Russell Moore on Kingdom

Posted: Jan 31, 2011

There is a new book out called, “Don’t Call it a Comeback!  The old faith for a new day.”  Its written by various authors, see below.   Russell Moore, dean of theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was asked about his chapter on Kingdom.  Here is the question and his answer.

The kingdom is a huge theme in the Bible, and yet it can be difficult to define. How would you explain the kingdom of God to a 15-year-old?

Sometimes even those who’ve followed Jesus for a long time find the kingdom message a difficult one to grasp. We sometimes assume “kingdom” is just a metaphor for “getting saved” or for another denominational program or political crusade. We hear chatter all around us about the Prince of Wales or the local high school homecoming queen or the advertising slogans of the “King of Beers” or the “Dairy Queen.”

Against this kind of potential confusion, the mission of Christ starts and ends not just in the announcement of forgiveness of sins or in the removal of condemnation—although both of those things are certainly true. The mission of Christ starts and ends with an announcement that God has made Jesus emperor of the cosmos—and he plans to bend the cosmos to fit Jesus’ agenda, not the other way around.

The kingdom of God, then, is the good news that the right rule of God, and the right rule of man—a rule our ancestors Adam and Eve lost—have come together in the right rule of one right God-man: Jesus of Nazareth. In his sin-resisting life, his wisdom-saturated teaching, his demon-exorcising power, his substitutionary, conquering death, and his justifying, victorious resurrection, Christ is king.

That king, through his Spirit, invites all men to believe by faith what they’ll someday see by sight—what everyone will someday see by sight: Jesus is Lord. Jesus forgives. Jesus is king. And his reign will extend to the corner of every galaxy, forever.  RDM

Here is the breakdown of the book, which hits

Part 1: Evangelical History: Looking Forward and Looking Back

1. The Secret to Reaching the Next Generation (Kevin DeYoung)

2. The Story of Evangelicalism from the Beginning and Before (Collin Hansen)

Part 2: Evangelical Theology: Thinking, Feeling, and Believing the Truths That Matter Most

3. God: Not Like You (Jonathan Leeman)

4. Scripture: How the Bible Is a Book Like No Other (Andy Naselli)

5. The Gospel: God’s Self-Substitution for Sinners (Greg Gilbert)

6. New Birth: “You Must Be Born Again” (Ben Peays)

7. Justification: Why the Lord Our Righteousness Is Better News Than the Lord Our Example (Jay Harvey)

8. Sanctification: Being Authentically Messed Up Is Not Enough (Owen Strachan)

9. Kingdom: Heaven after Earth, Heaven on Earth, or Something Else Entirely? (Russell Moore)

10. Jesus Christ: The Only Way and Our Only Hope (Tim Challies)

Part 3: Evangelical Practice: Learning to Live Life God’s Way

11. It’s Sometimes a Wonderful Life: Evangelicals and Vocation (Ted Kluck)

12. Social Justice: What’s God Got to Do, Got to Do with It (Darrin Patrick)

13. Homosexuality: Grace, Truth, and the Need for Gentle Courage (Eric Redmond and Kevin DeYoung)

14. Abortion: Why Silence and Inaction Are Not Options for Evangelicals (Justin Taylor)

15. Gender Confusion and a Gospel-Shaped Counterculture (Denny Burk)

16. The Local Church: Not Always Amazing, but Loved by Jesus (Thabiti Anyabwile)

17. Worship: It’s a Big Deal (Tullian Tchividjian)

18. Missions: The Worship of Jesus and the Joy of All Peoples (David Mathis)

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