Thy Kingdom Come: Live God's Tomorrow Today
Thy Kingdom Come: Live God’s Tomorrow Today
THY KINGDOM COME: A 2012 MINISTRY PREVIEW A New Year’s Kick-Off Sermon by Pastor Steve Shaw 2011 has come to a close, and now, we welcome 2012. As a church, we’ve much to be thankful for as we look back on the year just ended: milestones have been reached; gaps have been bridged; discoveries have been made; storms have been weathered; new hope has been born; prayers have been answered; eyes have been opened; spiritual warfare has been waged; lessons have been learned; lives have been changed, and much groundwork has been laid for the future. “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” we declare along with the psalmist. “Bless the Lord, and forget not all his benefits.” But as much as it is good and right to gratefully remember all God has done in the past, today — New Year’s Day — is more of a day for looking forward than for looking back. It is a day, as the Apostle Paul would put it, for pressing forward toward the goal to which God has called us. In that spirit, my job this morning is to share with you a preview of the year ahead of us at Cornerstone — specifically our 2012 Ministry Theme and Objectives. We’ll even attempt, at points, to glimpse a little bit beyond 2012. So... are you ready for a look... ahead? While there is more — so much more — to the future of this local church than land and building development, that’s nevertheless a good place to start our look ahead. By God’s grace, we anticipate that within 2012: • Our land mortgage will be paid in full • Detailed architectural drawings will be completed • Our building permit will be secured. Then, in early 2013 (about 1 year from now) — if not sooner, depending on how certain factors pan out-- we plan to launch our next Capital Stewardship Campaign, through which we trust God will financially position us to construct the Community Life Centre. Our target date to occupy the new building — as best as we can anticipate at this point — is spring 2014. Now on the left is a picture of my daughter Nicole when she was a tiny newborn, and next to it is a picture of her now, at age 12, towering well above her mom. Let me tell you, those dozen years — and all that growing up — went by fast. My point? Well, if twelve years can go by so quickly, then the 2 years and change that remain until we expect to occupy our new facility are, like, nothing! Yeah, in some respects, it still seems a long way off, but really, it’ll be here in the blink of an eye. Our job now is to get ready! Life and ministry in a new community-oriented facility will mark a new era for Cornerstone. In preparation for that era, our main priority has been to lay strong biblical foundations for personal and congregational renewal. We are very much aware of the fact that only as we walk closely with Jesus and grow more fully into our identity and calling as his people will our future facility become the “bridge” for Christ — that special connecting point between this congregation and the greater Markham community — that we’ve always envisioned it to be. 1
Our target date to occupy the new building is spring 2014... Our job now is to get ready!
In line with this, last year’s ministry theme challenged us to think about what it means to “reflect Jesus in all of life” as people who have been created, and are being re-created, in the imago dei — the image of God. Building on that emphasis, allow me to introduce to you now our 2012 Ministry Theme: “Thy Kingdom Come: Live God’s Tomorrow Today.” Throughout the whole year ahead, we’re going to be talking about Jesus’ favourite theme — a theme which was the very centre of the message that he declared in word, and demonstrated in deed — the kingdom of God. If we grasp this theme — and more importantly, if we let it grasp us — it can be an absolute game-changer for how we understand the Bible, and how we see and live the Christian life. “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God...” says Jesus in Luke 4:43, “because that is why I was sent.”
Now, may I ask you a question? If Jesus was indeed sent into this world for the purpose of proclaiming the good news — the gospel — of the kingdom of God — if this was indeed the heart — the very core of Jesus’ message (I mean, doesn’t he tell us to seek first the kingdom of God?) — then what does it mean? What’s the kingdom of God about? Very few of us contemporary Christians — including pastors like me — have a clear sense of what the kingdom of God really means. So another question we might also ask is why do so many Christians today understand so little about Jesus’ central message? While this morning we don’t have space here to get into why that is the case, it’s definitely safe to say that it is the case. So what is the kingdom of God? It’s an expansive concept — a theme we’re taking a whole year to explore — but we can begin to unpack it by saying that the kingdom of God has to do with, “God’s will... to restore God’s world... through God’s people... in God’s time.” These four points will give shape to the main body of this message, and then I’ll conclude with a preview of the exciting ministry objectives and initiatives we have lined up for the year ahead.
God’s kingdom exists where “what God wants done is done.”
The kingdom of God is about God’s will to restore God’s world through God’s people in God’s time. Let’s break this down part-by-part, starting with GOD’S WILL. What is God’s will? We often ask that question from a personal perspective, as in, “What is God’s will for my life?” or “What is God’s will for me in this situation?” But the answers to those questions can only be rightly derived from the answer to a much grander question concerning God’s will: “What’s the big picture of God’s will — his overarching plan that encompasses the grand sweep of history and all eternity?” Jesus sums up the answer to this question of the big picture of God’s will with the following words from a prayer he taught his disciples: “Your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). In other words, where God’s kingdom has come, there God’s will is done. Or as philosopher-theologian Dallas Willard puts it, God’s kingdom exists where “what God wants done is done.” So in speaking of God’s kingdom and God’s will, we’re in a sense speaking of one and the same thing.
Of course, contemporary North Americans like us aren’t used to speaking about kingdoms, let alone living in them, but we do know enough to realize that a kingdom has something to do with the rule and reign of a king. The kingdom of God has to do with God’s rule and reign as divine king. When God’s rule and reign comes in its fullness, then his will shall be done here on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). You see, God’s will — in the grand sense of his overarching and ultimate purpose — is TO RESTORE GOD’S WORLD — and here we have the second aspect of our four-part statement about the kingdom of God. Many Christians today assume that the Bible points to an ultimate hope of going away from this wicked world altogether, and off to a wonderful place called heaven. If this is the case, then it logically follows that we needn’t really concern ourselves too-too much with, say, economic or ecological or social issues, because at the end of the day the goal for those who follow Jesus is to leave down here and get up there.
The kingdom of God has to do with God’s rule and reign as divine King.
But is that what the Bible teaches? No. Jesus actually teaches us to pray in the opposite direction, asking for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven. God’s goal, therefore, as Pastor John Ortberg puts it, is to bring up there down here. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright reminds us, “The great story of the Bible from beginning to end is the story of God making a wonderful world — a world which somehow, really does go badly wrong — but God promises to sort it out one day and set everything right that has gone wrong with the whole creation.” Indeed, there are many sweeping statements throughout scripture that speak to the hope of the ultimate restoration of this world when God’s kingdom — his rule and reign — comes to earth in all its fullness.
For example, Habakkuk writes, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas” (2:14). In the New Testament, we read that at the end of this age, the angelic declaration will ring out that, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever” (11:15).
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God’s goal is to bring “up- there” down here.
Even as the first scenes in the Bible are about God creating this wonderful world, its final scenes are not about people leaving the earth and going up, up, and away to a place called heaven, but rather about the heavenly city coming down to be here on earth, so that earth and heaven are joined together into a single realm where Jesus will reign forever... as king. You see, it is this theme of the ultimate restoration of all creation that makes sense of the whole Bible, binding all its parts together in unity from its first pages to its last. This past summer, our son Ryan played in a tee-ball league. During one game, he was playing defence in the infield, when a batter hit a pop fly high above his head. As was often the case for many of the other 5-6 year-olds on his team, Ryan’s attention wasn’t focused on the game around him- he was in his own little world. But he just so happened to be holding his glove in the perfect place at the perfect time — and that pop fly landed right inside. He caught the ball! Everyone was giving him kudos, saying, “Amazing catch, Ryan!” and he was just soaking it up, arm raised in victory, thanking his fans. But the thing was that he hadn’t even tried to catch that ball — he just got lucky.
I was thrilled for Ryan, of course, but lucky catches are very, very rare, aren’t they? If you don’t have your head up, if you’re in your own little world, if you don’t have a sense of the greater game that’s going on around you, you’re not going to make many plays, and you’ll contribute very little to your team. What’s true of baseball is true of the Christian life. Don’t expect to get by on lucky catches. If you don’t have a sense of the greater “game” going on around you — of God’s kingdom agenda to restore this world — then you won’t be in a very good position to make many plays for his kingdom , nor will you be able to contribute much to his kingdom team. My prayer is that our focus on the kingdom of God this year will help you get into the game like you never have before. Because the kingdom of God has to do with God’s will to restore God’s world... THROUGH GOD’S PEOPLE. And here we have the third aspect of the kingdom of God we’re considering today. From the beginning of the biblical story, God has always been interested in partnering with human beings to accomplish his will for this world. In the Garden of Eden, God puts human beings — made in his image — in charge of caring for the beautiful world he had made.
My prayer is that our focus on the kingdom of God this year will help you get into the game like you never have before.
From the beginning of the biblical story, God has always been interested in partnering with human beings to accomplish his will for the world.
Even though these image-bearers fumbled the ball in the worst way — and all of creation has paid dearly for it ever since — God continued to partner with people in working out his plan for his will to one day done on earth as it is in heaven. In Genesis chapter 12, God calls Abraham, and promises to make his descendants into a great nation so that it could be a blessing to all nations. Through Abraham, the nation of Israel emerges, and God makes them his very own people, giving them a land to live in, and a law to live by. “Now if you will obey me fully and keep my covenant,” God said to his people through Moses, “then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:4-6a). By following God’s law carefully, and by keeping God’s covenant, God’s people Israel would be a holy nation — set apart from all other nations — so that they could be priests to all those nations. You see, priests serve as God’s representatives or “go-betweens.” By living under the kingship of God, Israel was supposed to demonstrate what life on earth would be like if God were running the show, so that other nations might see their example and desire to come under God’s benevolent kingship themselves. Long story short, Israel, though having some successes along the way, terribly botches this assignment of being priests and a holy nation. But through Israel — the promised Messiah, Jesus, would eventually come — proclaiming that in him, God’s kingdom was breaking into the world in a whole new way: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Jesus said (Matthew 3:2). And Jesus not only taught masterfully about God’s kingdom — he showed what God’s kingdom looks like by his actions — he lived it. Why did Jesus hang out with sinners and help all of those down-and-out folks? Why did he go around healing diseases and casting demons out of people with great authority? Why did he go around walking on water, calming storms, feeding multitudes with a few loaves and fish, raising dead people, and forgiving sinners?
In a word, Jesus was demonstrating the kingdom of God. He was demonstrating — as Israel was originally supposed to — “what things look like when God is running the show” (N.T. Wright). Jesus was crucified to pay for the sins of fallen humanity, and was raised from the dead. These were, of course, his ultimate demonstrations of the power of God’s in-breaking kingdom — breaking the very power of sin and death. But Jesus was not a one-man show. After he ascended back to heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of his followers, the church, who would become his representatives — his priests to the world. The church — the worldwide body of people that follows Jesus — became, in a sense, the new Israel. “But you,” the church of Jesus Christ, writes the Apostle Peter, “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, that you may declare [to the rest of the world] the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9-10). 3
So our identity as the church is to be a priestly people living under the rule and reign of God for the sake of this world that God wants to restore. Our calling is to demonstrate what life in God’s kingdom is like to the rest of the world — to demonstrate what things will be like when God is running the show. This identity and calling must shape who we are as a local church, and it must shape who we are as individual followers of Jesus. To let any other sense of identity or calling shape us is to be out of alignment with God’s will to restore God’s world through God’s people.
Our calling is to demonstrate what life in God’s kingdom is like to the rest of the world — to demonstrate what things will be like when God is running the show.
But the final restoration of this world will take place IN GOD’S TIME. Here is the fourth and final aspect of God’s kingdom that we’re considering today. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there is as interesting and sometimes confusing tension about the timing of the coming of God’s kingdom to earth. In some verses, it would appear that the kingdom was present right then and there as Jesus walked around Palestine. He even said, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Luke 11:20). But in other passages, it appears that the kingdom is still to come in the future. For example, in the parables of the virgins and the talents, found in Matthew 25, Jesus talks about what the kingdom will be like in the future, when he, the Son of Man, returns to earth to judge the living and the dead. And even in the Lord’s Prayer, he speaks of the kingdom of God as if it is not here yet: “Your kingdom come,” he says. So which is it? Is the kingdom of God here already, or is it still to come in the future? The answer to that question is... yes!
You see, with the first coming of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God has already broken into the world. His kingdom’s not fully here yet, but it’s nevertheless “at hand” as Jesus says in Matthew 3:2. But one day it will come to earth in all its fullness — when Jesus returns in his glory as conquering King. The timeline pictured on this page gives you an idea of the timing of God’s kingdom. It divides history into two ages — “this age” and “the age to come.” The kingdom of God spans both ages. It begins in “this age” with the first coming of Christ into the world, but the kingdom isn’t complete — it doesn’t come to earth in all its fullness — until the age to come, which begins with the second coming of Christ to earth. When God’s kingdom comes to earth in all its fullness, everything that’s wrong with the world will be set right. Love, justice, and peace will prevail forevermore. The good news of the kingdom of God is that God came to fix it all — our broken relationship with him, our broken relationships with each other, and the broken harmony of the whole created order — animal, vegetable, and mineral. Jesus died and rose again not simply so that lost individuals could go to heaven but so that all of God’s creation could be set right — and gloriously so — forever. So the kingdom of God is both present... and future. It’s both now... and later. It’s both already... and not yet. It’s both today... and tomorrow.
The kingdom of God is both present... and future. It’s both now... and later. It’s both already... and not yet. It’s both today... and tomorrow.
Christ’s ascension
Christ ruling at right hand of Father
Old Testament Period
The Kingdom of God This age “The Already” “The Presence of the Future”
The age to come “The Not Yet” “Consummation”
This world
Creation
Incarnation of Christ
Return of Christ, End of the world, Beginning of New Heaven and New Earth
And as we saw, the church exists to demonstrate to the rest of the world what life will be like when the kingdom has come, and God is running the show. We are called to reach into God’s tomorrow — and live it out today before the eyes of a watching world. If God’s tomorrow includes a world in which there will be no poverty, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by relieving poverty wherever we can. If God’s tomorrow will be free from violence and conflict, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by being peacemakers, and by living in loving reconciliation with one another. If God’s tomorrow will see marginalized people embraced in God’s loving acceptance, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by accepting and loving the last, the least, and the lost of this world, just like Jesus did during his earthly ministry. If God’s tomorrow will see every tear wiped away, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by coming alongside those who are hurting. If God’s tomorrow will see the earth restored in such a way that it exceeds its original glory and beauty, than we, the church, will live that tomorrow today by taking good care of the environment — of plants, animals, and natural resources. We, the church of Jesus Christ, are a “tomorrow-today” people. As a Christian, although you may not have realized it until just now, you are a “tomorrow-today” person. This is our identity, and this is our calling as God’s people, as citizens of his kingdom. We are preparing for Cornerstone’s future with this sense of kingdom identity and calling in mind. 2012 is the year in which we will ask ourselves this question — both corporately and personally — before taking any action: Is this a “living God’s tomorrow-today” thing?
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So there you have it — an introduction to Cornerstone’s Ministry Theme for 2012 — Thy Kingdom Come: Live God’s Tomorrow Today. There is so much more that I could have shared about the kingdom of God. I had to keep telling myself, this is just a preview message, this just a preview message — we have all year long to teach this stuff. And teach it we will. In fact, our first Ministry Objective for 2012 has to do with our YEAR-ROUND SERMON SERIES. For the balance of January, we’ll have an introductory series on the kingdom of God. We’ll look one-by-one at each of the four categories I talked about today — God’s will... to restore God’s world... through God’s people... in God’s time — but we’ll do so in greater depth and detail. From there, we will continue all year long with various series about different aspects of the kingdom of God. If you’ve been a churchgoer for much of your life, and it’s just hitting you now that you’ve heard surprisingly little teaching on the kingdom of God — which, again, was Jesus’ central message — then this year at Cornerstone is going to change that for you. And if you’re new altogether to church life, be encouraged. You have the opportunity to absorb Jesus’ central message from the get-go.
2012 is the year in which we will ask ourselves this question before taking any action: Is this a “living God’s tomorrow today” thing?”
Our second Ministry Objective for 2012 has to do with RE-PURPOSING OUR MINISTRIES TOWARD KINGDOM IDENTIY AND MISSION. This year at Cornerstone, we’ll be doing lots of behind-the-scenes work, re-evaluating and re-purposing our ministries so that we can more effectively empower and equip people to live their identity as kingdom citizens — as “God’s tomorrow-today” people — and to make a greater impact for the kingdom with their lives. One key outcome under this objective will be the development purpose statements for each ministry in light of our kingdom identity and mission. We’ll also be working on various process maps and charts to ensure Cornerstone folks have a pathway they can follow in terms of being empowered and equipped to live out their kingdom identity and mission. And again this year, we’ll be bringing you some great resources to help you grow in your understanding of the kingdom of God, and what that means for your life. Also, make sure to check Cornerstone’s website for a “Featured Resources” page that describes some excellent resources we’re recommending and are going to be making available to you this year for use in small groups and semester groups, as well as personal study.
Our third Ministry Objective for 2012 is CULTIVATING KINGDOM LEADERS. With our future community centre-based ministry in view, we must expand our leadership core here at Cornerstone. We’re actually in the process of developing a new church governance structure for Cornerstone — “governance” has to do with our church board and ministry leadership teams and what they’re all about and how they function. The new governance structure that we’re developing will be specifically designed to empower and equip leaders, who will in turn seek to empower and equip every member of Cornerstone to live out his or her unique kingdom calling. It’s all about kingdom empowerment. To set up this new church governance structure, we have a team assembled, and they’ve already been doing a lot of hard work behind-thescenes. This year, this team will be spelling out clear lines of authority and accountability, along with role definitions and responsibilities for our staff, board members, ministry leaders, and congregants, with the Community Life Centre era in view. This team is also working on a process and timeline for transitioning from our current governance structure to the new one, and that will involve getting input and approvals from you guys, it will involve re-writing our constitution and a number of other steps as well. Now I know all this may sound like a bunch of boring organizational stuff, but let me assure you, it will be vital for us to have in place in order to realize the ministry vision God has given us for the Community Life Centre era, which is, again, just around the corner. So this year is very much about investing in the future God has in mind for us.
In 2012 we’re going to make developing new leaders one of our highest priorities.
What’s especially exciting to me is that in 2012 we’re going to make developing new leaders one of our highest priorities. As the Apostle Paul instructed his protégé, Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). In other words, in the Christian church, it is the responsibility of leaders to be developing new leaders. By the end of the year, our goal is to see 10-12 new leaders in place, serving in various roles throughout the church or in the greater community or marketplace. We’ll arrive at this goal, Lord-willing, through a prayerful selection process, and through personalized coaching and mentoring for each of the emerging leaders identified. We’re already well underway with this process, and I couldn’t be more excited. In 2012, the pastoral staff is hoping to spend as much if not more time involved with empowering, equipping and developing new leaders than we do directly running ministry programs ourselves. Again, the kingdom of God is about empowerment. When leaders run programs, God adds to the church. When leaders develop other leaders, God multiplies the church. We’re encouraging our Board members to work on developing new leaders as well.
Prayer is one of our core values here at Cornerstone, and as we seek to cultivate kingdom leaders, one of our goals is to establish a prayer covering network for both emerging as well as existing Cornerstone leaders. Specifically, we’d like to see each leader secure at least 3 dedicated personal intercessors. This is important for different reasons. Christian leaders often have the biggest targets on their backs when it comes to spiritual warfare. So this prayer covering will help our leaders stand firm against any enemy attacks. And it will also help empower them for ministry. Imagine what the Lord can do in and through this church if our leaders are covered in prayer like that! 5
Finally — and this is the one I think people are going to be talking about the most in 2012 — on multiple occasions this year, we will be offering a special program called “Living Your Strengths.” Our existing and emerging leaders will certainly be encouraged to go through this, but it’s going to be open to the entire congregation — and I hope that every one of you will take advantage of it. This is a ministry of Cornerstone aimed your personal development not just in church life, but in work life, family life, and, well... all of life! The “Living Your Strengths” seminar helps you discover your God-given strengths, and encourages you to major on living in line with your strengths, rather than spending all your energy feeling guilty about your weaknesses and trying to make up for them. This is accomplished through the use of a tool, developed by the Gallup Organization, called “Strengths Finder.” You’ll take an online assessment, and learn which of 34 possible “signature themes” are your “top five.” Then, follow-up seminars and one-on-one coaching will help you further understand your strengths, and clarify your sense of how God is calling you to contribute to his kingdom on the basis of the strengths he gave you. A pilot group at Cornerstone is already well into the process, and a second pilot group — which I’ll be a part of — will be doing the Living Your Strengths program starting in late January. I got a head start and did my online assessment, and find it fascinating, and quite accurate. What’s cool is that this program will give those of us who go through it a language to share. People all across this church will be asking each other, “What are your strengths?” and learning some very important things about each other. I think it will be a tool that will facilitate the building of community in this church by the Holy Spirit. I think some people will find their calling as a result of this. I’m sure that teams throughout the church will learn how to work more effectively together as a result of this. So you’ll want to be part of Living Your Strengths. Again, we’ll have multiple opportunities for you to go through it in 2012. Stay tuned for more information within the month!
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THY KINGDOM COME: A 2012 MINISTRY PREVIEW A New Year’s Kick-Off Sermon by Pastor Steve Shaw 2011 has come to a close, and now, we welcome 2012. As a church, we’ve much to be thankful for as we look back on the year just ended: milestones have been reached; gaps have been bridged; discoveries have been made; storms have been weathered; new hope has been born; prayers have been answered; eyes have been opened; spiritual warfare has been waged; lessons have been learned; lives have been changed, and much groundwork has been laid for the future. “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” we declare along with the psalmist. “Bless the Lord, and forget not all his benefits.” But as much as it is good and right to gratefully remember all God has done in the past, today — New Year’s Day — is more of a day for looking forward than for looking back. It is a day, as the Apostle Paul would put it, for pressing forward toward the goal to which God has called us. In that spirit, my job this morning is to share with you a preview of the year ahead of us at Cornerstone — specifically our 2012 Ministry Theme and Objectives. We’ll even attempt, at points, to glimpse a little bit beyond 2012. So... are you ready for a look... ahead? While there is more — so much more — to the future of this local church than land and building development, that’s nevertheless a good place to start our look ahead. By God’s grace, we anticipate that within 2012: • Our land mortgage will be paid in full • Detailed architectural drawings will be completed • Our building permit will be secured. Then, in early 2013 (about 1 year from now) — if not sooner, depending on how certain factors pan out-- we plan to launch our next Capital Stewardship Campaign, through which we trust God will financially position us to construct the Community Life Centre. Our target date to occupy the new building — as best as we can anticipate at this point — is spring 2014. Now on the left is a picture of my daughter Nicole when she was a tiny newborn, and next to it is a picture of her now, at age 12, towering well above her mom. Let me tell you, those dozen years — and all that growing up — went by fast. My point? Well, if twelve years can go by so quickly, then the 2 years and change that remain until we expect to occupy our new facility are, like, nothing! Yeah, in some respects, it still seems a long way off, but really, it’ll be here in the blink of an eye. Our job now is to get ready! Life and ministry in a new community-oriented facility will mark a new era for Cornerstone. In preparation for that era, our main priority has been to lay strong biblical foundations for personal and congregational renewal. We are very much aware of the fact that only as we walk closely with Jesus and grow more fully into our identity and calling as his people will our future facility become the “bridge” for Christ — that special connecting point between this congregation and the greater Markham community — that we’ve always envisioned it to be. 1
Our target date to occupy the new building is spring 2014... Our job now is to get ready!
In line with this, last year’s ministry theme challenged us to think about what it means to “reflect Jesus in all of life” as people who have been created, and are being re-created, in the imago dei — the image of God. Building on that emphasis, allow me to introduce to you now our 2012 Ministry Theme: “Thy Kingdom Come: Live God’s Tomorrow Today.” Throughout the whole year ahead, we’re going to be talking about Jesus’ favourite theme — a theme which was the very centre of the message that he declared in word, and demonstrated in deed — the kingdom of God. If we grasp this theme — and more importantly, if we let it grasp us — it can be an absolute game-changer for how we understand the Bible, and how we see and live the Christian life. “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God...” says Jesus in Luke 4:43, “because that is why I was sent.”
Now, may I ask you a question? If Jesus was indeed sent into this world for the purpose of proclaiming the good news — the gospel — of the kingdom of God — if this was indeed the heart — the very core of Jesus’ message (I mean, doesn’t he tell us to seek first the kingdom of God?) — then what does it mean? What’s the kingdom of God about? Very few of us contemporary Christians — including pastors like me — have a clear sense of what the kingdom of God really means. So another question we might also ask is why do so many Christians today understand so little about Jesus’ central message? While this morning we don’t have space here to get into why that is the case, it’s definitely safe to say that it is the case. So what is the kingdom of God? It’s an expansive concept — a theme we’re taking a whole year to explore — but we can begin to unpack it by saying that the kingdom of God has to do with, “God’s will... to restore God’s world... through God’s people... in God’s time.” These four points will give shape to the main body of this message, and then I’ll conclude with a preview of the exciting ministry objectives and initiatives we have lined up for the year ahead.
God’s kingdom exists where “what God wants done is done.”
The kingdom of God is about God’s will to restore God’s world through God’s people in God’s time. Let’s break this down part-by-part, starting with GOD’S WILL. What is God’s will? We often ask that question from a personal perspective, as in, “What is God’s will for my life?” or “What is God’s will for me in this situation?” But the answers to those questions can only be rightly derived from the answer to a much grander question concerning God’s will: “What’s the big picture of God’s will — his overarching plan that encompasses the grand sweep of history and all eternity?” Jesus sums up the answer to this question of the big picture of God’s will with the following words from a prayer he taught his disciples: “Your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). In other words, where God’s kingdom has come, there God’s will is done. Or as philosopher-theologian Dallas Willard puts it, God’s kingdom exists where “what God wants done is done.” So in speaking of God’s kingdom and God’s will, we’re in a sense speaking of one and the same thing.
Of course, contemporary North Americans like us aren’t used to speaking about kingdoms, let alone living in them, but we do know enough to realize that a kingdom has something to do with the rule and reign of a king. The kingdom of God has to do with God’s rule and reign as divine king. When God’s rule and reign comes in its fullness, then his will shall be done here on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). You see, God’s will — in the grand sense of his overarching and ultimate purpose — is TO RESTORE GOD’S WORLD — and here we have the second aspect of our four-part statement about the kingdom of God. Many Christians today assume that the Bible points to an ultimate hope of going away from this wicked world altogether, and off to a wonderful place called heaven. If this is the case, then it logically follows that we needn’t really concern ourselves too-too much with, say, economic or ecological or social issues, because at the end of the day the goal for those who follow Jesus is to leave down here and get up there.
The kingdom of God has to do with God’s rule and reign as divine King.
But is that what the Bible teaches? No. Jesus actually teaches us to pray in the opposite direction, asking for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven. God’s goal, therefore, as Pastor John Ortberg puts it, is to bring up there down here. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright reminds us, “The great story of the Bible from beginning to end is the story of God making a wonderful world — a world which somehow, really does go badly wrong — but God promises to sort it out one day and set everything right that has gone wrong with the whole creation.” Indeed, there are many sweeping statements throughout scripture that speak to the hope of the ultimate restoration of this world when God’s kingdom — his rule and reign — comes to earth in all its fullness.
For example, Habakkuk writes, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas” (2:14). In the New Testament, we read that at the end of this age, the angelic declaration will ring out that, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever” (11:15).
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God’s goal is to bring “up- there” down here.
Even as the first scenes in the Bible are about God creating this wonderful world, its final scenes are not about people leaving the earth and going up, up, and away to a place called heaven, but rather about the heavenly city coming down to be here on earth, so that earth and heaven are joined together into a single realm where Jesus will reign forever... as king. You see, it is this theme of the ultimate restoration of all creation that makes sense of the whole Bible, binding all its parts together in unity from its first pages to its last. This past summer, our son Ryan played in a tee-ball league. During one game, he was playing defence in the infield, when a batter hit a pop fly high above his head. As was often the case for many of the other 5-6 year-olds on his team, Ryan’s attention wasn’t focused on the game around him- he was in his own little world. But he just so happened to be holding his glove in the perfect place at the perfect time — and that pop fly landed right inside. He caught the ball! Everyone was giving him kudos, saying, “Amazing catch, Ryan!” and he was just soaking it up, arm raised in victory, thanking his fans. But the thing was that he hadn’t even tried to catch that ball — he just got lucky.
I was thrilled for Ryan, of course, but lucky catches are very, very rare, aren’t they? If you don’t have your head up, if you’re in your own little world, if you don’t have a sense of the greater game that’s going on around you, you’re not going to make many plays, and you’ll contribute very little to your team. What’s true of baseball is true of the Christian life. Don’t expect to get by on lucky catches. If you don’t have a sense of the greater “game” going on around you — of God’s kingdom agenda to restore this world — then you won’t be in a very good position to make many plays for his kingdom , nor will you be able to contribute much to his kingdom team. My prayer is that our focus on the kingdom of God this year will help you get into the game like you never have before. Because the kingdom of God has to do with God’s will to restore God’s world... THROUGH GOD’S PEOPLE. And here we have the third aspect of the kingdom of God we’re considering today. From the beginning of the biblical story, God has always been interested in partnering with human beings to accomplish his will for this world. In the Garden of Eden, God puts human beings — made in his image — in charge of caring for the beautiful world he had made.
My prayer is that our focus on the kingdom of God this year will help you get into the game like you never have before.
From the beginning of the biblical story, God has always been interested in partnering with human beings to accomplish his will for the world.
Even though these image-bearers fumbled the ball in the worst way — and all of creation has paid dearly for it ever since — God continued to partner with people in working out his plan for his will to one day done on earth as it is in heaven. In Genesis chapter 12, God calls Abraham, and promises to make his descendants into a great nation so that it could be a blessing to all nations. Through Abraham, the nation of Israel emerges, and God makes them his very own people, giving them a land to live in, and a law to live by. “Now if you will obey me fully and keep my covenant,” God said to his people through Moses, “then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:4-6a). By following God’s law carefully, and by keeping God’s covenant, God’s people Israel would be a holy nation — set apart from all other nations — so that they could be priests to all those nations. You see, priests serve as God’s representatives or “go-betweens.” By living under the kingship of God, Israel was supposed to demonstrate what life on earth would be like if God were running the show, so that other nations might see their example and desire to come under God’s benevolent kingship themselves. Long story short, Israel, though having some successes along the way, terribly botches this assignment of being priests and a holy nation. But through Israel — the promised Messiah, Jesus, would eventually come — proclaiming that in him, God’s kingdom was breaking into the world in a whole new way: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Jesus said (Matthew 3:2). And Jesus not only taught masterfully about God’s kingdom — he showed what God’s kingdom looks like by his actions — he lived it. Why did Jesus hang out with sinners and help all of those down-and-out folks? Why did he go around healing diseases and casting demons out of people with great authority? Why did he go around walking on water, calming storms, feeding multitudes with a few loaves and fish, raising dead people, and forgiving sinners?
In a word, Jesus was demonstrating the kingdom of God. He was demonstrating — as Israel was originally supposed to — “what things look like when God is running the show” (N.T. Wright). Jesus was crucified to pay for the sins of fallen humanity, and was raised from the dead. These were, of course, his ultimate demonstrations of the power of God’s in-breaking kingdom — breaking the very power of sin and death. But Jesus was not a one-man show. After he ascended back to heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of his followers, the church, who would become his representatives — his priests to the world. The church — the worldwide body of people that follows Jesus — became, in a sense, the new Israel. “But you,” the church of Jesus Christ, writes the Apostle Peter, “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, that you may declare [to the rest of the world] the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9-10). 3
So our identity as the church is to be a priestly people living under the rule and reign of God for the sake of this world that God wants to restore. Our calling is to demonstrate what life in God’s kingdom is like to the rest of the world — to demonstrate what things will be like when God is running the show. This identity and calling must shape who we are as a local church, and it must shape who we are as individual followers of Jesus. To let any other sense of identity or calling shape us is to be out of alignment with God’s will to restore God’s world through God’s people.
Our calling is to demonstrate what life in God’s kingdom is like to the rest of the world — to demonstrate what things will be like when God is running the show.
But the final restoration of this world will take place IN GOD’S TIME. Here is the fourth and final aspect of God’s kingdom that we’re considering today. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there is as interesting and sometimes confusing tension about the timing of the coming of God’s kingdom to earth. In some verses, it would appear that the kingdom was present right then and there as Jesus walked around Palestine. He even said, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Luke 11:20). But in other passages, it appears that the kingdom is still to come in the future. For example, in the parables of the virgins and the talents, found in Matthew 25, Jesus talks about what the kingdom will be like in the future, when he, the Son of Man, returns to earth to judge the living and the dead. And even in the Lord’s Prayer, he speaks of the kingdom of God as if it is not here yet: “Your kingdom come,” he says. So which is it? Is the kingdom of God here already, or is it still to come in the future? The answer to that question is... yes!
You see, with the first coming of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God has already broken into the world. His kingdom’s not fully here yet, but it’s nevertheless “at hand” as Jesus says in Matthew 3:2. But one day it will come to earth in all its fullness — when Jesus returns in his glory as conquering King. The timeline pictured on this page gives you an idea of the timing of God’s kingdom. It divides history into two ages — “this age” and “the age to come.” The kingdom of God spans both ages. It begins in “this age” with the first coming of Christ into the world, but the kingdom isn’t complete — it doesn’t come to earth in all its fullness — until the age to come, which begins with the second coming of Christ to earth. When God’s kingdom comes to earth in all its fullness, everything that’s wrong with the world will be set right. Love, justice, and peace will prevail forevermore. The good news of the kingdom of God is that God came to fix it all — our broken relationship with him, our broken relationships with each other, and the broken harmony of the whole created order — animal, vegetable, and mineral. Jesus died and rose again not simply so that lost individuals could go to heaven but so that all of God’s creation could be set right — and gloriously so — forever. So the kingdom of God is both present... and future. It’s both now... and later. It’s both already... and not yet. It’s both today... and tomorrow.
The kingdom of God is both present... and future. It’s both now... and later. It’s both already... and not yet. It’s both today... and tomorrow.
Christ’s ascension
Christ ruling at right hand of Father
Old Testament Period
The Kingdom of God This age “The Already” “The Presence of the Future”
The age to come “The Not Yet” “Consummation”
This world
Creation
Incarnation of Christ
Return of Christ, End of the world, Beginning of New Heaven and New Earth
And as we saw, the church exists to demonstrate to the rest of the world what life will be like when the kingdom has come, and God is running the show. We are called to reach into God’s tomorrow — and live it out today before the eyes of a watching world. If God’s tomorrow includes a world in which there will be no poverty, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by relieving poverty wherever we can. If God’s tomorrow will be free from violence and conflict, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by being peacemakers, and by living in loving reconciliation with one another. If God’s tomorrow will see marginalized people embraced in God’s loving acceptance, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by accepting and loving the last, the least, and the lost of this world, just like Jesus did during his earthly ministry. If God’s tomorrow will see every tear wiped away, then we, the church, are called to live that tomorrow today by coming alongside those who are hurting. If God’s tomorrow will see the earth restored in such a way that it exceeds its original glory and beauty, than we, the church, will live that tomorrow today by taking good care of the environment — of plants, animals, and natural resources. We, the church of Jesus Christ, are a “tomorrow-today” people. As a Christian, although you may not have realized it until just now, you are a “tomorrow-today” person. This is our identity, and this is our calling as God’s people, as citizens of his kingdom. We are preparing for Cornerstone’s future with this sense of kingdom identity and calling in mind. 2012 is the year in which we will ask ourselves this question — both corporately and personally — before taking any action: Is this a “living God’s tomorrow-today” thing?
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So there you have it — an introduction to Cornerstone’s Ministry Theme for 2012 — Thy Kingdom Come: Live God’s Tomorrow Today. There is so much more that I could have shared about the kingdom of God. I had to keep telling myself, this is just a preview message, this just a preview message — we have all year long to teach this stuff. And teach it we will. In fact, our first Ministry Objective for 2012 has to do with our YEAR-ROUND SERMON SERIES. For the balance of January, we’ll have an introductory series on the kingdom of God. We’ll look one-by-one at each of the four categories I talked about today — God’s will... to restore God’s world... through God’s people... in God’s time — but we’ll do so in greater depth and detail. From there, we will continue all year long with various series about different aspects of the kingdom of God. If you’ve been a churchgoer for much of your life, and it’s just hitting you now that you’ve heard surprisingly little teaching on the kingdom of God — which, again, was Jesus’ central message — then this year at Cornerstone is going to change that for you. And if you’re new altogether to church life, be encouraged. You have the opportunity to absorb Jesus’ central message from the get-go.
2012 is the year in which we will ask ourselves this question before taking any action: Is this a “living God’s tomorrow today” thing?”
Our second Ministry Objective for 2012 has to do with RE-PURPOSING OUR MINISTRIES TOWARD KINGDOM IDENTIY AND MISSION. This year at Cornerstone, we’ll be doing lots of behind-the-scenes work, re-evaluating and re-purposing our ministries so that we can more effectively empower and equip people to live their identity as kingdom citizens — as “God’s tomorrow-today” people — and to make a greater impact for the kingdom with their lives. One key outcome under this objective will be the development purpose statements for each ministry in light of our kingdom identity and mission. We’ll also be working on various process maps and charts to ensure Cornerstone folks have a pathway they can follow in terms of being empowered and equipped to live out their kingdom identity and mission. And again this year, we’ll be bringing you some great resources to help you grow in your understanding of the kingdom of God, and what that means for your life. Also, make sure to check Cornerstone’s website for a “Featured Resources” page that describes some excellent resources we’re recommending and are going to be making available to you this year for use in small groups and semester groups, as well as personal study.
Our third Ministry Objective for 2012 is CULTIVATING KINGDOM LEADERS. With our future community centre-based ministry in view, we must expand our leadership core here at Cornerstone. We’re actually in the process of developing a new church governance structure for Cornerstone — “governance” has to do with our church board and ministry leadership teams and what they’re all about and how they function. The new governance structure that we’re developing will be specifically designed to empower and equip leaders, who will in turn seek to empower and equip every member of Cornerstone to live out his or her unique kingdom calling. It’s all about kingdom empowerment. To set up this new church governance structure, we have a team assembled, and they’ve already been doing a lot of hard work behind-thescenes. This year, this team will be spelling out clear lines of authority and accountability, along with role definitions and responsibilities for our staff, board members, ministry leaders, and congregants, with the Community Life Centre era in view. This team is also working on a process and timeline for transitioning from our current governance structure to the new one, and that will involve getting input and approvals from you guys, it will involve re-writing our constitution and a number of other steps as well. Now I know all this may sound like a bunch of boring organizational stuff, but let me assure you, it will be vital for us to have in place in order to realize the ministry vision God has given us for the Community Life Centre era, which is, again, just around the corner. So this year is very much about investing in the future God has in mind for us.
In 2012 we’re going to make developing new leaders one of our highest priorities.
What’s especially exciting to me is that in 2012 we’re going to make developing new leaders one of our highest priorities. As the Apostle Paul instructed his protégé, Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). In other words, in the Christian church, it is the responsibility of leaders to be developing new leaders. By the end of the year, our goal is to see 10-12 new leaders in place, serving in various roles throughout the church or in the greater community or marketplace. We’ll arrive at this goal, Lord-willing, through a prayerful selection process, and through personalized coaching and mentoring for each of the emerging leaders identified. We’re already well underway with this process, and I couldn’t be more excited. In 2012, the pastoral staff is hoping to spend as much if not more time involved with empowering, equipping and developing new leaders than we do directly running ministry programs ourselves. Again, the kingdom of God is about empowerment. When leaders run programs, God adds to the church. When leaders develop other leaders, God multiplies the church. We’re encouraging our Board members to work on developing new leaders as well.
Prayer is one of our core values here at Cornerstone, and as we seek to cultivate kingdom leaders, one of our goals is to establish a prayer covering network for both emerging as well as existing Cornerstone leaders. Specifically, we’d like to see each leader secure at least 3 dedicated personal intercessors. This is important for different reasons. Christian leaders often have the biggest targets on their backs when it comes to spiritual warfare. So this prayer covering will help our leaders stand firm against any enemy attacks. And it will also help empower them for ministry. Imagine what the Lord can do in and through this church if our leaders are covered in prayer like that! 5
Finally — and this is the one I think people are going to be talking about the most in 2012 — on multiple occasions this year, we will be offering a special program called “Living Your Strengths.” Our existing and emerging leaders will certainly be encouraged to go through this, but it’s going to be open to the entire congregation — and I hope that every one of you will take advantage of it. This is a ministry of Cornerstone aimed your personal development not just in church life, but in work life, family life, and, well... all of life! The “Living Your Strengths” seminar helps you discover your God-given strengths, and encourages you to major on living in line with your strengths, rather than spending all your energy feeling guilty about your weaknesses and trying to make up for them. This is accomplished through the use of a tool, developed by the Gallup Organization, called “Strengths Finder.” You’ll take an online assessment, and learn which of 34 possible “signature themes” are your “top five.” Then, follow-up seminars and one-on-one coaching will help you further understand your strengths, and clarify your sense of how God is calling you to contribute to his kingdom on the basis of the strengths he gave you. A pilot group at Cornerstone is already well into the process, and a second pilot group — which I’ll be a part of — will be doing the Living Your Strengths program starting in late January. I got a head start and did my online assessment, and find it fascinating, and quite accurate. What’s cool is that this program will give those of us who go through it a language to share. People all across this church will be asking each other, “What are your strengths?” and learning some very important things about each other. I think it will be a tool that will facilitate the building of community in this church by the Holy Spirit. I think some people will find their calling as a result of this. I’m sure that teams throughout the church will learn how to work more effectively together as a result of this. So you’ll want to be part of Living Your Strengths. Again, we’ll have multiple opportunities for you to go through it in 2012. Stay tuned for more information within the month!
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