The Kingdom of God
“Making A Kingdom Impact”
Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEcL72S3ZIQ
Years ago, I used to fly from Las Vegas to Chicago. Now on these trips, there always seem to be some difficulties, and the captain would come on the intercom and say, “We’ve got a slight problem,” or “We’re running into a bit of turbulence.” Now, the airplane is flying hundreds of miles an hour, at around 15,000 feet above the earth, therefore there is nothing “slight,” or “a bit,” in my mind.
Or I love it when they say, “For your safety, please remain in your seats with your seatbelt securely fastened.” Frankly, this does not promote confidence.
One time, as we were beginning our descent into the Vegas Valley, they said that there was a “slight problem,” and “a bit of turbulence.” That was definitely an understatement. A lightning bolt exploded right outside the plane, which was met with shrieks of horror from inside the plane. And when the stewardesses were told to strap themselves in, I knew this would not be good.
But we landed, and I heard the flight attendant say, “If Las Vegas is your final destination; we would like to welcome you home.” I always wondered how many passengers made Las Vegas their home that evening?
And just as a side note, after the plane landed, they took us to a building called the "terminal." Honestly, this does not bode well. I mean, take us to a terminal destination.??But hearing those words, “If Vegas is your final destination, welcome home,” I wondered what it’s going to be like when this life is over and we’re standing before of our heavenly Father hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord,” or “welcome home.” How exciting will that be?
But until then, we have a great opportunity to make a kingdom impact. Someone said that the number of people who attend church, the size of the building, or the number of programs that are available does not measure a healthy church. Instead, we are to measure a healthy church based upon how many within the church are making an impact for the Kingdom of God.
Today’s message kicks off a new series on the Kingdom of God.
The reason for this series is that there are all these different subjects within Christianity, but nothing that connects them together. We teach on salvation, justification, redemption, sanctification, atonement, heaven, hell, evil, faith, grace, mercy, hope, idolatry, judgment, obedience, and the list goes on.
But these are dots on a page with nothing connecting them, nothing to reveal the picture of God’s overall plan and purpose. Yet, there is one connective thread that brings them together into a beautiful picture, and that is the Kingdom of God.
R.C. Sproul said it like this, “If there is any theme that unites the Old Testament with the New Testament, any single thread that runs through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, it is the concept of the kingdom of God.” (R.C. Sproul)
The writer of Hebrews says we’re receiving an unmovable kingdom, and that while everything else around us is being shaken to its core; we have a kingdom that is unshakable (Hebrews 12:28).
Therefore, it is important that we understand this kingdom, and that we live within it, so when life gets out of control, we can stand on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Only then when the wind and waves of life come crashing down, we can both survive and thrive.
Taking the clue from my last statement, “It is important … that we live within it,” is what I am basing today’s message upon. It is based upon one of the New Testament's most notable teachings. It is about our salvation and how we operate within it while expanding the Kingdom of God as Jesus prayed, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 KJV)
So, we’re beginning our study with what we find it in Paul's letter to the Ephesian Church.
The Apostle Paul begins by telling us what our salvation is based upon. He said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV)
Now, most people know this part, but not always the rest of what Paul said. This is what I’d like to explore in our time together and how we can make an impact for God’s kingdom.
In the very next verse, Paul said, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)
There are three things in this verse that I would like to share with you about making an impact for the kingdom of God, or as our message title states, “Making A Kingdom Impact.”
1. God Designed Us
“For we are His workmanship.” (Ephesians 2:10a NKJV)
The word “workmanship” in the Greek language means something that is made. But the use of the term would indicate that it wasn’t just anything, rather, it was a work of art, which is why some translations say, “masterpiece.” In fact, it’s the Greek word where we get our English word, “poem.”
I like how the English language translates the word. Because God has written upon our hearts His law, His word, therefore, we are God’s “poem” to the world. In other words, we have both rhyme and reason.
We are God’s work of art. I love the way King David expresses his appreciation in Psalm 139 for how God designed and created him.
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14 NKJV)
Job tells us it was the Lord’s hands that made and shaped us (Job 10:8).
Job recognized that God uniquely made us all. God has handcrafted us, and no one else has the same unique mix of gifts and talents that each of us have. God’s hand has uniquely created each one of us, thus we are one of a kind, an original design.
And this is true of everyone. We have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of the Lord God Himself, and we have a great value to God, but we’re not His masterpieces until we come into that saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Going back to our signature verse, Paul is saying that being God’s masterpieces begins at the time of salvation, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV)
Paul then transitions into our signature verse on how we are God’s workmanship, created exclusively in Christ Jesus.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)
God has uniquely made each of us; hand crafted us for His purpose and has a plan designed for each of us. But to be His masterpiece, we have to take the first step and ask Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord. And when we do, then we’ll be that new work of art created in Christ Jesus by grace through faith.
To the church in Corinth, Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)
But this new work doesn’t end there; rather God is just getting started as He continues to mold and shape us much like a potter with clay.
Through Jeremiah the Lord said, “Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand.” (Jeremiah 18:6b NKJV)
We are clay in God’s hand, and it takes the entirety of our lives for God to mold us into that masterpiece He has created us to be, into that poem for the entire world to read.
Now, if the potter’s wheel is going too fast, the potter has a hard time trying to create his one-of-a-kind masterpiece. The pot or vessel will also get out of round and away from its original design.
In fact, the clay will fly off the wheel altogether, which is how some of us are living our lives. So, we must learn how to slow down, or as I like to say, we have to learn how to slow our roll so God can shape and mold us into that perfectly formed creation; rather than allow the world to mold us into its chaos.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2 NKJV)
To be conformed is to allow outside pressure to shape us, but to be transformed means to be shaped from the inside out. Conforming is what the world does to us. Transforming is what the Lord does as He shapes us into the image and likeness of His Son, Jesus.
And God transforms us best when we slow down; when we take time to get into His word; when we take time to pray, when we take time to build relationships with those who call upon the name of the Lord with a pure heart. That is, other believers in Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we just have to slow down and hear from God. As the Lord said in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Or we have to slow down so that we can return to the potter’s wheel so the Lord can either remake or redesign us.
Back in my youth, I went backpacking in the mountains surrounding Aspen, CO. While reviewing the area on my map, I saw a glacier lake. I knew I could make it in a couple of hours. So, I set up base camp and went exploring. On my way, I left a series of trail markers, but as the day wore on, I realized the lake was further than the map showed.
Finally, I reached the lake, and it was everything I hope for. It was magnificent. But it had taken longer than what I thought. So, I raced back, following my trail markers only to find myself at the edge of a cliff. Someone else had left trail markers like mine, and so I was following the wrong markers.
There wasn’t enough time to backtrack before nightfall, but at the bottom of the cliff was the stream where I had set up camp. So, I climbed down the cliff, sometime hanging on by a single handhold, but I made it down and back to camp.
With the pressures of the world building up, pressures from our jobs, family, and friends, we get further and further away from our base of operation. We look at the world and what others are doing, and soon we move away from our base, which is God and His word.
So, we need to come back, but we need to be careful not to follow someone else’s trail markers. We must be careful not to follow the world’s advice or what others say. Instead, we must follow the true markers, and that is the truth found in God’s word.
And here is the point, the secret of making a kingdom impact is to keep ourselves close and available to the Lord, our master potter, and if we stray, we need to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, letting the truth of God’s word be our guide.
Or as the Bible says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV)
2. Created To Do Good Works
“Created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (Ephesians 2:10b NKJV)
Here’s a concept I hope we all catch: God has created us for a contribution. This is what God was saying to the prophet Jeremiah.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you (set you apart for Myself); I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV)
Like Jeremiah, God has set each of us here on earth for a special assignment. If all God wanted is for us to believe and become Christians, then the moment we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God would have taken us home to heaven.
But God left us here because He has something for us to do, a special assignment, a Kingdom of God assignment. He leaves us here because there’s a contribution we can make for His kingdom.
It isn’t the duration of our lives that counts, rather, it’s the donation our lives where we make a difference. It’s what God adds to our lives that makes a kingdom impact.
It’s like our mission here at Living Waters Fellowship, and that is making a difference for Christ in our community and in our world.
Yet no matter how much we talk about it, hear about it, or even know about it, there’s still that part within us that isn’t sure. In other words, a gap exists between knowing and experiencing.
We can know we are to be difference makers through the contribution we make, and that God has created us uniquely and has a special assignment for us, but unless we serve, we’ll never know the amazing joy that awaits.
One of my favorite places to eat is the Cheesecake Factory. There’s one dish, the Santa Fe Chicken Salad, and one desert, the Key Lime Cheesecake that are my favorites.
When I was in California going to seminary, I would take my daughter there when she came for a visit, but she was always afraid to try these. She heard how good they were, but she would always go for the tuna fish sandwich and the strawberry cheesecake.
Well, one day she tried my salad, and right after that first fork full hit her mouth, I was eating her sandwich while she finished off my salad. And come dessert, when she tried my Key Lime Cheesecake, well, let’s just say I never got another bite.
This is true in our serving the Lord. We can know that He wants us to serve Him by serving others. We can know all about the joy of fellowship. And we hear these messages from famous preachers and teachers of God’s word, but until we do what the Lord created us for, then we’ll never experience the joy that comes with it.
Now you may say, “If Dennis only knew what was going on in my life, he wouldn’t say this.”
But let me say this. We all have limiting factors that hold us back from achieving what God has designed for us to achieve. We all have reasons: too young, too old, not enough time, don’t feel qualified, too busy, too much stuff, too much drama, too much TV or Internet, or maybe it was a hurt or illness.
And while I don’t want to be insensitive, I remember what God said to Paul when he wanted to be healed, because he believed it was causing a hindrance to his ministry.
But God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)
God has given us a wonderful gift and an opportunity to make an impact for His kingdom. What we have to do is to push through these barriers, many of which we erect, so we can move forward to further God's kingdom, like Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.”
What I’d like to do is pray that God will take these objects that are holding us back and let God use them. Maybe we need to approach this differently. Maybe we need to look at them as God's grace to get us to that place where He can use us, where His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.
Before we move on in our message, I’d like to offer such a prayer for all of us.
Prayer: Lord, we all have something that is holding us back from being everything You have created us to be. So, I’m asking, please take these limitations, take these hindrances, and in and by Your grace, use them as You continue to mold us into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ. And this I ask in Jesus's name.
Now, if you think the time isn’t right, consider what Solomon said.
“He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NKJV)
When Jesus asked one man to follow Him, the man said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” To which Jesus replied, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:61-62 NKJV)
If we’re waiting for the right time to be used, what we are told is that we’ll be waiting forever, because the right time is now, not later.
This then brings us to our last point.
3. Take Action
Since we are God’s masterpiece, now is the time to act. Paul ends with these words.
“Which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10c NKJV)
Each of one of us is God’s unique creation, and God wants us to use the potential He has created within us for His kingdom purposes. Becoming a Christian isn’t just about knowing Christ; it’s also about discovering our potential in Christ.
Serving and contributing is about what God created us to be for His purposes to further His kingdom.
Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NKJV)
Jesus came to serve, not to be served. We see this in the great example He gave. It was a picture of a servant. Jesus took up a towel and washed the disciples’ feet, which was the lowest form of serving in that day.
And then He tells His disciples, as He is telling us, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (Luke 9:15 NKJV)
God is waiting for us to make a kingdom impact, not by ruling over others, but by serving as He served.
Conclusion
This is an amazing adventure we’re on. It’s where God can take people like you and me and shape us into vessels of honor to be used mightily for His kingdom.
Yes, we can continue as we’ve always continued, or say it isn’t time yet, or “I’ve done my time, it’s someone else’s turn.” But by doing so or saying these things, we will never reach our fullest potential for the Kingdom of God and be those the masterpieces God created us to be.
Further, if we just continue as we have always done, then the church will not reach its fullest potential, and everything God desires for it to be, because God’s word says we are all members of one body. Therefore, the hand cannot say to the foot it has no need of it, not if it wants to be what God created it to be (1 Corinthians 12:14-22).
Can you imagine what this church and this community would look like if we were all working in harmony with the gifts and talents given to us by God? We could truly be a kingdom impact church.
So, let’s get back to that potter’s wheel. Let’s get back to God’s word and prayer and be the kingdom difference makers God has created for us to be.
