Kingdom Influence Part 2
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
Last week in our Kingdom Influence series, we talked about worldview, how the way we see the world shapes the way we live, the choices we make, and the influence we carry. We said that if we want to live faithfully as followers of Jesus, our worldview must be shaped by Scripture, not by culture. That foundation matters. But today we are taking the next step, because even with a biblical worldview, influence does not happen in a vacuum.
Jesus never sent His disciples into abstract spaces. He sent them into towns, neighborhoods, and homes, real places filled with real people. Before He ever told them what to say, He trained them how to see. He taught them to notice, to listen, and to understand the people in front of them. In other words, He taught them how to read their mission field.
That is what we are building on today, learning how to exegete our community. Just as we study Scripture carefully to understand what God is saying, we must also learn to observe and understand the people and places God has put around us. We do not assume every community is the same, and we do not assume that what worked somewhere else will automatically work here.
Every community is different. People are different. Cultures are different. Histories are different. That is why churches look different, and should look different. A church in the Bible Belt, surrounded by people with deep church familiarity, will not look the same as a church in a post Christian city where many people have little or no exposure to the gospel. A church serving a large, more uniform population may be able to focus very narrowly, while a church in a smaller, more diverse area often has to cast a wider net.
That is not a matter of right or wrong. That is wisdom.
1 Corinthians 9:19–23 (NIV)
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
The apostle Paul understood this deeply. In 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, he explains how he adapted his approach depending on who he was with, Jew, Gentile, weak, strong, so that he might win as many as possible. Paul never changed the gospel, but he consistently changed his methods. His posture was one of humility, attentiveness, and faithful presence.
If we want Kingdom influence, we cannot just copy models or import strategies without discernment. We have to pay attention to where God has placed us and ask, “What is God already doing here, and how can we join Him?”
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.
