To Transform a City Eric Swanson Sam

To Transform a City Eric Swanson & Sam Williams Session 2

VISION: What I see PASSION: What I feel MISSION: What I do Is your ministry vision broad enough to encompass the passions and mission of every leader in your ministry?

HOW? Inputs Staff Facilities Budget Property Activities WHY? Outputs Worship Number of Sunday School people who Small Groups participate Men’s Ministry in these Women’s Ministry activities Youth Ministry Children’s Ministry Missions What is your “Score Card? ” Outcomes Impact Changed Lives Cumulative result of multiple changed lives over time So What? Kingdom Are the inputs, activities, and outputs the right elements to produce outcomes & impact?

A Laboratory for Ministry El Salvador— 6 million people – – – – – 34 -38% Christian Country has been evangelized 3 x through Jesus film One evangelical church / 700 people 4 Christian universities 2 Evangelical hospitals 5 Christian newspapers 19 Christian radio stations 5 Christian TV stations 8 th largest church in the world (over 120, 000) Christian President, governors, & mayors But… The country has never been worse off! Why? “Because we settled for conversion rather than transformation”

The kingdom of God “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. ’…People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ” Matthew 3: 1 -5 Why? !? !

We must think “Kingdom” Book of Daniel—Nebuchadnezzar's dream • Four kingdoms – – Babylon Mede-Persians Greeks Romans • “In the time of those king the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” Daniel 2: 44, • “The saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever. ” Daniel 7: 17 -18 • “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all rulers will worship and obey him. ” Daniel 7: 28

We must think “Kingdom” Birth of Jesus – Isaiah 9: 6, 7— “For unto us a child is born…and he will reign on David’s throne over his kingdom”The angel Gabriel—Luke 1: 31 -33 “He will be great…and will reign…his kingdom will never end” – The Magi—Matthew 2: 1, 2 “Where is he who was born king of the Jews? ” – Simeon—Luke 2: 25 “…he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. ” – Anna—Luke 2: 38 “…she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. ” – Joseph of Aramethea— “waiting for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23: 53, Mark 15: 43).

We must think “Kingdom” • Centrality of the message – First public words of John and Jesus Matthew 3: 2, 4: 17 – First petition—Matthew 6: 10 – First priority—Matthew 6: 33 – Message of his disciples—Matthew 10: 7 – Post resurrection message—Acts 1: 3 – Phillip—Acts 8: 12 – Paul’s message—Acts 17: 7, 19: 8, 9, 20: 25 28: 23, 31 (Paul preaches kingdom 16 times) – Bookend passages of Acts (Acts 1: 3 & 28: 31)

We must think “Kingdom” What is the Kingdom? The kingdom of God is any place over which God has operative dominion.

Physical / Spiritual Aspects of the Kingdom--Isaiah 65: 17 -25 • • • There is joy—v. 19 There is absence of weeping and crying (v. 19) There is no infant mortality (v. 20) People live out their full lives (v. 20) People will build houses and live in them (v. 21, 22) People will sow and reap (v. 21, 22) There is fulfilling work (v. 22) There is confidence that their children will face a better life (v. 23) People will experience the blessing of God (v. 23) People will have intergenerational family support (v. 23) There will be rapid answers to prayer (v. 24) There will be an absence of violence (v. 25)

Understanding the Miracles of Jesus Matthew 11: 4 -5 “Are you the one who was to come? ” Jesus replied, “Go back and report what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ” Jesus miracles were called “signs” of the kingdom—attractive glimpses of what the kingdom will be; fast-forward the future – – – Because children don’t die in the kingdom… Because there is not premature death in the kingdom… Because there are no hungry in the kingdom… Because there are no deaf, blind, lame, etc in the kingdom… Because the kingdom is a place of inclusion…

Values of the Kingdom (Sermon on the Mount) • Children are valued and held in high esteem—Matthew 18: 2, 19: 4, Mark 10: 14 • The poor are blessed—Luke 6: 20, James 2: 5 • Those persecuted for righteousness are blessed— Matthew 10: 9 • Servanthood is valued over power--Matthew 20: 21 ff • We love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6: 27, 28) • It’s a life where marriage is honored (Matthew 5: 27 -35) • It’s a life of reconciliation (Matthew 5: 21 -26) • It’s a life of good deeds (Matthew 5: 16)

Concluding thoughts on the kingdom Kingdom work involves a variety of people— believers and unbelievers • Matthew 13: 47 -50 “…all kinds of fish…” • Matthew 13: 24 -29 “…let them both grow together…” How to enter the Kingdom – John 3: 3 -5 – The King and the kingdom

Implications for the church “Kingdom” is mentioned 121 times in the gospels. “Church” is mentioned three times. Jesus builds the church and the church helps build the kingdom, the embodiment of what life looks like when living under the reign of God—an attractive and compelling alternative to “what is” Christology: The person and work of Jesus Missiology: The purposes of God and his people Church growth v. kingdom growth Huntsville, Texas Ecclesiology: How to structure the church to best accomplish the mission

A Hero With a Thousand Faces • A “call to adventure” is extended to an average person • Person refuses the call • Is given divine enablement • Quest / battles to obtained the “boon” • Returns and blesses humanity with what was attained

How the kingdom affects evangelism

Worldview Every worldview must answer two questions: 1. What is wrong with the world? 2. How can it be fixed?

…and one day will be fully restored “THE WAY IT WILL BE ONE DAY” Rev. 21: 1 Creation Gen 1: 21 “very good” THE WAY IT “OUGHT TO BE” Everything that was lost in the fall was redeemed at the cross… Col 1: 19 -20, Luke 19: 10, 2 Cor 5: 19 Redemption Until that time God invites us to join him in that restoration Matt 6: 10 “WHAT IT CAN BE” The Fall Everything was broken—relationship with God (Gen 2: 17), self (Gen 2: 25), others (Gen 4: 8), the planet (Gen 3: 17 -18) “THE WAY IT IS”

It is what it is… But, it’s not what it should be… can be… and one day will be

N. T. Wright’s four echoes • • The quest for spirituality The hunger for relationships The delight in beauty The longing for justice

What does this have to do with you? What if for everything that is broken in the world, God had prepared people to be part of the solution? What if part of our job in evangelism was to connect their “small story” with God’s bigger story?

Leadership Challenge Everyone senses that things are not the way they are “supposed to be. ” Thinking of the implications of a “thicker gospel, ” how can you explain the good news to a person who believes the main problem of the world is… – Spiritual—People are separated from God – Self-awareness / Self-centeredness – Conflict between people (war, hate, racism, etc) – Exploitation of the planet (global warming, etc) How can you tie their “small story” into God’s bigger story?

To Transform a City Eric Swanson eric@tangogroup. com @ericswanson Sam William swilliams@visionsd. org @willysam 43