The Church: Proclaiming God’s Kingdom?

I live in the Atlanta area where Chik Fil A restaurants are everywhere. While they have a good product, Chik Fil A does a great job of keeping their store operators aligned with their standard of quality and their operating values. The stores, the operators and the communities they serve are all different, but they are unified by the Chik Fil A standard, so you know what to expect when you enter a Chik Fil A. In Mark 4:26–32, Jesus teaches that He was ushering in the kingdom of God. He was sowing seeds and the kingdom would grow great through God’s efforts not man’s. And in Ephesians 4:4–6, 11–18, Paul said that the Church is meant to be the unified body of Christ. It is to use the gifts given by Christ to edify and buildup the body of believers into maturity, so they may serve and grow the kingdom and avoid being led astray by false doctrine. I pray that you are in a church where you are growing in the knowledge and love of God and following Christ’s kingdom teaching. Amen

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.”

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” (Mark 4:26–32)

These parables were told by Jesus illustrate the growth that would come to the Kingdom that Jesus was ushering in. Jesus would sow the seeds of the gospel and the kingdom of God would grow because of the supernatural power of God, irrespective of human interaction. Jesus said that the reapers would then be sent forth when (God determines) the harvest is ready (i.e. the ultimate manifestation of the kingdom at Jesus second advent). And like a mustard seed (the smallest of all seeds)that grows into the largest garden plant, the kingdom would grow to become greater than all other kingdoms.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called ; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4–6)

Paul indicated that the church is meant to operate in unity as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit operate together in unity. All believers have a common hope in our future with God that began with our salvation. God is the father of all who believe. He is supreme over us, resides in us and operates through all of us.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (Ephesians 4:11–18)

Christ gave the church gifts needed for the edification (instruction, development) of body of Christ. These include apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers so that the body of Christ would grow in the knowledge of God. Paul said we are not to remain infants, but to grow in maturity. As we are maturing, believers are not swayed and misled by false doctrine. This maturing involves a transformation of the believer’s mind so that their thoughts are different than the world’s values but become consistent with God’s values.

Conclusion Christ came to usher in the kingdom of God here on earth. It was not the type of kingdom that many Jews expected. It would not physically overthrow the Roman empire and restore Israel to glory. Instead, it is a spiritual kingdom, being built by transforming believers lives through the resetting of their values and setting their faith in Christ. It is a kingdom that started small with Christ and a few handpicked disciples, that has grown and spread worldwide. The church has been established by Christ and endowed with the gifts needed to continue togrow believers into a mature knowledge and love of God and service in His kingdom. The church has a mandate to equip believers so they are not misled from their mission by faulty/false doctrine. Unfortunately, too many churches are failing to grow and equip believers. These churches are not focused on adhering to Jesus’ teaching, but instead, have inserted their own false doctrines into their preaching and teaching. Thus the body is suffering from lack of growth, maturity and unity in Christ. The church was established by Christ to proclaim the “good news” that the kingdom of God is here and salvation is available to all. As believers, let’s make sure that the kingdom we are proclaiming is God’s and not our own!

Blessings, Rev. Glenn