Snapshots of The Kingdom Among Us.

Introduction

When you ask any serious Theologian what was the message of Jesus, they would respond The Gospel of the Kingdom of God. They all agree and accept this fact that is clearly portrayed in the New Testament record of the Bible.

When you ask them what is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, then the disagreement begins.

However it is clear from the pages of Scripture what Jesus proclaimed and taught as the Gospel, lets look at some Bible verses together.

Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (Also taught by John the Baptist In Matthew 3:1-2).

Mark 1:14–15 ESV

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Three Fold Ministry Of Jesus. Matthew 4-12

Specifically Matthew 4:23-25

Matthew 4:23–25 ESV

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 9:35 ESV

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

We see clearly the three aspects that characterizes the ministry of Jesus

Jesus Proclaimed The Availability Of The Kingdom Of God

Jesus Proclaimed the Availability of the Kingdom of God to All.

The gospel Jesus preached is good news for life

The time has come, a change has taken place in the way God deals with men.

Matthew 11:12–13 ESV

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,

Luke 16:16 ESV

16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.

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.”

Jesus announced the new season/change that the time has come for.

God’s Kingdom and actions in this world is no longer through His chosen nation Israel, with all it’s rituals etc.

But now open to anyone who would believe in Jesus, no matter who they are or where they come from. The Kingdom is now open to all.

The way God operated in the world with people has changed, anyone from anywhere can repent and believe the good news and enter the Kingdom of God, because in Jesus, the Kingdom of God is near/available

The Kingdom of God is open to all, who would believe in Jesus.

There is a Kingdom of God we are all invited to live in, and we can know it by experiencing its reality.

We can come to know the presence of the King in our lives with such constancy and power that even when we are suffering great pain or lying down to die, we can feel and know the presence of the Kingdom and be blessed.

We now, in the presence of Jesus, have the option of living within the surrounding movements of God’s eternal purposes, of taking our life into his life.

You Can live the eternal kind of life now not just when you die.

Our faith is not a matter of our hearing what Christ said long ago and “trying to carry it out.” Rather, “The real Son of God is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as Himself. He is beginning, so to speak, to ‘inject’ His kind of life and thought, His Zoe [life], into you; beginning to turn the tin soldier into a live man. The part of you that does not like it is the part that is still tin.” C. S. Lewis quoted in Divine Conspiracy page 28.

If I can, I want a life that works now than a promise of a better life when I die.

The life of God right here, right now or the life of God when I die?

Jesus says you can have both now and fully at death.

This is what takes the Christian faith out of the block of all other religious faith. Christianity is a life and not a religion.

Repent means to change your thinking about God and life in light of the present available Kingdom of God.

Believe the Good News, that is put your confidence in Jesus for all of life. Chair Illustration

Jesus Taught The Principles Of The Kingdom Of God

Matthew 4:23 “23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

Mark 1:39 “39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

Jesus taught the principles (organizing principles, operating system) of the Kingdom of God. The Law of the Kingdom of God.

Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7. Luke 6:20-49.

Parables of the Kingdom Matthew 13:1–3 “1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.”

It’s a Kingdom of blessed people no matter their physical circumstances or conditions.

Matthew 5:1–12 ESV

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus Manifested The Power Of The Kingdom Of God

Matthew 4:24 “24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.”

Matthew 9:35 “35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.”

The word of the Kingdom is spiritual power to organize reality.

Matthew 12:28 ESV

28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Closing

God makes himself and his kingdom available, not in every way human beings have imagined, surely, but in a simple way.

Jesus offers himself as God’s doorway into the life that is truly life.

Confidence in him leads us today, as in other times, to become his apprentices in eternal living.

All the preliminaries have been taken care of,’ he said, ‘and the rule of God is now accessible to everyone. Review your plans for living and base your life on this remarkable new opportunity’” (Mark 1:15). The Divine Jesus Conspiracy_ Page 15.