Over the last couple of weeks I have written about the Kingdom of God, and even provided a link to a sermon from Rob Bell. There is tons more to say of course, but even this brief explanation of the kingdom life- what it means to be a follower of Jesus and live out God's kingdom on earth- can be very intimidating. In fact, some of Jesus' teachings about the kingdom life (particularly the Sermon on the Mount)are strong enough to cause one to throw up her hands saying, "that can't be right- it can't be that hard." After all, we live in a fallen world, and talk of living according to 'God's Rule' and following closely the teachings of Jesus in every part of our lives seems practically impossible, and maybe a little legalistic.
Well, in short, it is impossible, and impossibly legalistic- if we try to do it on our own. And of course, that is exactly what we often try to do. We grab hold of this 'kingdom idea' and try to run with it. We try to follow Jesus' teachings to the letter, and fall into failure and legalism in the process.
But if we follow the biblical pattern provided by Jesus, and we allow God's Spirit to transform us, then I believe that kingdom life is indeed possible. What is the pattern you ask? Put simply, love God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. According to Jesus, this is the foundation for everything else. Or to put it another way, Connect to God, Connect to other Disciples, and Connect to the World!
Connect to God: This is the first step on the journey to kingdom life. Those who wish to head out on this adventure must first connect with the ulimate Guide. We must come to understand God as best we can, connecting with God on ever deepening levels, pursuing God with all we have. This takes time of course, and happens over a lifetime, even through the second and third steps. But it is essential to begin here.
Connect to other Disciples: The second step is to enter into covenant community with others on the same journey- your fellow disciples. In community we not only get strength and support, but we learn what it means to truly be human. We learn what is means to be One as the three persons of the Trinity are one.
Connect to the World: The third step is a continuation of the first two. Jesus made clear that our 'neighbors' are not just those who look and think like us, or those who live within our borders. Our neighbors are everyone, and disciples will learn to connect in life giving ways. Service to the world as a living expression of God's love is the disciple's ministry, and continues the transformation being accomplished by God's Spirit within the individual, the worshipping community, and the world.
The process is really quite simple. Connect to God, Connect to other Disciples, and Connect to the World. It is a journey toward kingdom life, and there are really no ways to abbreviate the trip. But in the end it will be well worth it, as we experience our own transformation, the transformation of those around us, and the transformation of God's creation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment