WHY THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

Isn’t the Gospel of Jesus Christ the same as the Gospel of the Kingdom of God? That is a good leading question. An answer that is correct, but not that helpful would be, “yes” and “no.” Yes it is, and no, it is not. 

I’ll explain.

But first, allow me to explain why I bring this up in the first place. It involves a bit of two and a half years of history. (If you don’t want to read this bit of history and just get to the Gospel of the Kingdom, jump down to the call out box of Mark 1:14-15.)

The churches and leaders of Fairburn Baptist Association have been on an almost three year refocus journey. When I became the associational missionary, I believe the Lord Jesus gave me a three part theme, with one part to be emphasized each year.

The three year theme is this: As an association of churches, we are moving forward together through open doors with the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. 

Thus, the focus of 2022 was to partner together so that we may move forward together. I spent most of that year getting to know our pastors, leaders and churches. We became aware of how we could partner with other organizations in our associational area. It was a time of awareness and evaluation. We had seminars and Lunch & Learns featuring other organizations that our churches could partner with - those that would make an impact in their church family and also in the wider community. 

The focus of 2023 for our association was “Open Doors.” Specifically, to go through open doors. When I write about “open doors” I’m using a metaphor. One that the Bible uses. One that both Jesus and the Apostle Paul used for an opportunity to fulfill God's will and ministry. An open door is an opportunity provided by God for you, or me, and our churches to do something that will make a positive difference in people’s lives and bring glory to God. Even our logo is an abstract image of a door that is opened by the cross!

There were a lot of open doors in 2023. There may be even more in 2024. Mental Health is a huge issue and this crisis has still not peaked. I believe that the Gospel of the Kingdom is the best news for anyone who is struggling with mental health. The Bible is full of examples of people who struggled in life and by trusting in God and leaning on the resources that God provides in His Word and through His people, they were helped. They are over-comers. Your association offered multiple training and information opportunities and resources for providing spiritual mental health. We have a resource page for it. You can find it by clicking the button below.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

There are open doors in our local schools. Your association has encouraged every church in our association to adopt a school. Some of our churches have adopted multiple schools. The READ Georgia initiative by our Georgia Baptist Mission Board through Mission Georgia has been an invaluable resource for helping churches minister to the needs of the schools in their community. For more about READ Georgia or other open door opportunities, check our Open Door page by clicking the button below:

OPEN DOOR OPPORTUNITIES

There are open doors with our first responders. When I was a pastor in Stillwater Oklahoma (home of Oklahoma State “Go pokes!”) I became the chaplain for the Stillwater Fire Department. The chief would have me come to every third shift meeting to bring a devotional and to just visit with the firefighters. I’d drop in the different fire houses with snacks and just visit for a few minutes as time allowed. Often I’d meet up with a firefighter in my church office or grab a drink at a coffee shop to hear what was on his heart. That became an open door of ministry for me. 

Frank Mercer has done this very thing in Fayette County. However, he’s taking it further and organized it into a chaplain ministry to all first responders. This ministry is 4Heroes. Our association promotes this ministry. I serve on his Board of Directors. I believe in what 4Heroes stands for and does. I suggest your church leadership look into connecting with 4Heroes to see what you can do to enhance the life and ministry of our police, firefighters, EMT’s, and 911/Dispatch. It would be a great ministry for your missions committee or team to sponsor. Find out more about 4Heroes by clicking the button below.

4HEROES

So, if you’ve read all this you see what has been happening, at least at some level with your association. I just believe we can do more and do better and move forward if we work together. I believe God is providing open doors for us to minister. But I also believe that we are on mission, working as ambassadors for Christ and His kingdom. We are to bring with us through these open doors the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. 

This brings us finally to the Gospel of the Kingdom. Why do I use those terms? Why not just say, “the Gospel?” 

I think you would agree that we are called to do more than work together and to help our world become a better place. We are called to share the good news of the Kingdom of God. We are called to make disciples of all peoples. We are called to immerse them in the reality of the triune God. We are called to lead others to live as citizens in our country but also as citizens of heaven, meaning to live as we are, children of the King in His kingdom. 

Yes! We are to live as children of royalty, fellow heirs in the Kingdom of God right now. That is the good news. That is what Jesus came preaching after his baptism. “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:14–15, NKJV)

Jesus was teaching more than getting people saved, he was after total transformation. Of course, salvation is hugely important. I don’t want to minimize this at all. But still, getting people saved is not all that Jesus is talking about when he speaks of the gospel of the kingdom of God. 

For me, when I think about a person getting saved, I think about a person getting to go to heaven when they die. I believe that heaven is now their home. They are going to one day get into heaven and be with God and all of the wonders and all of the saints for eternity and whatever else that may entail. But when I think about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, I think about heaven getting into me. 

Notice what Jesus said. He basically said, “The wait is over!” All that God has been promising since the sin of Adam and Even is now coming to pass. That is huge! That deserves two exclamation points!! 

Look at what else he said. “The kingdom of God is at hand.” Again, he is basically saying that while for a long time God’s kingdom has been closed to you or has been out of your reach, today it is available to you. You can now step into it and it can step into you. No more distance. No more prohibition. 

As a result of this Kingdom of God being available, Jesus then says, you need to change your mind about it and believe the good news that I, the messiah, am telling you. 

Do you get the idea that what Jesus is doing here is more than about “getting people saved”? Does it sound like more than sharing a simple plan of salvation? The Gospel of the Kingdom certainly includes all these things, but it is more than these things. It is certainly not less. 

The good news of the Kingdom of God is that Jesus came to put heaven in the hearts of people, not to just put people into heaven. If home is where the heart is, then when your heart is heaven-ready, heaven is truly your home. 

The good news of the kingdom is that Jesus did come to save us, but he saves us by changing us. The very next words of Jesus in Mark are about him changing his people. “Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”” (Mark 1:17, NKJV)

Jesus said that if we would follow him, he would make us different. He would make us like him and seek to spread the good news of the Kingdom’s availability to any who would change their minds and believe the message. 

This isn’t a complete answer to “Why the Gospel of the Kingdom of God?” but it is a start. In the next blog I will begin to outline nine essential aspects of the Gospel of the Kingdom. 

In a day when there are a lot of “gospels” out there, I think it would be good for us to know what it really was that Jesus preached and what the Apostles believed was this good news which was worth laying down their earthly lives. If it was worth dying for, then it will be worth living for. It will give hope to a world that is in desperate need as well as courage to a church that feels powerless. 

Let’s learn what it is we are taking together through these open doors. 

The Apostle Paul’s Thanksgiving List

In the Fall of 1621, about 150 English settlers and Wampanoag natives in Plymouth, Massachusetts celebrated what we call Thanksgiving. The English settlers were thankful for surviving the winter with the help of God and the Wampanoag people. 

Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday, and the purpose is to give thanks and to be thankful. But long before our American tradition of Thanksgiving, the Apostle Paul expressed his thanksgiving in Scripture. I believe it is a good model for us to follow.

In Paul’s list, I’ve found at least 13 different things for which he was thankful. All the Scripture references are from the Christian Standard Bible. Enjoy.

The Apostle Paul expressed thanksgiving for:

1. The goodness and mercy of God.

“12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry—13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 1:12-14, CSB)

2. Appointment and enablement in ministry. 

“12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry—13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 1:12-14, CSB)

3. The reception and effectual working of the Word of God in others.

“This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also works effectively in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13, CSB)

4. Deliverance through Christ from indwelling sin.

“22 For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body,, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin. 

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 7:23-8:1, CSB)

5. The gift of the Gospel of Christ.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15, CSB)

6. The triumph of the Gospel.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14, CSB)

7. The faith of others.

“3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.” (Colossians 1:3-4, CSB)

8. The faith shown by others.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world.” (Romans 1:8, CSB)

9. The faith, love, and patience shown for one other.

“We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, since your faith is flourishing and the love each one of you has for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3, CSB)

10. The supply of our physical needs.

“Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God.” (Romans 14:6b, CSB). 

“ 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:4-5, CSB)

11. The victory over death and the grave.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

(1 Corinthians 15:57, CSB)

12. All people.

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,” (1 Timothy 2:1, CSB)

13. God’s working in all things.

“Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

(1 Thessalonians 5:18, CSB)

The Impact of Your Church on Your Ministry Kids

A Guest Blog by Karen Kinnaird

Blessing or curse? Joy or pain? Good memories or bad? Spiritual soldier or spiritual casualty? If we were to ask 100 adults about their childhoods as ministry kids we’d likely get 100 different answers. One day, the ministers’ kids in your church will be adults. What will they say when they reflect on their time at your church? How is your church impacting your ministry kids?

Who Are They?

• They are kids born to parents who serve in ministry but who are not necessarily called to the ministry.

• Their identity is children created in the image of God and loved by God, not “preachers kids”.

• They live in a “glass house.”

• They are at the church a lot. Few see the inside of the local church as a pastor’s kid.

• Their lives blur family, father’s vocation, and church life.

• Their father is especially vulnerable to exhaustion, temptation, frustration, and loneliness.

• They observe, hear and see more than you would imagine.

• They are keenly aware of conflict and disunity.

• They may live with unreal expectations which can lead to frustration and rebellion.

• They are unknowingly in a spiritual battle in which they can be the prime target by which to bring down their parents and the church they serve. They don’t know they’re even in a battle, much less how to fight it. Many become casualties of the battles.

What could they be thinking?

“Being a pastor’s kid is one of the greatest gifts that God has given me.”

“I get to learn how to help people, make hospital visits, and talk about my faith.”

“Sundays are a workday for my family. Sundays are a long day for me. Sometimes we get there early and get home late. I am tired on Monday mornings.”

“I avoid people as much as possible because I’m not one that likes attention.”

“I get to hang out at my dad’s work - a lot!”

“I need to be perfect but I’m not, so I’ll just pretend to be. I know I can’t measure up. I don’t want to embarrass my family or church. I guess I am a hypocrite.”

“I get to spend time with missionaries and church leaders.”

“People expect more from me than they do from my friends.”

“My Sunday School teachers assume I already know what they’re teaching and that I have all the right answers.”

“Is it just me or is everyone watching me?”

“My mom is hurting. She’s trying to cover it up but I see the pain on her face.”

“Just when I get settled into a new home and school, we have to move again.”

“Do I really know Jesus as my Savior, or do I just know about Him?”

“If I died tonight, would I go to heaven? My dad is the pastor. Shouldn’t I have this figured out?”

How Can We Love and Inspire Them?

• Let them just be kids. Not “pastors kids”.

• Try to understand their world.

• Allow them to be unique. Let them be imperfect.

• Greet them by name and with a smile expecting nothing in return.

• Praise them. Respect them. Respect their privacy.

• Be patient with them and allow God to work in their lives to birth and mature their own authentic faith journey no matter how long it takes.

• Forgive them.

How Can We Practically Support Them?

• Pray for their salvation. Pray that they would be spared from doubt and have an unwavering confidence in Christ.

• Pray for them by name both individually and corporately that they’ll be protected from the schemes of the enemy.

• Treat them like the other kids.

• Give a sincere compliment about them to their parents.

• Write them a kind note.

• Take legitimate concerns directly and prayerfully to the parents.

• Take interest in a pastor’s child with a specific interest or skill similar to yours. Consider mentoring them.

• Limit church criticisms and complaints to private conversations.

• Guard them from negative inner workings of the church. Anger and conflict can be perceived as hypocrisy.

• Avoid comments and jokes about rebellious preachers’ kids. Jokes to some adults aren’t necessarily perceived as jokes to kids, especially when it’s about them.

How you treat your minister and wife will influence their children.

How many pastor’s kids grow up and don’t want anything to do with the church because they’ve seen the way their father has been treated? What do your ministry kids overhear you say about your church, about their parents, about others? What do your ministry kids hear and witness in business meetings? You may be watching and listening to them when in reality they’re watching and listening to you. Children who witness their parents being poorly treated by the Christian people their parents serve can profoundly impact their mental, emotional and spiritual lives well into adulthood.

This is one of the reasons I believe so strongly about the importance of October’s Pastor Appreciation Month. Your ministry kids NEED to know you appreciate the selfless work of their father. In turn, this will make them feel valued. They need to see that people really do appreciate their family’s service, and that it’s worth it. There are many blogs with suggestions for ways to appreciate your pastor. Some Pastor Appreciation Month gift ideas that include the family include an extra day or week off off to spend with the family or a giftcard to a family restaurant, movie theater, sporting event or family entertainment venue. A good friend of mine reflected on her time as a pastor’s daughter, “For me, the greatest gift you can give a pastor's kid is to Iove their parents well. It shows them their sacrifice means something. I am eternally grateful for those few who loved them well and set godly examples for me.”

What’s the Goal?

In How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife, Christine Hoover states, “The goal in raising our children is to cultivate a lifelong love of God, His Word and His church.” You have an influence on that outcome. Let’s use that influence wisely.

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Psalm 127:3

Karen brings the vast experience of having served as a ministry wife for nearly 38 years. Her husband has served as a church planter, senior pastor, state denominational leader, agency specialist at NAMB, and Associational Missionary Strategist. Karen currently serves as the Executive Assistant for Forgiving Forward, a ministry dedicated to helping people experience the freedom of the Gospel through the power of forgiveness. Karen and Jimmy, also known as Gigi and Poppy, have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.