The Words & Works of the Kingdom
John Wimber had this to say about Jesusâ kingdom activity:
â… âKingdomâ is translated from the New Testament Greek word basileia, which implies an exercise of kingly rule or reign rather than simply establishing a geographic realm over which a king rules. …The kingdom of God is the dynamic reign or rule of God. When Jesus said that the kingdom of God had come in him, he claimed for himself the position of a divine invader, coming to set everything straight: âThe reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devilâs worksâ (1 John 3:8)â (Wimber, Kingdom Evangelism, p. 12).
In other words, Jesus not only spoke words about the kingdom â he went around Israel doing the works of the kingdom. He was destroying the works of the evil one that bring physical and spiritual death to human beings. Jesus had a message of Good News (that is what the word âGospelâ means), but he also had a ministry to back it up. As he trained his disciples, they became apprentices to his work, âdoing the stuff â of the kingdom of God.
Commissioned & Empowered
In the Vineyard family of churches, we believe that Christians are commissioned and empowered by the Spirit of God to do the works of the kingdom. With Jesus, we are empowered by the Spirit to bring âthe presence of Godâs futureâ to our streets, neighborhoods, towns, and cities â in the hospitals, homes, and hearts to which he sends us.
[bctt tweet=”…we believe that Christians are commissioned and empowered by the Spirit of God to do the works of the kingdom.” quote=”In the Vineyard family of churches, we believe that Christians are commissioned and empowered by the Spirit of God to do the works of the kingdom.”]
Will you say âyesâ to God â will you become a person who works with Jesus, in word and works, to demonstrate that the kingdom of God is truly near?
Additional Articles in this Series:
5. Implications of the Kingdom
7. Shalom
8. How Do We Become Kingdom People?
9. Both/And
