The Story: Jesus and the Kingdom

[0:00] If you are, if you're joining us, if you're watching our live stream from somewhere and you're not from our church, welcome. This is really open to the world. That's one of the things that a few pastors that I have been talking to in the last week.

[0:17] Take my glasses off. As I've been talking to some pastors in the last week, this is a new normal, right, for everyone. It's a new normal for us. Hi, Jeannie. My cousin just came.

[0:30] So, yeah, this is a new normal. And here we are. You know, I'm obviously sitting on a couch in my living room. But I still feel called to preach and called to interact with the people of our church and anyone who is interested in experiencing a service live.

[0:47] So here we go. As I mentioned, it seems there's a bit of a time lag and that's Facebook. But the really cool part about all of this is we just had fiber optic internet access brought to our house a few months ago.

[1:06] So people who have regular internet are having a lot of problems with trying to stream their services. So hopefully this is going to work out well for us to have the ability to use fiber optic from home.

[1:23] So one thing I said to Michelle this morning, too, that's my wife, is as you become a pastor and begin live streaming and just look at yourself on the screen.

[1:34] I'm just preaching to myself, which is really weird. But as I look at myself on the screen, I think this is going to be a great incentive for people, pastors all over the world to go on diets because they see themselves and think, oh, my goodness, I look like that.

[1:51] OK, time to time to get some exercise. So just in talking about coronavirus, just briefly, I don't we're all aware of what's going on.

[2:02] We're all somewhat inundated with information, whether we want it or not. You know, you can turn on CNN or your local news and get all sorts of information, up to date information about coronavirus.

[2:16] So I actually I'm not making light of it, but I am going to say as you stay home trying to flatten the curve, which is the buzzwords that they're they're using for it now.

[2:29] As we stay home to try and flatten the curve and minimize the impact of the virus long term, make sure you don't fatten your curves in the meantime.

[2:40] So make sure you're eating well. Make sure you're getting exercise. It's OK to go out and get exercise as long as you're maintaining social distance.

[2:51] So do that, you know, keep six feet of space between yourself and other people, but definitely go out and get exercise and eat well. And we played board game in our house last night, which is was fun.

[3:04] So take care of yourself and, you know, we'll we'll continue to interact with you as a church and continue to interact one on one on the phone.

[3:14] And things like that. So it's a it's real good opportunity to to connect with people that you care about and you love. And a friend of mine asked me a few days ago, she said, well, you're a pastor now.

[3:26] She said, what's your perspective on all this? And I said, I think reality is going to be that it's going to remind us of what is important. It's going to remind us of where our priorities should be in terms of relationships, in terms of connecting with one another and being intentional about things.

[3:48] And so, yeah, that's that's really what this is going to be about. I think we're going to remember. Thanks for all the hearts and thumbs up and laughing faces, people.

[3:59] Thanks. But yeah, that's what it's going to be about, I think, is that we're going to remember. I think my computer is slowly sliding down, so I'll tip it up. But we're going to remember what our priorities should be, and that's caring for one another, caring for ourselves, just really connecting with our friends and family and all that kind of good stuff.

[4:22] So I'm going to tip that again. Sorry, folks, just technical stuff, difficulties. There we go. That's going to be better. Yeah. So caring, caring for one another.

[4:35] And, you know, one of the concerns that I have personally is the hoarding issue. People just really stocking up unnecessarily on items.

[4:45] And that puts other people who really need those things and need to have access to some of those things. It puts them in a bad position, I think.

[4:56] So let's make sure we take care of each other in all of this. What I was saying to you, I went for a chiropractic appointment the other day. And what I said, sorry, my computer is shifting again.

[5:11] What I said to my chiropractor is, if one person, and I felt this way for years, if just one person, if each of us took care of one other person.

[5:24] So don't look after yourself. Just care for one other person. If everyone in the world did that, we'd be a better place. Wouldn't we? The world would be a better place.

[5:35] And we would know if every person took care of just one other person, made sure they had meals, made sure they had somewhere warm to sleep at night, made sure they felt valued and cared for as a human being.

[5:50] Wouldn't the world be a better place? So that's what I've been thinking lately. But what I want to do is, I'm going to go through some public service announcement stuff.

[6:02] And I thought this was kind of a fun way to do it. So, if you are watching this on Facebook, you already know that our church is on Facebook. But, we are Facebook, at Bramard Baptist is our Facebook site.

[6:15] Then, if you want to follow us on Instagram. My phone was beeping. If you want to follow us on Instagram, we are Bramard Church.

[6:26] Capital B, capital C. All one word. If you want to go to our website as a church, and please do, because we'll always be posting stuff there as well.

[6:37] Our website is BramardBaptist.com. BramardBaptist.com. There it is. BramardBaptist.com. We encourage people, particularly from our church, to, you know, as we're not meeting in person right now, there's no opportunity to put your offering envelope in the plate as it gets passed by, or hand it out to people.

[7:00] So, please make sure that you keep giving. Giving is a way that we engage with not only our church. I mean, there's realities of that where we're engaging with our church, and we're supporting God's work through a very real way through ministry in the local church.

[7:20] But, it's also an opportunity for us to let go. It's an opportunity for us to say, you know what? God is going to provide. God is going to take care of me. And, in reality, everything that I have, my...

[7:34] Stan is moving again. Sorry. Everything that I have isn't mine anyway. It came from God. Everything is a blessing from God. So, let's make sure that we keep that perspective, that we hold things loosely.

[7:51] I think one of the things that we've come to realize in the last little while, particularly, is that reality as we know it has changed. Right? Reality is different.

[8:03] We are living in... The way I'm describing it to people, we are living in a new normal. And that's not some phrase that I've come up with. I'm going to figure out this stand thing for next time because it's annoying.

[8:16] But we are living in a new reality. And so, the things that we took for granted, perhaps, are no longer available to us.

[8:27] Some of the things that... You know, I was saying to somebody the other day, you could go into the grocery store just two weeks ago and walk in there essentially like a zombie. Grab what you needed because all the shelves were stocked.

[8:42] Grab what you needed. Get it and wander out. And we did it just out of habit. But we did it not even realizing the opportunity that was there. Not even realizing the plenty that we had all around us.

[8:57] And so, especially in North America where we're coming to realize... We're coming to realize a new normal. So, we're coming to realize that some of the things we took for granted maybe weren't that important.

[9:10] Some of the things that we spent our time on or invested our time in maybe not that important. And so, now we're realizing, I believe, that some of the things that were important that ended up being pushed to the side or off to the corner because of other priorities are now becoming central again.

[9:31] And so, whether it's your family or your hobbies, your interests, the things that give you joy, the things that fill your bucket. Those are the things that are again becoming a central focus for us again.

[9:45] As someone who likes hockey, I'm missing the fact that the hockey season is over. But, I also realize the amount of time that I spent on that.

[9:56] Spent watching games. And not that that's a bad thing. There are worse ways to spend your time. But now we don't have those things. And so, it's an opportunity for us to refocus our priorities.

[10:09] To simplify. What I've said at our church before is, I want to do less better. And I think that's what our world... I'm a weepy pastor.

[10:22] So, if I choke up from time to time, you're just going to have to get used to it. But we're going to have to learn to do less better. So, it gives us an opportunity because we have less, because we have fewer distractions, we can do what remains better.

[10:38] We can refocus our priorities on the things that are really important. So, let me get back to some of the public service announcements. I mentioned giving. So, if you are from our church or you're not from our church and you want to help with the ministry at our church, we obviously can't give in person as easily.

[10:58] So, if you want to give to Bramard Baptist, you can go, if you have the ability to do online banking, you can give to donations at bramardbaptist.com.

[11:12] So, I know for me, for my personal banking, you can go in. My stand is moving again. There we go. So, you can go in and set up donations at bramardbaptist.com as an e-transfer option.

[11:29] So, we do encourage people from our church and not from our church. If you want to support our ministry, please do that. The other thing, too, is that if you're old school and you want to still write a check or send in a donation of any kind, you can mail that to the church and we'll get it.

[11:48] So, if you go to bramardbaptist.com, that's our website and it's got contact information on there, including our address. Another thing, during this time, it's important for prayer requests.

[12:01] So, if you're watching and you have prayer requests, we have people monitoring this. So, please make sure you send prayer at bramardbaptist.com an email with your prayer request.

[12:14] So, do that and we will make sure to cover you in prayer. We'll make sure to lift your requests up to God for you. Another thing, if you're interested in being part of our e-newsletter, send an email to info at bramardbaptist.com with your email address and we will make sure we add you to that.

[12:38] Our e-newsletter is something new that we've done recently. So, yeah, make sure you reach out to us and we'll make sure you get that. So, one more thing for a public service announcement for now is if you want to listen to a podcast version of not only this sermon, but any of our previous sermons for about the last year or so, they're in podcast format.

[13:05] So, if you're somebody who likes to listen to podcasts while you're driving around or while you're practicing your social distancing at home, look for Bramardcast. It's all one word, capital B, capital C, on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

[13:19] We're also on some other networks, but those are the easiest. So, I will continue to podcast versions of our sermons as we go forward.

[13:31] So, you'll be able to get them on the website. We'll be doing live feeds most Sundays. And then we'll also have things available on our social media networks, Facebook and so on.

[13:44] So, everybody's still awake after all the announcements and stuff. So, I want to share a verse with you this morning. I shared this with our church last Sunday and I want to share it again now.

[13:56] It comes from Isaiah 41 verse 10. Isaiah 41 verse 10. And it says, So, do not fear for I am with you.

[14:09] Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

[14:20] Isaiah 41 verse 10. So, that's our reality, folks. Is that God is with us. God. See, there's the choking up.

[14:31] God is still in control. So, when you're worried. When you're freaking out. When you're thinking, What do I do when I have no toilet paper? God won't send you toilet paper necessarily.

[14:44] But he might. But put your requests to God. Because the Bible tells us that God hears them. God will respond. God will provide for you.

[14:55] God sees you and he cares for you. So, there we go. So, that's a huge intro. So, for anyone who doesn't know me, we've got lots of folks from our church on right now.

[15:07] But for anyone who doesn't know me, my name is Kent Dixon. And I'm the lead pastor of Braemar Baptist Church. And we are located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. And no, I don't live in an igloo, as you can see.

[15:21] Quite the contrary. I live in a nice house and it's all good. So, good morning to everyone from Braemar Baptist. And anyone else who has joined us, welcome.

[15:31] It's good to see people on. It's good to interact with you. Please do send me notes or questions or anything like that. I will respond as I go.

[15:44] But, yeah, let's get going. So, it's a strange time, right? And I've already kind of touched on that quite a bit. But it's a strange time and it's a time where it's hard not to worry about everything.

[15:59] Right? It's hard not to be worried about stores closing and other places closing. Your church closing. Your place of business closing. Your grocery store shelves being empty or low stock.

[16:17] Lineups. A friend of mine who texted me this morning and said, I'm at Costco. I don't know why he'd be going to Costco right now. But he texted me and he said, I'm at Costco right now and the lineup is around the building.

[16:31] So, for any of you who are familiar with Costco, and most of us are, a lineup around the building of a Costco? That's crazy. That's bananas. So, part of it is social distancing.

[16:43] So, they're keeping limitations of the number of people in the stores. They're keeping distance between people waiting to go into the store and so on. But that's still pretty crazy on a Sunday morning to be lined up at a Costco.

[16:56] And the messages that we keep hearing are that store supplies will probably not run out. Supply chains will be maintained. And so, it's really a sign of control, I think.

[17:11] And that's not a bad thing. When you feel like your life is totally out of control, what are the things that you can do? Well, I can buy 82 rolls of toilet paper.

[17:22] And so, if I can buy my 82 rolls of toilet paper, I have some semblance of control. Do you see that? And, you know, most of us who aren't buying tons of toilet paper are laughing when people are doing it.

[17:38] But at the same time, do you see how that's a desire to maintain some sort of control in an out-of-control world? Right? We try to control what we can.

[17:49] We try to control things in our lives. So, it's a loss of control that we're seeing in a lot of ways. And that's why most of us are home self-isolating. Hopefully. Not self-isolating, but practicing social distancing.

[18:03] It's because that's what we've been advised to do. That's what we've been told is wise. But it's a challenge. And it's a way to maintain control.

[18:14] Control over the situation. But as people who believe in God, it's important for us to remember that God is in control. God is still in control, as I said a little while ago.

[18:27] Even when it seems like the entire world is out of control, God is still in control. Let that sink into your head.

[18:39] That even when the world seems out of control, God is still aware. This is not a surprise to him. He didn't get caught off guard.

[18:50] God is still in control in this situation. Even when we don't know anything. Think about this one. Even when we don't know anything, God still knows everything.

[19:05] Rest in the peace of that. That God still knows everything. I know it can be hard for us to think about it this way. But let's try to remember to think about other people now.

[19:18] Let's try to remember to care for each other. And I touched on this before too. Care for each other rather than ourselves first. Because by doing that, we'll make it through this.

[19:31] We will make it through this. And we'll make it through together by caring for one another. I'm going to begin with a story this morning. People who know me know that I'm a storyteller.

[19:43] People who are related to me know it because they are storytellers too. But I'm going to start with a story. Their entire world consisted of just one island.

[19:54] They measured wealth in seashells. They'd never heard an engine, struck a match, experienced a cold day, or had any knowledge of gravity.

[20:07] You're moving the stand around. My technical support is moving my music stand. They'd never experienced gravity. They believed the entire world was only what they saw and experienced.

[20:21] Two men, one named Michael Leahy and the other one named Michael Dwyer. They were two Australians prospecting for gold and they began to explore this island.

[20:33] The islanders were not initially hospitable. As these two men introduced them to a world beyond their own little world. A world beyond what they knew and what they could control.

[20:46] The islanders had never seen skin so white or bodies so clothed. Seeing soap bubbles for the first time as these two prospectors bathed in the river, the islanders thought the bubbles were a skin disease.

[21:04] The islanders thought the lanterns the men had were containers that held pieces of the moon. When Michael Dwyer took out his dentures, the islanders ran screaming into the jungle.

[21:20] Could we be accused of a similar response, I wonder? At times do we suffer from a limited perspective? Or something we could even call tiny islanditis.

[21:33] Do we think the whole of reality is limited to just what we can see and what we can experience? Or I would even suggest what we can control.

[21:46] So how do we respond when someone visits from another place and reminds us that we just live in a tiny, tiny spot of reality? I'm going to tell you this morning that that's what Jesus did.

[22:02] Jesus came as an invader, a foreigner, an alien, and an outsider. He spoke in a language that we're not used to.

[22:14] He lived by principles that were unknown to us and which we still find difficult to embrace at times. Jesus spoke of a kingdom.

[22:27] Our sermon this morning is titled, Jesus and the Kingdom. And we're going to see how, as Jesus' ministry continued, He declared, The kingdom of God is near.

[22:42] Repent and believe the good news. That was Jesus' message. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. It's a concept that the Bible speaks of many times and in many, many ways.

[22:56] So perhaps you listening this morning have heard that term, heard that expression, the kingdom of God. And maybe you've heard this before, that it's described as something that is already, but is also not yet.

[23:14] That concept of the kingdom of God being already and not yet. The kingdom of God has been described as being here already.

[23:27] Jesus came to bring about a new kingdom and a new ruler. And for us as God's people, God's agents of change in the world, we're part of that kingdom.

[23:39] We are, do you recognize this? We are part of that already. God is also at work in the world as we speak.

[23:51] As we sit here this morning, interacting with one another online here. God is at work in the world. And I'm sure we can all share personal testimonies of how that's true.

[24:03] How we have experienced that ourselves. How we've experienced God at work in our lives. In the lives of people that we know. We pray in the Lord's Prayer, and I hope we mean it.

[24:18] We pray, thy or your kingdom come. And yet we also recognize that God's kingdom is something that also occurs in heaven as well.

[24:33] It's a reality that won't become final and complete until Jesus returns. Until God comes to live with his people.

[24:45] The new heaven and the new earth will be God's kingdom fully realized. When those two realities come together as God always intended.

[24:57] As God's plan, God's story continues to unfold. Those two realities will continue to draw closer and closer together. So do you see that already and not yet at work in the reality of our lives?

[25:16] Maybe you do. So where did this idea of the kingdom of God come from? Well, we can recognize this concept.

[25:27] This truth. It's not just a concept. It's true. It's the main theme of Jesus' teaching and his ministry. Because in all three gospels, in case you haven't noticed this.

[25:41] In all three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This concept of the kingdom takes center stage. And it's mentioned in the gospels more than 60 times.

[25:56] Seems fairly important to Jesus' message, right? The idea of a monarchy or a kingdom. For us, it may be a hard concept for many of us to appreciate or to even align ourselves with.

[26:12] That idea of being ruled by a king or a queen. But in Canada, even in Canada, where we're technically part of the Commonwealth of Great Britain.

[26:25] We recognize Queen Elizabeth of England as our monarch by association. But we have a prime minister. We have premiers. We have mayors.

[26:35] We have other people in leadership over us. So we don't have a direct connection with Queen Elizabeth day to day. So when I talk about that concept of kings, which the Bible talks about a lot.

[26:51] Do you see that as somehow, for you personally, as you listen to this. Do you see the concept of a king or a queen or a monarch as being unrelatable for you somehow?

[27:03] Or even medieval? Do you see that as ancient history? And it doesn't really connect with you at all? I believe for many people who've never lived in a country where a monarchy is their system of government.

[27:18] It can feel like a fairy tale, right? The idea of a monarch. The idea of a king or a queen ruling over people. It can seem like far, far away. Once upon a time kind of stuff.

[27:31] But the concept of monarchy is actually very biblical. Consider it for a moment. A king created the universe.

[27:45] A king commanded a flood. A king led the Israelites to freedom. And drew the respect of foreign human kings.

[27:57] Like Nebuchadnezzar. Who we read about in the Old Testament. And we can also recognize that the Old Testament prophets predicted a coming kingdom.

[28:09] Led by a new king. The Messiah. The Bible says in Zechariah 9 verse 9. Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion.

[28:24] Shout, daughter Jerusalem. See, your king comes to you. Righteous and victorious. Lowly and riding on a donkey.

[28:35] On a colt. The foal of a donkey. This passage in Zechariah is a direct prophecy. That we see fulfilled in what's known as the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

[28:52] Which we celebrate in a few weeks on Palm Sunday. But you notice something here already. This Messiah king arrives not on the back of some majestic stallion.

[29:07] Some war horse. Some giant armored beast. In a typical way that we might think a monarch would arrive. But this king arrives humbly.

[29:19] Not just on the back of a humble animal. But this humble animal that he rides is the baby of humble parents.

[29:33] The colt of a donkey. The baby of a donkey. A donkey itself is a lowly, humble animal. But it's baby even more so.

[29:44] Jesus Christ. This humble carpenter. Is the new lowly king.

[29:55] The humble king. So what is God up to here? What is his plan? What's going on? God is up to, my friends, bringing a new kingdom.

[30:10] He's bringing a kingdom unlike any ever experienced in human history. Either before or since.

[30:23] There were rulers before. There have been rulers since. But this kingdom, the kingdom of God, is unlike any human kingdom.

[30:35] Jesus taught about the kingdom. So let's begin by looking at the book of Mark. Chapter 4, verses 3 to 9.

[30:46] Now when I'm preaching in our church, I can look out at people and make sure everyone's opening their Bible. But I can't do that now. So I'm trusting you. So open your Bible to Mark chapter 4, verses 3 to 9.

[31:02] And I will read that for us now. Follow along or listen as I read. Listen. Listen. A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

[31:18] Some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

[31:32] Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil.

[31:45] It came up, grew, and produced a crop. Some multiplying thirsty. 30, sorry. Some 60, some 100 times.

[31:58] Then Jesus said, Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. In Jesus' kingdom, as we read here, The weapons are not armies with swords, but farmers with seeds.

[32:18] This kingdom is not about subjugation or control. It's about health and growth. Do you recognize the success rate in Jesus' story?

[32:33] According to the results that he gives, Three out of four people, three out of four seeds planted, People will not receive the kingdom.

[32:45] Let's pause for a moment here. Think about some people that you love. Some people who are important to you.

[32:58] Who you are either unsure or quite sure will not receive the kingdom. And I'm going to pray for us.

[33:10] Father God, we recognize the names that have come to our minds in this moment. May our doubts about the eternal destiny of those who have come to our minds Be changed into opportunities for us to personally sow the seeds of faith into their lives.

[33:31] And Holy Spirit, we ask that any seeds that have been planted there will be nurtured So that they grow into lives that call on the name of God.

[33:45] Amen. The idea of the kingdom of God means something very exciting for us. It means that God the King is here.

[33:59] He's here and within our reach. I have another story for you. An eight-year-old boy and his ten-year-old brother misbehaved And their mother took them to the preacher.

[34:16] The preacher told the mother that he would talk to the boys about God being everywhere. So they need to behave as they're always in God's presence.

[34:28] He called the ten-year-old boy into his office and asked him, Son, do you know where God is? The boy sat still and silent.

[34:40] The preacher asked the question again, Son, do you know where God is? The boy was silent still. And so the preacher asked a third time.

[34:55] The boy jumped up, ran out of the office, And grabbed his eight-year-old brother, Saying, wow, we are in trouble. Let's get out of here. God is missing, and they think we did it.

[35:11] My wife's laughing. Thumbs up in the background. See, normally I have an audience. God is not missing, my friends. He is within our reach. He's so close.

[35:24] He's right with you. He's right with us. For those of you who like neat things in neat packages, Here's the control issue again. I'm going to give you two groups of three things.

[35:38] There are three principles for the kingdom of God that we see in scripture. I got a laughy emoticon. That's good. Thanks. In Mark 13, 44 to 46, We learn the kingdom of God is a great treasure.

[35:55] Like a huge, expensive pearl. Mark 4, 26 to 29, talks about the growth of the kingdom operating on energies that we cannot understand or control.

[36:13] And that it will grow and spread according to God's will alone. How exciting. Matthew 6, 25 to 27 and 6, 33.

[36:27] Talk about the kingdom of God being a worry-free. This hits home for us. Being a worry-free, anxiety-free realm.

[36:39] Where we can trust in God to provide for our needs. Amen. I love the words also of Matthew 6, verse 27.

[36:52] Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6, 27.

[37:03] Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life? Can you? I can't.

[37:15] And I'm a worrier. As the king of this new kingdom, Jesus' miracles also demonstrate his royal authority and power.

[37:27] We read about his miracles throughout the Gospels. We're quickly going to look at three examples of that. That we can see in Mark 4, verse 35.

[37:38] And Mark 5, 11. It's one of my favorite stories in the Gospels. Jesus, in a boat with the disciples, in a storm.

[37:49] He speaks to the wind and the waves. And they obey his commands. And they obey his commands. They hear his voice and they obey. In Mark 5, 1 to 11, we read about a man who is possessed by not just a demon, but many.

[38:08] A group of demons that called themselves legion. We read about this man. We read about this man and that he experienced superhuman strength.

[38:20] And when Jesus confronted the demons who possessed him, they feared and obeyed him. They knew who he was. And they left the man immediately when Jesus commanded them.

[38:36] And fled into a herd of pigs and drowned themselves. They wanted to drown themselves rather than face Jesus and his authority.

[38:49] Jesus also introduces us to God. Through Jesus, we have the opportunity to have a relationship with the ultimate ruler of this eternal kingdom.

[39:03] The kingdom of God. Jesus introduces us to and makes a way for relationship between us and his king.

[39:14] His king and his father. His abba. His daddy. Becomes our king.

[39:29] And our father too. Do you have a king? That's an obvious question, but let's unpack that a bit.

[39:43] We all have a king in some form or other. And some of the things that we've allowed to rule over our lives have become our kings.

[39:55] Some of those things come really from selfish choices. From stubborn choices. But we all need a king who is also our father.

[40:08] The Bible says in Matthew 28, 18. That all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus.

[40:21] In God's kingdom, there is only room for one king. And we simply can't be our own king or queen.

[40:36] My friends, God is creating a kingdom. And you're invited in. And soon our king will return.

[40:46] Do you realize, have you ever thought about the fact that right now we're in training? We're in training to prepare us to live the kingdom life.

[41:02] And right now we live. What you're feeling is kingdom tension. We know that God's ultimate destination.

[41:14] His final destination. Our ultimate reality. Is far greater than people know. Even for those of us who believe in God.

[41:26] Our future reality. When the kingdom comes. Is far greater than we can imagine. So it's up to you.

[41:39] And it's up to me. It's up to us. To express this bigger. Saving. Loving world.

[41:50] Of the kingdom of God. And it's more important now. I believe. Than ever before. As we've learned.

[42:04] Three out of four people. That we talk to. About this kingdom. May not believe us. But that fourth. Just one.

[42:16] Just me. We recognize that we're in the minority. And that people will try to get us to forsake our king.

[42:28] To turn to other kings. To accept a king that they may have to offer. But stand strong my friends.

[42:39] Stand firm. Call on your king. To save. And protect you. Because his kingdom.

[42:51] Is beyond our wildest dreams. And so. Worth. The wait. I want to close in prayer.

[43:04] But I want us to. Close with the Lord's prayer. And I want to share a joke with you quickly. One pastor that I read about this morning.

[43:16] He shared on a pastor Facebook group. That he closed his online streaming service. Today with the Lord's prayer. And he forgot the words.

[43:28] And many pastors said. I feel your pain. I did the same thing. But this morning my friends. We're going to close with the Lord's prayer. And I want you to say it out loud. Right where you are.

[43:38] And I'll say it out loud for us here. Let's pray. Our Father. Who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name.

[43:50] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth. As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses.

[44:01] As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom. The power and the glory.

[44:14] Forever and ever. Amen. I'm going to say another prayer for us. If you are watching. Feel free to post a prayer request.

[44:25] And I will pray for it. I'll peek with one eye. And I'll pray for it. But I just want to pray for us in general. And pray for our world. So I'll do that now. And I'll keep my eyes open.

[44:37] So don't be freaked out. Dear God. Thank you that you are in control. Thank you that our current situation in our world is not a surprise to you.

[44:49] You're well aware of what's going on. Lord I pray for protection for people who are sick. Lord I pray for healing and deliverance for people who are sick.

[45:02] And who are struggling with coronavirus infection. Or any sort of health risks that might put them in a bad situation right now. Father I pray for peace and for comfort for people.

[45:15] Whether they're people that we know in our lives locally. Or people around the world. Lord we ask that you as a great physician will intervene. We'll care for people.

[45:27] We'll just provide. Lord we'll bring healing. Lord I also ask for. I'm just going to scroll down so I can see.

[45:41] There we go. And Lord I pray for. For the needs of the people who are watching right now. Each person has an individual story. And an individual need that they have.

[45:52] Or many needs. And so Father I pray for your provision there. Lord. Lord between the coronavirus and the associated financial impacts.

[46:03] We're just. We're really getting hit hard right now Lord. And so. We pray for your help. We pray for your wisdom and your guidance and your comfort. Father for people who need jobs.

[46:15] Or need to be able to provide for our families. Lord we ask that you would step in and make that possible. Father we pray that. While maintaining social distance. That we stay connected with one another.

[46:27] That we love on each other. And just remember what's important right now. Father you're. You're refocusing us. And so.

[46:40] During this time I pray that we would be aware. Father help us to. Be aware of what you would have us. Learn in this time. How you would have us care for one another.

[46:51] And for others. People that we know. And people that we don't know Lord. Make us aware of opportunities. Open our eyes. Open our hearts. Make us aware. Lord we thank you for.

[47:03] Amidst all of the challenges that we have. We recognize the blessings. That we also have. We recognize. Singing birds. And sunshine. And the love of our.

[47:13] Our family members. As we spend time. Together. At home. And Lord. We also recognize the. The needs for people around the world. Lord.

[47:23] Again I want to pray for. Medical professionals. Doctors. And nurses. And. And. And. And. And. And. All the people around the world. Who are really in the trenches. And on the front lines.

[47:35] Fighting. Fighting this battle. And. And. Fighting against coronavirus. Lord. Healing people. And bringing comfort. And bringing.

[47:45] Medication. And. Care. And all those things that are so important. And so. Lord we thank you for. For the way that you're providing for them. Protect them. And care for them in this time.

[47:57] Lord. Thank you for the opportunity of technology. Thank you for. The fact that it gives us the. The means to still connect. The means to. Have online services. And.

[48:08] Continue to be a church around the world. In a new way. And so Lord. Thank you for this opportunity to connect. And. May you bless each one who is tuning in.

[48:19] And the people who are. Touched by the service down. In. In coming days. And so. Lord. Thank you for. For all that you do.

[48:29] All that you provide for us. Thank you for your love. For your care. We love you in return. We pray these things in your name. Amen. So. Next.

[48:39] Sunday. I will. Be. On vacation. Because. Vacations get planned. And then coronavirus happens. So you go ahead with things. But. Oh.

[48:53] Gentleman asked. Thank you God. For bringing Kathy back to us. So. Thank you God. For that. For bringing Kathy back. I'm not sure.

[49:03] The situation there. But God. You know the situation. So. Thank you so much. For. For answered prayer. And Lord. We also recognize. That prayers are answered. That people are not sharing.

[49:13] So thank you for. For that. How you. How you. Step in. And answer prayers. In ways that we don't even realize. And the ways that you provide. For. For our needs.

[49:23] That we don't even realize. And so. Yes. So next week. We will not be live streaming. On Sunday. Because I'll be away. But. Please continue to tune in.

[49:34] On Sunday mornings. At 11. Mountain Standard Time. I will continue to preach. And pray with you. And connect with you. Like this. And. I'll just go through this stuff.

[49:45] Quickly again. As we get ready to say goodbye. So. Oh. Right set up is helpful. So if you're on here. You know that. Brammer is on Facebook. So. Make sure you.

[49:56] Follow us. Like us. Whatever you need to do. To stay connected there. We are on Instagram. And quite often. When I post on Instagram. I'm. Ah. That's upside down. Sorry folks.

[50:07] Ah. Ha ha. Technical difficulties. We are on Instagram as well. Brammer Church. So. Quite often. When I post on Instagram. I will also mirror it to Facebook. So you'll get both.

[50:19] Our church website is. BrammerBaptist.com. BrammerBaptist.com. So make sure you connect there. If you want to. Uh.

[50:29] If you want to do some giving. We appreciate that. So. You can do giving by donations. At BrammerBaptist.com. That's very helpful. And we appreciate people. Maintaining giving.

[50:40] During this time of. Online. So we appreciate that very much. If you have prayer requests. Other than Sundays. When we do a live stream. Send them to.

[50:51] Prayer. At BrammerBaptist.com. We have a prayer team. And we will cover you in prayer. When you send those in. And so please do it. Uh. Yes.

[51:02] If you want to receive our e-newsletter. It's info. At BrammerBaptist.com. Send an email there. With your email address. And say. Yeah. Sign me up. And we will do that. We'll add you to our email.

[51:13] News. Newsletter distribution. So we'll do that. And. Last but not least. If you want to hear past sermons. Or current sermons. Or future sermons. Look for BrammerCast.

[51:24] On Spotify. Or Apple Podcasts. If you are cleaning your house. Or driving in your car. Or whatever you're doing. You will be able to get. Our podcast sermon version.

[51:35] So. Next Sunday. Uh. Look for a post. On social media. And our church website. And a few other places. Of a sermon. From my good friend.

[51:45] Noel Sayers. Noel attends our church. And he's an awesome. Awesome preacher. And he's a lot of fun. So. It will be an audio only sermon. So. Unfortunately.

[51:56] We won't have this kind of interaction. But we'll get back to that. So. Again. Two weeks from now. Make sure you tune in. At 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. For another. Uh. Live stream service.

[52:07] Until then. God bless each and every one of you. Have a great. Uh. Day. Uh. Enjoy your Sunday. No matter where you're at. Go for a walk. Remember. Flatten the curve.

[52:19] Don't fatten your curves. So. God bless you. You all. And be well. See you next time.