The Kingdom Fully Realized
The Story • Sermon • Submitted
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Key Passages: , , , , Zac 14:1-9
The BIBLE reveals to us Who God is, his character, his holiness, love and grace through the story of his unfolding plan… It is this greater story-line of God’s plan that we’ve been trying to make sense of over many weeks…
SO we started by learning the OT Story. The people of Jesus’ day had the Old Testament Story all wrong. They told the story as if God's promise was exclusively for the Nation of Israel, and that God’s law was the means of salvation. This combined with their spiritual pride, blinded them to the truth!
Do you ever wonder why the majority of the Jews living in Jesus' day just couldn’t get it that Jesus is the Messiah? They saw the miracles, they heard his preaching, they could interact with him face to face. And they knew all the OT promises - they knew the Scripture and they even taught others to obey God’s law but they couldn’t see or accept that it all pointed to Jesus. One of the things that blinded them is that they had the Old Testament Story all wrong. They told the story as if God's promise was exclusively for the Nation of Israel, and that the law was the means of salvation. This combined with their pride, blinded them to the truth.
And they knew all the OT promises - they knew the Scripture and they even taught others to obey God’s law but they couldn’t see or accept that it all pointed to Jesus. One of the things that blinded them is that they had the Old Testament Story all wrong. They told the story as if God's promise was exclusively for the Nation of Israel, and that the law was the means of salvation. This combined with their spiritual pride, blinded them to the truth - that was standing right in front of them!
When Jesus told the OT story to his disciples on the road to Emmaus he corrected the story-line, opening their minds to the truth that God’s promise and plan was and is for all nations, and that obedience to God’s law was never the means of salvation, but always the fruit of true faith in him!
It is important that we get the OT story right! That we hear it the way Jesus told it and taught it to his disciples! Especially in our post-Christian culture today where we encounter so many different and strange ideas about Jesus, God, the bible, and what it means to live a Christian life.
SO we began learning to tell the OT story the way Jesus did honing in on a few key passages that the Apostles frequently quote in the NT – we used a few hand actions to help us remember – REVIEW PARTS (4)
Jesus model’s something for his disciples on the road to Emmaus. He tells the OT story. And when he does hearts and minds are opened.
After learning the OT story - we then began to follow the same story-line into the New Testament
Do you ever wonder why the majority of the Jews living in Jesus' day just couldn’t get it that Jesus is the Messiah? They saw the miracles, they heard his preaching, they could interact with him face to face. And they knew all the OT promises - they knew the Scripture and they even taught others to obey God’s law but they couldn’t see or accept that it all pointed to Jesus. One of the things that blinded them is that they had the Old Testament Story all wrong. They told the story as if God's promise was exclusively for the Nation of Israel, and that the law was the means of salvation. This combined with their pride, blinded them to the truth.
So in an environment where there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Jesus how can we ourselves have confidence that we are understanding and making proper sense of Jesus and his teachings? And how can we communicate and engage people with the message of Jesus in a way that really helps them make sense of the faith? Do you ever wonder why the majority of the Jews living in Jesus' day just couldn’t get it that Jesus is the Messiah? They saw the miracles, they heard his preaching, they could interact with him face to face. And they knew all the OT promises - they were all about the Scripture and obedience to God’s law but they couldn’t see or accept that it all pointed to Jesus. One of the things that blinded them is that they had the Old Testament Story all wrong. They told the story as if God's promise was exclusively for the Nation of Israel, and that the law was the means of salvation. This combined with their pride, blinded them to the truth.
Do you ever wonder why the majority of the Jews living in Jesus' day just couldn’t get it that Jesus is the Messiah? They saw the miracles, they heard his preaching, they could interact with him face to face.
Do you ever wonder why the majority of the Jews living in Jesus' day just couldn’t get it that Jesus is the Messiah? They saw the miracles, they heard his preaching, they could interact with him face to face. And they knew all the OT promises - they knew the Scripture and they even taught others to obey God’s law but they couldn’t see or accept that it all pointed to Jesus. One of the things that blinded them is that they had the Old Testament Story all wrong. They told the story as if God's promise was exclusively for the Nation of Israel, and that the law was the means of salvation. This combined with their spiritual pride, blinded them to the truth - that was standing right in front of them!
But when Jesus told the OT story to his disciples on the road to Emmaus he corrected the story-line, opening their minds to the truth that God’s promise and plan was and is for all nations, and that obedience to God’s law was never the means of salvation, but always the fruit of faith in him!
Which is why we need to be able to tell The Story the way Jesus did… and that’s what we spent several weeks doing as a church family...
After learning the OT story as Jesus told it we then began following the same story-line into the New Testament, to make sense of all that Jesus accomplished…
Because The good news about Jesus is not a new story, it is the climax and part of the same story that began with God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth.
(5) The good news about Jesus is not a new story, it is the climax and part of the same story that began with God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth. So we are now following the same story-line into the New Testament, to understand better all that Jesus accomplished…
Jesus is identified as - the Christ - the Messiah, the promised king from David’s line the one and only son of God, who proclaimed the good news that the kingdom of God is near, and suffered, died, and rose again – so that all who believe in him are forgiven of their sin and welcomed into God’s kingdom, receiving all the blessings and responsibilities that go with it.
After his death and resurrection - Christ ascends into heaven and launched his kingdom by his Spirit - laying out his basic strategy for bringing this blessing to all the nations of the world. AT THE CENTER OF HIS STRATEGY IS NOT ISRAEL, BUT A GROWING NETWORK OF CHURCHES!
What was once a mystery has been revealed by God’s Spirit through his Apostles in the New Testament! Christ is building his Church, simple families of families, centered on Christ and his teaching, networked together through the work of key leaders, all working together with the Spirit as a true family, bearing witness to Jesus and multiplying to the ends of the earth. - this is what we are a part of right now! But it’s not the end of the story....
What was once a mystery has been revealed by God’s Spirit in the New Testament! Jesus has launched his kingdom and his strategy to bring blessing to the whole earth is - the Church. He is building his Church, simple families of families, centered on Christ and his teaching, networked together through the work of key leaders. Together they are all working with the Spirit as a true family of families bearing witness to Jesus and multiplying to the ends of the earth.
Jesus is the promised king, he has launched his kingdom, his church is at the heart of the kingdom, but the full realization of that kingdom is yet to come. When will Jesus fulfill all the Old Testament promises about restoring Israel and bringing peace to the earth?
This is exactly what the disciples ask Jesus, on the side of the Mt of Olives in .
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Is it happening now JESUS? Jesus’ answer is basically ‘not yet’. The end of the story is yet to come! Look at what he says…
“Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” What were they expecting?
“Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” What were they expecting?
Here Zecharaiah describes a future battle between all the nations and Israel and then he says this…
Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.
And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
The Lord, standing on the Mount of Olives, defeats the nations and fully establishes his kingdom.
The Lord stands on the Mount of Olives, defeats the nations and fully establishes his kingdom. Jerusalem becomes the capital where the promised king will reign over all the earth. Everyone will know him. His kingdom will bring life to the nations – living water.
Jerusalem becomes the capital where the promised king will reign over all the earth.
Everyone will know him and His kingdom will bring life to the nations – living water.
This is what the disciples are asking him about! The OT promises that God made to restore Israel and establish his kingdom rule over all of heaven and earth. Is this happening now JESUS?
Jesus’ answer is basically ‘not yet’. The end of the story is yet to come! Look at what he says…
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
...the promise is that he will return just like he left () to complete the story!
He tells his disciples that they should not focus on figuring out when things will happen. Instead they are to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit and then focus on being his witness to the nations. Jesus then ascends into heaven, with the promise that he will return just like he left () to complete the story!
He specifically tells his disciples that they should not focus on figuring out when things will happen. Instead they are to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit and they should focus on being his witness to the nations.
Not yet - you focus on being my witness to the nations - I’ll be back!
He specifically tells his disciples that they should not focus on figuring out when things will happen. Instead they are to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit and then focus on being his witness to the nations.
This isn’t the first time The disciples had asked Jesus about the coming kingdom - they ask him on a previous occasion in . again Jesus basically tells them ‘not yet’ but in this case he describes some of the things that will happen leading up to his return.
The disciples had asked Jesus about the coming kingdom previously in . Again Jesus basically tells them ‘not yet’ but here he describes some of the things that will happen leading up to his return.
The disciples had asked Jesus about the coming kingdom previously in . Again Jesus basically tells them ‘not yet’ but here he describes some of the things that will happen leading up to his return.
The Chapter begins with Jesus predicting that the temple will be destroyed (Matt 24:1:2). Which actually happened in 70AD and it still is not rebuilt! Then together on the side of the Mt. of Olives they ask him about the kingdom....
READ: (no slide for scripture ref)
And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Jerusalem and its temple will be destroyed (Matt 24:1:2). This happened in 70AD and it still is not rebuilt!
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
There will be an increase of wars and natural disasters ().
There will be an increase of wars and natural disasters ().
Israel and the church will undergo an era of being hated by the nations ().
The good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world before his return ().
Hatred for Israel and the church will grow and be led by a world leader as predicted in the prophecies of Daniel ().
Hatred for Israel will grow and be led by a world leader as predicted in the prophecies of Daniel ().
When he returns, he will gather all his kingdom people to himself (even the dead will be resurrected ) and he will fully implement his kingdom ().
When he returns, he will gather all his kingdom people to himself (even the dead will be resurrected ) and he will fully implement his kingdom ().
Remember He isn’t revealing the exact timing of anything because his church is not supposed to focus on the timing! He is simply encouraging his disciples because until his return the church is to focus on proclaiming the good news to the nations no matter how crazy things get.
What were they expecting? let’s look briefly at one of the OT prophets…
Here Zecharaiah describes a future battle between all the nations and Israel and then he says this… READ IT (no slides)
Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.
And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
The Lord, standing on the Mount of Olives, defeats the nations and fully establishes his kingdom.
Jerusalem becomes the capital where the promised king will reign over all the earth.
Everyone will know him.
His kingdom will bring life to the nations – living water.
This is what the disciples are asking him about! The OT promises that God made to restore Israel and establish his kingdom rule over all of heaven and earth.
The last book of the BIBLE ‘Revelation’ uses similar imagery to describe the end of the story! It was written to encourage the churches to continue their witness by reminding them that Jesus will return to complete the story. The book describes in symbolic detail a seven year battle in which all the nations and spiritual forces fight against God’s people and his plan - but God defeats them all! And in the end God reshapes, he makes new, the heavens and the earth and Jesus rules forever from a New Jerusalem (see , ).
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Part of our good news proclamation is that Jesus will return as judge of the living and the dead. God will fulfill all of his promises! The good news - our hope - is not that our souls are floating around in the heavenly realms --- but that we have real resurrected bodies - free of the disease or brokenness of sin - and we are living together in a real kingdom - a renewed heaven and earth - with Jesus as our king - God dwelling with us in his holy city - the full realization of his kingdom and all his good intentions for all of creation! AND IT IS VERY GOOD!
Part of our good news proclamation is that Jesus will return as judge of the living and the dead. God will fulfill all of his promises! The good news - our hope - is not that our souls are floating around in the heavenly realms --- but that we have real resurrected bodies - free of the disease or brokenness of sin - and we are living together in a real kingdom - a renewed heaven and earth - with Jesus as our king - God dwelling with us in his holy city - the full realization of his kingdom and all his good intentions for all of creation! AND IT IS VERY GOOD!
Christmas song - Joy to the world - isn’t really about Christmas - its not about the coming of our king - it is about the RETURN of our king!
Maybe if learn the story well we too will grasp a bigger vision for our lives.
Questions for Table Talk
1. Can you see any connection between world events and the story of God’s plan? What do you see?
2. Jesus describes some things leading up to the end in . How are these things supposed to shape our thinking about world events?
3. His kingdom has already started and the church is at the heart of it. So how should knowing the end of the story impact the way we live until he returns?
2. Jesus describes some things leading up to the end in . How are these things supposed to shape our thinking about world events?
2. How are the things Jesus reveals about the end of the story () intended to shape our view of world events?
3. Since the kingdom has already been launched and his church is at the heart of it, how does knowing the end of the story impact how we are to live until he returns?
3. His kingdom has already started and the church is at the heart of it. So how should knowing the end of the story impact the way we live until he returns?
Maybe one of the reasons the early church was so bold in the face of trials and persecution is because the early Christians were aware they were living within a story that was much larger than just their own sin, salvation and spirituality!
Maybe one of the reasons the early church was so bold in the face of trials and persecution is because the early Christians were aware they were living within a story that was much larger than just their own sin, salvation and spirituality!
Know the story you are a part of and open your heart and mind to a much bigger vision for your life! And live that life - the life that will extend into eternity as part of God’s eternal kingdom - the new heaven and earth that he is bringing!
Ideas not Used:
ion for our lives.
Maybe if learn the story well we too will grasp a bigger vision for our lives.
So in an environment where there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Jesus how can we ourselves have confidence that we are understanding and making proper sense of Jesus and his teachings? And how can we communicate and engage people with the message of Jesus in a way that really helps others make sense of the faith?
Jesus model’s something for his disciples on the road to Emmaus. He tells the OT story. And when he does hearts and minds are opened.
Our Post-Christian, pluralistic, culture is saturated with so many different and strange ideas about Jesus, God, the bible, and Christianity…even when we think we are we are understanding and communicating the message of Jesus well - the message often isn’t being heard or understood… But Jesus modeled something for us - he told the OT story and showed how it all points to him.
Because The good news about Jesus is not a new story, it is the climax and part of the same story that began with God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth.
Israel will be left desolate until Christ’s return ().