Locking Out the Poor

Shane Claiborne is the author of the Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, and part of the Simple Way - a community of faith in downtown Philly. (My daughter and her husband are part of a sister community - Circle of Hope)


Locking Out The Poor from The Work Of The People on Vimeo.

The Strength Is In The Struggle

I received this this morning from an old friend named Marilyn...

I love the illustration of the caterpillar and the butterfly. The lonely butterfly egg hatches. The caterpillar just begins to instinctively eat the leaf it was hatched on. When it finishes that leaf it finds another. Yet one day, by God’s design, it climbs a small branch and spins a cocoon. In that cocoon, the caterpillar melts. From that liquid, God forms the butterfly. That is why the butterfly is all wet when it comes out of the cocoon. It then has to laboriously stretch out its wings to cause the liquids to move into its veins. Then it rests. Then it stretches out again and rests. Finally when it is dry and strong, the tiny thread that secured it to the cocoon breaks and it is free to fly and drink nectar.

Have you ever asked God to remove your trial? Paul did, and the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I like to think about grace as a box. Each side top and bottom is labeled, “My grace is sufficient.” In my struggle, I often say, “Here I am Lord, standing in my grace box.” It helps me to focus on Him and realize afresh that I am surrounded by His grace strength.

Every trial contains another essential step in God’s purpose for our life. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Did Abraham struggle as he waited twenty some years before God’s promise was fulfilled in his life? Romans 4:18 says, “Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed.” This needful endurance means that we can bear up under our difficult trial through hope, continually drawing our strength from the Lord.

1 Peter 5:10 says, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” Did you notice that the establishing comes after the suffering? So many things in nature bear out this truth. The crocus that emerges through the snow, the baby bird that pecks its way through an egg, the seedling that pushes through the earth, all represent how the strength is in the struggle.

1 Peter 1:7 tells how the fiery trials are necessary to purify our faith. Faith is essential. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. There is another aspect to struggling. People watch our faith. It could be that the trial you are enduring right now is a testimony to God’s grace strength in your life. I like to read true life stories of missionaries to see how God was faithful in their impossible circumstances. Their endurance fortifies and encourages me, as I read how God orchestrated their lives, interweaving people and circumstances to fulfill His divine purpose for them.

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Be encouraged today to stand in your grace box and endure because the strength is in the struggle.

The Eastern Roots of Our Christian Faith

On a couple of occasions in a church service during our Deeper Still series (a contemplative look at the Lord’s Prayer) I have made the point that we, in the western world, often forget that Christianity was birthed and is rooted in the East. 

Here is my best attempt at a short history:

The westernization of Christianity began with Paul planting and writing to churches throughout the Mediterranean region.  The book of Acts ends with Paul imprisoned in Rome (about 64AD). Paul, by the way, was part of the early persecution of the Church (see Acts 8).  After Paul’s conversion he experienced severe persecution throughout the remainder of his life – which is said to have ended with his beheading.  The first large-scale persecution of the Jerusalem Church occurred in 70AD with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.  This drove Christians (and Jews) out of the region and onto the vast system of roadways built by Rome and linking what is today western Europe, Turkey, and northern Africa resulting in an era of missionality. In his book, The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church, Alan Hirsch calculates that the early church grew from 25,000 in 100AD to about 20,000,000 by 310AD!  This, no doubt, influenced Emperor Constantine, who, in 313AD, made Christianity the formal religion of the Empire (see map above).  (There is still debate over whether or not Constantine was an active follower of Christ.  Some maintain that in making Christianity the religion of the empire his goals were more political than theological.) Nevertheless, Constantine was uniquely a product of both the east and the west and this set the stage for Christianity to strengthen its flow into what is today Europe (and into N Africa).

Beginning around the third century Christian hermits, ascetics and monks fled to the desert of Egypt.  They were seeking to escape the chaos and the Diocletian (predecessor of Constantine) persecution, abandoning the cities of the secular world to live in solitude.  In Egypt, refugee communities formed at the edges of population centers, far enough away to assure safety.  In 313, when Christianity was made legal, many continued to live in these marginal areas.  The solitude of these places attracted them because the privations of the desert were a means of learning the ways of Jesus -- fasting and seeking God.  They believed that desert life would teach them to follow God's call in a more focused and deliberate way.  During the 4th century, these communities continued to attract others and as the lifestyle progressed, these men and women developed a reputation for holiness and wisdom.  Today they are referred to as the Desert Fathers.  Many individuals who spent part of their lives in the Egyptian desert went on to become important figures in the Church and society of the 4th and 5th centuries, among them Athanasius, Anthony, John Chrysostom, and John Cassian.  The spirituality of the Desert Fathers deeply affected the Western Church (including Protestantism) and the Eastern Church – their role creates the opportunity for Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant believers to enjoy some common ground.  For instance Augustine, who was converted through the writings of  Anthony of the Desert, continues to be revered and respected by the Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants alike.  Additionally, the monastic institutions Cassian and Augustine helped spread into Europe are said to have kept learning and culture alive during the Early Middle Ages, and were often the only institutions that cared for the sick and poor.  (It should be noted that while all this was going on in N Africa and S Europe, Saint Patrick was preaching the gospel and building communities of faith in Ireland – which spread south into Europe even as Cassian-Augustinian inspired communities spread north.)  For this reason, the writings and spirituality of the Desert Fathers are still of interest to many people today.

When we hear the phrase “contemplative spirituality,” it is often a reference to the learning and teaching of these Desert Fathers. 

“Contemplative spirituality” means the understanding that God wants to have a real relationship with us – this is not just religion – God longs to walk alongside us in our lives and speak into and guide our live.  Our part in allowing this to happen is to learn the blessings of solitude, silence, and listening – this is especially helpful in our 21^st century ADD culture.  It’s a way of practicing our faith that can be foreign to many Christians, especially us Evangelicals who are trained to read Scripture more for information than formation.  We can engage the Text with the intention to be formed by it, to deepen our relationship with God.  In this process we are making ourselves available to God, positioning ourselves before him that he might have access to our lives.  Studying and learning both the western and eastern constructs of our Christian faith will strengthen us to live as balanced and faithful Christ-followers.

Here are some practices of Scripture that have a more contemplative aspect to them:

• Meditation (Psalm 1:2; 4:4; 27:4; 39:3; 48:9; 63:6; 77:6, 12; 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 52, 78, 97, 99, 117, 148; 143:5; 145:5)
• Silence as a form of contemplation and listening (Psalm 46:10a; Isaiah 30:15; Matthew 6:6; Matthew 11:29; 1 Peter 3:4; 1 John 3:19)
• Fasting as a form of humble focus (Ps 35:13b, et al.)

J.I. Packer in his classic work, Knowing God says, meditation is a lost art today, and Christian people suffer grievously from their ignorance of the practice.  Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God.  It is the activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God. (pgs 18-19).

A Consideration of the Focus of God's Wrath (or Anger)

The painting above is John Martin's, Great Day of His Wrath. (It hangs in the Tate Gallery in London.)

A while back, in a Sunday service, I mentioned that my perspective of God's wrath is that it has more to do with God's longing than with God's anger. This perspective elicited a disagreeing comment by someone who was there. Following is my attempt to articulate my thinking in this area. I am not insisting that I am right, only passing on to you my current thinking in this area...

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Eph 5:6, emphasis added).

The word orgē (Greek: ὀργή) is used approximately 36 times in the New Testament; twenty-one times in Paul’s writings, six times in Revelation, and only occasionally in the Gospels.[1] In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul uses orgē three times (2:3; 4:31; 5:6).

Biblical hermeneutics is the art and science of biblical interpretation and is perhaps summarized best by 2 Timothy 2:15,

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Biblical hermeneutics is art because it calls for nuance and craft and science because it demands technique and skill. There are accepted academic rules to follow and one of those rules states that a verse or passage must be interpreted:

• Historically,
  
• Grammatically, and
  
• Contextually.

Historical interpretation refers to understanding the culture, background, and situation, which prompted the text. Grammatical interpretation is recognizing the rules of grammar and nuances of the Hebrew and Greek languages and applying those principles to the understanding of a passage. Contextual interpretation involves always taking the surrounding context of a verse/passage into consideration when trying to determine the meaning.

In Paul’s letter (epistle) to the Ephesians he was probably writing primarily to Christ-following Gentiles, or Greeks -- and not Jews. (Ephesus was ranked with Rome, Corinth, Antioch, and Alexandria as the foremost urban centers of the Roman Empire.) In writing to Gentiles, Paul, as a well educated rabbi and also a citizen of Rome was, no doubt, aware that in the Rhetoric,[2] Aristotle defined wrath (orgē) as, “a longing, accompanied by pain…”[3]  Aristotle additionally ascribed value to wrath (or anger) that has arisen from perceived injustice because it is useful for preventing injustice.[4]

Misconceptions of the wrath of God have led to a false picture of God. One such is reading into the phrase “wrath of God” the idea of a “wrathful” or “angry” God. Here God is often seen as stern and cruel, a mean Judge who loves to revenge and punish humankind whenever there is an opportunity to do so, and at times even does so arbitrarily. Such a picture of God, however, is a grave distortion of God’s character and often leads to unhealthy fear or reward-motivated obedience -- disconnected from love.

The Old Testament certainly states that opposition to God's will results in God's anger. In reference to anger, the Jewish Encyclopedia[5] states: God is not an intellectual abstraction, nor is He conceived as a being indifferent to the doings of man; and His pure and lofty nature resents most energetically anything wrong and impure in the moral world. Christ-followers also subscribe to the perspective of God's holiness and anger welling up in the sight of evil and this anger is not inconsistent with God's love. We also believe that the wrath of God comes upon those who reject Jesus.

Yet, could this wrath (or anger) of God be focused more on the effects of sin than on the sinner? In Romans 1:18 Paul states, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Could this be speaking of the longing and pain that God has for people to repent of their godlessness and wickedness?

The totality of Scripture makes it very clear that the wrath of God is not the last horizon. God is love (1 John 4:16). God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but is pleased when they turn from their sinful ways and live (Ezekiel 18:23). God wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the saving truth (1 Tim. 2:4-6). Reconciliation has its starting point in Christ. God wants the world to be reconciled with him, both in and through him (2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 5:8-11). God does not desire revengeful punishment. Within the context of biblical judgment, divine wrath is not an expression of a despotic deity, but a just and legitimate reaction against the effects (or, sinfulness) of sin. God’s wrath is aroused against sin, because sin is a rebellion against God's nature and character. But even in God’s wrath mercy is remembered (Is. 54:7, 8).

The ultimate test of biblical scholarship is whether it serves effectively to equip God’s people for discipleship. The essentials of the Christian faith include: 

• The authority of Scripture
• The existence of a Triune God
• Humankind is a physical and spiritual being who is created in God's image
• Jesus Christ is by God's grace, was born of a virgin, is fully God and fully man, died for our sins, physically rose from the dead, will one day return to judge the world and fully deliver his people, and was sent to save us from our bondage to sin
• Faith in Christ is the only means by which humankind can escape eternal judgment
• The church as God's ordained institution headed by Christ, composed of all believers, and organized for the furtherance of the kingdom of God.

In the essentials of the Christian faith, we must have unity (Eph. 4:4-6); in the non-essentials of the faith, we embrace diversity (Rom. 14:1-6); in all matters of faith, we seek to have charity (1 Cor. 13:1-3).[6]

The focus of God’s wrath, or anger, is not – by my understanding – an essential of the Christian faith. Respectful, honest dialogue will help us to refine our faith…

What are your thoughts??

---

[1] Brown, Dictionary of NT Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967), p. 110

[2] Rhetoric is an ancient Greek treatise on the art of persuasion, dating from the fourth century BC.

[3] 1378a

[4] According to Aristotle: "The person who is angry at the right things and toward the right people, and also in the right way, at the right time and for the right length of time is morally praiseworthy." cf. Paul M. Hughes, Anger, Encyclopedia of Ethics, Vol I, Second Edition, Rutledge Press

[5] http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/search_results.jsp?searchType=1&pageNum=1&search=anger&x=0&y=0&searchOpt=0

[6] The History of the Christian Church, by Philip Schaff. In Volume VII, Modern Christianity, The German Reformation, Schaff writes: “This famous motto of Christian Irenics, which I have slightly modified in the text, is often falsely attributed to St. Augustin (whose creed would not allow it, though his heart might have approved of it), but is of much later origin. It appears for the first time in Germany, a.d. 1627 and 1628, among peaceful divines of the Lutheran and German Reformed churches, and found a hearty welcome among moderate divines in England…The authorship has recently been traced to Rupertus Meldenius, an otherwise unknown divine, and author of a remarkable tract in which the sentence first occurs. He gave classical expression to the irenic sentiments of such divines as Calixtus of Helmstädt, David Pareus of Heidelberg, Crocius of Marburg, John Valentin Andrew of Wuerttemberg, John Arnd of Zelle, Georg Frank of Francfort-on-the Oder, the brothers Bergius in Brandenburg, and of the indefatigable traveling evangelist of Christian union, John Dury, and Richard Baxter.”

Don't Lower the Bar, Lower the Barriers - Becoming Missional

Before Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the state in the year 313, Christianity was a subversive, counter-cultural movement that existed at the margins of society – not at the center. The subsequent move to the center of society had advantages as well as dis-advantages.:

• The advantage was that there was a common (Biblical) language and reference point for public moral discourse with which society could discuss what was “good” or “moral,” or “right.”
  
• The disadvantage was that (legislated) Christian morality without the Holy Spirit and gospel-changed hearts often led to cruelty, hypocrisy, and the abuse of power and authority.

There is an often-told story of Thomas Aquinas (13th century) when he visited Pope Innocent IV and found him counting a large sum of money. “Ah, Thomas," said the Pope, "the church can no longer say, ‘silver and gold have I none.’” That is true, Your Holiness," said Aquinas, "but then, neither can it now say, ‘Arise and walk’" (Ref Acts 3:6).

One of the downsides of Christendom is that we’ve placed way too much emphasis on the WORDS of Christ and not enough emphasis on the WORKS of Christ. We’ve been a voice without sufficient action. Again, in Christendom nations -- and people groups -- have been “Christianized” without becoming whole-heartedly converted.

Since about the mid-19th century the church in Europe and North America has been losing its privileged place in the center of society and as the authority of public morality. The decline of Christendom has accelerated greatly since the end of WWII, when science and reason ultimately failed to fix all our problems and concerns (i.e., the decline of modernity).

We are now living at a time that many would consider “POST-Christian.” (Or, if you’re an optimist, “Pre-Christian.”) Once again the church is finding itself at the margins of culture and society – we are losing our place of moral authority. This will force us, as the church, to engage the culture around us in a whole new way. (That is what it means to be “missional.”)

Studies indicate that unchurched people do not have a problem with God, or even Jesus -- they have a problem with the church. Our current context in North America is more like the early NT context – the church has been pushed to the margins and is no longer at the center of society.

The people who make-up a missional church see themselves as missionaries to the dominant post-Christian culture that surrounds them – as well as the various sub-cultures. As missionaries to a “post-Christian” culture it would be wrong to assume the people we encounter have any basic background regarding the availability of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ – or that they have read the Bible. And the ones who have grown-up in churches may, very well, have an extremely negative view of the church.

As missionaries we are invited by God to seek new ways to tell the “Jesus story” to the surrounding culture. It takes understanding the culture (contextualizing the gospel for the culture we are investing in) and looking for redemptive ways to share the Jesus story.

What other parts of our current cultural context are redemptive? One de-churched person asked how a church can sing (the hymn), “This is My Father’s World” on Sunday and rape the environment on Monday? Justice issues? Affordable housing? Oppressed poor? Aids? Care/treatment for the homeless?

A missional church is seeking to engage the surrounding “dominant” culture with redemptive relationships – and move people toward reconciliation – with one another and with God. We don’t want to lower the bar; we want to lower the barriers.

Characteristics of a Missional Church (Pt 5)

Tim Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, NY. He is also the author of the Reason for God and Prodigal God. He is also the founder of a churchplanting movement that has planted over 100 hundred churches. In 2008, Keller spoke at Google as part of their "Authors @ Google" program. You can find that talk here.

Marks of Missionality

How do we know if, or when, we are diving into missionality?

Missionality goes beyond any ministry or program - even evangelism. For instance, a 'missional' small group is not necessarily one which is doing some kind of specific 'evangelism' program (though that is to be recommended). Rather...

1. If its members love and talk positively about the city/neighborhood,
2. If they speak in language that is not filled with pious tribal or technical terms and phrases, nor disdainful and embattled, or embittered, language,
3. If in their Bible study they apply the gospel to the core concerns and stories of the people of the culture,
4. If they are obviously interested in and engaged with the literature and art and thought of the surrounding culture and can discuss it both appreciatively and yet critically,
5. If they exhibit deep concern for the poor
6. If they show generosity with their money
7. If they show purity and respect with regard to opposite sex
8. If they show humility toward people of other races and cultures
9. If they do not bash other Christians and churches.

Then seekers and non-believing people from the city...

• Will be invited and
• Will come and will stay as they explore spiritual issues.

If these marks are not there it will only be able to include believers or traditional, "Christianized" people.

The Elements of a Missional Church (Pt 3)

The above graphic is an overview of the process of a missional perspective.

Keller identifies 5 elements of a missional church. Today we'll look at the first two...

1. Discourse in the vernacular.

• In 'Christendom' there is little difference between the language inside and outside of the church. Documents of the early U.S. Congress, for example, are riddled with allusions to and references from the Bible. Biblical technical terms are well-known inside and outside. In a missional church, however, terms must be explained.
• The missional church avoids 'tribal' language, stylized prayer language, unnecessary evangelical pious 'jargon', and archaic language that seeks to set a 'spiritual tone.'
• The missional church avoids 'we-them' language, disdainful jokes that mock people of different politics and beliefs, and dismissive, disrespectful comments about those who differ with us. [Sound like the health-care debates??]
  
• The missional church avoids sentimental, pompous, 'inspirational' talk. Instead we engage the culture with gentle, self-deprecating but joyful irony the gospel creates. Humility + joy = gospel irony and realism.
• The missional church avoids ever talking as if non-believing people are not present. If you speak and discourse as if your whole neighborhood is present (not just scattered Christians), eventually more and more of your neighborhood will find their way in or be invited.
• Unless all of the above is the outflow of a truly humble-bold gospel-changed heart, it is all just 'marketing' and 'spin.'

2. Enter and re-tell the culture's stories with the gospel

• In "Christendom" it is possible to simply exhort Christianized people to "do what they know they should." There is little or no real engagement, listening, or persuasion. It is more a matter of exhortation (and often, heavy reliance on guilt.) In a missional church preaching and communication should always assume the presence of skeptical people, and should engage their stories, not simply talk about "old times."
• To "enter" means to show sympathy toward and deep acquaintance with the literature, music, theater, etc. of the existing culture's hopes, dreams, 'heroic' narratives, fears.
• The older culture's story was--to be a good person, a good father/mother, son/daughter, to live a decent, merciful, good life.
• Now the culture's story is-- a) to be free and self-created and authentic (theme of freedom from oppression), and b) to make the world safe for everyone else to be the same (theme of inclusion of the 'other'; justice).
• To "re-tell" means to show how only in Christ can we have freedom without slavery and embracing of the 'other' without injustice.

The Need for a 'Missional' Church (Pt 2)

This is from an article by Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NY, NY. He gives an excellent overview of the "why" and "how" of the missional church...

In the West for nearly 1,000 years, the relationship of (Anglo-European) Christian churches to the broader culture was a relationship known as "Christendom." The institutions of society "Christianized" people, and stigmatized non-Christian belief and behavior. Though people were "Christianized" by the culture, they were not regenerated or converted with the Gospel. The church's job was then to challenge persons into a vital, living relation with Christ.

There were great advantages and yet great disadvantages to 'Christendom.' The advantage was that there was a common language for public moral discourse with which society could discuss what was 'the good.'

The disadvantage was that Christian morality without gospel-changed hearts often led to cruelty and hypocrisy. Think of how the small town in "Christendom" treated the unwed mother or the gay person.

Also, under "Christendom" the church often was silent against abuses of power of the ruling classes over the weak. For these reasons and others, the church in Europe and North America has been losing its privileged place as the arbiter of public morality since at least the mid 19th century. The decline of Christendom has accelerated greatly since the end of WWII.

The British missionary Lesslie Newbigin went to India around 1950. There he was involved with a church living 'in mission' in a very non-Christian culture. When he returned to England some 30 years later, he discovered that now the Western church too existed in a non-Christian society, but it had not adapted to its new situation. Though public institutions and popular culture of Europe and North America no longer 'Christianized' people, the church still ran its ministries assuming that a stream of 'Christianized', traditional/moral people would simply show up in services. Some churches certainly did 'evangelism' as one ministry among many. But the church in the West had not become completely 'missional'--adapting and reformulating absolutely everything it did in worship, discipleship, community, and service--so as to be engaged with the non-Christian society around it. It had not developed a 'missiology of western culture' the way it had done so for other non-believing cultures.

One of the reasons much of the American evangelical church has not experienced the same precipitous decline as the Protestant churches of Europe and Canada is because in the U.S. there is still a 'heartland' with the remnants of the old 'Christendom' society. There the informal public culture (though not the formal public institutions) still stigmatizes non-Christian beliefs and behavior. "There is a fundamental schism in American cultural, political, and economic life. There's the quicker-growing, economically vibrant...morally relativist, urban-oriented, culturally adventuresome, sexually polymorphous, and ethnically diverse nation...and there's the small town, nuclear-family, religiously-oriented, white-centric other America, [with]...its diminishing cultural and economic force....[T]wo nations..." (Michael Wolff, New York, Feb 26 2001, p. 19).

In conservative regions, it is still possible to see people profess faith and the church grow without becoming 'missional.' Most traditional evangelical churches still can only win people to Christ who are temperamentally traditional and conservative. But, as Wolff notes, this is a 'shrinking market.' And eventually evangelical churches ensconced in the declining, remaining enclaves of "Christendom" will have to learn how to become 'missional'. If it does not do that it will decline or die.

We don't simply need evangelistic churches, but rather 'missional' churches.

More tomorrow...

Becoming MISSIONAL

There is a major shift occurring in the Church today. Some would call it a SEAM in history. Approximately every 500 years, the Church goes through a sweeping change in its attempt to live in the tension of adjusting to the times (i.e., contextualization) while remaining theologically orthodox. Here's an overview of the 4 major shifts: Constantine in the late 4th century, early 5th; the Great Schism of the 11th century; the Reformation in the 16th century; and now the Postmodern era in the 21st century have all been points of reference for these changes. A significant part of this current transition is a shift from what has been called an "attractional model" to a "missional model" of church...

Missional means being willing to adapt and reformulate everything we do in worship, discipleship, community, and service so as to be engaged with the non-churched culture around us (adapted from a definition by Tim Keller; download his article here).

With this blog I will begin a blog series about this dramatic transition in the Church...

10 THINGS ANYONE WHO JOINS IN A TWENTY-FIRST CENTRUY MISSIONAL CHURCH SHOULD NOT EXPECT:

1. Should not expect to regularly come to church for just one hour, get what you need for your own personal growth and development, and your kid’s needs, and then leave til next Sunday. Expect mission to change your life. Expect however a richer life than you could have ever imagined.
2. Should not expect that Jesus will fit in with every consumerist capitalist assumption, lifestyle, schedule, or accoutrement you may have adopted. Expect to be freed from a lot of crap you will find out you never needed.
3. Should not expect to be anonymous, unknown, or be able to disappear in this church Body. Expect to be known, loved, and supported in a glorious journey.
4. Should not expect production style excellence all the time at Sunday worship gatherings. Expect organic, simple, and authentic beauty.
5. Should not expect a raucous "light out" youth program that entertains the teenagers, puts on a show that gets the kids "pumped up," all without parental involvement. Instead as the years go by, with our children as part of our life, worship, and mission expect our youth to have an authentic relationship with God thru Christ that carries them through a lifetime of journey with God.
6. Should not expect to always "feel good," or ecstatic on Sunday mornings. Expect that there will ALSO be times of confusion, confession, lament, self-examination, and just plain silence.
7. Should not expect a lot of sermons that promise you God will prosper you with "the life you've always wanted" if you’ll just believe him and step out on faith and give some more money for a bigger sanctuary. Expect sustenance for the journey.
8. Should not expect rapid growth whereby we grow this church from 10 to a thousand in three years. Expect slower organic inefficient growth that engages people’s lives where they are at and sees troubled people who would have nothing to do with the gospel marvelously saved.
9. Should not expect all the meetings to happen in a church building. Expect a lot of the gatherings will be in homes, or sites of mission.
10. Should not expect arguments over style of music, color of carpet, or even doctrinal outlier issues like dispensationalism. Expect mission to drive the conversation.

O AND BY THE WAY … Should not expect that community comes to you…true community in Christ will take some "effort" and a reshuffling of our priorities. We must learn that the answer to all those things is to enter into the practices of "being the Body" in Christ including -- eating, sharing, praying, and playing together.

As C. S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory: "We are far too easily pleased. We have become satisfied with mere church, mere religious exertion, mere numbers and buildings—the things we can do. There is nothing wrong with these things, but they are no more than foam left by the surf on the ocean of God's glory and goodness.”

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

We often confuse the fruit for the goals…

1. Instead of trying to be good, it’s better to focus our energy on aiming to be surrendered to God (that’s why it’s a fruit of the Spirit!)
2. Unity is not a goal, but a fruit…
3. Church is not a goal, but a fruit…

"And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people." Matthew 4:23

Additionally, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask for God’s kingdom to come and for his will to be done (Matt 6:10)

Today we'll review what it means for God’s kingdom to come…

Consider some additional kingdom verses…

1. "’The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’" (Mk 1:15)
   
2. "He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables” (Mk 4:11).
3. “He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Act 1:3)
4. “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:30-31)

Apprehending a biblical view of the present reality of the kingdom of God will enhance our faith and expectation for God to move in love and power upon those we minister to. With the coming of Jesus the Messiah, there was a gushing forth of the mercies of God. In the coming of Jesus, the kingdom of God was established with great power to confront and overcome sickness, sin, death, and the devil.

World-View
Most of us have a western, rational, highly materialistic worldview which acts as a lens through which we view our world. The worldview of most westerners does not readily acknowledge the supernatural: healing, release from demonization, spiritual giftings, etc. The result is that most westerners do not expect God to break into day-to-day situations with supernatural power. Without a growing expectation of God's desire to move in love and power we are relegated to life on a purely natural level: reasoning with people, persuading them with arguments, comforting them when they are sick, etc. (2 Timothy 3:5 - having a form of godliness but denying its power).

Wimber used to say, “Expectation releases the power of God.”

To make a conscious decision to expand our worldview is sometimes referred to as a paradigm shift – like getting a new pair of glasses.

An approach to the New Testament
The Old Testament describes God's dealings with Israel in the context of an ever-increasing prophetic hope that a day will come when God, as King, will personally establish a Kingdom upon the earth. This would mark the beginning of a new Age, or life. The basic framework of the two Ages begins to emerge in the Bible - this Present Age and the Age to Come. It is important to know the basic dualistic frame¬work of the Bible (this Age and the Future Age) to have an appropriate understanding of what it is saying. With a rise of the concept of God's Kingdom ushering in a new Age, there was also the rise of an awareness of the devil and his evil deeds; the cataclysmic clash between light and darkness. The Christ-event interrupted history with a victory over Satan and his hordes.

We can now define the Kingdom of God as the dynamic rule and reign of God, the assertion of God's authority over the evil one and his deeds. In the New Testament the dualistic framework of "this present evil age" (Gal. 1:4) and the "age to come" (Eph. 1:21) is established, but in a new way. The New Testament teaches that in the coming of Jesus Christ the Future Age has come into the present. The Kingdom of God has been fulfilled, but not yet consum¬mated; thus it is both present and future. We are living in the "already" and the "not yet." The New Testament teaches both now and future. This is sometimes referred to as paradox (seeming contridiction).

We live in a divine tension

1. Salvation - we are saved, yet being saved (posi¬tional vs. experien¬tial truth)
2. Holy Spirit - we are filled, yet being filled
3. Faith vs. works - not one or the other, but both.

Our western rational (modernistic) mind-set encourages us to choose one or the other because we're not comfortable living in tension.

Oscar Cullman in his book Christ and Time writes about WW II:

1. D-Day - June 6, 1944 (the bloody but successful invasion broke the back of Hitler’s army and was the beginning of the end of the war; likened to the establishment - or inbreaking - of the Kingdom of God in and through Jesus Christ)
2. VE-Day - May 7/8, 1945 (when the Allied troops marched on Berlin; likened to the second coming of Jesus to receive His own).
3. Some of the fiercest fighting of World War II took place between D-Day and VE-Day; (likened to this present Church Age - we are in a war!)

George Ladd in The Gospel of the Kingdom defines the Kingdom of God as the "rule and reign of God." Another description, or definition would be the words and works of Jesus. There were WORDS designed to tell us how to enter the Kingdom (Matt. 5:20; 7:21), and WORKS that demonstrated the Kingdom had come (Matt. 12:28). (A heart-breaking biblical pattern: We have continually traded the presence of God for the knowledge of God.)

The parables teach the mysteries of the Kingdom of God (Matt. 13:11); his prayers taught the disciples to desire the coming (in-breaking) of the Kingdom (Matt. 6:10). The Christ-event raises us up to be instruments of the Kingdom, while his second coming promises the consummation of the Kingdom (Matt. 25:31,34). The New Testament was written from this point of view: the overlapping of the two Ages. God's Kingdom had interrupted human history and was now spreading like leaven and growing like a seed – it is seen with the eyes of faith. This approach helps us to have an under¬standing of the prospect of supernatural activity in the New Testament, i.e. spir¬itual gifts and healing must be interpreted in the light of the Kingdom of God.

Since the presence of the Kingdom is so central to the New Testament, we must allow it to shape our world view. The Kingdom of God involves the rule and reign of God breaking into Satan's world and releasing people from Satan's grip. The Christ-event empowers us to become the instruments of the Kingdom of God. We are not living in a time of promise, but of fulfillment. The full reign of God and His resources are available to us today. Jesus has given us:

1. His power over sin (Mk. 10:45)
2. His power over disease (Lk. 13:10-17)
3. His power over demons (Mk. 1:21)
4. His power over nature (Mk. 4:35-41)
5. His power over death (Lk. 7:11-17)

Our conversion to Christ marks the transition from Satan's kingdom into the Kingdom of God; from this present Evil Age into the Age to Come.

Seven Layers of the Emergent Conversation

I can't remember where I got this from but it turned up on a recent search of "kingdom" on my computer and I thought I'd pass it along...

Based on a description of 7 Layers of the Emergent Conversation by Brian McLaren, the author of this pseudo-parody (get it?) outlined the seven layers below.

Somebody has said...Islam has its five pillars. Buddhism has its eight-fold path. Evangelicalism has its four spiritual laws. And now the Emerging Church has its seven layers of conversation.

[The author] added [his] own titles and used the imaginary “Seeker Community Church” to illustrate each point....

Layer 1: Style - 
Seeker Community Church realizes they’re ineffective at reaching the coveted 18-32 year old demographic. They send a few staff members to a conference and they come back with goatees and candles.

Layer 2: Evangelism - 
After trying every facial hair permutation, Seeker Community Church discovers that to actually communicate the gospel to a younger generation they’ve got to learn to speak their language. They hire a former youth pastor to start an evening worship service with an “x” in its name.

Layer 3: Culture - 
It gradually dawns upon Seeker Community Church that the new challenges they are encountering are not limited to the younger generation. The entire culture is shifting away from the modern presuppositions their church was built upon. Some of the language and practices of the “x” service trickle into the rest of the church.

Layer 4: Mission - 
The emergence of Postmodernism causes Seeker Community Church to reevaluate the effectiveness of their mission strategy. Altar calls and gospel tracks are left behind in favor of community groups and relationships. Conversion is accepted as a journey and not merely a point of decision.

Layer 5: Church - 
Seeker Community Church begins to wonder if a multi million-dollar building housing a theatrical production every weekend is the only way to do church. Drawing from new and ancient forms of church, they launch alternative communities—one meets in a bar on Sunday night, and the other is a liturgical gathering. The church also partners with an inner city monastic group to reach street kids.

Layer 6: Gospel
 - The leadership of Seeker Community Church is stunned when the senior pastor confesses, “I’m not sure I’ve really understood the gospel.” He begins to wonder why Jesus never said God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life? And why Paul never asked anyone to invite Jesus into your heart? He starts to realize that the Good News is much more than he’d ever imagined.

Layer 7: World
 - Maybe the mission of the church isn’t simply to become a bigger church? Maybe, like Jesus, the church is to engage the larger world to reveal that the kingdom of God has drawn near? To their amazement, Seeker Community Church discovers significant swaths of the Bible (such as the Pentateuch, prophets, gospels, and epistles) talk about justice, poverty, and compassion. The church begins to speak about social issues and participates in efforts to combat poverty, AIDS, and global injustice.
So, how emergent are you?

HOW TO VIEW AND APPRECIATE ART

The photograph to the left was taken recently inside Notre Dame de Paris (which means, Our Lady of Paris) by my brother. The architect and builders knew something about the Bible that we more modern Christians apparently don't. We Christians build and decorate church structures that are often boring and lifeless. This reveals how far we have strayed from the place beauty and art are meant to have in our lives. As the late Francis Schaeffer notes in his book, Art and the Bible, we evangelicals tend to relegate art to the fringes of life. Despite our talk about the lordship of God in every aspect of life, we have narrowed its scope to a very small part of reality. The arts are also supposed to reflect the wonder, majesty, and beauty of God. 2 Chronicles 3:6 (NKJ) tells us that when Solomon began to build the temple he added precious stones "for beauty." Does God value beauty simply for beauty’s sake? It seems He does. Following is a list that will help us to view and appreciate art…

1. Respect the art.
2. Take your time. One artwork viewed well beats dozens seen in a state of hurry &/or frustration.
3. That said, see as much art as you can. The more art you see the richer your responses will be to new art images.
4. What is the piece of art saying to you? Is it telling a story? Is it evoking a memory? Is the piece of art affecting you emotionally? Does it make you happy? Sad? Any other emotion?
5. What is affecting you the most, the imagery? The color?
6. When looking at art, before answering the question 'What do I think?' try 'What did I notice?' No opinions without observations.
7. If you're troubled by an apparent lack — not enough color, not enough imagery — try turning the doubt into a question. What would an artist have to gain by losing those things? What is s/he inviting you to notice? You may feel previously unnoticed aspects of a painting emerging with new sharpness.
8. Try to imagine your way into the life of the art.
9. If a work doesn't feel as though it's for you, try imagining the person it is for. Try stepping outside the circle of your accustomed tastes. You might even find yourself enjoying it.
10. If an artwork's giving you nothing, there's no shame in turning your back. Remember, though, that if you don't wade through art's lows, you’ll not be qualified to register the highs.
11. Trust your own impressions. Children often have piercingly accurate things to say about paintings because they haven't yet been taught to distrust their first impressions and spontaneous associations. Tease out the significance of what you're already seeing, rather than fretting about unseen meanings.
12. Talk to the artist if you can. See if what you are observing from the piece of art is what the artist intended. Often you will find you have a different, but equally valid, observation/reaction from the piece of art. Artists love feedback!

Wimber on the Kingdom

Bible Passages Pertaining to the Kingdom of God

Matthew 3:2 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19-20 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:10
'Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 8:11-12 "And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; 12but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 9:35 And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Matthew 10:7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Matthew 11:11-12
"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

Matthew 12:25-26 And knowing their thoughts He said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. 26"And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?

Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Matthew 13:11 And He answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

Matthew 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

Matthew 13:24 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

Matthew 13:31 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

Matthew 13:33 He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened."

Matthew 13:38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

Matthew 13:41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

Matthew 13:43-45 "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. 44"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,

Matthew 13:47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;

Matthew 13:52 And He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old."

Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Matthew 16:28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

Matthew 18:3-4 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4"Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

Matthew 19:12 "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it."

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matthew 19:23-24 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24"And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

Matthew 20:21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left."

Matthew 21:31 "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The latter." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax-gatherers and harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 21:43
"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.

Matthew 22:2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son.

Matthew 23:13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.

Matthew 25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Matthew 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 26:29 "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Mark 3:24 "And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Mark 4:11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables,

Mark 4:26 And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

Mark 4:30 And He said, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

Mark 6:23 And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom."

Mark 9:1 And He was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."

Mark 9:47 "And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell,

Mark 10:14-15 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all."

Mark 10:23-25 And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" 24And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Mark 11:10
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!"

Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

Mark 13:8 "For nation will arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Mark 14:25 "Truly I say to you, I shall never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Luke 1:33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."

Luke 4:43 But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."

Luke 6:20 And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luke 7:28
"I say to you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

Luke 8:1 And it came about soon afterwards, that He began going about from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with Him,

Luke 8:10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, in order that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.

Luke 9:2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and to perform healing.

Luke 9:11 But the multitudes were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.

Luke 9:27 "But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:60 But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Luke 10:9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

Luke 10:11 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.'

Luke 11:2 And He said to them, "When you pray, say:

'Father, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.

Luke 11:17-18 But He knew their thoughts, and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. 18"And if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

Luke 11:20 "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 12:31-32 "But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. 32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

Luke 13:18 Therefore He was saying, "What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?

Luke 13:20 And again He said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

Luke 13:28-29 "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out. 29"And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.

Luke 14:15 And when one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, "Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

Luke 16:16 "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Luke 17:20-21 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

Luke 18:16-17 But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all."

Luke 18:24-25 And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25"For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Luke 18:29 And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

Luke 19:11 And while they were listening to these things, He went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

Luke 21:10 Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

Luke 21:31 "Even so you, too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

Luke 22:16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

Luke 22:18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."

Luke 22:29-30 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 23:42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

Luke 23:51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God;

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

Acts 1:3 To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

Acts 19:8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

Acts 20:25 "And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more.

Acts 28:23 And when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

Acts 28:31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1 Cor. 4:20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power.

1 Cor. 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Cor. 15:24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

1 Cor. 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Galatians 5:21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephes. 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Ephes. 5:5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Col. 1:12-13 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Col. 4:11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision; and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.

1 Thes. 2:12 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

2 Thes. 1:5 This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

2 Tim. 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

2 Tim. 4:18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 1:8
But of the Son He says,

"THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,
AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;

James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

2 Peter 1:11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

Rev. 1:6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Rev. 1:9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Rev. 5:10
"And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."


Rev. 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying,"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

Rev. 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

Rev. 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain,

Rev. 17:12 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation...

Consider the opening words of John Piper in his book, Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” Piper goes on to assert that, “worship is…the fuel of missions…[because] you can’t commend what you don’t cherish.”

The goal of our “Deeper Still” series is not to do more, be more loving, or joyful, or obedient – or even to try and be good. The goal of the Christian life is Jesus Christ Himself – to grow an intimate, passionate, dynamic relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Contemplative prayer is first and foremost learning how to listen -- to quiet our anxious, ADD hearts and listen for God’s word, which is alive (Hebrews 4:12) and capable of ushering us into the very presence of Trinitarian love in order to comfort, encourage, and confront us.

The Lord’s Prayer is a collection of short phrases perfectly suited to contemplation. If we pray the Lord’s Prayer in its entirety and at a moderate pace, it takes about 30 seconds to recite -- yet it takes a lifetime to plumb its contemplative depths.

“Lead us not into temptation…” -- one of the most problematic passages in the gospels. The first 3 petitions deal with the wonder of God:

1. God’s Name,
   
2. God’s Kingdom
   
3. God’s Will.

The second 3 petitions speak to our humanity needs:

1. Provision: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
2. Pardon: “Forgive us our debts as forgive our debtors.”
3. Protection: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

We can also breakdown the Lord’s Prayer by considering the verbs: be hallowed, come, give, forgive, and lead.

1. “Be hallowed” has a different quality from the other verbs. It has the gesture of creating a still space.
2. “Give” and “forgive” are closely related as words in our English language. Although the (original) Greek words are not related, there is still a complementary gesture: offering and releasing.
3. “Come” and “lead” both imply gestures of movement. They are also complementary—the former draws near; the latter moves on, bringing us with it.

As the 6th and final petition is examined, it is important to remember that:

1. Temptation is not sin. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was: "tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Heb 4:15)
2. God does not tempt anyone. The book of James tells us: “Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, ‘God is trying to trip me up.’ God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer” (James 1:13, MSG).

So, what then, is temptation? The Greek word for temptation is πειρασμός (peirasmos). The root word peira means, “experience” and the ending asmos describes a “process.” Temptation literally means: a process of experience -- one we may or may not learn from.

What does, “deliver us” mean? The Greek verb, ῥύομαι (rhoumai) can be translated “rescue or deliver.” The meaning of the word is “to draw to oneself.” In essence when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are asking, Our Father who is in heaven... to draw us close (or, lead us) so that we are protected from the Evil One—Satan, our adversary, the Devil, the one who is our accuser and slanderer.

William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas offer an important perspective on this petition, “When you pray to be…delivered…you are acknowledging that you are not in control of your fate…and that you answer to some greater power than that which the world bows before.” (From: Lord Teach Us: The Lord’s Prayer and Christian Life by William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas, Nashville: Abingdon, 1996.)

When we pray, “deliver us from evil,” we confess that evil is real and temptations trouble our souls. We admit that we are vulnerable and weak. And so the only appropriate cry is for us to pray, Rescue me. Deliver me! Or, O God, “lead me!”

Take a look at 4 other verses that speak to this issue of temptation:

1. “Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (Mat 6:6, MSG)
2. “Temptations are inevitable” (Matt 18:7, NLT; also Lk 17:1)
3. “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.” (Lk 8:13, NASB)
4. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor 10:13, NIV)

What Are Tools To Defeat Temptation? (The first 2 are individual, the next 3 are corporate.)

1. Holy Conviction (as opposed to condemnation), we are to aim at wanting to be free. “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.” (1 Tim 1:5, NLT)
2. We know have a choice: “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16, NASB)
3. The Body of Christ - loving, honest, accountable relationships
4. The Bible - God's Word
5. Gifts of the Holy Spirit