Embracing Our Role in God's Kingdom

 

Summary

The kingdom of God is the realm where God's effective will is realized, where what God desires is accomplished. When we pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," we are asking for God's will to be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. However, God has not imposed His will in a way that overrides our own. Instead, He has entrusted each of us with a domain—a kingdom or queendom—where we have the authority to exercise our will. This is not only a privilege but also a responsibility, as it reflects God's appointment and His great plans for each of us.

Our journey begins with our bodies, the primary place of our kingdom. As we grow, we learn to master our bodies, which is essential for our spiritual life. The body is central to our existence and is meant to extend beyond itself, integrating the natural and spiritual worlds. Human beings, through their abilities and learning, can achieve incredible feats, demonstrating the potential of our God-given dominion.

Genesis 1:26 reminds us of our role as creative beings under God, tasked with stewardship over creation. Our souls long for this creative expression, which is evident in technological progress and our natural inclination to care for the world. For instance, when killer whales were trapped in an ice floe, the human response was to rescue them, showcasing our innate drive to protect and manage the earth.

This responsibility is not just about dominion over animals or nature but extends to all aspects of life. We are called to be in charge, to nurture, and to bring about God's will in our spheres of influence. This is the essence of living in the kingdom of God—aligning our will with His and participating in His creative and redemptive work on earth.

Key Takeaways:

1. The kingdom of God is where God's will is effectively realized, and we are invited to participate in this by aligning our will with His. This alignment is a conscious choice, reflecting our responsibility to steward the domain God has entrusted to us. [00:28]

2. Our bodies are the primary place of our kingdom, and mastering them is crucial for spiritual growth. This mastery allows us to extend our influence and integrate the natural and spiritual realms, fulfilling our God-given potential. [02:35]

3. Genesis 1:26 highlights our role as creative beings under God, tasked with stewardship over creation. This responsibility is a reflection of our soul's hunger for creative expression and our innate drive to care for the world. [04:27]

4. Human beings have the ability to achieve incredible feats, demonstrating the potential of our God-given dominion. This potential is realized when we align our actions with God's will, participating in His creative and redemptive work. [03:16]

5. Our responsibility extends beyond dominion over nature to all aspects of life, where we are called to nurture and bring about God's will. This is the essence of living in the kingdom of God—participating in His work on earth. [04:49]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - Understanding the Kingdom of God
[00:49] - God's Will and Our Domain
[01:28] - Personal Kingdoms and Queendoms
[02:09] - Mastery of the Body
[02:35] - The Body's Role in Spiritual Life
[02:57] - Extending Our Influence
[03:16] - Human Potential and Dominion
[03:36] - Genesis 1:26 and Our Creative Role
[04:02] - Stewardship Over Creation
[04:27] - Creative Expression and Responsibility
[04:49] - Participating in God's Work

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 1:26 - "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

#### Observation Questions
1. According to the sermon, what is the kingdom of God, and how is it related to God's will? [00:28]
2. How does the sermon describe the role of our bodies in relation to our personal kingdoms? [02:35]
3. What example from the sermon illustrates human beings' potential to achieve incredible feats? [03:16]
4. How does Genesis 1:26 relate to our responsibility as stewards of creation according to the sermon? [04:27]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to align our will with God's will in the context of the kingdom of God? How might this look in everyday life? [00:49]
2. How does the mastery of our bodies contribute to our spiritual growth and influence in the world? [02:57]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our creative expression is a reflection of our soul's hunger? [04:27]
4. How does the sermon interpret the human response to the trapped killer whales as an example of our role in God's creation? [04:49]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your personal "kingdom" or "queendom." How are you currently exercising your will in a way that aligns with God's will? [01:28]
2. What steps can you take to better master your body as a means of spiritual growth and extending your influence? [02:35]
3. Consider a recent situation where you had the opportunity to demonstrate stewardship over creation. How did you respond, and what might you do differently next time? [04:02]
4. Identify an area in your life where you feel called to participate in God's creative and redemptive work. What practical steps can you take to engage in this work? [04:49]
5. Think about a time when you witnessed or participated in an incredible human achievement. How did this experience reflect the potential of our God-given dominion? [03:16]
6. How can you nurture your innate drive to care for the world in your daily life, and what specific actions can you take to fulfill this responsibility? [04:27]
7. In what ways can you encourage others in your community to align their will with God's and participate in His work on earth? [00:28]

Devotional

Day 1: Aligning Our Will with God's Will
The kingdom of God is the realm where God's effective will is realized, and we are invited to participate in this by aligning our will with His. This alignment is a conscious choice, reflecting our responsibility to steward the domain God has entrusted to us. When we pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," we are asking for God's will to be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. However, God has not imposed His will in a way that overrides our own. Instead, He has entrusted each of us with a domain—a kingdom or queendom—where we have the authority to exercise our will. This is not only a privilege but also a responsibility, as it reflects God's appointment and His great plans for each of us. [00:28]

Matthew 6:10 (ESV): "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

Reflection: What specific area of your life do you need to align more closely with God's will today? How can you take a step towards that alignment?


Day 2: Mastery of the Body for Spiritual Growth
Our bodies are the primary place of our kingdom, and mastering them is crucial for spiritual growth. This mastery allows us to extend our influence and integrate the natural and spiritual realms, fulfilling our God-given potential. The journey begins with our bodies, the primary place of our kingdom. As we grow, we learn to master our bodies, which is essential for our spiritual life. The body is central to our existence and is meant to extend beyond itself, integrating the natural and spiritual worlds. Human beings, through their abilities and learning, can achieve incredible feats, demonstrating the potential of our God-given dominion. [02:35]

1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV): "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

Reflection: In what ways can you practice better discipline over your body to enhance your spiritual growth this week?


Day 3: Creative Stewardship of Creation
Genesis 1:26 highlights our role as creative beings under God, tasked with stewardship over creation. This responsibility is a reflection of our soul's hunger for creative expression and our innate drive to care for the world. Our souls long for this creative expression, which is evident in technological progress and our natural inclination to care for the world. For instance, when killer whales were trapped in an ice floe, the human response was to rescue them, showcasing our innate drive to protect and manage the earth. [04:27]

Psalm 8:6-8 (ESV): "You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas."

Reflection: How can you creatively express your stewardship over a specific aspect of creation in your daily life?


Day 4: Realizing Human Potential through God's Will
Human beings have the ability to achieve incredible feats, demonstrating the potential of our God-given dominion. This potential is realized when we align our actions with God's will, participating in His creative and redemptive work. Our journey begins with our bodies, the primary place of our kingdom. As we grow, we learn to master our bodies, which is essential for our spiritual life. The body is central to our existence and is meant to extend beyond itself, integrating the natural and spiritual worlds. [03:16]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: What is one God-given potential you have yet to fully realize, and how can you begin to align it with God's will today?


Day 5: Nurturing All Aspects of Life
Our responsibility extends beyond dominion over nature to all aspects of life, where we are called to nurture and bring about God's will. This is the essence of living in the kingdom of God—participating in His work on earth. We are called to be in charge, to nurture, and to bring about God's will in our spheres of influence. This responsibility is not just about dominion over animals or nature but extends to all aspects of life. [04:49]

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you can nurture and bring about God's will more effectively. What practical steps can you take to do this today?

Quotes


so let's take a little time to just work on that what is the kingdom of God it is the range of God's effective will it's where what God wants done is done much the kingdom of God when you pray thy kingdom come thy will be done that's what you're praying for you're praying for God's effective will what God wants done is done [00:00:12]

he has given you a kingdom or in your case to queendom that's good too and he expects you to have a domain where you have your way that's not bad that's good let's move I would you just take this up here start looking through it rummaging around saying I wonder what's in there how are you feeling right now this is her queendom okay she has a right to say what goes on here [00:01:00]

now every person is like that and that's God's appointment that's why you worth dying for and he has great plans for each one of us and we get born and we come into the world and have this little thing called a body and that's our first challenge because when we get here our effective will is worth very little and our first task is to grow with our body [00:01:46]

your body is the primary place of your kingdom and if you didn't have a body you couldn't even use a credit card your body is the primary place of your kingdom and that's good that's as it was meant to be and maybe we'll talk more about body depending on how things go but this is the body is absolutely central to the spiritual life absolutely central [00:02:42]

but it is meant among other things to extend and this is a part of the natural world as well as the spiritual world but the natural world is meant to be under the spiritual world well just human beings on their own because of what they're able to do and learn and extend their body can do incredible things we get used to them today but they're incredible things [00:03:07]

when Genesis 1:26 the first thing you're given charge I have our fish rupee now we're still hung on fish you can make a living selling fish to look at or to eat but you know that's where we entered historically God's creation we were in charge of animals creeping things so cockroaches are in your charge you can decide what to do with [00:03:36]

I hope you have time to meditate on Genesis 1:26 went while you're here because that's the picture of you you are a creative being under God your soul hungers for that your life that's expressed in technological progress some years ago a bunch of killer whales got trapped in an ice floe what was the human response let's go get him out [00:04:19]

that's natural that's what we are made for is to be in charge of the earth the killer whales don't think there's some people down in trouble in a mudslide in Mexico let's go get him out [00:04:54]

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Transcript
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