The day that Jesus, as a young Jewish Rabbi, climbed the hill above Galilee, the world little knew it faced a moment of historic change. In that brief period, the congregation seated on rocks and grass was the first to hear His “Gospel Of The Kingdom”--the message by which He single-handily challenged world religion and philosophical thinking. Within a few decades that gospel had “turned the world upside down.” Acts 17:6. Beginning with the nation of Israel, which was thrown into immediate panic, to Rome, whose world-domination ended and its’ slavery system abolished, Jesus’ “Gospel of the Kingdom” brought cataclysmic change. Two thousand years later that gospel is challenging the very church which it established in the beginning.

Jesus’ gospel is specific, exactly identified in New Testament doctrine, is not vague, and has the same character, nature, and disposition, as the Kingdom from which it proceeds. It is a commissioned, ambassadorial representation of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As such, the “Gospel of the Kingdom” is permanent, secure, and unchanging. In the purpose of God, it is this same gospel, unabridged and exact from the first century, which we must preach today. We dare not--through excuse-making to justify our failures or theological maneuvering to hide our ignorance--suppose we can alter that gospel or separate it from the Kingdom. To do so isolates us from Kingdom-power and produces an imitation, inefficient gospel. Much of current Christianity is bereft of the Holy Spirit’s “signs and wonders” Jesus promised and in their place has substituted an alluring--but soulish--imitation. The greatest problem in the North American Church is its creation of this “denominationalized” gospel which has been re-designed to accommodate dozens of public opinions. In many cases, truth that does not fit local preference is carefully disqualified: I Corinthians 11 is valid, 12 is not, 13 is valid, 14 is not., 15 is valid ..., and so the emasculation of the Word continues. The result is a “church” gospel with which denominational hierarchies are comfortable--the “Kingdom” gospel has been subtly replaced.

Thankfully, this is not true in other parts of the world--and explains why their gospel is “turning the world upside-down.” Acts 17:6. In the past century, primarily as a result of full-gospel preaching, more than 100,000,000 believers in Latin America have come to Christ. In China the statistics are more amazing. Africa is ablaze.

The Gospel Of The Kingdom

A. Matthew 4:23-25. “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.”

B. Matthew 24:14-15. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

Jesus spoke of The Kingdom 130 times in the New Testament, in most cases emphasizing a different aspect of the Kingdom’s purpose and meaning. In its widest scope, the Kingdom is the rule of God by which He governs every aspect of the Universe. That rule directs the spiritual and physical realms of Creation. Nothing is exempt from its power. Not even Hell, Satan, demons, or angels, are beyond the reach and dominion of His Kingdom’s reign. In its lessor scope, the Kingdom is the rule of God in which He extends spiritual authority to believers to rule and reign with Him. In this capacity it is possible for one to be near the Kingdom but not in it, to be an heir of it but not possess it. Most tragically of all, it is possible for one to read about it in Scripture but not believe it. In a progressive revelation, the extent of the Kingdom opens to us like pages in a great book. We may stop reading at page one or we may proceed beyond page 10,000. Our concepts can stop at the level of tree tops above our heads or we may go light-years beyond the most remote galaxy in outer space. The extent of the Kingdom is as inexhaustible as God Himself.

The gospel of the Kingdom is a reflection of this greatness and therefore is much, much more than presentation of Bible facts. It is the vocal, audible, declaration of Jesus’ universal atonement, accompanied by the Holy Spirit’s anointing, which draws into one message all the spiritual and physical benefits of Kingdom power.

In varying ways, this Kingdom-gospel is confirmed with “signs following”. Through it, the Spirit and the Bride simultaneously say “come.” In the intent of God, this is the only gospel; ageless, unchanged, eternally the same. Any lesser gospel is insubordination to the Kingdom. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower redeemed men and women with Kingdom authority to preach that gospel with all its original, miraculous manifestations. The gospel of the Kingdom is not intended for the hearer’s outer ear only but for the inner ear of his heart; its target is not merely to change his thinking but to prepare his total nature--body, soul, and spirit--into Kingdom of God citizenship.

Therefore, the authentic gospel is an extension of Kingdom authority through the human voice. When Peter preached to the household of Cornelius, “The Holy Spirit fell on all them who heard the word,” Acts 10:44-45. Today, as then, the empowered gospel can invade the physical realm, reconnect it to the spiritual by changing natural circumstances into supernatural manifestations. Peter’s presence as a messenger of the Kingdom was essential but the man himself was not the source of power--it was the Holy Spirit’s anointing upon him. Then, as now, the Holy Spirit anoints preaching that honors Jesus. “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit ...” 1 Thessalonians 1:5. Paul further explained, “Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Romans 15:19-20. Today, Peter and Paul are long-gone but the Holy Spirit is still here.

Our understanding the spiritual nature of the gospel is not achieved by human wisdom. Fundamental truth comes by God’s revelation. We are to “study to show ourselves approved unto God,” II Timothy 2:15, but Paul goes on to explain, “I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:11-13. Seminaries, Bible Schools, are important, but their efforts are in vain if the student does not receive his own personal anointing with the Holy Spirit. Personal anointing was necessary even for Jesus: He “came to Nazareth ... And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel ... ” Luke 4:16-20. Both with Christ or us, kingdom-preaching is inseparably connected to anointing. The words “Christ” and “Christian”--from the Greek word chrios--are designations of anointing.

Information about the gospel may be learned academically but the actual ministry of the gospel can be experienced only by the Holy Spirit. The difference between preaching and lecturing is the presence or absence of the anointing. Paul explained, “Our sufficiency is of God who has made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” II Corinthians 3:5-7. Apart from the Holy Spirit even the “letter” of the New Testament becomes destructive. The holy anointing which speaks through the preached Word is able to destroy evil, bring light into darkness, pull down demonic strongholds, transform fallen humanity into Christ’s divine nature, and bring men to salvation. The proof of the gospel is the “mighty signs and wonders” which accompany it. Where there are no “signs” there is no full gospel. The point is this: Bible literature remains only that until the voice of the Holy Spirit speaks through it. Fully presented, the gospel produces the same results today as it did in the first century.

Jesus said to the first disciples, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus was emphatic. His instruction, “teach them all things,” referring specifically to the church at the “end of the age” is unmistakably clear. He expected the 21st century church is to be taught precisely what He taught the first century church. There is no change!

A century ago, Charles Spurgeon shouted his warning to the church: “Death and condemnation to a church that is not yearning after the Spirit, crying and groaning until the Spirit has wrought mightily in her midst. He is here! He has never gone back since He descended at Pentecost ... Brethren, if we do not have the Spirit of God, it were better to shut the churches, nail up the doors, put on a black cross and say, ‘God have mercy on us!’ If you ministers have not the Spirit of God, you better not preach and you people had better stay at home. I think I speak not too strong when I say that a church without the Spirit of God is rather a curse than a blessing. This is the solemn word: ‘The Holy Spirit or nothing ... and worse than nothing!’”

Question: Why do those supporting the “cessation” theory claim God removed the Holy Spirit’s power from the gospel?

Answer: To justify the absence of miracles and acquit itself of failure, the modern church has blamed God for the power’s disappearance. But hear what Paul said about such a change: “I marvel that you are so soon removed from him who called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some who trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-10. How could language possibly be more plain? I know not! Quoting Paul, may I say that any “gospel” which claims to be different from the original is a “perverted” gospel. Scripture severely warns against our preaching “another gospel.” In the sight of God there is only one, the original gospel endorsed by and in tribute to His Son.

Question: Why are we not experiencing “first century” power in our day? I can give you a one-word answer: Unbelief. The power is absent because the masses of Christianity have replaced faith in Bible truth with doctrines of denial. Jesus established one church for all time; there is no such thing as an “apostolic” and “post-apostolic” gospel with different teachings, different powers, and different expectations. As Jesus is “the same yesterday, today, and forever,” so His gospel is as unchanging as Himself. Hebrews 13:8. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Ephesians 4:5. But new winds are blowing! Millions of believers are returning to faith in the full gospel message. Out of a world-wide population of two billion, more than 500,000,000 Christians now acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s gifts and power. I not only believe in Kingdom-power but I am seeing it happen to many, many congregations.

Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14-15. The Bible’s final word of warning about changing the gospel comes from Jesus. He said: “For I testify unto every man who hears the words of the prophecy of this book ... if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He who testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:16-20.

2 Peter 1:10-12. “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” ___

A WARNING ABOUT ABUSIVE CHURCH-AUTHORITY.

How does a Pastor and Presbytery of Elders exercise genuine Biblical authority without becoming carnal and controlling? First of all, those who function in church government must realize that God's authority in the church is twofold: 1) Scriptural, and 2) Spiritual. These two aspects are not options. They are mandatory. Decisions must be supported by Scripture and directed by the Holy Spirit. One without the other is dangerous. Soldiers do not fire their guns simply because the manual has told them how. They fire when directed by their Commanding Officer. Identically, church leaders must know their manual–the Bible--and proceed under the explicit instructions of their Commander, the Holy Spirit.

Are Pastors and Elders still answerable to each other? Absolutely. This balance of power must operate in the church even though the Pastor holds a position above the others. Granted, this is a difficult position to expedite, but it can be facilitated this way: The Pastor should be in submission to the Elders as a body even though they individually are in submission to him. Know this, God never gives uncontrolled power to anyone, Pastor, Elders, or congregation. Also know that no system is infallible.

How can we achieve the proper balance in church authority? Those who minister to the congregation in teaching, music, counseling, secretarial work, and other ministerial functions, must first be in submission to the leadership God has placed over them. Disunity in any capacity, even if carefully hidden, still produces spiritual schism and disrupts the work of the Holy Spirit. Hear this carefully:

Submission can never be demanded by leadership; 1. It must be earned by those in leadership, growing out of love, respect, and trust, which the congregation has for them. 2. It must be voluntary on the part of the believer.

To accomplish this, the Elders must be submissive, passive before God, receiving instructions from Him about their ministry. Only when this servitude-relationship exists between them and God can they become active before the congregation. It is essential that you grasp this truth. God will not allow any leader to hold an active role in congregational leadership until he has genuinely submitted himself passively before the Lord. Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, and others are primary examples of this rule. Those who attempt to by-pass God's pattern are in rebellion and are disqualified to minister. Egotism eliminates any man or woman from leadership. Simply stated, in the spiritual operation of authority, the pastor must be in a totally yielded state to God before he assumes authority among the people.

How is a congregation to protect itself from wrongly-implemented authority? How was it done in the new Testament day? The Apostle Paul continually pleaded with the churches to pray for him. He knew the dangers of misdirected authority in himself and other leaders; the church therefore bears the responsibility to protect itself by praying for the leaders. The church which prays for its leaders instead of criticizing them, is the only church that is safe. Any leader who feels he has no need of such prayer is an impostor.

What about "congregational" authority? Aren't people more secure if everyone equally votes on issues facing the church? First of all, that practice is not found in the New Testament. It was inconceivable in Paul's day that someone could join the church today and tomorrow "vote" to dismiss the pastor. In more than fifty-five years of preaching I have observed that the very people who demand congregational government are the same ones who are first to abuse it. God never intended that church leaders be appointed by popularity contests. The worst disasters I have seen churches experience came from such carnal practices. The Apostle John describes this scene when Diotrephes, "who loved to have preeminence", led rebellion against the Apostles, III John 9,10.

The bottom line is this: We cannot improve upon God's method of Biblical government. Rebelliousness is never an acceptable substitute for Godly leadership. Pray for your leadership. If they are Godly, support them. If they are not, leave them. But also know this if they are genuine and sincere, and you attack and renounce them, it is your sin--not their's--for which you are accountable. Read your Bible. Follow the Lord. Don't be led astray by Lone Rangers. Pray for the church. Above all else, remember that the Holy Spirit never creates tyrants in the pulpit--or rebels in the pew. _ CC

WISDOM FOR OUR DAY

In the late 1800's G. Campbell Morgan became pastor of Westminster Chapel in London and witnessed the historic Welsh Revival. While he was a strong doctrinal advocate for the sovereignty of God, Dr. Morgan also hungered for the power of God. Read prayerfully--and carefully what he said:

“I want God’s next new thing. If a man is praying for an old-fashioned revival, in all probability when God’s visitation comes he will not be conscious of it. Men remembering the marvelous movement under Charles Finney might have prayed for an old-fashioned revival such as that which accompanied his preaching. It is more likely that when God raised up Dwight C. Moody such men would be out of sympathy with all his methods for a long while, for the two movements were quite different. God fulfills Himself in many ways. We ought to be so living that when God begins His great triumphant march we shall fall in with the first battalion and have part in the first victories.”

WISDOM FOR OUR DAY: In the late 1800's G. Campbell Morgan became pastor of Westminster Chapel in London and witnessed the historic Welsh Revival. While he was a strong doctrinal advocate for the sovereignty of God, Dr. Morgan also hungered for the power of God. Read prayerfully--and carefully what he said:

“I want God’s next new thing. If a man is praying for an old-fashioned revival, in all probability when God’s visitation comes he will not be conscious of it. Men remembering the marvelous movement under Charles Finney might have prayed for an old-fashioned revival such as that which accompanied his preaching. It is more likely that when God raised up Dwight C. Moody such men would be out of sympathy with all his methods for a long while, for the two movements were quite different. God fulfills Himself in many ways. We ought to be so living that when God begins His great triumphant march we shall fall in with the first battalion and have part in the first victories.”