The Kingdom is At Hand: Living Between the Already and the Not Yet

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Good morning family!

Hear the Word of the Lord from Psalm 2...

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Two kingdoms: the kingdom of this world, and the kingdom of God

Kingdoms of this world look bright and shiny and powerful

God laughs at the kings and kingdoms of this world. There power is nothing. He will return and judge them all.

Today we are invited to take refuge in God’s Kingdom now

In just a moment we’ll hear a reading from the text for today’s sermon in Matthew 4:12-25. Turn there now.

While you’re turning, 5 quick announcements:

1) A word about PBC. We are worshipers.

One aspect of our worship is the public reading of God’s Word

1 Timothy 4:13—“...devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”

We take time every week to listen to God’s Word being read, and being taught

If you’re able, follow along!

2) Tonight at 5:30—Why a Woman Could be a Deacon

3) After TableTalk, Fall Festival

Food and drinks, bonfire, bring a lawn chair and a pumpkin to carve or paint

4) Trunk or Treat

10/31 at 5 PM, pick up flyers to pass out at blue flag

5) Afghan Workshop

November 20 from 9-12, register online

Now look in your Bibles at Matthew 4:12 as Susan Thomas comes to read for us.

Scripture Reading (Matthew 4:12-25)

Prayer of Praise (God is Sovereign), Susan Thomas

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

At the Cross

Prayer of Confession (Greed), Sam Garcia

You are My King (Amazing Love)

NCC#42

Earlier we talked about reading Scripture. But how we do a thing is just as important as that we do a thing. So as we prepare to hear God’s Word preached, let’s consider how we should hear God’s Word...

How is the Word of God to be read and heard?

With diligence, preparation, and prayer; so that we may accept it with faith, store it in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Thanksgiving—preservation of Scripture

Explain

Jesus you promised that “until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:18)

You also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but [Your] words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33)

You were agreeing with the prophet who said “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8)

Thank you for men and women who devoted their life’s work, and gave their life’s blood to copy, translate, and transmit your Word

Prayer for PBC—elders

Bubba Jones

Thank you for his example of caring for the least of these

Help him to love and care for the flock with the affection and tenderness he cares for little Avery.

Help us to receive his care with glad and grateful hearts.

Mike Klaassen

Thank you for his infectious joy.

Help him as he devotes so much of his time to joyfully investing in people. From his fellowship group to the various young men he meets with for discipleship, to the boys and girls in his SS class.

Help us to honor and remember this brother who speaks to us the word of God.

Mike Lindell

Thank you for his quiet strength.

Help him as he balances a heavy workload at NASA with his responsibilities as an elder.

Help us to consider his way of life—his faithfulness to love and serve your church amidst incredible busyness—and to imitate his faith.

John Rogers

Thank you for his tenderhearted love for the flock.

Help him as he cares for so many people in so many ways that most of us will never see. From phone calls, to visits, to acts of service and gifts of generosity.

Help us to obey and submit to his leadership, knowing that he leads us in love.

Thank you for the joy of being one of the pastors among a group of pastors like this.

Help all of us to care for the flock that God has entrusted to us. Help us to watch over these members willingly, not grudgingly—not for what we will get out of it, but because we are eager to serve You. Help us not to domineer over the people assigned to our care, but to lead them by our good examples.

Prayer for sister church—Open Door Baptist Church

Tiny church in Newport News, but not insignificant to you

Pastor Ray Sloane

Pray for US—Attorney General Merrick Garland

Thank you for this office, which exists to defend and uphold the law of the land

We thank you for the ways AG Garland stands up for the dignity of human life and the rule of law in our nation

We lament his failure to use his authority to stand against the evils of abortion

If life cannot be protected when it is most vulnerable, how can it be protected at all?

Turn his heart we pray!

Prayer for the world—Republic of Bulgaria

Small European country with 7 million image-bearers of God

Presient Rumen Radev [roo-men rah-dev]

Against crime, abortion, poverty, divorce, racism

Thank you that most Bulgarians identify as Christians, but we pray against nominal Christianity

Local churches

Laborers

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

Have you ever been in a insignificant place filled with insignificant people?

I felt that way when I was 13 years old and my family moved to the fringes of Circleville, Ohio near a place called Tarlton.

Tarlton, Ohio is a tiny village with about 300 people.

One gas station with a tiny market inside.

One ice cream shop.

One restaurant.

A post office and a fire department.

Most of my memories of Tarlton were formed in the Tarlton Town Hall, where I once took karate lessons.

SHOW TARLTON IMAGE

I can’t remember the name of my Sensei

But I do remember my Senpai. And for all you fans of The Office, his name really was Dwight

I remember he was a very large man, who always called us “turkeys” if we did something wrong

I remember one lesson about how to punch correctly (“no thumbs tucked in!”)

And a know-it-all little girl who tattled on me whenever my thumb was tucked in

And I remember thinking that this was an insignificant place filled with insignificant people.

Have you ever felt the same way?

Maybe you don’t feel the way I did about tiny towns and the people who live there. Maybe you feel that way about...

People and places with lower levels of education

People and places with lower economic levels

People and places with different political views

People and places with different customs or traditions

People and places that are different from you

If you’ve ever felt that way about any place or any people, this sermon is for you.

Because in the Kingdom of God there are no insignificant places and there are no insignificant people.

Turn to Matthew 4

While Jesus was being tempted by the devil...

John the Baptizer continued his fiery ministry, eventually angering some powerful people and getting thrown into prison

After John is arrested, Jesus begins His teaching ministry

And from the outset we learn that...

in the Kingdom of God there are no insignificant places and there are no insignificant people.

I think that simple sentence has the power to function like twin turbine engines for your soul.

But first, we need to understand what we mean by “the kingdom of God”

4:17—From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

4:23—And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

What is the Kingdom?

55 references to the kingdom in Matthew’s Gospel—more than any other NT author

Different terms: Kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven, kingdom of Christ, the kingdom, etc.

Four truths...

God’s Kingdom is His sovereign rule.

Simplest definition

Psalm 103:19—“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.”

If God’s kingdom rules over all, why is the world filled with so much sin and suffering?

Humanity has established a rebel kingdom.

Adam and Eve were created to be God’s vice-regents, to have dominion and represent God’s kingly authority over the entire cosmos

Adam was tempted and failed

Judges 21:25—“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

The day will come when God will judge the kingdoms of this world and everyone who rebels against His rule

Like our reading in Psalm 2

Is there any hope?

Jesus invites us to submit to God’s kingdom now.

4:17—Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Why is the kingdom at hand? Because the King is here!

We can joyfully submit to God’s Kingdom now when we repent and believe

I love the way this is explained in the lyrics to the song, “Good and Gracious King”...

I approach the throne of glory Nothing in my hands I bring But the promise of acceptance From a good and gracious King

I will give to You my burden As You give to me Your strength Come and fill me with Your Spirit As I sing to You this praise

You deserve the greater glory Overcome, I lift my voice To the King in need of nothing Empty handed I rejoice

When we repent and believe, we begin to represent God’s kingdom to the rebel kingdoms of this world

Jesus will return to consummate the Kingdom.

Lord’s prayer— “Thy Kingdom ___________” [come]

Kingdom is already and not yet

The perfect kingdom that awaits us in the future is breaking into the present as sinners repent and begin following Jesus

But the day is coming when Jesus will return and make everything sad come untrue!

Revelation 11:15—“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.””

No more rebel kingdoms! They’ve been destroyed and only the Kingdom of God remains!!!

Until that day comes, our job is to faithfully follow the King!

And our King begins His ministry by showing us...

in the Kingdom of God there are no insignificant places and there are no insignificant people.

1) There Are No Insignificant PLACES

Matthew 4:12-16—Now when [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth He went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

Once again, Matthew is connecting the new story of Jesus to the old story of God’s love for His covenant people...

This time he takes us to Isaiah 9

Even if you didn’t know the reference, most of us are familiar with a famous passage in Isaiah 9:6...

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

But a few verses before that, Isaiah says this...

Isaiah 9:1-2—“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

SHOW ISRAEL MAP

Three arrows...

Territories from the tribe of Zebulun and Naphtali

Capernaum just north of the Sea of Galilee

Why were Zebulun and Naphtali lands of gloom, anguish, contempt, and deep darkness?

Part of the Northern Kingdom, the region where the people had given themselves over to rebellion against God

Need a reminder of their sin?

Read Amos, where God rebuked the Northern Kingdom for perverting justice, wealth, sex, and worship

Read Hosea, where God compares the Northern Kingdom to an unfaithful wife who continually chooses other lovers over her husband

The people did not repent and in 722 B.C. the Northern Kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians

You can see Syria on the map as well NE of this region

Part of the Assyrian strategy to conquer the Northern Kingdom was to deport many of the Jewish people and also import outsiders. This would effectively destroy the native culture, making it harder for the natives to rise against their captors.

Things got so bad in Galilee that the people there forgot the Lord entirely. About 150 years before Jesus began His ministry the people in Galilee were basically forced to convert to Judaism by their Jewish neighbors in the South.

Needless to say, this is not the region you would expect for Jesus to begin His ministry. But Jesus wants us to understand that in the Kingdom of God there are no insignificant places.

Visiting D.C. and seeing the capitol building, the White House, etc. Such significance!

What happens in this building every week is far more significant than anything that happens in those buildings

Why? Because A local church is a kingdom outpost, an embassy for the kingdom of God

Any local church that faithfully preaches the Gospel is massively significant, even if it’s meeting in a small town like Tarlton, Ohio or Poquoson, Virginia

Do we live like it?

What do we prioritize above this gathering ?

How do we gather?

It’s not just PBC. It’s any place where the good news of the kingdom is preached!

Why we pray for churches like The Open Door Baptist Church in Newport News

Why we pray for countries like Bulgaria

Why we take trips to places like Acambay, Mexico

Or send missionaries to hard places like Bertoua [bear-too-ah], Cameroon

It’s also all the places where you live your life...

Your neighborhood, your home, your job, etc.

How do we scatter? Do we leave on mission, seeing the places where we spend Mon-Sat as strategic places for kingdom work?

In the Kingdom of God there are no insignificant places. But also...

2) There Are No Insignificant PEOPLE

Matthew 4:18-22—“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.”

These weren’t “dumb fishermen.” Fishing was and is difficult work requiring significant skill.

Furthermore, these were probably bi-lingual businessmen, who were either owners or heirs of a possibly flourishing family businesses in the Galilean economy

But still, out of all the important people in Jesus’ world, it is significant that the first disciples Jesus calls to Himself are four fishermen.

John MacArthur—“One of the facts that stands out in the lives of all twelve apostles is how ordinary and unrefined they were when Jesus met them. All twelve, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, were from Galilee. That whole region was predominantly rural, consisting of small towns and villages. Its people were not elite. They were not known for their education. They were the commonest of the common. They were fishermen and farmers. Such were the disciples as well. Christ deliberately passed over those who were aristocratic and influential and chose men mostly from the dregs of society.” [1]

This isn’t just what Jesus did at the beginning of His ministry! It’s what He continues to do today!

1 Corinthians 1:26-29—“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

Why? So that He gets the glory!

John Piper—“What is God looking for in the world? Assistants? No. The gospel is not a help-wanted ad. It is a help-available ad.... God is not looking for people to work for Him but people who let Him work mightily in and through them . . . God is not a scout looking for the first draft choices to help His team win. He is an unstoppable fullback ready to take the ball and run touchdowns for anyone who trusts Him to win the game.” [2]

This simultaneously crushes the proud and uplifts the lowly

If you think Jesus calls you because you’re significant, this crushes your pride!

If you think Jesus won’t call you unless you’re significant, this lifts you up!

You were not called by Jesus because your are significant. You are significant because He called you!!!

What about all the other people out there who don’t know Jesus? What’s significant about them?

Notice who’s coming to Jesus...

4:23-25—“And [Jesus] went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed them. And great crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”

The diseased, the afflicted, the sick, the hurting, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, paralytics, and Gentiles cut off from the covenant (Syrians!)

Everybody matters because everybody matters to Jesus.

Side note: these verses give us a glimpse of what the kingdom of God will look like when it’s fully consummated: no disease, no death, no sin!

Not a Christian? All I’ve got to offer Jesus is a bunch of mess!

That’s all He wants. He’s the “king in need of nothing”

Jonathan Edwards supposedly said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”

EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL!

Christian? What are we supposed to do?!?

4:19—“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Follow Jesus.

4:19—“Follow Me...”

Christians follow Jesus.

Are you following Jesus?

Kids, are you obeying your parents?

Parents, are you leading your children?

Husband, are you loving your wife?

Wife, are you submitting to your husband?

Employee, are you honoring your employer?

PBC member, are you using your gifts to serve the church?

Are you giving faithfully?

Are you spending time in God’s Word? In prayer?

Are you forgiving those who sin against you?

Are you gossiping? Lying? Lusting? Stealing? Cheating?

Are there areas where you’re not following Him as you should?

Doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian.

The disciples aren’t going to follow Jesus perfectly either

But it does mean you need to repent

If you’re following Jesus then you will eventually...

Help others follow Jesus.

4:19—“I will make you fishers of men.”

Jesus calls followers to Himself so they will help call other followers

LOST TO LEADER

Are you helping other people follow Jesus?

Parents: teach your children

Older: get to know a younger person and pour into him/her

How? Fellowship Groups!

Build relationships with neighbors, co-workers, etc.

The disciples didn’t become fishers of men overnight. And neither will we.

In the Kingdom of God there are no insignificant places and there are no insignificant people.

In a moment, we’re going to sing a song that has fallen on hard times in some churches and denominations. It’s a song called I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.

It’s fallen on hard times because some object to the lyrics and say “God is the One who decides. We only follow Him because He called us and gave us the faith to follow.”

That’s true, of course.

Yes, we follow with the faith that Jesus has given us. But we still must decide to follow.

Peter made a choice to drop his net that day on the shores of Galilee. So did Andrew, James, and John.

And when they decided to follow Jesus, the cost they paid was great.

They left their wealth, their possessions, their families behind. And eventually they gave their lives to spread the Good News of the Kingdom.

A similar cost was made by the man who inspired this song.

In the world’s eyes, it’s a story about an insignificant person in an insignificant place.

But not in God’s eyes.

In the 1880’s a Welsh Christian went to India as a missionary.

He took seriously the call to follow Jesus and make fishers of men.

He faced fierce opposition, but eventually saw his first converts in a particularly brutal village in the Indian province of Assam.

A husband and wife, with their two children, professed faith in Christ and were baptized.

The village leaders decided to make an example out of the husband.

Arresting the family, they demanded that the father renounce Christ, or see his wife and children murdered.

When he refused, his two children were executed.

Given another chance to recant, the man again refused and his wife was killed.

Still refusing to recant, the man followed his family into glory.

Witnesses later told the story to the Welsh missionary:

The reports said that when asked to recant or see his children murdered, the man said: “I have decided to follow Jesus, and there is no turning back.”

After seeing his children killed, he reportedly said, “The world can be behind me, but the cross is still before me.”

And after seeing his wife pierced by arrows, he said, “Though no one is here to go with me, still I will follow Jesus.”

If Jesus is not the King, and if His Kingdom is not at hand, than no sacrifice is worth it.

But if Jesus is the King, and if His Kingdom is at hand, than no sacrifice is too great. We too can (and should) lay everything down to follow Jesus and help others do the same.

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

BENEDICTION

1 Timothy 1:17—“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”