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The Kingdom Way,[object Object],The Basics,[object Object],The Theology of the Kingdom,[object Object],(c) Kingdom 2011,[object Object]
There IS a Problem,[object Object], In Acts, 120 people turned the world upside down,[object Object], What is different today?,[object Object], Millions of Christians are in the US,[object Object], The world isn't turning upside down,[object Object], The world is turning the church upside down? Why?,[object Object],Acts 1:3  And to whom he gave clear and certain signs that he was living, after his death; for he was seen by them for forty days, and gave them teaching about the kingdom of God…,[object Object]
The Church Era,[object Object], A tree is known by its fruits,[object Object], The current Church Era is fruitless,[object Object], Most Christians don't share their faith,[object Object], Most Christians don't make disciples,[object Object], Most churches spend their budget primarily on their own needs,[object Object],1 Corinthians 4:120b  .. the kingdom of God is not talk, but real power.,[object Object]
A New Era,[object Object], Many say that the Era is changing,[object Object],From - The Church Era,[object Object],To - The Kingdom Era,[object Object], What is the difference?,[object Object],Mat 21:43  This is why I am telling you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will make it produce fruit.,[object Object]
The Church Era,[object Object],In the current Church Era,[object Object],The local Church is considered the Core Unit of the body of Christ.  A core unit is the smallest part that has all it needs to do the work.,[object Object],Attending Church is considered the dividing line between being 'good' Christians or being backsliders/unsaved,[object Object],The local Church is considered responsible for doing God's work on earth,[object Object],Matthew 15:7  Hypocrites!• How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you:,[object Object],8  `These people respect me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.,[object Object],9  It does no good for them to worship Me. They teach rules made by man, not God.´" (Isa. 29:13),[object Object]
The Kingdom Era and the Local Church,[object Object],In the Kingdom Era, the "Local Church" is  no longer considered the Core Unit - the unit with all it needs to function,[object Object],The Commuity is considered the Core Unit,[object Object],Think about it this way... ,[object Object],The Church in Ephesus, The Church in Corinth,[object Object],To see the details...,[object Object],20 Slides describe what this means...,[object Object],  The Core Unit,[object Object],Ephesians 4:15-16  When we speak the truth with love, we will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the Head.  He is the Source. The whole body is joined and held together with each joint that helps it. It grows with love and builds itself up. Each part does its job.,[object Object]
Church and MeIn the Church Era,[object Object], Good Christians go to church,[object Object], "Backsliders" don't go to church,[object Object], We are supposed to go to church to,[object Object], Meet with God,[object Object], Find fellowship and connection,[object Object], Find our place of service,[object Object], Find strength and encouragement,[object Object],The Kingdom is what Christ came to witness.  He announced everywhere he went “the kingdom of heaven is very near” (Mat 10:7).  He told his disciples that he was sent to deliver the Good News about God’s Kingdom (Luke 4:43).  He announced that the kingdom is a new Covenant when He described the end of the law and the beginning of the Good news about the kingdom of God (Luke 16:16).,[object Object]
The Kingdom Era and Me,[object Object],I understand that the Kingdom is WITHIN me  ,[object Object],Where I and other believers are is where 'church' is.  We can experience these things anywhere...,[object Object],Meet with God, find fellowship, find my place of service, find peace and encouragement.,[object Object],In the Kingdom Era, I  might ALSO go to my church to serve and be served by ministries my church provides:  Ministry of the Word, Ministry of Worship, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, etc.,[object Object],Luke 17:20-21 Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the kingdom of God come?" Jesus answered, "God's kingdom is not coming in such a way that you will be able to watch it. People will not say, `Look, God's kingdom is here!´ or, `There it is!´ No, God's kingdom is inside of you.",[object Object]
The Church Era and Gathering,[object Object],Many refer to the local church as the 'family of God' but...,[object Object],The local church is often a collection of strangers who are hoping to learn to know each other, or sometimes they don't want to.  ;-),[object Object],Sermons and planned interaction have to consider both the 'regulars' and new comers or occasional attendees,[object Object],Expectations are often low because they can cause dropouts,[object Object],Acts 2:46  Every day the believers met together with the same purpose in the temple courtyard. They ate together in their homes, eating their food with joyful hearts. They were very happy.,[object Object],47  The believers were praising God. All of the people liked them. More and more people were being saved every day; the Lord was adding them to the congregation.,[object Object]
The Kingdom Era and Gathering,[object Object],The Community is the Core Unit of the body of Christ, the Church,[object Object],Across the community are gatherings. In some gatherings people worship, serve and celebrate in the traditions of those who have come before,[object Object],In others people gather in forms that are designed to accomodate new works and new forms of service,[object Object],The key difference is that people can choose the form of gathering that supports what God has called them to accomplish, not just fulfill traditional obligations,[object Object],Romans 12:5  In the same way, many people are one body in Christ. Each part is a member of the other parts.,[object Object]
The Church Growth Era,[object Object],Church Growth depends upon factors such as these...,[object Object],Providing excellence in the Worship experience,[object Object],Learning how to connect members to the ministries of the local church,[object Object],Learning how to knit visitors into the church,[object Object],Altar calls and follow-up,[object Object],Drawing people into church ministry, Sunday School, Worship Team, Youth Ministry, etc.,[object Object],Meeting needs: Counseling, Food Pantries, etc.,[object Object],These are all GREAT and will remain. What changes is this ...,[object Object]
Growth in the Kingdom Era,[object Object],The Kingdom is within me.  I am responsible to learn to 'have babies' and 'teach them to walk',[object Object],I cannot expect 'the professionals' to have the babies,[object Object],Neither can I expect them to teach the baby the basic skills of learning how to walk ,[object Object],In the Kingdom many ministries abound and, as I and others grow, we learn to serve each other, our spouses, our families, our neighbors, and of course, we congregate in various ways,[object Object],Ephesians 4:13  How long? Until we are all together. We must be united in our faith and knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a full-grown man, reaching for the greatest potential of Christ.,[object Object],14  Then we will not be little children anymore. The waves will not throw us back and forth. We won't be blown away by the winds of false teaching which clever men invent to trick people into following error.,[object Object]
Growth and The Kingdom Era continued,[object Object],What is the KEY difference between growth in the Church Era vs growth in the Kingdom Era?,[object Object],The key difference is this:  Who has the responsibility? ,[object Object],In the Church Era: Pastors and Ministry Leaders have the responsibility to grow the Church,[object Object],In the Kingdom Era: Individuals have the responsibility,[object Object],How can responsibility shift from the clergy to every believer? ,[object Object],Those stuck in the 'old wineskin' will not change,[object Object],Those who learn to live differently will move into the new wineskin,[object Object],To change, people will need a new mindset and new skills,[object Object],Ephesians 4:11  Christ appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists,• spiritual shepherds, and teachers,[object Object],12  to prepare the holy people for a ministry of service, for building up the body of Christ.,[object Object]
My Responsiblity in the Church Era,[object Object],To attend Sunday Service unless there is a 'good reason' not to be there,[object Object],Some churches expect all members to be at every service,[object Object],To do various things to minister to others in and out of church. To bring people to church so they can find Christ and grow. To bring friends to church so the church can grow.,[object Object],Give or Tithe to the church,[object Object],To live a good life,[object Object],Various other things...,[object Object],Catechism and/or Church Membership,[object Object],Learn and follow the church rules on things like drinking, dress, etc,[object Object],.,[object Object],James 2:14  What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation?,[object Object]
My Responsibility in the Kingdom Era,[object Object],I understand....,[object Object],The Kingdom is within me.  ,[object Object],Because the Kingdom is within me, I can learn to enjoy the benefits of the Kingdom in my life,[object Object],Because I enjoy the benefits of the Kingdom and love others (Great Commandment), I do my best to help them come into the Kingdom, through the Good News (Great Commission),[object Object],I cannot learn to live out the Kingdom by myself - I learn to connect deeply and deliberately to others ,[object Object],Let's look at connecting in the Church and Kingdom Era ,[object Object],Ephesians 4:15-16  When we speak the truth with love, we will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the Head.  He is the Source. The whole body is joined and held together with each joint that helps it. It grows with love and builds itself up. Each part does its job.,[object Object]
Connecting in the Church Era,[object Object],Whereas attending services is generally considered mandatory...,[object Object],Connecting to others is generally considered a 'good idea' but optional,[object Object],Many types of  'ministry' connections are governed by the church.   Permission is often sought and granted, or not granted as the case may be, for ministry:  starting Bible Studies or other small group ministries, creating outreach efforts, etc.,[object Object],1 Corinthians 12:17  If the whole body were an eye, how would the body hear? If the whole body were an ear, where would smelling come from?,[object Object],18  God has now put each member in the body as He chose to do.,[object Object],19  If everything were just one member, there would be no body!,[object Object],20  But now, though we are many members, we are one body.,[object Object]
The Kingdom Era and ConnectingContinued,[object Object],In the Kingdom Era, I uderstand the Kingdom is within me. I understand that the reason I am here is to be fruitful,[object Object],I cannot be fruitful alone; I must connect to other believers,[object Object],Other believers help me learn to live the benefits/blessings given to those in the Kingdom,[object Object],Bringing people into the Kingdom, having spiritual babies, depends on me. I must connect to people to bring them into the Kingdom. ,[object Object],With the help of other believers, I learn to be more fruitful in bringing people into the Kingdom, so I connect for this purpose  ,[object Object],For those who come in the Kingdom , I am responsible to help them learn to live the benefits/blessing of the Kingdom and be fruitful.  To do this, I must connect to them. ,[object Object],I understand that others need things I cannot offer; therefore I  connect those I serve to the larger community of believers,[object Object],Sounds like work, huh?  Yes, it is. It will take our whole life. And, to do these things we need new skills.   ,[object Object],1 Corinthians 12:25  God wants no division in the body. Instead, He wants the members to care about one another.,[object Object]
Transitioning Eras  The good, bad and the ugly,[object Object],Since the Protestant Reformation, an interesting and unfortunate thing has occurred...,[object Object],Every time someone stumbles upon truth, another fracture in the body of Christ occurs,[object Object],We started with Catholics and Protestants - there are now more than 1000 denominations, each with it's unique micro-focus ,[object Object]
New Wine,[object Object],When the body is housed in a structure that cannot grow, we should KNOW what to do!,[object Object],Jesus told us the reasonabile approach is,[object Object],Putting new wine into old wineskins will make for disaster,[object Object],Put new wine into new wineskins,[object Object],Simple ,[object Object],The Kingdom Era will be marked by new structures and approaches to accomodate the new wine,[object Object],Mark 2: 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”,[object Object]
Using Wisdom,[object Object],The RIGHT type of change,[object Object],Some want Revival.  I don't know about you, but I know many ALIVE and REVIVED believers who just know 'there has to be more',[object Object],Are WE waiting for GOD to move or is GOD waiting for us to move?,[object Object],We should say: He has given us all we need! *,[object Object],Some want Reformation.   Attempting to reform an old wineskin can damage what exists,[object Object],Some want Transformation.  Transforming a house or anything else usually involves tearing down FIRST, then building up...,[object Object],We are looking for a better way,[object Object],* 2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.,[object Object]
Transfiguration,[object Object],When a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, nothing is damaged or lost,[object Object],The hallmark of those proclaiming the Kingdom Era should be their love for...,[object Object],The existing body of Christ,[object Object],The saints who have gone before us,[object Object],All those who serve in all the various ministries and churches - honoring them,[object Object],John 13:35   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.",[object Object]
Learning to Live the Kingdom Way,[object Object],Learning to live the Kingdom Way is like the start of human life.  ,[object Object],There are two parts,[object Object],Without those two parts coming together, life doesn't happen,[object Object],This document represents one part..  some of the foundational concepts.  ,[object Object],Only a few can plant and grow something with only the DNA of the concepts,[object Object],Most need BOTH parts: They need both the concepts and they also need to see and experience the application of the concepts.  ,[object Object],This presentation is only 1/2 of the story.  Everywhere people are stuggling to learn to live the Kingdom Way.  Those who succeed will become models of experience and application for all of us.,[object Object],1 Corinthians 12:28  Among all those whom God called out, He put in these people: first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; next, those who work miracles; then, people who heal diseases; people who help others; organizers; those who speak inspired languages.,[object Object]
Are You Learning to Live the Kingdom Way?,[object Object],If you feel that you and perhaps those around you are becoming part of the Kingdom Era...,[object Object],If you feel that you are creating new wineskins and seeing fruit - new believers and you are experiencing the benefits/blessing of the Kingdom like never before...,[object Object],If you feel that you are deliberately building authentic Kingdom Community where individuals are learning to be fruitful... ,[object Object],Please share YOUR comments in the space provided below this presentation!   ,[object Object],Matthew 9:17  No one puts new wine into old wine bags. If they did, the old wine bags would break open, the wine would spill out, and the wine bags would be ruined. Instead, people put new wine into new wine bags and both are preserved.",[object Object]

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The Kingdom Way The Basics

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Editor's Notes

  1. Acts 1:3  And to whom he gave clear and certain signs that he was living, after his death; for he was seen by them for forty days, and gave them teaching about the kingdom of God…
  2. 1 Corinthians 4:19-20  But I will come to you soon, if that is what the Lord wants. I will find out not what these proud people can say, but what they can do! Because the kingdom of God is not talk, but real power.
  3. Mat 21:43  This is why I am telling you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will make it produce fruit.
  4. Matthew 15:7  Hypocrites!• How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you:8  `These people respect me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.9  It does no good for them to worship Me. They teach rules made by man, not God.´" (Isa. 29:13)21  People will not say, `Look, God's kingdom is here!´ or, `There it is!´ No, God's kingdom is inside of you."
  5. Ephesians 4:15-16  When we speak the truth with love, we will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the Head. He is the Source. The whole body is joined and held together with each joint that helps it. It grows with love and builds itself up. Each part does its job.
  6. The Kingdom is what Christ came to witness. He announced everywhere he went “the kingdom of heaven is very near” (Mat 10:7). He told his disciples that he was sent to deliver the Good News about God’s Kingdom (Luke 4:43). He announced that that kingdom is a new Covenant when He described the end of the law and the beginning of the Good news about the kingdom of God (Luke 16:16).
  7. Luke 17:20  Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the kingdom of God come?" Jesus answered, "God's kingdom is not coming in such a way that you will be able to watch it.21  People will not say, `Look, God's kingdom is here!´ or, `There it is!´ No, God's kingdom is inside of you."
  8. Acts 2:46  Every day the believers met together with the same purpose in the temple courtyard. They ate together in their homes, eating their food with joyful hearts. They were very happy.47  The believers were praising God. All of the people liked them. More and more people were being saved every day; the Lord was adding them to the congregation.
  9. Romans 12:5  In the same way, many people are one body in Christ. Each part is a member of the other parts.
  10. Ephesians 4:13  How long? Until we are all together. We must be united in our faith and knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a full-grown man, reaching for the greatest potential of Christ.14  Then we will not be little children anymore. The waves will not throw us back and forth. We won't be blown away by the winds of false teaching which clever men invent to trick people into following error.
  11. Ephesians 4:11  Christ appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists,• spiritual shepherds, and teachers12  to prepare the holy people for a ministry of service, for building up the body of Christ.
  12. James 2:14  What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation?
  13. Ephesians 4:15-16  When we speak the truth with love, we will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the Head. He is the Source. The whole body is joined and held together with each joint that helps it. It grows with love and builds itself up. Each part does its job.
  14. 1 Corinthians 12:17  If the whole body were an eye, how would the body hear? If the whole body were an ear, where would smelling come from?18  God has now put each member in the body as He chose to do.19  If everything were just one member, there would be no body!20  But now, though we are many members, we are one body.
  15. 1 Corinthians 12:25  God wants no division in the body. Instead, He wants the members to care about one another.26  If one member is suffering, all of the members are suffering, too. If another member receives an honor, then all the members are happy for him.27  Each one of you is part of Christ's body.
  16. 1 Corinthians 12:28  Among all those whom God called out, He put in these people: first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; next, those who work miracles; then, people who heal diseases; people who help others; organizers; those who speak inspired languages.•
  17. Matthew 9:17  No one puts new wine into old wine bags. If they did, the old wine bags would break open, the wine would spill out, and the wine bags would be ruined. Instead, people put new wine into new wine bags and both are preserved."