Blueprint - Kingdom of God
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Introduction
Introduction
Who wants to be healthy?
Christian living is hard! Would you agree?
At the beginning of each new year one of the main searches and ads on the internet is to do with weight loss and becoming healthy.
Just last night I had a message from someone I would consider to be spiritually mature, wise and a great example of Christ reaching out to say I am struggling and I feel like I am losing my way! I am so glad we have people to journey with us in life!
So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
How many people have set goals to get healthy and start laying out the rules early on : No junk food in the house, more salads, exercise more
I feel like that sometimes too! I feel the overwhelming weight of life. I think we all do!
In lab city I got caught up in the new years resolution of wanting to become healthy and so I bought a gym membership. I wasted my money.
I have come to learn that in our own strength life would be often unbearable.
A few months into the membership I told a friend that I was planning on going back to the Gym, Crystal yelled out “ Norm,what do you mean go back to the gym? You haven't even been there yet!
Living life in a counter cultural way as Jesus instructs us would be more unbearable in our own strength.
We focus so much on being physically healthy which is important, but how often do we come before God and ask him to evaluate our lives and set out on becoming healthier as a disciple.
Being set apart is hard and yet we are called to holy living - Kingdom living
Over the next few months we are going to be looking at Scripture that points to Jesus and his Disciples and gain some insight on how Jesus calls us become healthier followers.
For the month of Jan we will be looking at a series called blue print for a healthy church then moving into Feb we we focus on Kingdom Choices Kingdom Impact
I like the book of Acts because it is foundational as we see how followers of Jesus begin to live their lives
Luke who is believed to be the author begins writing by bringing our attention to the first book he wrote which would be Luke - Luke describes all that Jesus began to do and to teach until he was taken up to heaven and Acts is what he continued to do through the spirit after he was taken up.
As we begin our series today we are going to look at Blueprint for a healthy church - Is about the kingdom of God
Truth
Truth
In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
When you go back to the book of Luke, I can’t help but pause and think that the followers of Jesus had just been through quite the ordeal. They seen him captured, beaten, and killed. They waited in silence for nothing because that thought that was the end. Then resurrected Jesus started appearing to them and talking to them, tells them about the Holy Spirit and ascends into heaven and tells them he will be back.
The first thing he speaks about is the things of the kingdom of God, it must be important!
So in more detail what is the Kingdom of God?
A commentary on explains the kingdom of God like this “Jesus explained that his coming marked the beginning of the Kingdom of God. When he returned to heaven, God’s kingdom would remain in the hearts and be worked out in the lives of all believers through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But the Kingdom of God would not be fully realized until Jesus Christ returns to judge all people and removed all evil from the world. Until that time believers are to work to spread God’s Kingdom across the world. The book of Acts records how this work was begun. What the early church started, we must continue.” Pg 1512 Chron. Bible
As Christ followers we are called to be people who live out the kingdom lifestyle ( will help you with that and we will look at some in Feb) - Kingdom - where God is in control
Life is often hard, living a life that is God honoring is even harder. Living a life that is counter cultural is not easy, something as simple as love your neighbour - may not always be smooth sailing !
We live in a word of tensions
Tension
Tension
• We live in a world that is focused on self - Facebook, instragram – My space, Ipad, iphone, ipod, imac, selfie, selfie stick in case you have short arms
• In todays society we live in a I want it my way mentality – my will be done - My kingdom come
Turn on the news and this is evident
• Many times we caught up in it! We make choices based on how the outcome will suit us and we often get trapped in not giving thought to God’s way
How would I live if I were fully surrendered to God’s will.
What could I offer to kingdom living
The struggle to live a life that pleases god is hard - Paul gives a shout out to this!
So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Paul points out about his struggle with doing God’s will from this we learn that kingdom living is only done by the power of the holy spirit that is within us and talked about in the end of Luke and acts. There will always be the tension
You struggle and I do too!
When we rely on the holy spirit we claim the power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us!
That is the difference
Kingdom living changes us from the world around us
Experiencing the resurrection and ascension of Jesus must have been powerful for the disciples!
At Jesus death they had ran away, fearful and fearing for their own lives! And after seeing Christ resurrected they risked anything to share the good news of Christ, they were put in prison, beaten, rejected and some even became martyrs and yet they never compromised their mission!
The early church was fired up to live out the mission and show people what the Kingdom God was really about! Not only in how they lived but how they served
We have been called to carry on that mission
Because we join in the death, Resurrection and return of Jesus of his Church
To be a healthy church - body people we have to continue to live and serve as people about the kingdom of God in a world that has shifting values
In a commentary on it tells us this about the kingdom of God “Jesus explained that his coming marked the beginning of the Kingdom of God. When he returned to heaven, God’s kingdom would remain in the hearts and be worked out in the lives of all believers through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But the Kingdom of God would not be fully realized until Jesus Christ returns to judge all people and removed all evil from the world. Until that time believers are to work to spread God’s Kingdom across the world. The book of Acts records how this work was begun. What the early church started, we must continue.” Pg 1512 Chron. Bible
Application
Application
What does all of this mean for us as 21st century believers, we did not see Christ ascension into heaven but we experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Here we are thousands of years later holding on to these truths.
lets strive to live as kingdom people who place God in charge even when it is not popular, when it requires sacrifice, when we don’t feel like it, when the struggle is real. In His strength
Let us be witnesses of kingdom living in a society that does not get it
I know that this week I have some surrendering to do because there are somethings in my life that God is not king over,
I believe that each person here can join me in saying that
Join me this morning as I ask Jesus to be the center. Let’s start of this journey of becoming a healthier church together. It starts at the heart of each person here
Next week in Blueprint for a healthy church Crystal is going to be talking about having a vision for the lost.
They did what they did for one main reason and it must have been important because it is the first thing mentioned in these early verses in they did what they did to extend the Kingdom of God! What does this mean they did it to declare that our God reigns … this kingdom belongs to God he is in all and above all he is King Jesus.
The early church was fired up to live out the mission and show people what the Kingdom God was really about!
So in more detail what is the Kingdom of God?
In a commentary on it tells us this about the kingdom of God “Jesus explained that his coming marked the beginning of the Kingdom of God. When he returned to heaven, God’s kingdom would remain in the hearts and be worked out in the lives of all believers through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But the Kingdom of God would not be fully realized until Jesus Christ returns to judge all people and removed all evil from the world. Until that time believers are to work to spread God’s Kingdom across the world. The book of Acts records how this work was begun. What the early church started, we must continue.” Pg 1512 Chron. Bible
17 And they said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,
the one who is and who always was,
for now you have assumed your great power
and have begun to reign.
What this also means for us it that we have work to do!
Sometimes we make it about our kingdom come, unknowingly and sometimes because we want it our way, we don’t like something that is happening because of personal preference. "When the preferences of the church members are greater than their passion for the Gospel, the church is dying." (Thom Rainer)
We are to be people who are thankful for Gods Spirit within us setting us free to share the Good news about Christ and to help others find out about this Joy we have in going about God’s Kingdom work.
What is kingdom work it is the things that honour God, it is genuine worship, heartfelt love for others, meeting needs of community, being hands and feet extended, it is sharing his story with the world so that all can taste and see that he is good and share in the eternal life that he offers so freely.
:12New Living Translation (NLT)
12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
We thank God for this inheritance of eternal life and we share it with others.
When the church and our lives are built upon ‘kfoundation of the Kingdom of God the gates of hell cannot prevail against it
-19The Message (MSG)
17-18 Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
WE
The church that is healthy grows and reproduces; growing is a sign of being healthy and being about the kingdom!
What are we offering to help with the extension of his Kingdom – I think of the story the boy with the loaves and fishes in , There were many hungry people and not enough food to go around, the boy’s mother probably packed him the lunch before he left and because they were poor it was more than likely not much food. Yet here on the hill he offered the little he had to Jesus and the Kingdom of God was glorified as Jesus used such a small offering to feed a multitude. He offered all he had and did it for the benefit of others. What are we offering to help extend the kingdom? Are you offering all of you?
Friends, people are looking for something greater, some look for a god within themselves and it is our responsibility as the church to extend the kingdom of God by sharing the Good News of Christ love, of an everlasting God, the God who reigns forever more.
We do this by doing some of the things we have already been doing, by reaching out in our community, by bringing food this morning, by living as kingdom people during the week, by offering a listening to ear and a hug to those who need it, welcoming people here no matter where they are in their faith walk.
There are also some we may not be doing as well like putting our personal preferences to one side, being negative, not always being patient with each other. We have a lovely church the church being you the people yet there is always much room to grow when it comes to being Kingdom people
The blueprint for a healthy Church starts with the urgency of being about the kingdom of God! And so I ask the question this morning who is with me? Today I am thankful for this church, I am thankful for your love, but I want to challenge us this morning to be thankful for the opportunity that is sacredly ours to be people who do whatever it takes to extend the kingdom so that many can experience the joy of salvation!
God break our hearts for what breaks yours and allow us to be all about your kingdom Amen.
• In todays society we live in a I want it my way mentality – my will be done
• Many times we caught up in it! We make choices based on how the outcome will suit us and we sometimes do not give thought to others around us, and how it may affect them. We may all be guilty of that every now and then.
• I was reminded of a sermon series that I did back in 2015 called blueprint for a healthy church – now I am sure you can all remember that and what 3 things make up a healthy church! Right?
• As I reread my sermon I was given a reality check because I feel that that sermon series
would be really applicable right now as we find ourselves in transition
• The blueprint for a healthy church – which we mean a spiritually healthy people who make up this faith community had 3 things that would help it identity as healthy
• We want to be healthy yes?
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
1 In my first book[a] I told you, Theophilus, about
everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit.3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
2 Mentoring | 11/18/2018
3 Mentoring | 11/18/2018
The Ascension of Jesus
6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
Matthias Replaces Judas
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.[c] 13 When they arrived, they went to the
upstairs room of the house where they were staying.
Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). 14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
1. Be about the Kingdom of God Vs 3
• First of all the kingdom of God is where God is in control – His will is being carried out – Our Father – Your kingdom come, your will be done
• “Jesus explained that his coming marked the beginning of the Kingdom of God. When he returned to heaven, God’s Kingdom would remain the in the heart and be worked out in the lives of all believers through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But the Kingdom of God would not be fully realized until Jesus Christ returns to judge all people and remove all evil from the world. Until that time believers are
4 Mentoring | 11/18/2018
5 Mentoring | 11/18/2018
to work to spread God’s Kingdom across the world. The book of Acts recorded how it begin and what the early church started, we must continue.
• We do what we do as the church because we want to allow Gods will to be done and it is his will that we are loving and kind and compassionate and about the things that bring him honour
• Being about the kingdom of God is not easy as we live in this my way type of lifestyle. Our preferences often get the best of us
• Thom Rainer “When the preferences of the church members are greater than their passion for the gospel, the church is dying.”
• It is interesting because too often we hear strong opinions about pretty much everything, but very few have been to us with a deep passion or concern about how we can greater share the gospel
• Often times I allow things to overwhelm me, but I have to ask when was the last time we have been overwhelmed because a passion to share the gospel has been so on fire inside of us. To share the love of Jesus Christ to meet human needs to be a transforming influence
• Indeed we will be an ever changing church but Lord help us to be passionate about the never changing gospel, he is Christ of yesterday, today and forever.
• If we allow the passion to be kingdom people to overwhelm us by the power of the Holy Spirit – we would have some impact in our community and families