Sermon Cloud

8/31/2008

Garfield Community Church

The Kingdom of God

Mark 1:14-15

The kingdom of God. You don't here much about the kingdom of God in churches today, outside of our heavenly reward when the Lord calls us home. But there is so much more to the kingdom of God than our heavenly reward at the end of a life of faithful service to the Lord. That's what I want to talk about today.

2000 years ago a revolution started. That revolution is still being fought in our towns, in our courts, in our schools, in our lives. This revolution was started by God Himself. The time had come, 2000 years ago, for God's plan of redemption to be played out. This time man's wickedness and life of sin wasn't to be wiped out by a flood. This time man's sin was to be paid for once and for all. This time, God was sending His one and only son to come and redeem man to Himself. This was no surprise, really. The Jews had been waiting for their coming Messiah. They were watching for Him. Unfortunately they had some preconceived notions, and many missed their Messiah's entry into the world.

God ordained the redemption of the world and the establishment of His kingdom with the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, God's one and only son, was to come and establish the kingdom of God.

With every great entry there is always a messenger or a crier to announce the grand entry. When kings would enter a place, trumpets blasted and a crier would announce the entry of the king. Even today, when the president of the United States enters a room, he is announced. Have you ever watched the State of the Union address? The Master at Arms of Congress announces the entry of the president into the Congressional Chambers. Jesus's entry was no different. His birth was announced by God's own angels. Gabriel came and announced his birth. Wow!

And, when it came time for Jesus to start His ministry, to start the process of the redemption of man to God, He was announced again. Turn to Matthew 3:1-2.

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

There was someone, a crier, that God sent ahead of Jesus announcing Him. What was he saying? He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!” The kingdom of God is at hand.

You see John the Baptist, who was Jesus' cousin, was announcing to everyone that the kingdom of God was right there. It was at their hands. It is within grasp.

Now turn to Mark 1:14-15.

14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Again, we hear the same message, “the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Jesus is telling everyone that the kingdom of God is within their grasp. They must repent and grab a hold of the kingdom.

You see we have gotten the wrong idea of something in the church today. We equate the kingdom of God to be Heaven after the Second Coming of Christ. We look to Heaven as the kingdom of God where someday we will be with Him. Folks, if the Lord Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior you will spend eternity with Him in heaven. However, we have 30, 40, 50, 60 ,70 or more years on this earth and we need to be living in the kingdom of God! The kingdom of God is more than heaven. The kingdom of God is at hand. It is within our grasp. It is in our hearts. We are to be living each and every day in the kingdom!

Have you ever heard the phrase “Too heavenly bound to be any earthly good”? Yeah, most of us have. Does that describe you today? You see the kingdom of God is at hand. It is within our grasp. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are in the kingdom of God. It's here now.

So what are we supposed to do? Well we know. We're to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick. Those who understand that we are in the middle of a revolution and are fighting, are using these weapons. These are the folks that give of their time to go down and help with the monthly food giveaway at the Legion Hall. These are the folks who collect and distribute clothes to folks who need them. These are the people that lay hands on and pray for people for healing, and they are healed! These are the folks living in the kingdom. I have a nephew who prays for healing for people, and you know what? They are healed! He's living in the kingdom of God!

There are at least 20 distinct references to the preaching of the “gospel of the kingdom” in Matthew, Mark, Luke and Acts.

In Luke 9:1-2 it says:

1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Matthew 24:14 says:

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Mark 16:15-18 says:

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Acts 1:3-8 says:

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

You see folks, we are in a revolution. Jesus started a revolution. The gospel is not about our heavenly reward, or ourselves spending eternity with God. It is a war cry. It is a shout of revolution. The gospel is about turning our lives over to Jesus Christ and living as His servants, as soldiers in His army, whose weapons are prayer, casting out demons, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless. These are pretty revolutionary ideas and things to be doing in society today. Society today, Satan's kingdom, says to look out for number one. Satan gets us to say, well they got what they deserved. Jesus tells us to love. He tells us to forgive.

Is any of this easy? Sometimes. But not always. You know in war, there is a saying. He who controls the skies controls the battlefield. Well, there is something similar in this revolution we are in now. Jesus, in Acts said that the Promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is who gives us the gifts and power necessary to carry out the orders of God, to expand His kingdom.

Remember the war is not flesh and blood, though there is a lot of flesh and blood that get wound up in this war. This war is against the powers and principalities of this world. This war is spiritual. This revolution is spiritual. The people in this physical world are refugees in a spiritual war. It is our job to use the weapons afforded us and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!”

If you are a believer remember what Jesus said in Mark 16:17. “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Are these signs following you?

Are you living in the kingdom of God? It is at hand, it is within your grasp.