A Kingdom that Cannot be Shaken

Stirred, not shaken...

Many of us are familiar with Ian Fleming's character, James Bond, 007, and the way he orders his martinis, "Shaken, not stirred."

I contend we believers ought to be stirred, but not shaken. What I mean by stirred is not those kinds of stirrers who stir up trouble! You'll find plenty enough of them and that!

I mean the sort of stirred where we KNOW God is moving us and we are willing for God to use us to move others (see Hebrews 10:24-25, 2 Corinthians 9:2, 2 Peter 1:13, and 2 Peter 3:1).

We need to be stirred by the Lord! We should be willing for God to use us to stir others!

However, we ought not be shaken! The writer of Hebrews said, "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28 ESV)

See it? We are "receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken." Since we are receiving such, "let us be grateful" and "let us offer God acceptable worship."

Let me share three quick things about not being shaken...

First, not being shaken means we are not alarmists. God often shakes nations, or allows them to shake themselves. God often shakes the world, or allows it to shake itself. However, because we are receiving an eternal Kingdom ruled by the Eternal God, we don't let the shook and shaking shake us. We respond to the Sovereign One, not the fading many.

Secondly, we seek to actively embody the peace supernaturally given to us. Having been justified by Christ Jesus and granted peace with Him who is both able to kill the body and cast the soul into hell, we have a peace that surpasses understanding. We need to live active in that position. You know, if God be for us -- and in Christ Jesus, HE IS! -- who can be against us? Even if they are, and WHEN they are, for surely they are, and EVEN if they do us in, God is for us and He can raise us up.

Thirdly, we rest when we consider the future. We rest when we consider the future of the world. We rest when we consider the future of the Church. We rest when we consider our future in the Beloved.

Listen, we actually will be shaken, but the Kingdom will not be shaken, so we are to be pressing into the reality of our position in what is not shaken. I am shaken. You are shaken. Our King is not shaken. His Kingdom is not shaken. We need to lean into Him. We need to rest into Him. We need to preach the promises to our hearts! 

Many things are shaking in this old world, but we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Buck up. Ruck up. Hold fast. God's got His.