The Kingdom of God (2/17/19)

Well, I'm excited to get into God's word with you this morning. We're again in this whole series on the glory of God. I started it in the new year as a New Year's resolution up for myself, but I wanted to extend to all of you is that in 2019 might my goal my hope. My desire is that I will fall more in love with Jesus. Losing weights great dealing with my finances might be great. But at the end of 2019, I want to be a man that loves Jesus more than I do right now and that's important because loving Jesus knowing Jesus letting Jesus have more and more of my heart is what actually brings change and transformation to our lives, and I don't know about you, but I want to grow. I'm not content with yesterday's blessings. I want everything that God has for me in Christ Jesus and that is a process of grow. So this whole series has been based on this verse and 2nd Corinthians Chapter 3 Verse 18. It says we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of Glory to another Police out the process for spiritual growth here about as succinctly as you can if you want to grow spiritually if you want to look more like Jesus, what you need to do is not go to a seminar. What you need to do is not read another book. What you need to do is be in the presence of Jesus. You cannot really see Jesus. And stay the same Jesus demand his his Beauty his power. His glory is transformative. What we need more than anything. Is more time in the presence of God, we need to see the glory of God. This morning as we continue the series. I want to talk about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God one of the questions that's been driving me through this series is why don't we see more of that 2nd Corinthians 3:18 transformation. Why do so many Christians come into the faith and have a season of growth and then Plateau a season of stagnation you were really in love with Jesus you were growing there was change happening and then it just stopped. I think there's many reasons for that. But the reason I want to dig into this morning, it's simply this I think we've gotten the story wrong. When you get the story wrong. You live wrong. Let me illustrate from my own life in the fall of 1989 with very big hair. I went to college when I got the college. I was walking through the hall and I saw this beautiful young blondes cheerleader from North Dakota. And I said, I like what I see. So I asked her if she would go out on a date with me. I mean, how could she turn me down? Let's be real that she could have a date to take out wonder who's not my wife on Friday night. Now, I drove my car to college and it promptly died. So I didn't have a car so either made arrangements with one of my friends to borrow his car. So I was going to borrow his car. I was going to go to his house at 6:30 get the car go to Wanda's dorm at 7 pick her up. Have a great day my buddy calls when he says yeah, I had to work a little bit late. I'm not quite home yet at 6:30. So I'll call you when I get home. Well about 5 to 7. He calls me and I said, okay, I'm home. You can come get the car. Well, he lived off campus. It was maybe a mile or so away. So I tried to call Lana's dorm. Now this is 89. There's no cell phones or pagers or anything like that. There's 40 + girls in the storm. There's one telephone the chances of getting through that were not good today. I would make the intelligent move of just going over to the dorm and telling her. Hey, I'll be late, but I thought you know what? I'm just going to run and get the car and I'll come back and I'll be a couple minutes late, but it all be good little did. I know that if I left my dorm and ran across the field towards my friend's house some of the girls in one of those dorms saw me and I said, I hate Wanda Girl you getting stuck. Anna so they're all looking out the window and then I just turned into the devil there just I can't believe him how would he do that? I mean, they're just so she's ready for the day and then so she's waiting and waiting and waiting and then finally she goes I guess he stood me up so she goes down to her room and eating pizza with the girls. Now. I finally get the car get back show up at the door, right? I got a buzz in at the at the dorm. This girl comes down and gives me the iciest coldest look like and I'm like high is want to hear. Oh, she's here on the walking down the stairs. I'm expecting her to be all dressed up and looking good that she's in these like old nasty cheerleading sweatpants and t-shirts got her hair up and she's eating a piece of pizza. I don't like Is it Friday when you when you get the story wrong? She saw me running and thought I was running away. That was running away. I was running to go get what I could to make the date happens when you get the story wrong. It's very easy to then live wrong. Good news. If you need the rest of the story, she went and changed. She look great. We went out on a date and I knew she was a keeper because she's already eating a piece of pizza, but she ordered a meal and she actually ate it. And I was so tired of taking girls out and they order a salad take two bites in a time. Like this is a cheese real here. We are 20 years later married in life is good. So you got to get the story, right? I'm convinced and if you've been around GMC for a while, you've heard me talk about this. I'm convinced that actually the church in the west has gotten the story wrong for a long time. We got in the story wrong. We tell a story that goes something like this. You're very very very bad sinner, but God decided to be nice. So he sent Jesus Jesus died and rose again. If you believe in Jesus when you died, not only do not have to go to hell but you get to escape this evil world and go off to some place called heaven. That's the story We Tell in our event listed Crusades. It's the story We Tell in our Sunday schools. It's a story that comes from the pulpit almost every Sunday and almost every church and it's the wrong story. It's not that those things are untrue. They're very true. It's just they're not the whole story. Remember very clearly the day I was sitting and I was studying the gospels had become fascinated. I just found so in love with Jesus. I really wanted and needed to just hear what he said. So I started reading all four gospels everyday for 30 days just a challenge. I gave myself an amazing experience at the end of the experience. I felt like hearing the voice of Jesus not the voice of my Sunday school teacher is not the voice of I'm hearing from Jesus himself in the gospel, and I remember just sitting there and it struck me like a brick in the head. Jesus didn't present the gospel the way that we do. Jesus didn't go around from Village to Village saying you're really bad person. You're going to go to hell if you believe that I'm going to do these things when you die, you get to go to heaven. That's not what Jesus did.

What did Jesus do thank you for asking? Pick that up from dr. Thomas lesbian. Matthew 4:17, we see this in all the gospels. This is the fundamental invitation and message of Jesus everywhere. He went this is what he offered. Jesus said repent for the kingdom of the heavens. Is it Han?

The kingdom of the heavens is at hand other gospels will translate the kingdom of God is upon you is available is in your midst. Jesus is offering people the opportunity to come into the kingdom of God. I want you to know this morning. I'm going to do my very best to convince you that the story of the Bible is the story of God's kingdom, but it's always been about the kingdom. It is about the kingdom today and it will always be about the kingdom that's a challenge for us because most of us Americans Canadians in the room, maybe somebody from somewhere else the most of us we come from demo Democratic Republic sweet were self-governed. We love to govern ourselves and we find the idea of a king frankly repugnant. We resist that. We don't want somebody telling us want to do we don't want somebody limiting our freedoms. We want with all of our hearts to do things our own way.

So the idea of the Kingdom culturally is difficult for us. I'm not going to do anything to make that any easier for you this morning. It is difficult. Jesus is inviting us into his kingdom and in order to come into his kingdom. We've got to come out of

What time this week thinking about what a kingdom is like a kingdom needs of every Kingdom whatever it is has a few essential things one. You got a king to have a kingdom ruler. Secondly, you got to people you got to have the rule right thirdly. There's usually a land associated with it or a realm. Okay, and unfortunately, there's a way of life. There's a rule so you got a ruler you got the ruled you got a realm and you got the rule of life every Kingdom has that Ultimately, what a kingdom is. My favourite definition comes from Dallas Willard. He says kingdom is the range of our effective will. A kingdom is the range of our effective. Well, in other words a kingdom is where what the king wants is done going to be at my house. Under my roof. You can obey my rules are little where what I want done is done. That is my kingdom. The kingdom of God that the simplest definition I can give you. What is the kingdom of God the kingdom of God is the place where God's people do what God Wills. That's what the kingdom is. Where what God wants done is done is that not the centerpiece of the Lord's prayer Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name? Thy kingdom come what is that look like that? I will be done. here on Earth As it is where you are in the heavens? This is what Jesus is offering. Jesus is not offering a gospel of escape. This world is bad. This world is broken believe in me and I'll float you off to some spiritual place called Heaven know God is bringing the Heavens to us. Jesus says I'm inviting you to come into the kingdom because he's the king. I want to unpack this for you this morning from a 30000 foot view. I'm going to walk you from Genesis to Revelation and I want to show you that it always has been it is today and it always will be about the kingdom of God. Can we do that? I'm going to do it anyway, but it helps if you agree. Let's go to Genesis the creation narrative God The Sovereign Creator speaks all that is into existence and at the climax of creation at the height of it. He makes mankind here is what the text says and what I want you to see is that this is Kingdom language. God said let us make man in our image after our likeness let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. I could have done with a few less creepy things, but we'll do what we got to do. So God created man in his own image in the image of God. He created him male and female he created them and God bless them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply fill the Earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth here. We have a king got And we have his realm the Earth we have his people that he creates his subjects and we have his mandates rule with me rain with me spread my Dominion across the face of the Earth in the far too often. When we think of Genesis 1 in the Garden of Eden, we have this idea that Adam and Eve were created to hang out in the garden and stay there. That was never God's intense. The Mandate of Genesis 1 26 to 28 is that we are always were supposed to spread the rain and the rule of God across the entire Earth. God created us and invites us to partner with him in his kingdom to bring his Reign and his rule to all of creation through us. God created this world to be his kingdom where he would dwell with us as our God as our King. And where what he wanted done was done. Turn on Genesis 1 and 2. There's one Kingdom and one will God's will. Where God what God wants done was done until we get the chapter 3 when the Temptation comes and you need to understand the Temptation wasn't eat this fruit. The Temptation was eat this fruit so that you can get out of God's Kingdom. If you eat this fruit, your eyes will be open. If you eat this fruit, you will know the difference between good and evil, if you eat this fruit, you don't have to have God as your king that's holding out on you. If you eat this fruit, you can be your own King. You can be your own got the moment Eve and Adam's bit from that fruit. There went from one will and one Kingdom, two, three wheels three kingdom. And that's been the story ever since. We're all trying to build our own kingdom while trying to do what's right in our own eyes. We're all trying to make things happen in the dangerous thing for those of us in this church. Is that we can often do that and try to use God to make it happen? You can do that any religious ways and you can do that in religious ways. But at the end of the day, if you're trying to build your own kingdom, you're working against the kingdom of God.

The one of my favorite things about this story is that when Adam and Eve took that fruit and rebelled God did not do what he surely would have been just to do and destroyed them from the face of the Earth.

You hear me? Pray it very often hear the church, even when we are faithless. What is Guy? baseball got some mercy God's love God's commitment to Bringing about his kingdom is not supported or daunted At All by our rebellion in sin. God does not give up on his projects of having his kingdom with his people over his creation, even though they were about even though they left and they tried to go out. God did not give up on them. And it got ugly quick dinner Cain and Abel the first two kids fratricide murder, it goes from there over and over and over again sin begins to increase and a bounce because the reality is we are terrible kings and queens of our own kingdom. We were made for God as our King and anything else simply doesn't work. We get the Genesis 6 and and it says that the evil I'd grown that every inclination of every heart was evil all the time. That isn't attend statement. except for one guy God chooses Noah he and his family rescues him.

And at the end after the flood after the Judgment, what does God tell Noah when he gives them the same e dainik mandate that he'd given Adam and Eve be fruitful and multiply follow and obey me spread throughout the Earth. Because even when we are at our worst will not give up on his dream of the Kingdom. Sadly Noah didn't do any better than Adam and Eve. And evil, once again group of the next major movements in this story of the kingdom comes in Genesis chapter 12. God calls out to this man Abram. He's an older man by this time. He's been married to Sarah. I have a successful business. They have wealth they have possession, but they've never been able to have a child calls to Abram not because Abram was strong. But because he was weak not because he was mighty that because he was insufficient. And God offers Abram the opportunity. To come back into his kingdom listen to what he said that the Lord said to Abram. I want you to go from your country and your Kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you that's Kingdom transfer in order to come into God's kingdom. You got to come out of whatever Kingdom you've been in here. You've been living here according to these these King's these rules. I want you to walk out of that and I want you to go to the place that I'm going to give you and you're going to live with me. I said I'm going to make you a great nation, which to an infertile couple would have been an astonishing play. I'm going to make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and I will make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I'm going to be with you when we got we got a king we got subjects now got going to give him a place and God's going to bless him and give him away to live cuz I'm I'm going to bless those who bless you and those who dishonor you I will curse and in you through You by you. Well all the families of the Earth. You see the Kingdom Agenda there? That isn't call Abram for Abram sake. Called Abram cuz you got to start somewhere Abram. I'm going to take you I'm going to make you into a kingdom, but that's not the end. You're going to be my people. You're going to be my king. I'm going to be with you, but I'm going to move in and through you to be a blessing and I want you to bring others in ultimately through this blessing Abram. I'm going to bless everyone everywhere.

God is rebuilding his kingdom. Hebron and Abrams not perfect but the scripture repeats over and over and over again a very simple phrase Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. The Abraham chose to live in the kingdom of God. He didn't do it perfectly. He made a lot of mistakes. But he chose to leave the other Kingdom and to come into God's kingdom and God blessed him greatly a few generation and God kept his promise when we get to the time of Moses and the Israelites have grown the descendants of Abraham have grown to over two million people. God's faithful I meant but they're not in that land that he promised. And so God hears their cries dad comes and he delivers them Moses didn't deliver them Moses was a mouthpiece a reluctant mouthpiece mouthpiece. God delivered them rescued them. God redeemed them out of slavery and intended to Usher them in to the land promised to Abraham. God is fulfilling his promise his Covenant and God is building his kingdom. But what he says to them when he brings them out of Egypt is so important. Listen to what he says here Exodus 19. This is just after they've come out. Israel count in Camp before the mountain while Moses went up to God and the Lord called to him out of the mountain saying thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the people of Israel yourself have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore You On Eagle's Wings and brought you to my cell. Israel didn't do a goddamn Israel is God's plan God's power God's provision. God pulled it off and said I brought you to myself. I'm going to be with you. If you remember the story they make the Tabernacle and God was with them. I'll by day of the pillar of Fire by Night. The presence of God was with them. He was there as their King they were his people his kingdom.

He continues he says this now therefore if you want. Obey my voice follow the rule of the kingdom it keep my Covenant. You shall be my treasured possession among all peoples. This is where it gets tricky. This ain't all it's all about Israel and not everybody else. But then he says this for all the Earth is mine. Are you going to be my treasure people my treasured possession but don't think that it's just about you. All the Earth is mine. And then he says this he says and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy set apart nation. In other words what God says. I'm building my kingdom and I'm choosing to start with you cuz I got to start somewhere. But you're going to be my people and you're going to be a kingdom of priests. What does a priest do a priest mediates between God and man if there a kingdom of priests they're not meeting to each other their mediating to all the families of the earth. Israel was always meant Be a kingdom of priests to be used by God to reach the nation's why because all the Earth is the Lord's. That's not satisfied with one group of people is not satisfied with one little speck of dust. In the in the Mideast we call it the Holy Land. The Bible doesn't called The Holy Land the Bible calls the Earth the Holy Land.

God's very very clear that these are the words that you were speak to the people of Israel. I'm building my kingdom. You're a part of that. I'm your king. I'm your God you walk in my ways and I'm going to use you to mediate for the Nations to the world because the Earth belongs to me. Now Israel does a really really bad job of this. I mean that group of people that he talks to they were Bell so bad that they got to wander around in the wilderness for 40 years. But again, I say to you God does not give up on us and God does not give up on the kingdom. He provides for them every single day food to eat. The soles of their shoes. Don't wear out then I got to repair their cloaks. He supernaturally provides for them. Even when he's disciplining them when I finally get into the land they kind of do what God wants them to do, but they don't do it very well instead of being a light to the other worlds. They find themselves being attracted to the darkness of other people instead of being a kingdom of priests. They reject God and begin to worship and follow other gods and other idols and God patiently over and over again sends judges and rebukes amp and they repent and I forgiven about it over and over and over again. It keeps happening.

Then one of the most tragic turns in the story the people come to God one day through the prophet Samuel and they say hey God. We want a king like everybody else. God says to him now you don't now you don't. Be careful what you ask for right now. We really want a king God. Did Egyptians got a king in the Assyrians got a king and they all laugh at us. Do we not have a king and gods like I'm your king? You don't want another king. Yes, we do. Tell us another king got rationally talk it through with them. You get another king. Here's what you can expect. He's going to tax. You like you don't let you never imagined. Anybody here love their taxes you going to submit yourself to a leader who may or may not have your best interest at heart. Sing About God he always has our best interest at heart. And they say no we want it. We want it. We want in fact, we want that guy. He's the tallest and he's kind of looking we think he looks like a king. What's makes all the king don't work out so well, but they did was a good thing. I'm not sure his wife and kids would say that. David was a man after God's Own Heart though and 2nd Samuel chapter 7 David looks around his dwelling in this amazing Palace and he's like I live in this amazing Palace and and gods in a tent. So I want to build got a house. He goes to Saint Louis is my bill got house and it's like if you want to do a go for it, and then God comes to salmon and goes no. So God comes to David and says this to him.

Does moreover the Lord declares to you after time you can't build my house? The Lord declares to you that the Lord will make for you house. I got not not not going to build a house. Talk about Kingdom. I'm a build for you a Dynasty on a build for you a kingdom David. Your kingdom is a part of my kingdom. He says this when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your father's nice way of saying when you die. I will raise up one of your Offspring after you one of your seat from your very own body and I will establish his kingdom. It's not like any other Kingdom you've ever seen he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the Throne of his kingdom. How long forever when Solomon Wasn't any other David Sons? The reason that the New Testament starts with these words. This is a record of the genealogy of Jesus the king. son of David Son of Abraham because the kingdom has been promised to a descendant of Abraham and the kingdom had been promised to a descendant of David for Jesus to be the Messiah that we know him to be he had to be in line with these promises of God. He says I will be to him a father and he will be to me a son. Amazing amazing facts, and and and and and I every time I reach a deal test when I'm always wishing it went differently. But it doesn't you know that. Cuz they're just like us.

start with good intentions That doesn't mean very well. It's so bad for Israel that eventually got has to leave them in the Exile. He takes them out of the land. It's like he's disbanding the kingdom. But he still there King there still his people and his rule is still for their lives. He doesn't to chastise them and but in the midst of it he gives them hope. Listen to Isaiah 42. Time is right in the northern kingdom is already been taken into captivity. The southern kingdom is either taken in or just about to go to Babylon. I got speaks to resume and he says this whole section is about the servant the promised Messiah coming. This is my servant whom I am I have hold my chosen in whom my soul Delights. I have put my spirit upon him and she will bring forth Justice to this is surprising.

Isaiah speaking to a people that have been attacked and taken into captivity what you'd expect God to say is he will bring Justice to Judah he will bring Justice to Israel. He will spank your enemies and take you back and make everything awesome. That's not what the servants going to come to do. Servants going to come to do what Israel never did before faithful the servants going to come to do what Israel always failed to do be a light for the nation. God said my servant when he comes he will bring forth Justice to the Nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice or make it hurt in the street a bruised Reed. He will not break in a faintly burning Wick. He will not quench. That's one of my most precious promises in the scripture does more often than I would like to admit. I am. I am a bruised RI. And a smoldering Ember God doesn't come to us in disgust and you are a bruised Reed. I will not break. Smoldering Ember I will not put out. He will Faithfully bring forth Justice establish justice in the earth and the coastlands wait for his law of the Lord who created the heavens and stretch them out who spread out the Earth and what comes from it who gives breath to people on it and spirit to those who walk in it. I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you I will give you as a covenant for the people a light for the Nations.

Even an exile even in judgment. God doesn't give up on his people and God does not give up on his plan. God will build his kingdom and though Israel has been faithless a messiah will come from Israel who will be faithful.

Night gets us to Jesus. So Jesus goes around from Village to Village from town to town repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is available to you repent because God's kingdom is open to you. It's here. It's in your midst and why can he say that because he's the king. Jesus goes and he invest and he invites now he is a Jew and he goes first to the Jews but he's not just for the Jews. In fact when you read through the gospel, you see it's not just the music, and in fact offense. It's the Gentiles were the Samaritans that have greater faith in Jesus than the juice. Jesus comes to do what they were supposed to do and failed to do.

Any invites Jesus doesn't say come to me. If you're Jewish. Jesus come to me if you're weary. Heavy laden and I will give you rest. I am a lights for the nation of Israel. Jesus says I am the light of the world.

Jesus came to establish the kingdom. And God's kingdom God's heart God's desire. Is that men and women from every tribe tongue and Nation will come together under the banner of King Jesus and he will establish his kingdom. It starts with a kingdom and it ends with Kingdom.

For that, let me want to touch on this. And preached for two weeks. I got a little bit more to say this morning.

Will you forgive me? I don't know if I believe that but all right. We know the Great Commission, right? I want to hear it and see it this morning through the through the lens of the Kingdom Listen to How it starts. Jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me. What you saying? Are you saying? I'm the king. I'm not a king. I'm Vicky. Not just another king. I'm the king of Tanks. Jesus said all authority not some not partial not temporary all the authority not just have one place in heaven and on Earth has been given to me. I'm the king. Now because I'm the king you need to listen to me. He says go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Go get them. What's a disciple disciple somebody that's coming to the kingdom. I invited you into the kingdom now wants you to go and invite people into the kingdom. You don't invite people to church. You don't even invite people to face you invite people to Jesus you invite them to the king when I get to the king they get in the king down cuz I Want You To Go Make Disciples of who of everyone we're going. We're going for broke now. It's not one place is all places. Not one people. It's all people go get them. Bring them in baptized in the name of the father son and spirit teach them to observe all that. I have commanded you and behold. I Am With You Always even to the end of the age. That's Kingdom. That's Genesis restated. Be who I made you to be bring people into the kingdom rule with me extend my Dominion let people know that God is here on Earth and his kingdom will stand forever.

It's always been about the kingdom. It's about the kingdom now it will end or maybe better yet. It will start. Truly when the kingdom comes in its fullness Revelation 21 says this I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first have it in the first Earth had passed away and the sea was no more when we get the story wrong. We get everything wrong. I actually heard it free preach from Pulpit. I've heard people use this kind of language and say why should I care about the environment? It's all going to burn anyway. Why should I care about Justice here on Earth? I'm going to escape towards heaven. Anyway, we get stuck in this idea that the gospels are Gospel of Escape. So why should we care about this world? And then we look at a text like this and it seems like we got just going to crumble it all up and throw it away. That's not what the text is actually say. It's talking about a fire with a fire that refines God is going to take this world and take out all the Brokenness remove all the chaos remove all the rebellion and the consequences of sin and restore it back to what it was originally meant to be.

What's that going to look like? He says I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. It's going to be amazing. But he says this and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying the hold the dwelling place of God is with man he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. That's the kingdom.

What's it going to look like? He will wipe away every tear from their eye. death No more. Neither shall it be morning or crying or pain anymore for those former things will have passed away.

He who is Seated on the throne?

So the whole I am making all things new. It started with the king of it's about the king of now it's going to end with the Fulfillment of the fullness of the Kingdom, but that's not an ending. It's really just the beginning. I don't know what it's going to look like as we March into eternity not in some spiritual place called heaven but here in a new heavens and new earth back together here in our midst sin of Forgotten memories no more pain no more. Sorrow No More Death then the kingdom truly.

I can't wait. See how it's about the kingdom Church. And see how when we get the story wrong. We don't live like it's about the kingdom. So what do we do with this what we do with this this morning? I think most simply put this morning. I want to say this. We need to see Jesus as king.

We're comfortable with him as Savior. We're comfortable with him as forgiver Redeemer, but here's the truth church. He is Redeemer and savior and comforter because he is King.

We have to stop treating him like a servant or a cosmic Butler. He's not a Genie in a lamp is not here to bring about our wish fulfillment. He came here to bring us home Basile us to reconcile us and to bring us back to what we were always supposed to be a part of his kingdom and he is our friend. He loves us like a brother but he will always be our King.

And Jesus himself does not mess around with this. Jesus said it this way if anyone would follow me. If anyone would be at my father if anyone would come into my kingdom, he must do what the not himself. Take up his cross. father

do you see Jesus as the king? Does Jesus have the absolute right to ask anything and everything from you because that's what a king does. Do you trust him as a good King who has your best interest at heart even if it doesn't make sense?

Church, we got to get the story right God is building his kingdom. And we are unbelievably privileged to be a part of it. Amen.