WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?

Maybe we should start with how we’re similar. We love Jesus. We believe in His saving Grace. And we seek to follow His lead as the head of our church. That may, however, be where our similarities with others end and our differences begin.

One big difference may be that we don’t believe that Jesus came to institute a religion. And it is because of this fundamental difference that most of the churches that bear His name have so little relevance to the world around them. Dr. Myles Munroe says, “Where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” And, essentially, that is exactly what we have seen throughout the history of the religion called Christianity.

There is no more destructive thread that runs throughout all of humanity than religion. It causes wars. It requires division. It isolates its followers. It makes leaders controllers. It abuses the purposes of humanity. But above all else, it promises many things that it can not deliver.

Religion promises a culture of love, but how many of you have suffered hurt and rejection at the hands of those representing this love? Religion promises a pathway to peace, yet is has caused more unrest and death than any other concept in all recorded history. Religion promises a life of joy, but how many people do you see enjoying life as a result of religion? Are you?

Religion is doomed to fail in whatever form it takes because it is an incomplete conclusion to a perfect idea. The word religion, in fact, has a Latin origin that means “to bind.” In essence, religion is man’s attempt to put boundaries on a borderless concept. What is that concept, you ask?

In Luke chapter 4 and verse 43, at the beginning of His earthly ministry Jesus said, “I must preach the kingdom of God...because for this purpose I have been sent.” For what purpose was Jesus sent? To proclaim the Kingdom of God. Look around the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and you’ll see Him preaching the gospel of the kingdom everywhere He went. He even found it so important that He took the 40 days after He was resurrected to teach His disciples about it exclusively.

So what is so important about this concept of the Kingdom? And what makes the Kingdom different than religion?

Well, in order to understand what the Kingdom is and why it is so important we must first understand what Adam lost. Most of us have been taught that Adam lost Eden and his connection with God was dead as a result of his disobedience (sin). And even though that is true is it the whole story?

We get clues as to what Adam really lost by what exactly Jesus came to restore. We already read in Luke how Jesus’ stated purpose was to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom. So what exactly did Adam lose? Looking again at the creation account in Genesis we see what God’s intended purpose for mankind actually was.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” -Genesis 1:26-28 (NKJV)

Mankind (both male and female) was created in God’s image and likeness to have dominion over the earth. The word translated dominion in the Hebrew is radah and it means “to rule, to dominate.” The intended purpose of mankind was to take the delegated authority of God and bring the whole earth under His influence and rule by acting as His vice-regents and ambassadors. Dominion is a kingdom word! In fact, the word kingdom is a contraction of king and domain meaning “the territory ruled by a king.” Man’s heart was originally ruled by God in order that he might take the influence of the King and dominate his environment with order instead of chaos.

But because of his rebellion (sin), man lost his connection with God and his spirit no longer remained God’s territory. Now man was ruled by his own mind, will and emotions and subject to the gathering of information through only his physical senses. Man’s purpose remained the same, but now it would be fulfilled in an environment of sorrow.

Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection restored our connection with God so that we might once again act on His behalf to influence our culture for Him and take the territory of people’s hearts and minds with the good news of the Kingdom. To use Jesus’ own words, “Repent (think again, change your mind and actions), for the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived!” Because of Jesus, our connection with the Father (our Source and Creator) has been restored which gives us the power to accomplish our original mission - to have dominion over the earth with the influence, intent, will and purpose of God.

Do you see now why the Kingdom is so much different than religion?

Religion is focused on God’s reign in the future. The Kingdom is focused on Heaven invading earth now.

Religion wants to escape the world. The Kingdom wants to transform it.

Religion seeks to control what you do. The Kingdom empowers you to make your own decisions.

Religion thinks about what God says. The Kingdom obeys what God says.

Religion is focused on salvation. The Kingdom is focused on discipleship.

Religion bases your identity on what you can do for God. The Kingdom bases your identity on who God is in you.

Religion imposes. The Kingdom invites.

Religion seeks to change your behavior. The Kingdom seeks to transform your heart.

Religion helps you establish and maintain a relationship with the church. The Kingdom connects you with your Creator in the context of the church.

Religion isolates itself from the culture that surrounds it. The Kingdom influences the surrounding culture in order to change it.

We think different is good. How about you?

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