Every Tuesday morning, 6am, at The Road @ Chapel Hills, we have a men’s breakfast and gathering in which I (and others) speak, and the men discuss at their tables questions related to the message. We have close to 400 men who attend. We call it “Wholehearted Men” because that’s our goal, to build wholehearted-for-Jesus men! This past Tuesday morning, I received much more than normal positive feedback from my message, so I have transcribed it for my blog. May it be a blessing to you.
Being a wholehearted man or woman means you are passionate about the mission of Jesus. You are passionate about taking the message of Jesus into every sphere of our county and city. You are passionate about changing our city, our county, and our state through, what I call, a “Kingdom of God Revolution.” We believe this is accomplished through empowering people, building up people, loving people, and inviting them into the adventure of experiencing the love and power of the King, Jesus Christ, and joining His Army, the Church, in the ongoing advancement of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus is Our Model
This was the mission of Jesus. Jesus, the most perfect model of a human, of a man, made the proclamation and demonstration of the Kingdom of God His vision. He spoke more than 100 times on the Kingdom of God. His longest sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, is a treatise on how to live out the Kingdom of God in one’s life (Matthew 5-7). He told us that we are to first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). He tied the Kingdom of God to love when He summed up all the Old and New Testament and all the Prophets by saying, “The greatest commandment, the command that sums it all up, is love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is like it, ‘love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” (Luke 10:27; Matthew 22:35-40)
Jesus made it clear that His mission was a new type of revolution that would set people free. He said,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)
The Early Church was a Revolutionary Church
The early church continued the ministry of Jesus and brought forth the greatest revolution the world has ever known. It went from a small group of 120 frightened, discouraged, alienated people after the crucifixion, to a fired-up army of bold, joyful, and loving revolutionaries after the resurrection (Acts 1-4). In just a few years, they literally turned the world “upside down,” or might we say “right side up” (Acts 17:6). J. B. Phillips describes the early church this way,
“The great difference between present-day Christianity and that of which we read in the [New Testament] letters is that to us it is primarily a performance; to them it was a real experience. We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code, or at least a rule of heart and life. To these men it is quite plainly the invasion of their lives by a new quality of life altogether. They do not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them.
Mere moral reformation will hardly explain the transformation and the exuberant vitality of these men’s lives—even if we could prove a motive for such reformation, and certainly the world around offered little encouragement to the early Christians! We are practically driven to accept their own explanation, which is that their little human lives had, through Jesus Christ, been linked up with the very life of God…These early Christians were on fire with the conviction that they had become, through Christ, literally sons of God; they were pioneers of a new humanity, founders of a new Kingdom. They still speak to us across the centuries. Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we might achieve what they achieved.” (J.B. Phillips, Preface to Letters to Young Churches)
We are Continuing What They Initiated
A Kingdom of God Revolution is an ongoing movement of the proclamation and demonstration of the love, power, reign, and rule of Christ first in an individual’s life and then flowing out to the life of one’s family, job, and city. It is men, women, and young people excited and empowered with the love, grace, and truth of Jesus. A Kingdom of God Revolution happens as more and more people get saved, empowered, and released to impact the culture.
Prayer and Action
As wholehearted men and women, we have a bias toward prayer and action. We share our faith with others, we invite people to church, we run for office, we vote, we become delegates, we start companies, and we work with our public officials in making changes. We don’t complain; we pray and act. We don’t name call or get in the gutter of identity politics, but we work for change with joy and faith in our heart. We work together in unity and love, even with those with whom we don’t perfectly agree. (I would rather vote for a person who holds to 75% of my values than not vote and give the seat to one who holds to 5% of my beliefs.) We don’t react, we proact to the problems in our city. We get things done with prayer and action.
Our model for a Kingdom of God Revolution is Acts 4, in which the Church, under great persecution and pressure from the governing authorities in Jerusalem, holds a prayer gathering and asks God to make them bolder than ever. They prayed, “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30)
And the results were astounding, “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31) Amazing action flows from amazing prayer.
Even Greater Things
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God doesn’t change. God can do this again even in our day. Times have been much worse, and God has even done greater things. God wants such a move of His Spirit in Colorado Springs.
Jesus said, “I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)
A Kingdom Revolution will happen in our city and our county and then flow to our state if we will unite in prayer and stand together in action.
Thus, as a local church in Colorado Springs, let us resolve to grow, be fascinated by, be disciplined in, and let our energy flow toward the King and His Kingdom. May our daily prayer be, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We do this best by being like Jesus in our relationships, seeking truth, being kind, staying humble, and loving truth.
Be the Good News
We can’t bring the Good News if we are the bad news. We don’t have time or energy to attack each other. We must BE the Good News and BRING the Kingdom of God before God will change anyone’s life. Let our walk match our talk.
May we resolve this day to be a Kingdom of God Revolutionary. We are disciples of Jesus before we are political. We are Christians before we are activists. We are Christ worshippers before we enter the spheres of civic responsibility. We seek the Kingdom of God first. But then we resolve to change and transform the spiritual, moral, and legal fabric of each cultural sphere of influence with the One True King’s agenda, His program, and His platform.
The Jesus Platform
The Jesus Platform is always marked with truth and love together. Because we believe that when the Kingdom of God comes, it brings freedom to the enslaved, life to the dead, sight to the blind, healing to the sick, joy to the depressed, and love to the lonely. We treat every person with dignity, love, and grace.
The love of God leads people to repentance. We don’t all have to believe exactly the same to be welcomed into God’s Kingdom. It is a Kingdom for all people, whatever one’s background, ethnicity, political beliefs, or cultural viewpoint. This is a new kind of revolution for all people. Everyone is invited, everyone is welcome at the Table of the Lord. But even Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen.” In other words, not everyone will put their faith in Jesus and embrace His Kingdom. We do the preaching; God does the choosing.
Worshippers and Warriors
As worshippers and warriors, we worship first; we war second. We are warriors from a tender, worshipful heart. We can’t pull down strongholds of the enemy if we are building walls for the enemy. No, we tear down walls of animosity and hatred and build bridges of grace, forgiveness, and love. This is the motto of the worshipper warrior.
So today, resolve to join the greatest movement in the world. Join the most loving movement in the world. Join a movement built on true freedom.
Join your heart to God’s heart. Decide today if you haven’t before, to become the heart, hands, and feet of Christ in your city. And if you have, renew your resolve, revive your weary heart, replace your power with His power, and stand, stand up for Jesus and His Kingdom.
Pastor Steve
