Sermon Series Blog: Kingdom Culture Pt.1
Kingdom Culture: How Heaven Transforms Earth
The Culture We Live In
We live in a world shaped by culture — what we value, celebrate, and pursue. From food and sports to art and language, culture reflects the creativity of God. But today, “culture” has expanded to include identity, preference, and even morality.
As followers of Jesus, our identity isn’t rooted in the world’s culture but in the Kingdom of God. Kingdom culture isn’t about fitting in; it’s about being transformed. It’s the only culture that brings true life, purpose, and unity.
Kingdom culture doesn’t withdraw from the world — it renews and redeems it.
While worldly culture says, “Do what feels right,” Kingdom culture says, “Do what is right in God’s eyes.” It replaces pride with humility, comfort with calling, and image with impact.
1. The Kingdom Starts Small but Grows Big
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed” (Matthew 13:31–32). What starts small — like a prayer group, an act of kindness, or a faithful believer at work — can grow into something mighty.
At Church in the City, we might look small to some. But we serve a BIG GOD, and that means our impact is big too. The Kingdom often begins in hidden places — like Bethlehem’s manger or the upper room in Acts — but it always expands through faith and obedience.
So don’t despise small beginnings. Every seed of obedience has Kingdom potential.
2. The Kingdom Grows Outward and Offers Shelter
As the mustard tree grows, “the birds come and perch in its branches.” That’s the heart of Kingdom culture — it doesn’t just grow; it blesses others.
When the Church lives out Kingdom values, the broken find belonging and the lost find home. Like Boaz sheltering Ruth, we’re called to be a refuge for outsiders.
The early Church modeled this beautifully — caring for widows, orphans, and the sick when others fled. They became a tree of hope in a dark empire. The same call is ours today: be a safe place in your community where others can encounter Jesus.
3. The Kingdom Works Inward to Transform Culture
Jesus compared the Kingdom to yeast that works through dough (Matthew 13:33). The yeast disappears, but its presence changes everything — just like believers living out faith in quiet, consistent ways.
The Kingdom transforms from within — in hearts, homes, workplaces, and cities. William and Catherine Booth embodied this truth when they founded The Salvation Army, taking the gospel to the streets of London and redeeming a broken culture through love in action.
4. The Kingdom’s Influence Is Inevitable
Once the yeast begins to work, it’s unstoppable. From the underground Church in China to the fall of the Berlin Wall, history proves that no wall or regime can stop God’s Kingdom.
Even when unseen, the Kingdom is advancing. It may start small, but it always finishes strong.
Sent, Not Stuck
As a church, we’re stepping into a new season of multiplication. God is calling some of us to go — to be seeds and yeast in new places like our Canary campus. Others are called to stay and strengthen the home base.
Either way, we’re all sent. Because the Kingdom doesn’t grow by staying — it grows by going.
Let’s live as Kingdom carriers who make Earth look a little more like Heaven.
