Sharing in the Kingdom: 14th June

God wants us to be part of the work of the Kingdom: John 4:34-38
Q: What is Jesus saying about the Kingdom of God here?
Think about the various roles that might be involved in the harvest: think about what the harvest actually is – Do we see ourselves as partners with God in the bringing in of the Kingdom? Are we aware of the privilege it is for us to be used by God at all?

If we are sharing with God in the bringing in of the Kingdom what does that tell us about our relationship with Him?

Read John 15:9-14
Q: What two relationships does this short passage talk about?
To share in the Kingdom of God means to understand how God relates to us in love, and the implications that has for those who equally relate to God. How do we remain in God’s love? What does that mean for us in our relationships with each other?

The challenge is to have the right sort of relationships with each other, so that our relationship with God is right.

Read Acts 2: 42 -47
Q: What key activities do the new Kingdom members undertake together?

• They are taught together
• They had fellowship together – unpack what that means
• They ate together
• They prayed together
• They had everything ‘in common’ – unpack what that means for today
• They met together every day.
• Think about how these activities are appropriate for today’s church – for us, and whether or not we share enough as members of God’s Kingdom.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Q: What can get in the way of really sharing in God’s Kingdom?
If we look at what is expected in love, we find out what can go wrong :

• We should not be impatient with each other – unpack this
• We should not be unkind about each other – unpack this
• We shouldn’t envy each other
• We shouldn’t see ourselves as better than each other (proud & boastful)
• We shouldn’t be horrible (rude) about each other
• We shouldn’t seek what is best for us first
• We shouldn’t lose our temper with each other
• We should forgive and forget

There are other things there. Leave some times to meditate on the word ‘should’. Often that is a duty word – but for Christians the attitudes in the passage are given through the Holy Spirit – Are we allowing Him to change us?

Read Hebrews 10:22-23 as a promise of what God can do in our lives.