Reflections on the Kingdom

Last week, I was asked to fill the pulpit at our church in Dellroy. Even though I've done messages for youth groups and such, this was the first time I've ever done a sermon at a "grown up" church. The work and prep was pretty much the same, but some how it was different - it was more weighty. Anyway, I spoke on the Kingdom of God - what does it mean? What difference does it make for our lives? It was a good experience.

One of the sources that I used was George Eldon Ladd's The Gospel of the Kingdom, which is classic on Kingdom theology (and a great book to boot). Here's a great quote:

The Kingdom of God is a miracle. It is the act of God. It is supernatural. Men cannot build the Kingdom, they cannot erect it. The Kingdom is the Kingdom of God; it is God's reign, God's rule. God has entrusted the Gospel of the Kingdom to men. It is our responsibility to proclaim the Good News about the Kingdom. But the actual work of the Kingdom is God's working. The fruitage is produced not by human effort or skill but by the life of the Kingdom itself. It is God's deed.