On Sunday, Pastor Josh explained three ways that the Kingdom of God is made manifest. First is the ultimate revelation of His Kingdom as realized in His Second Coming. The second way the Kingdom comes is in a missional sense as members of the Body of Christ expand God’s Kingdom through the proclamation of the Gospel. The third way the Kingdom comes is through the maturation of believers as they delve more and more into the knowledge of God’s Word and experience the growth of God’s Kingdom in their hearts and lives.
In the second and third manifestations of God’s Kingdom, the church’s presence is very evident. Both the missional and spiritual maturation forms of God’s Kingdom employ the activity of the Bride of Christ. Mark 16:15Mark 16:15
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
15 . Then he told them:
Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world.
WP-Bible plugin gives the mandate for the church to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” As the gospel is preached and new believers are converted, the Kingdom of God expands. Since God’s Kingdom occupies the heart and soul of each of His children, that Kingdom continues to spread as more and more people come to the saving knowledge of God’s love and forgiveness. God established the church as an army, an unstoppable force, a family that would both represent and increase the scope of His Kingdom. This may seem a bit overwhelming to consider, but the depth of these truths is quite encouraging. By understanding this concept, we see that the coming of God’s Kingdom is not simply a future event realized only by the Second Coming of Christ, but an ever present experience of the expansion of His mighty domain. Listen again to the words of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20Matthew 28:16-20
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
What Jesus' Followers Must Do
16 ; . Jesus' eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus had told them to meet him.
17 They saw him and worshiped him, but some of them doubted.
18 Jesus came to them and said:
I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth!
19 . Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.
WP-Bible plugin:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
As the church obeys this divine assignment, God’s Kingdom expands. And Jesus doesn’t promise to be with us upon His return. No, He says He is with us already, and that He will always be. His Spirit dwells within each of His children, and He is holding sway within us as well. He wields the power to produce righteousness in us as we recognize and repent of sin. He produces peace in our hearts and lives as we learn to let go of our selfish desires and accept sacrifice as a way of life. He brings joy into our lives, which is not based on the circumstances of our changing days (often confused with happiness), but transcends the trials of this life to that plane where the Kingdom of God is rock solid.
The church is a major factor in God’s design for the expansion and experience of His Kingdom in the here and now. How is that Kingdom being experienced in your life? How are you involved in expanding God’s Kingdom into the lives of others?
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