Kingdom Desire

Upside Down Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Satan tempted Jesus with the nations of the world. We are tempted too. The question this Lent: which kingdom do we serve? Our decision

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Introduction

I remember in high school i held a dodgeball in my hand, and when we were all called, I ran over to a scrawny unpopular kid and pelted him with one last throw. There was this desire in me to dominate over someone. TO rise above someone.

“Desire is the beginning and end of all human life - the energy behind every action, the love within every act of compassion, the urge within every act of violence. Our hearts yearn for the living God, and this makes us the most mysterious of creatures, even to ourselves - the most wondrous and the most dangerous of species.” - Tina Beattie

As humans, we understand that the tension between being the most wondrous and the most dangerous of species lies in how we are trained. God and the Devil both understand that desires are trained, they are habituated, they are cultivated, they are enticed, and these desires are the energy, love, urge behind every act of love and every act of murder.

Lorretta -

The Devil - the diabolos - in the greek this means the slanderous, backbiting one - however the title Diabolos comes from the greek verb balw to throw. What we have here is the devil throwing temptations at Jesus.

Today we are starting a new series called the Upside Down Kingdom through passages from the Gospel of Luke. The Upside Down Kingdom is to recognize that there are two Kingdoms at war on this earth - the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Light.

Do ya’ll feel it around you? On the news and in the community? And not only around you, don’t you feel this war within you?

Today we are looking at what it means to live in Kingdom Desire, and how the desires of Jesus can help train us to face this war within us and outside of us.

understands that desires are trained, they are cultivated, they are enticed, and they are the energy, love, urge behind every love and every murder.

Please turn with me to , on pew bible page 1093

Luke 4:5–8 ESV

And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”

The Devil - the diabolos - in the greek this means the slanderous, backbiting one - however the title Diabolos comes from the greek verb balw - to throw. What we have here is the Diabolos living out his name - hurling and throwing temptations at Jesus. This is the second temptation - the promise of all the kingdoms of the world, all their authority, and glory, if only he only worships the Devil.

Now some may ask, if Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit (verse 1) - shouldn’t temptation flee from him?! “Jesus is tested not because he lacks God’s presence or vocation, but precisely because he posses both through the fullness of the Holy Spirit.” - JR Edwards.

Let’s look at how Jesus is tempted. The devil starts and ends the offer: To you I will give.... it will all be yours…

Notice how he starts and ends the offer: To you I will give.... it will all be yours…

The Devil is essentially giving Jesus a dream job without even interviewing. The Devil thinks he’s the CEO of the world, and he’s going to give Jesus all of the nations and kingdoms, for the little cost of worshipping the Devil. I mean, this may have looked good to Jesus. He had been 30 years a poor, uneducated carpenter, living as fully human. This promotion may have seemed nice to Jesus.

The subtle trap

But here is the subtle trap of this temptation. This was more than take a knee and it’s all yours. Although, the appeal of an easy throne may have been initially enticing. This is a trap. If Jesus were to bow down to the Devil, by worshipping the Devil, Jesus would have been pledging his allegiance to Satan, instead of God His Father. the Devil would gain the power of God to do all the evil he desires. Furthermore, the Authority and Glory Jesus would receive from the Devil would be gained through the schemes of the Devil - which are lying, stealing, murder, and destruction.

These are the bookends of the promises of Satan, and this is exactly what the Kingdom of darkness promises. Commit your life to something other than God, say the right words, pray the right prayer, work hard enough, if you labor enough, if you read enough, if you pray or read the Bible enough, if you study enough, if you grind enough, if you sell enough, if you look good enough, all this could be yours.

Jesus’

The path to authority and glory for Jesus Christ the Son of God is not through murdering, killing, usurping, competing, or warring with other nations.

Jesus’ Upside Down Path to Glory

The path to authority and glory for Jesus in the Upside Down Kingdom, is not a golden crown but one of thorns. In the Upside Down Kingdom, the path to authority and glory is one of carrying the evil of the world on his back and brow. Jesus has to be willing to suffer torture, beating, abandonment, betrayal, and ultimately murder on a cross, all without retaliation.

“This is the meaning of [Jesus’] sonship, not to stand above human beings, but to live among them;'” J.R. Edwards

And in some sense, just like the temptation of the Devil, he’s partially right. Laziness is not a virtue God rewards. However, the Devil is tempting Jesus with the authority and glory of the nations of the World, by simply leaving His heavenly Father and bowing down to this usurper king.

If you devote yourself to the powers of the Kingdom of Darkness, you will enjoy the fruits of human glory and authority. But Jesus is already the King of Kings, and the Devil is offering Jesus what he already except he can avoid the suffering of dying on the cross, alone, rejected, and abandoned.

“Lohmeyer captures this truth insightfully: 'The devil addressed Jesus as the Son of God, but Jesus answered with the duties of a common man. This is the meaning of his sonship, not to stand above human beings, but to live among them; not, as God, to be different, but as a man like them to carry out his commission as the Son of God.'” J.R. Edwards

Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 125). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

endless striving for the glory that humans give, this will only lead to endless striving. If you devote yourself to the powers of the Kingdom of Darkness, you will enjoy the fruits of human glory and authority. But Jesus is already the King of Kings, and the Devil is offering Jesus what he already has, without the suffering of the cross.

Jesus did not seek to stand above me to humble me through his sheer power. In the Upside Down Kingdom Jesus humbles me by choosing to carry the worst of my sins, and still love me.

In the Upside Down Kingdom

Jesus is the King of Kings - and the Devil is offering Jesus what he already has, without the suffering of the cross.

In the Upside down Kingdom, the way to authority and glory is not grasping or striving for it, it’s found in the humility of someone willing to receive it, in the form that God desires to give it. In the upside down kingdom, belonging is not earned, it’s a gift, and it’s a gift, not gained by the military defeat of other nation armies, it’s a gift given by Jesus through his voluntary death on a cross.

Which Kingdom will serve? The Kingdom of Darkness of the Kingdom of Light?

CONNECTION TO LENTEN SEASON

In this season of Lent, this is not a season of striving and proving to God that we are good enough for the Kingdom of Light. This is not a season to show God and others how holy or spiritual we are.

The Lenten season is where we press into Kingdom Desire. Where we seek to train our desire in light of humility. Our desire for God is rooted in our understanding that we need him, that we are but dust. YOu are dust - and my professor Chuck DeGroat would say that “this is not an insult, but an invitation, an invitation where he will meet you, not at the top of the ladder, but on the ground when you’ve fallen.”

I recently bought an oreo dipper after seeing a new friend eat his oreos with a saturation of milk and no messy fingers or left behind oreo chunks in the milky tower of mystery.

I then bought a case of oreos. Over the span of two days, I would eat oreos in 4 different sittings, crushing all 36 oreos, containing a nutritious 84 grams of fat, of which, 24 were saturated.

Throughout the day, on a regular basis, I get starbucks frappucinos or i think about la michoacana’s mangonaedas which are a mango and tamarind spicy concoction.

So I confess, that sometimes when I am stressed, when I face the little winds of this world, I reach for sweets to give me comfort.

And Our desires are trained by the habits we keep.

And during this lenten season, I want to fast from sweets, so that every time i feel the impulse to indulge, instead I am reminded of my need of the Lord. The Lenten season is where we press into Kingdom Desire. Where we seek to train our desire in light of humility. Our desire for God is rooted in our understanding that we need him, that we are but dust. YOu are dust - and my professor Chuck DeGroat would say that “this is not an insult, but an invitation, an invitation where he will meet you, not at the top of the ladder, but on the ground when you’ve fallen.”

Lent is like a habit of humility, and humility is enacted by choosing to fast from something that will remind, on a regular basis, of our deep need for God and God’s even deeper desire to give us himself.

Our Kingdom Desires will be trained by habits of humility, and humility is enacted by choosing to fast from something that will remind, on a regular basis, of our deep need for God and God’s even deeper desire to give us himself.

And we are reminded of this humility, and humility is enacted by choosing to fast from something that will remind, on a regular basis, of our deep need for God and God’s even deeper desire to give us himself.

The upside down Kingdom says no to trapping temptations of Satan, and says yes to the mundane path of common journeying with uncommon faithfulness.

Jesus is tested not because he lacks God’s presence or vocation, but precisely because he posses both through the fullness of the Holy Spirit. - JR Edwards.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke The Manifestation of the Son of God (3:21–4:13)

Jesus is tested not because he lacks God’s presence or vocation, but precisely because he possesses both through the fullness of the Holy Spirit (v. 1).

Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 125). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

This lenten season, we remember that Kingdom Desire is not to stand above other human beings in some triumphant exult of glory because of my name in some record book. The Kingdom Desire we seek to lean into is the one that seeks to live among people, following God in the common duties of people, living common lives with an uncommon power.

Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 125). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

The upside down Kingdom

And so we approach the very common, mundane act of Lenten fasting. In Lenten fasting we do something that is totally upside down from the way of the Kingdom of Darkness. The Kingdom of Darkness says accumulate, get as much as you can as easily as you can, eat all you can, and indulge in the sweet sweets.

Transition To Ashes

So as we transition to the imposition of ashes, we remember that humility is something we learn, and we most often learn this through confession and repentance.

I then bought a case of oreos. Over the span of two days, I would eat oreos in 4 different sittings, crushing all 36 oreos, containing a nutritious 84 grams of fat, of which, 24 were saturated.

Many of us may feel like we’ve fallen for many of the trappings of the Kingdom of Darkness, and you’re ready to return to the Kingdom of Light - we do this through confession.

Throughout the day, on a regular basis, I get starbucks frappucinos or i think about la michoacana’s mangonaedas which are a mango and tamarind spicy concoction.

Fasting in a way acknowledges that we must confess

Fasting in a way acknowledges that we must confess, not just our tendency to sin and rebel, but we confess our deep need for God.

Lent is not the time when you should necessarily repent of something like gossip or complaint or anger or laziness. It’s always season to repent of those things. Lent is when we fast from something that we use to quench our little stresses or anxieties, and in those moments, instead of reaching for that thing, we reach for God who is behind it all.

Fasting over something that’s relatively innocuous is seeking to train our hearts.

Come, beloved Dust, and be reminded of who we are, enlivened by God and for God. We are beloved dust - ash - ashes given life - come receive a reminder of the training of our hearts and our deep need for God, embracing this upside down kingdom.

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