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[0:00] You hear me okay? Yeah? Wow.

[0:21] So these past few weeks we have been thinking about what kind of King Jesus is. He's the pre-existing King of all eternity.

[0:33] That He's the King of the angels and the King of heaven. And that He's not just another earthly King. How different He is compared to other men and other kings.

[0:45] And this morning I want to encourage us about what His kingdom is like. And so this will just be a little short, not exhaustive exploration.

[0:57] Maybe you've heard it said that heaven is heaven because Jesus is there. The kingdom of heaven is all as it should be because of its King.

[1:12] What is a kingdom? Depending on what kind of King is running the kingdom. In our world things are not as they should be.

[1:25] I'm sure that is absolutely no surprise to any one of you. There is no country on earth that you could go to that you'd be able to find everything right.

[1:35] Even in history, any place or society or government that has come remotely close to building a society where all things are right, could never sustain it.

[1:49] Never. So I want to ask you a question that will have a different answer for every single one of you. But at what point in your life did you feel the most like things were right?

[2:05] Have a wee think about what point in your life can you think back and thought, you know, those were the good old days. Things, you know, my health was good, my family, even the government was good.

[2:16] At what point in your life did you feel the most like things were right? Everything seemed good and in order. There was peace and harmony in most areas of your life.

[2:31] Have a think about when that was. Maybe it's right now and bless you if it is. And my follow-up question to that is, how long did it last?

[2:46] And that will be different for every one of you as well. But let me ask you a different question, a more current question. What is fading in your life?

[3:03] Maybe it is your dashing good looks that are fading. Amen. Maybe it's your bank balance after Christmas that's fading real quick.

[3:14] Maybe it's your control over your children's lives that are fading, no matter what age they are. I'm feeling that. You're feeling that.

[3:26] Maybe it's your influence and impact in this world that is fading, and it'll fade real quick. Maybe it is your patience that is fading, with the stress of difficult relationships, whatever they may be.

[3:44] Maybe it feels like your health is fading. Or as you said, David, maybe you just feel like time is fading.

[3:57] Time to do anything. Time with family. Time to do the things you want it to do. Time to tell people about Jesus. Time is fading. I think we can all agree that as time passes, many things seem to fade rather than increase.

[4:15] So let me ask you this, Christian person. Do you feel like your sinfulness is fading? Do you feel like your struggles and questions and doubts are fading?

[4:34] Do you feel like your trials are fading? Do you feel like your weakness is fading? Who knows?

[4:45] If we're honest, at times it can feel like these things are not fading. They may be even increasing. But what I thought would be good for us, for all of us, for our hearts, is to remind us of some things in Scripture.

[5:08] When we see only what we can see and feel what we can feel, and we need a reality check, we need a truth check on what things really are.

[5:23] And so in 1 John chapter 2 verse 8, the apostle John writes that the darkness is passing away. And then in verse 17, he writes that the world is passing away along with its desires.

[5:40] So not only is the darkness passing away, but John says the true light is already shining. So despite how it feels on the ground, John is saying the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

[5:58] And then John says this world along with its desires are passing away. But whoever does the will of God abides forever.

[6:10] it might not seem like it, but that's truth. So let me ask you this. If you're trusting in Jesus or not, let me ask you this.

[6:24] Do you feel the darkness fading in your life? Or how about this? Do you feel the desires of this world fading in your life?

[6:38] Because I actually think if you're trusting in Jesus, you can notice these things fading in your life. You see, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4 that the true light is already shining in our hearts.

[6:53] The God who said, let there be light, has shone the light in our hearts, illuminating the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

[7:03] And by virtue of the true light shining in our hearts, the darkness within us is fading away. It's fading away. There's less darkness in there than there was twenty years ago.

[7:22] Even if Paul says our outer self is wasting away, he says our inner self has been renewed day by day.

[7:34] That's what we sung in the song. And so, I just want to encourage you, do not underestimate the darkness in the hearts of those who don't have Christ. And by that, I don't mean that they're always more sinful than us, but what I do mean is that they're in the dark.

[7:54] If you don't have the light of Christ shining in you, you're in the dark. And you feel it. There's a lack of hope in this world. There's a lack of awareness of the darkness. There's a lack of knowledge of the light and truth.

[8:08] And there's a fear of death. Just look throughout history and look at what the Christians and the martyrs faced. With no fear for death.

[8:19] The apostles who once fled from Christ before his crucifixion and were hiding suddenly became fearless in the face of persecution and death.

[8:33] Because the darkness was fading away. Fear was fading away. The hope was increasing. They thought, what are you going to do? Are you going to kill us and send us to our greatest desire to be with him and his glory?

[8:49] What about this? In this world, and think about your friends or neighbors or whoever out in the street people you talk to, there is a concern for the desires of this world which Christians historically have shown an increasing lack of interest in.

[9:09] Do you feel that in your own life? Have you ever thought, it's not that we are holier than thou, but have you ever had a hard time explaining to someone why you're just not interested in the things they're interested in?

[9:23] And you're like, I'm not trying to be holier, but I just, I don't care about the things of this world. The desires, the passions, the things that pull people, whether it's riches and money and power and status.

[9:35] And you're like, I'm just, I'm sorry, but I'm just not interested. And that is a sign in your heart that the light is shining. That there's an increasing desire for another world.

[9:50] In fact, C.S. Lewis says that there is never a desire given to creatures that cannot be met. And so, a baby desires milk and cries for it, and there is milk.

[10:04] Milk exists. A duck desires water and water exists. And he says, if I find in myself a desire which this world cannot satisfy, then it must be that I'm made for another world.

[10:16] Do you feel that? If you have become a citizen of heaven, you will feel that. And you will see the world and its desires fading away in your life.

[10:28] Here is what Scripture says is not fading away. 1 Peter 1 says, God has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

[10:49] Kept in heaven for you. The inheritance of those who belong to Christ is an inheritance that cannot perish, that cannot be defiled, and that never, ever, ever fades.

[11:01] Never. And it is kept in heaven for you. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6, don't lay up treasures on earth. We're moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

[11:16] But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. You see, the kingdom of heaven is a secure place.

[11:28] There's nothing that can break into the kingdom of heaven. There's nothing that can steal from the kingdom of heaven. There's nothing that can rot or rust or fade away in the kingdom of heaven.

[11:39] Nothing can perish, and nothing can be defiled. Revelation 21 says, By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there.

[11:53] They will bring into it the glory and honor of the nations, but nothing unclean will enter, ever enter it. Nor will anyone who does what is detestable and false ever enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

[12:10] I love that last bit. Nothing unclean will ever enter it. Think about your house, and imagine that nothing unclean could ever enter your house.

[12:21] That's the kingdom of heaven. If you're in his kingdom, you don't need to worry about anything unclean entering. And that's not just like dirty shoes on the carpet.

[12:32] That's sinful thoughts. You don't need to worry about anyone who does what is detestable and false. You don't need to worry about someone stabbing you in the back or punching you in the face.

[12:43] You don't need to worry about liars or thieves or criminals or evil wicked people or crime, no crime in heaven, in his kingdom.

[12:54] You don't need to worry about any of that. Isn't that a relief? Isn't that a relief? Do you not want that? It says he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more.

[13:06] life will never run out. There shall be no more mourning. Joy will never fade nor crying nor pain for the former things have passed away.

[13:22] These are the things that pass away. But Daniel chapter 7 says this, His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away.

[13:33] Hallelujah. And His kingdom is one that shall never be destroyed. Praise God. Isn't that good news? And not only will it not pass away, Isaiah chapter 9 verse 7 says, Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end.

[13:54] It's not just a peace that never fades, it's a peace that always increases. Always increases. On account of this child who was born, peace will only increase.

[14:08] It says, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. On account of this son who was given, justice and righteousness will be established and upheld forevermore.

[14:28] The world has never seen that. Never. All things in his kingdom will be right. And they will be right forever more.

[14:41] As long as he is king and he will be king forever more. His light and his joy and his government and his righteousness and his peace are in no ways diminishing.

[14:53] Even if it feels like it on this earth. Even if at times in this world darkness seems to grow darker, it's actually fading away and the true light is already shining and increasing and will never fade.

[15:07] We have every reason to trust that he will complete what he set out to do. His light and his kingdom are never going to fade. It's only going to increase while the darkness and this world and its desires will become a distant and forgotten memory.

[15:25] Or, as we are just about to sing, turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glorious grace.

[15:43] His glory and grace. Lord, we thank you so much for these truths. Lord, please impress them on our hearts, write them on our hearts, increase our hope and our joy, for these things are true and these things are yours and all glory to your name forevermore.

[16:00]  Amen.