Sermon – “The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”

33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” 44 And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

My message this morning I titled the kingdom of God is at hand or you could say the kingdom of God is near. It’s worded the same both those ways many times in the Bible begin this morning with our first reading is John Chapter eighteen verses thirty three through thirty seven and then also the reading from Luke from John eighteen says then Pollard entered the Praetorian again called Jesus and said to him Are you the king of the Jews. Jesus answered him are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell you concerning me. Pollitt answered am I a Jew your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me. What have you done. Jesus answered My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here. Power therefore said to him Are you a king then. Jesus answered You say rightly that I am a king for this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice and then in Luke Chapter four verses forty two three forty four. Now when it was day he departed and went into a deserted deserted place and the crowd sought him and came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them but he said to them I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also because for this purpose I have been sent and he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee and they got out as blessings of the hearing and reading of His Holy Word. So my keyboard throughout this whole message is going to be that Jesus said I must preach the kingdom of God. To the other cities also he says because this is the purpose that I had come this is a purpose for which I have been sent though that I’ve kind of been on this kingdom thing for some for some time now. Maybe I’ll eventually get off but I don’t know but Jesus said that’s why I’ve been sent everywhere he went he preached of the Kingdom of God so I may not get off of it you know the message on the prodigal son that I spoke a few weeks back how the son was came back to the Father which represents God and he was reinstated. They brought the ring out put him or put it on his finger remember he was reinstated to the same place of authority he came back into the kingdom as a sun with authority rather than a servant. Last week I focused on the Jesus being a tangible image of God Jesus is the king amen the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. There’s only one true king. There’s lots of Kings owner upon this earth but there’s only one true king and his name is Yahweh. The central theme of Jesus’ message was the Kingdom of God I must go preach the kingdom for this is the purpose that I have been sent. So what did he teach about this kingdom and why did that why does there seem to be so much confusion about the Kingdom of God a lot of people are confused they don’t know what Jesus is talking about when he said. When he says the kingdom of God you know if we look at our Bible I have a few other notes here in Matthew twenty the first one. Jesus said The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers and you’ve heard the rest of the story gives out rehire some in the morning goes back out the next hour the next hour. But these explain and that’s what the Kingdom of God is like. It doesn’t matter if you come in early or come in late and Matthew. Thirteen forty five he says the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking a beautiful pearl. We should seek it with all our hearts like it’s a great treasure that’s what he’s saying there. Matthew thirteen twenty four kingdom of heaven is like a man who so good seeds out in his field. Chapter thirteen is just filled with it says the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field or down in thirty three the kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures. If you just skim through Chapter thirteen there’s many many many times where Jesus is saying the kingdom of heaven is like the kingdom of heaven is like this it’s like that. He’s explaining what God’s kingdom is like what it will be like there. But the best way to understand what the kingdom of heaven is like is to start with looking at the Greek meaning of the kingdom. The Greek word for Kingdom is by Celia and it means to rule or to reign and to have dominion over. To have a kingdom you must have a king. And who is the king. Jesus is the king. And that means he has a role he has he reigns over us and he has dominion over us. And the Old Testament we can often find phrases like in the year of King Hezekiah are in the year of King Solomon in First Kings Chapter two verse twelve we read. Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David and his kingdom was firmly established. So by this we understand it at this time. Solomon’s authority was given to him. It was settled that he would reign over Israel at this time. But you can also see from these that in order for a king to roll there must be a round or a. This fear for them to reign over correct. I mean you can’t reign over a nation or a city or a country if you don’t have a city or a country right. In Daniel nine verse one we read in the first year of Darrius the son of a serious of the lineage of the Medes who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans. So he had a realm in which he was to reign over now you know you could go out on a care and would love this. You can walk there or find one of these little tiny islands and Biden go there you’re the only one there. You’re king of that island right. If it’s warm Cam would light upon a little Alan and be the king over her island but you must have a Rome to be able to rule over. God created the earth did he not. So who is the king of the earth. It’s all here is he is a king. When Jesus said in our passage that my kingdom is not of this world he does not mean to say that his role has nothing to do with this world but that his kingship his dominion his authority does not come from man because it comes from God the only one who could truly give him the authority. It has come from god so therefore he rejects the use of worldly fighting to gain his ends. God has always been and always will be the sovereign King over all of creation. Nothing will change that man cannot change that. Psalms one forty five verses twelve to thirteen says to make known to the sons of man his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his kingdom your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures throughout all the generations of the generations. As he shall always always be king there when Jesus came he came with a purpose and the intent to make known the kingdom of authority of God He made known the authority of God One of his first recorded words as he began his public ministry was this repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. That’s in Matthew four seventeen. He spoke with authority. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. The kingdom of heaven is coming you must prepare to get your hearts ready. If you expect to enter into that kingdom if you want to be part of that kingdom the first order of business is to repent and that message is still the same today. We must repent if we expect to partake of the Kingdom of God. There’s something about this kingdom idea that we most likely have a hard time of understanding because we have all been raised in a democratic society and it’s hard for us to fully understand or to comprehend this concept of Kingdom role. It’s hard for us to understand that one person has absolute role absolute authority over every single person in his domain. In Israel it’s hard for us to comprehend because we’ve not lived under it. Democracy arose in ancient Greece and it was a product of thought of Greek philosophers such as Plato so Craigs Aristotle but democracy is an invention of man. It did not come from the Bible though. Our founding fathers used a lot of ideas from the Bible. Democracy did not come from the Bible. In our modern world democracies usually take one to two feet. Orms a republic or a parliamentary type democracy. We all know that a republic is a democratic nation I’m not talking about the party which is headed by a president elected by the people therefore supposedly the ultimate power lies with the people within the citizens of that nation rather than the leadership. I know that it doesn’t really seem like it’s operating that way today but that’s the way that it was intended to operate. So fortunately we still have the freedom and the privilege that if we are unhappy with our president or our senator or elected official. At the end of four years or however many years we can vote them out of office in a Parliamentary. The prime minister although he is the executive the chief executive he actually takes his orders from the governor. But they still have an election. They don’t like their leader they can vote them out in a few years I’m not sure how many years there is run. But no matter which form of democracy one lives under this whole architectural design of a democratic form of government that holds the highest position does not really line up to the kingdom type authority. If a king wants to make a law he makes a law he doesn’t have to call the Congress together and he say’s it’s OK to do this make this law on it with some some people maybe thinking someone’s made a statement if I have a pen but he doesn’t have to ask Congress or the Senate or the Parliament to help him fashion a lot the king wants to make a law he makes a law and it is law and everybody under his dominion must obey that law. The king is king until the king either dies or is overthrown. But I can tell you one thing that will never die and will never be overthrown and his name is Jesus. And I really think this is an underlying problem in our nation that many in our nation thinks that we have voted God out but we cannot vote God out. He is God We can’t vote him out. We can’t overthrow his government. It will not happen because he is God We know there are judges in our nation have passed laws and are trying to pass another law now where they’re going to say that it’s OK for people to same sex the male to marry in any state because there are now in the minority to rule in this nation but the truth is no matter how many laws they pass no matter how many immoral laws they pass it is not OK because of God’s law says it’s not right it’s not right and his laws are the ones that we as believers must follow. They can pass a law in every nation and say it’s OK but it’s not OK. Or I mean every state but it’s still not OK man’s law does not make God’s Law millon void because God’s law all reigns. And I pray that it rains in the hearts of the men and women of this nation. Jesus said For this reason I have come to make known he was the father’s ambassador. Was he not. He came as ambassador to proclaim the good news of the gospel of the kingdom and that’s what the kingdom message is that God is coming. God is with man. Repent get your heart’s ready GOD is coming to Jesus. It’s coming again there is a present fulfillment of this through the Holy Spirit but there is also a future fulfillment of this Christ incoming where his kingdom will firmly be established forever and ever. But also we can walk in it now through the power of the Holy Spirit to the annoying to the Holy Spirit through the authority that he has given us who believe in him that same authority indued upon the disciples. But back to the ambassadors I kind of stepped into that. Paul considered himself Christ ambassador an ambassador isn’t an authorized representative of a sovereign. Rather be a king upon this earth or one to God assent he speaks not is only in his own name but it will be half of the king that is sent to him he is deputize if you will. In the whole of his duty and responsibility is to interpret the rollers mind. So the whole and responsibility of every believer is to interpret the will of God and to share the will of God We are His ambassadors to fulfill what he has called us to do. Paul used this ambassador image a few times. He said for which I am an ambassador in chains that I am a declared boldly as though as I ought to speak Ephesians six he wrote also that God gave us the ministry of reconciliation. So we he speak and the believers the church. So we are ambassadors for Christ God making his appeal through us we beseech you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God there is the message be reconciled to God. Second Corinthians five eighteen through twenty. This is the appeal that the church must proclaim. As his embassadors be reconciled to God We are the ambassadors here on Earth. The Scripture is very clear in his teaching. We are to represent our father we are to represent his kingdom here on this earth just as we send them basters to foreign nations to represent our nation we are to represent God in all the earth. An ambassador is a unique political person. They are appointed by the king or by the president. They are not voted in the position they were appointed. We are appointed by God they represent the state or the kingdom from which they are citizens. Our true citizenship is where in heaven. So who do we represent God in His Kingdom. We represent have an ambassador is committed to the state’s interest. Are we committed to God’s interest. We are we committed to God’s message. They are totally covered by the state and the responsibility of the state. We are covered by God’s protection. They never become a citizen of the state or the kingdom to which they have been assigned. So my friends this is not our true home. We might. I am an American citizen much resistance shippers have with the Lord amen which is they were only here temporarily. We should be living like we’re foreigners in this land. An ambassador has access to all of his nation’s wealth for their assignment. Do you believe that that you have access to all that God can provide for you to carry out your mission. An ambassador never speaks his or her personal position on any issue only the prince’s position of his nation. We should speak God’s position not our own but his position an ambassador’s goal is to influence the territory for his kingdom’s government. As ambassador of Christ Our goal should be to influence our territory for God’s kingdom. That should be your goal. That should be our purpose. Jesus said For this is the purpose for which I came as ambassador of Christ. That should be our purpose also because US share last were to imitate him amen. And Matthew ten verses five to ten. It says these these twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them saying do not go into the way of the Gentiles or do not enter a city of the Samaritans but rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as you go preach saying now this is directly from Jesus and his command the disciples preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Church let’s go and preach and say the kingdom of heaven is at hand and then he says heal the sick cleanse the lepers raise the dead cast out demons freely you have received freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper and your money belts nor bag for your money for your journey nor to tunics nor sandals nor staff for a worker is worthy of his food. God will provide for that which is called you to go and do. How amazing that he tells us tells them tells us go and heal the sick cleanse the lepers raise the dead cast out demons. He say and do as I have done. Do as I have done go and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and then do all these things all these signs and wonders will follow. Are we being faithful church or are we being faithful. I want to read just yet here’s a passage that I was talking about this morning and I couldn’t find a Sabbath school I knew had it in here. Matthew twenty four fourteen and we were talking about the end the end times and when will Christ return we know that no man knows the day nor hour. Matthew twenty four fourteen and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end will come. Doesn’t mean immediately but this will happen before the end will come and then I want to read close with revelations five eight through ten. Now when he had taken the scroll of the four living creatures in the twenty four elders fell down before the lamb each have an A harp and golden bowls full of incense the prayers of the saints and even then they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open it seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people one nation and have made us pay attention to this and have made us kings and priests to our God. And we shall reign on the earth. Don’t let that slide right over like water off a duck’s back there. We shall reign it as kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth. We are to reign as his sons and daughters as kings and priest ambassadors for Jesus Christ the kingdom of God is at hand. He has given us authority. He has given us authority over the enemy. We need to walk in that authority. We need to walk as kings and priest. We need to proclaim the kingdom of God is near. That is what the message is to proclaim that Jesus is near the holy spirit is here now be reconciled unto God that is the message of the Kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven to be reconciled unto him because there is coming a day where he’s coming back and it be too late after that amen.