Kingdom
I first
heard Gary Black at training camp invite us to “do Kingdom” and I thought – what is he talking about? He
would often say “lets bring the kingdom” and I thought to myself – when did the
word kingdom ever become a verb? But then I reread Luke and my eyes opened up.
God showed me that that’s why he sent his son – to preach the kingdom of God. I
don’t know how I missed the consistency of that message in Luke in the hundreds
of times I’ve read it. But now, the word kingdom has forever changed for me. It
has become a verb and not just a noun. 
around the world – I know that is what I did. I worked to bring the kingdom
wherever I went. God left us in
this dark perverse generation to bring some love, light, and life. We go to the desolate places and bring
life and love… to a person, to a community. It is not just a place believers
are going to once they meet St. Peter at the pearly gates. The kingdom of God
is something that followers of Jesus are apart of and have in them. God is love and if we have God in us,
we have his love in us! So we share that love – His love to the world. The kingdom is something that believers
bring with them wherever they go. Luke 17:21 says, “the Kingdom of God is
within you.” I know the believers’
mandate is to advance the kingdom of God here on earth – to family, friends,
co-workers, fellow students, and our communities. That’s what Jesus’ ministry
was while he was on the earth.
Believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. If we live our lives to know
and love Jesus – then we listen to and live our lives through the Holy Spirits
guidance, then it allows God to manifest himself through us to the world. He
said we’re his hands and feet. He manifests himself through us through the
variety of ways and gifts he’s already given us. That’s why we’re here! We’re
here to receive his love, to love him, to know him and make him known! If salvation just meant we’d live in
heaven for all eternity with God, then God would’ve saved us and killed us
immediately. But he didn’t.
He saved usand left us here on earth. Why? So
that we would partner with him and allow Jesus to work through us to bring the
gift of salvation to others. He says in Psalm 2 – ask me and I’ll give you the
nations as your inheritance. Is this inheritance for believers? Yes! Why?
Because we have become one with Christ and we’re now in the kingdom of God.
We’ve become heirs to the throne of God. Because of what Christ did on the
cross for us, we’ve been adopted into his family. We’re Gods kids. Christ is in
us – we are the hope of glory!
(Col 1:27) We proclaim him,
admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present
everyone perfect in Christ. This is the work that God wants us to do. He’s made
us into a chosen nation, a royal priesthood, we are co-heirs with Christ
(Galatians 3:29).
2:9 says… we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of
darkness into His wonderful light.
Romans
8:17 says that now if we’re children of God, then we are heirs – heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ.
Heirs
receive an inheritance. Our inheritance is the kingdom of God and the nations –
to win back the lost nations of this world and invite them into the Kingdom of
God with Christ as King. We can’t
help but do this as our act of worship out of love and devotion to Christ. True
worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for they are the kind
of worshipers the Father seeks (John 4:23). But this isn’t about performance and what we have to do for
God – in order for him to love us. He loves us regardless of what we do. Our
lives will be fuller, more complete and full of more joy when we allow him to
love through us.
I know that
one year ago, God said he wanted to take me where I haven’t been. I knew it
wasn’t just a “trip around the world” that the places he wanted to take me
weren’t just physical places like Africa, India, Romania and China – although
they are amazing places. They were just the bonus. He wanted to take me
to
spiritual places with him that I hadn’t been. I’ve now realized where it was
that he took me. He took me to a
place of greater understanding of his Word and of his Kingdom. And this greater
understanding has activated something in me. Something in me that doesn’t just
want the norm anymore. I want life through the Spirit. I want to know more of
this great love of God. I want to partner with him. And I want to unlock the
keys of the kingdom in others. We’re here to bring the kingdom of God to the
nations, but we’ll be fighting an enemy to get to those nations. That’s why God
equipped us. Believers have the love of God in them, an authority from God,
incomparably great strength from the Holy Spirit, weapons to demolish
strongholds, the faith to bind and loose, and armor to protect us in
battle. I want to be a radical for
Christ. I don’t want to live the norm anymore. I know that we’re created for
something MORE. And I want to live
more. I want to love radically and live radically. I don’t just want to read the Bible and think – wow, what a
cool early church, or, wow, that Paul – he was pretty amazing and did some
powerful things – what a super christian. I want to live it out myself. And I’m
hoping to find some others that will do it with me.
He’s given
us the keys to the kingdom. So what are we doing with those keys?
If you’re a
believer and you struggle with knowing what your purpose in life is… I want to
remind you that here it is! THIS
is the point of life!
also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know
the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints.
1:18
