More Than Words...

Jesus knew that the kingdom He was establishing would be so different from what people were accustomed to that He spent much of His ministry teaching about the Kingdom of God.  At times, He directly contrasted His kingdom with the ways of earthly kingdoms, as He does in Matthew 20:25-28. In this passage, Jesus explains to His disciples that the way authority is exercised in God’s kingdom is very different from the ways of earthly kingdoms.  Leadership in His kingdom is not about power and control but humility and service. The kingdoms of this world rely on power, force, wealth, and hierarchy. Success and greatness in leadership are seen as climbing up the ladder to a position of status where one can give executive orders from the top and enforce change on those below to control outcomes and make things happen. But Jesus tells His followers, “Not so with you.” God’s kingdom operates differently, and He points to Himself as the example.   So, how does Jesus exerci...

The Bible tells a unified story of God’s plan to overcome evil and restore all of creation through Jesus, who died and rose again to build His redeemed family—the church and bring God’s good kingdom rule.  However, God’s kingdom is not coming all at once; we live in an overlap of time where God is rescuing people from the world’s kingdoms into His kingdom, which has already begun but will not be fully realized until Jesus returns.  As His kingdom people, we are called to live by the values and ways of his kingdom, yet we often adopt the world’s ways of thinking about success, life, and the church.  Paul warns us in Colossians 2:8 not to be taken captive by worldly philosophies. Yet, if we don’t put some effort into realigning our thinking with God’s kingdom, we risk embracing a version of Christianity that fits into cultural expectations but lacks the power to transform lives. The first section of Acts tells the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the very beg...