THE KING AND THE KINGDOM
In Alexander Venter great book ‘Doing church’ he talks about John Wimber doing a lecture at Fuller Theological asking the students What is the church? Why did God make the church? What is the reason for the church existence, what is the essential purpose of the church? The white board was soon covered with ideas. The Bible has many analogies of the church. The bride, army, family community, body, temple or house. All are true and so important. John responded by saying we need a focused purpose, a central element. All the other things flow out of these. He wrote The King and the Kingdom. the church is for the King and His Kingdom. It means that we are for his pleasure and we are the instruments of His rule to fulfill His purposes in the world to advance His kingdom and reign in the earth through sharing the Gospel in love and compassion healing the sick, healing the broken hearted, casting our demons etc.
The King is about our worship to him because all worship belongs to the King. The Kingdom is all about all authority been given to the church by the King to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing and teaching them. We exist to simply to be instruments of His Kingdom under his Lordship and Kingship. That’s so simple but profound in its application. Everything we do needs to flow from those 2 core foundations. Its good to remind ourselves of this truth.