One of the historical problems of church life has been a focus on self-perpetuation and self-preservation. Once a local church is established, all energy seems to drift toward the goal of promoting, building and assuring the future of the particular programs and plans of that church.

Soon, people are serving the programs and plans rather than each other. Pressure is on people to attend for the success of the meeting, to give to keep the church going, to serve so the programs won’t fail, etc. When you need more people to participate in order to pay the bills and justify the existence of the programs, motives get mixed, and joy leaves.

The church is the agent of the kingdom of God. Jesus started His ministry preaching the kingdom of God. He told His disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God. It is only as we see this invisible, spiritual kingdom as the higher vision that sectarianism will be absolved and the spiritual unity of all believers will be enjoyed.

Every local church has the privilege of being an expression of the kingdom of God on earth. It is the presence of the kingdom of God that grants the authority and defeats the works of the devil. The superiority of the kingdom is displayed as sin is overcome with forgiveness, sickness is overwhelmed by healing, demons are cast out with authority, death is victimized by resurrection, division is replaced by reconciliation, and poverty is defeated by the abundance of grace.

When the church taps into this flow of life, it becomes one with everyone who has that flow. Self-preservation is swallowed by the higher call to express the kingdom of God through the very life of Jesus.

With this as a mission and passion, each local assembly, being a living organism, has the freedom to express its particular personality through differing forms of style. Christians don’t all have to be the same any more than other people all have to be the same. When our God creates, He does it with individuality and unity. We are one with every other true expression of the kingdom of God, yet we are free to hear the King ourselves. We do not have to be alike to be one with each other.

Matthew 4:17, 23-24                             Romans 14:17-19

Matthew 13 (parables of the kingdom)     I Corinthians 4:17-20

Matthew 16:13-19                                 Colossians 1:12-18