This week’s post is written by John Bivona, an elder at the Dyer location of Faith Church. I’m thankful for John’s partnership in ministry and his passion to think through how the Bible relates to our world and life today. I’ve benefited from our conversations and his thoughts and think you will as well – Pastor Brian
Key Passages Speaking About the Kingdom of God
Matthew 6:10: Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (ESV)
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)
Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel. (ESV)
Luke 17:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (ESV)
John 3:3 Jesus replied, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (ESV)
John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were of this world, my servants my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this world.” (ESV)
Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government (rule dominion) shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government (rule, dominion) and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. (ESV)
What is a Kingdom?
Kingdom . . . Kingdom of God. What images conjure up in your mind when you hear the word, “Kingdom”? As a father of two girls, my thoughts usually go to Disney and images like The Magic Kingdom, a castle, a prince or princess, Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella, etc. These images are influenced by American pop-culture; however, they are not the best representation of kingdoms when mentioned in the Bible.
A better term that may help us understand kingdoms in the world in which the Bible was written would be Empire.
An empire can best be defined as a major political power that is spread (or is spreading) over a large geographical area, usually with a single supreme leader, with a mission to spread their values, ideas, beliefs, culture, laws and even technology. Most empires in world history (and in movies) accomplished this by force.
Sticking with Disney themes, think of STAR WARS: The Empire Strikes Back. Darth Vader pleads with his son Luke to join him so they can overthrow the emperor and “bring order to the galaxy.” Vader wanted to spread the Galactic Empire’s values in “a galaxy far, far away.”
In real-world history, think about Caesar and the Roman Empire, King George III and the British Empire, or Hitler and Nazi Germany. Even the USA has some characteristics of an empire.
These examples all had grandiose ideas of expanding their territory and values. These ideas and values can be spread for the good or the detriment of mankind, and although some empires have contributed ideas to the betterment of society, every empire has fallen short of God’s kingdom principles.
The Roman Empire, British Empire, Germany, and even the USA have killed people under the guise of “allegiance to country” or “human rights.” A crucial doctrine of earthly empires is forcefully silencing talk of political or social revolution that threatened the empire or allegiance to the emperor. This has been documented in every empire and country in world history.
Mapping this doctrine to biblical times, specifically first-century Christianity, chatter of competing “kings” and “kingdoms” was threatening and subversive to the Roman establishment. Rome took no chances when it came to uprisings or revolutions – it was routine for them to crucify individuals who threatened the establishment, and the use of military force was used to squash public uprisings. We see this dynamic played out between the powers of Rome and the birth, life, and death of Jesus.
Jesus and the Roman Empire
Matthew records in chapter 2 that when King Herod (appointed by Rome) heard that a baby king would be born in Bethlehem, he summoned wise men to find the baby and report back to him, so he could go and “worship” baby Jesus. Baby Jesus was such a threat to Herod and his Kingdom that he slaughtered all the baby boys under two years of age born in Bethlehem.
Throughout Jesus’s short three years of public ministry, he was a marked man for speaking or doing things that promoted another kingdom. His ministry was filled with public teachings (Matthew 12:14; Luke 4:28-29; 6:11), public gatherings (Mark 11:18) and public healings (John 5:18; 11:53) – all kingdom proclamations that threatened the religious ruling establishment and led to the establishment conspiring to kill him.
The climax of Jesus’s ministry ends with a discussion with Pontius Pilate. In John 18-19, Pilate has a long conversation with Jesus and asks if he is a king. Jesus’s reply was that he is a king and then went on to explain that his kingdom is not of this world and described the purpose of his kingdom.
Notice what Jesus DID NOT say or do. He did not try to form a partnership with Pilate or a coalition between his kingdom and the Roman Empire with the purpose of establishing a new moral order through social and governmental reform.
Pilate’s ultimate response was to deliver Jesus over to be crucified and then wrote the inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” to be displayed above the crucified Jesus. Pilate wants to send a stern message to any follower who’s thinking of revolting: “Your King is Dead – His Kingdom is Finished”!
Now If that wasn’t the biggest miscalculation in the history of mankind, I don’t know what is.
The Kingdom of God Today
Two thousand years later, the Empire of God has spread the globe! His Word has reached the moon. It has advanced, not by force or control, nor by fear or submission, but its advancement was done by sacrificial love.
His empire lives within its citizens, is unseen by most, is at hand and is NOT of this world.
Its citizens span from every country, language, race, and class; it includes the rich and poor and the young and old. With unconventional tactics, it is advanced when His citizens choose to live out the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), when they love their enemies, choose joy in pain, peace during strife, patience in agitation, goodness in the midst of immorality, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in a world filled with distrust, pride, and greed.
It’s an empire where fools shame the wise, the greatest is the servant, the last is first, and the weak are strong. It’s one where if you desire to save your life, you must give it away.
The empire’s secret weapon is not a Death Star but a Cross!
Living as Citizens and Ambassadors of God’s Kingdom
Now that we understand God’s Kingdom a little better, how can we apply this to our lives? Let me briefly sketch out four responses.
1. Examine yourself
-Examine your heart to see if you have been born again and thus able to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3)
-Examine your life and see if it reflects the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
2. Recognize where your TRUE Citizenship lies (heaven – see Philippians 3:20-21) and pledge allegiance to this place
3. Understand your role as a KINGDOM Ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20), which includes the following characteristics:
-You are a citizen of the Kingdom of God
-Sent to a foreign land (America, Italy, Africa, China, etc.) by God
-On a mission to represent and promote God’s kingdom and His values
-Speaking for God (which means your opinion or position on issues is insignificant, only His is significant)
-Carrying out this calling at the expense of your earthly citizenship (America, Italy, Africa, China, etc.) and at the expense of your life
4. Finally, with another election cycle coming upon us next year, thank God that you live in a country where you can participate in the election of our leaders, vote your conscience, and vote for candidates that best represent God’s Kingdom. We need to remember that the advancement of God’s Kingdom does not need assistance from your candidate because, in fact, it will advance despite your candidate.
In Revelation, John proclaims that they overcame him (Satan and his earthly empires) with a great slogan, a legitimately elected king and the legislation that followed. NO! In Revelation 12:11, we read, “They overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.”
Let us live FOR GOD AND KINGDOM!
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also request to receive weekly emails with our blog posts by filling out the information on the right side.
