Not of This World

I want to open this morning

but reading our Scripture for today to give you a chance to

Center on the CORE lesson today.

John 18:33–40 (ESV)

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”

35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”

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.”

37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.

39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

In our reading this morning, Jesus in on trial in front of Pontius Pilate

it is early morning, and the Jewish Leaders

want to hand him over

to wash their hands of Jesus once and for all.

They certainly achieved there GOAL

--- but good for us it is for GOD’s Plan and NOT THEIRS

They want it done quickly so they can “eat the Passover Meal”

Pilate tells them to judge him themselves (John 18:31)

They replied ---

We don’t want to judge him we want to EXECUTE HIM

and last week we discussed why this was Prophetic

As in most Scripture reading as a Preacher

we must decide what to focus

on in our short time together this morning.

My prayer time continued to focus on the phrase

“My Kingdom is NOT OF THIS WORLD”

and what Jesus says after this

If i were [from this world] — my servants would fight to prevent my arrest

interesting point on why Jesus rebuked Peter in Ear situation

My Kingdom is from another place

Can you a imagine living in a world that is seeking to kill you?

Scripture tells us this is WHOLLY TRUE

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We all have trials in this life

and if you remember Jesus told us that we would

--- yet He reminded us that He has overcome the World

_______

I find myself struggling with this concept of two worlds

I find myself separating them into current and future

I have to deal with earthly issues now

and heaven will happen later

There is a sense that i need to please both

I separate them rather than join the two concepts into ONE

instead of being identified with CITIZENSHIP in HEAVEN

and visiting and living for a time on Earth

- I FORGET WHO I SERVE

How I view this dichotomy shapes my thought patterns

and because of Knowing that I belong to Christ and Serving Him alone

We often seek to live in this world and run to Jesus when we are challenged.

Jesus was NOT OF THIS WORLD

JESUS LIVED IN IT and WOULD DIE in IT

But THIS IS NOT FROM THIS WORLD

HIS KINGDOM COME —HIS WILL BE DONE

On Earth as it is in HEAVEN

Jesus had to DIE to PAY THE PRICE FOR OUR SIN

— To settle the DEBT from the GARDEN

JESUS had to die

--- So we could walk again with HIM in PEACE in the PERFECT PLACE

Let me give you a Quick Lesson on two CHURCHY words

not that you start to use them, but that you understand them

Propitiation

Propitiation

is a term that means to appease or satisfy God's wrath or anger.

It is often used in connection with the atonement of Christ,

who became the propitiation for our sins by his death on the Cross.

Christ is "the propitiation,"

because by his becoming our substitute

and assuming our obligations he expiated or atoned our guilt

, HE covered it,

by the vicarious punishment which he endured

another word would fit also

Atonement

That the Bible's central message is atonement

, that is,

that God has provided a way for humankind to come back into harmonious relation with him,

is everywhere apparent in Scripture.

From the first stories in Genesis to the last visions of Revelation,

God seeks to reconcile his people to himself.

Because Jesus paid this DEBT FOR US

we should live a life that is SOLELY FOCUSED on HIM

HE DIED FOR US, SO WE LIVE FOR HIM

HERE IS THE HOW TO DO!!

LIVING A LIFE

We should all be facing challenges in our beliefs and our actions daily

We should be focused on living a life that HONORS GOD

in a world ADVERSE to our beliefs and behaviors

As i was preparing this message FOOTBALL keep coming to mind

When the opposing team travels to play another

THEY are not from that place

They are FULLY Dressed in the Markings of the enemy

They run out in to a stadium with the vast majority of people rooting for the HOME TEAM

The visiting Team will seek to OVERCOME the OTHERS

They will WORK TOGETHER as a TEAM to BEAT THE ENEMY

they must be UNIFIED and EACH DO THERE PART to WIN the GAME FOR THEIR TEAM

Every day we walk out into a WORLD that is Focused on ITSELF and not of GOD.

Sunday morning should feel like COMING HOME

It should feel like a HOME GAME

- Surrounded by Others focused on the WIN for our TEAM

One thing i seek to fight

is the concept of SUNDAY CHRISTIANS

We should not come to church for a CHECK MARK

but seek to come to CHURCH

to get a REST from the BATTLE of the WORLD

We are NOT OF THIS WORLD

Sunday morning should be a time WHERE you can REST

You can be around LIKE MINDED UNITED PEOPLE

all Struggling to LIVE in a WORLD

that is Adverse to our beliefs and behaviors

God is not SURPRISED BY THIS at ALL

Biblical HISTORY tells us that:

Daniel spend 65 of his 85 years living in a KINGDOM that was not HIS world

Joseph rejected by His brothers lives in a KINGDOM that was not His

Paul was a Jewish Leader —Had his own and others around him —identify him as SUCH

but PAUL LIVED FOR CHRIST’s KINGDOM

in a WORLD opposed to HIS BELIEFS and BEHAVIORS.

FRIENDS

Here is a Sad TRUTH

JESUS would be kicked out of MANY “Christian Churches today”

and sadly most of the reason would be that

HE WOULD BE LOVING GOD AND LOVING OTHERS

with out regard for their Earthly Station.

When Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world,”

He conveyed profound truths about His reign and the nature of His kingdom.

the key points:

Distinct Kingdom:

Jesus’ kingdom is not limited to earthly boundaries or political systems.

It transcends human structures and operates on different principles.

Heavenly Authority:

Jesus declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him (Matthew 28:18).

His kingship extends beyond earthly realms, emphasizing His divine authority.

Not Indifferent to Earthly Matters:

Jesus’ point is often misunderstood.

His kingdom isn’t immaterial or indifferent to human affairs.

His reign impacts how Christians treat others and engage with the world.

Different from Worldly Kingdoms:

Jesus’ kingdom contrasts with power-grabbing, violence-driven earthly kingdoms.

It prioritizes love, service, and sacrificial living rather than domination.

Chosen Out of the World:

Jesus told His disciples, “You are not of the world” (John 15:19).

Believers are chosen out of the world, set apart for God’s purposes.

Worldly Hostility:

Because believers are not of this world, they may face opposition and even hatred.

The world’s values often clash with the values of Jesus’ kingdom.

Conclusion

In summary, Jesus’ kingdom is both present and future—

it’s not confined to earthly systems

but actively transforms hearts and lives.

As His followers, we navigate a tension between being in the world and not of it,

seeking to live out His kingdom values while engaging with the world around us

In these verses today we

are REMINDED of a Truth that Satan Seeks to HIDE

We are not of this WORLD

PILATES offers a final statement in

asking the Question

What is TRUTH?

The TRUTH is the GOSPEL —that is WHY we call it the GOOD NEWS

We are RESURRECTED in CHRIST

to a NEW LIFE

a LIFE

that is lived out in a FOREIGN WORLD

our CITIZENSHIP is in HEAVEN

We must continue to learn to LIVE a LIFE

that is for CHRIST alone

OUR PURPOSE IS HIS PURPOSE

YES it is HARD TO DO

YES it takes a LOT OF TIME

YES you belong to a Church that is Committed to

GLORIFYING GOD BY GROWING OTHERS

and one of the KEYS to that WORK at this CHURCH

is to REMIND you

that YOU ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD.

Lets Pray