Advancing the Kingdom of God: Our Mission Set Aflame
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Sermon in a Sentence: Jesus advanced the Kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, and we should do the same when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Sermon Purpose: To see people empowered by the Holy Spirit to advance the kingdom of God.
Text: Matthew 12:22-28, Acts 1:3-5, 8
There Is a War
As Jesus walked the earth He was always ready.
Ready for anything, right Brother Darrell Crouch?
Royal Rangers, the boys ministry of the AG encourages its members to be like that.
Ready!
Ready for anything! Ready to work, play, serve, worship, live, and obey God’s Word.
Jesus lived in a constant state of readiness.
He lived always ready to do the Father’s will.
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
That readiness even included being confronted by a demon possessed man — a man, who because of the demon possessing him was blind and could not speak.
Jesus was ready to do war against the devil and set this man free.
That readiness included being ready to answer the arguments the Pharisees raised about the source of the demon-possessed man’s deliverance.
Because Jesus lived ready He saw the opportunity and invaded the devil’s claimed territory — this blind and mute man — and set him free.
He did it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In that same power He silenced the critics.
Everything Jesus did, He did it all through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Because His mission was set on fire by the Spirit.
In verse 28 of our text He says very clearly, “casting the demons out of this man tells you the Kingdom of God has come through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
How did the Kingdom of God come?
Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
How was the demon cast out of the man?
Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus burned with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
He accomplished His mission on-fire with the Spirit.
Jesus’ example tell us how WE should face our world.
It is a world on-fire with evil.
Every day we learn some new evil being forced upon us.
We must fight fire with fire.
This is one of those opportunities for someone to misquote me.
That pastor was trying to get people to burn people’s property, to be violent towards other people.
No.
That was last summer.
That was NOT a Christ-honoring, Christ-obedient group.
When I talk about fighting fire with fire, I am talking about fighting the fire of evil with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit does NOT call us to respond to the evil of this world with more evil.
the Holy Spirit leads us to fight the evil of this world the same way Jesus did.
With love, with good works, with kindness — standing against the devil and his strategies in demon-fighting, demon-casting out power.
Because like Jesus in His day, we are at war.
Right now, at THIS very moment and at EVERY moment, a cosmic war is taking place between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.
We cannot afford to relax our vigilance for one single solitary moment.
What Jesus said to His disciples is what He says to us:
37 “What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’ ”
As we are on alert we are also clothed in the armor of God.
We can’t afford to lay aside the armor of God that Sister Miranda Murr preached about last week.
We must clothe ourselves in what Romans 13:12 calls “… the armor of light.”
An armor burning brightly with the fire of God — the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
On alert, clothed with the whole armor of God, and every day, taking up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God
Because as ...
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
As we do that, staying alert, always clothed in the full armor of God, the ARMOR OF LIGHT, taking up the Sword of the Spirit like we know how to use it, the kingdom of God will powerfully advance in spite of those who try to stop it (Mt 11:12 NIV).
There is a mysterious verse in:
12 “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.
There are as many different theories on what this verse means as there are people trying to understand it.
I like what Missionary Don Stamps said in the Fire Bible. He said:
Following and serving Jesus takes spiritual courage, faithfulness, power and determination. It requires constantly seeking for or making ways for the gospel to go forth, knowing that it will face opposition. It involves maintaining driving strength in the mission to reach others for Christ.
Fire Bible.
In spite of all opposition, Jesus declared that the kingdom of Satan will not withstand the advance of the kingdom of God through the church (Mt 16:18).
The church under the anointing of the fire of the Holy Spirit.
The church without the Holy Spirit is useless — or worse a detriment, a reproach, a black-mark against the Kingdom.
Ah, but IN ALIGNMENT with, under the ANOINTING of the Spirit, it is an unstoppable force!
Jesus lived His life on this planet to advance the Kingdom.
What about us?
Is that OUR purpose for living?
To advance the mission of the Kingdom through the fire of the Spirit?
I. JESUS ADVANCED THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Mt 12:22-28).
A. If we would be followers of Jesus, we will follow His example.
Jesus often healed and delivered people who were under the power of demonic spirits.
Jesus’ power over demons signified that the Kingdom of God was triumphing over the kingdom of Satan.
B. Our text in Matthew is a significant example of Jesus advancing the kingdom of God.
1. In this text Jesus made a declaration that revealed two important truths:
C. First, Jesus revealed that the Holy Spirit was the source of His power.
1. In verse 28 Jesus says: “I drive out demons by the Spirit of God.”
D. Through the incarnation Jesus became a man.
3. But before the God-Man Jesus embarked on His mission to advance the Kingdom He received the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
4. He was baptized in water — but then we read that the Holy Spirit came on the man Jesus and empowered Him for ministry (Lk 3:21-22; 4:1, 14-21).
4. Everything Jesus did in ministry He did by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ac 10:38).
Peter told Cornelius’ household:
38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
5. This is an important truth because Jesus is the ultimate example of how WE should serve God.
E. Second, Jesus revealed in our text that the Kingdom of God advances ONLY in the power of the Holy Spirit.
1. “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
2. It is humanly impossible to overcome the power of Satan.
3. Satan, however, cannot withstand the advance of the kingdom of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
II. LIKE JESUS, WE TOO CAN ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ac 1:3-5, 8).
A. Jesus promised His disciples—and us—the same power of the Holy Spirit that He used to advance the Kingdom of God.
1. After the resurrection, Jesus continued to teach His disciples about the kingdom of God and how it advances (Ac 1:3).
2. He emphasized that THEY would advance the kingdom of God ONLY through the power of the Holy Spirit (vv. 4-5, 8).
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
a. The Holy Spirit is so important that Jesus instructed them to wait until they had received Him (v. 4).
b. He explained that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit by being baptized in the Spirit (v. 5,8).
c. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon them and they were filled with His presence and power just as Jesus had promised (Ac 2:1-4).
d. The rest of the book of Acts shows how the early church advanced the kingdom of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
B. The promise of the Holy Spirit is for us today just as it was for the early disciples (Ac 2:38-39).
1. We are still at war against demonic powers.
2. Many are oppressed and in bondage to sin and the power of Satan.
3. The world’s only hope is a church that is empowered by the Spirit and able to advance against Satan.
4. We DESPERATELY NEED the anointing of the Holy Spirit TODAY!
C. Today we must believe Christ’s promise and ask Him to fill us with the Spirit’s power to advance the kingdom of God.
1. When we are filled with the Spirit, we can powerfully proclaim the gospel and see the kingdom of God come in power.
2. If we will seek to be filled with the Spirit, God will work through us to set captives free and advance His kingdom just as He did through Jesus (Jn 14:12, 16-17).
Conclusion and Altar Call
Let me ask the same question the Apostle Paul asked the believers at Ephesus:
Acts 19:1–2 (NASB95)
It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ...
First, have you believed?
Have you repented of your sins?
Have you surrendered your life to Him?
If not come forward and we will pray with you to be born again.
Once you have been born again, immediately seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
You will know you have received because you will speak in a language you have not learned.
Perhaps you say,
Pastor , I am Born Again.
I have been Baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
Then come in faith and commit yourself to advancing the kingdom of God.
Come, let’s ask God to fill us with the power of His Spirit and enable us to advance His kingdom (Lk 11:9, 13).
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
11 “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?
12 “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?
13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
