AMBASSADORS OF THE KINGDOM Jerry D. Porter INTERMOUNTAIN DISTRICT ASSEMBLY CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Nampa, ID – May 2, 2013

MISSION To make Christlike disciples in the nations. VISION Transforming people, communities, and nations. VALUES Christian Holiness Missional

MISSION To make Christlike disciples in the nations. VISION Transforming people, communities, and nations. VALUES Christian Holiness Missional

The Kingdom of God was the central message of Jesus. He refered to “The kingdom of God” or its equivalent one hundred times. The Kingdom of God

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. (Mat. 4:23) Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. (Luke 8:1) The Kingdom of God

Heaven? My personal spiritual life? The institutional church? A denomination? Compassion, social reform, and Biblical justice? The future reign of Jesus on the earth? The Kingdom of God is…

More than all of these… The Kingdom of God is the God’s reign incarnated in Christ to redeem to world. The Kingdom of God has already come … and it is yet to come. The Kingdom of God is…

“God’s Kingdom was present in Jesus and demonstrated in His every word and deed. From start to finish, Jesus’ life and ministry was the expression of God’s mighty rule that had broken into history to deliver the creation and its human inhabitants from the curse of sin and death. He was, as ancient church theologians believed, the Autobasileia, Himself the Kingdom!” David Naugle

Jesus is the Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God is Jesus Jesus incarnated The Kingdom

Jesus offers us the Kingdom! Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. (Mat. 25:34) We are finally “home” when we embrace the Kingdom of God. The Unshakable Kingdom of God

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Heb. 12:28-29) The Unshakable Kingdom of God

All the kingdoms of our life are shakable. Not so the Unshakable Kingdom of God! “Discover the Kingdom, surrender to the Kingdom, make the Kingdom your life loyalty.” (E.S. Jones p. 19) The Unshakable Kingdom of God

You and I have the same Father and together we pray, “Your Kingdom come!” We pledge allegiance to the same King of kings: Jesus. We enjoy the same privileges as citizens of the Kingdom of God. The Unshakable Kingdom of God

Jesus gave the Twelve power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to pro-claim the kingdom of God. Lk 9:1-2 We are to proclaim the Kingdom of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. Ambassadors of the Kingdom

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then they … asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:4-6) Ambassadors of the Kingdom

He said to them: It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:7-8) Ambassadors of the Kingdom

We must experience our personal Pentecost Our hearts are purified by faith We receive Holy Spirit power to witness We become Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God!

You are the salt of the earth… the light of the world. (Mat. 5:13-14) What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a wo- man took and mixed into about six- ty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough. (Luke 13:20-21) YOU ARE THE YEAST OF THE WORLD! Ambassadors of The Kingdom

PRIORITIES Meaningful worship Theological coherence Passionate evangelism Intentional discipleship Church development Transformational leadership Purposeful compassion

PRIORITIES Meaningful worship Theological coherence Passionate evangelism Intentional discipleship Church development Transformational leadership Purposeful compassion

Jesus looked at him and loved him… Sell everything you have and give to the poor… Then come, follow me. At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus said… How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! (Mark 10:21-23) Ambassadors of the Kingdom PURPOSEFUL COMPASSION

Our Wesley and Bresee heritage compels us to minister to, embrace, and defend the poor, the weak, and the marginalized. Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. (Hebrews 1:8) Ambassadors of the Kingdom PURPOSEFUL COMPASSION

REPENT AND BELIEVE Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’ (Mark 1:14-15) Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM

BECOME LIKE CHILDREN Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mat. 18:3) Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM

BECOME LIKE CHILDREN The Kingdom of God is given to the humble.

BE BORN AGAIN Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. (John 3:3) 11.7 million have professed faith in Christ through the Church of the Nazarene Jesus Film ministry during the last 25 years. Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM

Global population: Jesus birth – 200 million 1804 – 1 billion 1960 – 3 billion 1987 – 5 billion 2012 – 7 billion Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM

On average, our global Nazarene family has doubled in size every 15 years. Over 2 million Nazarenes 28,000 congregations 161 world areas Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM

At our present rate of growth, the Church of the Nazarene: – will be 10 million by Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM

Nazarene ratio to population 19101: 100, : 11, : 6, : 3, : 900 Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM

How do 2 million become 10 million? If each Nazarene would win ONE person to Christ and the church every 3 years, we would be 10 million by 2020! Ambassadors of the Kingdom PASSIONATE EVANGELISM