Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

In the very first chapter of the book of Acts, the Bible tells us that disciples found themselves in a very peculiar situation.

After Jesus had resurrected from the grave, after he had suffered the crucifixion on the cross, the disciples new that they were living a countdown, and that at any moment Jesus would leave them and ascend into heaven.

Now Jesus has promised them He would be with them always.

But this was the moment He was physically leaving them.

And describes their final encounter face to face; this was their final conversation, the last teaching moment, the very last good byes.

And so we read from

Many Christians know that in Acts chapter 1, Jesus promises the disciples the Holy Spirit.

But this morning I would like us to be honest with the text, and put everything into it’s proper context.

When Jesus mentions the promise of the Holy Spirit, he reminds them that he had mentioned this moment before, in another lesson in the past.

That lesson we find in .

These verses tell the disciples two things:

The Holy Spirit would come, known as the helper.

And…

That if the Holy Spirit comes, he has to leave.

In fact, according to Jesus, it was necessary for Him to leave.

If he does not leave, the Spirit does not come.

So in , when the disciples hear that Jesus is sending the Holy Spirit in a few days, they knew exactly what Jesus was telling them.

They understood that Jesus was about to leave, that at any moment he would be taken up into heaven, and they would not see him for a very long time.

Now imagine the emotions that run through their hearts at the moment.

Jesus was leaving.

Their best friend was leaving.

Their master, rabbi, savior, was leaving.

The man who changed their lives, who made them from simple fishermen to life changing fishers of men was leaving.

And little did they know, that they would never see Jesus again.

And so what we read in the following verse is so important, because it represents the sum of all those feelings and emotions.

They sensed that this was the last thing they would every ask Jesus.

And so we read, :

I find the question the disciples asked so fascinating, because when I personally analyze the question, I feel like they asked the wrong question.

If I were in their shoes, and I knew Jesus was leaving, and I knew I would not see him in a while, I would not ask about the kingdom, I would ask the question that even we today are asking ourselves:

Will you return at this time?

When will you return?

But I want us to notice that they did not ask about the Second Coming.

They asked about the kingdom.

And although many have said that this was their way of asking about the Second Coming, we know that they had asked the question before, and the question sounded totally different:

So they could have asked about the Second Coming, but instead they asked about the kingdom.

They could have asked about when He would return, but instead they asked about the kingdom.

The Kingdom

To begin answering this question, we have to understand how important the kingdom is to the disciples:

When you look at the entire New Testament...

The word Kingdom shows up 163 times (which means it is a very important word)

But the concentration of the word kingdom is found in the gospels, in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

There, it shows up 129 times.

Now the very first person in the New Testament to preach and teach about the Kingdom was John the Baptist.

According to the Bible, John had a special mission:

But when John was all grown up and preaching about Jesus, notice what he says:

But when John was all grown up and preaching about Jesus, notice what he says: Matthew 3:1-2

So it would seem that for John, the arrival of Jesus and the arrival of the Kingdom went hand in hand.

In fact, instead of saying that people should repent because Jesus was arriving, he preaches to repent because the Kingdom was arriving.

But up until this point, both Jesus and the Kingdom are in the future, they are arriving, but have not yet arrived.

When Jesus finally arrives, the very first thing He begins to preach is also about the kingdom:

, .

Even when he sends His disciples to go preach for the very first time, He instructs them also to preach about the Kingdom:

But all these sermons put the Kingdom in the future: The kingdom will arrive.

The Kingdom is coming.

The Kingdom is near, but has not yet shown up.

All of that changes in

In this text Jesus does not put the kingdom as something that will come.

He now says that if He can cast out demons in the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom is not coming, the Kingdom has already arrived!

From this moment onwards, all understanding of the Kingdom changes.

There is a paradigm shift in the understanding of the Kingdom.

The disciples begin to see what almost looks like two kingdoms: A coming kingdom, one placed in the future.

But a present kingdom, one thats already here.

You probably see this best explained in their final meal, what we know as the last supper, or the first communion:

In - Future Kingdom

In - the Kingdom is assigned now..

Brothers and sisters, I want us to understand things this morning the way the disciples understood it.

The disciples knew that some day there would be a kingdom.

But Jesus was emphasizing that the moment that He arrived, the moment that He came in the world and began His mission, the Kingdom of God was now with them..

I want you to notice how EGW puts it: (Christ in His Sanctuary p 72)

“As used in the Bible, the expression “kingdom of God” is employed to designate both the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory.

The kingdom of grace is brought to view by Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

After pointing to Christ, the compassionate intercessor who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” the apostle says: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace.”

, .

The throne of grace represents the kingdom of grace; for the existence of a throne implies the existence of a kingdom.

In many of His parables Christ uses the expression “the kingdom of heaven” to designate the work of divine grace upon the hearts of men.”

“So the throne of glory represents the kingdom of glory; and this kingdom is referred to in the Saviour’s words: “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations.”

, .

This kingdom is yet future.

It is not to be set up until the second advent of Christ.”

“ So the throne of glory represents the kingdom of glory; and this kingdom is referred to in the Saviour’s words: “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations.”

, .

This kingdom is yet future.

It is not to be set up until the second advent of Christ.”

“The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race.

It then existed in the purpose and by the promise of God; and through faith, men could become its subjects.

Yet it was not actually established until the death of Christ.”

“The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race.

It then existed in the purpose and by the promise of God; and through faith, men could become its subjects.

Yet it was not actually established until the death of Christ.”

So the throne of glory represents the kingdom of glory; and this kingdom is referred to in the Saviour’s words: “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations.”

, .

This kingdom is yet future.

It is not to be set up until the second advent of Christ.

“The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race.

It then existed in the purpose and by the promise of God; and through faith, men could become its subjects.

Yet it was not actually established until the death of Christ.”

Two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Grace, and the Kingdom of Glory.

Two kingdoms: the Kingdom that is now, the Kingdom that is coming.

Two Kingdoms: the Kingdom you and I are supposed to be living in today, and the Kingdom that one day you and I will be living in Glory.

My friends, you see, there was a reason that the disciples, in their very last question to Jesus, did not ask Him about the Second Coming.

They had learned a very important lesson.

That more important than the time of the Second Coming, is making sure they are ready for that Second Coming.

But to be ready for the Second Coming, to be ready for the Kingdom that will come, you must be ready in the kingdom of grace that we are supposed to be living now.

Too many Christians, especially Adventists, put all things in the future, and forget about how they should be living now.