[Please join me in praying for our world on Tuesdays this year.]
“May the [Lord’s] name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring him praise.” (Psalm 72:17 NLT)
“God decided the kingdom of God would be most gloriously revealed in a crucified and risen king.”
– John Piper
One time I was at a meeting at church where a (negative) comment was made about the city I lived in (different from the city this person lived in). At the time I could only sputter that I had never been involved in any crime this person associated with “my” city. But on the way home I was bothered by my response and realized that a better answer would have been to remind him that each of us need to be Salt & Light to whatever place we are. We are each called to be ambassadors for Christ’s Kingdom, no matter where we are. Which led me to an interesting thought: what is “Christ’s Kingdom”? John Piper describes the Kingdom of God as:
“I think the most important thing I could say about the kingdom of God that would help people make sense out of all the uses is that the basic meaning of the word kingdom in the Bible is God’s reign — R-E-I-G-N — not realm or people. The kingdom creates a realm, the kingdom creates a people, but the kingdom of God is not synonymous with its realm or its people.
“For example, consider Psalm 103:19: ‘The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.’ You can hear the basic meaning of the word kingdom as rule. It doesn’t mean that his kingdom rules over his realm; it means that God’s reign or rule governs all things.
“He sits as king on his throne of the universe, and his kingly rule — his kingdom and his reign — governs all things. The basic meaning of the word kingdom in the Bible is God’s kingly rule — his reign, his action, his lordship, his sovereign governance.” **
Since God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, I like that God’s Kingdom is where he reigns and rules. After all, Who better to do so?
But we are the People of the Kingdom when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept his gift of grace. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” (Romans 10:13-15 NIV) These are our roles as the People of God – to be the hands and feet of Jesus and bring good news to those who have not yet believed.
Modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townsend put it this way:
“Hear The Call Of The Kingdom“
Hear the call of the Kingdom
Lift your eyes to the King
Let His song rise within you
As a fragrant offering
Of how God rich in mercy
Came in Christ to redeem
All who trust in His unfailing grace
King of Heaven we will answer the call
We will follow bringing hope to the world
Filled with passion filled with power to proclaim
Salvation in Jesus’ name
Hear the call of the Kingdom
To be children of light
With the mercy of heaven
The humility of Christ
Walking justly before Him
Loving all that is right
That the life of Christ may shine through us
Hear the call of the Kingdom
To reach out to the lost
With the Father’s compassion
In the wonder of the cross
Bringing peace and forgiveness
And a hope yet to come
Let the nations put their trust in Him*
May we hear and respond to the call of God’s Kingdom to reach out to the lost with the Father’s compassion in the wonder of the cross so that individuals and nations put their trust in him.
Our Father in Heaven, holy, righteous, perfect, and blessed is your name. Thank you for your kingly rule – your reign, your action, your lordship, and your sovereign governance – upon this world. Thank you for your calling on our lives to live within your Kingdom and Glory that will never end. We don’t always see or understand what you are doing, but we trust that you are good. May your Kingdom’s grace, hope, justice, mercy, and peace be released into this world by us, the Holy Spirit-empowered People of that Kingdom. King of Heaven, we will answer your call, bring hope to the world, and reach out to the lost with your compassion and the Good News of the Cross so that individuals and nations can put their trust in you. May this world be impacted by that Good News and may Light, Peace, and Hope reign in it now and forever, we pray in Jesus’s name, Amen.
“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-13 NIV)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10 NIV)
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” (Matthew 9:35 NIV)
“[Jesus] will will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:33 NLT)
*”Hear the Call of the Kingdom” by Keith Getty | Kristyn Getty | Stuart Townend CCLI Song No. 4930752 © 2006 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
** https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-the-kingdom-of-god