The Kingdom of God: What Was He Building?
30 min read
The Great Commission is not primarily a program for church growth. It is the call to participate in the expansion of the Kingdom Jesus inaugurated — in every sphere of human life.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." — Matthew 28:18-19
1. The Great Commission begins with authority, not obligation.
Matthew 28:18-20 begins: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." The command to go flows from the declaration of authority. We are not going in our own strength, making the best case we can for a cause that might or might not succeed. We are going as ambassadors of the one who already holds all authority. The mission is from victory, not toward it.
2. "Making disciples" is not the same as "making converts."
The Great Commission commands making disciples, not merely making decisions. A disciple is not someone who has prayed a prayer but someone who is apprenticed to Jesus — learning his way of life, his character, his values, and his mission. Matthew 28:20 adds the content of discipleship: "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." This is not a course on doctrinal beliefs. It is the formation of a whole way of life.
3. The Kingdom extends through every sphere of human life.
Abraham Kuyper famously said: "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'" Kingdom participation is not confined to church programs or evangelistic activities. A teacher who educates with love, justice, and truth is participating in the Kingdom. An architect who designs spaces that honor human dignity is participating in the Kingdom. A parent who raises children in the way of Jesus is participating in the Kingdom. Every vocation is Kingdom territory.
4. The Holy Spirit makes Kingdom participation possible.
Acts 1:8 — "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." The expansion of the Kingdom from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth is not a human achievement. It is what happens when the church is empowered by the Spirit of the risen Jesus. Kingdom participation begins with dependence on the Spirit, not with strategic planning.
5. Every act of Kingdom faithfulness is permanently significant.
1 Corinthians 15:58 — "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." Because the resurrection is the beginning of new creation, the work of Kingdom faithfulness is not lost when this age passes. N.T. Wright suggests that the acts of love, justice, beauty, and truth that are done in the Lord's name will somehow be taken up and transformed in the final renewal of all things. Nothing done in faith is wasted.
Complete after this lesson.
Write a paragraph: what is the relationship between the Great Commission and your current daily life? Where is your "Jerusalem" and who are your "ends of the earth"?
Submit your paragraph and your journal answer about vocation as Kingdom participation.
A: Because the mission flows from Christ's already-accomplished victory — we go from victory, not toward it.
A: A disciple is apprenticed to Jesus' whole way of life, not merely someone who has made a decision.
A: No. Every sphere of human life — work, family, art, education, commerce — is Kingdom territory.
Lord, I am your ambassador — not because I am capable, but because you have given me your authority and your Spirit. Show me today where your Kingdom is calling me to go. Amen.