Sermon Cloud

What was Jesus Mission? If asked why Jesus came to earth, many Christians primarily think of salvation, in terms of individual forgiveness and change. Salvation is the means, not the goal of Jesus work on earth. God's plan for the world extends beyond individual salvation - to the coming of the Kingdom.

Jesus' ministry came with the announcement, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."

This theme of the coming of the Kingdom of God is central to Jesus' mission. Jesus teaching showed men how they may enter into the Kingdom of God. His miracles were demonstrative proof that the Kingdom of God was upon them. Jesus spoke in parables to illustrate to his followers the truth about the Kingdom of God. Even when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, He says, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

On the eve of His death, He assured His disciples that He would yet share with them the happiness and the fellowship of the Kingdom. And He promised that He would appear again on the earth in glory to bring the blessedness of the Kingdom to those for whom it was prepared.

So, if the Kingdom of God is central to Jesus' mission, we must ask ourselves; What is the Kingdom of God? This subject could easily lead someone to preach a year on the topic of the Kingdom of God. Tonight, I can only give you a primer on what the Kingdom of God is. Jesus himself never explained what the Kingdom of God was in one teaching. Instead, he began multiple parables by saying, "The Kingdom of God is like..."

Today there seems to be a considerable amount of confusion around the Gospel of the Kingdom. Many of us probably have experienced churches or ministries that respond to the Kingdom in one of three ways:

Classic Evangelical Church - This is the standard position of the evangelical church. The Kingdom of God becomes the 'good news of Christ' - with an emphasis on ministry becomes centered on apologetics, evangelism and discipleship.

Revivalist Evangelical Church - Embrace their new identity in the 'gospel of sonship'. In these churches the nominalism, legalism and works-righteousness of the church fall away as there is a recapture of the gospel of free justification and sonship. This church emphasis that Christians are renewed, as they recapture their identity as the Children of God, as citizens of the Kingdom.

Progressive/Emerging Church - Embrace the community aspect over the personal justification. They see the Kingdom primarily as the 'gospel of the Kingdom'. The emphasis on authentic community and social justice. This group wants to see the church as a 'counter-culture' modeling the kingdom to the culture with strong calls to engage the modern culture.

So which one is right? All three perspectives contain an aspect of the Kingdom of God. In fact, each aspect must become intertwined. As you delve in to any one of these perspectives, you must find more of the others.

The Kingdom Defined

The Kingdom of God, fundamentally is God's sovereign reign expressed in different stages of human history. We see the Kingdom played out through all of human history in 6 acts:

Act 1- The King Creates His Kingdom: Creation

Act 2- Treason Against the King: The Fall

Act 3- The King Chooses a People: Redemption Initiated

Act 4- The Coming of the King: Redemption Accomplished

Act 5- Proclaiming the News of the King: The Mission of the Church

Act 6- The Return of the King: Redemption Completed/New Creation

Act 1-3 - OT

The Biblical idea of the Kingdom of God is deeply rooted in the Old Testament and is grounded in the confidence that there is one eternal, living God who has revealed Himself to men and who has a purpose for the human race which He has chosen to accomplish through Israel.

The bible teaches us that this created, material world is the very theater of God's glory, the kingdom over which he reigns. God allows man to participate in this Kingdom as God's agent and rule over Earth.

God blessed man; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28

The freedom and glory of God's kingdom is 'lost' when Adam and Eve sin and commit high treason against the King. Yet, God chooses a people to represent Him on earth.

The search for a true 'judge' and king absorbs much of the history of God's people. The people continually fall away from submission to the rule of God and instead become slaves to their own desires or other nations which oppress and the successes and failures of all Israel's leaders point to the need for a true King. Though Moses leads the exodus out of the land of bondage, he fails to obey God at the Rock. Though David defeats Goliath, he sins against Uriah. No human king is enough.

The expectations of a perfect King come to fruition in Isaiah and the Psalms to such a high degree that only the coming of the Lord himself can fulfill them. How can any king be powerful enough to liberate us from the slavery and bondage that is this great? Only one who is God himself.

Act 4 - The King Arrives

The 'gospel of the kingdom' is a phrase used many times through Matthew, Mark and Luke. The good news or 'gospel' is the news that Jesus, the true King, entered into human history and created an alternative Kingdom.

Yet, the establishment of the Kingdom creates confusion for God's people. Jesus created a spiritual instead of an eternal political Kingdom as promised by scripture (Daniel 2:31-35, 44-45)

Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

Even John the Baptist seemed confused by Jesus' arrival.

Matthew 11:2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?

Already/Not Yet - People didn't understand the already/not yet aspect of the Kingdom. Salvation had come, but the day of Judgment was still delayed. Many of Jesus parables were to correct improper understanding of the Kingdom.

We see that the gospel is not simply that Christ has come into history to save us, but also how he will accomplish that. He will accomplish this through a new paradigm that completely contradicts the ways of the world. God's saving purposes are affected through the crucified and risen Christ. Christ wins through losing, triumphs through defeat, achieves power through service, and comes to wealth through poverty. Jesus pulls off a 'great reversal'.

"The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man...puts himself where only God deserves to be: God...puts himself where only man deserves to be."

This pattern so contradicts the thinking and practice of the world, that it creates an 'alternative kingdom', and 'alternative city' (Matt. 5:14-16). We cannot reduce the gospel to the good news of individual forgiveness of sins. It is this, but much, much more. We see now the 'Great Reversal' of the cross means that the gospel proclaims a complete reversal of the values of the world - power, recognition, status, wealth.

Act 5 - The Church as Kingdom Representatives

And Jesus sends us to Holy Spirit, sealing those who believe and making us "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:3).

The reality of this new Kingdom brings us to see three gospel perspectives:

1. Gospel of Christ: The announcement of this Kingdom is news, not advice. It is accomplished as an actual historical event. This is important because as news, we must accept it, we cannot earn it. It becomes 'grace' rather than what we can earn. Entering into the Kingdom is only by repentance and faith (Mark 1:15), forgiveness (Col 1:13-14) and a new birth (John 3:3, 5). When we are 'born again', we are born into the kingdom (John 3:1).

Already/Not Yet - Today we accept this news by faith, but one day we will see. Today we have the Holy Spirit as a promise of the true Kingdom to come.

2. Gospel of Sonship: The reality of Jesus righteousness changes our identity. When we enter into the Kingdom, Jesus' kingly authority restructures every area of our life. We can have our identity eternally rooted in God, rather than the false 'messiah's' of our heart that will always disappoint and require us to earn our own identity. We become righteous because Jesus gives us His righteousness.

Already/Not Yet - The very idea of Christians being simultaneously legally 'justified' and yet 'sinful' is based on the 'already but not yet' concept of the Kingdom of God. One day sin will no longer hold its power over us; we will be freed from its bondage.

3. Gospel of the Kingdom: As citizens of this new Kingdom, we live by Kingdom values. Inasmuch as we place our faith in Jesus the King, our identity changes because of what Jesus has done and this causes us to live life's motivated by Kingdom values. We become concerned with social justice, mercy and being a loving community reminder of God's redemptive plan to mankind.

Already/Not Yet - We are called to be a 'city on a hill' a physical representation of God's redemptive work, seeking to restore the world from the consequences of the fall. Yet, sin remains, death, disease and the poor will always be with us until God comes and completes the restorative work in Act 6 of the drama.

Living the Kingdom

I think all Christians would agree that we are to live out our faith and 'be witnesses' to the ends of the world. Yet, many Christians diminish the role of the cultural mandate given in garden. This often disregarded view shapes how we live in this world. As Christians, we can only see things in this world properly when they are viewed through and understanding of the kingdom.

We must see the Kingdom as the renewal of all creation by the re-entry of God's ruling power through Christ's death and resurrection.

a. When it was created the World was originally good.

b. It is now under the curse of sin.

c. We are to continue the dominion mandate given to mankind in the Garden of Eden. Salvation is God's temporary means to this end.

d. It will be eventually redeemed by Jesus our King.

When we see this it impacts how we see the environment, politics and the world we live in.

Work - Let me us an example. Most of you are students at SDSU who plan to get a job when you graduate or people who are currently working a 'secular job'. How does the view of the Kingdom effect how you view your 'career'? According to most Christians what is the hierarchy of 'Most Important Jobs on God's List?' Is it the church volunteer? A Sunday School teacher? Pastor? CEO? Student? Here's what many might say:

1. Missionary to Africa

2. Pastor

3. Christian Organization

4. Secular 'Service' - Doctor, Social Worker

5. Go into business to support these

Many Christians view their work primarily as a 'mission field' to evangelize 'the lost' and to support your church or other ministries. This effects how we work.

When we recognize that our job of cultivating the garden was given, prior to the fall. Cultivating the earth was our primary mission. That means we can have a theology of work. When we work with a Christian distinctive we see the world 'fabric' as unraveling because of sin. Our work of cultivation is to seek the knitting together of the 'fabric' to bring about shalom. Our call to the workplace is to serve the ordinary needs of others. We are here to meet our needs and the needs of others, knowing this redeeming process will not be completed until Jesus comes.

Already/Not Yet: Thorns, Labor vs. the joy of work without tiring. Remember, in heaven the Swords into Plowshares and Spears into Pruning Hooks.

Social Justice - How we view the poor, seek social justice

The Bible's call to mercy ministry begins with creation and will continue until the end of time. God's concern for mankind and all of creation is seen in the principle of the Kingdom. This principle means we (mankind) are charged with the rule of the earth as God's agent, for our collective good and to God's glory. Not 'rule in a power sense' but in serving/cultivating.

Jesus concern for the marginalized, the poor and the sick were demonstrative 'signs of the Kingdom'. When Jesus came many people were outcasts. Lepers were forbidden to be part of society. They were considered 'untouchable' yet we see all three gospel writers note how Jesus, "reached out his hand and touched the man". Jesus didn't need to touch him in order to heal him, but it shows Jesus cared for him emotionally and socially as well.

Somehow, many Christians have come to a position of seeing mercy ministry as "secondary duty". It is something that we try to do if we have enough time or resources to dedicate to "social work".

The Bible doesn't portray mercy ministry as secondary. Jesus Christ taught that man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but that he is also called to practice mercy toward others.

No passage could be clearer than when Jesus teaches in Matthew 25 that we will be judged not by our mouth saying some words of faith, but the Kingdom values demonstrated in our lives.

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

Here, though some have called this a parable, we have instead a depiction of the events of Judgment Day. The time envisioned is the time when the true King comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, to the time when he will sit on his glorious throne and gather all the nations before him.

And when he does, v 32 tells us that he will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. We may ask: What it is that qualifies Christians for their reception into heaven?

Notice vv 35-36: For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.

Those who have evidenced the fruit of true faith: deeds of mercy. This is how the shepherd is able to distinguish so easily the sheep from the goats, how the king can discern to whom belongs the kingdom which was prepared for some from the foundation of the world.

Right about now, I imagine there a variety of responses in this room.

Let me be clear (for those who are 'religious') of what I'm NOT saying, "If you help the poor then I'll take you to heaven". But we know this is not true. Don't fall into the trap of legalism, where you try to live by a set of rules.

Scripture is clear we are 'saved by grace' (Ephesians 2:4-9)

We cannot do 'good works' to accomplish anything. Kaleo rejects any attempt to become moral people. If you came to Kaleo today seeking to become a moral legalist, where you think your contribution can earn you favor with God, you will be sorely disappointed.

Religious people (legalists) ordinarily have a heart of contempt for those who are outcasts and people in need of mercy. "I worked hard to get where I am, look at how pathetic you are," says the moralist's heart. Legalism is rampant in the hearts of Christians and something each of us will struggle against as we leave the "joy of our salvation" for a form of duty-based Christian autopilot.

Many of us feel guilty. We should never see our motivation to serve because "we have so much". While this may be true, in the sense of the resources we possess, it only leads to guilt. This would lead to us feeling guilty for eating a good steak, having two cars, going to college when the rest of the world is starving.

As Christians there may be a moment of guilt response to help, but this only leads to defense mechanisms, justifications, joyless duty and an anxious weariness about our constant failure to "do more". We should not serve from compulsion, guilt or duty.

The Motivation for Mercy

What then should motivate you in the ministry of mercy? Nothing less than the grace of God! When you finally recognize you received the gift of salvation while you were an undeserving enemy of God!

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus Christ, "though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

While we were sitting on a dung heap, God came and clothed us in kingly robes and invited us in as royalty in His kingdom. The gospel of grace reminds us that we are the "poor" who can do nothing by our own means. Christians, we need to remind ourselves because we are prone to forget our tears of repentance, move to "we're good" until we grow more.

It is grace that brings down the barrier of pride and self-righteousness. The gospel makes us, who are primarily white middle-class 20 and 30-somethings, see that we are no better than the poor. In the face of every crack baby and AIDS patient and catastrophe victim and prisoner and widow and orphan and drug addict is a mirror of ourselves. But for the grace of God, there go I. It is the grace of God alone that teaches us to love the unlovely and to do risky things to move toward them with the mercy of Jesus Christ.

When we fully grasp the reality of the gospel, it is the primary motivation for Christians to show mercy. If we truly know and comprehend fully that we were enemies of God saved by mercy alone, we are both open and generous to the outcasts and unlovely. This is why Jesus repeatedly says that love and respect for the poor is an inevitable and necessary sign of the Kingdom that you have understood the gospel and experienced its grace.

We often look at Jesus miracles as 'supernatural' events. Yet, they were not supernatural, they only restored creation to the way God originally intended it.

Stewardship of Earth/Restoring from the Fall: Eg. National City Restoration Project

This type of Kingdom toppled the most powerful kingdom of man in history, Rome.

Act 6 - The Return of the King, Redemption Completed

This leads us to the final act. Jesus is coming back to restore the earth. The Bible is clear that Jesus is preparing a place for us, and God's Kingdom will come to Earth, and a physical resurrection awaits us. There is no reason to assume that these are simply spiritual analogies or allegories.

We're usually taught that Heaven is a non-physical realm, which cannot have real gardens, cities, kingdoms, buildings, banquets or bodies. So we fail to take what the Bible says about Heaven seriously as a familiar, physical, tangible place.

What is Heaven like? We have to realize they are two different answers. The present (already), Heaven is in the angelic realm, separate from Earth, though with physical properties. By contrast, the future Heaven (not yet) will be in the human realm, on Earth. The dwelling place of God will be the dwelling place of humanity, in a resurrected universe:

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,'" (Revelation 21:1-3).

We're told that a time is coming when God will restore everything. It is God restoring mankind to what we once were, what He designed us to be-fully embodied, righteous beings, And restoring the physical universe to what it once was.

If we want to know what the New Earth will be like, the best place to start is by looking around us. We shouldn't close our eyes to try and imagine the unimaginable, but rather open our eyes because it is a valid reference point. God created the Earth and its creatures, and it was "very good." He was pleased with His creation until sin came to this world through Adam.

Imagine this world again with the curse removed and sin no longer present-natural beauty untainted by destruction. That's how He has created us: as physical beings to enjoy a physical Earth as we see and sense the spiritual power and presence of God whose glory illuminates all of it. This is what we should imagine, not just pass through while we're here.

Credits: Part of the Gospel Christianity series we are preaching through based on Redeemer's study.

[1] George Eldon Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom – Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God (Paternoster Press 1959)
[2] John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Intervarsity Press. 1986) p.160