Tag: kingdom of god

Revelation 11:15

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment


             I have done my share of weddings over the years.  Working with engaged couples anticipating marriage is both exciting and awkward.  It is in some ways a difficult time for the betrothed because they are committed to one another in a manner different from just dating, but are not yet in a marriage relationship.  The same is true for the church.  She is betrothed to the Lord Jesus.  They are both quite committed to each other.  But the marriage hasn’t yet happened.  
             The kingdom of God has been inaugurated, but not yet consummated.  That is a fancy way of saying that God’s rule and reign has come to this earth, but its fulfillment has not yet occurred.  This time between the two advents of Christ, his incarnation and his coming again, is a weird and awkward time of engagement where we are trying to figure out how to live in the world but not of it.  But there is a time coming, at the consummation of the ages, when Christ will return to take his bride.  It is then the church will celebrate in a great wedding feast.  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.”
             Just as marriage is designed for permanence, so our union with Jesus shall last forever.  His reign will never end.  Christ’s rule will be complete and extend over all the earth.  But until then we are to persevere with patience and fidelity to our Lord Jesus, who loved us and gave himself up for us.  Let this truth shape your life today and always.
             Loving Lord Jesus, I praise you for your initiating a beachhead of grace on this earth through your coming to us.  I look expectantly for your return.  May I found faithful when you come again.  Amen.

Luke 12:29-32

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment


            We seek what we desire.  If we seek the kingdom of God, we will pursue the Lord Jesus and aim our love toward knowing him.  But if we seek materialism, wealth, and the accumulation of stuff we will never have enough because worry and fear shall always overwhelm the voice of God’s kingdom.  I make it sound easy, as if the choice were so clear.  On one level it is, but, like most things, it is complicated because we are all a weird hybrid of competing loves and desires.
             So, let’s make a few distinctions that might help us clarify our kingdom calling.  Materialism is not the same thing as hard work.  Materialism is a shield we lug around to protect us from failure and poverty; hard work is about healthy achievement and proper patient growth of assets.  Materialism puts us on a performance treadmill, tied to our self-worth; hard work seeks to improve and is satisfied with a job well done.  Materialism has a never-ending quest for security and protection, but hard work brings gratitude and joy.
             The pursuit of wealth seeks to avoid the criticism of others, seeks their approval, and wrongly believes that money will take away feelings of hurt, pain, and discomfort.  But seeking God’s kingdom as the passionate priority of our lives is the true path of taking away fear and worry.  Any worldly fool can make money; but only the wise and righteous person is able to manage resources in a way that glorifies God, builds up the church, and blesses others.  And it all begins with knowing the difference between depending on God versus depending on self.
             Merciful God, thank you for giving me everything I need for life and godliness in this present world.  Forgive me for every doubting your goodness and ability to provide for me.  Let my life bless the name of Jesus.  Amen.

The Kingdom of God

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment

 

          So, what is of first importance?  When it comes to ministry, what is to be of priority?  Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, in response to a lack of faith manifested through worry: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness….” I suppose Jesus could have said a lot of things to seek first. Seek salvation, seek family, seek love, seek justice, seek the church, seek me. Yet, the kingdom really encompasses all that and more. 
 

 


The kingdom has to do with the rule and reign of God in this world. It is distinguished from the church in that the church has to do with the people within God’s rule. The church, then, might be said to be the means to the end of establishing God’s kingdom rule, and is not a cul-de-sac where we just try to get people to attend church services.  The kingdom may be said to be a broader concept than the church because it aims at nothing less than the complete control of all manifestations of life. It represents the dominion of God in every sphere of humanity.

Here is how it works (ideally!):  The church proclaims the gospel and brings people into the church. New believers then begin to enjoy all the blessings of God’s kingdom rule in their lives: victory over sin and the availability of the power of the Holy Spirit. If we lose sight of the kingdom of God, we become insular and think that our particular church or Christian organization is the goal of ministry, and that issues outside our ministry have no real merit for our attention. Apart from the kingdom, the systemic problems surrounding justice, racial reconciliation, and poverty all take a backseat to personal expressions of faith in my limited sphere of doing my own thing, man.

When it comes to any particular church, denomination, or para-church ministry, if we have a kingdom mindset, we desire to see God’s reign expand across our community and we will work collaboratively to see this realized. Then it does not become “my” ministry and “your” ministry, but our ministry. It is no longer you and me, but we as kingdom minded people. This takes time and effort. But after all, our focus is to be in seeking first the kingdom as priority for ministry.

How do you think a kingdom mentality would change the face of your life and ministry?

Simplicity

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry Blog2 Comments

 

          For most churches the unofficial start of the year has begun with Fall ministries in full gear.  After a few weeks of programming it is a good thing to evaluate and reflect on how it all is going.  It seems to me that we must always come back to what is important to God and not make ministry such a complex beast that overwhelms us.

Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God, and when we pray to ask that God’s kingdom would come and be manifested on this earth. That is, since the fall of humanity, this world has been under the realm of Satan. God, however, is in the business of restoring his rule and reign. So, all church ministries must have this controlling agenda.

The kingdom of God is established and expanded through proclamation of the gospel in Word and sacrament. In other words, the means of God’s grace to us is through communication of the Bible and its central message of the redeeming work of Christ. There is now reconciliation between God and humans through the death of Jesus. God has united us to himself in order that we would enjoy him, and he us. As Teresa of Avila has said, “the soul is God’s paradise, being made by God and for God.” Intimacy with the divine is the purpose of our existence. Prayer, then, is the primary means by which to commune with God and is not optional equipment for the Christian.  Prayer is vital to seeing the kingdom grow and expand not only in our own hearts but in others, as well.

We must come back to the simplicity of this ministry. It is easy to become sidetracked and be content with erecting massive ministry structures, programs, and events that may please other people and feed our egos, but do little toward accomplishing what was important to Jesus and is necessary to seeing the kingdom of God realized in our communities.

So, then, maybe we need to ask ourselves such questions as these:
1. Is the kingdom of God a controlling goal for my ministry, and do I even understand what it is and how it works?
2. Do our ministries truly develop intimacy with God?
3. Is prayer necessary and central to everything we do?
4. Are our ministry structures simple and contribute toward the kingdom of God, or cumbersome and divert congregants away from this focus?

Just as football teams must never forget the fundamentals of the game in order to win, so we need to come back to what is important as defined by Jesus, and let this be the evaluative grid through which we look at all of ministry. Ministry may require hard work and sacrifice, but it need not be complex. Simplicity toward doing what is essential is required. May you experience joy in ministry as you see the kingdom of God come in all its power and grace.