October 5, 2025
The Theological Belief Behind This Book
“The kingdom of God (that is, the redemptive presence
and activity of God in human lives) has come into the world to work out the
mission of God (the redeeming and restoring of human lives to the kingdom
of God) through the people of God (the redemptive presence and activity
of God made tangible to other human beings).”
“The mission of God is to redeem and restore all people to
himself and is ignited and unleashed by the arrival of the kingdom of God into
the created world first through Jesus and now through us.” – Finke, p. 73
Three Concepts That Need Definition
1.
The Kingdom of God
2.
The Mission of God
3.
The People of God
The Kingdom of God
“The kingdom of God is the redemptive presence and activity
of God in human lives.” – p. 75
How does the kingdom come?
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Thy kingdom come. (The Lord’s Prayer, the second
petition)
-
“God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father
gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and
lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.”
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God’s work through His Word
o
Direct quotation
o
Giving the sense
o
Testimony of our lives
o
Sacraments?
For what purpose does the kingdom come?
How does repentance fit into the coming of the kingdom?
“Jesus is inviting us to completely reorient our minds and
lives around this new reality of the kingdom being redemptively present
and active around us.” – p. 81
Reorienting: Jesus Is the Key
Matthew 13:44 - The kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he
goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
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Make it about Jesus.
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Make it about God’s people.
Matthew 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
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Seeking the One who sought us.
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Look for what Jesus is doing while remembering
what He has done.
What Does the Kingdom Look Like?
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What does the kingdom look like for those in the
kingdom?
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What about for those outside of kingdom?
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Notice that both are redemptive!
How Do We Know?
The Mission of God
“The mission of God is to redeem and restore all things to
the Kingdom of God, beginning with human beings.” – p. 91
How are we both beneficiaries and agents within the mission
of God?
Misunderstood Theology – Good Point
Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
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Does Christ still have a body?
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What does the last line of the poem emphasize?
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Where do we find Christ’s body? (1 Cor. 12:27)
Quotes from Finke
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We are Jesus with skin on.
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Jesus brings himself to people through
us.
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From the kingdom, through us.
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We are the way the kingdom-on-mission breaks
into the flesh-and-blood-world of human beings and has its effect.
The People of God
“Those who bear the Spirit of God are the redemptive
presence and activity of God made tangible to other human beings.” – p. 94
How does the kingdom become tangible through us?
Does Jesus seem to prefer big or little things in our
efforts to introduce people to Him?
Pressure?
“Pressure is something you feel when you
don’t know what … you’re doing.” – Peyton Manning
What do we know about what we’re doing when we share Jesus’ love with someone?
Key Takeaways?
Next Week
We will discuss the “5 Practices”
– Seeking the Kingdom, Hearing from Jesus, Talking with People, Doing Good,
Ministering through Prayer.
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