Updated on 7/15/15

Kingdom Principle: Knowing God’s Purpose gives us our Purpose.

God’s purpose is established through His Covenant and His Kingdom because of His Character.

2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

The Kingdom of God is both spiritual and physical, it is both now and yet to come, it is both in you and beyond you, and it is together the rule and the reign of God.  Following the Principles of the Kingdom will establish you as a leader in this world. Principles of the Kingdom are determining characteristics which yield the fundamental direction for all those under the rule and reign of the King.

The rule of God is the expression of God’s sovereignty over all things, the reign of God is the expression of God’s shalom in all things…. His reign reaches to everywhere and from under his rule no one can escape. Throughout the Bible we find God’s rule as the establishment of his Covenant relationship with his People. It is not based on their faithfulness, rather rooted in His. Again in all of Scripture we find God’s reign in the establishment of his Kingdom over and against the world.  I see the Purpose of God being laid out like railroad track. One rail is His Kingdom, the other is His Covenant. ( A great book on the theme’s of Covenant and Kingdom is by Mike Breen with 3dm.) They are “tied” together by the characteristics of God which are communicated to us and do not change – his Grace, Love, Righteousness, Judgment, Beauty, Mercy  etc…. Thus the rule and reign of God move us down a path to discovering our purpose which is our destiny. Does that mean we all share the same purpose – yes and no….  the “yes” for all of us is that our purpose is coming to know the rule and reign of God, discovering the true comfort of belonging to the Great King of Kings.   This is expressed in obedience of our worship and service  to Christ as an act of love, overflowing  with Thanksgiving and Compassion to love the world as we have been loved. The “no” is that God has uniquely designed and gifted each of His Children with a calling and destiny for which only that person is purposed.  (last week we touched on the “no” side of this purpose – meaning we each have a unique imprint of God which gives us a personal God given purpose.)

God has called His People to be his own, we first learn this Exodus 6 as God is revealing himself to Moses, then later in Ezekiel 34; God shares to “his” people that they have been like wandering sheep without a shepherd.  This passage declares God’s Sovereignty and that He will be their shepherd protecting and providing them.  This Covenant of God is being renewed even after they have turned away again and again. Further in this passage God establishes that He will establish a pasture or land for the flock to be find peace, and over this land He will appoint a leader to reign over them.  (verse 24 points out that David is this leader).

Another lens for this same repeating reality of the expression of the Kingdom is that of Authority and Power – Authority is to Covenant via relationship as Power is to Kingdom via revelation. Here we see how we move in the world as leaders; Authority and Power are the rails leading us on our way and our Character is the “tie” that hold the two together…

In all of the passages this week – we find movement and mobility. It is not the tracks themselves that are purpose; it is for the purpose of movement that the tracks are established.  We cannot find our purpose either on a personal level or in general without movement. In the Gospel of Mark over the last few weeks – (chapters 3-6 read it quickly) count movements of the disciples with Jesus. In Ephesians we see the same metaphoric movement in being brought near from a far off through the Blood of Christ. Next week we will read the passage of David’s sin and we find the one of the roots of this sin, is his choice not to be in movement with his warriors in battle. We are called to be mission… not on a mission, but to be mission.

1. Do you desire/see the Peace of Christ reigning in your life? (Kingdom)
2. Do you desire/see the Sovereignty of God ruling in your life? (Covenant)
3. Do you desire/see the Movement of the Holy Spirit as the guide in your life? (Mission)

1. Where the Peace of Christ reigns in your life your power will be revered.
2. Where the Sovereignty of God rules in your life your authority will be realized.
3. Where the Movement of the Holy Spirit guides your life your Character will be refined.