The Gospel Project: Disciples Long for Jesus's Coming (Doctrine Session

Intro:

Play “Brandless Brands” game

Brands; identifiable, represent a product/company

Kingdom Logos

Essential Doctrine: Church and Kingdom

The church and the kingdom of God are closely related, though not identical. When the Bible speaks of the kingdom of God, it is referring to the reign of God in the world. The church is the people of God who live under His loving rule now, anticipating the full revelation of God’s kingdom in the future. The church’s mission is to witness to God’s kingdom, proclaiming God’s message of salvation through Christ and demonstrating the power of the gospel through good works so that others may be brought to live under God’s reign.

Essential Connection

This week we looked at how being a part of Tod’s kingdom affects our daily lives. We are salt and light, and God uses us in bringing others into the kingdom. We experience it in part now, but one day we will experience it fully. Until then, we long for the day His reign is revealed on earth.

Watch doctrine video

Ask: What stuck out to you about God’s kingdom in the video?

Main Point: God’s kingdom is present today and will be established in full when Christ returns.

Disciples recognize that God’s kingdom is here in part.

Luke 17:20–21 (ESV)

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Ask: How do people make it clear that they are citizens of a specific country?

Being proud of cultural heritage

Demonstrated in many ways

If we are citizens of God’s kingdom now, how do we make that clear to others?

All believers = Heaven citizens

Kingdom is here

Don’t have to go find it

Where Jesus is present, kingdom is present

The pharisees missed this

Don’t make that clear

Lifestyle of faith

Pointing to our real kingdom

Transition Statement: The Kingdom may be here in part now, but it will not be fully revealed until Jesus returns

Main Point: God’s kingdom is present today and will be established in full when Christ returns.

Disciples recognize that God’s kingdom is here in part.

Disciples anticipate that God’s kingdom is coming in full.

Luke 17:22–35 ESV

22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”

Ask: What is something that you anxiously anticipate or wait for with excitement?

Going to high school

Graduating from high school

Vacation

Drivers license/vehicle

Increased independence

Consumes thoughts and dreams

Should feel this way about kingdom

Ask: Why are we called to excitedly wait for God’s kingdom?

God’s kingdom = front of our minds

Motivate actions and words

Scripture foretold

Seeing Jesus face to face

Joyful anticipation

Being “attentive and watchful”

Big Question: What will God’s kingdom look like when it comes?

The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse into God’s kingdom. After we reign for a thousand years with Christ on earth, Jesus will cast Satan into a lake of fire, defeating him and all sin and death forever (see Rev. 20:10. This victory will usher in God’s kingdom in its fullness, signaling a return to an Eden-like state. We will be fully restored. There will be no more sickness, no more sin or death, and no more physical separation from God (see Rev. 21:3-4). The new heaven and new earth will continue for all eternity unblemished and perfect, as God intended from the beginning. We will enjoy intimate fellowship with God and with one another, surrounded by His light-the only source of light we will need (see Rev. 22:5). We will exist with God to worship Him forever and ever.

Transition Statement: Because God’s kingdom is so great, we don’t just long for it ourselves; we want others to know about it, too!

Main Point: God’s kingdom is present today and will be established in full when Christ returns.

Disciples recognize that God’s kingdom is here in part.

Disciples anticipate that God’s kingdom is coming in full.

Disciples work for God’s kingdom to be known by all

Matthew 24:45–51 ESV

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What can happen to our commitment or excitement when something we are waiting for takes a long time in coming?

Initial excitement can wear off

Impatient and less dedicated

Don’t know when Jesus is coming back

Feels so far away that we lose focus on loving God and others

Loving others as ourselves

“Anything else is neglect of responsibility and abuse of others.”

Getting distracted by the world and caught up in things that don’t last

Lives matter more than we realize

How we live = huge impact on Kingdom

How can you be faithful while you wait for Christ’s return? What does he ask believers to do while we wait?

Spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:19).

+ unique jobs according to gifts

Don’t waste gifts

Not seeing Jesus physically = getting lazy

Live as if absent, but he’s actually present

Motive us to live for Him and tell others about Him

Desire = Jesus find us faithful

“One is not saved by works, but he is judged by them.”

Christ Connection

All who have trusted in Christ are part of His church, living under God’s rule as King today while waiting for Christ’s return to establish the kingdom in full. As such, the church’s mission is to proclaim salvation through Christ to the world so that others might be part of the coming kingdom as well.

Head: Does knowing that Jesus will return fill you with excitement or fear? Why?

Healthy fear = respect = isn’t a bad thing

Not wanting to let down a coach or parent

Want to make Jesus proud, but not living in fear

Experiencing joy while we wait

Living the abundant life

Heart: In Luke 17:33, Jesus warns that if we hold our lives too tightly we will lose them. What does He mean? What earthly things are you holding too tightly?

Struggle for everyone

Popularity

Friendships

Sports

Grades

Reputation

Plans for the future

Giving lives away = focusing on what lasts = Him

Living more intentionally/with purpose

Can do these things with Christ at the center

Cling to Jesus = love for him overflows

Hands: How does your life need to change so that others clearly see you are a citizen of God’s kingdom?

Private citizens

Going to church but living like others

Being His ambassadors

Representing our true home

Saying no to things others say yes to

Laying down our desires

Worth it!

God rewards those who seek Him.

Final Takeaway: Get excited about Jesus’ return and demonstrate that excitement through the way that you live.