The Kingdom Gospel

Place for books, articles, and websites with content that connect or detail Anabaptist theology
Adam
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Affiliation: Kingdom Christian

Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Adam »

Thank you for the replies thus far. I have shared two short gospel presentations that attempt to communicate the Gospel of the Kingdom in about 200-250 words. I would love to see others take their ideas and write a short presentation of the Gospel of the Kingdom in 250 words or less. Write it for your own context where you are. What will you leave out? What is important enough to retain? What is the heart of the Kingdom Gospel message that you want to share with unbelievers?
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GaryK
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by GaryK »

Adam wrote:Thank you for the replies thus far. I have shared two short gospel presentations that attempt to communicate the Gospel of the Kingdom in about 200-250 words. I would love to see others take their ideas and write a short presentation of the Gospel of the Kingdom in 250 words or less. Write it for your own context where you are. What will you leave out? What is important enough to retain? What is the heart of the Kingdom Gospel message that you want to share with unbelievers?
The bolded/underlined, IMO, is one of the most important things to consider when presenting the Gospel of the Kingdom to any given group.
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lesterb
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by lesterb »

Bro John D gave a presentation on the Gospel of the Kingdom at a meeting I attended. I asked him afterwards if he could summarize his talk in one paragraph. This is what he sent me.
The Kingdom of God is the theme of the Gospel, not the salvation of man. Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” not “repent or you will go to hell,” although that is true. He always called his message the Gospel of the Kingdom, as did the Apostle Paul. A Kingdom is a society, not an individual, so Jesus is redeeming individuals, intending for a fellowship of such individuals to demonstrate the original ideals for society (Matt 19:8). The salvation of individuals is thus a means to an end, not an end itself. The Anabaptists have always focused more on the church (the term for the Kingdom of heaven in the Epistles) than other groups, but have not done a very good job of showing the Kingdom of God as the purpose of individual redemption. In fact, they have pretty much parroted the “save me” Gospel preached generally. Jesus taught us to seek first the Kingdom of God, not our own salvation. In seeking the Kingdom of God, we find our own redemption by surrender to the King. The Kingdom Gospel has great appeal, as demonstrated by the appeal of socialism, a Gospel heresy. It’s time we stop confusing means and ends and begin pointing people to the Kingdom of God as the end and their personal redemption as the means to that end. This theme of the entire Bible gives a current motive for living, in contrast to preparation for an event far in the future for most people. People who embrace the Kingdom Gospel are highly motivated to forget themselves and show what the whole world would look like if everybody obeyed the King.
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Hats Off
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Hats Off »

GaryK wrote:
Adam wrote:Thank you for the replies thus far. I have shared two short gospel presentations that attempt to communicate the Gospel of the Kingdom in about 200-250 words. I would love to see others take their ideas and write a short presentation of the Gospel of the Kingdom in 250 words or less. Write it for your own context where you are. What will you leave out? What is important enough to retain? What is the heart of the Kingdom Gospel message that you want to share with unbelievers?
The bolded/underlined, IMO, is one of the most important things to consider when presenting the Gospel of the Kingdom to any given group.
That is exactly what I thought given all the suggestions given to Adam in response to his presentation. Very different message needed in his context - one which very few of us are qualified to comment on.

And then to touch on John D.'s one paragraph, I believe i know of teachers who would suggest breaking it down into several paragraphs. The word count is higher than I would usually put in one paragraph (except maybe on this forum.)
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GaryK
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by GaryK »

Hats Off wrote:
GaryK wrote:
Adam wrote:Thank you for the replies thus far. I have shared two short gospel presentations that attempt to communicate the Gospel of the Kingdom in about 200-250 words. I would love to see others take their ideas and write a short presentation of the Gospel of the Kingdom in 250 words or less. Write it for your own context where you are. What will you leave out? What is important enough to retain? What is the heart of the Kingdom Gospel message that you want to share with unbelievers?
The bolded/underlined, IMO, is one of the most important things to consider when presenting the Gospel of the Kingdom to any given group.
That is exactly what I thought given all the suggestions given to Adam in response to his presentation. Very different message needed in his context - one which very few of us are qualified to comment on.
I discovered the importance of that concept during our time in Liberia and I'm finding it to be true in the community we're working in in our town.
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Sudsy
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Sudsy »

lesterb wrote:Bro John D gave a presentation on the Gospel of the Kingdom at a meeting I attended. I asked him afterwards if he could summarize his talk in one paragraph. This is what he sent me.
The Kingdom of God is the theme of the Gospel, not the salvation of man. Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” not “repent or you will go to hell,” although that is true. He always called his message the Gospel of the Kingdom, as did the Apostle Paul. A Kingdom is a society, not an individual, so Jesus is redeeming individuals, intending for a fellowship of such individuals to demonstrate the original ideals for society (Matt 19:8). The salvation of individuals is thus a means to an end, not an end itself. The Anabaptists have always focused more on the church (the term for the Kingdom of heaven in the Epistles) than other groups, but have not done a very good job of showing the Kingdom of God as the purpose of individual redemption. In fact, they have pretty much parroted the “save me” Gospel preached generally. Jesus taught us to seek first the Kingdom of God, not our own salvation. In seeking the Kingdom of God, we find our own redemption by surrender to the King. The Kingdom Gospel has great appeal, as demonstrated by the appeal of socialism, a Gospel heresy. It’s time we stop confusing means and ends and begin pointing people to the Kingdom of God as the end and their personal redemption as the means to that end. This theme of the entire Bible gives a current motive for living, in contrast to preparation for an event far in the future for most people. People who embrace the Kingdom Gospel are highly motivated to forget themselves and show what the whole world would look like if everybody obeyed the King.
My question would be - if there is a better way to emphasize the end being the Kingdom of God through our living and individual salvation is a means to that end, then how is this emphasis working ? Are the unchurched being reached and becoming Kingdom citizens ? If so, praise the Lord and keep evangelizing that way. If not, and few are becoming Christ followers, then perhaps what is being portrayed as Christian living is not bringing light into the darkness. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost and making them into new disciples who go out and bring more into the Kingdom by obeying Jesus command to do so and this means there will be results in growing His Church. Right ?
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Pursuing a Kingdom life in the Spirit
betterpromises2
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Affiliation: Foothills Comm. Ch.

Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by betterpromises2 »

There are many teachers and preachers in the Baptist world that teach from a Dispensational Theology viewpoint about the Kingdom.

They teach that the K of God is not the same as the K of Heaven. They say that the K of God is referring to saved Jews living on the earth during the literal 1000 year Millennial rule of Christ on the Earth. And they say that the K of Heaven is where the saved gentiles will be- if I'm understanding their views.

Many of these Baptist church folks have never been exposed to any other views on the kingdom, so they think these dispensational views are what the Bible Says on the topic.

I don't agree with the dispensational view of things, but I know there are many folks who wouldn't grasp the Gospel of the Kingdom as John D (and others) teach it, without having first to help them see that there are other ways to look at these things than what they've heard in the Baptist churches.

Chris.
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MaxPC
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by MaxPC »

GaryK wrote:
Adam wrote:Thank you for the replies thus far. I have shared two short gospel presentations that attempt to communicate the Gospel of the Kingdom in about 200-250 words. I would love to see others take their ideas and write a short presentation of the Gospel of the Kingdom in 250 words or less. Write it for your own context where you are. What will you leave out? What is important enough to retain? What is the heart of the Kingdom Gospel message that you want to share with unbelievers?
The bolded/underlined, IMO, is one of the most important things to consider when presenting the Gospel of the Kingdom to any given group.
I agree. I also admire those who've gone into the untamed places to reach people and tribes to bring that message. To me that's a truly courageous love of Christ.
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
Wade
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by Wade »

Sudsy wrote:
lesterb wrote:Bro John D gave a presentation on the Gospel of the Kingdom at a meeting I attended. I asked him afterwards if he could summarize his talk in one paragraph. This is what he sent me.
The Kingdom of God is the theme of the Gospel, not the salvation of man. Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” not “repent or you will go to hell,” although that is true. He always called his message the Gospel of the Kingdom, as did the Apostle Paul. A Kingdom is a society, not an individual, so Jesus is redeeming individuals, intending for a fellowship of such individuals to demonstrate the original ideals for society (Matt 19:8). The salvation of individuals is thus a means to an end, not an end itself. The Anabaptists have always focused more on the church (the term for the Kingdom of heaven in the Epistles) than other groups, but have not done a very good job of showing the Kingdom of God as the purpose of individual redemption. In fact, they have pretty much parroted the “save me” Gospel preached generally. Jesus taught us to seek first the Kingdom of God, not our own salvation. In seeking the Kingdom of God, we find our own redemption by surrender to the King. The Kingdom Gospel has great appeal, as demonstrated by the appeal of socialism, a Gospel heresy. It’s time we stop confusing means and ends and begin pointing people to the Kingdom of God as the end and their personal redemption as the means to that end. This theme of the entire Bible gives a current motive for living, in contrast to preparation for an event far in the future for most people. People who embrace the Kingdom Gospel are highly motivated to forget themselves and show what the whole world would look like if everybody obeyed the King.
My question would be - if there is a better way to emphasize the end being the Kingdom of God through our living and individual salvation is a means to that end, then how is this emphasis working ? Are the unchurched being reached and becoming Kingdom citizens ? If so, praise the Lord and keep evangelizing that way. If not, and few are becoming Christ followers, then perhaps what is being portrayed as Christian living is not bringing light into the darkness. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost and making them into new disciples who go out and bring more into the Kingdom by obeying Jesus command to do so and this means there will be results in growing His Church. Right ?
The problem is: are they really following Christ? And what do you mean by growth? By numbers or by devotion?
I rather more devotion than more people because really more devotion should lead to bringing in more people, not bringing in more people leading to more devotion...
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MaxPC
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Re: The Kingdom Gospel

Post by MaxPC »

Wade wrote:
The problem is: are they really following Christ? And what do you mean by growth? By numbers or by devotion?
I rather more devotion than more people because really more devotion should lead to bringing in more people, not bringing in more people leading to more devotion...
:up:
If the first priority is ordered to Christ, the rest will follow. :D
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
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