3. The Kingdom is Within the Followers of Jesus
“My followers speak of the glory of
My kingdom so that all men may know of My mighty acts. My kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, enduring through all generations.
I am faithful to all My promises and loving toward all who
follow Me.”
Jack and Dee sat on their back deck
contentedly enjoying their coffee. Between sips Dee asked,
“I wonder how that young couple we met in the park a few
months ago are doing?”
Jack replied, “You mean Brett and
Lacie, don’t you? Nice folks. I’m glad we’ve
both felt led to pray for them each day. It sure would be nice
to hear that our Lord has answered our prayers!”
Dee smiled in agreement. “I’d
like to think that when and if we do encounter them again,
there’ll be a real hunger for everything our Lord desires
for their lives.”
Jack added, “I think that note I gave
Brett with the Restorationministries.org website pointed them
toward the truths they’ll need if they’re sincere
in following Jesus wholeheartedly with loving, obedient
trust.”
“Think back, dear,” Dee
responded a few moments later. “We were at the same point
of questioning what was frustrating our spiritual lives as they
are! Do you realize that it’s been 16 years since we took
part in that Hebraic Restoration seminar? I’m so glad we
followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting to go.”
Jack took his wife’s hand.
“Back then I was an elder, coordinating three home
fellowships and leading one myself. I remember that our
elders’ board studied all the major writers on home
churches before dividing the entire congregation into smaller
groups.”
“You certainly tried to do your best
to help our church body,” Dee replied. “You put a
lot of time and effort into the whole transition to fellowship
in homes.”
Jack nodded somewhat sadly. “As I
look back now, I realize how wrong our goal was: to make people
feel accepted and comfortable by getting together every week in
each other’s houses. But we were just following what all
those noted writers on home fellowships had recommended.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,
dear,” Dee murmured. “We all thought that just
getting together to chat and do a Bible study in an informal
setting was what biblical fellowship was supposed to
be.”
“The trouble was,” added Jack
wryly, “we never saw anyone growing in Christ’s
likeness! People talked about God’s Word, but we didn’t see much
fruit from all that discussion! I’m not sure that we even
saw one new person come to Christ during that whole time. I
guess that’s because what we were doing seemed right from
our human perspective but had nothing to do with God’s purposes
for getting together!”
Dee sighed. “Our Father purposed that
we meet in homes to help each other remain repentant so that He
could answer our prayers.(1 Peter 3:
12) And those who are more mature in
His ways are to come alongside to help the others apply His
Word to their lives.(Acts 2:
42,46,47) That way we all become
equipped to expand His Kingdom through our daily contacts with
unbelievers.”(1 Peter 2:12)
She paused for a moment then added,
“When we meet in homes, we’re also able to share
our resources and spiritual giftings with our fellowship
family. (1 Corinthians 12:6,7,26) And we’re never at a loss for testimonies
of how He’s been at work around us!”
Jack sat up, folding his hands on his lap.
“We sure missed His plan back then, didn’t we? The
home groups in that old congregation ended up repeating what
they’d always done in the church fellowship hall, like
just another meeting. But we overlooked our Father’s
whole intent that He’d made clear in the Scriptures: that
we be extended spiritual
family—a twenty-four hour a
day, seven-day a week commitment to each other as brothers and
sisters.”(Matthew 12:49,50)
His voice intensified as he got into the
topic. “And don’t forget all those
“one-anothers” in the Newer Testament! It’s
in the course of our daily lives as extended spiritual family
that we live those out.”
“Oh,” Dee replied, “you
mean showing how we belong to Jesus as a body by loving one
another, serving one another, admonishing one another...”(i.e.,Romans 12:9-16)
“You’ve got it, gal!” he
laughed. “And there are 54 “one-another” ways
in the Newer Testament that flesh out what agape love looks like in
action! That’s how the earliest followers of Jesus were
identified by outsiders — by their love for each other!”(John 13:35)
Dee chuckled. “Well, as you said,
it’s been 16 years since we encountered the truths God is
restoring to His people. What I remember most about our
introduction to the Hebraic foundations was that they enabled
the first followers of Christ to be so spiritually powerful and
relationally intimate through His Spirit.(2 Peter 1:3) What an
amazing 180º turn He’s made in our lives since then,
Jack!”
“Look at it this way, Dee,” her
husband said. “Can you think of any similarities between
how we’re wholeheartedly living by His Spirit now day by
day(John 3:8), and how we used to spend so much time
orchestrating and planning out all those services and
activities back at the church building?”
She shook her head at the very thought.
“I can’t think of even one similarity. All I know
is how mindful of serving the King of the Kingdom we’ve
become. Back then, the Sunday service and weekly meetings
pretty much comprised our spiritual life. But now, each day
we’re praying and looking for opportunities to expand His
Kingdom because we love Him so much!”(1 Peter 3:15)
“Just like that day at the park
before we met Brett and Lacie, how we prayed for an opportunity
to represent Jesus to someone!” Jack laughed. “It
sure seems like that’s how Father God wants us to live
— ready and available for His purposes with everyone we
meet.(Colossians 4:5,6) When we were busy keeping the religious
system going, it never occurred to us to look for ways to do
our part in the Kingdom. I use to feel that I was giving my all
in directing the affairs of our congregation and the home
fellowships I was responsible for.”
Dee couldn’t have agreed more.
“Who would have ever thought that loving the Lord our God and loving our neighbor as ourselves would find so many chances to be lived out for
His glory through us!”(Luke
10:27)
Jack paused thoughtfully for a moment then
declared earnestly, “Dee, over these 16 years we’ve
changed from being “churched” people to becoming followers of Christ bent on seeing His Kingdom expanded on earth. We haven’t
had to depend on institutions and creeds because we’re
standing on God’s Word as truth.(John 17:17)
“And,” added Dee joyfully,
“we’re relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit to
guide and empower us to do His will.”(John 14:15-17)
+ + + + + + +
It was early evening at Brett and
Lacie’s house. Supper was finished, the dishes had been
washed and put away, and they could finally sit back and talk.
“Lacie, what would Jack and Dee think
if they saw us now?”
His wife pondered for a moment as she
leaned back into the sofa cushion. “I think they’d
be pleased with how determined we’ve become in living for
Jesus and wanting our marriage to reflect Him.”
Brett followed with another question.
“How far have you gotten in reading The Gospel of the Covenant?”
“I’ve only read through the
first part that discusses covenants, Brett. But my eyes have
been opened to see my heavenly Father in an entirely different
way!”
He smiled in agreement. “When I read
that the word covenant can mean “to come into union with,” I
realized that the covenant our Father offers us through Jesus
invites us to live in union with
Him.(Ephesians
2:21,22) I’d never heard
that before!
“And since union implies oneness,”
replied Lacie thoughtfully, “that means our
Father’s goal is for us to live in union with Him so that His
love and power will work in and through us.(Ephesians 2:10; 6:10) That’s spiritual intimacy, isn’t it?” Then she smiled.
“Wasn’t it gracious of God that Jack pointed you
toward The Gospel of the Covenant?”
He grinned back at her. “We’ll
make that part of our morning time together until we’ve
both embraced the Covenant our Father offers us. Maybe that way
we’ll learn what Jesus meant when He promised that streams of living water would flow from within
us by His Spirit.”(John 7:
38,39)
Lacie was pleased by his willingness to
lead them spiritually. “I was also amazed to learn from
that article how our covenant union with our Father plays into
our marriage covenant with each other!”
Putting his arm around her Brett added,
“I can see why so many Christian couples who have no idea
about the relationship between these two covenants are getting
divorced today. Instead of seeing God’s intent for their
marriage covenant to be as permanent and loving as their
covenant with Him,(Daniel 9:4;
Nehemiah 1:5) they’re
following the world’s way of putting themselves and their
personal happiness first.”
“But giving up on your marriage and
hoping for a newer, better spouse has nothing to do with loving
God and walking according to His Word!”(Malachi 2:14-16) Lacie’s
voice wavered with sadness.
Brett, sensing the depth of her dismay,
responded, “It sure doesn’t!” They were both
quiet as they realized how many of their friends had left their
spouse for someone else.
After a bit Brett broke the silence with a
new thought. “I’d never realized that our living in
union with Jesus is actually an ongoing
journey with Him here on earth until
the time when our names are read aloud before the host of
heaven.”(2 Peter 1:10,11)
Sighing with longing, Lacie remarked,
“I used to think that heaven was way off in the future.
But Brett, I find myself more and more eager to want to please
our Lord and be greeted with “Well done, good and
faithful servant!”(Matthew 25:
21)
“I feel the same way, Lacie. If I
think about our lives as a lifelong
pilgrimage of growing more and more
like Jesus through His indwelling Spirit, I’m more
focused on HIS purpose for us rather than looking for what will
make our life here on earth more gratifying and easier.”(1 Peter 1:1,2)
Lacie leaned against her husband’s
shoulder. “There really is an intensity of determination
when we realize what it means for Jesus to be Lord of our lives.
That’s why we need to depend so much on the indwelling
Spirit for power to press on in God’s will and purpose to
the end.”(2 Timothy 4:7,8)
“When I saw the pilgrimage aspect of life
that’s set forth in both the Older and Newer
Testaments,” Brett responded, “I realized
something. My eternal salvation takes place when my name is
read from the Lamb’s Book of Life in heaven — and
that’s at the end of my life journey!”(Revelation 3:5)
Lacie’s eyes widened. “So
that’s why we find all those verses in both testaments
about enduring to the end, and not falling away!”(Hosea 7:13; Matthew 24:10-13)
The young man’s voice turned serious.
“As I’ve been going through the Bible, I’ve
noticed how God is constantly calling us to be on guard and
stand firm in our faith!(1 Timothy
4:1) If there were no chance of us
straying or falling away, He wouldn’t keep warning
us!”(1 Corinthians 16:13;
Hebrews 3:12)
“And that’s why our eternal
salvation comes after we’ve persevered to the end.”(James 1:12)
Brett paused as he looked with love at his
wife. “I’m so thankful we’re on this journey
together, hon. I wish we had the chance to meet up with Jack
and Dee again so could thank them for nudging us along in
Jesus!”
“Brett,” she beamed,
“I’m going to ask our Lord to have us run into Jack
and Dee again. I want them to rejoice with us over what
He’s been doing in our lives.”
Reaching over to hug her he answered,
“I’ll join you in that prayer.”
