Neighborhood Church

What do you think Jesus talked about most often?

The Kingdom of God
OR
The Kingdom of Heaven

Tell all the truth but tell it slant –
...
The truth must dazzle gradually
or every man be blind–
Emily Dickinson)

The Kingdom is where what God wants done is done.
Dallas Willard
The Divine Conspiracy

The Kingdom of God is His kingship, His rule, His authority. When this is once realized, we can go through the New Testament and find passage after passage where this meaning is evident, where the Kingdom is not a realm or a people but God’s reign. Jesus said that we must “receive the kingdom of God” as little children (Mark 10:15). What is received? The Church? Heaven? What is received is God’s rule. In order to enter the future realm of the Kingdom, one must submit himself in perfect trust to God’s rule here and now. George Eldon Ladd

Teaching v. Proclaiming

Gospel = Good News

Jesus very clearly thought something was the biggest news in history, and he made it his top priority.

The Kingdom of God has now, through Jesus, become available for human beings to live in.

What are we here to do?
-----
We are here to RULE. This is the language of kingdom and kingship.

Does God giving us real responsibility open up the possibility that all of this could go horribly wrong?

YES!

How is God going to win?

Good News = Euangelion

Christ = King