Who we are should be more important than what we do. By this I mean the essence of who we are, not the position we hold or the influence we exert over others.
It is first about the WHO and then about the WHAT. If Jesus had the authority He says He did, then He would be able to do the works of a King. We are quite limited when it comes to supernatural authority and the ability to reverse the effects of nature. Jesus was not. Investigate the other religions of the world and look for eyewitness testimony to supernatural activity. No one comes close to Jesus the Nazarene. No one.
We spoke a little earlier of the authority of Jesus the Son – King of the earth. The wind and waves obeyed Him. Demons were rebuked by His word. Lepers were cleansed. Those who had lost all hope were healed. And here’s the big one: “Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:49)
It is too easy to mistake the what for the who and miss the real Jesus. His major conflicts were with the religious leaders. These were Jews. They were God’s people. They had been given everything. And yet Jesus excoriates them for their self-centered hypocrisy (Matthew 23). So then, we conclude, that religion is insufficient. We must not live for the what but the Who. Make sense?
This is what first King – then Kingdom – then Church is all about. How will we every be able to define Church if we cannot understand the depths of King and Kingdom?!
Enjoy pages 27-29 of Kingdom: Finding Our True Selves. You can find printed, audio, or electronic versions upper right of the home page.