We The Kingdom

Introduction:

Today we’re beginning a new series that I’m most excited about called, “We The Kingdom”. In this series, over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at Jesus’ sermon on the Mount where he teaches his disciples and the crowds around them what the benefits of the Kingdom of heaven are and the mark of the heart that will receive them. That the heart of the kingdom is the heart of God and experiencing his favor at the expense of the world’s hatred. My task today, however, will be summarizing what was going on in leading into this historical sermon of Jesus while on the mount. And based on the portion of scripture I’ll be speaking from today, we’re going to consider a progression of events that speaks to the

Slides

1. The “Mark of the kingdom” - John the baptist’s proclamation of the kingdom and an appropriate response. Matt. 3.1-12

2. The “Moment of the kingdom” - The preparation of a king - Jesus being affirmed at his baptism and his testing in the wilderness. Matt. 3.13-4.11

3. The “Momentum of the Kingdom” (Participation)

3. Bottom line:

We are the mark of the kingdom called to proclaim the power of the kingdom in Jesus’ name. Matt. 4.12-5.2

The bottom line: we are the momentum of the kingdom proclaiming the mark of the kingdom. ????

The Mark of the Kingdom

Read Matt. 3.1-3

John the baptist prepares the way by presenting the mark of the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 3.1-3 Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Matt. 3.2

What has been partially concealed in the Old Testament concerning “the day of the LORD” and his kingdom has now arrived and is being proclaimed by John the baptist that what the prophet Isaiah prophesied has now come and the response is to repent.

Read:

As Matthew 3 continues, I want to focus on on essentially 4 verses to demonstrate the “Mark of the Kingdom”

Read Slide 4

Matt. 3.2 - Repent (present imperative verb)(the call)

For the kingdom is at hand (reason)

Matt. 3.6 - confessing sins while being baptized (the response or act of obedience)

Matt. 3.8 - bear fruit in keeping with repentance (the result of a repentant heart of faith)

Matt. 3.11 - John with water for repentance, but He with the Holy Spirit(the promised mover causing the momentum of the kingdom)

Kingdom Point:

The Premier of the Kingdom; John is rolling out the Red carpet of the kingdom by expressing our appropriate response to the King who will be walking the red carpet - to prepare the way of the LORD - The command to repent -

in hearing the call to repent, one acknowledges the need to turn from evil and turn to God, which is the call of YHWH in the book of Isaiah - specifically in Isa. 1.16-17.

Repentance is not just a rational acknowledgment though as is the purpose of the call verse 2, but the emotional response of the heart to act as we see in verse 6 for those that confessed their sin. True repentance affects the whole man; thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The Moment of the Kingdom(The Kingdom Affirmed)

The Preparation of the King(Baptism of Jesus)Jesus affirmed by the Holy Spirit & the Father

Matt. 3.13-17

This progression follows slides

The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus so as to anoint him for his mission prepared by the Father through the Holy Spirit, thus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy’s in Isa. 9.6-7; 11.2; and the Father affirms his service fulfilling Isa. 42.1 as the Father’s chosen servant to bring forth justice to the nations where the coastlands wait for his law. “His law” is the beatitudes sermon, where Jesus show’s the heart of the law, which is the heart of the kingdom - that peace without end!!!!

So the kingdom has now officially been affirmed and anointed, and now we move towards Jesus binding the strong man as Jesus pronounced Matt. 12.29

Jesus is tested by the Spirit (overthrowing the kingdom of darkness)

Read

Just as the Father and the Spirit affirmed Jesus, he is now being tested by Spirit by drawing him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan just as Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden. Heb. 4.15 says that Jesus was tempted in every respect as man, yet without sin....

God’s purpose of testing is to strengthen obedience towards his will.

Satan’s purpose is to slanderously sabotage God’s will.

Slide Moments of Success

Jesus rightly applied God’s Word for life and godliness and Satan purposefully misapplied God’s word in an attempt to disqualify Jesus as the Son of God;

so where Adam failed, Christ(the second Adam)succeeded. And we see the devil fled from Jesus and the angels minister to him - the Father provides for him what Satan could not in his malicious temptation. It’s at this point Jesus begins his ministry of the work the Father gave him to accomplish.

Transition:

The moment of the kingdom has now picked up momentum, like a strike of a match, the flame is lit, and now it begins to burn brighter and brighter.

The Momentum of the Kingdom (Participation)

Read:

Jesus is deployed for the Work the Father gave him to accomplish.

Based on Matt. 4.13-17

Jesus now proclaims what John preached, to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This is Jesus’ first public utterance in the book of Matthew. Up to this point, he has spoken to John and the devil. Jesus begins to preach throughout Capernaum fulfilling the prophesies in the book of Isaiah, specifically Isa. 9.1-2; 42.7, which are prophesies attesting to the good news of kingdom, and as Matthew later states it, proclaiming “the gospel of the kingdom”.

From here Jesus begins to call his first disciples in Matt. 4.19-22

Disciples Slide

Jesus calls them(Peter, Andrew, James, and John) to conformity and to be apart of the work of the kingdom. (I will make you fishers of men - Jesus says in Matt. 4.19

They responded immediately by leaving what they were doing and followed Jesus.