Checkpoint #1
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Project Assignment
Kingdom Definition
I still remember one of the songs we used to sing in kid’s church growing up--”King of Kings and Lord of Lords; Glory..clap..hallelujah!” This was one of those songs that would go faster and faster until we kids would fall in a heap, giggling and laughing at how silly it all was. Looking back, I took two things away from those kinds of songs...(1) it should be FUN to be in church and (2) sometimes we don’t pay attention to the words; only to the fun.
I wonder if that’s true of us as adults today--will we be able to set aside our cravings for carefree recreation and FUN to invest our attention to the words being used in the scriptures?
This week, and indeed all season, we are going to be digging into some WORDS. That means some specific words (like kingdom), some sections of Scripture (sampling from the whole of the Bible), and some words here on the pages of our readers.
I do hope our words help illuminate the Word, and this word “Kingdom” might need some unpacking. After some meditation, I realized that we’re using that term here in basically the same way that the children's song above does--to show that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That means He is at the seat of highest power, He rules, He reigns, He is the authority, and He is worthy of glory and worship. Over the course of the series, we will see that Jesus was still King even when Moses was wandering, nation-less, in the wilderness. He was still King even when David sat on the throne of Israel. And Jesus is still King today!
I love Jesus’ Kingship because he treats his Kingdom people like a family. We’re not enslaved subjects forced to do his bidding and finish His tasks, nor are we governed unfairly from a distance without our problems being deeply known and felt. Instead, we are co-heirs! Look at how God explains this to Abraham, the very first time the seeds of Kingdom were planted:
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Here, the word we translate “nation” and the word we translate “family” are almost two sides of the same coin: God promises to build a nation of people centered around a familial relationship with Him, where He serves as ruler and king. That is why for Abraham, a relationship with God meant having faith in Him to start this family of people.
For Moses, however, a relationship with God meant trusting Him to liberate His family from slavery in Egypt and bring them back to a particular place. The importance of a “promised land” may seem like a foreign concept to us today. However, possessing a “garden-like”plot of land rich with natural resources and strategically positioned for militaristic survival would have been the difference between life and death for ancient Israel. That is why in Moses’ time, it was difficult to see God as king when the Hebrews were enslaved in a foreign place and Pharaoh was the one on the physical throne. Yet on his throne, God sets in motion a series of events to set his people free and establish them in His place!
Exodus 19:5-6 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Here, God introduces the language of the kingdom! He’s talking about His rule in a place of blessing over His family of people for whom relationship with God is at the center.
This is how we will define the word “kingdom” in this series (in no particular order): God’s Powerful rule, over God’s family of People, in God’s Place of blessing. [1]
One of the questions we will ask in this series is why build a kingdom in the first place? The short answer is that every king has a purpose for His kingdom! Did you notice that there is a movement from relationship with God for one’s own sake to that of a mission in the world? The purpose of God’s kingdom is that through Abraham’s nation, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Through the imagery of the priesthood, one is commissioned to take the knowledge and blessings of God and spread it to all the world. This is why we see the kingdom's purpose in Acts 1:8 encompassing not only Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, those lands that the nation-state of Israel sat on, but also the ends of the earth!
This series is all about discovering your Kingdom Purpose!
Ask yourself: How can you take this definition of Kingdom (God’s powerful rule, in God’s place, over God’s family of people) and help make that true of your world today?
How can you make God’s place every place?
How can you make God’s family of people all people?
How can you surrender everything to God’s powerful rule?
How can you bring His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven?
In part, that’s up to us! Our priestly purpose is to be His ambassadors, called to live out a changed life and bring His peace and His presence here.
Where we are, God’s people are.
Where we are, God’s place is!
Where we are, God’s rule should be!
How can you be an ambassador for Him this week? Can you move into a space where God and His mercy is needed? Can you speak into the lives of people where God and His peace is needed? Can you submit to the rule of Jesus in your own life?
What is He calling you to do to bring His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven? May you do whatever that is with boldness and grace throughout this upcoming series!
[1] Patrick Schreiner, The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross, Short Studies in Biblical Theology (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 18-20,
Project Assignment
Choose an Old Testament book to read through its entirety.
Our encouragement is to pick an Old Testament book that remains unfamiliar to you. If you are eager and want to do something challenging, you can pick the Psalms! If you are in a busy season and need something short, Haggai or Obadiah are great options for you!
When you have selected an Old Testament book, do your best to read it through the lens of our 3-fold Kingdom Definition.
How does the book contribute to the story of God’s People?
How does the book contribute to the story of God’s Place?
How does the book contribute to the story of God’s Powerful Rule?
Then, when we get to the New Testament, have each person briefly share their findings based on the following 5 questions.
How did the book contribute to the Kingdom of God story?
What excited/challenged you the most as you were reading the book?
In what ways did you feel like the book was pointing you to Jesus?
What are some ways the book might speak to the members of your group?
What questions do you still have about the book?
