Manuscript (guideline) for a message dated 25 06 08.. which can’t be right sense that’s two days ago. must of been april, which would be 25 04 08. oh well..
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The Kingdom Of God
25 May 2008
Good morning!
Happy Memorial Day. I was thinking about what it is we celebrate in remembrance today. Memorial Day was established after the Civil War to remember the Union soldiers that had given their lives in that struggle. As our nation passed in and out of a growing number of conflicts, Memorial Day was redefined to include any and all soldiers that had died on the field of battle, or during a time of war. As Americans, we take a certain pride in our armed forces being among the most effective and well-trained in the world. Our various branches extoll virtues like honor, duty, valor and patriotism. Looking back through the history of our nation and reading the documents upon which our country was founded, we see some of the driving motive behind our military. The Preamble of the Declaration of Independence reads:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
All men are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights. These are not just things every man and woman should have, but these are bestowed by the Creator and are distributed to all people, foreign and domestic to the United States. Whether American, Iraqi, Canadian, Japanese, German or other - the struggle to uphold these rights and freedoms are what we believe distinguish American soldiers. A passionate dedication to social equality among all peoples is easily found throughout the Bible - caring for those in distress, maintaining a passion for justice and practicing mercy are near to the heart of God and are commanded of those that choose to pattern their lives after Jesus. Today, we remember those men and women that have given their lives through radical acts of service to their country, to the preservation of liberty, and to the struggle for freedom among all peoples of the globe.
Pastor Steve has been working his way through the book of 1 Corinthians, and when he asked if I would preach this morning I assumed I would just take the next section of scripture and preach on that - carrying on the pattern and all that. This next section is 1 Corinthians 7, which talks pretty specifically about marriage. In fact, the first paragraph reads:
“1Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
And as I was reading this I thought ‘huh.. interesting. i have absolutely no idea how to preach about that.’ As a single guy, I have my own thoughts and philosophy about marriage and sexuality, but when it really comes down to the intimacy of marriage, I’m lost. (On the other hand, I like long walks on the beach, children, and good discussions over coffee. If that’s appealing to you, I’ll be in the back after the service.) Anyway, I thought it would be good to let Pastor Steve tackle that passage and get the most out of it for you from a experienced standpoint. My topic this morning is ‘The Kingdom of God’, and as I was reading, praying, listening to sermons, and studying - I realized that I might of been better off trying to stumble through a sermon on marriage and sexuality because of the sheer enormity of this topic. The Kingdom of God is something that has become very precious to me over the past several years. It’s one of those things that I get an adrenaline rush thinking and talking about - it’s a subject that ignites passion within me. It’s like what Jeremiah says in chapter 20: “his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” This message of the Kingdom is like a fire in my bones, and I love to let it out. John Wesley said that if you want people to listen to the message of the Gospel, catch on fire for the Kingdom and people will come to watch you burn. That’s what I am hoping will happen here this morning - that we will catch on fire as a family, and that we would burn so brightly that Sedro-Woolley, Burlington, Mount Vernon.. Skagit Valley will come to watch us burn in the fire of the Holy Spirit.
(PRAY)
This topic of the Kingdom of God is one that has become sadly ambiguous within the church. We read about Jesus saying ‘The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. And a coin that’s lost. And like some farmers who sow seed… some treasure buried in a field. And a pearl.’ We hear that and it seems like we write it off as something that will eventually become clear, or as just one of those mysteries in the Bible. As I’ve studied and learned about this concept of the Kingdom of God, I’ve become more and more convinced at the centrality of the Kingdom to our faith. I believe that a proper and dynamic understanding of the Kingdom of God, how it advances and the distinguishing characteristics of it’s people is critical to our relationship with the Lord - and will to a large part determine our conduct as we go through life. So this morning I’d like to take a look at a few ways Jesus describes the Kingdom, and offer a few thoughts on how we can respond to his invitation to participate in this reign and rule of God.
Since I started ministry here - not quite a year ago - I’ve asked my students to define the Kingdom of God every couple of weeks. The rough definition we are working off of is something like this: breaking it down, what is a kingdom? A kingdom is a place that has people, land, and a king. Within that kingdom, the Kings rule is not questioned. His will is done willingly and quickly by his subjects, and he has ultimate authority and responsibility over everything that goes on within his kingdom. In a similar way, God reigns over his kingdom. So the Kingdom of God, our working definition of the Kingdom of God is that ‘The Kingdom of God is the reign and rule of God brought about by the obedient submission of his people.’ Which is a helpful definition in a pinch, but I’d like to take a deeper look at what Jesus says about the Kingdom of God. In order to get the best perspective, I think it’s helpful to look back in history and through the Bible and see what was going on before Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom of God had come. So looking all the way back in Leviticus chapter 26, verses 1-13 we see God establishing his rule and reign over his people - with a contingency built on their obedience and dedication to Him. Let me read this to you:
1”You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God. 2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. 7You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. 10You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. 11 I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.”
I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be my people. A sort of pesudo-return to the ideal relationship that began in the garden with Adam and Eve. As we follow the story of the Israelites through the Old Testament, we see this tangible, physical reign, rule and interaction of God with his people. From the 10 Commandments, Moses glowing face, the prophets and judges, to the plethora of times God delivered them from their enemies - they were his people, and he was their God. They had no king because they communed with God and received instruction from Him through his prophets. But the story of this Kingdom begins to take a different turn during the time of the prophet Samuel. Samuel was his mothers firstborn, dedicated to God even before birth. He was trained by the priest Eli, and there was undeniable evidence of God’s hand on his life during his childhood. As he began to grow old, he passed the mantle onto his two sons. We read in 1 Samuel 8:
“1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.”
So as we read through this, there’s a sense in which the people are no longer willing to submit and trust the will and power of God. They wanted something - someone - to make them like the other nations around them. I’m constantly trying to make myself more and more aware that my relationship, our relationship with God is just that - a relationship. Even more than that, it’s a covenant/love relationship that requires both parties to extend effort and interest into the other person. I think this was one of Israel’s mistakes - they stopped caring about God and let their affections turn towards other gods and the desire to conform to the norm set by those around them. And so God let them break relationship with him as their King, and the relationship was forever changed.
Fast-forward to the New Testament and the time of Jesus. Israel’s kings have failed her time and time again. There were definite ups and downs, but at the present they were under the rule of Rome, probably not quite where they had hoped to be with the whole kingdom aspect. Despite the oppression and cruelty under the Romans, they were holding out hope for a Messiah - a triumphant King who would return and set up his eternal Kingdom. A Kingdom of God above all other kingdoms, establishing Israel as the chosen people and glorifying those who had obeyed the law and trusted in Him. Then along comes this Jesus - an illegitimate son from the bad side of town - saying that this Kingdom of God was near, and had even begun to arrive without their noticing. It’s a little easier to understand the outrage of the religious leaders if you see it from the context of this physical Kingdom they had heard stories about in the past - God raised up a mighty King David and demolished the Philistines and everyone else that stood in their way. Then Jesus comes and brings this radically different message: the Kingdom has been revealed to little children and isn’t made manifest in the slaughter of their enemies, rather in the turning of a cheek and the walking of an extra mile. Many rejected this Kingdom, but some trusted and experienced this new, whole and true Kingdom that Jesus brought and spoke about. So I’d like to take a look at what Jesus said about the Kingdom, and then talk about some the distinguishing characteristics of a Kingdom citizen.
Jesus says in Luke 4 that the whole reason he was sent was to preach the Kingdom of God. Pastor Steve and I were at a church planting conference a couple weeks ago and one of the things they encourage people looking to start a church to do is to have a mission statement. What drives you, why are you doing what you are doing - what are you doing with what you are doing? As I was sitting there trying to think of what my mission statement was, I began to wonder what Jesus mission statement would be. I looked at a couple different scriptures, but this passage in Isaiah stood out to me specifically. Isaiah 61.18-19, it’s the same section that Jesus reads in the synagogue in Luke 4:
18”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
That’s a pretty good mission statement. All of those tasks revolve around the spread of the Kingdom of God - the opening of the Kingdom to everyone - the poor, the captive, the blind (spiritually and physically) and to set free those who have been taken captive. To free people from affliction so they might be given the opportunity to submit themselves to the reign and rule of our glorious God and King. That’s a pretty good mission statement. As Jesus goes from town to town and preaches this good news of the Kingdom, there’s a definite sense that the Kingdom is ‘already and not yet.’ I love in Matthew 6 the anticipation of the Kingdom in the Lords prayer:
“9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Other translations have a more definable sense of the Kingdom’s immanent arrival. The NLT says ‘Our father in heave, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.’ May your Kingdom come soon, may what you want be done on earth just like it is in your presence, in heaven. So the Kingdom is something that isn’t yet everywhere - the Kingdom must be brought about by God’s will being done here on earth, just like it is in heaven. I was listening to sermons on this topic the past week, and one pastor suggested that the Kingdom of God was Heavens answer to the mess that had been made of the kingdom on earth. Here’s how life was meant to be lived, here is the pattern you were made for, here is the love and relationship your soul longs for. Eschatology or the study of the end times attempts to give a picture of what the eternal Kingdom of God will look like when Jesus returns to earth. Whether you are post-trib, pre-trib, or ‘i don’t know what trib is’, we hold this expectation and promise of the physical return of our King Jesus to restore creation to it’s glory and to set up his Kingdom with an iron scepter - reading through Revelation it’s pretty hard to get away from the story of Jesus as a conquering King returning to abolish evil. Yet, at the same time, it’s just as unmistakable that the Kingdom is already at work - already at hand, already present today here and now.
Jesus tells six parables about the imminent - ‘the already here-ness’ of the Kingdom of God in Matthew 13. The Kingdom of God is like a pearl that a guy discovers and sells everything he has just to get that pearl. It’s like a precious treasure in a field that is discovered, and the merchant goes and sells everything he has - does whatever he has to in order to get the field so he can possess the treasure. It’s like a tiny mustard seed that when planted, becomes the largest tree in the field where birds come and perch. In Luke 17.20-21: 20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” The Kingdom of God knows no cultural, political, or geo-socio boundaries. It isn’t marked by a physical dominion, there is no army or castle in which the king lives. The Kingdom is the good news of the gospel accepted and lived by those that hear it. It’s a precious treasure that demands we sacrifice our all to attain it. The Kingdom is the presence of the King, which has been made manifest through the life of Jesus and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. So while the Kingdom of God doesn’t have these geo-political boundaries, what are some distinguishing characteristics of those living our Kingdom values?
I read a great quote that I wanted to share with you. One author suggested that “The Kingdom rotates around worship, or declaring the worthiness of the King.” I love that idea. In Isaiah and Revelation, we get this picture of the throne room of Heaven where the four living creatures are flying, circling around the throne of God, and 24 elders clothed in white are singing day and night ‘Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come! The whole earth is filled with his glory.’ In Hebrew, there isn’t a word like our word ‘most’. You can’t say ‘this is the most delicious cinnamon roll ever’, so what they do is repeat the attribute to convey this idea of superiority. The ultimate, the shorthand for ‘infinite’ or ‘most’ is to repeat the attribute three times - so this passage carries this idea of holy holy holy, MOST holy is the Lord God almighty. On top of that, the a descriptor for the word ‘glory’ they use in the passage is ‘kavod’, which is a tangible weight and significance. So you get this picture that these beings, these elders and all the angels are constantly singing ‘Most holy is the Lord God Almighty - the whole earth, all of creation is filled with the tangible weight of his glory.’ Creation is steeped and saturated in the presence and glory of God. The Kingdom of God is. The Kingdom is and it will be. Citizens of the Kingdom are distinguished by their lives. Augustine, the great philosopher and theologian talks about this ‘City of God’, a city within a city. A city that lives by a greater morality and purpose. A Kingdom that invites everyone to participate in this journey towards becoming more and more like Christ. Citizens of the Kingdom of God are characterized by these things - the evidence of the presence of God and his reign in their lives and rule in their hearts. I would offer these three attributes that people living a Kingdom lifestyle share:
1) The Proclamation of the Gospel and A Call to Repentance
2) A Striving for Holiness (to be set aside for God)
3) The practice of a Missional/Others-Focused lifestyle.
I want to share three scriptures that back up those characterizations, then we’ll wrap it up. The first is Micah 6.8. The people of Israel are asking God ‘What do you want from us? What can we do that will please you?’ God responds through the prophet with: “8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Not unlike the ideal of what we want to strive for as a country, acting with Justice, practicing mercy towards all, and walking humbly in relationship with God realizing that He is the King and it’s our privilege and duty to submit to Him. The second is James 1.26-27. James is opening up with a powerful discourse on the intertwining of faith and actions, and says in verse 26-27 that: “26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” This idea of humility and worship guiding our tongues and actions so that we begin to live out the mission of Jesus - proclaiming good news to the oppressed and broken. Through this pursuit of becoming more and more like Jesus, we are conformed into his image and become less polluted by the ways of the world. A strive for holiness, one of the characteristics of the Free Methodist Church is and should be central to our understanding of the Kingdom, because where God is, is sacred and set apart. It is holy and shows contrast to the kingdom of the world. Finally the third passage Matthew 6.33. The middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands his followers to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and it’s righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” As we prioritize the Kingdom, submitting to the reign and rule of the King, He will take care of our needs.
So in conclusion, I would like to suggest that the Kingdom of God is both a physical and spiritual reality. It is both present, and future - already, and not yet. One day, Jesus will return in physical form to take his rightful place as King in his eternal Kingdom - And we also bring about the reality of the Kingdom through obedient submission to the ways of the King in the here and now. We can do this through 1) Proclaiming the Gospel and calling for repentance 2) Continually striving to be perfect and holy like God is perfect and holy and 3) Intentionally living a missional and others-focused lifestyle. In closing, would you please pray the Lord’s Prayer with me? (Matthew 6.9-13, NIV)
9”This, then, is how you should pray:
” ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]’ 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
