Characteristic of a Kingdom of God Church

Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee , because thou hast left thy first love .
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen , and repent , and do the first works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly , and will remove thy candlestick out of his place , except thou repent .

The warning: Candlestick taken away because they have not done their first works by leaving the first love. Just as the branch that is unfruitful will be cut off due to fruitlessness which is also means that fruitless works is due to not abiding in Christ. (John 15:4-6)

1. What is the first works in love?
Eph 1:4,5 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world , that we should be holy and without blame before him in love : Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself , according to the good pleasure of his will ,

Ephesians is the only letter from Paul that doesn’t address any particular problem, but more as a statement of the belief in the body of Christ. Therefore this letter is for us as a church to live by.
To make us holy and blameless, it took the work of Christ upon the cross. I would think that the first works that Jesus is referring to in Rev 2:4 has to do with works in righteousness. God already had this plan in mind before the beginning of creation.

Php 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Which is to work OUT our salvation in trembling in fear, the working IN to us is by God. The working in is the working in of Righteousness. This working IN is as Eph 1:4 which God has already chosen to do before the foundation of the world. And as the verse implies, it is done in love.

The working out of our salvation is obedience in Love.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

2. Key principle of 1st Love
Our first response to God is to love Him. In comparison to all other loves, He will have to take first priority even over family and above all self. Such was the demand in love He has on us! Keep in mind that this is relative, not absolute! We are required to honor our parents, love our wife and turn our hearts to our children. Therefore God is priority and the rest follows.

Mat 10:37-39 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Matt 22:37,38 Jesus said unto him , Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind .This is the first and great commandment.

3. What about loving others?

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind , and with all thy strength : this [is] the first commandment . 31 And the second [is] like , [namely] this , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself . There is none other commandment greater than these .


John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you , That ye love one another ; as I have loved you , that ye also love one another .

The above 2 verses is very clear commandment of Christ to love others. But priority is to love God. If we love God, we can love others. If we say we love God, the next progressive action is to love others as John puts it clearly in his epistles below:

1Jn 4:20-21 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

James talk about loving others as the royal law. This is a very practical love to show no partiality (particularly to the rich which the world does), showing mercy, feeding the poor and clothing the destitute. Isn’t this the first works mentioned in Rev 2:4? Doesn’t love require action?

Jam 2: 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself , ye do well :

Those who don’t do the first works are judged severely and have no place in the Kingdom of God.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Mat 25:31-46)

In fact Jesus commandment to love other is very tough… only if we put away self first. This is the cross we bear daily. Self decrease that Christ increase, and the natural progression is for others.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Isn’t this working out the Lord desires in our first love? Isn’t the above proof of in working of blamelessness and holy living that God is working into us?

Marks of early church

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles ' doctrine and fellowship , and in breaking of bread , and in prayers .

1. Apostles doctrine
Matt 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and , lo , I am with you alway , [even] unto the end of the world . Amen .

Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets , he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself .
45 Then opened he their understanding , that they might understand the scriptures , 46 And said unto them , Thus it is written , and thus it behoved Christ to suffer , and to rise from the dead the third day : 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations , beginning at Jerusalem .

What then is the doctrine or teachings about God that Jesus asked His church to teach and observe? Didn’t Jesus spend a lot of time teaching about the Kingdom of God? He even spent 3 chapters teaching about the Kingdom of God in Matt 5,6 and 7. The Kingdom of God is about sinners forgiven by the finished work of the cross living a new creation life. No longer citizens of the world but of the Kingdom of God. If we shall be God’s people then we are the bear the characteristics of being citizens of His Kingdom. Living in His Kingdom requires us to live by His ways and enjoying benefits of citizenship.

Heb 8:10 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days , saith the Lord ; I will put my laws into their mind , and write them in their hearts : and I will be to them a God , and they shall be to me a people :

2. True fellowship
Koinonia: community living

- Fellowship is not socializing; it's a sharing of a common life and spirit with the goal of glorifying God. True fellowship is the expression of the Kingdom of God on earth.

- To console, encourage and entreat each other to sanctification. It’s a living organism helping each other in dealing with our weakness, yet in humility lest we fall into sin or our own weaknesses ourselves.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily , while it is called To day ; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin .

- The commonality is our belief as with taking care of each other's daily needs. Unselfish and uncoveteousness was the essence of true fellowship that brought much joy. This requires a certain level of dying to self desires. Our homes must make people feel welcome. There is little of selfishness that can exist in a true fellowship.
Acts 2:44 And all that believed were together , and had all things common ; 45 And sold their possessions and goods , and parted them to all [men], as every man had need . 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple , and breaking bread from house to house , did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart ,

- This characteristic is even harder to live by than just merely sharing with others. In fellowships like this there's no room for superficiality and sin as with Acts 5 incident with Ananias and Sapphira. Untruth will be exposed. Sin will be dealt with quickly. The reverent fear of God prevents frivolous behavior. God's manifested presence was a daily experience.

- There will be evidences of apostolic and prophetic gifts as in Antioch in Acts 13:1-5. Yet there was a submission to each other and their diversity (teachers and prophets) out of reverence for God. Rather than having one way communication in prayer to God, there was time to be still to listen to God's heart. In ministering unto the Lord (not to people), He is honored and speaks His will that it may be accomplished on earth as it is in Heaven. Our ministry aimed at the human level can accomplish up to that point only, which perhaps not accomplished in Heaven, lacking eternal significance. In a true fellowship that ministers to God, releases the apostolic. Unfortunately, most of our plans are conceived out of needs not birth out of deep communion with the Holy Spirit. As with a communion between a husband and a wife, children are fruit of that communion, apostolic ministries are birth as the church communes with the Holy Spirit.

- True fellowship provokes love not hatred nor indifference. Much provocation in social doesn’t spur good works that glorify our Father in Heaven (Matt 5:16). If there competition exists, most likely building self empires is the unseen motive. Then the building together of the Kingdom of God is not in our chief calling.

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

- Are we prepared to live life beyond the superficialities of socializing? There is a price we have to pay…. The cost is at the expense of self.

3. Breaking bread
Paul was the only apostle that wasn’t there during the time when Jesus instituted the Holy Communion. As with Paul, the Holy Communion has to be revelation delivered from the Lord Himself that we will understand the power and full implication of the partaking of it. As marriage is as Holy institution, so is the Communion. Therefore Paul warns us that the obedience of partaking of it must be done in reverence to know the cost of both Father and Son in the redemption plan. Never take the blood and broken body of Christ in lightly even as we work out our salvation in trembling and fear.

1 Cor 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you , That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread : 24 And when he had given thanks , he brake [it], and said , Take , eat : this is my body , which is broken for you : this do in remembrance of me . 25 After the same manner also [he took] the cup , when he had supped , saying , This cup is the new testament in my blood : this do ye , as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me . 26 For as often as ye eat this bread , and drink this cup , ye do shew the Lord's death till he come . 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread , and drink [this] cup of the Lord , unworthily , shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord . 28 But let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of [that] bread , and drink of [that] cup . 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily , eateth and drinketh damnation to himself , not discerning the Lord's body . 30 For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you , and many sleep . 31 For if we would judge ourselves , we should not be judged .

4. Prayer and Intercession
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
(1Ti 2:1-2)

Supplication: Request made through prayer to God
Prayers: Uttered or verbalized supplication to God. Also worship.
Intercession: Conference or hold court with God.

Most of us understand asking God and worship Him in prayer. But what is the true meaning of intercession? Having a conference or holding court with God is two way communications as oppose to prayer and supplication which is more God-ward.

And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
(Gen 18:16-18)
Intercession is when God lets us know the things hidden from carnal eyes that we may hold a conversation with God. Many times our prayers are labeled as intercession, how wrong we can be, because we speak from our heart and concern not out of God’s. After having been revealed the plan of the Lord, Abraham proceeded to plead for mercy and hold a deep discussion with God until he felt the peace in His heart that God heard him.

And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
(Gen 18:33)

God responds to pleads of mercy for this is His character as also shown in the intercession between Moses and God in Num 14.

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
(Num 14:11-12)

And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
(Num 14:17-21)
This is intercession in the most holy form!

Conclusion
God’s divine plan from the beginning is about our salvation unto holiness and blamelessness in love that we will do the first works that God intended for us to. After being saved there is no room for idle carnal lives for we live in and for the Kingdom of God to work out our salvation in trembling and fear. He saved us that we will be light of the world to bring glory to our Father in Heaven. In the participation of the Kingdom life, it begins with dying to self that we might be together that there may be provocation of love and growing from glory to glory in our pilgrimage of sanctification. We are never to take the blood and broken body of Jesus Christ for granted less we trample upon the finished work of the cross. There must be constant communion with each other and with God that remind us of our stand in the Kingdom of God. The people of the Kingdom has the tremendous privilege of having God reveal His hidden things and ready to respond to His heart by a holding court with Him. God has an eternal plan laid us before the foundation of the world, are we part of it for many are called and few are chosen.