In the the transition that churches and ministries are facing, there are many working to do "Kingdom" yet still battle old habits and a religious mindset. The old wine skin must be completely replaced with new wine skins. The old cloth cannot be repaired by patching with a new piece of cloth, the entire garment must be made new. Sound doctrine of the Kingdom has remifications in some very practical areas. Mind you, the goal isn't to dismantle the existing chruch or criticize pastors. Rather, to move this region into the new. Here are serval key ramifications to help you make that shift and identify where the Kingdom is being applied in truth AND in Spirit.
1. A kingdom minset encourages all saints to be ministers in the marketplace (outside the religious establishment called church). A church mindset merely trains people to serve in a church building on Sundays (day of sun god worship and not the biblical Sabbath day). We can serve in church and also enjoy it while our own vision and dream is taking shape. |
2. A Kingdom mindset creates wealth to transform a community and nation. A "church-only" mindset motivates giving ot build our own church programs.
3. A Kingdom mindset is a holistic approach that integrates the Gospel of the Kingdom with politics, economics and public policy. A church-only mindset insulates the gospel from politics and public policy. (God's original intent was not religion but a nation.)
4. A Kingdom mindset views the Bible as a blueprint to structure every aspect of society. A church-only mindset views th Bible merely as a book that enables us to escape the world, enter heaven, and be spiritual. (an exile mindset)
5. With a Kingdom mindset we embrace and loe our surrounding unchurched communities. With a church-only mindset, we're prone to only embrace converted individuals within our faity communities.
6. A Kingdom mindset trains all people for all of life. A church-only mindset trains people only for church life. We should honor those who labor among us in the local church AND celebrate the exploits of "kings" in the marketplace at the same time.
7. A Kingdom mindset nurtures leaders who are world changers and "culture creators" who articulate truth to society. A church-only mindset nurtures leaders who speak religious language relevant only to church people. We're prone to get way too introverted and stay within the four walls.
8. A Kingdom mindset speaks of the rule of God over the entire created order. A church-only minset speaks of the rule of God through deacons and elders over those in a church congregation. It's easy to get entagled in a bunch of rules that make us look irrelevant to our culture.
9. Wtih a Kingdom mindset, pastors encourage and value covational callings of their people in the marketplace. A church-only mindset controls peole by marginalizing their marketplace callings and emphasizing only Sunday ministries. Our job is to make disciples in church without being afraid to point them in the right direction. But someday they mature and we need to release them as "Kings" in the marketplace pursuing the desires God has placed in THEIR hearts. No one can just plug into the church and tithe and listen to sermons fo rthe rest of his life. If we don't release their hearts as "Kings" we lose them to boredom. Their dreams will wither and die.
10. A Kingdom mindset applies a Spirit-empowered approach to the natural-world. A church-only mindset involbes a spirtuality that separates from the natural world. We practice in church ot be equipped and do the real thing in the Kingdom-at work.
11. Those with a Kingdom mindset are working toward a renaissance of Christendom, if you will. Thos iwth a church-only mindset merely strive for a particular expression (denomination of Christianity. Charasmatics love revivals and conferences and worship. Now we need to learn how to multiply finances and convert money into ministry and impace our cities and regions.
12. Churches with a Kingdom mindset equip 100% of the sains to fill up all things in every realm of life.
Ephesians 4:10-12 ~ He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Those with a church-only mindset have as their primary goal to equip the 2-3% of the congregation/community called to be "full-time" church pastors, ministres and missionaries. It's fine to have 5-fold ministries in the church; just don't forget the goal...to release the 95% of the congregation to do the real work of the ministry outside the church.
My heart longs for disciples who will release their hearts to embrace the wisdom and anointing required to create wealth, and convert money into the work of the Kingdom. (Notice that Islam has done this very effectively...just for the kingdom of darkness...hint, hint). Let's teach the Lord's kings to do that in "church".
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Live Triumphant Friends!
2 Corinthians 2:14