The Kingdom of God (Part 1) – Now and Not Yet

The New Testament talks a lot about the Kingdom of God. It is a key theme in the gospels (especially Matthew and Luke) and numerous times in other NT letters. In many occurrences in the New Testament, the Kingdom of God is referred to as a present reality under the reign of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, who has now ascended to the right hand of the Father. Scripture declares that Christ has conquered sin and death and that his Kingdom has been inaugurated, but there is no denying that the Kingdom of God is not yet seen or expressed in its fullness and completeness. We still experience suffering, sickness and death in our bodies. This is a part of our still being physically located in the ‘present age’. Many of us might have a hard time digesting all that the bible says about the Kingdom of God and then being able to articulate just how His kingdom outworks in day-to-day life, whether that be a on personal level at home or work, or more corporately in church life and ministry. If the kingdom is “here and now” then why is the world in such a mess and appears to be getting worse?If it is future then why does scripture announce it so often in present terms? In this series we begin (perhaps only to scratch the surface?) of these questions and what it means for us today. The post The Kingdom of God (Part 1) – Now and Not Yet first appeared on Lifeway Church.