Kingdom & church
The article on Jim Somerville is an interesting one, but it is wrong when it equates the concept of the kingdom of God and the church.
The model for prayer Jesus taught us makes parallel “Thy Kingdom come” with “Thy will be done.” Our job is to introduce people to our Savior so they can turn from their sin, follow God, be baptized and become part of his church. Then we can help them know and follow God’s will. Spreading the kingdom means bringing more people to become part of God’s kingdom. It is not just doing good things for them.
The Bible is clear in Acts that the church in Jerusalem grew dramatically in numbers and took giving seriously. Both are necessary. Our churches are like the old-fashioned desk lamps with a base, a flexible neck, a shade and a bulb. The base had to be large enough so the extension of the light could be effective. There was no use having a base unless it supported the light-giving part. But the light-giving part would not work well unless it had a large base to support it.
We can’t excuse ourselves by saying numbers and money are not biblical or are not important. Both are essential. The most important numbers are of those we win to Christ. Numbers applied to money are important, too, when they enable us to minister.
Bob Lamb
Boiling Springs, N.C.
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