In the foregoing message we saw that the kingdom of God is first God’s reign in a general way by power and authority and then God’s reign in a particular way in the sense of life. In this message we shall cover further aspects of God’s reign in a particular way.
The kingdom of God as God’s reign in a particular way drew near at John the Baptist’s preaching (Matt. 3:2). You may wonder why John the Baptist told people to repent for the kingdom had drawn near, since the kingdom of God had been present with Israel in Old Testament times. The reason is that the kingdom of God was about to have a new beginning, to come in a new sense. In the Old Testament the kingdom of God was present in a general sense by authority and power. But now in the New Testament the kingdom of God was to have a new start in a particular way in the sense of life.
First the kingdom of God in the sense of life drew near, and then it came in reality in the Lord’s ministry. This is indicated by the Lord’s word in Matthew 12:28. “If I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the kingdom of God is come upon you.” The Spirit of God is the power of the kingdom of God. Where the Spirit of God is in power, there the kingdom of God is, and there the demons have no ground. By the Lord’s word here we see that the battle fought for the kingdom is not fought by a man himself but by a man with the Spirit of God. The Lord said that He cast out demons by the Spirit of God and that this is the coming of the kingdom of God. Wherever the Spirit of God exercises His authority over the opposing situation, that is the kingdom of God coming in reality.
The kingdom as God’s reign in a particular way in the sense of life goes in parallel with the church. This is revealed clearly in the book of Acts, where the kingdom and the church are frequently mentioned. Many verses speak of the kingdom (Acts 1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31), and many other verses speak of the church (5:11; 8:1, 3; 9:31; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 13:1; 14:23, 27; 15:3-4, 22, 41; 16:5; 18:22; 20:17, 28). The kingdom is mentioned first. Acts 1:3 tells us that to the apostles the Lord Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs, through a period of forty days, appearing to them and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God.” This indicates strongly that the kingdom of God would be the main subject of the apostles’ preaching in the coming commission after Pentecost. Before the Lord Jesus ascended to the heavens and poured out Himself as the all-inclusive Spirit to establish the church, He taught His disciples about the kingdom. If they had not had any knowledge or realization concerning the kingdom, it would have been difficult for the Lord Jesus to bring them into the church. Therefore, in the first chapter of Acts the kingdom was taught thoroughly.
In the following chapters of Acts the church is brought in. The first mention of the church is in Acts 5:11. Acts 8:1 refers to the church in Jerusalem. Throughout the book of Acts the church is mentioned again and again. However, after the church comes in, the kingdom is still preached. In 8:12 Philip brought the good news concerning the kingdom of God to the Samaritans. Acts 14:22 says that “through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.” According to 19:8, Paul spoke boldly in the synagogue concerning the kingdom of God. Furthermore, 20:25 tells us that Paul went about proclaiming the kingdom. Finally, in 28:23 Paul “expounded and solemnly testified the kingdom of God” to those who came to him in his lodging. From this we can see that the book of Acts begins and ends with the kingdom of God. Moreover, Acts shows us that the kingdom and the church are a pair, for the kingdom goes in parallel with the church. Without the kingdom there is neither the beginning nor the conclusion of the church life. The church life is intimately related to the kingdom because the kingdom is the life pulse of the church. Therefore, the kingdom is absolutely crucial to the church life.
Some Bible teachers have mistakenly taught that the kingdom has been suspended. According to their understanding, due to rejection by the Jews, the kingdom has been suspended, the present age is the age of the church, and the kingdom will come back after the church age. This interpretation may be correct in one aspect of the truth concerning the kingdom but not in all aspects. In the aspect of life the kingdom has not been suspended. Yes, in the Gospels the Jews rejected the Lord’s presentation of the kingdom to them. Nevertheless, in Acts 1:3 the Lord, after His resurrection and after breathing Himself as the Spirit of life into the disciples, stayed with them for forty days in order to teach them the things concerning the kingdom. As we have seen, later in Acts we have the church and the preaching of the kingdom of God as the gospel.
Because the kingdom and the church are in parallel we cannot separate them. Actually, the kingdom and the church are one thing in different aspects and with different terminology. When we speak of the church, the kingdom also is present. When we speak of the kingdom in the sense of life, the church is present as well. As believers in Christ, we need to live in the kingdom, and we also need to be in the church and live in the church both in reality and in practicality. This means that we need to have the practice of the church life. We need to be a church people, living in the reality of the church according to the truth and also living in the practicality of the church, practicing the church life wherever we may be. If we live in the kingdom and in the church, then we shall also live in the Body.