Building the Kingdom of God.
What is God’s Kingdom?
Matthew 3:2 (ESV)
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
John 18:36 (ESV)
“...My kingdom is not of this world...”
Acts 1:3 (ESV)
“...speaking about the kingdom of God.”
Acts 1:6 (ESV)
“...Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Acts 1:7-8 (ESV)
"He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV)
“we are co-workers in God’s service...”
Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV)
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Philippians 3:20 (ESV)
“our citizenship is in heaven..."
Faithful ordinary People help build God’s extraordinary Kingdom on earth.
1 Peter 2:9,10 (NIV)
“you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 John 2:27 (ESV)
“the anointing that you received from him abides in you...”
Hebrews 13:7,17 (NIV)
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”
God builds His Kingdom through ordinary ways.
1 Cor. 1:18-31 (NIV)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”