Sports Outreach in the Local Church - Kingdom or Community

Kingdom or Community - Lenten Reflections and The Relevance to Local Church Sports Outreach
This past Lent, I was struck by Jesus's reply to Pilate: "My Kingdom is not of this world."  Jesus was clear and His response to Pilate was in line with an overall theme....

While the Bible certainly teaches about the Kingdom of God, clearly this Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.  How then should we, disciples of Christ, envision ourselves both individually and collectively; and what does it mean for local church Sports Outreach Ministry?  There are two New Testament word used to describe Jesus's disciples: Church (ecclesia) and community (koinonia); and one that is not - kingdom (basileia).

Church - two main concepts:

• a) The entire redeemed company often described as The Church Triumphant (those already in heaven) and The Church Militant (those still alive on earth who remain embattled with the kingdoms of this world)
• b) The company of professed believers (Act2 20.28; 1 Corinthians 1.2; Galatians 1.13; 1 Thessalonians 1.1; 2 Thessalonians 1.2; 1 Timothy 3.5)
  

Community - one main concept:

• a) having a common fellowship and partnership
  

So, the main description of those who are "called out" (ecclesia) is that of a fellowship/partnership (koinonia) of followers of Christ, or what we would describe as a "community," not a kingdom (basileia)!  The Church is not called to usher in an earthly kingdom but rather become a witnessing and serving community within the earthly kingdoms.   So, more than attempting to create a political system that will bring about peace and justice, we should be about creating a community in which the Kingdom of God is experienced and where all will be loved, respected, honored and treated with dignity and respect.

The Relevance for Local Church Sports Outreach
Local Church Sports & Rec Ministry is the perfect place to create a Christ-centered community in which the Kingdom of God is experienced...where Jesus is more "caught than taught."  No election, no government, no human organization will bring about what is needed.  It is a place where the first "B" (belong) of Sports Ministry's "5B Rubric of Evangelistic-Disciplemaking" takes place (see other blogs/books on the "5B's").  Our challenge as local church Sports Outreach Ministers is to create a culture and environment within our sports & rec activities that exudes the "fragrance" of Christ.  Let's not try to establish a kingdom, but rather create a community...a community that would bring a smile to the face of Jesus.

"My kingdom is not of  this world..." 

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Dr. Greg Linville at CSRM International C/O The World Outreach Center 5350 Broadmoor Circle N. w. Canton, Ohio – USA 44709 or glinville@csrm.org
 
Other blogs and articles on Local Church Sports, sports theology and ethics written by Dr. Greg Linville are archived at: www.csrm.org