Building the Kingdom

by Rick Chaffee, pastor of Amber Congregational Church, Marietta, New York

Recently I had occasion to speak with a fellow who is from another area of the state about the church he is now attending. He spoke quite openly concerning his church’s recent history. They had a minister who divorced his wife and married the church secretary. He was asked to leave. The next minister was a bit authoritarian and didn’t stay long. Then followed one who insisted the church sell its parsonage and provide him with a housing allowance so he could buy his own place. This demand split the church with a good number leaving making it impossible for those left to provide that kind of housing stipend. As a result that minister left soon after. The present minister, thankfully, is doing a great job of restoring order, bringing peace, and attempting to get the church back on the track of building Christ’s kingdom and not that of the minister or church member.

Acts 2 with its story of Pentecost and the miracle of speech which enabled the unbelieving listeners to hear the wonders of God in our own tongues. (Acts 2:11), reminds me of another miracle of speech which confused their language so they did not understand each other. (Genesis 11:7). These two accounts, both miracles of speech, both stories of kingdom building, produced opposing effects.

The story of the tower of Babel is all about self-interest. The project is to build a city with skyscrapers so high that they reach to the heavens. The desired result was so that we might make a name for ourselves. (Genesis 11:4). They wanted to construct a society that was based on human ability and technique with no regard for God. Catastrophe followed. God’s miracle of speech was to confound their tongues so that they could not understand each other thus making it impossible for them to continue to build this grandiose kingdom. Instead they all scattered, confused and alienated.

In the Pentecost story the disciples are assembled as Jesus told them, awaiting the power to overcome their insecurities and to witness to his resurrection. The Holy Spirit comes upon them and they speak in languages that they had never learned. At that time the city of Jerusalem was full of visitors from countries around the world for it was a religious holiday for all the Jews. The miracle of speech enabled these folk to hear and understand the message of the gospel in their native tongue. Far from confusing them and alienating them, it made it possible for those seeking God to discover his truth.

Admittedly, it can be argued that these are not miracles of speech but miracles of hearing, but practically it amounts to the same thing. What is critical is that those who speak are doing so not in order to toot their own horn or build their own kingdom, but rather their focus is on affirming the wonders of God. Christ is the king and it is his kingdom that is to be established. Whenever people lose sight of that their speech and message will be confusing, divisive, and counter-productive.

So here we are as a church family involved in the process of revitalization. We have spent hours in conversation. When we began meeting we did so because we were aware that our numbers were shrinking. We don’t have as many as we used to attending Sunday Worship. Membership statistics are down; financial numbers are down. We realized that if we didn’t figure out what and why we would become another church casualty. So we hired a consultant and started talking.

But the most important issue is whose kingdom are we interested in saving? Whose church is it anyway? If Christ is the head of the church then isn’t the first priority for us to worship him, to affirm him, to proclaim him? Can we not trust God to preserve that which honors him?

So where is our focus? Are we like the fearful and bewildered folk whom Christ made into bold proclaimers of God’s grace in Acts 2, or are we akin to the self-centered contributors with our own divisive agendas like those in Genesis 11? The results will probably reveal our focus and priority. Acts 2 ends, not with confusion but with the Lord adding to their number those who are being saved. (Acts 2:47) Whose kingdom are we building?

See you in Worship.