The Kingdom of God is Like: Let It Ride (11/01/20)

Jesus had a lot to say about the “Kingdom of God.” In the New Testament the “Kingdom of God” is mentioned more than 80 times. For many of us, when we hear of kingdoms we think of royal thrones, power structures, political statecraft, spies, armies and weaponry. In this world, kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, and how long they endure depends largely on how effective they are in defending themselves from enemies both within and without. 

But Jesus understood the “Kingdom of God” as a community in which the guiding ideal and animating spirit is divine compassion. In this Kingdom, people take care of each other, trust one another, share with one another, forgive one another, and even love their enemies. In this Kingdom, God is sovereign but rules with persuasive love rather than coercion; love transcends and heals every social division; genuine peace rules every relationship; and all of creation, both human and non-human forms, has intrinsic value as an essential part of the web of life.

For Jesus, there was a sense of urgency about living the Kingdom life.  It was Israel’s only hope against the powers of the Roman Empire. And Jesus was so convinced of this, and so committed to living this Kingdom life, that he put his own life on the line to fulfill it.

In these highly polarizing times, the Kingdom life is our only hope for healing and unity. Join us for this important series as we explore together what it means to commit ourselves to Kingdom living.