Vision Night 2021: Kingdom Culture
Welcome to the second sermon of 2021! Last Sunday was our annual Vision Night where Pastor Febby revealed ‘Kingdom Culture’ to be the overarching theme of 2021 for the International Congregation.
In 2020, our theme of the year was ‘Kingdom Priorities’ - so how does this differ from ‘Kingdom Culture’? Kingdom priorities means that God is valued as of utmost importance above everything else. Kingdom culture means that that this year the church will be learning about what the culture of God’s kingdom. The Bible calls God’s people in the Old Testament to be a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6) among other descriptors and later in Matthew 21:43, the kingdom is said to be “taken away from you [Israelites]”, and given instead to “a people who will produce its fruit”.
So, how can we more confidently and truthfully embody the kingdom of God? Or rather, how can we produce the fruit of God’s kingdom? Let’s read 2 Corinthians 5:17, the verse of the year, to learn three things about God’s kingdom.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.
Behold, the old has gone, the new is here!
”
The Pathway to Change
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ…”
What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Is it literal and assumes believers to be physically within the person of Jesus, or is it metaphorical and calls the believer to be in the spiritual presence of God? In Genesis chapter 6, Noah had been approved by God (Genesis 6:8) as a man who was righteous, blameless and had faithfully walked with God (Genesis 6:9). God was deeply displeased with humankind because of the persistent wickedness in their hearts, and as a result chose to wipe the Earth clean. Noah was commanded by God to build an ark of specific measurements and enter it during the flood.
“But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark - you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you” - Genesis 6:18
By obeying God’s command Noah and his family were spared from God’s watery judgement. Why? Noah was favoured by God and was found in God’s presence within the ark. To be in Christ is to be connected or unified with Him like a vine and its branches.
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” - John 15:4
The Promise for Change
“… the new creation has come…”
Being new carries the connotations of being unblemished or having not existed before. The “new creation” described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 has come or arrived. Who is the new creation? Where has it come from? Ephesians 4:22-24 elaborates further about what a new creation looks like:
“put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness”
God’s church is called to be his people; that means to be like-minded with him, to be representatives or “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20), and to live wholly devoted to God by loving the Lord and his people (Matthew 22:34-40).
The Product of Change
“The old has gone, the new is here!”
Has Jesus claimed the place of your former idols? Is he your heart’s deepest desire, and whom you have the greatest longing for? When we were separated from Christ as unbelievers, our former idols could have been the love of money and wealth or the approval and affection of our friends. Now, being reconciled with God through the blood-sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are given a completely new life.
Reflect on this; has your outlook on life changed since knowing and loving God? Do you desire what God desires - justice, mercy, love, hope, salvation? Take the example of the Samaritan woman Jesus meets by Jacob’s well (John 4). After meeting and talking to Jesus, the woman could not keep to herself the good news of God. As a result of her testimony, many people believed in God.
“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did” - John 4:39
“We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world” - John 4:42
John 5:24 says that whomever hears the gospel and believes in God will receive two things: 1. eternal life, and 2: mercy from judgement and will “cross over from death to life”. This is what being new looks like; to forsake the ways of former living that does not bear fruit and to embrace the goodness of God in every aspect of your new life.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you for the new life you have given those who believe in you. We have an enduring hope that Jesus will come again, and in the meantime know that believers are called to live lives that reflect God. I pray that the Holy Spirit would strengthen believers to live more like Jesus everyday. I pray for those that do not know God, and for their salvation.
In your holy name,
Amen