A Kingdom in Our Midst // Luke 17:20-21

Introduction

Illus. GPS to Chick-fil-A

Common experience to be sent to the wrong place — follow all the instructions, but end up somewhere totally random

My experience taking a bus load of students to CFA in Georgia (side note: favorite story about Chick-fil-A calling and them saying it’s ok)

Arrived at destination — I didn’t see the red and white sign, 3 full drive through lanes, and eager teens with an iPad ready to punch in orders; instead I saw an empty plot of land

None of the evidence I’m looking for is here, so I conclude that the GPS must have been wrong

Pharisees have a similar misunderstanding because the arrival of the Kingdom didn’t look like they expected.

The pharisees were not understanding this—they categorically thought of the kingdom as something future, observable, and measurable by the standards of earthly power.

Jesus claim isn’t just that the Kingdom of God is coming but that it is it is here, you’re just missing it — it’s not in process, it has arrived and is breaking in

Luke 17:20–21 CSB

When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, ‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Big Idea: The Kingdom of God is in our midst—and that reality reshapes how we live here and now.

This “here and now” reality of God’s Kingdom causes us to move…

From Waiting → To Participating

From Thinking → To Encountering

From Believing → To Embodying

Exposition // Luke 17:20-21

1. From Waiting → To Participating

Not a neutral question — built on these assumptions:

Reign is a future entity not yet here

If it were present there would be physical signs — it doesn’t look like a new kingdom has come… no declaration of a change of regime, a new obvious king that has come in power, no change of the cultural landscape that we can see

We’re capable of the same mistake and misunderstanding —

We find ourselves waiting for a massive spiritual revival, cultural revolution, or political change…

Jesus says, “the Kingdom of God is not coming with something observable”

What does this mean? The reign of God becomes visible, but not necessarily how people are looking for it.

Truth: the Kingdom of God is active even if it is unacknowledged

Warning: if we look for what the Kingdom is, we can miss what God is doing

Jesus reframes the question — not what the Kingdom is, but when the Kingdom is.

Understanding what the reign of God is matters, but it can’t be separated from knowing when the reign of God is.

Luke 17:20-21 — an address to the Pharisees who ask for clarity about the kingdom; one of several places in Luke-Acts where Jesus corrects misunderstandings about the timeline of eschatological reign and the nature of God’s dominion (Luke 19:11-27, 21:7-36; Acts 1:6)

Jesus unequivocally says that the Kingdom and reign of God is here and now — the “kingdom of God is in [our] midst” (v.21)

Application: Living in the “here and now” reality of God’s Kingdom is not just knowing information, but inhabiting a new reality — requires a formation of the heart and mind to know, believe, and live according to a Kingdom that is present.

2. From Thinking → To Encountering

God’s Kingdom is not an abstraction or a thought exercise — it is a reality based upon the real spiritual of presence of the living God in his people.

The Kingdom is not an exercise of thinking — even if it involves the formation of our minds and thoughts

The Kingdom is about an abiding encounter with the God who is here among us

Narrative context points to this —

Luke 17:11-19 — about the cleansing of ten lepers; nine of them were overjoyed by their miraculous healing, but only one understood what this healing meant… the healing was made possible only because Jesus the Great healer was among them.

Only one leper returned to praise… the other nine missed the point. It wasn’t about all the good things that come from the Kingdom of God being here and now… it was about the abiding presence of the Great Healer and King Jesus.

Luke has been involved in a long-form narrative reitnerinrepation of the Kingdom of God in terms of its relationship to the presence of Jesus—it is not a geopolitical event or visible regime change, but is something that is inseparable from the presence and activity of Jesus. Luke has been signaling through story, miracle, conflict, and teaching that the Kingdom and reign of God is where Jesus is.

Application: Living the “here and now” reality of God’s Kingdom is inseparable from a real, authentic, and abiding encounter with him.

Can’t force it by our own means, can’t create a moral/political revolution akin to it

The Kingdom only comes through the presence of the King with us

3. From Believing → To Embodying

The present reality of the Kingdom challenges modern assumptions about belief

Christianity is not merely one worldview among many

The central confession:

The rightful God of all creation is actively reigning

His Kingdom is breaking into the present

This reshapes belief, proclamation, and witness

The Kingdom is embodied, not seized by power and force

Not taking power

Not forcing outcomes

Not winning culture wars

Instead, the Kingdom looks like: transformed people living under the rule and reign of God

Forgiven people living forgiving lives

Generous people living from abundance, not scarcity

Merciful people reflecting their merciful King

Faithful presence rather than flashy success

The Kingdom is given to the church — presence to witness

Jesus’ presence extended through his people

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 17:22 “I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.”

Conclusion