By Glenn Miller     

GOD’S WORD: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:33

Too many followers of Jesus put the work of God into a box called the Church with its services and programs. But to use the words of Missional Leader Jim Botts, we need to expand our theologies from outside the box (Church) and into the Kingdom of God that Jesus commands we be about.

Jesus was the first Person to utter the word, “church.” Yet, He framed His ministry in terms of God’s Kingdom breaking into our world, not into a church building. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not downing, dissing, or dismissing the church. The church is the Bride of Jesus (and we should love her – Eph 5:25), the church is the Body of Christ (and we should build it up – Eph 4:11-12). Yet, it was Jesus who framed the gospel as good news about a new reality (God’s Kingdom) through the presence of a new King (Jesus).

Though the church and its activities can fit into the Kingdom, you cannot squeeze the Kingdom into any Church. When we try to fit the Kingdom into our church-box, we create church people, instead of Kingdom people! And there is a huge difference between the two:

Church people – have reduced ministry vision and can’t see past categories for in-house ministry, i.e., usher, greeter, children’s worker, Sunday school teacher, etc. While these are good things and should be a part of a church, if that’s where a church’s vision stops, it is not a kingdom-minded church. A church that is full of church people rather than Kingdom-minded people can only steward its resources into preservation, meeting a budget, providing ministry only to those inside their walls, often at the reduction of mission and benevolence budgets. And unfortunately, churches filled with church people often resent other churches that are growing and advancing the Kingdom, falling subject to their own pride rather than seeing the universal church as the Body of Christ.

Kingdom people – have Kingdom vision to think/dream/act outside the church. They want to heal the wounds in their neighborhood, workplace, and community (fatherlessness, addictions, failing marriages). Kingdom people want to meet the needs of their community and world without expectation of getting more members into their box. Kingdom people are focused on the loving and grace-filled gospel of Jesus Christ more so than doctrine, theology, or denomination. Kingdom-minded people operate with love in this world for the advancement of the Kingdom, knowing that their obedience to God’s command to build the Kingdom will command Him to release blessings (Deut.28:8).

The Kingdom is not a means to a bigger church; the church is a means to demonstrate the Kingdom!