What does it mean to demonstrate the Kingdom?
In the last post I gave three examples of networks of organic/house churches (and one slightly more traditional church) that are changing lives, making disciples, but more than that, they are having a social impact. They are changing their communities, so much so that their cities are taking notice.
Is community change a part of God's Kingdom? The Lord's prayer says, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We know that God wants social justice (see Isaiah 58). He's pleased when the fatherless are taken care of, when the homeless are housed.
Our friends in India who are seeing huge numbers of people becoming believers are no longer that interested in numbers of baptisms and healings. What they are looking for is the resulting community transformation–clean water and electricity for the village, no more malnutrition among the kids, roads built, jobs created etc. The expansion of the Kingdom produces these kinds of results.
So what do you call it when groups who are definitely not Christians produce these same results. Is this expansion of the Kingdom too? It is definitely good, and I believe God is pleased, but where is the King?
It is only true Kingdom when the King is in control.
What do you think?
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