This summer you should receive a copy of Kingdom Come, a composition journal, and a reading guide for parts one and two. I am putting the study guide online as well. Please try to get through the first two parts of the book, if not the whole thing before school starts. This book will begin our dialogue on what it means to “seek the kingdom” through Global Partnerships.
Please jot down your thoughts and answers/responses to the study guide in your journal. We will use these journals throughout the year. You may also want to use it for prayer for your partner location and future team. Also, the author, Allen Wakabayashi, will be speaking in Chapel in February.
Discussion Questions for
KINGDOM COME BY ALLEN WAKABAYASHI
Chapter 1--Is God Really out to Change the World?
1. Do you believe God is out to change the world? Do you believe the church has had an impact on the world? How so? Are you interested in being a part of the change Mr. Wakabayashi talks about?
2. Mr. Wakabayashi writes about worldview. Define worldview. Do you know what your worldview is comprised of? Do you know the general worldview of the culture you plan on partnering with? What does Allen Wakabayashi have to say about the American Christian worldview? Do you agree or disagree with him?
3. Take a moment to think about your church and the way you think about your Christian walk. Is the way you act or even the way your church community acts focused on the individual? List some ways you think about your faith through an individual lens? Is there anything wrong with this perspective?
PART ONE: THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
Chapter 2-- The Gospel?
1. When you hear “The good news” or “The Gospel” what comes to mind? What did Jesus and the New Testament authors mean when they talked about the Gospel? Has your focus on the bible been mainly on Jesus’ substitutionary death for us as Mr. Wakabayashi mentions in this chapter, or do you already agree with his more holistic view of the Kingdom coming near?
2. Jesus frequently preached about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven; what is the Kingdom of God? What comes to mind when you think about the Kingdom of God? How does Jesus define it?
Chapter 3-The Message of the Kingdom
1. How did people from Old Testament times think about the Kingdom of God? How does the author define it in this chapter?
2. How does Mr. Wakabayashi define the gospel/ good news?
3. When you think of God reigning over creation, do you have a clear picture? Sometimes it is good to take some time to study and imagine what that would look like? Write down some ideas of what is would look like if God reigned over your life, community, church, country and world. You may also want to list some attributes of God or look up different verses where Jesus talks about the Kingdom in order to get a clearer view.
Chapter 4—The Gospel of the Kingdom in Our Lives
1. What does it mean to “seek the kingdom?”
2. ALLEGIANCE. This is a good time to think about where your allegiances are. Who do you serve, yourself, God, your community? Where are your priorities? Are you following God’s plans for your life or your own desires, or are the one in the same? Pray and ask God if there is anything you need to repent.
3. INTEGRATION. Is every area of your life under the Kingship of God or just parts of it? Describe the mindsets of integration versus sacred-secular. How do you think about your life? Think about the different areas of your life, you might even want to write down a list. Submit these areas of your life to God’s Kingship, and ask that He would reveal to you how to further live into Kingdom values in these areas.
4. MISSION. How do you view missions? Do you feel called to serve God is a specific way? How does social justice fit into mission? What has your experience been with missions in the church? Are you seeking to live our God’s mission to restore his lost creation?
Jot down any other things you want to remember or think about from part one of this book.
PART TWO-LIVING IN THE TENSION OF THE KINGDOM
Chapter 5—Where’s the Kingdom?
1. The author shares some of his struggles with pain, disappointment, and sin. Sometimes we think that when we become a Christian God will heal all of our wounds and protect us from pain, and we can’t understand why there is so much evil and brokenness in the world. Are there issues or experiences in your life or someone else’s that make you question the existence of a good and loving God? Be honest with the tension and confusion you may have in believing in a God while we live in a broken world. We will look a little deeper into this topic throughout the year. You may also want to pray about these things. I guarantee that God is also mourning the hurt and brokenness that the world is experiencing.
2. Explain how Jews thought of the Kingdom of God in relation to “The Old Age” and the “Age to come.” How does this fit into the “cross as a stumbling block for the Jews?”
3. What are some ways that Jesus brought the Kingdom of God near?
Chapter 6—The Tension
1. Re-explain the author’s imagery of the tension we live in using the D-Day/V-Day analogy.
2. Page 62 addresses our view of heaven/resurrection. Do you usually picture entering heaven as an “airy being” or someone with a body? Read the footnote to get further understanding of what Paul meant when he writes about our resurrected bodies. How has the Gnostic view of “spirit vs. flesh” influenced the way many Christians view their bodies and this world?
3. How are Jesus’ resurrection and the Holy Spirit first fruit of the age to come? What promise do we have in them?
4. Redraw the “Coming of the Kingdom in 2 stages” from page 65. What are your thoughts on this tension?
Chapter 7—Living in the Tension
1. Read the Lord’s Prayer again. What does the author say about the prayer? Have you considered this prayer the way the author has? You may want to consider using the Lord’s Prayer as a format for your own prayers. Pray for:
a. Provision
b. Forgiveness
c. Protection/Wisdom
d. Acknowledge God’s eternal reign
e. That you would see evidence of God’s reign on earth and that His reign would be like it is in heaven.
2. When the author has a difficult day, what does he do to remember the Kingdom of God (pg 72)?
3. The author needs time with God and in prayer in order to keep a kingdom perspective. Perhaps you may want to try one of his bible study methods. When reading a biblical passage take time to:
a. Listen intently to the passage
b. Ask god to show you the main theme or image in the passage, such as:
i. A truth about God
ii. A truth about you
iii. A challenge for obedience
c. Close your eyes and think about the reality of your life—situations you are facing, key relationships, projects and plans
d. Invite the Spirit to take the truth of the passage and connect it with an area of your life
4. This is just one spiritual discipline that may help you hear God’s voice and see the Kingdom of God around you. Do you currently practice any spiritual disciplines? What helps you connect with God’s vision of the Kingdom? Perhaps there are a few spiritual disciplines or practices that help you connect with God. Consider sharing them with your group. Do you feel connected with the Holy Spirit? The injustices and brokenness we will learn about in Global Partnerships and Social Justice Team can be overwhelming, so I encourage you to find a way to spend time in spiritual disciplines/meditation/prayer so that you can be replenished with the fruits of the spirit and the hope that God’s Kingdom is near.
5. The author also talks about community/friends and church that help speak or “flesh out” the kingdom for him. What is your community of friends like? Are you connected with people that will support you in the “not-yet” world and bring you hope? Real community takes intention, accountability and trust. Hopefully global partnerships can be a place for this community. Is that something you want? How do you make community intentional?
6. The author talks about waiting, and how sometimes it is difficult to endure the “pain and groaning” because we forget what awaits us. What do you think? He also talks about how we sometimes have a mistaken expectation about what following Jesus is like. Have you experienced any disappointment or disillusionment in your Christian life? Be honest with yourself and God, and ask him to heal any wounds, but also show you what you can expect from Him and his Reign.
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