Vision & Values 5 – Kingdom
Devotions - Week 5
Discipleship and the Kingdom of God
Key Scriptures: Isaiah 61, Luke 4, Matthew 6
About a year after I became a Christian and was baptised I felt God call me to leadership – a call that he has confirmed many times since. That first time back in 1984 the call came through scripture – specifically Isaiah 61 – why don’t you take a moment now to read it through.
Three things happened in my heart on that first occasion – what I realise now will have been the first time I would have read those words. Firstly I realised that it was all about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me. Secondly that I was being called to preach the gospel and thirdly that the gospel was about more than just personal salvation – it was about the Kingdom of God.
This passage has followed me throughout my life as a follower of Jesus and as a leader over the last 38 years.
As we saw in this week’s sermon Jesus taught and modelled Discipleship on one hand and the Kingdom of God on the other. We are called to be disciples and to make disciples, but discipleship is not an end in itself. We follow Jesus into his ministry of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God, as modelled by Jesus, has at least four main areas:
Salvation: Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. You cannot see the Kingdom unless you are born again (John 3:6).
Sanctification: Jesus models holiness and calls us to holiness and purity.
Signs and Wonders: Jesus heals the sick, brings deliverance and sees miracles of provision. He also promises that we will do even greater things! (John 14).
Social Action: Jesus' ministry life was spent with those on the edge, he challenges the injustice of the money changers in the temple courts, he restores people’s dignity and challenges the religious with the prophet’s call to care for the poor.
Three things happened in my heart on that first occasion – what I realise now will have been the first time I would have read those words. Firstly I realised that it was all about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me. Secondly that I was being called to preach the gospel and thirdly that the gospel was about more than just personal salvation – it was about the Kingdom of God.
This passage has followed me throughout my life as a follower of Jesus and as a leader over the last 38 years.
As we saw in this week’s sermon Jesus taught and modelled Discipleship on one hand and the Kingdom of God on the other. We are called to be disciples and to make disciples, but discipleship is not an end in itself. We follow Jesus into his ministry of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God, as modelled by Jesus, has at least four main areas:
Salvation: Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. You cannot see the Kingdom unless you are born again (John 3:6).
Sanctification: Jesus models holiness and calls us to holiness and purity.
Signs and Wonders: Jesus heals the sick, brings deliverance and sees miracles of provision. He also promises that we will do even greater things! (John 14).
Social Action: Jesus' ministry life was spent with those on the edge, he challenges the injustice of the money changers in the temple courts, he restores people’s dignity and challenges the religious with the prophet’s call to care for the poor.
Apply
In my experience we all lean more naturally into one or two of these Kingdom areas:
Matthew 6 recognises the pressures of life, but encourages us to seek first the Kingdom. In the sermon we reminded ourselves that God is always at work in the world around us – in our work place, our families, our neighbourhoods and our communities:
- Where do you most naturally find yourself – which one do you gravitate to?
- Why do you think that is?
- How do we help one another grow in each area?
- What stops us growing in some of these areas?
Matthew 6 recognises the pressures of life, but encourages us to seek first the Kingdom. In the sermon we reminded ourselves that God is always at work in the world around us – in our work place, our families, our neighbourhoods and our communities:
- When in the past have you taken a step of faith in the Kingdom, only to discover that God has gone ahead of you and has already been at work?
- How might we need to reshape our lifestyles and our attitudes or expectations to be Kingdom seekers and Kingdom bringers?
This Everyday Devotions was written by Simon Elliott, our Lead Elder.
If you would like to listen to the whole of this week’s sermon on Vision & Values 5 why not download the Everyday Church App or visit our website, YouTube Channel and at our Online Church Services.
This Everyday Devotions is accompanied by a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.
Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.
If you would like to listen to the whole of this week’s sermon on Vision & Values 5 why not download the Everyday Church App or visit our website, YouTube Channel and at our Online Church Services.
This Everyday Devotions is accompanied by a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.
Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.