Converge Bible Studies: Kingdom Building

By Grace Biskie

Since New Testament times, the kingdom of God has presented a paradox for believers. Although it’s both here and at hand, it’s also not quite here in all its fullness. That’s where we come in. In Kingdom Building, Grace Biskie offers insight into how Christians can collaborate with the Creator of the universe and bring this Kingdom into the here and now. We do this in community with other believers; and we start with the poor, our enemies, and those we despise. Building the kingdom of God isn’t easy. Sometimes it happens inch by inch. Sometimes it makes us uncomfortable. But few things are more satisfying for a Christian than being involved in God’s plan for changing the world, and it starts in our world. Because whether we know it or not, we’re all longing for God’s kingdom to be here entirely. And when that happens, God will make all things new.

Converge Bible Studies is a series of topical Bible studies. Each title in the series consists of four studies on a common topic or theme. Converge can be used by small groups, classes, or individuals. Primary Scripture passages from the Common English Bible are included for ease of study, as are questions designed to encourage both personal reflection and group conversation. The topics and Scriptures in Converge come together to transform readers’ relationships with others, themselves, and God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abingdon Press
• Release date: Jul 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781426771699

Grace Biskie

Grace Sandra is a lioness-hearted, big-dreaming, Jesus-following, abuse-surviving boy-Mama. Grace blogs, writes and serves as a community activist, speaker & advocate. She's the author of two Converge Bible Studies: Kingdom Building & The Cries of the Poor. Grace is working on a full-length memoir, Detroit's Daughter. You can find her at www.GraceSandra.com, tweeting at: @Grace_Sandra_ & posting natural hair selfies aplenty on Instagram: @Grace_Sandra_ under her favorite hashtag: #BigHairDontCare

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

I once saw a skit at a Christian conference where two college-age dudes were bantering about the kingdom of God—when it will be here fully, what that will look like, and so on. The humor element of the presentation was reminiscent of Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Puzzled, one of them asked, In the kingdom of God there will be, like, no crying? and In the kingdom of God there will be, like, no one killing anyone else and no dangerous surfing wipe outs?

The skit went on for too long to be funny, but the point was made. They captured the absolute serenity of what the kingdom of God will be in its fullness. This kingdom of God, which is here-but-not-yet-fully, is in somewhat of a limbo. The Kingdom itself is in remnant form, much like the Israelites of the Old Testament.

Silly as it was, that little skit opened my eyes to the kingdom of God in ways I hadn’t understood before. I had never put two and two together to recognize the present-day glimpses of the Kingdom we now see. I’d known that true Jesus followers are the salt of the earth, offering up our best attempts at preservation; but I’d yet to consider how that preservation contributed to the kingdom of God expanding in the here and now.

When starving communities are fed, or the Gospel moves farther with a people group who has never heard it, that’s the kingdom of God pushing forward inch by inch. And it’s amazing yet not newsworthy. CNN.com has no need to publish an article about five African-American athletes who came to know the Lord through a Bible study at a Big 10 University last year, but the celebration in heaven? Unrivaled. The kingdom of God lives, breathes, and grows like a bamboo shoot, so much of that growth unbeknownst to others.

As I look at Scripture, I see several glimpses of this here-but-not-yet-fully Kingdom right alongside the longing for it, which is so prevalent in the New Testament. Israel longed for a king, then they longed for Jesus. Jesus longed for the Kingdom. Some longed for Jesus to live, some longed for him to die, and many longed for his glorious resurrection. The earth longs for restoration. The hungry long for food. Us believers? We long for justice. This great processional of longing has been going on since the dawn of humanity. And we all long for Jesus’ return. Whether we know it or not, we are all longing for God’s kingdom to be here entirely. Because when it is here entirely, God will make all things new. The most empowering angle of that conference skit was the ending. The young men got up and decided to go about God’s business of bringing the Kingdom to their own sphere of influence. Some people want to throw their hands up and wait for God to do all of the work; but some of you, like me, want to actually join God in ushering that Kingdom in. We want to get our hands dirty—with gunk under our fingernails—as we run the race set before us doing Kingdom business.

It was empowering for me to realize that I had a role of a Kingdom builder. As someone who always longs to be a part of something big, exciting, and flashy, I realized that I already was. Can we take a second