Jesus made clear that the Kingdom of God is organic and not organizational. It grows like a seed and it works like leaven: secretly, invisibly, surprisingly, and irresistibly. – Os Guinness

Do you feel like the world is coming apart? This week we’ve been watching Hurricane Melissa. It often feels like our culture is in the midst of a hurricane. As it drifts further and further away from a biblical worldview, how do you honor marriage in a world that devalues marriage? How are we to live as peacemakers in a world that’s increasingly violent with little value for human life? How do we stay honest and be people of integrity when seemingly everyone, every leader from politicians, employers, doctors, psychologists, and scientists are dishonest? 

How about relationally? Are you feeling tension, having complicated conversations with family members or friends who seem to be going off the deep end on social media? How do you raise your children to love and follow Jesus when their school and friends don’t see any need for Jesus? 

Ours is a culture that’s becoming increasingly hostile toward the values we find in God’s Word. It makes us wonder how to stand firm when the foundations are being destroyed (Psalm 11:3). 

What do we do? Do we just dig in and say, “This is truth,” and lose relationships? Or do we compromise a bit here and there, maybe on just a few of our convictions and roll with the current of culture? Yet, if we trade our convictions for convenience, we risk losing the very foundation of who we are in Jesus Christ. If we start to compromise and begin to drift and conform to this world, we become less like who Jesus calls us to be. We become more like our dying world. And if we love the world, God’s Word says that the love of the Father is not in us. What do we do? 

Add to that, it seems that there is never a week that goes by in our church family that a major upheaval in someone’s life has taken place. These events are shaking, if not shattering, to them, to their family, or even for our church. It’s a reality that horrible, surprising and shocking things happen. While their impact may differ for each of us, we all experience these types of things. All of the devastating upheavals taking place in our world underscore how critical it is for each of us to receive and rest in Jesus’ Unshakable Kingdom for ourselves. 

Years ago, Methodist missionary, E. Stanley Jones, referred to God’s kingdom as the Unshakable Kingdom. And we are citizens of that Kingdom through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:20). Recalling a time when he was traveling in Iran, Jones described a moment when he was snubbed by a French diplomat, who, in a difficult moment, might have provided Jones transportation, but the French diplomat blew him off. Jones said, “I should’ve felt squashed, but inwardly I straightened up and said to myself: ‘If he is a French diplomat, then he represents a shaky French kingdom, which has had about twenty-six governments in about thirty years. If he is a diplomat, I’m an ambassador of the Unshakable Kingdom which has had one government since the foundation in the world and will have one government to the end of time.”

Later, the two found themselves on a ship on the Caspian Sea. Jones relates what happened: “On the way…the diplomat was caught by a treacherous lock in a bathroom and couldn’t get out. So, he waved frantically to me and said, please, sir, extricate me,” and Jones extricated the diplomat. Yet, Jones couldn’t resist making a point with the story: “Isn’t that what the ambassadors the Kingdom must do? Extricate the diplomats of this world who box themselves up with the bathrooms of impossible ways of life and cry out, ‘Please, sir, extricate us,’ and we must humbly say, ‘This is the way walk in it, the way of the Kingdom’.” 

While our world comes unglued, as Christ-followers we must continually remind ourselves that we are citizens of an Unshakeable Kingdom. As we work through even the smallest items on our schedule, we must live as ambassadors of that Kingdom. The One we live for and who’s pleasure we seek is the King of this Unshakeable Kingdom. We can do that because…

God’s Unshakeable Kingdom is Universal.

Whenever we think of kingdoms, we think of the power or land that they control. There have been countless kingdoms through the ages. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Aztecs, Mayans, and many others ruled for a period of time. The Romans conquered much of Europe and some of Africa and Asia. They were a powerful kingdom and ruled for nearly 1000 years. What happened? They collapsed and were conquered. Kingdom after kingdom has risen and fallen. The Bible tells us that this isn’t random chance. God raises up and throws down. God is the sovereign king who is in control.

God’s Unshakeable Kingdom is Certain.

Whatever God says is true and it will happen. Has someone made a promise to you and then broken it? Maybe a friend who promised to have your back and didn’t? A spouse or significant other who promised to love you but broke your heart? 

God never breaks His Word or breaks His promises. Whenever He says that you are His, you belong to Him. Whenever He says that you are forgiven, you are forgiven. Whenever He says that His Kingdom cannot be shaken, you can have confidence that His Kingdom cannot be shaken. If you are a born-again child of God, you’re secure in Christ! Whatever happens, good or bad, you have hope, you’re in Christ and He is for you! You’re a part of His Kingdom forever. His Kingdom will not be shaken.

As citizens of God’s Unshakeable Kingdom, what must we do?

We’re called to live by heavenly principles, not worldly standards. The Bible makes it clear that though we are in the world, we are not of this world (John 17:16). Our citizenship is in heaven, and we must live in a manner that reflects our allegiance to God. 

Living as a Kingdom citizen requires a transformation of mind and life. It means prioritizing God’s will, walking in righteousness, and demonstrating His love. Our values, thoughts and words must reflect His Kingdom. 

As we live as citizens of His Unshakeable Kingdom, we’ll experience His blessings, power, and purpose in our lives. We’ll bring Him glory and draw others into His Kingdom. Citizens of the Unshakeable Kingdom set their hearts on the things of the King and His mission!