numbers 24:7
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. BEMIDBAR (NUMBERS) 24:7 ×ת CEPHER
KINGDOM
Today we look to the word-KINGDOM- H4467 mamlâkâh, (mam-law-kaw') -dominion, (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm):—kingdom, king's, reign, royal
The Torah testifies...............
Exodus 19:6
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Yashar'el. SHEMOTH (EXODUS) 19:6 ×ת CEPHER
Numbers 32:33
And Mosheh gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Re'uven, and unto half the tribe of Menashsheh the son of Yoceph, the kingdom of Ciychon king of the Emoriym, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about. BEMIDBAR (NUMBERS) 32:33 ×ת CEPHER
Deuteronomy 17:18
And it shall be, when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this Torah in a cepher out of that which is before the priests the Leviyiym: DEVARIYM (DEUTERONOMY) 17:18 ×ת CEPHER
The prophets proclaim..................
1 Samuel 10:18
And said unto the children of Yashar'el, Thus says Yahuah Elohai of Yashar'el, I brought up Yashar'el out of Mitsrayim, and delivered you out of the hand of the Mitsriym, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: SHEMU'EL RI'SHON (1 SAMUEL) 10:18 ×ת CEPHER
Isaiah 9:7
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Yahuah Tseva'oth will perform this. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 9:7 ×ת CEPHER
Jeremiah 18:9
And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; YIRMEYAHU (JEREMIAH) 18:9 ×ת CEPHER
The writings bear witness...........................
1 Kings 9:5
Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Yashar'el forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man upon the throne of Yashar'el. MELEKIYM RI'SHON (1 KINGS) 9:5 ×ת CEPHER
1 Chronicles 17:11
And it shall come to pass, when your days be expired that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, which shall be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. DIVREI HAYAMIYM RI'SHON (1 CHRONICLES) 17:11 ×ת CEPHER
Psalm 145:13
Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. Yahuah is true in his word, and holy in all his works. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 145:13 ×ת CEPHER
Chapter Nine
ENGAGING THE POPULAR CULTURE
THE Kingdom principle of engagement is simply defined as influencing the popular culture through the community of faith. As I have mentioned elsewhere in this series, all humans are searching for meaning in their lives. We all want to know that there is a reason and a purpose for our existence; that we were not born by accident. Throughout the ages, human philosophers have sought to understand life and therefore find meaning in it. Religion has tried to do the same thing. Regardless of their culture, people all over the world look at their surroundings and circumstances and ask, “Is this all?” They examine their day-to-day experiences and think, “Certainly there is more to life than this.”
By and large, however, man’s search for meaning has come up empty because he has failed or refused to look for meaning and purpose in the one place in the universe he can find them: the Kingdom of Heaven. As Kingdom citizens and members of the Kingdom community, we not only possess the answer to humanity’s search for meaning, but we also bear the responsibility of sharing it with others. The only way for the Kingdom community to bring its influence to bear in the world is by engaging the popular culture on equal terms on a consistent, day-by-day basis. In order to do this, we must each be committed to representing the nature and character of our King and to living His culture daily before the world with boldness and without apology or compromise.
Man’s search for meaning is all about his quest for a lost inheritance. Philosophy can’t find it. Science can’t find it. Religion can’t find it. Only those who are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven have found it, because the King Himself has restored it. In fact, the Kingdom itself is the inheritance, and with the Kingdom comes everything else. Possession of the inheritance is what distinguishes the Kingdom community and its citizens from all other communities and peoples on Earth. The King desires for every person in the world to become a citizen of His community and to receive his or her inheritance. The day is coming when the King Himself will separate forever those who are His citizens from those who are not. In the meantime, He has charged His citizens with the commission to engage the world and proclaim His Kingdom by both word and lifestyle so that as many as possible of the people of the world will transfer their citizenship from the pretender’s kingdom to His.
Although we will not experience the complete fullness of our inheritance until we enter the life to come, as Kingdom citizens, our inheritance is a present reality. In fact, Kingdom community life is the daily living out of our inheritance in real and practical ways. Yahusha described it this way:
When the Son of A'dam shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Adonai, when did we see you hungry, and feed you? or thirsty, and gave you drink? When did we see you a stranger, and take you in? or naked, and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come unto you? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Amein I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 25:31-40 את CEPHER.
We have not inherited a religion. Cultures and societies may transfer religions from one generation to the next, but that is not our inheritance. Our inheritance is the Kingdom—not just any kingdom, but the Kingdom. What Adam lost, Hamachiach has restored to us. Rulership is in our genes, authority, in our very makeup. We were designed to rule the Earth. The Kingdom is the rightful inheritance of all humankind. Many people, however, do not know this, which is why we of the Kingdom community must engage those who live in the world’s culture. They need to be informed of their inheritance.
As Kingdom citizens, our goal should be to stay in touch with Heaven every moment of every day. It is for this reason that Yah sent His Holy Spirit not to visit us but to live inside of us, so He could guide us into the knowledge of all truth and teach us how to live and act and talk like the King.
This is the way—and the only way—for us to exert a continuing influence and make a permanent impact for the Kingdom in the popular culture. In order to transform the popular culture, we must engage the popular culture, and we can engage it successfully only in the Spirit, likeness, and power of our King.
HEAVEN IS NOT OUR PRIORITY
When talking about the Kingdom principle of engagement, it is important that we first understand what our assignment is not. Because there is so much confusion on this issue, we need to be absolutely clear about what we are not supposed to do.
1. Yah did not assign us to go to Heaven. Despite what many churches and denominations teach, going to Heaven is not our priority. As I have said before and throughout this book, most religions, including religious Christianity, focus on teaching their people how to get ready to escape Earth and go to Heaven, however they conceive Heaven to be. That is not our assignment as Kingdom citizens. Remember, Yah did not create the world to be empty, but to be inhabited (see Isa. 45:18). “The heavens, even the heavens, are Yahuah's: but the earth has he given to the children of men. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 115:16 את CEPHER. In other words, Heaven should not be our passion or ultimate goal, but rather, the bringing of Heaven to Earth.
2. Yah did not assign us to prepare others to “go to Heaven.” He assigned us to tell others about the Kingdom of Heaven that has come to Earth, and then, once their hunger for the Kingdom has been stirred up, to tell them how they can enter the Kingdom through faith in Hamachiach We talk so much about “witnessing” to people to try to get them into Heaven. That is the wrong emphasis. When we study the ministry of Yahusha Hamachiach, we discover that He was not after trying to get people into Heaven. He was bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth and was after getting people into the Kingdom. We talk about the importance of being “born again,” and then stop, as if that is all there is to it. Yahusha Himself linked the new birth with the Kingdom when He said, “Yahusha answered and said unto him, Amein, Amein, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of Elohiym. YOCHANON (JOHN) 3:3 את CEPHER. Our assignment is not to help people to prepare for Heaven, but to help them enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
3. Yah did not assign us to establish a religion. As I have stressed over and over, creating a religion was never part of Yah’s plan, and Yahusha never established one either. Religion is man’s creation, not Yah’s. In the beginning Yah established His Kingdom on Earth and gave man dominion over it. Man lost his earthly Kingdom, and Hamachiach came to bring it back. When Yahusha came to Earth He did not bring a religion; He re- established the rule and government of His Father. Then He established His ekklesia, His Church, to sustain and expand that government throughout the world. The Kingdom of Heaven is not about religion, but relationship: a King relating to His children. And although it has government and law, the Kingdom of Heaven is not about legalism, but lifestyle.
4. Yah did not assign us to promote a religion or a denomination. We all know that there are people who are willing to fight and even die for their religion. Throughout human history, more wars have been fought over religion than any other single cause. People get upset when you touch their religion. Think of the Muslims in Europe and other parts of the world who rioted after a Danish newspaper published unflattering cartoons of Muhammad. Think of the violence and hostility that occurs between the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam. Think about the Christians who get upset every time some unbeliever makes a disparaging comment in the news about Yah, Hamachiach , the Church, or a particular denomination. Think about all the infighting that goes on between denominations over baptism, church polity and government, which day is the “true” Most High’s Day, theology, doctrine, and biblical interpretation. Religions are always fighting because they are not under the Kingdom. Our assignment is not to promote a religion or a denomination, but to proclaim the Kingdom. There is only one Kingdom, and one King, and within His government, there is no debate, no division, and no disunity.
THE WORLD IS NOT OUR ENEMY
Just as Heaven is not our priority, neither is the world our enemy. Although as Kingdom citizens we are not of the world, we are in the world, and it is Yah’s will that we engage the world’s culture with the principles, claims, and authority of the Kingdom of Heaven.
5. Yah did not assign us to separate or isolate ourselves from the world. This is a big hang-up for many believers. In our desire to be holy, we become “holier than thou” by trying to have nothing to do with unbelievers. “We don’t mix with unYahly people.” “I will not go into a room where people are smoking.” “I can’t be seen with you because your skirt is too short.” “I don’t hang around with people who drink and cuss all the time.” Many believers would rather spend all their time around other believers, even to the point of desiring to work at a Hebrew job for a Hebrew boss at a Hebrew company. We cannot engage the popular culture by escaping from it, nor can we influence it by isolating ourselves from it. Yahusha certainly didn’t. One of the biggest criticisms the religious leaders leveled against Yahusha was the fact that He spent so much time with “sinners,” the dirty, disreputable, and cast-off dregs of society. When challenged on this, He responded,
“But when Yahusha heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 9:12-13 את CEPHER.
That is our assignment too.
6. Yah did not assign us to attack or condemn the world. From the way some believers talk, you would think that our number one job is to pronounce judgment on the world. No, our job is not judgment but influence. Our job is to do what Yahusha did, and even He did not come to judge the world. A day is coming when Hamachiach will return as Judge, but He came the first time not to judge the world but to save it:
For Elohiym so loved the world, that he gave his yachiyd, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For Yah sent not his yachiyd into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. YOCHANON (JOHN) 3:16-17 את CEPHER.
We accomplish nothing by attacking and condemning people for their sins. Deep in their hearts, unbelievers know they are sinners. They know their lives are messed up and out of alignment with Yah. They don’t need us in our self- righteousness laying it out for them, especially if we come off sounding like we think we are beyond those kinds of things. They know better. We can’t draw people to the Kingdom by offending them with our manner. (Becoming offended by our message, however, is another matter entirely.) In order to influence them, we must show patience and sensitivity.
7. Yah did not assign us to compete with the world. Sometimes we act as though we believe that our job is to keep up with the world, that every pronouncement or production of the world requires a “Hebrew” response. We assume that the Kingdom of Heaven must be defended and that no challenge should go unmet. This is faulty thinking. Hamachiach never tried to keep up with the Roman Empire. Why not? Because He knew there was no competition. This is why He told Pilate,
Yahusha answered, My Kingdom is not of this world: if my Kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Yahudiym: but now is my Kingdom not from hence. YOCHANON (JOHN) 18:36 את CEPHER.
There is no need for us to “defend” the Kingdom; that is not our job. The King is perfectly capable of defending His own Kingdom. Our assignment is not to compete with the world, because there is no competition. We are from a different country than those who are of the world. Our job is not to compete, but to manifest the Kingdom in our lives and let the Kingdom speak for itself.
8. Yah did not assign us to avoid the world. Because of the escapist mentality that is taught by many churches and denominations, many believers have virtually written off any chance or effort of trying to change the world. They have essentially surrendered to the opposition in the areas of politics, education, the media, and every other institution of cultural formation and influence, and now consign themselves to “spiritual” pursuits while waiting for Hamachiach to come and rescue them out of the world. Throughout this series, we have seen the fallacy of this line of thinking. As Kingdom citizens, we are in the world for a reason, not to avoid the world, but to do our part to influence and change the world through our personal involvement. Run for the school board so you can help monitor what kinds of textbooks come into the classrooms in your community. Get involved in politics. Run for office, or at the very least, vote regularly. Read up on current issues, and stay abreast of the news. Choose a “secular” career that will get you into the mainstream of society where your influence can be the greatest. Get involved in education. Get involved in business. Get involved in entertainment. Get involved in every area of law and medicine. We cannot engage the popular culture by avoiding it; we must fill it with Kingdom people.
ENGAGING THE WORLD IS OUR PRIORITY
Yah did not place us on Earth as His people just so we could start getting ready to leave. He placed us here to plant and reproduce gardens of His Kingdom throughout the world, thereby reclaiming and transforming territory laid waste by the pretender’s rapacious rule. Having examined what we were not assigned to do, it is time to look more specifically at the assignments our King has given us. Here is what we are supposed to be doing.
1. Yah assigned us to reintroduce the Kingdom to the world. Yahusha set the stage. He laid the groundwork when He first appeared in His public ministry proclaiming a simple, straightforward message: “From that time Yahusha began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 4:17 את CEPHER. He called followers to Himself and established His Church, His ekklesia, His “called-out ones,” to continue the work He began, to preach the same message, and to carry out the same assignment. That is why He told His disciples,
Amein, Amein, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. YOCHANON (JOHN) 14:12 את CEPHER.
People all over the world are searching for the Kingdom even though they don’t know it. We who are of the Kingdom bear the responsibility of helping them find it. Our assignment is linked to the timing of Hamachiach ’s return and the end of the age: “And this Besorah of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 24:14 את CEPHER.
2. Yah assigned us to repossess the earth with the Kingdom. Psalm 24:1 says, “THE earth is Yahuah's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 24:1 את CEPHER.” Psalm 115:16 adds, “The heavens, even the heavens, are Yahuah's: but the earth has he given to the children of men. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 115:16 את CEPHER” These verses are still true because Yah never changes, and His gifts and calling are irrevocable (see Rom. 11:29). Yet for thousands of years the Earth effectively has been under
the rule and sway of HaSatan the pretender. Hamachiach ’s death and resurrection broke HaSatan’s power and put him on notice of eviction. He restored the Kingdom of Heaven on earth to its rightful human overMost Highs. Now, like the ancient Israelites after they crossed the Jordan River to take possession of the land of Canaan, as Yah had promised, it is time for us as Kingdom citizens to fully repossess the territory that is rightfully ours. We do this not by separation but by infiltration.
Yah assigned us to engage the world system.
Engagement means involvement. Battles in wartime are often called engagements. To engage something means to meet it head on, to confront it and challenge it without backing down and without surrender. Popular society and culture will never be changed by those who refuse to engage them. It has been said that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Evil has held sway in the world for far too long. People need to know that life has meaning and purpose. They need to know that there is an alternative to the seemingly unending cycle of hatred, violence, cruelty,
poverty, and misery. They need to be given reason for hope. Our assignment is to infuse the popular culture with the values, morals, and standards of the Kingdom of Yah.
3.One way to do this is by working diligently for the passage of laws that uphold standards, and for the election of public officials who will do the same. The reason is simple: whoever controls the laws controls the culture. That is why the first thing Yah did after delivering the Israelites from Egyptian slavery was to give them a code of law. In order to make them into a nation, He needed to reshape their slave culture and mindset into the culture and mindset of people of Yah. Our purpose in engaging the world system is the same.
Yah assigned us to influence the world, not to keep up with it. It is impossible to change a culture by accommodating it. Yet that is exactly what countless churches and believers have tried to do, to their own detriment. The only thing we accomplish by accommodating culture is to become like the very culture we are trying to change. Rather than transforming culture, when we accommodate, we allow the popular culture to transform us into its own image. The secret to effective influence is to remain distinct.
4. The standards and principles of the Kingdom of Heaven are diametrically opposed to those of the world system. When people in that system see Kingdom communities where Kingdom citizens are living according to Kingdom principles, the difference will be so stark as to be unmistakable. And when they see that Kingdom communities actually work, and bring about an environment and lifestyle of peace, joy, contentment, and prosperity unlike anything found in the world, they will find it irresistible.
CHANGING THE WORLD IS OUR GOAL
Our assignment is nothing less than to change the world; and to do that, we have to become involved with the world.
Yah assigned us to affect the world, not reject the world. When humankind chose to disobey Yah and reject His rule, Yah would have been perfectly within His rights as Creator to reject us, destroy us, and start all over. But He did not do that. He chose to pursue us in spite of our sin and woo and win us back to Him; and He did this by direct involvement. Through His Son Yahusha Hamachiach, the King injected Himself directly into the
5. world system, to change it not by war and conquest, but by influence, by the gradual infiltration and manifestation of His power and presence in the lives of individuals. Yahusha went directly and deliberately to the castoffs of society, the people whom even the religious leaders—especially the religious leaders—wanted nothing to do with. He related to each one on a personal basis. In the same way, we are to spread Kingdom influence throughout the world—one person at a time.
Yah assigned us to revolutionize the world. As Kingdom citizens we are revolutionaries, because our Most High was a revolutionary. Hamachiach never led an armed revolt against the Romans, but His life and teachings were revolutionary in their effect. Unlike other revolutionaries, however, who always seek to establish new ideas, Yahusha’ goal was to re-establish an old idea, Yah’s original big idea of Heaven on Earth. His strategy
6. was to employ words rather than warfare and influence instead of invasion. This is why He commonly made statements like: “You have heard that it was said...but I tell you....” He was applying a corrective. He was replacing bad ideas with good ideas and wrong thinking with right thinking. True revolutions begin by changing people’s thinking; only then do they translate to action. We will change the world the same way: by word, example, and influence.
Yah assigned us to occupy the Earth, not abandon it.
Yah created the Earth to be inhabited, and He created us in His own image to be its inhabitants. His original mandate to us, which has never changed, was that we be fruitful and multiply, and that we fill the Earth and subdue it; in short, that we exercise dominion over it. So
7. So far, our overall track record under the pretender’s influence has not been good, as we have abused and misused the Earth, its resources, its creatures, and our fellow humans. The purpose of Kingdom communities, Yah’s gardens on Earth, is to correct and reverse that history. Our assignment is to occupy the Earth and fill it anew with the vibrant culture of Heaven, which gives life and purpose and value to everything it touches.
8. YAH ASSIGNED US TO PROMOTE THE GOVERNMENT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH. WE ARE NOT HERE TO PROMOTE EITHER A RELIGION OR OURSELVES ANY MORE THAN Yahusha DID. OUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO PROMOTE THE GOVERNMENT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH. THIS MEANS THAT WE NEED TO KEEP ON PROCLAIMING IT, DECLARING IT, AND LIVING IT WHEREVER WE GO. WE NEED TO PROMOTE THE KINGDOM IN OUR JOBS, BUSINESSES, FAMILIES, THROUGH OUR INVESTMENTS, AND IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS, MARRIAGES, AND PARENTING. WE MUST BRING THE KINGDOM INTO EVERYTHING, EVERY ARENA AND FACET OF LIFE. THE WORLD SHAMELESSLY PROMOTES ITS CULTURE. AS KINGDOM CITIZENS WE NEED TO BE JUST AS BOLD IN PROMOTING OURS. MINGLING WITH THE WEEDS
In teaching Two I briefly discussed Yahusha’ parable of the wheat and the weeds as an illustration of the fact that two distinct cultures exist in the world: Kingdom culture and the culture of the pretender. I want to return to that parable in connection with the Kingdom principle of engagement—that we are to engage the popular culture rather than separate ourselves from it.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of Elohiym is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the house came and said unto him, Adonai, did not you sow good seed in your field? from whence then has it tares? He said unto them, An enemy has done this. The servants said unto him, Will you then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 13:24-30 את CEPHER.
As Yahusha explained to His disciples later, the man who sowed the good seed represents the Son of Man, Yahusha Himself; the enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil; the good seed represents children of the Kingdom, and the weeds, children of the devil (see Matt. 13:37-39).
The point I want us to understand here is that the wheat and the weeds—the children of the Kingdom and the children of the devil—are allowed to grow together until the harvest, which is the end of time. In other words, Kingdom citizens mingle with citizens of the world throughout history, and this is by the King’s design. He has chosen deliberately to leave His children in the world, in the midst of the “weeds,” so that we can make a difference in the lives of those weeds.
In strictly human terms, we all know that a weed cannot change into a stalk of wheat, but in Yah’s Kingdom nothing is impossible. By His power working in and through the lives and influence of His people, Yah can convert useless weeds into purposeful wheat. He can transform dark, confused, broken, and unproductive people into persons full of purpose, abundant life, and fulfilled destiny. But He cannot work through us for this purpose unless we are in the world and among the weeds. That is the principle behind the Kingdom concept of engagement.
“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 13:30 את CEPHER. The Most High has called us to engage the world and its people. Do the folks you work with curse or smoke or drink or shack up with men or women they are not married to? Yah says, “I want you to stay right there and shine the light of Kingdom culture on them.” Does your job or everyday business dealings bring you into contact with people who use drugs? Yah says, “Stay right there. Let your righteous life influence them to seek My Kingdom.” Our calling is not to hide from the world but to engage it for the Kingdom of Heaven. Yahusha put it this way:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a menorah; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 5:13-16 את CEPHER.
Religion separates and isolates. The Kingdom engages. Just as a farmer sows his seed, so the King sprinkles His Kingdom citizens everywhere with an abundant harvest in mind. He is saying, “I am throwing you out; wherever you land, influence that place for Me. Don’t isolate yourself. Don’t stay away from folks who are not in the Kingdom. Get involved. Engage. Make an impact where you are. Be bold in My strength to confront the earthly powers of this present age.
The world will soon see who is more powerful.” The Kingdom of Heaven is not afraid of evil, and we who are its citizens need not fear it either, because the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4).
ENGAGEMENT WORKS LIKE YEAST
As we have already seen, Yahusha also likened the Kingdom of Heaven to yeast that works silently but surely to completely transform the dough. This is exactly the way the Kingdom principle of engagement works. In fact, yeast has several interesting characteristics that illustrate how Kingdom engagement operates.
First, yeast is inactive when it is sealed in the package. It cannot do its work until it is released into the dough. It is the same way with us. We cannot exert our Kingdom influence if we isolate ourselves from the world by staying within the four walls of our homes or buildings. We have to inject ourselves into the “dough” of the world if we are to do any good.
Second, yeast by itself looks helpless and insignificant. Once released, however, its influence far exceeds its initial outward appearance. In the same way, the most effective way we can be yeast in our culture is not to be loud, flashy, and flamboyant, but quiet and unassuming, yet faithfully, consistently, and steadily living and promoting the Kingdom day by day. After all, as the hare in Aesop’s fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare” learned to his chagrin, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
Third, yeast is not intimidated by the size of the dough. That tiny yeast will look at that big batch of dough and say, “I can eat you for lunch.” It doesn’t matter where Yah put you, how tough your situation looks, or how great your challenge appears to be. As a Kingdom citizen with the Governor living in you, you always have the edge.
Fourth, yeast is not influenced by the dough, but the dough is influenced by the yeast. Yeast never becomes dough, but dough becomes “yeast” dough—permeated with yeast’s transforming effects. In the same way, through Kingdom engagement, the Kingdom never becomes like the world, but the world becomes like the Kingdom.
Fifth, yeast changes the condition of the dough. The longer yeast has to work, the greater the transformation of the dough. In the same way, the longer our influence is in a place, the more that place should become like the Kingdom of Heaven.
Sixth, yeast works quietly. It doesn’t force anything; it just goes to work. Engagement doesn’t mean browbeating people with the Bible or being intimidating or obnoxious in our promotion of the Kingdom. It means going to work quietly, steadily, and consistently. No noise, no fuss, no spectacle; just make Kingdom decisions and set a solid Kingdom example day in and day out. You are there to infect, not obstruct or distract. Eventually, someone will ask why you seem so different, and that will be your opening to talk about the Kingdom. But before you can talk the talk you have to walk the walk.
Seventh, all yeast has to do to work is show up. You don’t have to tell yeast what to do. All you have to do is release it and let it work. By the same token, we should be “yeast” automatically wherever we are as we allow the Holy Spirit to “release” Himself and work in and through us.
Eighth, yeast is activated by heat. Putting it in hot water releases its power. In a similar way, pressure propels us toward maturity. It helps make us more effective. Are you under pressure right now? Yah is saying, “Don’t run. Stay put and affect everything. Show them your attitude, your values, your morals, your standards. Let them see the Kingdom.” Don’t get mad; get ahead. The Kingdom is like yeast; it becomes more powerful under pressure.
Ninth, and finally, once yeast gets in the dough it can never ever be retracted or ignored. Yah’s Kingdom is here on Earth to stay, and it will grow until it fills the Earth and accomplishes everything Yah has intended from the very beginning. As Kingdom citizens, we can exert an influence that is far greater and that will last far longer than anything we could ever do alone. That is why Yah has put each of us where we are right now. He needs and wants us where He has placed us. We are His secret weapons to engage the popular culture and transform it into a garden of His glory. However, being effective as yeast means learning the trick of how to live in two worlds on one Earth.
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