Turning the World Upside Down

Suitable for individual or group use, this inductive Bible study, centered in the gospel of Matthew, looks at how the Kingdom of God formed the backbone of Jesus' teaching and ministry, and considers how it applies to the church today. 11 studies follow Matthew's account chapter by chapter starting with the genealogy of Jesus through to the fulfilment of the kingdom in heaven, looking at the Scripture record of Jesus' ministry from birth, temptations, commission for ministry and teaching through the parables. Jesus's confrontations with the religious leaders and dynamic ministry with people demonstrating the kingdom are considered, as is the element of Jubilee raised in Jesus' quoting Isaiah 61 in his commission (in Luke 4). Aspects of the fulfilment of the kingdom, judgement and the coming of the new Jerusalem lead into consideration of what the church is today in relation to the Kingdom of God, here but not complete. Reflection questions at the end of each study help focus on contextual issues for the reader, challenging the reader to apply Kingdom of God values in response to topic studied. The book has space after each question for written answers if desired. The purpose of the study is to help understand how central the Kingdom of God is to understanding God's purposes in the world.