Jesus came introducing God’s right-side up Kingdom to a fallen, broken world. In this Kingdom selfishness is replaced with selflessness, hate is met with kindness, hurt is met with forgiveness and the needs of those around us are truly our concern.
The Fall turned everything upside down as man’s desires began trying to take God’s throne. In an upside-down world, we easily lose sight of things that truly matter chasing our potential rather than our call. We must grow in discernment our ambition will outrun our anointing. Opportunities are distractions if they’re not assignments and fruitfulness is not about ambitious pursuits as much as it is about healthy results. In a right-side up Kingdom, we learn to rest in our God-given identity discovered in Christ.
Right-side up church must begin with the Biblical understanding of Jesus who is at the center of everything!
Colossians 1:16-28 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. ESV
The Bible describes the first century church as a Jesus movement. These people turned their world upside down, which was actually right-side up!
Acts 17:6 …These men have turned the world upside down... ESV
First century Christians knew their God so intimately that they sang His praises as they were burned at stake being martyred for their faith. It was written of Nero that he would stick his fingers in his ears during these moments saying, “Why must these Christians sing?”
These people were experiencing something beyond this world and the result was a passionate, contagious Jesus movement being born into the earth. Romans in the stands of the Colosseum would jump out of the stands rushing to these Christians to join them in experiencing God. They willingly accepted death to know the experience these Christians were having.
The challenging question for us is, “How many people would die to have what they see in our lives?”
Emperor Constantine became a Christian and legalized the faith. Once Christianity became legalized it then became organized. Suddenly Christianity was less of a movement and more of an establishment. Two thousand years later the church is still struggling to regain its original identity having been born from the life of Christ in the power of the Spirit.
Say “church” today and very few people would think of a movement. But it truly is and we truly are. This is why it is so vital that we learn to carry the love of Christ everywhere we go in our five-foot circle of life. We are ambassadors of Christ and are commissioned to carry God’s presence everywhere we go!
This is actually the Biblical idea of church (ekklesia). This is the term Jesus specifically chose to introduce us to the church that he builds on the rock of revelation of Christ in each of our lives (Matthew 16:18).
The ekklesia was a very commonly understood entity in Jesus’ day so the disciples knew exactly what he was saying when he used this term. If Rome conquered a territory then a group of Roman citizens known as “ekklesia” would be sent to the conquered territory. The “ekklesia” were those sent to go and occupy conquered territory as an expression of the presence of Roman authority. The generals leading this movement were called “apostles” which means “the sent ones”.
Roman Law only required two or three of those sent to gather in the name of Rome to be the expression of Roman authority as if the Emperor himself were there.
Just two chapters later Jesus reiterates this in regard to his Kingdom Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. ESV
We are the ekklesia citizens of heaven with a purposed assignment in the conquered territory of this fallen world. As we get a revelation of our conquering King from our heavenly Father, Jesus the Christ builds his church through our surrendered lives!
Your Kingdom come, your will be done ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!
We are the Jesus Movement of our generation!
There is a question we must ask ourselves in considering those who sang as they died causing unbelievers to leave this life to join the cause of Christ. Is my relationship with Jesus moving and compelling to my world?
Some people are getting saved in our Western world church, but most Christians aren’t living in God’s power! Not all Christian culture is Kingdom culture.
This is about citizenship in heaven, jurisdiction in Christ, dominion in the earth! This is not about a rescue operation. Jesus came to take control!
This is not merely a kingdom of salvation. It is the Kingdom of God! This is about transforming this world to become the expression of God’s Kingdom and the nature of Christ in the earth.
As Christians we have the name of Christ on our lips, but do we have the nature of Christ in our hearts? This only comes through a willingness to die daily so He can live through our surrender.
GP2RL: Pray Colossians 1:9-14 over us all this week every day!