The Purpose of God’s Kingdom | Luke 17:20-21

[0:00] Okay, thank you, Patrick, for allowing me to speak today. I know that you were busy in travels,! This place has been good to us, and I'm sure it'll be good to all of you that are here today.

[0:34] Amen? Amen. So today I wanted to talk a little bit about, kind of like fundamentals, if you will, the purpose of his kingdom. And that's something that's important, because the purpose of God in creating this world, you and me, is to establish his reign over all the earth.

[0:56] But that reign was marred and spoiled by the disobedience in the Garden of Eden. So now God has to find another way, that being Christ.

[1:10] Before we jump in, let's go ahead and bow our heads and pray that the Lord may bring his word to us today. Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you, Lord, for all that you have brought to us, Lord.

[1:23] Your Son, who you brought to this earth, died on the cross for our sins. Let us always remember that that is the purpose of you creating us, creating the world, is that your kingdom may reign on this earth as it does in heaven.

[1:45] And we just pray, Lord, that our ears be open, our hearts be ready to receive, as we go through these scriptures that have been prepared.

[1:57] And I thank you, Lord, again, for the opportunity to serve you. And I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. So, yes, God created the earth to establish his reign, his kingdom.

[2:13] But as we saw, and we know that in the beginning chapters of the scriptures of the Genesis, that was spoiled because of the disobedience in that Garden of Eden.

[2:30] But Christ has come to reclaim that which is his own and to proclaim God's rule and reign over the earth. If you go with me to the book of Luke, chapter 8, and your Bible's there in front of you.

[2:47] It's on page 1027. Luke, chapter 8, verse 1. Talks about how when Jesus began his ministry and how the concept of the kingdom is central to his teachings.

[3:10] and by way that he did it. So, in Luke 8, verse 1, it reads, So, afterwards, he went on through the cities and the villages proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God and the twelve were with him.

[3:31] It's right there. He came to proclaim and bring the good news of the kingdom of God. God. That was his purpose. That was his message throughout the villages and towns that he visited.

[3:48] And he sought those twelve men with him as he knew the task was greater than it could be. So, he came to reclaim that which was his own, proclaiming God's rule and reign over the earth.

[4:04] and he proclaimed this when he completed the victory when it came time for him to lay his life for all of us.

[4:25] But he came, he died on the cross, but his ministry is still not done. His work is still not done on this earth.

[4:37] Because now, along with the Holy Spirit, the work continues. And that work continues through you and me in spreading the gospel and bringing the earth and all its inhabitants back.

[4:56] to proclaim in the kingdom. We can see that if you go to Philippians 2, 10, and 11.

[5:09] And you can find it in your Bibles on 1165, 1165. We'll go there to 1165.

[5:26] I think that's what it was in here. Yes. Philippians chapter 2, verses 10 through 11.

[5:44] And this is when we know God has proclaimed or reclaimed his earth and his people. So that the name of Jesus at the sound of the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth right under the earth and everything under the earth and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

[6:15] When every tongue proclaims it and every knee shall bow down to him. how do we do that?

[6:26] In our walk. A walk that we interact with each and every person that we come across through work, play, family, friends, proclaiming his name.

[6:46] and it says here every knee shall bow down. And I'll admit that that one doesn't always come to me.

[6:59] Sometimes I'm in prayer. I don't either not in a place where I can't actually kneel down or do so. But it is a reverence. It is a show of reverence to him.

[7:11] but proclaiming his name and confessing that Christ is the Lord. That's how the kingdom continues to grow from one person to the other.

[7:25] Amen? So the kingdoms of this world go blindly on, believing that their power and their glory is the only thing that comes to this world.

[7:39] they don't see that there is an eternal hand working behind the scenes which determines the destiny and the fate of every individual and nation.

[7:53] Can't say that much louder than today. Yes, we're all, as Jody was saying, have all those individuals that are involved in the conflict in our prayers.

[8:06] and we know that, as it says, the eternal hand is working behind the scenes.

[8:19] We may not understand it, we may not be able to accept it, but we need to understand and believe and know that the world is in his hands.

[8:31] Amen? Amen? So, the Bible also talks to us about how his kingdom is to be.

[8:47] And I like the way it says it in Luke 17 20-21 because we'll see that that kingdom is definitely in us.

[8:57] we have that power to continue to add to his kingdom.

[9:09] So, if you'll go to Luke 17 20-21 and it's on your Bibles in 10-42 it's Luke 17 20-21 the coming of the kingdom.

[9:37] Okay? And this is when Jesus is going out throughout proclaiming the kingdom of God and there are those that are challenging him the Pharisees.

[9:54] They're trying to get him to basically they're looking to trap him in a way or to to be able to arrest him.

[10:06] And in Luke 17 20-21 the coming of the kingdom reads being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come he answered them the kingdom of God is not coming in the ways that can be observed nor will they say look here it is or there says for behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you he's granted that to you the kingdom of God is within you but first we also understand as many of us there was a period in time in our lives that we were void of the kingdom we didn't understand or didn't want to understand it was just how we were as individuals on this earth and we didn't understand his word why because we weren't taking time to spend time in his word maybe it's because we didn't understand it we didn't seek it out but in this we see that he says it plainly the kingdom of

[11:37] God is in the midst of you that being Christ and the Holy Spirit and if we have Christ with us Holy Spirit with us he is within us as is the kingdom amen so he says with you and me basically is what God is telling us there it is within you it's not sadly it's not within the powers of this earth it's within us the believers within you resides the power of the universe and you have the kingdom within we ask ourselves well how can that be how can I be a person where his kingdom reigns that's the question we have to ask ourselves does his kingdom reign in us is

[12:39] Christ within me is the Holy Spirit within me am I doing my part to help proclaim this kingdom of God so how does that happen how do we get put in that position to say I don't want to call it as my responsibility but in a way it is it's my calling he's called all of us that are here for a purpose same as he was doing so when he was speaking with Nicodemus a wise man that wanted to know more about he was intrigued by this person named Christ Jesus Christ when he came to him basically asking those questions of how is it that what you're saying how can it be true so this happens because when we accept that invitation God's invitation to be part of the kingdom then we understand so in

[13:47] John 3 3 which is found in your Bibles on page 1055 tells us how that invitation goes about as he was talking to Nicodemus John 3 3 on your Bibles it's page 1055 John 3 3 it reads Jesus answered him truly truly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God must be born again and of course we can see in those scriptures Nicodemus responds how can a man be born when he is old well yes we can because in

[14:47] John we see a strong correlation between the kingdom of God and eternal life nowhere do we see more clearly that Jesus in his encounter with Nicodemus basically saying just as you have had a physical birth so you must have a spiritual birth then we become subjects of the kingdom within a kingdom we are part of the kingdom of this world but our allegiance is to another kingdom we're asking for that change to come about us in that spiritual growth as we were singing today lead me to the cross said rid me of myself when we accept that invitation we're accepting that rid me of myself put all that is not of you

[15:51] Lord put it away because why because I belong to you now because I've accepted that invitation it says lead me to the cross because that's where we find the forgiveness of sins at the cross and I think that's one of the areas where many individuals struggle I know it was one of my struggles how I could be forgiven for what I had done how could that be obviously I don't doesn't leave my mind because it's still there but as that thought comes to my mind of who I was so does his calling knowing that I am with him I am part of him he is with me and I can accept that forgiveness that he has brought forth there was another talking about being within one kingdom into another kingdom or being in the situation where we are now on this earth but yet we are of

[17:06] God mother Teresa once said my blood and my origin in other words birth I am Albanian kingdom my citizenship is in India Indian her practice of faith at the time she said I am a Catholic nun servant of the Lord as to my calling I belong to the whole world she said same as yours your calling belongs to the whole world but she closed it off by saying as my heart I belong entirely to Jesus so how we can see yes we're on this earth we're bound by the laws that of this earth but we also must recognize that yes we are citizens of

[18:10] Ontario Oregon of the United States and your ethnic origin but you belong to Jesus you belong to his kingdom you are his kingdom and it's available to all men New Testament that's what it is it's God calling his people back but in the Gospel of John we see that Jesus is developing the concept of the kingdom further and further and further I say that because John the book of John is one of my favorite books it was one that I spent a lot of time with when I first came to Christ because he's speaking to the new believer so it meant a lot to me it does mean a lot to me and his kingdom was achieved by the way of the cross another scripture there that's in

[19:16] John 12 32 and it's in 1066 68 of your of your Bibles 1068 excuse me so we know that the kingdom was achieved by the way of the cross and there in John 12 verse 32 he says and when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all people to myself that is when he proclaimed the forgiveness of sins and now he ascends into heaven to sit on the right hand of God and sends his Holy Spirit to dwell with us to complete the work and

[20:21] I was thinking this when I was reading through this and kind of preparing it I was reading the scriptures where he was crucified placed on the cross and it came to me in an interesting way that the cross had to be laid down horizontally so they could nail him to the cross but then what happened it was lifted up that's where he's saying you're coming with me I'm lifting up I'm going to be with my father and we will send the Holy Spirit to continue the work of building the kingdom so Jesus in the verses that we read here he's looking of course at his death on the cross when he reads when he says and I will be lifted up from the earth and will draw all people to myself the death that was necessary to herald the coming of the kingdom just as he told

[21:32] Nicodemus I tell you the truth no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again so he establishes the church the new birth is a gift from God that we respond to God's gift by giving of ourselves back to him and responding to that call of discipleship once you proclaim yes I accept that invitation to be born again your work now begins as a disciple and that's where we have to look at it and say okay that's the call am I ready because if we were to continue reading in the scriptures when the church was born in the book of Acts it starts out beautifully because we see so many people coming to

[22:35] Christ but then about midway we find that the Romans the kingdom or the nation of that time did not want that word to spread so what happened we see the persecution of the church so if you go with me to Acts chapter 8 verse 1 and it's on 1088 in your Bibles I believe yeah yeah 1088 there in Acts chapter 8 verse 1 it's called Saul's rabbit the church right you all know who Saul was but it's already been a change has come about and Saul approved the execution and those there arose on that day a great persecution against the church of

[23:41] Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria except the apostles so a persecution took on you were found to be known as a Christian you were probably going to be put to death or imprisoned so as we read those scriptures and you say yes I accept the invitation I accept to be a disciple because if we look the early church was mercifully persecuted by the Roman state in the first two centuries of the first millennium indeed they had not paid the price if they had not paid the price I should say we would not be here possibly not reading of Christ in his Bible so God used the persecution yes to accomplish his purpose but the only thing that could have prevented the gospel from expanding and his kingdom continuing to grow would have been found in the word apathy apathy is a state of indifference characterized by a profound lack of motivation or emotion or interest and is not goal directed behavior so let me read that again apathy is a state of indifference not fully accepting possibly characterized by the lack of motivation taking on the work as a disciple that emotion that love not just for

[25:35] Christ but for one another in the interest to spend time in his word in its goal directed behavior and I applaud both Patrick and Amber for the efforts that they're doing in this church in trying to reach the community and I have battled within me because sometimes yes I hate to say I'm busy but thank goodness that is just an excuse for not coming alongside them as the church so today it's a call basically of repentance in one that we accept the invitation we're born again we become disciples and we turn from our own selfishness in ways so that we can follow

[26:38] Christ so the purpose in closing here and talking about the purpose of God's kingdom is found through repentance I must repent must accept that I am a sinner and I accept Christ's forgiveness obedience obedience in reading the word spending time in the word speaking to others discipleship I must say that God knows what we want to do and what we desire to do and since I would say the early 2000s I feel that God had placed that calling on me to proclaim his word first as a youth ministry and then in other types of ministries and I appreciate the opportunity that

[27:49] Patrick gives me here as well but God do and he placed a calling on me and I can see repentance and I can see growth in the church when I go out to the Snake River Correctional Institution and I speak with those men many of them have expressed to me yes I was lost in the world a sinner but in those walls they say they have found the most freedom they've ever had why because they came to Christ accepted those forgiveness of sins and have made a pledge to proclaim his word in and where they are sometimes they tell me I spend my time on the word because that's all I have is time and it fills my heart to see that and I can see that when I'm speaking with them when I'm when we're basically doing ministry together and I pray for them that if they do at one point get to again be with their friends and family on the outside that that work continues to grow and that's how it works folks

[29:14] I talk to one another one talks to another one next thing you know we'll have to make an addition to this church is that okay Patrick so yes that is the purpose of the kingdom repentance obedience and discipleship if you bow your heads with me and we'll ask our Lord to guide us in that heavenly father lord lord i thank you again for this opportunity to share your word be a part of that growth that is happening in this church and within us and lord i just ask that you just bless each and every person in here that these words that were spoken have penetrated their hearts their minds and that we not live in a state of apathy that we have that motivation that goal directed purpose of growing your kingdom and we ask this in the name of your precious son

[30:20] Jesus amen thank you