Exploring the kingdom message 1

Matt 24:14

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. NIV

‘And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, ³¹Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.’—Acts 28:30-31

Introduction:

The gospel of the kingdom begins with the revelation of Christ. His life and nature is the basis for our understanding and acceptance into the kingdom of God. How we are able to capture within our spirit the

redemption {quickening} of the dead human spirit, continues with the salvation of his soul, while it ends in the ultimate revelation of his inheritance-immortality. Salvation-the ministry of human regeneration begins the process of the manifestation of God's kingdom within you and through your life.

While I was meditating one morning on the reasons, why there seem to be much ignorance, resistance and misrepresentation on the issue of the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. It occurred to me the problem is not the resistance as it were, but how the gospel had been presented and received. The paradigm to which people hear, see and think certainly determine how they process and comprehend information, especially in matters of spiritual reality.

Luke 8:-18

Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” NIV

The moment things are not conceptualized or accurately articulated, error of misinterpretation cannot be avoided. A whole nation missed their day of visitation because they lacked the correct view of identifying what is made for their deliverance. understanding is what makes precise identification possible. Once there is confusion or distortion of {truth} information, deception is inevitable. How many times relationships have been shipwrecked due to misinterpretation of what was said or thought to be said, nations have gone into unnecessary battles because there was no proper processing of what was said.

Miss presentation can course a great damage to a nation or company irrespective of how good they might be. This is not different about the gospel. How we perceive or what we perceived truth to be true as believers defines the template of what we believe Christianity is. So no matter what someone else says really does not matter because they are both seeing from two different positional view of understanding.

The ministry of Priscilla and Aquila

Acts 18:24-2824 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. 27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. NIV

Many in time past and in our days still misrepresents what the heartbeat of the gospel is all about; they have taken a part of the truth and made it the whole. Some are very good in the fraction they know to the point they become are convinced that it is the whole people need to hear. This is a very subtle position anyone can find himself or herself especially if the issue pride of knowledge has not been dealt with. The complexity of misrepresentation dates back to the creation of Man in the garden.

The instruction given to Adam to both protect the garden and his wife was abdicated. Adam allowed his wife to be deceived by eating the fruit. Misinterpretation of Gods command as being a major tool the enemy uses to lure many away from the part of truth. The gospel is being proclaimed through various motives and agenda that do not necessarily represent the divine purpose of the Father. And this has continued to hinder the full manifestation of the very essence and impact of the gospel within human society.

The inaccurate representation of the heart of the gospel especially in areas where the most impoverished and marginalized people lived somehow have left millions crippled from stepping into their ordained destiny. For example, the gospel that was preached and taught in most part of the Africa continent was introduced as a two-way mechanism, one to break away from demonic ancestral worship and socioeconomic limitations, which of course are obvious limitations in the continent.

Colonization of most part of the continent helped a great deal in peddling this half-sided truth. Great missionary came to the virgin land of Africa with both the word of God and education and this we must be grateful of, but we can also see now through hindsight the gospel they brought did not represent the total counsel of God in that it hindered the mindset of the people because of the due to the colonial mentality mixed with the gospel. The gospel preached was both prejudice and racial in its presentation, even though it helped a great deal in bringing some level of light to the people bound in idolatry

While at the other end of the extreme, short-sighted ignorant European missionaries sees Christianity as an exclusive religion, tailor-made for those known as the first world people; this misconception grossly affected the way the gospel is perceived, preached and accepted till this very moment in some parts of African and Asia. These self-deceived missionaries actually believed it is their prerogative right to both interpret and preach the gospel in a way and manner that promotes and advances their civilized culture rather that the truth within the bible.

The inaccurate interpretation of the Holy bible has done a great damage to the mindset of most part of the continent of the world up until the last few decades. We began to witnessed well-sighted and seasoned men and woman of God rise in various part of the world to give a clear holistic biblical interpretation of the word of God. Many still refused to accept the gospel of our Lord due past misrepresentation; they still carry the notion that Christianity is a white man’s religion or the gospel for the rich while in other places it’s seen as the gospel for the very poor.

On the other hand, those who believed to a large degree still struggle to understand what the heart of the gospel is all about because they still have not been told. They gospel preached to so far had given great advantage to be educated, prospers, get healed and be delivered from all kinds of issues except from oneself.

Africa in past three to four decades has witnessed what one term as the merchant {sellers} gospel boom. Almost every street today in most metropolitan cities of Africa, you can find a Church structure or some form of fellowship centre. from those selling anointing oil to miracle handkerchief ; one could hardly identify the truth from the fake today. Church franchise is a major business and hundreds of young unemployed and misdirected are been recruited to advance this Babylonian’s trade in the temple of God.

We’ve seen to a degree men renouncing the cult of ancestral worship in most part of the continent to take up another form of idolatry-the worship of men of God. leaders in the church are struggling the sit meant for Christ alone within the heart of his church. The nations are littered with man made altars, erected for self-worship; the spirit of mammon and materialism has also destroyed the entire system of what is known to be the Church of Christ. The foundation of the faith we claim to have is just too weak, misguided and inaccurate to fight and overcome this gods men have fashioned in the image of lawlessness The Church has created a monster feeding on the innocence of the Christian.

Four main views have emerged concerning what is generally accepted or termed to be the gospel today. I like the way Paris Reidhead one of the known ministers of the 20^th century summarised this concept in one of his teaching titled if you agree. He categories the gospel into four key compartments with the fifth reflecting the true reality of the gospel.

• Forgiving God gospel
• Utilitarian gospel
• Status gospel
• Emotional need meeting gospel

• While the fifth represent those who are solely living for the glory of God’. Either their needs are met or not their entire live have become a living sacrifice to their heavenly Father. It’s of no doubt that anyone who accepts Christ into his life, will certainly be forgiven of his Sins, his or her needs will be met according to the prescribe plan of God for such a life, his status or position in life will change, his emotional need will be met but beyond all those provision one receives, the gospel of the kingdom is beyond these.

• Anyone who receives Christ needs to know the various level and meaning of salvation. Salvation means to be called out of this world into another world where Christ is the only reigning king. The call to follow Christ not a call to religion, doctrine or church organisation, the call of salvation is primarily to a person-Christ Jesus.
• If ones purpose of following Christ is based on those first four points then you have missed the essence of salvation, meaning you will not be able to recognise the reality and demand of kingdom lifestyle. Churches and ministry missions have been built around those four compartments without realizing the demand they have coursed within the recipient mentality. The life of absolute and total surrender to the gospel of Christ kingdom must return to the Body of Christ in this season of rebuilding apostolic foundation.