8. The Kingdom is Near

Introduction

General: My kids used to ask questions like: “In Heaven, will we be able to teleport?” My first response was always, “What do you mean by ‘Heaven?’”

Biblical: In Matt 4:17, Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Subject: What is the kingdom of heaven?

Personal: How do you understand the kingdom of heaven? Is it a place? Is it where Christians go after we die? Does it have any relevance to our lives now, before we die?

Body: Matt 4:12-17 (ESV)

The kingdom is a reversal of darkness and death, of shame and defeat, of captivity and sin. God’s kingdom is not an improvement plan but a rescue operation.

Exposition

We would expect the Messiah to begin his ministry in Jerusalem… Where would God’s kingdom come first? To the faithful and pure, to the obedient and pious, right? Wrong.

Jesus came first to those who needed him most… to fulfill Isaiah 9:1-2, quoted in Matthew 4:14-16.

Zebulun and Naphtali were the first two tribes to be invaded and captured, to fall… “Galilee of the Gentiles…” These names are synonymous with loss and defeat… not with purity but compromise… not with faithfulness but failure… not with holiness but sin and shame.

The people lost in the dark are the first to see the light. Those living in the shadow of death are the first to hear the message of life!

Illustration: Milt Hanson

Application: Why do you follow Jesus? Being a Christian is not about becoming a better person but being rescued. What do you need to be rescued from?

The kingdom is embodied in the people who live in the light. God’s kingdom becomes visible when our lives reflect it.

Exposition

Matthew 4:16… “the people…” God’s kingdom is not just a theology, a theory, or a religious belief system but a lived experience.

Matt 4:17… “From that time, Jesus began to preach...” From here until Matt 16:21, Jesus is preaching and modeling and teaching and showing the kingdom of God and life in the kingdom for God’s people.

When we gather in the name of the King, we embody the kingdom. This is why we gather.

Illustration: Share a meal // Worship // Study the King’s book // Serve someone in need // Go for a walk // Let your kids play together at the park

Application

We need to live in the light! Being a Christian is not just accepting a set of religious beliefs or adopting a set of religious practices, but living a new way of life together: like Jesus, for Jesus, and with Jesus.

Once you’ve been brought into the light, live like it. Don’t go back to the darkness!

The kingdom is at hand. God’s kingdom is here.

Exposition

The gospel in a sentence: Matt 4:17.

The good news is not: “Believe that Jesus is real, and you can go to Heaven someday after you die.” It is: “The kingdom of heaven is here, and you can be part of it.” Even though you’ve lived in rebellion against the King, he has made a way for you to come back into his kingdom if you’ll stop running away from him.

Illustration: Walking in the tunnel at Arrowhead…

Application: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. To enter it, you need to repent.

“Repent” = not just saying sorry but literally: “Turn around and go a new way.”

God is working. The kingdom is here. But you can’t see any of it if you’re back is to it. Turn around and come into the light!

Conclusion

The kingdom is already but not yet. See Rev 21:1-8.

The word “kingdom” sums up God’s plan to liberate the whole of creation from corruption and to create a new way of living—with God—and a new society of people who together embody the love of Christ.

Are you ready to be part of the kingdom of heaven? Turn around and come into the light.