God’s kingdom come | Vision & Mission
For the next few weeks I am reflecting on our vision & mission. It is available printed at church and on our website, and fits on one side of A4 with relevant Bible verses on the back.
Our vision statement is – We long to see: God’s name honoured, His kingdom come, Lives transformed.
Today I am focusing on ‘God’s kingdom come.’Â Here are some Bible verses we put with that phrase:
Daniel 7.14: [The Son of Man’s] dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Matthew 6.9-10: [Jesus said,] ‘This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven… your kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven.’
Mark 1.15: ‘The time has come,’ [Jesus] said, ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’
Revelation 12.10: Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God.’
These verses tell us three things about God’s kingdom.
The first is that it is already here and now! Daniel 7 tells us God’s dominion, his rule, his power and authority have been present since the first day of creation. God is and has always been God, King and ruler of all things.
The second is that God’s kingdom is not yet here in full, or fully visible. That why Jesus told us to pray, ‘Your kingdom come.’ That’s why he said it is ‘near’ rather than ‘here’.
It’s also why things are often chaotic and full of struggle. In those times it can be hard to believe God is in charge. The Bible wrestles with that question too: if God is really on the throne, why is the world as it is? Why do clearly wicked people prosper? Why do those doing their best suffer? Why is there injustice, famine, war and disease? Yet the Bible insists: he is, and you can trust him.
For the world is not all darkness. At our church family lunch yesterday we heard about the way God is moving among students at the moment, with many responding to the gospel. We see glimpses of healing, broken addiction, God’s provision and care. More on that next time.
Third, God’s kingdom is under attack. The verse from Revelation 12 – ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God’ – comes amid dizzying scenes of a woman giving birth to a son, an enormous red dragon trying to kill the child, war breaking out in heaven, Satan being cast down, the triumph of God through the blood of the Lamb. At the same time it is talking about things that have been, things that are, and things that will be.
Satan’s rebellion against God is almost as old as time. He was cast out of heaven and now roams the earth doing battle with God and with us – he has been seeking to trick and destroy God’s people since the beginning. The spiritual battle is real and it is now, and is one of the reasons why the world is as it is.
But God’s victory is assured. On the cross Jesus triumphed over evil as well as paying the penalty for sin – and that victory is final, once and for all time. Evil is at work in the world, but so is God, who has already won the victory for us on the cross.
The victory has been won but the battle rages on, so the prayer, ‘your kingdom come’ is a war-cry, proclaiming Jesus’ victory and inviting God to break into the world with his light, life and love.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
thank you that because of your great love
we can be called children of God.
Help us to make new disciples of Jesus:
sharing and showing his way, truth and life.
Teach us to grow as his disciples:
faithful to your Word and full of your Spirit.
Send us out into the world as his disciples:
worshipping you with our whole lives.
Pour out your Spirit upon us:
fill us and make us new day by day,
that we might bring you glory and praise.
Amen.