Sermon Tone Analysis

What is the one topic always on the mouth of Jesus?

What is the one topic always on the mouth of Jesus?

We go from Jesus giving us the constitution of the Kingdom in , to the application of God’s Kingdom in .

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Jesus the Embodiment of a New Kind of Kingdom

As our Rabbi Jesus bids, us to come and follow Him, to do what he does, to walk where he walks and to embrace those He would embrace.

Jesus calls us to be a blessing to the nations, he not only calls us to follow Him in living out the Kingdom of God but, he gives us the purpose of the Kingdom, to replace chaos and destruction with Life-Joy- and Beauty – To displace the darkness with the Kingdom of God.

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Here is the one thing I want you to walk away with today:

The Kingdom of God Places Relationships Over Resources.

Today, I want to share with you three incredible stories that not only embody the ministry of the Kingdom but, demonstrate to us how Jesus bids us to follow him in engaging the world around us.

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Healing the outcast – Reconciliation of the sick and outcast to the community of God.

(1-4)

Matt:8

(Show a picture of a Leper on the screen)

What motivated Jesus ?

Compassion

Jesus reached to touch him.

(The Power of touch)

He makes this explicit in

Jesus treated the unclean with compassion and humanity.

Lepers were put outside the city gates to protect the city from infectious disease.

By healing the leper Jesus made it possible for the man to be reconciled back to his community.

As followers of Jesus we are called to bring reconciliation to the marginalized, forgotten, lonely, elderly, sick.

God may use you to bring a real physical healing, but he also may desire to use you to simply embrace the person and be the reconciliation.

Every earthly government sees people as self-interest fuel (voter block, taxes, military might)

The Kingdom of God Places Relationships Over Resources

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A Kingdom that heals the wounds of enemies, not an empire that crucifies enemies.

Healing of the ones we fear, hate, and reject and unholy.

(5-13)

The Kingdom of God Places Relationships Over Resources.

You stand in my way of: Wealth, safety, land, resources – You are my enemy.

The Kingdom of God Places Relationships Over Resources.

Jesus is more interested in the person than his political or government affiliation.

We have been given the purpose of loving our enemies.

The Accuser/ Satan would have you pick up arms, deface, and dehumanize your enemies.

The Accuser/ Satan would have you pick up arms, deface, and dehumanize your enemies.

Jesus shows us the way of God – To Love our enemies as God loves us.

As Kingdom people we must put relationships above our own self-interest.

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God’s Government is not an empire that desires political power but, agents of Life-Joy-Beauty for the hurting, sick, and needy.

Matt 8:14-17

While the world gives into chaos, we are led by Jesus to bandage the wounded, heal the sick, comfort the hurting, and bring shalom where chaos rules.

We are field surgeons amid war.

And our weapons are not of this broken system.

Our weapons are for healing, tearing down mental and spiritual strong holds, and exalting the ways of Jesus.

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I am not saying you must be apolitical.

We all have our ideas of how earthly governments should work or should not work.

But we must always remember: We have a higher calling a higher purpose.

I am a Sooner – Born and raised in Oklahoma, I was raised to dislike anything from Texas.

On a Saturday in the Fall I will root for OU and root against Texas.

But I also recognize this is a civilian issue and one I should not get caught up in.

Therefore, two of my closest friends, one a missionary in Romania and the other a pastor in Minnesota are both Texas boys.

I tease them on Saturdays and sometimes they get me back.

But in the end our calling and purpose in the Kingdom of God out weighs our civilian obligations and affections.

Do not allow your civilian affairs to distract you from your Kingdom purpose.

Do not allow your civilian affairs to be used by the false god of this world to sow chaos and death.

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Jesus calls us to follow Him into our true purpose.

To partner with Him in bringing shalom to this world, to be the blessing to the nations we were called into the Kingdom for.

The Kingdom of God Places Relationships Over Resources.