How Jesus' "Kingdom-Divided" Parable Challenges Disciples to be Holistically on-Mission

If you've read Mark 3:20-29 then you're familiar with this parable, if not confused by it a bit.

Jesus' opponents claimed that His power and work was evil at it's core. That Jesus Himself were being manipulated by a demon, Satan to be direct. Interesting thought I guess.

Jesus goes on to paint a picture of the consequences of division on every level, in every space...and reasonably speaking, if even a demon were divided against itself and its cohorts on every level then it's safe to safe that it would not be fruitful on any level.

Jesus doesn't end with this picture. He goes on to make two points:

1. He isn't possessed by evil, in fact, His strength over all evil, pain and suffering is a sign of One Stronger than Satan himself. The Son of God to speak candidly.
2. To claim the Holy One is actually rooted in evil and His divine work an overflow of evil...brings with it dangerous eternal consequences - separation from that very Holy God.

____________________________

But I'm not talking about either of those points directly. In fact, I want to go back the image of the divided kingdom and lean into it's ramifications in our own lives as followers of Christ.

Sure the parable is not intended to be dissected and sorted out for my own gain...so I won't claim this is what Jesus had intended this particular parable to communicate. I will, however, use it as a launchpad for evaluating our own lives.

If you've followed this blog for any length of time you heard me talk about 'Spaces: public, social, personal, intimate' and how each one of us lives within each of these spaces. In fact, a healthy disciple experiences each of these spaces regularly.

SO what about this parable? Let's break it down in reverse and simultaneously evaluate our own context:

'Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration...

'And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand?' Have you ever wrestled with your purpose? Spiritual gifts and how to use them? How to lead your family? Your own value in particularly challenging seasons?

Have you ever felt a lack of peace about a particular area of life...or your current life as a whole for that matter? How easy is it to move forward, to gain traction, to be clear-minded and self-controlled in order to stand up against temptation, doubt, attack, sin? To live a divided life for any length of time guarantees destruction both slowly and eventually cataclysmically.

We know that a man who stands firm in Truth, in the Word, is one who stands the test of time. How incredibly important it is to be a man/woman at peace in transformation into Christlikeness, not without questions, but confident that we are guided by the Spirit and so personally engaged in being a disciple of Christ, while making disciples who will do the same.

If we're personally divided, how can we prosper with our families?

'Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.' Catch that? Pretty self-explanatory right. A husband and wife who argue as if it the very sustenance of life will not hold up for long, in fact are already falling. A couple divided in purpose, mission, value and simple but profound love for one another and the Church cannot stand, at least not with an unshakable strength, a strength that will prosper the Kingdom.

Several years ago I recall changing how the small group leaders of my church were going to receive discussion content for their weekly gatherings. I can't forget responding to a phone call from one of our leaders. She had heard of the changes and in a state of panic pleaded with me not to change our methods. Her reasoning? This change was going to upset her husbands (one of our smallgroup leaders) calm and quiet relaxation space, their home. This change was so monumental (printing off their own handouts) that she was scared of her husbands response and it's impact on his 'serene' space, the family space.

Are you tip-toeing around one another? Are your kids the brunt of that frustration? Or are they the first fruits of your disciplmaking? If you're married are you leading your wife or encouraging your husband?

If you aren't engaged with Jesus personally you probably aren't as a family. If you aren't engaging Jesus together as a family then you're prone to feuding and open to be severely weathered by storms.

'A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.' Let's be honest, if we aren't maturing in Christ individually. If we aren't on mission as a family. How on earth are we going to serve the Kingdom and expand the family of God here and now?

If we aren't growing in the intimate areas of our lives. If we're weak in the personal and social spaces. The largest space has not foundation, there are no building blocks for it to stand on.

A forgiven and healing heart, mind and ultimately soul is one that is ripe for maturing in Christ. A willing heart leads his/her family.They serve, sacrifice, proclaim Truth with grace and model it. A growing disciple reaches beyond themselves to pour into others - disciplemaking. A body of disciplemakers is a healthy, growing, expanding Kingdom - the very Kingdom Jesus invited us into and so handed us the keys to.

____________________________________

It's quite simple isn't it? A divided kingdom on any level falls apart and if not remedied in the intimate space will most assuredly over time wither and collapse.

Jesus is right of course. That even Satan divided amongst himself would not stand. How much more the body of Christ if we ignore His power of transformation in every aspect of our lives. Christ is the one who can defeat the strength of the evil one - let's let Him lead the way and so follow.

Word of Beard

The new year is an interesting life-marker isn't it. It's this invisible line drawn in time that very strangely affects our worldview. It's an excuse for a do-over, or a second, third or fourth start at something.

It's very freeing to think that come January 1st we can actually start afresh. But it's also confining too isn't it? At the same time that we hope for a new start to our diet, we're limiting ourselves to that timeline, as if starting today would be futile.

I was reading about discipleship again and this time in relation to the new church campus plant I'm involved in. I was thinking about our Vision and Values and how they ought to connect us with Jesus on a molecular level. I was thinking about this in relation to a new year on the horizon and how I want to live and lead with clarity, at least as much as the Spirit allows in this crazy season.

In order to map out the coming year I've been convicted to view my life's Vision and Values in direct relation to the Gospel holistically. For instance, let me share my definition of each (Breen and Cockram sent me in this direction):

Vision: Gods kingdom at work in this culture through the Gospel.
Values: Gods grace at work in this body through the Gospel.

This Vision forces me to view all of ministry (personally and corporately) as the expansion of Gods kingdom here in Medina. And this expansion, penetrating the heart of this community and culture, coming solely through a practical understanding and outworking of the Gospel (to the unbeliever in Romans 1:16, and maturing believer in Colossians 1:6).

This definition of Values stirs within me a greater desire to enter into a Gospel lifestyle that applies divine grace to every relationship, situation and context in real time both within this local body and within the greater community.

Can you imagine what life would hold in the new year if I/we resolved to unite our individual and communal Vision to actual Gospel centrality on any and every front?! Our worldviews would be rocked and we might usher in the kingdom in this town with miracle and wonder.

What if our Values shifted dramatically as well. That in the new year we'd resolve not only to eat healthy or live at peace with the universe but to give grossly abundant amounts of grace to others as the Gospel demonstrates for us and demands of us. That our value system would be defined by a Gospel of grace and not unconvincing and discouraging law.

That our Vision for our lives and the Values we function within would be Gospel centered is quite simply the only way a new year resolution will come to fruition. I want to challenge us all to keep this in mind as we begin to ponder what the new year might hold.

Enjoy the journey in 2013 - in fact, why not begin now...

Read 'Building a Discipling Culture' by Breen and Cockram

Spacesaver...

Spaces.

All of us live within a wild matrix of relational spaces. While there are four key spaces that all of us ramble about in, most of us only utilize a couple within our regular rhythm of life. And of those two-three spaces we only intentionally develop healthy relationships within one or two.

Public - 100 or more people/ work, concerts, community events, church services
Social - 25-75 people / parties, family gatherings, large classes, clubs
Personal - 5-15 people / immediate family, small groups, gangs
Intimate - 1-3 people / mentors, accountability, coffee groups, card nights, discipleship

The numbers may vary, that's not the important piece. What is important is a healthy use of space and defined relationships.

Who knows everything about you? Yes, it's awesome that your spouse does, but guys need other guys who know their strengths and weakness' etc. We need these intimate relationships that meet the deep 'one-anothers' in Scripture.

What small group are you part of? Who are you regularly sharing meals with, enjoying family time with? Who do your kids regularly get to hang out with and see you model life alongside?

What social gatherings are impacting your life and are you giving yourself to? Do you know your neighbors and hold bbq's? Is your small group a part of a larger community of 35 or so? In other words, do you have a good size spiritual family you don't get lost in.

What about the public sphere. Why is this important? To belong. Belonging to something bigger than ourselves and our spheres of influence is vital to remaining teachable and humble. The greater church is good for this: worship service, corporate teaching, greater vision, huge mission and simply the physical display of the body of Christ at large!

Spaces. We need each of them. In the last post I noted how Jesus displayed them with the ultimate goal of making disciples...the eternal use of space in action.

Community: What the...

Are we as the Church challenging, expecting and equipping God's Spirit-filled people to live as cultural missionaries?

OR

Are God's empowered people expecting those without that power to enter the church on their own?

Think of it like this. It's terrifying to radically alter your worldview, culture, mindset, belief system, lifestyle...so why do we expect those outside the Church to do all these things in order to engage with the Word.

Are we expecting more faith and courage from people who haven't interacted with the Creator than we are from those who are indwelt by Him? Who is called to be intentional: those who have been reconciled or those who haven't? Who's called to be an ambassador?

What if we spent our time being Christian community, gathering as believers, mashed together with our locale. There's lots of room to define what that really means without giving up the Gospel - the catch is, if we simply say we're doing this and aren't either experiencing fruit or persecution...we probably really aren't doing it.
Dang.

Read and be: Matthew 28:18-20 - 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Moving Though Less Groving...

My wife has it down.

In fact, many of the boxes we're using are labeled from the last move only a year and a half ago. Up to this point she has done 95% of the packing. Late nights after long days. My schedule in this season is particularly brutal. Long days on top of short nights. I've not been much help.

We're moving for the sixth time in our six years of marriage. Once upon a time moving was full of excitement about the future and the new and the wonder of things to come. Now we pack up, unpack, set up, tear down, pack up and so on. With two kids. And more stuff.

Moving is exhausting: mentally, emotionally, physically and because of this we become spiritually tested and tempted and tired. Simply exhausted.

There's something deeply spiritual about moving. It's symbolic of the Christian life - on the one hand we're partaking already in the eternal kingdom...yet on the other hand we haven't experienced it in full.

The Israelites sought out the promised land and while they never fully moved into the entirety of that land it was only a temporary gathering place for His people anyhow.

Paul calls our bodies tents. Temporary structures awaiting an eternal home.

Jesus didn't claim a home here either. His home was in heaven and while on earth he travelled and moved.

My family is moving. We aren't going home. We're resettling temporarily in order live in our world more effectively. Though it's stressful and exhausting at times moving has been a healthy reminder of what's worth clinging to: Christ/comfort. His Kingdom/my kingdom. Mine is incredibly fleeting and nomadic. His is eternal and static.

'I saw the Holy City...coming down out of heaven from God...Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.' Revelation 21:1-4)

We are moving...though not to the perfect domain. While the Kingdom of Heaven is a here and now/then and there reality...I'm really looking forward to the then and there. No more boxes.

Kingdom Cycle

The Kingdom is not simply a 'then and there' locale that will one day replace our worldly system - the Kingdom is the original creation fused together with our current fractured one.

Miracles, truth proclamation and Gospel living are avenues for experiencing the original creation. Avenues for knowing that the divine nature the of eternal God is here and that His Kingdom is redeeming the earth and reforming it to its natural state - perfection. This is not replacement but reconciliation.

This is our Kingdom.

We have entered into it so we must continue to reveal it's true nature in all we do, say, believe. We are the firstfruits of restoration. Yes there will be an end - Yes it's incredibly horrifying that many will not live within the eternal kingdom. That is why we must be willing to live with a Kingdom mindset here and now. Without exception.

As our worldview transforms so do our beliefs and subsequently our actions. In the diagram above we see the cyclical rhythm to a life living out the Kingdom attitude. It flows as such:

Preaching Kingdom is a catalyst for proclaiming King

Proclaiming King is a catalyst for teaching Kingdom values

Teaching Kingdom values is a catalyst for living on mission

Living on mission is a catalyst for Preaching Kingdom...

Read Tim Kellers 'The Prodigal God' for more on the Kingdom.
Read Matthew's gospel chapter 4:12-25 to catch the beginning of this rhythm of life. Jesus Teaches, Preaches and Demonstrates Miracles.
Listen to my recent teaching 'It Begins' for a more in depth look at this cyclical idea of following Jesus in the Kingdom.