Weekend, August 19, 2023
The Prevailing Church
Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36 NLT)
The first-century believers were insulted and criticized for what they were doing. In fact, people accused them of treason, suggesting they were advocating for the overthrow of Caesar, which wasn’t the case (see Acts 17:7-8).
This was a complete misunderstanding of what the Christians’ objectives really were. Anyone giving a careful listen to what they were saying would have realized these Christians weren’t seeking to establish an earthly kingdom. Nor were they seeking to overthrow Caesar or Rome.
Today our world still misconstrues what Christians say. People draw erroneous conclusions because they never take time to listen carefully to the gospel message.
Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 NLT).
Rather than reacting blow by blow, the first-century Christians outthought, outprayed and outlived nonbelievers. They preached and proclaimed the message of the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. They were ready to see lives changed.
As a result, they dramatically impacted their world. And in the end, they prevailed. Rome, on the other hand, is no longer a world power. And for the most part, we can’t remember the names of its great emperors.
Throughout history, there have been many attempts to destroy Christianity. But such attempts always will fail for one simple reason: Christianity is Christ. And in the end, Jesus Christ will prevail and establish His kingdom. It also means that because we’re with Him, we, too, will win in the end.
Do you want to turn the world upside down like the first-century believers did? Then start with your world. Seek to live a godly life and share the gospel with those around you.
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