This past Sunday, we continued our Kingdom Foundations series with a message titled “The Foundation of Kingdom Culture: Righteousness, Peace, and Joy.” Romans 14:17 gave us the foundation for the message: “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Every kingdom has a culture. Culture reveals what is normal, what is valued, and how people within that kingdom live. The Kingdom of God is no different. Wherever the King rules, His character should become visible.
That means Kingdom culture cannot be built around personalities, preferences, traditions, or the patterns of the world. It must reflect the nature of the King.
As Kingdom First Church continues to grow, this is especially important for us. We are not simply establishing services, ministries, or programs. We are establishing culture. The things we tolerate now can become the things that define us later. That is why we must be intentional about the kind of spiritual environment we are building together.
We do not want to become a church marked by gossip, competition, control, religious politics, or personality-driven ministry. Those things may exist in the culture around us, but they do not belong to the culture of the Kingdom.
Paul tells us that the Kingdom is marked by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Righteousness affects the way we live. It calls us to align our lives with the character and will of God. Kingdom righteousness is not about trying to appear more spiritual than someone else. It is about allowing Christ to shape our choices, attitudes, and actions.
Peace affects the way we relate to one another. Kingdom people should not constantly create division, carry offense, or stir conflict. We are called to be peacemakers. That does not mean avoiding truth or refusing to address problems. It means handling those things with grace, maturity, and a genuine desire for restoration.
Then there is joy. Kingdom joy is deeper than happiness and stronger than circumstance. It comes from the Holy Spirit. A church can have music, preaching, activity, and organization, but if the joy of the Lord is absent, something important is missing. Joy reveals that our confidence is not rooted in everything going perfectly. It is rooted in knowing that our King is still reigning.
The culture of the Kingdom also carries love, honor, servanthood, generosity, grace, truth, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. These are not decorative values to place on a wall. They must become visible in the way we treat one another, serve together, respond to correction, handle disagreements, welcome people, and represent Jesus in our community.
Jesus taught Kingdom culture throughout the Sermon on the Mount. He showed us a way of living that often stands in direct contrast to the world around us. The world says retaliate. Jesus says forgive. The world says promote yourself. Jesus teaches humility. The world says pursue power. Jesus teaches servanthood. The world says hold onto what is yours. The Kingdom teaches generosity.
Living in the Kingdom means allowing the culture of heaven to replace the culture we have learned from the world.
This is not something that happens automatically. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to continually shape us. Sometimes that means unlearning old patterns. Sometimes it means changing the way we speak, respond, or think. Kingdom culture is formed when people willingly submit themselves to the King.
As we build Kingdom First Church, I believe this message must remain close to our hearts. We can grow numerically and still miss what matters most. We can fill rooms and still fail to reflect the King. My desire is that when people encounter our church, they do not simply encounter a service. I want them to encounter the culture of the Kingdom.
A culture where righteousness matters. A culture where peace is protected. A culture where joy is evident. A culture where love, honor, grace, truth, and the presence of the Holy Spirit are more than words.
Because wherever the King truly reigns, His culture will follow.
With Kingdom purpose,
Pastor Chris Tullis
Kingdom First Church
“Seek First The Kingdom”