Touré Roberts - The Kingdom of Systemic Change - Part 2

We’ve got Kingdom business to attend to today, and I’m excited to continue the series we started last week called «The Kingdom of Systemic Change.» Last week, we began this very necessary conversation—a conversation that arose as I personally wrestled with the question: How, when I look at all the things happening in the world—these things are natural, these things are human—can the Kingdom be the solution? Because if we’re honest, sometimes we compartmentalize the Kingdom, saying that spiritual resources are for spiritual matters, while natural or human concerns necessitate something else. We may be tempted to place our spirituality on the sidelines, stepping into roles, positions, and postures that we often don’t invite our spirituality into. I began to wrestle with this tension because Jesus said, «Seek first the Kingdom, and all other things will be added.» He spoke in the context of addressing those who were possibly struggling with how following Jesus could ultimately benefit them in natural and human ways.

In Matthew 6, He begins this discourse. As you study it, you can recap a little bit on your own. Jesus said, «Listen, I know all the needs that you have; your heavenly Father already knows your practical, human, earthly needs.» When He says, «Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness,» He means that all other things will be added. As that passage of Scripture came back to my spirit, I began to reflect on the issues we’re facing in our nation, and it dawned on me: the Kingdom is the answer. We just need to understand more about what the Kingdom is.

Last week, we looked at a passage in Isaiah, which was arguably the first introduction to the Kingdom and what Jesus would ultimately come to do. We learned a lot from there, particularly that the Kingdom Jesus came to establish would be a Kingdom of Justice—a divine justice system to address the maladies in human society. Again, there was too much to unpack in this recap, so you’ll need to go back and watch that first week to really grasp it. We also discussed the systemic poison in our world, and we know there are systems that work against many people. In particular, we’ve been discussing systemic racism, which exists in our country and, quite frankly, in our world, but is notably pronounced here in America.

As we examined that issue in light of what the Kingdom represents and is meant to be, we realized that the Kingdom is indeed a Kingdom of Justice. We talked about three things the Kingdom addresses: principalities, ideologies, and systems. Today, we will learn how to confront these issues so that we can actively participate in the Kingdom of Systemic Change.

Let’s pray, and then we’ll jump right into it.

«Father, we thank You so much for Your Word; it is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We need You. We thank You for Your everlasting Word, which breaks yokes and destroys the works of the enemy. In the beginning was Your Word, and Your Word was with You, and Your Word was You. Your Word builds us. Everything produced will arise from Your Word. So, I ask that You speak. I believe You have given me a spirit of wisdom, revelation, insight, and knowledge so that I might be a blessing to Your people. May our understanding of who we are and the tools we possess bring a new dimension of strength and hope not just to America, but to the entire world, because when You said on the cross, 'It is finished, ' You meant it. As we navigate this conversation today, I thank You that You will be with me, that You will open eyes, and that we will be better. In Jesus' name, amen.»

The Kingdom was the only message Jesus preached, and it is broad enough to address what plagues society. It works from the spiritual down to the natural. Today, I’m going to discuss principalities, ideologies created by those principalities, and how those ideologies lead to the formation of systems. Oftentimes, when we look at the earthly realm, we see the systems and the fruit they produce.