Pastor’s Note
The Power of Vision “A Kingdom Church”
Vision is a valuable if not essential component of any great endeavor. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). My observation of the local church is that before perishing, its people become political, provincial and petty.
What is vision? There are many books on the subject. In relationship to the church, I define it this way – a God-informed perspective on what is possible by His power. Vision is a compelling hope, engendered with faith, that in Christ all things are possible and that in all things He receive glory.
Sometimes people ask me, “What are the goals of the church?” My answer is not in terms of goals but of a compelling vision. First ARP Church seeks to become a Kingdom church which balances the five purposes of the church given in the Bible – worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship and ministry.
What is a Kingdom church? This is the heart of our vision. We pray this vision every Sunday in the words of the Lord’s Prayer…“Thy Kingdom come.” When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” we are acknowledging that while Christ’ kingdom has come, one day it will come in its fullness. We live right now in the “already but not yet Kingdom. ”One day Christ will come again and the “kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).
When we pray “Thy Kingdom come,” we are praying that God’s Kingdom would manifest itself in us and evidence itself through us, right here, right now. Our church is committed to participating in God’s Kingdom work.
What does such a Kingdom church look like? It is a church, individually and corporately, of Kingdom Proclamation. It is a church that boldly and lovingly proclaims the Scriptures. This Kingdom proclamation is one of good news (Matthew 9:35) declaring the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:19) namely, that Christ in us is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). It is the proclamation of spiritual rebirth (John 3:3-8). It is the proclamation of our salvation in Christ alone(Col. 1:19-20), growth in Christ (Ephesians 4:13), and our eternal life in Christ.
Yet a Kingdom church does not merely proclaim. A Kingdom church empowered by faith believes that where Christians are faithful to Christ, we become the presence of Christ’s Kingdom. When the church “Lets justice roll on like a river and righteousness like a never-ending stream” (Amos 5:24), that’s where the Kingdom is present. Where God’s people are filled with “righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17), that’s where the Kingdom is present. Where the church feeds the hungry, satisfies the thirsty, clothes the naked, visits the sick and ministers to the imprisoned (Matthew 25:31-46), that’s where the Kingdom is present. “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20).
A Kingdom church is where God’s people are equipped individually and corporately, to proclaim Christ and to be the presence of Christ to one another and in the world. This is our passion and vision.
— Pastor Eddie Spencer