Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Kingdom thinking will compel us to embrace our secular communities and in so doing will bring the Kingdom of God to bear in those communities.
Two examples of this: A brother that I know is a contractor-building hotels, commercial buildings, etc. The company that he worked for was owned by Muslims from Pakistan. This brother was exhibiting the Kingdom of God in the work place. He would pray over his job and he let it be known to the Muslim owners who his God was and gave Him the credit for the wisdom given to get the job done.
What was this brother doing? He was embracing the secular world around him – his work place and demonstrating the principles of the Kingdom of God. He was not a preacher or a great orator, but he could build and he gave God the credit.
Satan has broken this world into little kingdoms and through the bars of acceptance and rejection he holds people prisoners in these kingdoms. The Kingdom of God must invade these kingdoms and set the prisoners free.
We read that “the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) When we enter the secular society around us we are bringing into the mix the Kingdom of God.
Another example is when I worked in India with the movement that I am in. When it was time to travel back to the States I went to Calcutta and there found an American commercial ship that was headed to the States. I was able to get a job on the ship and for the next six weeks I was in the midst of another kingdom – a kingdom of sailors.
It was quite an experience to be among these rough men. I decided that I would not preach, but go about my duties. I would get up in the morning and do what I have always been doing: have my quiet time. The only cool place on the ship was the dining room and so I would be there with a cup of coffee and have my time in the Word. These sailors would get up and come in and see me reading the Word. At the time they did not say anything, but later I noticed that there was a change. Some would begin to ridicule me, but others began to seek me out and this gave me a chance to share the Gospel with them that resulted in at least one making a public confession for Christ.
What happened? I was dropped into the midst of a very secular society of merchant seamen and because the Kingdom of God within me – truth and righteousness – was prevalent and invaded that kingdom of the world. However, this is not unique just with me, but is true of every believer. Everyone, young or old, in school or job in the midst of a secular society has the kingdom of God within.
Two things come out here. First, as believers with the kingdom of God within we need to make sure that we are seeking first the kingdom of God in our lives. Secondly, we need to be taught on how to give a response about the hope that is within us when people ask questions. This is where the equipping of the saints comes in.
We need to be training the members of our churches to not only embrace their communities with humility, but how to exhibit the kingdom of God in their midst.