If we want a good model for expanding the kingdom of God in our churches and cities we could use this simple one: “And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.” (Matthew 4:23)

Notice the word AND which links the two ways together. The kingdom is expanded through word AND deed. The word is teaching and proclaiming and the deed is healing. If we want to follow Jesus, let’s follow his example because he was pretty successful with that methodology.

Jesus was a powerful teacher or rabbi “for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22) Yet, the crowds did not believe simply for his teaching. His disciples grew as he backed up his word with healings and miracles. What if we did the same?

Some might say: “Yeah but we’re not Jesus!” No but he passed to us the authority to be his mouth and hands and feet to reach our own generation just as he and his disciples reached theirs. He gave us this promise: “he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12)

Let’s build the kingdom of God on earth just as Jesus did with both word and deed – you might say hand in hand.