Seeing the Kingdom
By T. M.
Moore Published Date: November 10, 2012
“But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” Acts 1:8
The Kingdom of God suddenly broke
into human history on a Pentecost morning 2,000 years ago, when the Holy
Spirit from God invaded the hearts of all who were gathered, seeking the
Kingdom Jesus had promised. The Kingdom of God comes with power, Paul wrote
(1 Cor. 4:20), and that power is embodied in the Holy Spirit of God. He is a
power from beyond this world and brings into our experience a realm of
righteousness, peace, and joy that makes all things new. He begins to work
within the lives of those who have been transferred into the Kingdom of God’s
dear Son, making them willing and able to do what pleases God, leading them
beyond any of their previous experience or hopes into greater glory and
transformation (Phil. 2:13; Eph. 3:20).
One of the primary means whereby
the power of God’s Kingdom – the power of the Holy Spirit – is expressed in
those who have come to know it is through bold witness on behalf of the
Kingdom and its King. We see this consistently throughout the book of Acts.
Not only the apostles, but even the humblest believers could not contain the
proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. They spoke to neighbors,
they testified to authorities, they bore witness to strangers, and everywhere
they went, talking about Jesus and the Kingdom seems to have been an integral
part of their daily lives.
We can know that we are in a place
where the Kingdom of God has come and is advancing when we see people from
every walk of life talking about Jesus, encouraging others to consider Him,
and leading friends, neighbors, and strangers to a saving knowledge of the
Christ. The power of the Spirit, Who brings the presence of the Kingdom,
flows like a river of living water through the lives and words of those who
have truly entered the Kingdom of God (Jn. 7:37-39). So rich, full, and real
is their experience, that they cannot help but talk about it with others.
Why don’t we see more of this
particular evidence of the Kingdom in our day? Why are Christians today so
reluctant to talk freely, boldly, and consistently about their faith in the
Lord? There are at least two reasons.
First, our culture has informed us
that it’s not interested in our message. At least, that’s what we’ve come to
believe. Why bother talking to unsaved people about the Lord if we have
already concluded they don’t want to have anything to do with Him? For most
of us, I suspect, this notion is based on an assumption and provides a
convenient excuse for not talking to others about our faith in the Lord. The
fact is that people today are just as willing to talk about the Lord as
they’ve ever been. An outspoken and intimidating few may give a different
impression, but most people will be more than willing to consider what we
have to say. If only we could muster the courage to speak with them.
The second reason we don’t bear
bold witness for Christ is because our churches have told us, implicitly or
explicitly, that they’ll take care of witness-bearing for us. Just let them
make a few adjustments here and there, so that their unsaved neighbors feel
more at home, and soon enough any real “seekers” out there will find their
way here, and then we’ll win them. You don’t have to go tell them; just help
us encourage them to come here and see for themselves.
But if
you’ve really tasted of the power of the Holy Spirit, and if you truly
delight in the glory of God and the all-things-new way of life which is the
Kingdom of God, no threats from the culture – real or perceived – and no
discouragement from church leaders will be able to keep you from bearing bold
witness to Jesus and His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit.
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Joshua 1:8
"...[B]ut you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8).
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39).
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13).
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Bold Witness
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