GOOD NEWS: KINGDOM

Christmas is not meant to be a one-day sort of thing. It's Christmas is the celebration of an event that has changed everything. And so we've been thinking together over the last few weeks preparing to celebrate Christmas thinking about the Advent of Jesus as good news. That's what all of the gospel writers call it, but the good news the Gospel of Jesus, and we've been thinking about it. Really asked the word is used in the original language in the in the Greek language that that the stories are recorded for us in it's a political were. The reality of the Christmas narrative the Advent narrative is that it is a political story. And we've been using that word political in its broadest term that brought us meaning which is simply the use of power any anytime we use power. We are acting politically and an advent the birth of Jesus into the world is a political reality. It is the exercise of God's power. On our behalf in real time in the world. And so we we've seen each week that the good news is political and that the birth of Jesus is and was political we've looked at Luke and Matthew's recording of the birth of Jesus. I want to start this morning by looking at John John doesn't give us some a narrative but a description of the birth of Jesus John gives us a theological description of the birth of Jesus. It's very well known but let's look at it together John chapter 100 verses 1 213 John writes in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God all things were made through him. And without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the Darkness has not overcome it. So many themes that John is just weaving together me right from the beginning. He says in the beginning was the word he's taking us back to Genesis you prying together The Narrative of the Hebrew scriptures and he's trying to draw out the reality that the the birth of Jesus was not random. It wasn't happenstance. It was planned. It was part of God's purpose that that's something on the level of creation was happening in the birth of Jesus the light of God.

That's shown in the Darkness.

Darkness has not overcome it that there was a man sent from God. His name was John. He came as a witness to Bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light. He just came to bear witness about the lights the True Light. Which gives light? everyone don't don't rush over that. The scope of Jesus's mission is and always has been Universal. Jesus didn't come for one people. He didn't come the one place. He didn't come for one time. Jesus came for everyone everywhere.

The news right? The True Light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world. how the world was made through him That very world did not know him. estranged sentence that he came to his own. Amazon people did not receive him what a tragic sentence that it.

To all who do receive him who believe in his name. He gives the right to become children of God.

To all who do receive him any who call upon his name. He gives the right.

privilege

Become children of God. Children who are born not a blood. Nor of the will of The Flash Nora of the will of man. but of God Fascinating description that we continue on to the more well-known verse 14 and the word became flesh and made his Dwelling Place among us. But any continues on it again, just describing how the birth of Jesus transforms and changes. The very Fabric and nature of reality. For All Mankind

What I find so powerful in John's description. And so political it's so political even though it doesn't use political language. He doesn't say anything overtly political but if you step back and just think about what John is declaring it is absolutely political he saying if you come to Jesus the word made flesh. If you come to Jesus the lights and life that has come into the world if you come to him, he accepts you and he adopt you into his family. You become a child of God not a child by blood or the will of man, but a child by the will and power of God. This is absolutely nothing less than an identity change and its identity exchanged a transformation one. You were this child now your this child. Paul talks about it several times in his Epistles. He says it this way. Once we were children of Wrath now, we're children at the mercy of Darkness. Now, we belong to the kingdom of the beloved Son. This is this is an absolute identity exchange and transformation at the core. the birth of Jesus and our acceptance option Brings a complete and radical transformation. everything about our lives He uses language of rebirth by Jesus will say later to Nicodemus and at night time meeting. You got to be born again. Nicodemus the great teacher the last like a crawl back into my mother's womb only has at work. You're the teacher and you don't get this.

Dead in our sins. We're so alien and hostile from God that in order for us to be reconciled to God. We need an ultimate do-over. Jesus says you got to be born a newborn again. John Wright at the beginning of his gospel says listen when we call upon his name when we believe in him when we give our allegiance to Jesus. We are declared children of God made new. Old has gone. The new has come you wanted. It's in Christ is a new creation. This is a absolute identity transferring.

and it's it really makes sense when we step back and think about all the other gospel accounts that we looked at over the last few weeks. Jesus is heralded as

and one thing that all teams have is a kingdom. It's hard to be a King Without a kingdom. You might claim a title, but King Without a kingdom isn't much of a king.

Jesus is the king the long-awaited Messiah and Redeemer Savior and restore is the great prophet. He is the great high priest but make no mistake about it. He is the king of kings and Lord of lords. He's the king of the whole world.

Every King has a kingdom of Jesus was born as a king. He must have a kingdom. What does that mean for us? What does it mean that Jesus is King and has a kingdom for us for how we live our lives?

For far too long especially here in the west over the last hundred hundred fifty years. We have spiritual eyes the kingdom of Jesus. We will put it out and we put it off. We've made the kingdom of Jesus something that happens after we die.

So pray a prayer. Confess your sin get forgiven. And when you die, you get to go to the kingdom of God, which was some place called heaven. the strange thing about that is that Jesus never said that

not once not anything remotely Jesus never went around from Village to Village proclaiming. If you believe in me and pray a prayer after you die, you'll come to my kingdom back. Jesus went from town to town Village to village with one central T message repent. For the Kingdom of Heaven is here. It's in your mitts. Which kingdom is a reality because the King has come.

I don't I don't think.

Most of evangelicalism has really wrestle. with the reality of the Kingdom the Jesus came to establish Rule and reign of God Here and Now does it have eternal consequence? Of course?

Do we have confidence that we will be raised from the dead like Jesus was raised from the dead. Of course we do. Those are not in question. What is in question is how is the kingdom of God relevant and real here and now today?

It raises some questions is Jesus Calling. or a rebellion A revolt against the political powers of the day because Jesus coming as ping creates tension or the current King. The first question we got to ask is okay. He's the kingdom of Jesus something that functions like the kingdoms of the world. Another words, do we pick up Swords? Some of his disciples thought that was exactly what they should do. Pick up swords and start lopping off ears. Kingdom of Jesus would be established by force of armed. Might makes right. Okay, we got we got to rise up Christian Soldier and we got to go marching on tour March like the world. So we listen the church has a tragic history of misunderstanding the kingdom in exactly that kind of way the Crusades.

and so many other Colonial expansion of Christianity at the point of a store

Based on this I did. Well, we're just establishing Jesus's Kingdom. So we make me feel.

this greatly but Jesus's Kingdom can be equated with our kingdom.

Another way we can take it. Will you go to wrap at the Amish? Hutterites the Mennonites from the anabaptist weakness separate ourselves, but we're part of God's kingdom. We're not a part of anyone else's Kindle. We're going to just cuddle and cuddle in our little bubble of kingdom. And the world can go to hell.

family many evangelicals function that way without the Integrity of the Amish.

We're just a separated just as segregated just as fearful and just as distance from the rest of the world without having the Integrity of actually being separated. This is Paul Kingdom concept is something we got to wrap our heads around. Fortunately, it's not just a question for us today. It was the question for Jesus in his day.

You probably well familiar with. Jesus's interaction with pilot read before his crucifixion Pilots asking this question. What kind of what kind of King? Pilot calls Jesus into his headquarters again in and said to him. Are you the king of the two?

Spell pilot cared about threaten my authority. Is your kingdom the kind of Kingdom that's going to displace and erase my kingdom. Are you competition for me? That's what he's asking. Are you the king of the Jews? It's really tricky asking Jesus questions cuz he's smarter than everybody else in the room and Jesus loves to answer questions with questions. So Jesus answered playlist of your own accord or did the others say to you about me.

What what's what's going on here? Honda Pilot answer am I a Jew fascinating? Right? It is functioning as the king of the Jews and he's not a Jew let that said am I a Jew your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?

Jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world. if my kingdom were of This World by servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the juice, but my kingdom is not from

that's a really important word in there from the world A lot of confusion about the kingdom has stemmed from this interaction. See Jesus's kingdom is not of this world. It's of the other world. It's other lie, it's Heavenly it doesn't take place. Now. It takes place later. That's where that kind of idea filter through. A modern-day gnosticism that sees the world is bad and spirit as good we we we eat this up and we said was Jesus's Kingdom doesn't really matter for this world. All that matters right now is getting people saved all that matters right now is getting people to make a profession of Faith so that something happens after they die, but that's not what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is not saying my kingdom is separate from this world. He's not saying it's all he's saying it's different.

A better way to read this in our language is say my kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world because my kingdom doesn't originate in this world. It doesn't function like other kingdoms function, but that doesn't mean it's not for the world. Jesus's kingdom is not from the world's but it is absolutely for the world.

Pilot bedroom so you are you can't claim to have a kingdom without claiming to be king.

And Jesus answered you say that I'm a king. For this purpose. I was born and for this purpose. I have come into the world to Bear Witness. to the truth everyone who is of the truth listens to my boy

I'm a king. I'm a different kind of King. Knocking that Rules by swords or lie. I'm a king. Not just the one place or one people. I'm the king of Truth. My kingdom is established on true. not not not the simple truth of Two plus two equals four or it's cold outside this morning both very true statement. The truth in the sense that he is the way the truth and the life truth in the sense of reality Ultimate Reality. Jesus's kingdom is built on the truth that God is God and we are not. It's built on the the truth of creation that we are made in the Imago Dei in God's image. We were created for partnership and relationship with God.

And it's for everyone every where? Jesus

with Sirius about being a king. About his kingdom. It's fascinating to me how little we know about the kingdom in the church today when it's almost all Jesus ever talked about. You cannot entertain a serious study of the Gospel. You can't entertain a casual reading of the gospels and not deal with the kingdom. It's all about.

Oh, I know we want to turn them into a moral teacher or a spiritual leader or some wise. He was a king who spoke like a king and talked incessantly about his kingdom. I dare you to read the gospel and Nazi Kingdom. amen

mouth of babe Jesus talk about taking them all the time and he did it in his parable. so off Parables Beautiful Jesus just took ordinary everyday mundane events and circumstances and use them to illustrate the reality of the Kingdom. And he's not shy about it that keeps starts of vast majority of his Parables like this. The kingdom of God is like It's like we just rushed past it went so what's the moral truth? What's the warmest ocean of fuzzy? I can get out of Jesus. Jesus said he missed the whole point.

Jesus says the kingdom of God is like, you know what he's talking to. the kingdom of God

So if we with that and we pull out some other abstract truth and Miss what he's talking about have we really heard Jesus?

Let me give you an example.

You put another Parable before them saying the kingdom of heaven. May be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. Everybody everybody that Jesus is talking to has planted C. They know what he's talking about Thanos there's good seed and bad. See the Kingdom of Heaven is like this. It's like a man that plants good seed in his field. While his men were sleeping. The enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.

So when the plants came up? Borg rain weeds appeared also the Servants of the Master of the House came and said you a master. Did you not sow good seed in your field? Must be your fault. How then does it have weeds.

Set them an enemy has done this. Some servant said to him. What do you want us to go and gather them?

Is there going to be battle? between The Good Seed and it's fruit and the Bad Seed in the weeds Do you want us to go remove the weeds?

He said no. Cuz ingathering the weeds you might route up the week along with them. Does that let both grow together? Hill Harper and it's harvest time. I I will tell the Reapers gather the weeds first bind them in bundles to be burned but gather the wheat into my bar.

Simple Story

deep and profound truth about the kingdom Disciples had no clue what he was talking about. I didn't get it. And we jumped down a few verses. After the crowds left leg the Gathering to the house and his disciples come to him and say explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.

any answer the one who sells the good seed is the son of man. Who's that Jesus's favorite way of describing.

The one who sews The Good Seed is the son of man. Jesus has been casting out the good see the good news from town to town Village to Village inviting all to repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is upon the Lord. Jesus says one is supposed to get seed is me the son of man. The field is the world Universal. Oh, it's the good seed is not relegated to one little Jesus is not the Lord of one field. He's the Lord of all the feel. The Good Seed is the good seed is the sons of the Kingdom. Rights to the gross Sons and Daughters of the Kingdom.

The man plants The Good Seed The Good The Good Seed result sons of the Kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one and the enemy who sold them is the devil the adversary. Harvest is the end of the age? And the reapers are the Angels the spiritual Imager.

Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire. So it will be at the End of the Age. The son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and a lawbreaker. Throw them into the fiery furnace in that place. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus explains the parable of the Kingdom. He says this way the implications of this are profound that we really need to grasp them. Jesus says my kingdom is universal. It's everywhere and I will sow The Good Seed of the Gospel everywhere. And when I saw the Good Feet of the Gospel, it will grab and it will produce Sons and Daughters of the Kingdom that will happen. and at the same time

the enemy still doing his work. Doing what he can to the strup disrupt the work of the Kingdom. And he will so weeds and they will grow up together.

It's all the natural question is the sons of the Kingdom fight the sons of the evil ones in other words. Do we establish God's kingdom by putting down the other Kingdom destroying those that don't follow Jesus. Inches answer is very clear. No. That's not the way my kingdom grow. My kingdom will not grow by forcing people to convert at the end of the store and your job as My Sons & Daughters. Your job is my part of it as part of my kingdom is not to go trampled down the weeds.

Your job is actually continue the work of casting the seat.

That's political. deeply because

What is saying the implications of what he saying? Is this the kingdom of Jesus can and will flourish? in any Kingdom and environment of the world

That means the king of Jesus doesn't need them ocracy.

That means the kingdom of Jesus doesn't need socialism. That means the kingdom of Jesus. Can function in any environment in a theocracy in a democracy and oligarchy in a communist socialist Utopia. It doesn't matter.

The kingdom will grow and flourish in the midst of all the other kingdoms because it is a universal Kingdom. That doesn't mean it's not real that doesn't mean it's not relevant. It doesn't mean that there are not responsibilities for Kingdom. people it does mean that you can be a kingdom person in any kind of kingdom of this world.

the responsibility

for eliminating opposing kingdoms and establishing one and one only kingdom is not our responsibility. It's his and he will do it and he will do it at the end of the year.

Our job is what the beat a good seat. A Jesus is so clear about this to keep casting so that more Sons and Daughters might be entered into the

we spend way too much time thinking about the weeds.

We spend too much time. Trying to stop weeds from growing that Jesus said will grow. About that Jesus like I'm going to stop those weeds.

Good luck with that.

weave

Let me just say this here in our cultural. Thyme & season far too many in the church. I've tried to turn the kingdom of God.

into the kingdoms of the world

rather than understanding Jesus is central point that the kingdom of God grows and flourishes in all the kingdoms of the world.

And there's nothing more important than the kingdom. Jesus Wiki

has been the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their father. He who has ears let him hear.

They told another Parable it says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure treasure hidden in a field which man was found and covered up then in his Joy. He goes and sells all that. He has advised that feel. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls and finding one pearl of Great Value went and sold all that. He had and bought it just isn't all in reality. It's of ultimate importance. It's a reality defining Kingdom. I know I've said this last several weeks when I say it again, like when you become apart of God's kingdom when you claim allegiance to King Jesus, it trumps all other allegiances. It comes first. I'm a follower of Jesus first. I'm a part of his kingdom first. I can still be a part of other Kingdom but I am that's that's reality. I'm born in America and you're born a canadian-born Peruvian are your born whatever but when you come to Jesus and your reborn and adopted and accepted into his family, you're part of that Kingdom first. But it doesn't mean we separate ourselves from those other kingdoms. It doesn't mean we're supposed to pick up arms and Conquer those other kingdoms. It means we're supposed to learn how to live out the ethics and real and power of Jesus's Kingdom in the midst of those Kingdom.

Then Kingdom of Heaven is like a gnat that was thrown into the sea. gathered fish of every kind Assuring the universal scope of this when it was full mindru in a store and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad so we'll be at the End of the Age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace in that place. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

National

notice how the kingdom Functions in tandem with the kingdoms of the world and the separation while evidence right now. The separation takes place at the second Advent. The Return of the King

clear and consistent

one parable about planting seeds one parable about fishing one. About Commerce. They're all telling the same story.

You need to trust Jesus as your king in the here-and-now and be a part of his kingdom in the midst of other opposing Kingdom. Your job is not to take those Kingdom down. Your job is not to elevate one came above other kingdoms. Your job is to be the seed.

The fruit and Seed your job is to continue the work of the son of man. To bring the good news. the everyone everywhere cheese Will take care of the separation of that frankly. That is really good news. Cuz trust me you don't want me to do the separating. Lord knows I don't want you to do the separating. I mean I like you. I love you, but I don't trust you. Not that level. Right now, I mean really think about it. Why do we take that upon ourselves the judge who's in who's out who's good? And who's that sweat this is Man just sees the outside but God judges the heart. One of the other key elements in all the Parables is the reality of pry.

A time this morning, we could have gone and looked at several The Parables about the kingdom and when it comes in and and there's always surprise surprise. The people we thought were in we're really out and people we thought we're out. We're really it. Jesus is trying to say is like you might think you know what sweet and what's weeds and you're not really that good at it. So don't mess with it. Really don't mess with it. You keep your eyes on Jesus and do what Jesus has asked you to be his sense of his kingdom wherever he plants you.

Let him take care of the separation at the end.

That there's there's in one since it requires some humility to let that go but man there's freedom in that humility. What a way to take off our shoulders I don't have to be the judge of the world. Cuz Jesus is the judge in the world.

the good news Is Supra cultural talk about this in our membership class a little bit? gospel not for one place 1 people one language one culture one Kingdom the gospel is without culture. It's all cultural, but it is Supra culture. It is above and beyond all culture.

That means it's above and beyond all Kingdom. They're just at the risk of repeating myself. The gospel can go into a capitalistic democracy and flourish. The gospel can go into communist. China and flourish. The gospel is flourishing in Iran right now back more people are coming to Christ in Iran on a regular basis that are coming of Christ in the United States.

That's how the kingdom Works Church. We've got to open our eyes to that reality. We've got to stop putting the success of the Kingdom on the success of our Earthly Kingdom.

They're not the same.

It doesn't mean we can't be good citizens in our kingdom we can and should be that's we're going to go next week. What up? What I really want us to grab today is is that the kingdom of God is here and now in our midst and if you're following King Jesus, you're a part of his take before your apart of any other Kingdom and your job. Is to do what the king says, which is be the good thief. That's your job.

Not to pull out weeds. It's not to tell the weeds how we D. They are.

All it's just the church could get this.

Like this culture in the church is like our job is to tell Sinners how simple they are. Our job is to criticize our job is to condemn and like Jesus. Was really clear about this. Forgot so loved the world that he gave his only son that anyone who comes in might receive eternal life for the son of man did not come to condemn the world. But to save the world if the son of man didn't come to condemn, why do you think that you have the children of God because of the son of man now you're supposed to condemn the world Come on now.

We're not here to condemn the world. We're here to bring the rescue of King Jesus to the world.

and it's cute and now its righteousness and Justice in real time does real implications for how we live as Citizens to live as a citizen in a democracy is different than living as a citizen of the Kingdom in communism or Socialism or thirsty ocracy or anything yet. It's going to be different but the point is the gospels bigger than all of them. Because the kingdom is in all of them.

Not that changes everything.

I closed this morning.

Wanted to remind you.

urge see the kingdom of God as the pearl of great price.

To embrace the kingdom of God as a great treasure that you will have to lie about everything in order to half. The call you to a life. The poet's the kingdom man day. To be the good see first and foremost.

REI

As Jesus taught us to pray. your kingdom come

The me meme for your kingdom the cop when we pray Jesus your kingdom come what do we mean? I think that for many of us and we have no clue what we pray it does. Jesus said it so it's got to be good. So I got to your kingdom come with no clue what that's what it's thinking. Come looks like. Because the kingdom is the range of effective wheel of the king. The price your kingdom Tom is not to say. The kingdom isn't here and we want the kingdom to come we want to go to heaven. It's not what I mean your kingdom come your will be done if the same thing. That's what he's telling us to pray to seek. The reality of the Kingdom in our lives I doing the will of the king.

That's how we see the kingdom. The kingdom was manifested in Jesus because when you looked at Jesus you saw the kingdom. You saw the ethics of the Kingdom you saw the responsibilities of the king of you saw the activities of the Kingdom. Jesus perfectly lived out the kingdom. And then he invites us into the kingdom and he tells us now you go and you live out the ethics and responsibilities and rights and privileges. You live out the reality of the Kingdom so that when people look at you, what do they say? They see the kingdom.

She said everyday everyday. Our Father who art In the heavens does not mean Justin and far right here with us a father. Who's with us your kingdom come your will be done here on Earth here in my life as it is where you are.

You want to start out 2021 with a kingdom mindset? How about we commit together to pray this Lord's Prayer everyday? Not as wrote. But God going to be so happy that I found it off this prayer.

But it's an act of the will. as an act of intention focusing reality. Let's pray everyday your kingdom come your will be done right here at AMC as it is where you are right here in my family right here in my household right here at my school right here at my work was done letting me be the vessel of your kingdom. God let me be the good see. Let me Point people. To the overwhelming Beauty and reality of King Jesus. So can we do that together this year? Make 2021 a year of seeking God's kingdom above all out. Not what he said in The Sermon on the Mount at Great political Manifesto. Seek first the kingdom and all its righteousness. And all those other things will take care of himself.

Jesus is a king. and he invites us into his kingdom and his kingdom is year and now we get to live as Citizens not just citizens royalty. sons and daughters

princes and princesses the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. What a high and lofty calling we have been given. Let's not substitute. That incredible privilege for anything lesser, but this world might offer a man father. I thank you for your word. Thank you. the chi

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