Quote:
Originally Posted by UntoHim
This is a really, really good place to start. The Lord Jesus taught and preached more about the Kingdom of God than any other subject. The Kingdom of God had been established in the heavens since eternity past, yet even God's people, the Jews, had a very incomplete and significantly warped view of God's Kingdom. By the time of Jesus' day, they had apparently taken on the understanding that the Messiah would actually establish a visible, physical Kingdom on earth. (and he will at the second coming, but this future establishment of the Kingdom on earth is out of our purview for the moment.)
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What you say is correct. But the kingdom that Christ preached that was NOT the earthly kingdom that the Jews were looking for seems to be the one that Jesus spent a significant portion of his time preaching. Yes, he also preached about the return of the king in several ways. But in almost all cases, it was tied to something about how the "kingdom people" were living, or were supposed to be living.
Now.
In a few cases, there is something mentioned like a reward, or a banquet, or a wedding, or such, but the emphasis is about this life, not the details of the reward (of any type).
Yet so many Christians, including the LCM, are so enamored by what we get as a reward, but so often see something not written as the key to getting that reward.
And the ways that we think we get the reward are numerous. Do a lot of personal evangelism. Hold to the teaching of the ground as we attempt to do no "works" but instead just soak up dispensing. Stand firm against those really bad sinners, like homosexuals or abortionists. Go on a summer mission trip each year. And so on.
But there is almost no one talking about hungering and thirsting for righteousness, or living a kingdom life now (unless they are talking about acting as if they are one of those in the throne room in Revelation just constantly falling on their faces saying "holy, holy, holy, is the Lord . . . ."). Not saying we should never do that. But that is not the life lived "in the light" so that others can see. It is not the city on a hill. Those are what happens when the Christians live righteous and just lives, and are one with each other even when they don't agree on everything.
And that last one is the toughest because it is clear that we are focusing on things other than the core of our faith when we disagree so strongly that we speak against our brothers. That does not mean that we do not have disagreements, or that we do not engage in discussion, and even debate, to persuade one another. But it should not keep us from displaying our oneness. The only sign of disunity should be with respect to those who do not truly believe. And even there it is difficult to say how open to the world our differences should be. Maybe in some cases it should be open. But only where the Christ (if that name is even used) is truly different. Like putting a Mercedes hood ornament on a home made skateboard and calling it reliable interstate transportation.
Yes, the ultimate kingdom is yet to come. But our real concern, living, and even preaching should be primarily about the one we live in today. It was and still is the main thing that was preached. It was the call for us to bear the image of God — or Christ the visible God — here on earth, not just to seek to be ready for the kingdom in the heavens. That activity too often does not seem to affect our current lives. It seems that getting ready for the kingdom to come at the expense of this one is the reason that people seem to like our Christ, but not so much the Christians he seems to gather.
Otherwise, God made man in his image to be on the earth so they could mess it all up and he could take the good ones back to heaven where he already has an army of followers.
Yes, that future kingdom is described as coming back down to earth. But it is also already here. But while we like to call it the hidden kingdom and the future one a visible kingdom, this one should be quite visible. It should be a shining light in a dark world, and a city set on a hill. Neither of those are invisible. Just not the only kingdom to see.
And the truth is that the kingdom of the world is quite visible. How visible is the kingdom of God? Not invisible. But also often not looking much like the kingdom of God. Not looking so bright. Oh, we like to put ourselves on a hill as we live and act in ways that we should be ashamed of.
Maybe that thread about the wakeup call was misguided in some ways. But repenting is something that we all could use some more of. And I am not pointing fingers. I don't find myself to be any better. But the goal is not special status for some kingdom of the world, but that we would shine a little brighter and find our "city" set a little higher.