August 24, 2009 THE MINISTRY WORK OF THE KINGDOM

What is the ministry work of the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus said that he came to do the will of the Father, and that his food was to finish his Father’s work (John 4:34). Jesus began his ministry preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven (Mark 1:14-15), and he continued doing so with his disciples until his crucifixion. After his resurrection, he commissioned his disciples to continue the ministry work of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth (Mat. 28:18-20). The message of the Gospel was the “Good News” that God loves us unconditionally, and that he sent His Son to be the perfect sacrificial lamb so that his shed blood on the Cross would cover the sins of all of mankind. John 3:16-17, tells us that God doesn’t want us to be condemned, but saved. So Jesus’ disciples made disciples who were to make disciples to this very day.

We have come to understand that it takes the whole body of Christ to participate in this disciple-making commission. The ministry work of the Kingdom of Heaven is too great for individual members of the body to accomplish. In the spiritual reality of the Kingdom of Heaven, there is only the one Church of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:3-6 makes this very clear: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Reaching out and making disciples for the Kingdom takes the whole body working together. That means that we need to stop building our churches and start building his church. We all know that the only way to do that is to listen to Jesus through the Holy Spirit give us instructions on how he is bringing the different members of his body together (I Cor. 12:12-13). Let’s keep tuned to his frequency so that we will know the will of the Father through him, as it says in John 17:20-23, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” So brothers and sisters in the Lord, let’s rejoice as we do this ministry work of the Kingdom of Heaven together.

Submitted by Tom Pickett
Pastor of Burleson Christian Fellowship
817-501-0480