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Kingdom-Orientated

Tuesday, 09 February 2021

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love crown sm If there ever was a key emphasis in the life of Jesus, other than the glory of God, it was the kingdom of God! We see these priorities in the prayer Jesus modelled for us. He begins with the glory of God (hallowed be your name) and follows this up with the petition: "Your kingdom come." (Matthew 6:9) And if there is ever a key emphasis among Reformed churches, other than the glory of God, it would be the kingdom of God.

Yes, our chief end in life is to glorify God! (Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.1) This so clearly summarizes what we read in Scripture: "... whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31; see also Psalm 86:9; Isaiah 60:21; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Revelation 4:11 ) Whatever we do as churches we do in order to glorify God. One of the primary ways we glorify God as churches is to join God in his mission to see his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

We have been looking at the Biblical values that shape the culture of the CRCA, a contemporary, Reformed, gospel-focused denomination. We have already looked at the first two values: Contemporary Reformed (confessional and contextual ) and being Word-Based. In the next five blogs we will look at the Biblical value of being Gospel Focused.

The gospel is at the heart of who we are as churches, as Paul reminded the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The gospel is of "first importance." It is through the gospel that we are saved and upon which we take our stand. The gospel is the truth that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) As Harry L. Reeder writes: "The gospel of salvation by grace is the foundation, the formation, and the motivation for [churches]. We must build on it, allow it to determine the shape of all that we do for the Lord, and make sure that it is the reason why serve Him. If the gospel is not central in the life of your church, you will never be effective in the eyes of the Lord." (From Ember to Flames, p. 64)

When in the CRCA we talk about being gospel-focused we are not just referring to sharing the good news of Jesus with each other, including the lost around us. For us, a gospel-focused church is a church on mission both in word and in deed. Being gospel-focused encompasses all of life. This is why we emphasize being kingdom-orientated.

This language of the kingdom is pervasive in the teachings of Jesus. In the four gospels we find Jesus talking about the kingdom 123 times. This talk about the kingdom might sound puzzling to you or just some sort of theological jargon. It is critical, however, that as churches we know what we mean by the kingdom of God. The kingdom refers to the Biblical truth that our world belongs to God (see Revelation 4-5). In summary, as stated in the Contemporary Testimony:

From the beginning, through all the crises of our times, until his kingdom fully comes, God keeps covenant forever. Our world belongs to him! God is King! Let the earth be glad! Christ is Victor; his rule has begun. Hallelujah! The Spirit is at work, renewing the creation. Praise the Lord! (par. 2)

To be kingdom-orientated is to recognise the sovereignty of God over every area of our lives, to follow Jesus and serve him everywhere. As Christians we do not try to fit into our society, but we join God as an instrument of His ruling over all of life. Since Kingdom-orientated churches recognise that all of life is a gift from God, they will speak up against everything that will abuse and/or destroy the gift of life: abortion, pollution, gluttony, addiction, all forms of injustice, racism, sexual immorality, divorce, harmful scientific research, inequality in education, the work place, and more. Not only will their voice be heard, but kingdom-orientated churches will also seek to be change-agents so that more and more our society and world reflect life as God intended. We seek to be part of God's reconciling work in this world, renewing all of creation, as light in the darkness, as salt in a spoiling world. (Matthew 5:13-16) We seek to do all that we can to embody the Kingdom of God. In this way the church will stand in contrast to so much of our society. Here you will find people who "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God" (Micah 6:8)

This Biblical value of being kingdom-orientated is evident in the priorities we have as CRCA churches. This is why as a denomination we support the gospel work, both word and deed, that is done in the Solomon Islands, through World Transform, GOSPEL, IJM (International Justice Missions), and more. This is why our churches are serious about ensuring that every church is a safe church. This is why so many of our churches are involved in local and overseas missions, feeding the hungry, releasing the captive, providing education, protecting the orphan, and more. This is how we embody God's Kingdom in our world.

We are kingdom-orientated! This is who we are as a denomination and what we value as churches. In what way can you or your church be part of God's reconciling work in this world? Answer that question, and you will discover what it means to be kingdom-orientated?

About the author

Jack De Vries

Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.

Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.

In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)

Kingdom-Orientated

About the author

Jack De Vries

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