How Did We Lose the Gospel of the Kingdom?
There are three ways that we lost the gospel of the Kingdom.
First: We made the Kingdom and the Church the same. That was our first mistake. In Protestantism they sang in the hymn: "I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thy abode, the church our blest Redeemer saved with His own precious blood."
"I love thy kingdom, Lord...the Church." They imply that the church is the kingdom.
Second: Now the Roman Catholic Church went all the way, having made the Kingdom synonymous with the Church, and having made the Church infallible. Your obedience to the church is equated with being obedient to Lord, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Keep in mind, that "infallible kingdom" is falling all to pieces from within. In both cases, Protestant and Catholic, their attitude of humanity was this: If the Church and the Kingdom of God are the same, then the Kingdom of God doesn't matter, but...
I have a news flash...it does matter!
It is time to take a fresh look at all that is done under the banner of "God's Kingdom" and discern what is manmade and what is the Kingdom that Jesus introduced back into the Earth when He was here.
Keep in mind, the Church without the Kingdom is irrelevant, but the Kingdom without the Church is always relevant. Suppose the church takes its true position, and points to the Kingdom and its total relevancy; then and only then, the church becomes relevant in the Kingdom's relevancy. It then stands for the King Jesus and His Kingdom. Anything the Church does beyond pointing people to King Jesus and His Kingdom is a distraction from the Kingdom of God and is often self serving self promotion. Remember that “the church” is the citizens of God’s Kingdom, not the building or all of their denomination’s bylaws and traditions.
Third: We lost that Kingdom in linking it up with the Parousia (meaning the return of Christ). The belief is: we can do nothing until the return of Jesus the Christ; nothing corporately. We can redeem individuals now, but the Kingdom won't come until the King comes. We can only watch and wait for His return. No! We are called to the work of His Kingdom in our lives now!
Please note: Now there are two sets of passages that tell of how the Kingdom of God is to come. One set tells that the Kingdom will come with gradualism:
(The Parable of the Growing Seed) And He said, “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29
(The Parable of the Mustard Seed) Then He said, “To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” Mark 4:30-32
The Kingdom of Heaven is also like leaven (yeast) which, hidden in the dough, leavens the whole lump. The yeast isn’t seen in the dough, but its presence cannot be missed as the dough rises. Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” Matthew 13:33
Focus Point: These and other passages teach the coming of the Kingdom by gradualism; person to person, community to community, and nation to nation. Now on the other hand, there are passages such as the parable of the nobleman, who went abroad to receive a kingdom and returned; depicting Jesus' coming to the Father to receive a kingdom after He returned. This refers to the apocalyptic or the sudden coming of the kingdom when Jesus shall return with holy angels to set it up. Some people take the gradualistic set of passages; while others take the apocalyptic view--the sudden. Well I can't do that, for both sets seem integral parts of the account. So I take both the gradualistic as well as the apocalyptic. Both of them give me the complete picture. I can be the ambassador or agent of the coming of that Kingdom now. The apocalyptic gives me my hope; my hope that the last Word will be spoken by Jesus the Christ and that last Word will be victory. But I want to assure you, I have no timetable or map of the future. Our King, Jesus the Christ, made this statement:
...And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority". Acts 1:7
Now this interpretation of the Kingdom as "in the future, when Christ shall return", makes the Kingdom innocuous now. Innocuous: Something that does not injure or harm; harmless not controversial, offensive or stimulating; dull and uninspiring.
Focus Point: Do you remember what the King stated in the Constitution of Mark's gospel? “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is". Mark 13:33
Until Jesus comes, we keep proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. After His resurrection, Jesus spoke to His disciples for forty days concerning the Kingdom of God, or as the English Bible puts it, "taught them about the Kingdom of God: …to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3
Please note: Evidently it wasn't a future kingdom with future implications, but a kingdom here and now. This I will repeat for emphasis: Remember, Philip and Paul both preached about "the kingdom" and "the name of Jesus" as a priority for now.
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Acts 8:12
Focus Point: The Kingdom of God was the focus then, and it is the focus when they believed the Gospel and they were all baptized. As Paul stated: And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Acts 20:25
Please remember that Paul was proclaiming for a decision now. He spoke urgently of the Kingdom of God, and he sought to convince them about Jesus the Christ. See what Paul stated and his actions: So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.
Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to Me and let Me heal them.’
So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”
For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
Acts 28:23-31 NLT
He was preaching urgently, and for a decision or verdict concerning the Kingdom, now, not a later time. The decisive word is this “He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.”
The Kingdom was preached to them from personal testimony; then the Kingdom was not just a hope, bound up with Jesus’ (parousia), meaning His Second Coming. The Kingdom is something to be experienced now, therefore it is a priority now.
My question to all those who read this: What gospel are you preaching? If it is not the Gospel as King Jesus preached and taught, then you are preaching the wrong gospel. If you are teaching and preaching the Kingdom of God, then you are in great company.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is not found in denominational laws and traditions, nor church buildings, nor is it about making money nor off in the future when our Lord and King comes back for His citizens. The Gospel of the Kingdom is now, today and forever! The Kingdom of God is in us, as His citizens, being governed by our Governor, the Holy Spirit!
So the gospel of the Kingdom of God is a vital issue now. It is the answer to man's total need, now. What it isn't, is a religious building, service, tradition, custom or cliché. Never before have we needed to preach the Unshakable Kingdom of God as now. For never were the pillars of civilization so shaken as now. The gospel of the Kingdom is coming back to the forefront; coming back out of sheer necessity.
Keep in mind, the Kingdom of God is within you in your very inner being. It is also among you, in the relationships which we have with others; it is at your door. It is ready to burst into you and your relationships and remake you. So, it is all three: within you--among you--and at your door. It is present.
Remember what Jesus our King stated:
But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you. Luke 11:20
Seeking the Kingdom is THE priority!
All scriptures are NKJV unless noted
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
First: We made the Kingdom and the Church the same. That was our first mistake. In Protestantism they sang in the hymn: "I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thy abode, the church our blest Redeemer saved with His own precious blood."
"I love thy kingdom, Lord...the Church." They imply that the church is the kingdom.
Second: Now the Roman Catholic Church went all the way, having made the Kingdom synonymous with the Church, and having made the Church infallible. Your obedience to the church is equated with being obedient to Lord, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Keep in mind, that "infallible kingdom" is falling all to pieces from within. In both cases, Protestant and Catholic, their attitude of humanity was this: If the Church and the Kingdom of God are the same, then the Kingdom of God doesn't matter, but...
I have a news flash...it does matter!
It is time to take a fresh look at all that is done under the banner of "God's Kingdom" and discern what is manmade and what is the Kingdom that Jesus introduced back into the Earth when He was here.
Keep in mind, the Church without the Kingdom is irrelevant, but the Kingdom without the Church is always relevant. Suppose the church takes its true position, and points to the Kingdom and its total relevancy; then and only then, the church becomes relevant in the Kingdom's relevancy. It then stands for the King Jesus and His Kingdom. Anything the Church does beyond pointing people to King Jesus and His Kingdom is a distraction from the Kingdom of God and is often self serving self promotion. Remember that “the church” is the citizens of God’s Kingdom, not the building or all of their denomination’s bylaws and traditions.
Third: We lost that Kingdom in linking it up with the Parousia (meaning the return of Christ). The belief is: we can do nothing until the return of Jesus the Christ; nothing corporately. We can redeem individuals now, but the Kingdom won't come until the King comes. We can only watch and wait for His return. No! We are called to the work of His Kingdom in our lives now!
Please note: Now there are two sets of passages that tell of how the Kingdom of God is to come. One set tells that the Kingdom will come with gradualism:
(The Parable of the Growing Seed) And He said, “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29
(The Parable of the Mustard Seed) Then He said, “To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” Mark 4:30-32
The Kingdom of Heaven is also like leaven (yeast) which, hidden in the dough, leavens the whole lump. The yeast isn’t seen in the dough, but its presence cannot be missed as the dough rises. Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” Matthew 13:33
Focus Point: These and other passages teach the coming of the Kingdom by gradualism; person to person, community to community, and nation to nation. Now on the other hand, there are passages such as the parable of the nobleman, who went abroad to receive a kingdom and returned; depicting Jesus' coming to the Father to receive a kingdom after He returned. This refers to the apocalyptic or the sudden coming of the kingdom when Jesus shall return with holy angels to set it up. Some people take the gradualistic set of passages; while others take the apocalyptic view--the sudden. Well I can't do that, for both sets seem integral parts of the account. So I take both the gradualistic as well as the apocalyptic. Both of them give me the complete picture. I can be the ambassador or agent of the coming of that Kingdom now. The apocalyptic gives me my hope; my hope that the last Word will be spoken by Jesus the Christ and that last Word will be victory. But I want to assure you, I have no timetable or map of the future. Our King, Jesus the Christ, made this statement:
...And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority". Acts 1:7
Now this interpretation of the Kingdom as "in the future, when Christ shall return", makes the Kingdom innocuous now. Innocuous: Something that does not injure or harm; harmless not controversial, offensive or stimulating; dull and uninspiring.
Focus Point: Do you remember what the King stated in the Constitution of Mark's gospel? “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is". Mark 13:33
Until Jesus comes, we keep proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. After His resurrection, Jesus spoke to His disciples for forty days concerning the Kingdom of God, or as the English Bible puts it, "taught them about the Kingdom of God: …to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3
Please note: Evidently it wasn't a future kingdom with future implications, but a kingdom here and now. This I will repeat for emphasis: Remember, Philip and Paul both preached about "the kingdom" and "the name of Jesus" as a priority for now.
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Acts 8:12
Focus Point: The Kingdom of God was the focus then, and it is the focus when they believed the Gospel and they were all baptized. As Paul stated: And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Acts 20:25
Please remember that Paul was proclaiming for a decision now. He spoke urgently of the Kingdom of God, and he sought to convince them about Jesus the Christ. See what Paul stated and his actions: So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.
Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to Me and let Me heal them.’
So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”
For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
Acts 28:23-31 NLT
He was preaching urgently, and for a decision or verdict concerning the Kingdom, now, not a later time. The decisive word is this “He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.”
The Kingdom was preached to them from personal testimony; then the Kingdom was not just a hope, bound up with Jesus’ (parousia), meaning His Second Coming. The Kingdom is something to be experienced now, therefore it is a priority now.
My question to all those who read this: What gospel are you preaching? If it is not the Gospel as King Jesus preached and taught, then you are preaching the wrong gospel. If you are teaching and preaching the Kingdom of God, then you are in great company.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is not found in denominational laws and traditions, nor church buildings, nor is it about making money nor off in the future when our Lord and King comes back for His citizens. The Gospel of the Kingdom is now, today and forever! The Kingdom of God is in us, as His citizens, being governed by our Governor, the Holy Spirit!
So the gospel of the Kingdom of God is a vital issue now. It is the answer to man's total need, now. What it isn't, is a religious building, service, tradition, custom or cliché. Never before have we needed to preach the Unshakable Kingdom of God as now. For never were the pillars of civilization so shaken as now. The gospel of the Kingdom is coming back to the forefront; coming back out of sheer necessity.
Keep in mind, the Kingdom of God is within you in your very inner being. It is also among you, in the relationships which we have with others; it is at your door. It is ready to burst into you and your relationships and remake you. So, it is all three: within you--among you--and at your door. It is present.
Remember what Jesus our King stated:
But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you. Luke 11:20
Seeking the Kingdom is THE priority!
All scriptures are NKJV unless noted
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
