THE MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM

  By Veronica Watson

The message of the Kingdom is simple, one of OBEDIENT, EMPOWERED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. The ability to rule and reign, to be conformed to the image of Christ, be a Firstborn son, part of the Elijah company - are not goals to be attained, but rather the fruit of a relationship with God.

There are two simple principles to the message of the Kingdom, AUTHORITY and RELATIONSHIP, or KINGSHIP and PRIESTHOOD.

This study is designed to lay a foundation of the teaching of the Kingdom that the youngest disciple or child of God can understand and grasp hold of. It does not answer every question, it does not pull apart the teachings that are contrary to the message of the kingdom, but talks plainly and simply of the purpose of God for each of us.

In this study we are going to look at three simple questions, "Why were we formed?", "How do we live today?" and "What is our hope for the future?". Every question, every area of our life and ministry comes down to these basic principles and we should never depart from them.

* WHY WERE WE FORMED? *
If we begin in Genesis 1:28 we see the first of our two answers to why we were formed. God gave Adam a command, to be fruitful, to subdue, and to have dominion. Dominion was a result of having previously subdued. Not only were they meant to have the rule over the plants and the animals, but over their own desires. By commanding them NOT to eat of a certain tree, God was giving them opportunity to be obedient to His command and to subdue their own will, having the rule over it.

Authority is only given TO those who know how to be SUBJECT TO authority. Children will always behave fairly well while you are looking, but the true test of character and obedience comes when you are not around, and they still choose to do the right thing. God is no different with His children, he wants to know if they are trustworthy and obedient, so he gives them opportunities to choose to do what is right, the same for us today as for Adam and Eve in the garden..

Why were we formed?
How do we live today?
What is our hope for the future?

To be fruitful, subdue, and have dominion.

The first purpose for which were we formed was to have authority.

Do we obey the will of God, or our own will? Do we have authority over our fleshly desires?

The second purpose of God was relationship, as we see in Genesis 3 v 8 He was walking in the garden when Adam and Eve hid from His presence. He was looking for them, as we see from His question "Where are you?"
They knew Him, they knew His voice, when they heard it they hid from Him.

We were formed to have relationship with God, and relationship with people. Genesis 2:18 God said it is not good for man to be alone. We are designed for relationship, without it we are unhappy and we do not receive the benefits God has planned for us.

Obedience is the key to our relationship with God, our obedience to His word, rather than our own desires. This has never changed. Adam's disobedience caused him to be removed from the presence of God. We can find many examples through scripture of this principle. Genesis 4:14,15; Jonah 1:3; Isaiah 64:7 are a few.

How do we then come to restoration?
Through accepting the atoning sacrifice of Christ, who came to draw all men. Luke 5:32 "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentence."

And by following the example of Christ, who was called to be "firstborn among many brethren" Romans 8 v 29. In this scripture we are also commanded to be "conformed to the image" of God's son.
We are called not only to accept the sacrifice of Christ as the first principle of our "salvation" but also to follow his example. Jesus said in John 6:38 "I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."

This brings us to the second question:

* HOW DO WE LIVE TODAY? *
There are two parts to the "Sinners Prayer" that we pray when we first come to Christ. The first is to accept that His sacrifice on the cross was for us, but the second part we often neglect - that is, that we now lay down OUR lives for him, accepting God's will and purpose for our life in obedience.

Relationship is the second reason we were formed.

Designed for relationship with God, and with people.

Obedience to God's word is the key to our relationship with Him.

Jesus calls us to repentence, restoring our relationship with God.

Called to follow Christ, not just accept the sacrifice of his death.

Doing the will of God is the key to entering His Kingdom.

What then is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God, the kingdom of Heaven, or the Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus preached about in Matthew 3:2, 4:23, 5:3, and 6:33 is simply "the right or authority to rule" from the Greek word "basileia". Another word used in this Greek definition is "dominion" - the same call God spoke over Adam's life.

Rule over what? Just as Adam was called to rule over his fleshly desires and choose obedience, we are called to bring every thought "captive to the obedience of Christ" in 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Relationship is also the key here, just as it was for Adam. Matthew 7:23 tells us a life of ministry, good works, helping the poor, is nothing without relationship. "I never knew you, depart from me". Jesus was not acquainted with them, they had not spent time with him. He says in John 10:27 "My sheep know my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

Knowledge and works are not the key to the kingdom, the Kingdom of God is in our motives, and attitudes, our character and relationship, not our works.

Jesus life is characterized by two things: he loved God, and he loved the people. He condensed the 10 commandments down to these two basic principles and said the law and the prophets (past and future) all hung on these two foundations.

Loving God is simple, it is like every other relationship, spending time with Him listening (studying the scriptures) and speaking (making our requests in prayer), encouraging one another (praising and worshipping). If we would do these things, He will tell us what we need to know in the day that we need to know it.

Loving each other - Scripture tells us love covers a multitude of sins, but experience tells us that Christians are more likely to point them out to us! Just as we are every day learning, making mistakes, and growing in God, we must extend the same grace to others. "Love your neighbour as yourself" and "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us".

The Kingdom is simply the right or authority to rule.

Called to bring our mind and will into obedience to Christ.

It is not enough to do things for Christ without having an intimate relationship.

Kingdom of God is motives and attitudes.

Love God, and love the people.

Spend time in the presence of God, in scripture, prayer and song.

Walk every day in forgiveness to one another.

* WHAT IS OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE? *
What is the Kingdom of Heaven that we are to one day "enter into" if we live a life of obedient relationship to God? As we saw earlier, the kingdom is simply the authority to rule.

Rule what? Firstly, to rule over ourselves, our will, our desires, as Adam was supposed to. Secondly, to rule with Christ in the earth.

Formed in His image, being conformed to Christ, we are also being transformed from glory to glory as our mind is renewed. This word "metamorphoo" used in these two scriptures is to be transfigured, as Christ was on the mount. Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18

We are to be conformed to Christ, the "firstborn" among many brethren. And just as his physical body was changed into something else after His resurrection, there is also a transformation for us. 1 Corinthians 15 speaks about the "glorified" transformed body that awaits us, a change from the earthly limits that we know and operate in now.

Colossians 1:27,28 says the mystery of God is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" and for this cause we labour, that every man may be presented "perfect" in Christ. The Greek word "teleios" used here is not perfect without blemish, but full grown, mature.

This is our hope for the future, that we would be grown up into Christ, a fully mature son of God that he would say of us, as he did of Christ, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17
Christ's ministry on the earth in power began from this point on. We have the same hope of a powerful, anointed ministry in the earth as we grow up in God.

Jesus source of power and authority in his ministry came from his relationship with God. John 5:19 tells us Jesus did what he saw his Father doing, whatever God did, Jesus did likewise. It is no different for us today. Our authority and power comes from our relationship, time, spent with God.

The kingdom of Heaven is authority.

Rule over ourselves first, with Christ in the earth.

Transformed to be like him, the way he was transformed.

Operating in a realm of power greater than the limits on us today.
Our hope is Christ in us, fully grown and mature.

Jesus moved in AUTHORITY, built by his RELATIONSHIP with God.

We are told to grow on from being "babes" in Christ to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Ephesians 4 v 13.

1 Corinthians 3 v 13 - 15 every man's work will be tried by fire. Some will be refined by the fire, some will be consumed. But none of us will be lost. We need to build lasting things in our lives, not frivolous things that have no lasting purpose.

The purpose of our trials and the issues we face are to refine us, mould us, help us to grow up into the glorious hope of being fully mature in Christ. Hebrews 12:7 If you endure chastening God deals with you as sons.

God's first "test" of Adam and Eve proved the character of mankind was not yet mature. Today we are still working towards the fulfillment of God's purpose for mankind, every time we lay down our will for His glory.

His purpose for mankind at the beginning, is the same purpose he has for us at the end of time. It is to walk in authority and relationship. Revelation 1:6 says we are made Kings and Priests unto God. Kingship is authority, Priesthood is ministry to God - our relationship.

The message of the Kingdom can be summed up in two words, AUTHORITY and RELATIONSHIP.

It is not enough to KNOW about the need to have relationship in obedience to God, to be conformed to Christ's way of thinking, and transformed in our bodies - without actually DOING it. The knowledge of the Kingdom message will never replace Christ-like love and character in your heart and mind.

Only truly living the message will bring about the reward that we so earnestly seek, 1 John 2:2, that when he appears we shall be like him, and see him as he is.

Love God, love the people.

That we might attain the full measure of Christ.

We can be refined, or consumed, by our trials.

Our trials and chastenings are for a purpose, to help us grow up.

Our circumstances are sent to test and prove our character.

God's purpose has never changed.

AUTHORITY and RELATIONSHIP

KNOWING the message of the Kingdom will never replace LIVING it.