How can a kingdom be both now and not yet? Why doesn’t the King just come back? And who is the Holy Spirit?

Jesus’ kingdom is both ‘now’ and ‘not yet’. This unit explains that we live in the ‘last days’ between Jesus’ first and second comings. God is patiently waiting for more people to come into his kingdom before he sends Jesus back to wrap everything up. As we move on to the book of Acts we see that to accomplish the task of making a great people for himself God sends his Holy Spirit into Christians so they can tell others of Jesus.

We learn that the Holy Spirit brings about new birth, he equips believers to serve Christ and he produces holiness. Though believers have been wonderfully saved God does not promise an easy life now, rather suffering is to be expected. Believers are to persevere in holiness and in spreading the gospel, by looking forward to the glorious, eternal future when sin and death will be no more.

Your teacher will give you a copy of this handout, but you can also find a copy of it here.

This has an outline of the video that you are about to watch. You might want or take some notes on this as the video is playing.

Watch video: The proclaimed kingdom

DISCUSS

Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

• When are we tempted to use ‘shameful ways’ or ‘distort the word of God’ in evangelism?
• What can we learn from Paul’s example?
• What response should we expect?

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

• Explain verse 7 in your own words.
• To what extent do v 8-12 reflect your experience of evangelism?

Read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

• What do these verses tell us about what we can expect now, in this present age?
• What will we receive in the age to come?
• What difference should this hope make to us now?