40 days of Focus: Serving - Week 1
Welcome to the 40 Days of Focus Daily Reader
Why 40 Days?
Throughout the Bible 40 days represents a significant time of testing or preparation that always ends in restoration or renewal. It rained for 40 days and nights, Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and nights, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus fasted for 40 days and ministered after His crucifixion for 40 days. In all, the number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the Bible.
The number 40 has been used by God for thousands of years to accomplish something great and over the next 40 days He desires to create something new in you if you will only allow Him access to your heart. Will you let Him?
What is the most important thing I need to know?
During the entire 40 Days Journey there will be significant moments for you to experience spiritual growth. None is more important than the “1 Thing” commitment. Our goal is to help you find one thing that you can accomplish before Easter Sunday. We are prepared to help you find an area of service that connects your passion with your talents, time and treasures. During the second week of the Journey you will be asked to fill-out a “1 Thing” card with your name and your service project listed. These will be posted on a pin board by the entire congregation. Upon completion of the service project you will move the “1 Thing” card to a “Completed Projects” pin board.
More than 300 churches from our region are now engaged in the Season of Service as we prepare for the Louis Palau Festival in June. For several months each church is applying the challenge to serve in their community by posting and sharing their journey on the Season of Service web page. Please take some time to explore the site at sacramentofestival.com. There, you will find exciting opportunities to serve in the following areas: Health and Wellness, Homelessness, Underserved and At Risk Groups, Hunger, Education, and Neighborhood Revitalization.
In addition to the “1 Thing” commitment to service, we encourage you to participate in a daily fast that will remind you of the journey you are on. Each Sunday the Sermon will communicate Biblical truth about serving and each day there will be a short, challenging devotional that you can read and apply to your life. If you join a small group you will have an opportunity to discuss the things you are learning. We also suggest that you focus some time each day to pray for 5 people who you will invite to the Easter Service. At the end of each day’s reading remember to pray and invite. At the end of the weekly reading there are questions for small group discussion.
“Only a life lived in the service of others is a life worth living.”
- Albert Einstein
What is Fasting?
Fasting is a sacred time for Christians to abstain from food or other pleasures in order to focus on God. By taking away one common pleasure for a period of time, we are forcing ourselves to remember that we are in a special season of seeking God. Each moment of the day when we become aware of our loss, we have an opportunity to replace the loss with an even greater gain. That great gain comes from time spent in communion with God. As we speak and as we listen, we gain insight into our lives and our calling. In short, through fasting you will grow stronger and deeper roots of faith and understanding that will sustain you and make you a place of strength for others.
How do I Fast?
Choose one thing to give up for 40 Days. This is a significant amount of time that will allow you to break old habits and form new ones. You may choose to fast from food or drink items, from sleep or entertainment like television or you may choose to give up any other form of pleasure. Whatever you decide to give up, make sure it’s something you will miss at least once each day. Remember, the fast is a trigger to remind you of something greater.
Once you have decided on a fast, you must next determine what you will replace it with. When you remember that you are abstaining, it will trigger you to replace your old habit with a new one. For example, you can memorize a Scripture, a series of Scriptures or pray a prayer each time you are reminded of your 40 day commitment. For example, you might say, “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Teach me to see the hurt in others and give me your love so that I can give it away freely without end.”
Is Fasting a Biblical Command?
Nothing in the Bible makes it clear that we are commanded by our Lord to fast. However, it is clearly encouraged and expected as normal. With any spiritual discipline there is always a chance that it will become a source of pride instead of humble sacrifice. The sin nature is inclined to focus on our works as well as compare our own work to others. We must be very careful to test our motive before we begin to apply any spiritual truth. Only with humility and obedience can we undertake a fast that leads to spiritual growth.
Matthew 6:16-18, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 9:14-15, “Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
Acts 13:2, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
1. Have you decided on a plan to fast for the next 40 days? Write your plan in the space below:
Day One – The Problem
Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. – Mother Teresa
We are losing the battle. Our once proud Nation was a god-fearing land when it began. It was a basic American assumption that marriage was for life. Kids needed moms and dads and the Church was a place of reverence and holiness. Ministers were the most respected men in the town. The Bible was the good book. Christian men and women took responsibility for the social ills of the society. Hospitals were built by Christians, as were schools and universities. Those in need sought the help of the Church while government leaders prayed publically and every military campaign began with prayer.
Today our Country is full of moral decay. Marriage is out and co-habitation is flooding into its place. Biblical truth is doubted and the Bible’s absolutes are held in distain. We have handed our problems to the government. Racism, poverty, sickness, violence and morality are now in the hands of elected officials and judges. The Church has stopped trying to change the world and instead has focused on conversions, butts in seats and budgets that swell to enormous proportions.
Layo Lieva is a pastor in San Salvador. He tells the story of when he was a young man just beginning in ministry. A group of his peers gathered together and began to dream of a better day. At that time less than 5% of the Country were professing evangelical Christians. They set out to bring a revival.
Thirty-five years later, pastor Layo gave this heart-breaking report: 38% of the Country had become born-again. Churches were full of people and there was a church in every neighborhood through the Country. One cell-based church grew to 147,000 people. Yet, despite these great advances, the mental and moral infrastructure of the country had been destroyed. Nine people a day died of violent crimes. Drug use was out of control. Thirty-five percent of the people were unemployed. Gangs were prolific and violent. One study showed that 32% of gang members came from evangelical homes.
Pastor Layo concluded, “I’m not sure if we need any more church plants, if they are like the ones we have now. What we need is a different kind of church. We settled for conversions rather than transformation. We don’t need to do better; we need to do it different.”
In America we are doing better than San Salvador in some ways. But we are in decline. Each year the Church becomes less revered, less effective and less important in America. While we still can pack an auditorium and build magnificent church campuses, we must acknowledge that we don’t have a winning game plan. What we have is a recipe for irrelevance.
Have we co-opted God’s story by making faith in Christ the end of a journey rather than the beginning of an adventure? In doing so, have we reduced the gospel to simply a way of escaping from danger, rather than embracing the compelling call to follow Christ into our broken world – a call to adventure?
Questions:
1. How have you seen the Church change during your lifetime?
2. Why do you think the Church in San Salvador failed to change the culture?
3. What would it take for the Church in America to change the culture?
Day Two – The Solution
Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them, he cried, “Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” God said, “I did do something. I made you.” – Unknown
Every world-view has to answer the question, “What is wrong with life and how can it be fixed?” Only the Christian world-view locates the problem with the world not in any one part of the world or in any one group of people but in Sin itself. And it locates the solution in God’s grace and the coming of the kingdom.
As we think of defining the kingdom, it can be helpful to begin by defining what the kingdom is not. It is not to be confused with our political movements. Some evangelicals believe the kingdom of God is largely about, if not centered on, ‘taking America back for God,’ voting for the Christian candidate, outlawing abortion, outlawing gay marriage, winning the culture war, defending political freedom at home and abroad, keeping the phrase ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance, fighting for prayer in the public schools and at public events, and fighting to display the ten commandments in government buildings. As worthy as these endeavors might be, they themselves are not what the kingdom is about.
What is the Kingdom?
Jesus talked a lot about the coming kingdom. But often times modern evangelical Christianity has substituted the Church into the place of the kingdom as if it was a future reality that would only come after the Church completed its work. But the Church is not a substitute for the kingdom. They are distinctly different. So, what is the kingdom?
Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached a clear message about the kingdom. They said, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near.” Wherever Jesus went He preached about the kingdom. Luke 4:43 tells us that is what He came to do. In His teaching on prayer, He said, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In Matthew 6:33 He said we should “seek first the kingdom.” Even after His death and resurrection He preached this same message of the kingdom (Acts 1:3). The kingdom of God is appears 122 times in the gospels.
Phillip’s ministry in Acts 8:12 was all about “the good news of the kingdom of God.” Likewise, the apostle Paul spoke in Ephesus for three months, “arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Later, in Rome, Paul was under house arrest and there he spoke. “From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God” (Acts 20:25). Paul refers to the kingdom more than sixteen times as he plants churches and establishes the doctrine of the Church.
The Definition
The kingdom of God is present in those places, spiritual or material, where God is honored as sovereign and his values are operative. The King’s name is Jesus. Preaching the message of the kingdom demands that we tell people through our words and communicate with our actions who this King is and what He values.
Questions:
1. How can we define the values of the kingdom of God?
2. If building the kingdom is the goal, not building the Church, does this change our focus?
3. How is kingdom building different than taking dominion?
Day Three – King Jesus
If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life. If you want to touch a life, touch the Savior. - Unknown
While the kingdom is the central message of the Church, it is clear that at the center of the kingdom is the King. Jesus is King. A careful student of the Gospels will note that the bookend passages of Jesus’ earthly life indicate his kingship. He was King in the manger in Matthew 2:1-2 as he received kingly gifts from the wise men. Jesus was King before Pilate as well. In John 18:37 we read Jesus’ words to Pilate, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world.”
Jesus was called a king while hanging on the cross. When a thief asked to be remembered as Jesus entered his kingdom, Jesus replied that he would be with Him in paradise. In Acts 17 Paul is so known for teaching that Jesus is King that others accuse him by saying, “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here… They are all… saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”
So, if Jesus is the King of the kingdom, we can learn a lot about how he expects us, His bride, to act. Wouldn’t the King want His bride to do His will? So, what is the will of Jesus for the kingdom? The Sermon on the Mount is a good place to start if we are looking for His declaration of the way the kingdom should function.
Children are valued and held in high esteem (Mk 10:14).
The poor are blessed and given a place of honor (Lk 6:20).
Servanthood is valued over power (Mt 20:20-28).
We love our enemies and bless those who curse us (Lk 6:27).
We treat others as we wish to be treated (Lk 6:31).
It’s a life of peacemaking (Mt 5:9).
It’s a life filled with faith and free of worry (Mt 6:25-34).
It’s a life of giving (Mt 6:1-4).
It’s a life of prayer (Mat 6:5).
It’s a life of love (Mt 5:43-48).
It’s a life of forgiveness (Mt 6:14).
It’s a life where marriage is honored (Mt 5:27-32).
It’s a life of reconciliation (Mt 5:23-26).
It’s a life of good deeds (Mt 5:16).
It’s a life of honesty (Mt 5:33-37).
It’s a life of good neighboring (Lk 10:25-37)
These values are a sample of what is most attractive when people live together the way God intended them to live. God has given us the power and the calling to do great good, to live like nobody else, as the Church. Why don’t we do it? When did we substitute buildings and programs and budgets for real life change? Would the King be happy with what we’ve produced?
Is the Church known for the things the King said we’d be known for? Are we better at esteeming children? Are we known for serving others? Do we enjoy a good reputation as peacemakers on the earth? Are we more likely to forgive? Have we reconciled with past wrongs? Do we make the best neighbors?
Could it be that we are more interested in doing it the way it’s always been done than doing it the way Christ always said it should be done?
Questions:
1. What is keeping the world from becoming more peaceful?
2. Can this world experience love, peace and forgiveness now?
3. What role does the Church play in kingdom building?
Day Four – From the Church to the Kingdom
Matthew 7:21-23, 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one 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 in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Church is different than the kingdom. Jesus builds His Church (Mt 16:18), and the Church helps build the kingdom. The kingdom is a picture of what life looks like when things on earth are done as they are in heaven. When people live under the reign of God, the King’s values are valued on earth. The Church serves as a living proof of the kingdom. It is a community where the world can see what marriage, family life, honest business practices, work habits, generosity, mercy, harmony among the races – all of life – look like when under the rule and authority of Jesus.
Maybe a word picture would help us better understand the relationship between the Church and the kingdom. The Church is to the kingdom what a mother is to a household. The mother is part of the household, but she is not the household. You cannot substitute mother for household. The household is made up of the father, the mother, the kids, the dog, the house, the car and much more. Does this mean the mother is not very important? No. She has a very important role in establishing and creating the home life. Although she is not the household, the house would not function well without her. In the same way, the Church helps establish the kingdom but never replaces it.
The Church has a very important role to play as it introduces those who are part of the kingdom of this world to the coming King. Jesus establishes the kingdom. We are invited to help Him. He has given us the power and the plan. We are expected to obey. Spreading the kingdom of God is more than simply winning men and women to Christ. It involves working towards peace and redemption of relationships. It means sharing kingdom values with others. The Church is called to create an attractive and compelling alternative, showing what life is like when lived under the reign of God.
Kingdom work involves two aspects. It involves introducing people to the King and it involves bringing His perspective and His values into the world in which we live. As such, sharing the gospel, teaching the Bible, cleaning up a public park and feeding the hungry are all part of kingdom work. This is what happens when we believe the words we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What the King values, earth should reflect if the Church is doing its job.
Questions:
1. How have you understood the meaning of the kingdom?
2. Is it consistent with the Bible to substitute Church for kingdom?
3. Why hasn’t the Church made service a bigger part of our calling if it’s so crucial to our understanding of the kingdom?
Small Group Discussion Guide: Week One
Open your time with prayer. Ask God to lead and guide you and welcome Him into your presence. Pray for each other and care for one another.
LOOK
Mark 4:26-29, “He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
Matthew 13:24-30, “Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
LEARN
Jesus often explained the kingdom by using parables. These were word pictures that gave a glimpse of the truth of the kingdom to those who could hear that truth.
Questions:
1. Why do you think Jesus always said at the beginning, that the kingdom of heaven/God was “like” the story?
2. Why did Jesus so often use farming as the illustration of a kingdom principle?
3. In Mark 4:26-29 what lessons can we learn about the kingdom?
4. Who does the man represent?
5. In Matthew 13:24-30 what lessons can we learn about the kingdom?
6. Where would you place the Church in this parable?
7. Who are the main characters or individuals or groups that appear in this parable through the picture of seeds and wheat and weeds and a man who sowed and another who was an enemy and the servants of each?
SHARE
1. As part of the Church, you are a kingdom builder. What is God asking you to do and what part is He alone able to do?
2. What is the best way to encourage others to adopt your values over their own? What examples have you seen that work and which ones have you seen that don’t?
3. How is church growth different from kingdom building?
4. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? “You can grow a church without growing the kingdom, but you cannot grow the kingdom without growing the Church.”
5. If He were to evaluate us today, what one area might the King find most disappointing in the modern American Church?
Why 40 Days?
Throughout the Bible 40 days represents a significant time of testing or preparation that always ends in restoration or renewal. It rained for 40 days and nights, Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and nights, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus fasted for 40 days and ministered after His crucifixion for 40 days. In all, the number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the Bible.
The number 40 has been used by God for thousands of years to accomplish something great and over the next 40 days He desires to create something new in you if you will only allow Him access to your heart. Will you let Him?
What is the most important thing I need to know?
During the entire 40 Days Journey there will be significant moments for you to experience spiritual growth. None is more important than the “1 Thing” commitment. Our goal is to help you find one thing that you can accomplish before Easter Sunday. We are prepared to help you find an area of service that connects your passion with your talents, time and treasures. During the second week of the Journey you will be asked to fill-out a “1 Thing” card with your name and your service project listed. These will be posted on a pin board by the entire congregation. Upon completion of the service project you will move the “1 Thing” card to a “Completed Projects” pin board.
More than 300 churches from our region are now engaged in the Season of Service as we prepare for the Louis Palau Festival in June. For several months each church is applying the challenge to serve in their community by posting and sharing their journey on the Season of Service web page. Please take some time to explore the site at sacramentofestival.com. There, you will find exciting opportunities to serve in the following areas: Health and Wellness, Homelessness, Underserved and At Risk Groups, Hunger, Education, and Neighborhood Revitalization.
In addition to the “1 Thing” commitment to service, we encourage you to participate in a daily fast that will remind you of the journey you are on. Each Sunday the Sermon will communicate Biblical truth about serving and each day there will be a short, challenging devotional that you can read and apply to your life. If you join a small group you will have an opportunity to discuss the things you are learning. We also suggest that you focus some time each day to pray for 5 people who you will invite to the Easter Service. At the end of each day’s reading remember to pray and invite. At the end of the weekly reading there are questions for small group discussion.
“Only a life lived in the service of others is a life worth living.”
- Albert Einstein
What is Fasting?
Fasting is a sacred time for Christians to abstain from food or other pleasures in order to focus on God. By taking away one common pleasure for a period of time, we are forcing ourselves to remember that we are in a special season of seeking God. Each moment of the day when we become aware of our loss, we have an opportunity to replace the loss with an even greater gain. That great gain comes from time spent in communion with God. As we speak and as we listen, we gain insight into our lives and our calling. In short, through fasting you will grow stronger and deeper roots of faith and understanding that will sustain you and make you a place of strength for others.
How do I Fast?
Choose one thing to give up for 40 Days. This is a significant amount of time that will allow you to break old habits and form new ones. You may choose to fast from food or drink items, from sleep or entertainment like television or you may choose to give up any other form of pleasure. Whatever you decide to give up, make sure it’s something you will miss at least once each day. Remember, the fast is a trigger to remind you of something greater.
Once you have decided on a fast, you must next determine what you will replace it with. When you remember that you are abstaining, it will trigger you to replace your old habit with a new one. For example, you can memorize a Scripture, a series of Scriptures or pray a prayer each time you are reminded of your 40 day commitment. For example, you might say, “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Teach me to see the hurt in others and give me your love so that I can give it away freely without end.”
Is Fasting a Biblical Command?
Nothing in the Bible makes it clear that we are commanded by our Lord to fast. However, it is clearly encouraged and expected as normal. With any spiritual discipline there is always a chance that it will become a source of pride instead of humble sacrifice. The sin nature is inclined to focus on our works as well as compare our own work to others. We must be very careful to test our motive before we begin to apply any spiritual truth. Only with humility and obedience can we undertake a fast that leads to spiritual growth.
Matthew 6:16-18, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 9:14-15, “Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
Acts 13:2, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
1. Have you decided on a plan to fast for the next 40 days? Write your plan in the space below:
Day One – The Problem
Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. – Mother Teresa
We are losing the battle. Our once proud Nation was a god-fearing land when it began. It was a basic American assumption that marriage was for life. Kids needed moms and dads and the Church was a place of reverence and holiness. Ministers were the most respected men in the town. The Bible was the good book. Christian men and women took responsibility for the social ills of the society. Hospitals were built by Christians, as were schools and universities. Those in need sought the help of the Church while government leaders prayed publically and every military campaign began with prayer.
Today our Country is full of moral decay. Marriage is out and co-habitation is flooding into its place. Biblical truth is doubted and the Bible’s absolutes are held in distain. We have handed our problems to the government. Racism, poverty, sickness, violence and morality are now in the hands of elected officials and judges. The Church has stopped trying to change the world and instead has focused on conversions, butts in seats and budgets that swell to enormous proportions.
Layo Lieva is a pastor in San Salvador. He tells the story of when he was a young man just beginning in ministry. A group of his peers gathered together and began to dream of a better day. At that time less than 5% of the Country were professing evangelical Christians. They set out to bring a revival.
Thirty-five years later, pastor Layo gave this heart-breaking report: 38% of the Country had become born-again. Churches were full of people and there was a church in every neighborhood through the Country. One cell-based church grew to 147,000 people. Yet, despite these great advances, the mental and moral infrastructure of the country had been destroyed. Nine people a day died of violent crimes. Drug use was out of control. Thirty-five percent of the people were unemployed. Gangs were prolific and violent. One study showed that 32% of gang members came from evangelical homes.
Pastor Layo concluded, “I’m not sure if we need any more church plants, if they are like the ones we have now. What we need is a different kind of church. We settled for conversions rather than transformation. We don’t need to do better; we need to do it different.”
In America we are doing better than San Salvador in some ways. But we are in decline. Each year the Church becomes less revered, less effective and less important in America. While we still can pack an auditorium and build magnificent church campuses, we must acknowledge that we don’t have a winning game plan. What we have is a recipe for irrelevance.
Have we co-opted God’s story by making faith in Christ the end of a journey rather than the beginning of an adventure? In doing so, have we reduced the gospel to simply a way of escaping from danger, rather than embracing the compelling call to follow Christ into our broken world – a call to adventure?
Questions:
1. How have you seen the Church change during your lifetime?
2. Why do you think the Church in San Salvador failed to change the culture?
3. What would it take for the Church in America to change the culture?
Day Two – The Solution
Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them, he cried, “Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” God said, “I did do something. I made you.” – Unknown
Every world-view has to answer the question, “What is wrong with life and how can it be fixed?” Only the Christian world-view locates the problem with the world not in any one part of the world or in any one group of people but in Sin itself. And it locates the solution in God’s grace and the coming of the kingdom.
As we think of defining the kingdom, it can be helpful to begin by defining what the kingdom is not. It is not to be confused with our political movements. Some evangelicals believe the kingdom of God is largely about, if not centered on, ‘taking America back for God,’ voting for the Christian candidate, outlawing abortion, outlawing gay marriage, winning the culture war, defending political freedom at home and abroad, keeping the phrase ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance, fighting for prayer in the public schools and at public events, and fighting to display the ten commandments in government buildings. As worthy as these endeavors might be, they themselves are not what the kingdom is about.
What is the Kingdom?
Jesus talked a lot about the coming kingdom. But often times modern evangelical Christianity has substituted the Church into the place of the kingdom as if it was a future reality that would only come after the Church completed its work. But the Church is not a substitute for the kingdom. They are distinctly different. So, what is the kingdom?
Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached a clear message about the kingdom. They said, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near.” Wherever Jesus went He preached about the kingdom. Luke 4:43 tells us that is what He came to do. In His teaching on prayer, He said, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In Matthew 6:33 He said we should “seek first the kingdom.” Even after His death and resurrection He preached this same message of the kingdom (Acts 1:3). The kingdom of God is appears 122 times in the gospels.
Phillip’s ministry in Acts 8:12 was all about “the good news of the kingdom of God.” Likewise, the apostle Paul spoke in Ephesus for three months, “arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Later, in Rome, Paul was under house arrest and there he spoke. “From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God” (Acts 20:25). Paul refers to the kingdom more than sixteen times as he plants churches and establishes the doctrine of the Church.
The Definition
The kingdom of God is present in those places, spiritual or material, where God is honored as sovereign and his values are operative. The King’s name is Jesus. Preaching the message of the kingdom demands that we tell people through our words and communicate with our actions who this King is and what He values.
Questions:
1. How can we define the values of the kingdom of God?
2. If building the kingdom is the goal, not building the Church, does this change our focus?
3. How is kingdom building different than taking dominion?
Day Three – King Jesus
If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life. If you want to touch a life, touch the Savior. - Unknown
While the kingdom is the central message of the Church, it is clear that at the center of the kingdom is the King. Jesus is King. A careful student of the Gospels will note that the bookend passages of Jesus’ earthly life indicate his kingship. He was King in the manger in Matthew 2:1-2 as he received kingly gifts from the wise men. Jesus was King before Pilate as well. In John 18:37 we read Jesus’ words to Pilate, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world.”
Jesus was called a king while hanging on the cross. When a thief asked to be remembered as Jesus entered his kingdom, Jesus replied that he would be with Him in paradise. In Acts 17 Paul is so known for teaching that Jesus is King that others accuse him by saying, “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here… They are all… saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”
So, if Jesus is the King of the kingdom, we can learn a lot about how he expects us, His bride, to act. Wouldn’t the King want His bride to do His will? So, what is the will of Jesus for the kingdom? The Sermon on the Mount is a good place to start if we are looking for His declaration of the way the kingdom should function.
Children are valued and held in high esteem (Mk 10:14).
The poor are blessed and given a place of honor (Lk 6:20).
Servanthood is valued over power (Mt 20:20-28).
We love our enemies and bless those who curse us (Lk 6:27).
We treat others as we wish to be treated (Lk 6:31).
It’s a life of peacemaking (Mt 5:9).
It’s a life filled with faith and free of worry (Mt 6:25-34).
It’s a life of giving (Mt 6:1-4).
It’s a life of prayer (Mat 6:5).
It’s a life of love (Mt 5:43-48).
It’s a life of forgiveness (Mt 6:14).
It’s a life where marriage is honored (Mt 5:27-32).
It’s a life of reconciliation (Mt 5:23-26).
It’s a life of good deeds (Mt 5:16).
It’s a life of honesty (Mt 5:33-37).
It’s a life of good neighboring (Lk 10:25-37)
These values are a sample of what is most attractive when people live together the way God intended them to live. God has given us the power and the calling to do great good, to live like nobody else, as the Church. Why don’t we do it? When did we substitute buildings and programs and budgets for real life change? Would the King be happy with what we’ve produced?
Is the Church known for the things the King said we’d be known for? Are we better at esteeming children? Are we known for serving others? Do we enjoy a good reputation as peacemakers on the earth? Are we more likely to forgive? Have we reconciled with past wrongs? Do we make the best neighbors?
Could it be that we are more interested in doing it the way it’s always been done than doing it the way Christ always said it should be done?
Questions:
1. What is keeping the world from becoming more peaceful?
2. Can this world experience love, peace and forgiveness now?
3. What role does the Church play in kingdom building?
Day Four – From the Church to the Kingdom
Matthew 7:21-23, 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one 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 in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Church is different than the kingdom. Jesus builds His Church (Mt 16:18), and the Church helps build the kingdom. The kingdom is a picture of what life looks like when things on earth are done as they are in heaven. When people live under the reign of God, the King’s values are valued on earth. The Church serves as a living proof of the kingdom. It is a community where the world can see what marriage, family life, honest business practices, work habits, generosity, mercy, harmony among the races – all of life – look like when under the rule and authority of Jesus.
Maybe a word picture would help us better understand the relationship between the Church and the kingdom. The Church is to the kingdom what a mother is to a household. The mother is part of the household, but she is not the household. You cannot substitute mother for household. The household is made up of the father, the mother, the kids, the dog, the house, the car and much more. Does this mean the mother is not very important? No. She has a very important role in establishing and creating the home life. Although she is not the household, the house would not function well without her. In the same way, the Church helps establish the kingdom but never replaces it.
The Church has a very important role to play as it introduces those who are part of the kingdom of this world to the coming King. Jesus establishes the kingdom. We are invited to help Him. He has given us the power and the plan. We are expected to obey. Spreading the kingdom of God is more than simply winning men and women to Christ. It involves working towards peace and redemption of relationships. It means sharing kingdom values with others. The Church is called to create an attractive and compelling alternative, showing what life is like when lived under the reign of God.
Kingdom work involves two aspects. It involves introducing people to the King and it involves bringing His perspective and His values into the world in which we live. As such, sharing the gospel, teaching the Bible, cleaning up a public park and feeding the hungry are all part of kingdom work. This is what happens when we believe the words we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What the King values, earth should reflect if the Church is doing its job.
Questions:
1. How have you understood the meaning of the kingdom?
2. Is it consistent with the Bible to substitute Church for kingdom?
3. Why hasn’t the Church made service a bigger part of our calling if it’s so crucial to our understanding of the kingdom?
Small Group Discussion Guide: Week One
Open your time with prayer. Ask God to lead and guide you and welcome Him into your presence. Pray for each other and care for one another.
LOOK
Mark 4:26-29, “He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
Matthew 13:24-30, “Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
LEARN
Jesus often explained the kingdom by using parables. These were word pictures that gave a glimpse of the truth of the kingdom to those who could hear that truth.
Questions:
1. Why do you think Jesus always said at the beginning, that the kingdom of heaven/God was “like” the story?
2. Why did Jesus so often use farming as the illustration of a kingdom principle?
3. In Mark 4:26-29 what lessons can we learn about the kingdom?
4. Who does the man represent?
5. In Matthew 13:24-30 what lessons can we learn about the kingdom?
6. Where would you place the Church in this parable?
7. Who are the main characters or individuals or groups that appear in this parable through the picture of seeds and wheat and weeds and a man who sowed and another who was an enemy and the servants of each?
SHARE
1. As part of the Church, you are a kingdom builder. What is God asking you to do and what part is He alone able to do?
2. What is the best way to encourage others to adopt your values over their own? What examples have you seen that work and which ones have you seen that don’t?
3. How is church growth different from kingdom building?
4. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? “You can grow a church without growing the kingdom, but you cannot grow the kingdom without growing the Church.”
5. If He were to evaluate us today, what one area might the King find most disappointing in the modern American Church?
posted by pastordan at 3:44 PM
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