The Kingdom Unleashed: Discovering God’s Kingdom Movements
Christianity is growing faster than at any time in history. So why is the church in America and Europe stagnant and declining, and what will it take for that to change? Central to God’s kingdom movements are the core values of His Kingdom, which Jesus proclaimed and modeled throughout His ministry. In this seven part series we will explore why only a few such miraculous movements are happening in the Global North while they are multiplying in the Global South. We will identify both historical and worldview issues that can hinder these movements and illuminate the key biblical principles, paradigms, and practices that Jesus mandated for His followers. By returning to these practices, the church in the Global North can see God’s Kingdom Unleashed.
“… I will build my church, and the powers of hell will not conquer it.” -Matthew 16:18 TPT
(1) seeing: Sunday, february 14th
From the very inception of His public ministry, Jesus began declaring the gospel or “good news” of the Kingdom of God. What made His message “good news” was when people saw that Jesus had come to restore man’s relationship with God, with his fellow man and with the environment. He had come to reverse the curse that had transferred authority over all things on the earth to God’s enemy, Satan, by man’s obedience to him and disobedience to God. Obedience is the antidote to restore things back to harmonious alignment. In essence: obedience to the will of God and the righteous rule of Jesus as King ushers in and unleashes the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
“The reason the Son of God was revealed was to undo and destroy the works of the devil.” -1 John 3:8 TPT
(2) loving: Sunday, february 21st
The Kingdom of God is rooted in love demonstrated through both service and sacrifice. The core message of John the Baptist was, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). John then described what repentance and living in obedience to King Jesus looked like: “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise” (Luke 3:11).
All Kingdom movements are rooted and grounded in the heart of God as Father and the love that Jesus commanded us to demonstrate by doing good things. That’s why Jesus said, “By this (love demonstrated) everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
”Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God … For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” -1 Peter 2:12,15 NIV
(3) praying: Sunday, february 28th
Prayer has always been the lifeblood of God’s Kingdom movements. If we want to move the church forward, the critical action we must take is prayer. Prayer was central to Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus sought God, often in prayer, and taught more about prayer than any other subject except the Kingdom of God. He told us to be persistent in prayer about our needs. The Apostle Paul went even further and told us to pray without ceasing, informing us that this is God’s will for us as followers of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Two barriers to prayer in the Global North is our affluence and our busy lifestyle. Jesus’ instructions to pray for our daily bread seem irrelevant when we have a refrigerator full of food. We also have so much going on in our lives that we do not have time to pray. Yet, Jesus taught us that nothing happens without prayer.
”How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.” -Matthew 12:29 CSB
(4) DISCOVERING: Sunday, March 7th
Jesus instructed us to make disciples who both trust in Him and obey all that he commanded us. That obedience must be based on first paying close attention to God’s Word and then personal discovery of what it means to us as individuals, with the Holy Spirit as the teacher. This process of “discovery” in a group in which you are accountable to others on what the Father is teaching you, followed by immediate obedience, is the pattern of discipleship we see in the New Testament and early church.
“The only way people come to me is by the Father who sent me—he pulls on their hearts to embrace me. And those who are drawn to me, … Jesus continued, “It has been written by the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God himself.’ If you are really listening to the Father and learning directly from him, you will come to me.” – John 6:44-45 TPT
(5) Obeying: SUNDAY, MARCH 14TH
Jesus’ central message was that the Kingdom of God – recognizing and obeying God’s authority in every area of life – was breaking into the world, and we need to change the fundamental orientation of our lives (repent) in response to its presence. Similarly, the Great Commission in Matthew 28 tells us to make disciples, that is to make apprentices of God who are being taught to obey everything that He has commanded.
Obedience is the essence of discipleship and is central to the Gospel that Jesus taught. If we are not teaching His followers to obey everything that Jesus commanded, then we aren’t preaching the same Gospel that He preached. And in the Global North despite our proclamations that Jesus is Lord, we have failed to teach an obedience-based discipleship model.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” -Luke 6:46 NIV
(6) engaging: SUNDAY, MARCH 21st
There is no Kingdom movement unless people lost in relationship to God are becoming disciples. In order to engage with the lost you must go out among them to see movements start. It is important to note that living in a community does not give access. Access is gained by doing something that helps develop a trusted relationship with members of that community.
Engaging with and meeting the needs in a community will bring peace, gain trust and demonstrate love. Once you have gained access the next step is to find the person of peace who is a doorway of influence to the community (Matthew 10 and Luke 10) and start a discovery group.
“For the Son of Man (Jesus) came to seek and save those who are lost.” -Luke 19:10 NLT
(7) empowering: SUNDAY, MARCH 28th
We sometimes fail to realize that God wants to use everyday people, as opposed to those who have seminary or doctoral degrees. We need to realize that is exactly what God does. He is down at the grassroots level, empowering ordinary people who are willing to be obedient and to follow Him wherever he leads them to do extraordinary things. It often surprises us to realize that it often has nothing to do with their knowledge or formal training, but rather it is in their obedience to “go and make disciples.”
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” -1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NIV
