Last week we saw that when it comes to truly delivering on the promise of life, liberty, and happiness, the kingdom of God triumphs over earthly kingdoms, even the United States. I have been doing some more thinking about that, and how I could make the whole idea of God's kingdom more real for us, because it is such a significant issue in the times in which we live. After giving it a lot of thought, I think it can be boiled down to one question: "Who is your boss?" This question includes: who do you work for, from whom you take orders, who has the final say over your time, energy, money, abilities. Who is your boss?

Before we go any farther with this subject, I think it would be helpful to examine how I am using the word kingdom this morning.

We Each Have a Kingdom
Every one of us here this morning has a "kingdom" - a realm that is uniquely our own, where our choice alone determines what happens. For example, what we eat, what we wear, who we choose to be our friends, where we work, and what we do for a living. It extends into our thought lives, what we think, and what we believe. The reality of this truth goes to the very depths of what it means to be a person.

In today's society, for example, one can see that the concept of choosing for ourselves is very wide-spread. Conservatives want choice for schools and social security, the liberals want freedom of choice for expectant mothers, and partners. Particularly in the realm of beliefs and religion, today's person on the street will not hesitate to object when someone tries to present the gospel to them, based on what they perceive to be their right to choose what they believe for themselves.

Sometimes, teens feel as though their parents have taken away their ability to choose what to eat, or what to wear, or where they can go. The point I'm making is that even the most restricted teen will reserve a space, even if it has to be a secret space [like in their imagination], in which they alone determine what happens - their kingdom.

God has created us to "make decisions." That we each have this kingdom goes to the very core of what it means to be made in the image of God.

Our "kingdoms," begin where we can say yes or no, and make it stick. They end when we no longer have a say. In creating us, God made us to rule, to reign, to have dominion in a limited sphere. Only so, can we be persons. As we get older, and accumulate more responsibility, our kingdom will increasingly become larger.

On the other hand, anyone who has no say over anything at all, is no person. We can only imagine what it would be like not to have a say over anything at all. To put it in the strongest terms, when I am a slave, I am no longer a person at all. My body and life is totally at the disposal of another. I am not only speaking of slavery in the traditional terms. Addiction is slavery. Addiction is when I can no longer decide what to do - the craving makes the decision for me - whether it be alcohol, drugs, or pornography. We lose what it means to be human.

The twentieth century has also taught us, that controlling our thoughts is worst of all. That is where our thoughts are not really our own. That reaches down and robs us not only of our freedom, but our souls as well.

So we all have our own kingdoms, because we were created that way. And that takes us back to the very beginning - back to Genesis and the creation story, and what God intended when He created us.

We read in Genesis 1:28, how God gave to Adam and Eve their own kingdom:

1:28 - God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

This job description God gave to our first parents, was to collectively the rule over all living things on earth. They were made steward over the entire animal kingdom on earth. Adam and Eve had the say over everything. However, God also designed Adam and Eve to function in relationship with Himself. He would come in the cool of the evening and have fellowship with Adam, and provide for Adam's every need.

In the garden, Adam exercised his rule over so much, as he worked in relationship with God. We too were meant to exercise our "rule" only in relationship with God, as He acts along with us. He intended to be our constant companion our co-worker, and our empowerer in His creative enterprise of life on earth. That is what his love for us means in practical terms.

However, when Adam sinned, he was not only kicked out of the Garden, not only separated from his relationship with God, but He was also separated from the incredible working relationship he had with God. He was created to work with God, but when he left the Garden, God told him that from that point on, he was assigned to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow - and the inference is that it would be without God's help.

The same condition applies to us today, when we go through life without God. The sweat comes from our own energies, which is all we have left after losing our connection to God's own life. We have fooled ourselves into believing that we are free to build our own kingdoms without God. Sadly, there are many Christians who also plod along and have not discovered the tremendous potential that God offers. No matter how we may picture the original "Fall," we cannot deny that our society today is characterized by a huge lack of trust, and that things are not going well on earth. History and the eleven o'clock news leave no doubt about that.

Who is your boss? At this point, in the sermon - without consciously including God in all we do, we are still our own boss - and we feel as though we are getting nowhere. Even if we become unimaginably wealthy, we will find some way to feel unfulfilled. But that is the bad news. The good news is that

Christ Has Brought Our Kingdoms Back Together
God was not finished. In Christ, He has pursued us all the way to the cross, and invites us individually, every last one of us, to commit our lives and our kingdoms to him. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5:17, "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." Let me underscore the words "reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

It is again possible to work in cooperation with God through Christ - He has brought God's Kingdom and my kingdom back together. Through Him I can now appropriate God's abundant provision of grace and do a ministry task in the same way Adam and God worked together in the garden.

"But how does all this work," you ask. I'm glad you asked that question. Let me use Jesus as our example. In John's Gospel, Chapter 5:19-20, Jesus is disputing with the Jewish leaders who were persecuting Him. Here is what He told them:

19 "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these."

This is really an incredible passage, because it tells us something about the relationship between Jesus and the Father. It sounds a lot like the same way Adam worked with God in the Garden. Jesus is modeling for us how to include the Father in our kingdoms. He says, I can only do what I see my Father doing, because whatever the Father does, I mimic. And the Father shows me everything He does, and you are going to be amazed, because the Father will show me even greater things than these. Let's stop here and view this scene.

Jesus had a relationship with His Father that boarders on constant communication. He was also growing in that relationship, because he said even greater things are coming later. Jesus was modeling for us a relationship with the Father that is possible for us to cultivate.

Like Jesus, we can enter into the work, and see our Father doing it (John 5:17-19). As we learn through increasing trust to govern our tiny affairs with him, the ministry he had planned all along for us will be turned over to us, at the appropriate time. "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." (Matt. 25:34).

Let me illustrate this with the life of Frank Laubach. He determined to put this principle to work by submitting moment-by-moment to the will of God. He wrote a book on how the fine texture of his work and life experience was transformed. In January of 1930, he began to cultivate the habit of just turning his mind to Christ for one second out of every minute.

After only four weeks he reported, "I feel simply carried along each hour, doing my part in a plan which is far beyond myself. This sense of cooperation with God in little things is what so astonishes me, for I never have felt it this way before. I need something, and turn round to find it waiting for me. I must work, to be sure, but there is God working along with me."

From a lonely missionary post in the Philippines, God raised Frank Laubach to the status of Christian world statesman and spokesman for Christ. He founded the World Literacy Crusade, still in operation today, and without any political appointment he was influential on United States foreign policy in the post - World War II years. But he was forever and foremost Christ's man, and he always knew that his brilliant ideas and incredible energy and effectiveness derived from his practice of constant conscious interface with God. What a powerful testimony to God's faithfulness to hold up His end of the partnership.

Can you imagine how much God could do through this congregation, if even a small percentage of us began to practice this principle? I want to challenge each one of you to be one of those people.

I am not talking here about going into full-time ministry, nor is what I am saying related to working in the Church. I'm talking about your personal kingdom - those places where what you say goes - those places where you are the boss. What is at stake here is your hooking up with the most powerful person in the universe and merging the minute-by-minute operation of your kingdom with His Kingdom.

This kind of commitment is something that anyone can do, regardless of occupation or schooling; it is just a matter of including Jesus in your thoughts, in your words, and your deeds, all the time. It is like developing a new habit.

Yesterday on the Red Line, I saw that a man standing next to me had also noticed a couple embracing and kissing, oblivious to the rest of the world. I made the comment, "O, to be young and in love." He laughed, and replied that it brought back memories. This opened a conversation that lasted until he got out at Porter Square. We talked about our society and how glad we were that we didn't have to raise children in today's world. I mentioned in passing that I had moved from California to pastor this church. A few minutes later, he got off - but as he was walking through the door, he said, "Say a prayer for me, I need one desperately." I have already prayed for him, and I'm also praying that some day I will see him again and be able to finish that conversation. All we need to do is to talk with Him and include Christ in all of our thoughts - when He totally saturates our thoughts He be what we talk about, and influence what we do.

In the words of Jesus in the parable of the talents we read in Matt. 25, what the results will be, if we live this way, "Well done! You were faithful with a few things, and I will put you in charge of many things. Share what your Lord enjoys." I know we have always interpreted this verse as the final judgement. But let me submit to you that this verse is saying that when we submit ourselves to God, enter into partnership with Him, and make Him the boss, He increases the scope of our rule (cf. Luke 16:1-12) as he did for Frank Laubach. For God is unlimited and He is challenging each one of us today to join Him in what He is doing. Just imagine what God could do through us, if we included Christ in this way in all we do. My wife and I have committed ourselves to begin practicing this new habit, and we are asking God to help us by reminding us that we need to do it. I want to ask if you would join us, and see what God will do in our midst.

J.T. Kauffman