How the Kingdom of God is Built

“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31)

The churches, referring to the ONE body in each town (because they didn't have over 150 separate and competing Christian groups like we do in our little sparsely populated county) had peace. In other words, THE Church in Judea, Galilee and Samaria was not splintered by people like it is here where I live…and is pretty much all over the world now.

The term “had peace” doesn’t mean they weren’t actively or in stealth warring with one another or that they weren’t all having a VBS the same week of the summer. It means that there was unity within that one group in each of those places and between the Church in those places. It means that, in obedience to Jesus’ heart cry for us to be this way, they were ONE in each region and across regions.

They had true peace and they “were edified”, which is a natural outgrowth of being at peace. The term “were edified” means that they were being built up like a house. Let’s take note that the growth wasn’t because of slick marketing schemes, paved parking lots, digital signs, cute and wastefully expensive buildings, flashy stage lighting (“cue the smoke machine”), big name speakers, advertising, or door prizes.

The people simply saw themselves as being ONE in Christ (“had peace”) and lived like it.

Every house needs a good beginning, a foundation.

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:10- 11)

God is constructing His kingdom and that has to do with what He is constructing in different geographical regions and THAT has to do with what He is constructing in each of the living stones…in us. This means that when I yield to Him to allow Him to build something in me (a part of me He wishes to have in place) He will build me into something (an element intended to be part of the whole thing He intends). Then He will continue to assemble something (HIS Church) and I’ll be a part of it and that will be a part of something even bigger that He is building (not a separate congregation or ministry – but material for an intended end result).

When a lot of those come together, all assembled by the Master Builder THAT is God’s Kingdom. His Kingdom. His.

It is so important that we walk with Him in this, so we will find our places…places He has always and forever intended for each of us.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,” (Ephesians 1:7-9)

I pasted those verses because they lead to this revelation from Paul:

“(so) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; in Him.” (Ephesians 1:10)

God’s Kingdom has to do with gathering us together to construct us into something glorious for His glory.

“…you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)

Can you see this happening, the idea of it? Can you see it actually happening? All the hassles, all the problems, all the strife and contention is allowed by the Master Builder Who uses it to shave off the excess, chipping away things that aren’t necessary and that don’t matter so we will fit better.

In contrast, the institutional church currently functions like a building that wants to build itself into a mess of disconnected walls. However, I believe in the end the Master Builder WILL prevail and we WILL be one – after His demolition and rebuilding of the current man-made religious system.

Jesus spoke of it to the Father like this:

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

Paul put it like this:

“But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.” (1 Corinthians 13:10)

As I taught this one time a beloved brother in Christ said, “What I have found in myself is that it would be easy to despair at the state of the schizophrenic body of Christ because I see it’s state and I see how powerless I am to fix it. So, I have determined something: that I would rule and reign over that aspect of it entrusted to me which is, ultimately, just my life and I will submit THAT to the Master Builder.”

That is how restoration always begins. As we live that life, being built up internally and build up into something by God, someone else will see it; he will see our intrinsic harmony with the Body of Christ and will crave it for himself. In this way we will, essentially, evangelize the body of Christ with that idea and the Lord will fit us together as He wishes, like a prefab house with all its parts assembled apart and then put together when it is time.

“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31)

These groupings of people, all the ONE Church, yet in separate geographical areas were ONE in essence and were ONE with one another. Therefore, there WAS peace and they, in response, grew (were built up) and were walking (living a habitual lifestyle) in the awe of the Lord and, in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (in a tangible sensation of His nearness), they were multiplied.

Is that not what I just described could be true for us, here and now? As it was for them, why should it be any different for us?

It seems so empowering to me and such a rescue from despair that any one of us can do his part to bring this to pass by simply submitting himself to the Lord and experiencing His discipline and craftsmanship.

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism; ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6)

May we see the Kingdom of God to be more important than the little sub-kingdoms we are all tempted to establish and maintain.

May HIS plans be more meaningful in our eyes than are our own puny plans.

May we repent! May we adapt ourselves to HIS intentions for our lives. May He bless us by allowing us to see the restoration of all things back to HIS original plan.

May we get the chance to truly participate in the building of God’s Kingdom instead of being put on hold, too busy building our own sub-kingdoms to even realize we have been made spiritually impotent in building His.

Lord Jesus, please touch our hearts and make these things so.

Pastor Mike McInerney

Mike McInerney Ministries, Inc.

© June 6, 2019

(for use with permission)