What is the Kingdom of God?

     

It was H.G. Wells who wrote: 

    
“The doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, which was the main teaching

of Jesus, and which plays so small a part in the Christian creeds, is certainly

one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred and changed

human thought….For the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven as Jesus

seemed to have preached it, was no less than a bold and uncompromising

demand for a complete change and cleansing of the life of our struggling

race, an utter cleansing without and within.”[1]

1.  The Most Important Theme

-    The message about the kingdom of God was the most important theme in the teaching of Jesus.  Matthew 4:23 says that “Jesus went throughout Galilee….preaching the good news of the kingdom.”

-    Howard Snyder has written, “Jesus mission was to tell the good news of the Kingdom, show what the Kingdom was like, demonstrate its works, tell how to enter it, and establish the Messianic community (the church) in embryonic form.”[2]

     Consider the following verses of Scripture:

·    Matthew 4:17 says, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’”

·    Mark 1:15 says, “’The time has come,’ he said.  ‘The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!’”

·    Luke 4:43 says, “But he said, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’”

The instruction of Jesus was clear:  “But seek first his kingdom….” (Mt. 6:33, NIV), or “make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” (NLT).

2.  The Kingdom of God Defined

-    Philip Yancey has written that “God’s kingdom has no geographical borders, no capital city, no parliament buildings, no royal trappings that you can see.”[3]

-    When teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus instructed them to say:  “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6:10).

-    The phrase “your kingdom come” is explained by the second part of verse 10, which points to the fact that the kingdom is God’s rule coming from heaven to be embraced by (or expressed by) the people of God here on earth.

-     We get our English word “kingdom” from the word “king.”  This leads to the following points:

·    We might ask, what does a king do?  Simply stated, a king rules.  Therefore, a kingdom is the expression of the king’s rule.

·    This means that to be a citizen of a kingdom is to live under the king’s rule, or government.

·    The kingdom of God is:  The rule of God in action!

We can say that the kingdom is God’s active rule or reign in the lives of His people.  It is the government of God coming into our lives, which ultimately is for our good.

-    There are two aspects of the kingdom that are important for us to understand.  The kingdom of God is:

·    Within You!
      
      Luke 17:20, 21 says, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful            observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the                  kingdom of God is within you."

·    A Realm which you Enter!

  

John 3:5 says, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”

Colossians 1:13 says, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son….”

Jesus demonstrated what it means to live in the kingdom, for He embodied its characteristics and lifestyle perfectly.

-     As E. Stanley Jones has written, “He was the illustration of what the Kingdom is.”[4]

-    For this reason, we look for the Lord Jesus Christ to be formed in each believer (see Gal. 4:19; Phi. 3:12-16).  This is why we encourage people to press on to reach their full redemptive potential in Christ.

-    As Fyodor Dostoevsky has said, “To love a person means to see him as God intended him to be.”

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[1] H.G. Wells, The Outline of History (New York: The MacMillan Co., 1921), pp. 499, 500.

[2] Howard Snyder, The Community of the King (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977), p. 14.

[3] Philip Yancey, “The Stealth Kingdom,” in Discipleship Journal, November and December 1998, p. 57.

[4] E. Stanley Jones, The Unshakeable Kingdom and Unchanging Person (New York: Abingdon Press, 1972), p. 39.

It's Time to Grow Up!

“I was shutting down my computer and heading to bed when the phone rang.  ‘I hate to tell you this.’  I recognized the voice of our head elder.  ‘Mary is not happy with our decision to deny her homeschoolers group time to give out awards during Sunday morning worship.  She is offended.’”[1]

Offended!  The weight of the word rings in our ears with its frightening implications.  Offended!  How in the world could anyone be offended over children’s awards?  And yet, for those of us who have been around church for a number of years, we know all too well how easily people can become offended over the smallest of things.  In reality, the tendency towards offense or breakdown in relationships reveals a deeper and more unsettling problem in today’s church.  Simply stated: The problem is immaturity!

The Scriptures make it clear that once a person becomes a Christian, he or she begins a journey towards spiritual maturity.  This means that believers are not meant to remain as spiritual babes the whole of their Christian lives.  Instead, as the apostle Paul says, “God wants us to grow up,” for we are to become “fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.”[2]

The challenge facing the church in the 21^st century is to avoid watering down the message of Christ for the sake of more people coming to a Sunday morning gathering, or to boast of a larger annual budget.  While we do want to see the kingdom of God grow, we must always remember that citizenship in the kingdom is offered to us on God’s terms, not our own.  Reducing the demands of the message to make it easier for people to accept will, in the long run, make it harder for them to grow into mature Christians.  Faced with kind of challenge, we can understand why Jesus would say to prospective disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt. 16:24, NIV, italics added).

In his classic book entitled Mere Christianity, the late Oxford scholar, C.S. Lewis, makes it clear that to begin the path towards Christian maturity, it will cost us everything.  He writes:

“Christ says, ‘Give me All.  I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You.  I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it.  No half-measures are any good.  I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down.  I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out.  Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked.  I will give you a new self instead.  In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’”[3]  

The word “mature” can be defined as “having reached full growth or development.”[4]  Since the journey towards maturity is a process that occurs over time, it is important that we make a decision right now to press on towards maturity.  In fact, “maturity is not an option for the believer, it is essential!  This is why the success of the church and all that God wants to accomplish in His world is directly related to the level of maturity that is found in each believer.”[5]  Clearly, it is time to grow up!    

______________________________________

[1] Lanny Kilgore, “Pastor, I’m Offended,” in Leadership, Spring 2000, p. 93.

[2] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message, pp. 406,407.

[3] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1943), p. 169.

[4] Oxford Paperback Dictionary, compiled by Joyce M. Hawkins, 2^nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983), p. 404)

[5] Bill Clark, Discovering the Foundations of Our Faith (Peterborough, Ontario: Printer Paul, 1992, 2005), p. 6.

God Meant it for Good

It had been a restless night.  Plagued by the unfair events of his past, the prospect of falling asleep seemed almost impossible.  Flashes of what he thought were forgotten memories lurked at every hour of the night.  While trying to sleep, he remembered the trauma of being sold into slavery, the false accusations of an unrighteous woman, and probably the worst of all – the months and months of trying to survive in an Egyptian dungeon.  As he lay on his bed, it seemed as if he could still feel the dampness of his darkened cell and hear the scurry of the hungry rats that paid him an unwelcome visit every night.  His arms and legs still bore the marks of his shackles, and if he listened to his memories, he could still make out the faint moaning of imprisoned men who had lost all hope in what seemed like one of the worst places on earth.

All of this and more filled Joseph’s mind as he readied himself for a visit from the brothers who had sold him into bondage at the very early age of seventeen.  How things had changed!  Now he was the prime minister of Egypt – second only to the Pharaoh himself!  Now he had the power to decide the fate of his cruel and uncaring brothers who wanted to be rid of the young man they had called “the dreamer.”   But God had a different plan.  Instead of seeking revenge, Joseph sought reconciliation.  Over the years, he had learned about the power of forgiveness and how God in His wisdom fits everything that happens “into a pattern for good” (Rom. 8:28, JBP).        

With great courage and compassion, Joseph called his brothers together and said, “Come close to me…I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!” (Gen. 45:4, NIV).  But he went further than just seeking a reunion; he also declared God’s purpose in it all.  With incredible wisdom and depth of insight, Joseph said, “it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen. 45:8, NIV).  The purpose of his sending: To save lives!  In the face of severe famine which was to last seven years, God had sent Joseph to the land of Egypt “to preserve a remnant…and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Gen. 45:6, NIV).

More and more today the conviction that we are here to save lives is breaking in on the people of God.  We have witnessed God’s efforts to bring His people to maturity; we have watched Him work to restore His church, but now we must see a people emerge who will live to see others saved from the wasteland of brokenness and spiritual famine.  Yes, we are called to proclaim a message that says, “You can be saved from your sins and your sicknesses, and you can be saved from poverty and brought into prosperity!”  The weight of oppression can be lifted and the cloud of fear and anxiety will dissipate!  God has chosen us to be bearers of a message that has the power to save lives!   Hallelujah!

I will never forget the time many years ago in Belleville when I met a young man for coffee whose confession to me was, “I’ve spent too much time looking at the bottom of a bottle.”  His life was one of desperation and despair, but he didn’t know how to be set free.  And then one Sunday he came to one of our meetings.  It was in this meeting that he realized that there was a way out – a way to life and freedom – but he needed help to know what to do.  So he called me up on the Monday morning to ask if I could meet him for coffee.  It was near the end of our conversation that he looked at me and simply said, “I’m so lost.”  Thankfully, there is a way for the lost to be found!  That morning he was ready to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and as a result, he was saved – saved from himself and all his sins!  He was saved to learn how to live for God and for others.

The truth that stands out for me as I read the story of Joseph is how he was able to interpret the events of his life in relationship to God’s purpose for him.  He clearly saw that despite how terrible things had been, God was able to weave it all into a wonderful pattern for good that ultimately led to the saving of many souls from famine.  This is why later in his life Joseph could say to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20, NIV, italics added).  This is a staggering revelation, for it connects what you and I go through in life with how God uses it all to bring the knowledge of salvation to others.  In others words, if God can work in my life to bring about good, He can certainly work in yours, no matter how difficult or hopeless things may seem.

I think this is one of the reasons why Jesus stated right at the onset of His ministry what He intended to do.  His purpose in coming was to provide salvation to all mankind, so He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk. 4:18, 19, NIV).  Indeed, God means it all for good!  How wonderful it is to know salvation from sin, sickness, poverty, and oppression – and to top it off, to enjoy the favor of the Lord!  Now that is something to shout about!  Praise God, He has done everything well!  And, praise God, we have a part to play in His great plan!

The Day Everything Changed!

The day dawned like so many others before it.  Slowly life began to stir on the streets of Jericho as the first rays of sunshine sought to dispel the darkness.  One by one the various shop-keepers readied their wares for the coming day, while the traffic of animals and heavy carts slowly started moving along the main road into the city.  Bartimaeus also stirred in his hiding place along the edge of the old city walls.  As a blind beggar living on the streets of Jericho, he always tried to find a safe spot every night where he could get at least a few hours of sleep.  But even then, most nights were filled with attempted robberies from other hungry beggars, and always, one had to watch out for the wild dogs that roamed the streets looking for someone or something on which to prey.

Like so many days before this one, Bartimaeus had to find his way to a place along the main street where he could beg for a few scraps of food or a little money.  It was not easy, for the people of Jericho were often unkind and unwilling to help.  And so, with little assistance from others, Bartimaeus simply felt his way along the street to a place where he could sit and beg for his life.  But today something different was happening!  All along the street people were talking about a man named Jesus who had visited Jericho and was now on his way to Jerusalem.  People were saying that this Jesus was the promised Messiah – the Son of David – and that he had the power to heal all kinds of sicknesses and diseases.  In fact, it was this same Jesus who was coming down the road that very minute!

“Jesus, Son of David,” Bartimaeus began to shout.  “Have mercy on me!”  Despite the protests of those standing next to him, Bartimaeus kept shouting.  “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Clearly, Bartimaeus was desperate!  If ever there was a time when he wanted something – now was that time.  He had nothing to lose in calling out to Jesus.  He simply thought, “If I can just get his attention, maybe – just maybe – he will speak to me and I will regain my sight.”  So, while the crowds were pushing and shoving, and the streets teemed with all kinds of activity, Bartimaeus tried shouting louder and louder in the hope that Jesus would hear him.

Of course, the wonderful thing about this story is that Jesus did hear Bartimaeus shouting his name.   Stopping in the middle of road, in the midst of a large crowd of people, Jesus simply said to those around him, “Call him.”  With that, Bartimaeus was on his feet, and throwing his cloak aside, made his way over to where Jesus was standing.  “What do you want me to do for you,” Jesus asked him.   For Bartimaeus, this was the question of a lifetime!   Here he was, a blind, unemployed beggar, who lived on the streets of Jericho, standing face to face with Jesus!  And so, from deep within he said those words that have echoed throughout history: “Rabbi, I want to see.”   Of course, he could have said so much more, but true faith is never complex; it never has to say a lot.  True faith simply, and confidently says, “Lord, I believe.”

Jesus’ answer was simple and direct: “Go, your faith has healed you.”  Here were the words that changed everything that day, for instantly, Bartimaeus could see!  He could see colour, he could see people’s faces, he could see trees, flowers, the blue sky – finally, the darkness of being blind was gone!  And yes, he could even see the face of the man who said, “Go, your faith has healed you!”   Such faith changes everything.  The power of God is released in response to the man, woman or child who simply and honestly puts their faith in God.  And this is what happened on that dusty road in Jericho so many years ago.  Bartimaeus simply believed that God could do anything – including making a blind man to see.

Herein lies the challenge set before us as the people of God.  The Lord is looking to see an awakening of faith to overcome what appears to be impossible to the human mind.  God wants us to dare to believe for the sick to be made well, for cancers to disappear, for mental illnesses to be removed, and for those who are lame, deaf or blind to find freedom to live life without hindrance.  Yes, today is the day of the Lord’s favor, and His hand is reaching out to “bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Is. 61:1, NIV), for truly we standing in expectation to see the earth filled “with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14, NAS).            

Faith for Today!

I could see him trying to make his way to the front of the Crusade Tent where we were standing.  He walked slowly, using two canes for assistance in order to compensate for a definite limp.  Well-dressed and distinguished, he had probably tried everything to find relief.  But on this night, he came in faith to our advertised “Healing Meeting” in Brighton, England.  I clearly remember the man leading the meeting, evangelist Don Double, asking the crippled gentleman to take a seat in the front row.  As Don bent down and raised the man’s legs, it was plain to everyone that one leg was much shorter than the other.  This explained the many years of walking with an extreme limp.

As I think back to the scene in my mind’s eye, I can remember Don saying to me, “Keep your eyes open and watch what the Lord is going to do.”  So, of course, I did just that!  There was no way that I was going to miss seeing the power of God come in visible demonstration!  Suddenly, Don just spoke to the shorter leg, commanding it to grow.  And it did!  Right before my eyes I could literally see the leg grow and line up with the other.  In fact, seeing this almost took your breath away.  It was like, “O my, look at that!  His leg grew!  That’s amazing!”   I had just witnessed a profound miracle.   Shortly after this, the man got up and without assistance, made his way to the back of the tent.

Throughout the New Testament, healing was a very common occurrence.  But there was one occasion as described in the Gospel of Mark when “Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything” (Mk. 6:5, The Message).  This is a rather strange statement, for it seems almost out of character for one of the Gospel writers to say such a thing.  But in Nazareth, which was Jesus’ hometown, it seemed as if the people were not only resistant to the message of the Lord, but to His healing ministry as well.  There were a few exceptions of course.  Mark tells us that Jesus “laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them” (Mk. 6:5, The Message), but generally speaking, Jesus “was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mk. 6:6, NIV).  It was this lack of faith that seemed to hinder His desire to do the extraordinary.

 

Compare this scene in Nazareth to the healing of the man I just described in the U.K.  The man in Brighton came to the meeting in faith, whereas the people in Nazareth had a noticeable “lack of faith.”  Clearly this gives us a clue to what we should be looking for as we meet people who need healing.  Consider the following examples:

·   To the sick woman, Jesus said, “Take heart, daughter…your faith has healed you” (Mt. 9:22, NIV, italics added).

·   To the woman with the demon-possessed daughter, Jesus said, “you have great faith!  Your request is granted” (Mt. 15:28, NIV).

·   To blind Bartimaeus, Jesus said, “Go…your faith has healed you” (Mk. 10:52, NIV, italics added).

·   To the man with leprosy, Jesus said, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well” (Lk. 17:19, NIV, italics added).

In each of these situations, Jesus simply responded to what was already present.  He saw their faith!  He didn’t need to pray about it or ask some probing questions to see where the person was at.  He simply saw their faith.  This leads me to ask, “What does faith look like?”  Well, part of our answer lies in the story of the sick woman as mentioned above.  Matthew 9:21 in the Amplified Version says, “For she kept saying to herself, if I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health” (italics added). 

As I think about the story of the sick woman, it becomes clear to me that faith is certainty.   It is knowing deep inside that what I am believing for will actually happen.  This is why the woman could say with absolute confidence, “I shall be restored to health.”  There was no question in her mind as to whether she would be healed, she just knew that once she touched Jesus’ garment, she would be healed.  We see this “certainty” in the definition of what faith is as found in Hebrews 11:1.  The writer says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (NLT).

In his insightful book entitled Christ the Healer, F.F. Bosworth has written, “Before anyone can have a steadfast faith for the healing of their body they must be rid of all uncertainty concerning God’s will in the matter…one needs to know what the Scriptures plainly teach, that it is just as much God’s will to heal the body as it is to heal the soul” (p. 5).   It is the Word of God which creates the certainty in us that God will do what He has promised.  Added to this certainty is the importance of making a right and positive confession concerning our healing.  Matthew 9:21 tells us that the woman who was sick “kept saying to herself…I shall be healed” (AMP).  Faith and confession are really two sides of the same coin, for one will not work without the other.  You cannot on the one hand say, “I am believing to be healed,” while on the other keep listing all your aliments.  The list will sooner or later rob you of the ability to truly believe. 

I never saw the gentleman who came to that “Healing Meeting” ever again.  While I know that his life was forever changed because of what happened on that night, I can honestly say that my life was changed as well.  For on that night my eyes were opened to the power of faith for today – the same kind of faith that Jesus responded to when He said to the sick woman, “your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mk. 5:34, NIV).  

    

A Life of Victory

In his classic devotional book entitled Victorious Living, E. Stanley Jones wrote, “the most urgent necessity in human living is to be able to face life victoriously.  For many – the number is appalling – are living morally and spiritually defeated.  They are inwardly beaten, hence outwardly ineffective.”[1]    

Concerning the Christian life, the Scriptures make it clear that “overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Rom. 8:37, NLT).  We are not meant to live in a continuous cycle of moral, mental or spiritual defeat, for God has given “us the very life of Christ” (Eph. 2:5, AMP).  This life is to be a life of abundance and complete victory in Him.  And yet, there are so many sincere Christians today who live defeated lives.  They are:

·  Defeated by unbelief and fear.

·  Defeated by immoral choices.

·  Defeated by negative attitudes or thoughts.

·  Defeated by worries and concerns.

·  Defeated by negative words or memories.

·  Defeated by poverty or debt.

·  Defeated by past mistakes or failures.

On and on the list could go.  And yet, let me be clear on this point: The Christian life is not meant to be like this!  Jesus came to bring us a better way of living!  He came saying, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” (Jn. 10:10, NLT, italics added).  Jesus did not come to offer us a partial victory over sin, nor did He say you “might” succeed as a Christian if you try hard enough.  No, Jesus said, “I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33, NIV).  And, of course, the implication of this truth is that we would share in His victory as well.

It was the apostle Paul who said, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 2:6, NIV).  Please notice that Paul says we were raised up with Christ.  This means that the key to living a victorious Christian life is to stay in close fellowship with Christ!  With His life and power, how can we not enjoy victory in this life the same way He did?

In John 15:5 Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing” (NAS, italics added).  He goes on to say, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he…dries up” (v. 6, NAS, italics added).  This is an important point for us to notice, for Jesus is telling us that the Christian life – a victorious life – is only possible when we are connected, as a branch to the vine, into the life-giving nourishment of His Holy Spirit.  Without this connection we face the prospect of drying up which quickly leads to defeat.

“Since…you have been raised with Christ” (Col. 3:1, NIV), Paul says, understand that “your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (v. 2, NIV).  From this verse we can conclude that:

·  His victory is now our victory!

·  His strength is now our strength!

·  His power is now our power!

·  His joy and peace is now our joy and peace!

·  His wealth is now our wealth!

All of these and more have been given to you and me because of the fact that we have been raised with Christ and are seated with Him.  Now, it is important for each one of us to understand that the truth concerning what God has said about us is true no matter what difficulties or problems may come our way.  Truth is truth all of the time, not just when we feel like believing it.  Perhaps this is why Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world” (Jn. 6:33, NIV).  We should also add the apostle John’s statement concerning the overcomer, “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith”   (1 Jn. 5:4, NIV, italics added). 

Praise God!  A life of victory is possible today as we stay connected by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He achieved on our behalf.

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[1] E. Stanley Jones, Victorious Living (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Ltd., 1936), p. 5.

The Challenge of Relating

“It was the right hook that got him.  Pastor Waite might have stood in front of the Communion table trading punches with head deacon Ray Bryson all morning had not Ray’s fist caught him on the chin two minutes and fifteen seconds into the fight.  Waite went down for the count at the altar where most members of Highpark Community Church had first declared their commitment to Christ.”[1]

Does this story sound a little far-fetched?  Well, even though the names and the place have been changed, it is a true tale of Christians trading punches over the future of pastoral ministry in their church.  Of course, the tension and hostility that led to the fight at Highpark Community didn’t happen overnight.  Like most difficulties within churches, problems tend to simmer for several weeks or months before they finally boil over into outright accusation or offense.  

It was the late Arthur Wallis (1922-1988) who wrote: “Relationships are the very essence of church life, and if these are not healthy and strong, that body of Christians will never function effectively for God.”[2]  Added to this is the point Bryn Jones makes in his little booklet entitled Joined in Covenant, where he writes: “A church is only as strong as the people’s relationships.  Churches don’t usually collapse because of doctrinal differences; they fall because of Christian’s failure to relate.”[3]

As one reads through the New Testament, it becomes very clear that the church of Jesus Christ is to be comprised of people who enjoy strong, healthy and loving relationships with each other.  The apostle Paul encouraged this when he wrote, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10, NIV), and the apostle Peter adds, “love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Pet. 1:22, NIV).

The challenge we face is not in trying to agree with what Paul and Peter have written, for

each one of us would undoubtedly accept their instruction as being necessary for a church to remain healthy and strong.  Our challenge is really on a more fundamental level than mere agreement with the Scriptures.  What is so necessary in today’s church is that individual members learn how to handle the inevitable difficulties and problems that arise as people seek to draw closer together in relationship.

As we all know, the church is filled with all kinds of people who are different from ourselves in personality, temperament, and background.  One of the simple facts of life is that in any group of people there will always be some individuals who seem easy to get along with, while others may rub us the wrong way.  Let’s face it, the business of relating can be quite challenging at times!  And yet, contrary to what we might think at times, close relationships are possible if we take seriously what Jesus commands us to do: “Love each other as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12, NIV).

Buried in the little book by King Solomon entitled the Song of Songs, is a very interesting phrase: “Quick!  Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in bloom” (SS. 2:15, NLT, italics added).  In the context of the whole book, this verse points to an attempt to prevent a blossoming relationship from being ruined by “little things.”  Taken as individual problems, these little difficulties amount to almost nothing, but when combined together, they have the potential of destroying not only the relationship, but the whole vineyard as well.

It is important, therefore, that we discover what some of these “little foxes” are and why they have the potential of ruining relationships within the family of God.  Briefly stated, some of these are:

1.  Misunderstanding

     Here is the cause of so many relational problems in the church!  Often people mistake or misinterpret what another person may be trying to say or do, and at the expense of the relationship simply walk away upset or offended.  A better response would be to seek clarification on a misunderstood point, so that a wrong attitude or bitter spirit does not get in the way and damage the relationship.  Always remember that a “bitter root” can grow “up to cause trouble and defile many” (Heb. 12:15, NIV).  From such a bitter root, we must guard ourselves.

  

2.  Hurt Feelings

     Whether we realize it or not, God often uses human sandpaper to shape and mold us into His likeness.   Each of us must understand that “the people you live and work with are hand-picked by the Lord to expose your temper, your pride, your stubbornness, or whatever your failings are, so that they can be dealt with.”[4]  This is why it is impossible for us to grow in the Lord unless we have exposure to and fellowship with other believers.  Therefore, if we find ourselves hurt by what someone has said or done, the mature thing to do is to go to the person right away in order to deal with the issue (see Matthew 18:15).

3.  Gossip

     Gossip is one of the most destructive forces in church life, and those who give themselves to it can cause terrible damage to the lives and reputations of many good people.  Consider some of the points the book of Proverbs makes about gossip:

·  “A gossip betrays a confidence” (11:13).

·  “a gossip separates close friends” (16:28).

·  “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down into a man’s inmost parts” (18:8).

Clearly, the presence of gossip in a church can lead to all kinds of problems.  Perhaps the most tragic of these is that people in a gossip-filled church learn how not to trust each other.

4.  Self-Preoccupation

     During a telephone conversation with an inquiring person several years ago, I was asked, “What can this church do for me?”  As simple as the question is, it reveals one of the leading causes of relational breakdown in our society.  That cause simply put is selfishness!  If gone unchecked, this “little fox” has the potential of turning the church into a society of spectators who come for no greater reason than to simply have their own personal needs met.  While the Lord does meet our needs in relationship with others, this should not be the only motivating factor in attending church.  How we must remember that “he will give you all you need from day to day of you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” (Mt. 6:33, NLT).

     The above list represents only some of the “little foxes” that can plague a church community.  Our challenge therefore, is to decide that no matter what it will cost us, we will seek to develop closer relationships with our fellow brothers and sisters in the church.  You see, ‘the church is not simply people, but people in relationship.”[5]  With such a view, we can be confident that the church will “become mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13, NLT).

           

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[1] As told by Charles Colson in The Body (Dallas, Texas: Word Publishing, 1992), pp. 91-97.  

[2] Arthur Wallis, “Attitudes Are All Important,” in Restoration, May/June 1981, p. 12.

[3] Bryn Jones, Joined in Covenant (Leicester, England: Harvestime Publishing Ltd., 1990),

p. 12.

[4] David Matthew, “Relationships Are Number One,” in Restoration, May/June 1981, p. 4.

[5] The Editor, Restoration, May/June 1981, p. 1.

The Church: God's Covenant Community

Many church leaders can relate to the following story:  “When Jack, a fellow pastor and friend, arrived for dinner, I could see he was troubled.  Later he revealed the source of his dejection: ‘Today one of my key leaders told me he’s leaving the church.’  The member wasn’t moving out of town.  Just leaving.”[1]

The news of people leaving a church, especially a smaller church, is rarely something that is welcomed.  Most of the time it happens in the midst of hurt or misunderstanding, and usually it affects everyone in the church to varying degrees.  For many pastors and church leaders, experiencing the loss of people from church can often lead to the question, “What really holds people together?”

 We all know that putting people together has its difficulties.  Different personalities can clash, feelings may get hurt, and hopeful expectations may not be met.  Clearly, encouraging a life together in the Christian community has its challenges.  Perhaps this is why the great German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, dared to write in his little book entitled Life Together that “It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.”[2]  And yet, what is it that holds the people of a church together?  Is it the songs they sing?  Is it the youth programs?  Is it their doctrines or practices?  Is it the preaching?   Is it the social events or special meetings?  What is it?

One of the signs of spiritual revival in the church is the restoration of biblical truth.  The reason for this is that so much “of God’s original intention”[3] for the church became lost or neglected throughout church history.  Thankfully, it is now being gradually restored to the church in order that she might become all that God wants her to be in this generation and beyond (see Acts 3:19-21). 

One truth that is being brought back into focus again today is the importance of covenant relationships.  The word “covenant” simply means, “to bind together,”[4] and as you may know, it is a word that is used repeatedly throughout the entire Bible.  In both the Old and New Testaments, the revelation of people being joined together in covenant relationship provided a strong foundation for the ordering and structure of society. 

An understanding of covenant gives a healthy perspective on the nature of each individual’s relationship to God, and also to each other.  In light of this, it is clear that we cannot afford to ignore this very fundamental teaching that is meant to help the church become what God has always destined it to be.

What holds us together?  Well, if you are committed to a church simply because you like its style of music, what happens if that style should change?  Will you leave?  If you are committed because you like the youth program, what happens when your children grow up?  Will it be time to move on?  Clearly, God calls us into something deeper and richer than mere program selection.  This is why it is true to say that without an understanding of covenant – of being bound together – we as Christians will be limited in our ability to know why we should stay together.  Therefore, we must understand that God calls us into covenant relationship with Himself first, and then secondly, He calls us into the joy of walking out that covenant in relationship with our brothers and sisters in the church. 

As one studies the New Testament, it becomes clear that God’s purpose in joining Himself to us in covenant has always been to produce a family.  From all eternity, God has been eager to produce “for himself a people that are his very own” (Tit. 2:14, NIV).  This is why the Scriptures give definition to the kind of relationships we are meant to share.  For example:

Romans 12:5 says, “we belong to each other, and each one of us needs all the others”(NLT, italics added).

Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (NIV, italics added).

Ephesians 2:21 says, “We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the lord” (NLT, italics added).

Words like “belong,” “devoted,” and “joined” all give expression to the nature of covenant relationship in the family of God.  Such words make it clear that “church” is not something one simply “attends,” but it is a family of people who have become brothers and sisters in Christ.  Indeed, it is a family where the members have learned to see that covenant relationship with Christ and each other is what holds everything together.

To quote Bonhoeffer once again, “Only in Jesus Christ are we one, only through him are we bound together.”[5]  Without this understanding, we can never hope to influence a world that so desperately needs to see a church where people truly practice covenant love, loyalty and living.  Truly, our united prayer should be, “O Lord, restore an understanding of covenant relationship to your people for the sake of this generation.”

  

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[1] Max Heindel, “Pastor, I’m Leaving,” in The Magnetic Fellowship, ed. Larry K. Weeden (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1988), p. 157.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers, 1954),

p. 20.

[3] Bryn Jones, The Radical Church (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 1999), pp. 14, 15.

[4] Charles Simpson, ed., The Covenant and the Kingdom (Kent, England: Sovereign Word Ltd., 1995), p. 44.

[5] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p. 24.