Kingdom of God… NOTW

John 18:36

1 Corinthians 16:21–24 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

“I have known Christians in North Korea who died for their faith literally knowing only a few verses of Scripture and a few stories from the Bible because they know they treasure it as so holy, and rely on it so completely. It tells them who they are and they rely on it.”

The kingdom” is a big theme for Jesus. In the ESV translation, “kingdom” is mentioned 126 times in the Gospels. Then “kingdom” is mentioned 34 more times in the rest of the New Testament

Our main text for today is going to be John 18:36 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.””

Explain where we are headed…

·      People Fed with a few loaves

·      A little can become a lot: Mustard seed

·      Branches of a vine that provide true life

·      we are given all we need to grow. 2 Peter 1:1-4

·      The kingdom is incredibly valuable

[Jesus] said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Luke 4:43)

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15 NIV)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

While Jesus was on the earth, the focus of His teaching and ministry was on the Kingdom of God. The phrases Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom occur more than ninety times in the Gospels, and the book of Acts is filled with accounts of works of the Kingdom of God. Jesus taught the Kingdom of God as a new way of living and thinking, not as a physical kingdom with walls and castle.

Because Jesus spent so much of His time teaching about the Kingdom of God, it is obviously an essential part of our understanding as Christians. Not only can we understand God’s Kingdom, but we can live in it and carry its message.

God’s kingdom is a heavenly kingdom of blessing, and those who live according to Kingdom principles will see blessing in their life.

Blessing means to be happy, content and thriving (This is different than a prosperity gospel where if we follow God He will give us money). But rather we can sing that song Praise and actually mean it.

“I'll praise in the valley Praise on the mountain I'll praise when I'm sure Praise when I'm doubting

As long as I'm breathing I've got a reason to

Praise the Lord”

Many people think that God’s Kingdom is all about keeping rules, demands and unattainable expectations. But Jesus debunked that idea when He began to teach what are known as the Beatitudes or be-attitudes! You’ll find this teaching in Matthew 5:3-12. Jesus the King wants His citizens to be happy and blessed.

Jesus announced the arrival of the Kingdom on the earth. But it is through the transformed hearts of men and women that His Kingdom – His way of doing and being – that this Kingdom comes and is on the earth. Something to remember is that God and His Kingdom are “not of this world” (see John 18:36) and so they must be embraced by faith because they don’t resemble anything we know on earth.

So what is the kingdom of God???

The kingdom of God is…

1: Rule and Reign

I think the most important thing I could say about the kingdom of God that would help people make sense out of all the uses is that the basic meaning of the word kingdom in the Bible is God’s reign — R-E-I-G-N — not realm or people. The kingdom creates a realm, the kingdom creates a people, but the kingdom of God is not synonymous with its realm or its people.

For example, consider Psalms 103:19: “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” You can hear the basic meaning of the word kingdom as rule. It doesn’t mean that his kingdom rules over his realm; it means that God’s reign or rule governs all things.

He sits as king on his throne of the universe, and his kingly rule — his kingdom and his reign — governs all things. The basic meaning of the word kingdom in the Bible is God’s kingly rule — his reign, his action, his lordship, his sovereign governance.

2: Saving Sinners

Since God’s purpose for the world is to save a people for himself and renew the world for that people, his kingly rule implies a saving and a redeeming activity on their behalf. This is why the coming of the kingdom in the New Testament is called good news.

In and through Jesus, God, the king, is coming in a way — a new way — into the world to establish his saving rule. First, in the hearts of his people and in their relationships by triumphing over sin, Satan, and death. Then by the exercise of his reign, gathering a people for himself in congregations that live as citizens of a new allegiance of the kingdom — not of this world. Then Christ comes a second time and completes the reign by establishing a new heavens and a new earth.

3: Already, but not yet

How can the kingdom of God be both not yet present and already present? He says, “Pray for it. It’s coming. It’s not yet here. It’s not going to be immediate, and yet already, it’s present in your midst, upon you, at hand.” How can he say all that?

The answer is, the kingdom of God is God’s reign — his sovereign action in the world to redeem and deliver a people and then at a future time finish it and renew his people and the universe completely

4: Trading the Throne for the Cross

The people were ready to come and make Jesus king. Jesus repeatedly told people not to tell others about what they had seen (Mathew 17:9; Mark 7:36). That’s because there would be such a widespread misunderstanding about the nature of his kingship that a political revolt might happen as people try to sweep him on to the throne like in John 6.

John 6:15 “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

No, he came to be crucified. That’s why he came. He came to die, not to be put on a throne yet. He would only be king through crucifixion and resurrection. The disciples could scarcely comprehend that.

But once Jesus came back from the dead, what he tells them before he died in Matthew 16:24–28 finally makes sense to them.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.””

What does this mean for you? The Kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom. It is a transformation of heart and mind, a way of believing and living in preparation for eternity. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then your citizenship is no longer “of this world” – you are a citizen of heaven.

The kingdom of God refers to God’s reign on earth and consequently, in our hearts. It is about His kingship and our obedience to His rule. In His kingdom, the first shall be last, the broken are blessed, we look out for our neighbour and we rejoice when the lost are found. His kingdom comes as each of us bows the knee and confesses that He is king and live our lives as loyal citizens.