The Church and the Kingdom of God

The Church is not God’s substitute, or alternative, because Israel rejected Jesus and the Kingdom of God while Jesus was on earth. Just as Jesus was slain in the heart of the Father from the foundation of the world, the Church has always been a part of God’s ultimate plan. He always intended to have a bride for Jesus Christ made up of believing Jews and Gentiles (other nations and/or peoples).

The Church, made up of believing Jews and Gentiles, has been called by Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples. The Church makes disciples by taking (or being) the witness of Jesus and His Kingdom to all nations, that they, also, may have an opportunity to become one who is circumcised inwardly as a part of God’s Israel.

Are the leaders in your church preaching Jesus and Him crucified? Are they also preaching the same thing Jesus preached—the gospel of the Kingdom? Are they preaching it correctly? Unfortunately, it is being taught in some churches today that Jesus is “a way” and the Kingdom is a political kingdom. No! A thousand times, no! Jesus is “the Way,” and the Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom. Jesus is “the door” to the Kingdom, His Kingdom where He reigns.

The Kingdom is the sphere of the rule of God. The Kingdom is both now and future. Now, right now, God is to rule in the hearts of all who have been born again by faith in Jesus. In the future, when Jesus returns, the Kingdom will be complete. Until then, all ambassadors for Christ are to do as Paul did; they are to preach and teach the Kingdom of God and the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. Two times this is made clear in the last chapter of the book of Acts (Acts 28:23 and Acts 28:31). By the way, there is no Amen to the book of Acts!

We are in a time when there are wars and rumors of wars, as well as famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. The air waves are filled with so-called prophetic teachers declaring such things and talking about the end of the world. Interestingly, they usually skip or downplay the end of verse 6 in Matthew 24, which emphatically states that the end is not yet. They also usually skip or change the meaning of verse 14, which ends with “and then the end will come.” The end will come when we, as citizens of God’s Kingdom, join with other citizens of God’s Kingdom and witness to all nations the gospel of the Kingdom. Our witness is not in word only, but also in thought, character, lifestyle, and demonstration of the power of the Kingdom of God.

O, let the Church be the Church! Let the Church deny all to follow Christ, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and proclaim in the entire world the good news of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

Brief Definitions: (1) The Church is the redeemed of all time, those already with God and those who are in Christ on earth. (2) The Kingdom of God is the sphere of God's rule. One enters the Kingdom when they are born again; the Kingdom is presently at work in those who have fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom will only be fully realized after the return of Jesus Christ and the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ; He will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).