Kingdom vs. the Church, which one do you choose? This is a tough question! Which one is your priority? Can they be separated? Why is there more focus on building the church than on the Kingdom of God? As I ponder these question myself I remember, reflect, and rely on the Scriptures from the gospels to help me see the priority. 116 times the Kingdom is referred to in the Gospels; the church is referred to but twice. Jesus came on the scene preaching the Kingdom, and His last words to His followers in the 40 days between the resurrection and the ascension were focused on the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Since Jesus' focus and priority was on the Kingdom, is it possible that this may be the dysfunctional dilemma that the western church faces today? Do we spend more time talking about church and its growth than we do about God's Kingdom? I'm not a theologian nor do I pretend to act like one, I have a pastors heart who likes to take Scripture at face value. Common sense tells me that Jesus modeled what should be our main focus, the proclamation of good news of the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). It also tells me that the church was established to help people see, find, and embrace the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Is it possible that we have our priorities all "screwed up?" Now hear me, I'm not bashing the church, I'm only challenging what I believe matters most based upon what Christ said and focused on while He ministered here on the earth. Why am I writing this now? A few days ago I witnessed a preacher sharing a message on the Kingdom of God to nearly 7,000 students at a Christian University. What an awesome and inspiring message! As he challenged students to realize the significance of the Kingdom and to embrace putting God's Kingdom first, hardly a stir nor a word was moving from the crowd that filled the arena. This made me realize that if we miss the significance of promoting the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then we may as well close up shop. Oh!, wait a minute, is that what's happening already? My point is this; if we proclaim and live the gospel of the Kingdom of God (like Jesus did),then perhaps we will receive more of the promise that God provides to those who do (Matt. 6:33). One might ask what is the Kingdom of God actually? Henry Blackaby defines it as "the rule and reign of God in our hearts." Now I've been around a while, so I will leave those who would challenge my thoughts with these Scriptures to ponder (Mark 1:15; Matt. 6:33; Luke 4:43; Luke 9:2; Luke 9:11; Luke 9:60; Luke 18:17; Matt. 24:14; 1 Cor. 4:20). I'll write more about this later.
11.10.2008
Kingdom vs. Church
Kingdom vs. the Church, which one do you choose? This is a tough question! Which one is your priority? Can they be separated? Why is there more focus on building the church than on the Kingdom of God? As I ponder these question myself I remember, reflect, and rely on the Scriptures from the gospels to help me see the priority. 116 times the Kingdom is referred to in the Gospels; the church is referred to but twice. Jesus came on the scene preaching the Kingdom, and His last words to His followers in the 40 days between the resurrection and the ascension were focused on the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Since Jesus' focus and priority was on the Kingdom, is it possible that this may be the dysfunctional dilemma that the western church faces today? Do we spend more time talking about church and its growth than we do about God's Kingdom? I'm not a theologian nor do I pretend to act like one, I have a pastors heart who likes to take Scripture at face value. Common sense tells me that Jesus modeled what should be our main focus, the proclamation of good news of the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). It also tells me that the church was established to help people see, find, and embrace the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Is it possible that we have our priorities all "screwed up?" Now hear me, I'm not bashing the church, I'm only challenging what I believe matters most based upon what Christ said and focused on while He ministered here on the earth. Why am I writing this now? A few days ago I witnessed a preacher sharing a message on the Kingdom of God to nearly 7,000 students at a Christian University. What an awesome and inspiring message! As he challenged students to realize the significance of the Kingdom and to embrace putting God's Kingdom first, hardly a stir nor a word was moving from the crowd that filled the arena. This made me realize that if we miss the significance of promoting the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then we may as well close up shop. Oh!, wait a minute, is that what's happening already? My point is this; if we proclaim and live the gospel of the Kingdom of God (like Jesus did),then perhaps we will receive more of the promise that God provides to those who do (Matt. 6:33). One might ask what is the Kingdom of God actually? Henry Blackaby defines it as "the rule and reign of God in our hearts." Now I've been around a while, so I will leave those who would challenge my thoughts with these Scriptures to ponder (Mark 1:15; Matt. 6:33; Luke 4:43; Luke 9:2; Luke 9:11; Luke 9:60; Luke 18:17; Matt. 24:14; 1 Cor. 4:20). I'll write more about this later.
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