Kingdom Lives!

I meet a lot of people who are interested in getting to know God more intimately and experience His presence in their lives in a more powerful way. They attend conferences, read books, view DVD’s all bent on how to sense God’s presence in a more deeply moving way.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with educating oneself to the workings of the Spirit. In fact, in the world we live in – it seems like there are forces that are constantly trying to get us to see the world through their sets of lens. During an election season, for instance, our lives become translated into policy initiates that are debated by candidates for office. During an economic downturn, our lives become statistics for determining whether or not to raise the prime lending rate. Advertisers want us to know ourselves as consumers of their products – seeing consumption as a means for fulfilling our hidden longings! With all of the messages we hear about who we are and what purpose we serve in this world, a Spiritual message is a welcome one!

But I’d like to suggest this. Those who responded to Jesus’s call weren’t looking to “go deeper in the Spirit.” Rather they saw themselves as integral parts of God’s emerging kingdom made known primarily through the person of Jesus Christ. As they sought to live "kingdom lives" God took them ever deeper in their awareness of what He was doing in the world and further gifted them spiritually to be a part of the work!

There’s a difference. You see it’s all too easy to see ourselves as “consumers” of religion. Like consumers of soft-drinks we often want to taste the new and improved version when it comes out to see if it’s to our liking! We want to shop around and find the soft drink that’s right for me. Isn’t it the case that this is done with religion as well? Find the church that is tailored made to our own doctrinal tastes and preferences and then we’ll be happy – at least for a time – until someone new comes and proclaims that they possess the NEW or “cutting-edge” religious experience or worship style!

As you can imagine, this sort of thing has nothing to do with the kingdom of God as Jesus preached about it. Jesus’s version of the kingdom wasn’t about tailor made experiences as it was about complete and absolute submission of one’s entire being to the will and purposes of God.

Jesus said, “Mt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

In other words, the kingdom of God isn’t intended to serve the purposes of people’s personal agendas for self help and “spiritual growth.” The “called out” live to serve within the boundaries of God’s kingdom and in fact have their total identity and “citizenship” defined by that kingdom.

I think one of the best places where we see the boundaries of God’s kingdom clearly idenitified is in the early chapters of Luke where Mary – the mother of Jesus- sings a song of joy and anticipation at the arrival of her child.

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.” (Luke 1:46-55)

How this vision of the kingdom played itself out in the ministry of Jesus can be seen by Jesus’s sending of his apostles into every village preaching about the good news of God and the coming Kingdom.

Lk 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

The mission we are on as believers is God’s mission to which we have all been called to be Christ’s emissaries. We have been given the authority of Jesus to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God – indeed to live that kingdom – wherein happens healing and wholeness, life transformation, and outpourings of the miraculous Spirit! God gives us precisely what we need to fulfill the mission he is sending us on. No more, no less.

All of the glory belongs to God for the awesome inheritance we have been given. And so as I desire and long for a greater “experience of God” in my life I know that the place to begin my search is with answering God’s call to surrender my life to the purposes of kingdom life. As that happens, as Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “all these things will be given to you.”