The Environment of Kingdom Community

Then Moses said to him, "Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"-Numbers 11:29

Here we see the heart of Moses a Kingdom leader called by God and an accurate representation of the spirit of God. God gave grace to Moses not for his pleasure or to raise up Moses, but in order that the grace would be passed on to His people. This lays out a powerful Kingdom principle and a beautiful picture of the architecture of God. God chose to pour out grace on Moses so that his people might come closer to Him. This places Moses and any Kingdom leader in the position of a steward/manager of God’s grace. The manager will be judged by the fruit he produces that would be the manifestation of the grace in other’s lives.

As well as the individual implications of this verse we have to look at the systemic implications. God designs structures that facilitate the flow of Grace to His people. As we are looking at a Kingdom community we have to keep this in mind. Just as we saw where God poured out His grace on Moses for a specific purpose God has a specific grace placed up on Kingdom Communities for a specific purpose. In order to take advantage of this grace we must have an understanding of what God is trying to accomplish and what are His requirements of us.

Defining Community:

Community

• “A God-placed unique group of people…anchored in a covenantal relationship…centered around a common unity…characterized by shared kingdom life… of accurate fellowship with each other…and submission to God-ordained leadership structure. This is in order that the group, as a community, might be equipped for works of service…and come to maturity in Christ…in order to arrive at the Finish”

God has laid out specific principles and values that constitute a Kingdom culture. As these are formed more accurately in a community then the more effective the community becomes. As each member moves forward and as leadership crafts, the effect is a ramping up of the sharpness of community and the environments ability to create change in an individual.

Principles of Community Culture:

• A high functioning community creates a safe environment. It is important to understand that safest place anyone can be is in the will of God. Therefore the environment should point us and guide us into His will. Incidentally there will be confrontation, correction, and expectations placed upon members of a Kingdom Community (KC), but the heart behind it will be to increase a person’s ability to walk in the will of God for their life.
• Governance and Architecture – God has a specific architectural (Definition: the structure of anything: the architecture of a novel. www.dictionary.com) design or structure in how he designs community life. His architecture is designed to facilitate His grace into His people in the most effective manner possible. Some components of this architecture include rank and calling. (Eph. 4:11-15)
• Members must be called to be a part. Every person within the body of Christ has a place they should call “home” which becomes the primary place for receiving spiritual resource. It is imperative that every member of a KC be called by God to be a part. This falls into the architecture of God in how He builds His people in becoming more Christlike.
• Heart Connectivity – The Kingdom of God is built from the inside out. It begins in the heart and thus a Kingdom community’s foundation is the heart connectivity of its members and its members to its leaders. A correctly tuned Kingdom culture lessens the distance between those called to be a part.

Expectations of members:

"When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD!"-Judges 5:2

In this scripture we see the dual relationship between leaders and those being led. There is responsibility on both sides. As we explored earlier, God pouring His grace out on Moses placed certain responsibilities on him. In the same way if any person is called into a Kingdom community there are certain expectations/requirements in order to partake of God’s grace and architecture.

Heart Positions for members of a Kingdom Community to Foster:

• Engagement - We must engage in the processes of God in our lives. God has called us into a Kingdom Community and we know He has a specific design or architecture that will bring us closer to Him then we must proactively take part in His design.
• Transparency - In order to properly engage in a Kingdom community we must display transparency with our personal processes. This is particularly true in regards to leadership as a lack of transparency in our lives will corrode the architecture of God and hinder the flow of God’s grace into our lives and thus weaken the overall effectiveness of the community.
• Servanthood - Jesus was the ultimate servant and we look to Him in order to model appropriate Kingdom principles. A Kingdom Community must be permeated with a spirit of servanthood from the leadership to the members.
• Carrying your brother - Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” - As each member in a Kingdom Community carries their brother in their hearts or bear’s one another’s burdens it creates an atmosphere where the grace of God can work more effectively in the hearts of all involved.
• Hatred of anything that stands between us and the purposes of God – Jesus drove out the money changers in the temple with a righteous anger. A Kingdom Communities design inspired by God, fostered by accurate leadership, and birthed in the heart of the people forms a culture that tolerates nothing that stands in the way of the purposes of God. This does not mean that every member is perfect but that each member is actively pursuing the purposes of God in their lives.

Conclusion/Summary:

A Kingdom Community is a safe place where someone is called in order to fulfill the will of God for their lives. It creates a context for growth, definition and purpose. A member’s ability to connect at a heart level to the leadership and the processes of membership are vital in order to achieve God’s purposes in their life. As Kingdom people we are bound by community and the processes of others. This reality must be seized by all in order to accomplish God’s purposes for His church.