Unfortunately,
Americanized Christianity is often so different (in fact, it is sometimes
opposed) to the Christianity we see lived out by the first century followers of
Jesus.
Just read the
biblical book of Acts. Some of the things that happened in that book were
certainly limited to the first century because the Apostles were still alive.
They had authority and power from God that did not get passed down to anyone
else. Yet, the effectiveness in evangelism, the power to radically influence
their culture, the power of prayer, and so much more show the church and
Christianity as it was meant to be.
What did they have
(or understand) that we are missing?
I believe that one
of the primary mindsets that so many are missing today is what it means to
follow Jesus. Americanized Christianity has reduced "being saved" to
a prayer. Supposedly those who have prayed a prayer sometime in their life to
get saved are Christians regardless of the fact that they bear no fruit of a
Jesus-follower. They don't spend time in God's Word and they don't
intentionally conform their lives to its teachings. They don't desire to
regularly spend time with God in pray. They don't tell others about Jesus. On
and on we could go with the sort of fruit that a believer naturally produces in
their life.
One mindset that
Jesus drove home among His followers is this: the Kingdom of God/Heaven.
John the Baptist's
ministry was all about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 3:2)
Jesus began His
earthly ministry talking about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 4:17)
Jesus talked often
about the Kingdom of Heaven in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3, 10, 19,
20; 6:10, 33; 7:13, 21)
In fact, the word
"Kingdom" is used 128 time in the Gospels (in the New Living
Translation). It is a major theme in the teachings of Jesus.
So, what does it
mean? Was Jesus talking about the Kingdom in Heaven that will be the future
reality of believers? If that is your understanding, you are missing a huge
blessing.
The teaching of the
Kingdom of Heaven is, in part, future: There will certainly come a day when
Jesus reigns as King in a visible way over planet earth and in Heaven. But,
it's not simply a future reality.
The teaching of the
Kingdom of Heaven is present: The Kingdom of Heaven exists right now. King
Jesus is building His Kingdom. He is claiming the allegiance of men and women,
boys and girls on planet earth. Anyone who repents of their sin and
self-centered ways and, by faith, receives the free gift of forgiveness that He
offers while giving their full allegiance to Him becomes a soldier in the
Lord's army. They enter the Kingdom at that moment.
Luke 17:20-21 (New
Living Translation)
"One day the
Pharisees asked Jesus, 'When will the Kingdom of God come?'
Jesus replied, 'The
Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say,
"Here it is!" or "It’s over there!" For the Kingdom of God
is already among you.'"
One of the clearest
objectives of a soldier is submission to his/her commander. Obedience must also
be instant and complete.
This is why
Christians must study and conform to the truths God has given us in His Word.
We are soldiers. His Word is our manual. We no longer live for ourselves but
for Him. He expects complete compliance.
This is why we must
also pray. If we are in the Kingdom, then we are in enemy territory (Ephesians
6:10-12). Prayer is our way of staying in communication with our Superior
Officer who can send whatever we need to the front lines to help us.
This is why we must
also share the Good News of forgiveness offered by Jesus. Sharing the Gospel is
our way of bringing other people into the Kingdom. We realize that the enemy
will one day be destroyed along with all who follow him. So, we tell others about
how our Commander loves us so much He sacrificed His life so that we could come
into His incredible Kingdom and enjoy Him forever.
Is life a battle?
Yep! But, if you're in the Kingdom of God, you're on the winning side. The
final chapter of earth's story has already been written. We win!
So, live as a worthy
soldier of the Cross today. You're a privileged member of the Kingdom of
Heaven.
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