Christians live in community, in congregations of churches. Our communities are part of the larger Christian community, and together we are called to seek the Kingdom of God within and for the yet larger community of which we are a part. Today’s excerpt from The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is found on pages 87 and 88:
“Local churches should have a vision for how they can impact their communities for the Lord, to bring the beauty, joy, and presence of the Lord into every nook and cranny of their community. Pastors and teachers must equip their members to receive the indwelling Word, and to let it live through them in lives of service, witness, and social and cultural engagement for the glory of Jesus Christ.
“When Jesus came into a community, everything changed. People rushed to Him expectantly, wept and rejoiced at His good works, marveled at His teaching, and longed to be near and touch Him. This should be the same wherever His Body is living out the living Word together. A community of the Word of God will make a Kingdom impact on the larger community as it follows the example of Christ and the vision of Paul to turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ.
“Each of us in whom the Word is beginning to dwell richly must make every effort to contribute to the health and growth of our local church, for it is as a community, where the Word of God dwells in all its richness, that the church, the covenant people of God, becomes a true sign of and outpost for the Kingdom of God, spreading righteousness, peace, and joy throughout its community in the name and for the glory of Jesus Christ.
“When we all read to run, and read to run together as congregations, then the living Word can reach to and penetrate the nooks and crannies of souls, neighborhoods, communities, institutions, and every aspect of life. Precisely as God intends.”
For reflection or discussion
1. In what specific ways does your church show itself to be a sign of the Kingdom in your community?
2. How does your church serve as an outpost from which the Kingdom goes forward in your community?
The power of God’s Word can work through every believer to bring the grace of God to others. But that power is magnified when all the believers in a church, and in the larger Christian community, are running together with God’s Word. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss how you can be more effective in bringing the Kingdom of God into your world. Your copy of The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is waiting for you at The Ailbe Bookstore
