Romans 14:17 NKJV “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
ICor 4:20 NKJV “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”
Romans 1:16 NKJV “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
From the scriptures we can say that the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ is equal to the Power of God. So when we are looking for the power of God, it is in the gospel. The gospel is what houses the power of God. It is the gospel that unveils the power of God.
1Cor 1:18 & 24, Col 1:13-14, Rev 11:15, Rev 10:12, Act 28: 23-31.
The gospel of our lord Jesus Christ, the message on the cross is about Christ.
What is the Kingdom of God?
– The kingdom of God connotes the agenda of God wrapped in Christ that brought salvation and redemption to us and packaged in Christ and as been offered to us. And that Christ has come into our heart.
Now, the kingdom of God is no more a location, it is in our heart.
– The kingdom of God means Christ, message of the cross and the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ
– The kingdom of God is about the gospel of our lord Jesus.
– The kingdom of God is about people coming to the reign/dominion/authority of Christ.
– The kingdom of God is the power of God and the power of God is the Gospel of our lord Jesus.
– The kingdom of God is the reign of Christ in the heart of men upon the earth.
– The Kingdom of God is the will/Plan of God that has prospered in the heart of men upon the earth.
Christ enthroned the kingdom of God in our heart and we enforce it on earth. Jesus is the ruler of our heart and we are the ruler of this world.
In another word, the kingdom of God is the plan of God unfolded to mankind, coming into that plan and agenda, embracing it and Christ’s reign/domain being established in the heart of men. And once men are discipled/trained and they now know that they are carriers of this kingdom, anywhere they go all they have to do is to enforce. That is why we are kingdom enforcers. We are enforcing the lordship/reign/rule and the power of Christ.
We superimpose the culture of God here. We enforce the values and culture of our father’s system. That we come to church and hear the word, is not enough. What is required is that we show forth this culture and values in whatever sphere we find ourselves.
The kingdom of God is Christ being embraced and enthroned in the hearts of men. We came in touch with righteousness with the gospel which is the message of the cross.
Our righteousness is the one we got from the message of the cross. It produced peace, joy and righteousness.
We picked up righteousness when we were translated into his kingdom. Translation refers to salvation. This kingdom gave us peace.
Now that we understand this from scriptures. We exercise the balance by being a part of the people who will advance his kingdom as we progress in life and in the marketplace. We should strive to make our greatest passion and strength channeled to the kingdom.
We will not let it all end here on earth like the gentiles. We are not just about eating and drinking. Jesus did not just promise his disciples the Kingdom but he said all that they sacrificed, will be gotten back in hundred fold.
We have hope in this world and in the one to come.
Matthew 19:29
We have eternal life. The most precious thing anyone could lay hands on.
We can conclude that the Kingdom of God is all about his eternal plan, salvation for mankind, Christ being enthroned in the heart of men, men going out of their way as they are getting to know of God and be discipled, they grow in capacity to enforce the kingdom of God so that the influence and the reign of Christ can go across the nations.
The Kingdom of God can be advanced through GROANING, GOING AND GIVING.
Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2
The first assignment we have in advancing the kingdom Of God is to pray which I tag as groaning. Praying with deep intensity
Paul was one of such men that had a great desire for the saving of lost souls.
Romans 9:1-3, 10:1-3.
Without a burden to pray for the lost, we may not see the result we desire. We consistently pray that men be saved and be established as they submit to the righteousness of God.
In scriptures, someone showed up and Paul recommended that we study and model our life after him.
Colossians 1:7, 4:12
Epaphras is one man who understood the importance of praying for the lost to be saved and established.
Philemon 1:23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus;
He is one of you. One of us can be a banker and can still have a burden for the Lord and can still be expressed as groaning.
Epaphras is one man that is intentional about the soul for christ. He became a template. He took up such a burden from the Lord.
He is among the church. He was not a Pastor or an elder. He took up such a burden from the Lord.l.for the establishment of other believers in Christ
He says we go. This is the gospel commission. He said ,”go ye.”
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
We are meant to go. Our going does not imply starting abroad.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This is that we have licence to go.
It does not require being ceremonial for the commission of a believer into preaching the gospel. We must understand that it is a commission.
The Bible says, “Jerusalem” as the starting point. This is because the church started from there. This is why the church should be localized.
Our Jerusalem may not be a place filled with lustre and beautiful city. Our Jerusalem is the place we are being localized. How much work have we done.
Jesus later said and to the uttermost part of the earth. A believer that is supposed to preach in his locality should not be desiring to leave the country to preach abroad. A missionary on the other hand should not be found mobilizing people for money, writing letter to churches in abroad.
There are people waiting in our locality, crying for our coming! We cannot be saying we are hearing people’s cry in Europe.
More doors can be opened when we heed. This is why ministry is not expensive. We must start with our voice. We must gather people around. We must influence people, both young and old.
However, when we are sent abroad by the Lord and not willing to go or did not pay attention to such leading, the event will orchestrate itself that we will be found there.
We go one on one. We follow them up. We ensure they are consistent in the fellowship of the saints to the intent that they grow up in the Lord, stable and they should be able to do that to others.
The last point is to give. As we give, we can still go and preach within our locality. We are not leaving, groaning and going out because we have given.
We can start from the point where we do not need to have administration. God can redeploy a man abroad after being faithful at his own locality. No one started ministry at the uttermost part of the world.
Reinhard Bonnke, a renowned evangelist, came to Ilorin from his country to hold a crusade. That is what it means to preach at the uttermost part of the earth.
We can give, we can grow and we can groan.
The Macedonia church is a very good example in 2 Corinthians 8, they gave as a sacrifice and not as convenient.
2 Corinthians 8:1-3 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
We should give, groan and go for the gospel.
The Macedonian church gave even when it was not convenient for them.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5
There is a time you give as a sacrifice and other times you do so out of convenience.
Jesus made reference to the woman who broke an alabaster oil that her act of generosity will always be mentioned wherever the gospel is being preached.
Luke 7:36-50.
We need to pay attention to God’s nudging. Let your giving be from an understanding of being a steward in the kingdom.
Joseph of Arimathea, gave up his tomb to preserve the body of Christ.
We should be involved in kingdom giving.
Planning for kingdom advancement is not popular with many believers, whereas it is crucial.
1 Kings 17: 8-16
Prophet Elijah was sent to the widow of Zarephath and his instruction he gave her was that she should attend to his needs first.
This woman did not conclude that her life consists of what she has. Common sense can’t handle that.
We need to come to the place where we can try God and trust his leading.