2018 JULY Tapestry - FBCR

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The First Baptist Church of Redlands

TA PE S T RY

Woven Together In Love: Colossians 2:2

JULY 2018

ISSUE No. 7

The Kingdom of god “…Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” - Matthew 4:17 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:3 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” - Matthew 6:10 “The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’ will become disciples – students, apprentices, practitioners – of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.” - Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship “The Kingdom of God is where we belong. It is home, and whether we realize it or not, I think we are all of us homesick for it.” - Frederick Buechner Recently I preached on the passage that talked about the Kingdom of God being like seeds (Mark 4:2634). There are a lot of parables that start out with “the Kingdom of God is like…” It is when we realize that the Kingdom of God is just as much a present reality as a future one, that these parables make a lot more sense.

A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR SHAWN

Hopefully, these parables help us to understand what the Kingdom looks like in our lives and in the world. It is when we begin to learn about life in the Kingdom of God, the life about which Jesus came to teach and show us, that we begin to understand what God wants to do with us in this life. It is how we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is when we begin to see the fruit of the Spirit becoming a reality in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. It is experiencing perfect love casting out fear and peace that passes all understanding. It is where we find the ability to forgive, to work toward reconciliation, to see people and life as God sees them. We commit ourselves to living the life of the Kingdom of God by striving to follow Jesus. We intentionally make space in our lives to allow God to be at work in us. We take the time to study scripture to get to know God better. We do this on our own and with each other. We pray and worship, together and individually. We set aside time to be alone with God, listening to the Holy Spirit in times of leisure, rest and Sabbath. We fast from food and other things for periods of times to train our bodies and minds to be able to say “no” when it is appropriate and right. We spend time in service and fellowship. These practices become habits in our lives that open us up to the work that God wants to do in us to shape and form us into God’s instruments and ambassadors in the world. The world desperately needs us to be serious about seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness. It’s not just about

growing a successful church but reimagining what a successful church is. It’s about making a difference in people’s lives and in the world, beginning with us and the world which is our sphere of influence. There are many things that have the potential to divide us. Even in our church we have differences in theology, different tastes in music and worship styles, different passions when it comes to service. We don’t all agree politically, and we don’t

even agree on what is political. Often it is the little things that have the potential to do the most damage to our relationships with one another. When we are divided, what good are we to anyone? The world needs us to learn to live the life of the Kingdom of God. What is one thing that you are going to intentionally incorporate into your life in order to make space for God to be at work in you? How can we strive together as a church family to be a place where people discover what it means to experience the Kingdom of God as a present and powerful reality in the world? This is my prayer: that we at the First Baptist Church of Redlands will grow noticeably in our striving to follow Jesus into the life of the kingdom of God. That it will be evidenced by the way that we treat one another and how we receive those who are not yet a part of us. That is the beginning. Let’s go!


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