Sermon Tone Analysis

Kingdom Timing

Intro - background

Jesus had just had what some might consider a fairly devastating life event.

He went from having thousands of followers to just 12.

Jesus got cancelled.

The haters were coming out of the woodwork and neg-ing, every tweet, every snap.

There were rumors all his social accounts would be deleted and he was even getting death threats.

What had he done to deserve this?

Quick recap, he had healed people, miraculously fed people, then he told them the truth.

He loved them too much to mislead them.

He couldn’t stand to see them just following him around and missing the point, so he spoke truthfully, lovingly, and gracefully to them.

And they hated him for it.

Do you know what that feels like?

Here is what I want you to do.

Turn to the person next to you and each of you take one minute to answer this question:

When have you experienced Rejection and what was Your Response?

Anyone want to share a good story?

Wanna know what Jesus did?

Jesus stayed home.

Judea was the region all around Jerusalem to the south and Galilee was its own region pretty far north surrounding the sea of Galilee.

Nazareth is in Galilee, Jesus is from Galilee.

Scripture tells us that Jesus was trying to avoid getting murdered.

Why? Was he afraid?

No.

He was waiting for the right time, he was not afraid to die, he would face it willingly soon enough, but he knew it was not his time yet.

How did Jesus know it was not his time yet?

He heard it from the father.

The father was speaking to him.

This is a mystery of the Trinity that we don’t have time to tackle tonight, but while Jesus was here on earth he modeled for us what spending time with God looks like

This points us to the reality that

Kingdom Timing starts with prayer and waiting

Jesus didn’t rush things.

He waited on God to lead him in the right time.

He listened to the father, and he spent time where he grew up, not drawing attention to himself.

Kingdom timing starts with prayer and waiting, prayer and waiting.

Any questions about that?

I think it’s pretty self-explanatory

This leads me to the next question.

Turn to someone else and take one minute each to share a story about how you responded to someone who mistreated you.

How did you respond to someone when they mistreated you?

Anyone have a good story they’d like to share?

So let’s see how Jesus responded.

The last of the harvest is finally in and everyone is going to go up to the temple and celebrate for a whole week.

The whole family travels together with all the relatives in the adjoining villages.

Jesus brothers’ think this would be the ideal time for Jesus to reveal himself to the nation.

They want him to bring his whole crew with him and show up in Jerusalem properly and with power.

So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples can see your works that you are doing.

4 For no one does anything in secret while he’s seeking public recognition.

If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.)

They made fun of him.

Despite his best efforts, they still didn’t get it.

He wasn’t doing things for his own sake, he was following God, and God had a very specific plan for Jesus.

How much Jesus knew about God’s plan and when is a matter for theological debate, but it is clear that Jesus was following orders.

And God wanted him to keep a low profile until God was ready to reveal him to the world.

But his brothers saw the water turned to wine, and knew about his other miracles and they thought Jesus should make a big deal of his divinity.

But, nope, that’s not God’s plan.

So they gave him grief.

But how did Jesus respond?

This is another reality about Kingdom Timing

Kingdom Timing means treating everybody right, no matter what

I would have flown off the handle and been angry, or quipped something passive aggressive.

How many times did he have to explain it.

From the time in the temple to now, did his family not get that he had to be doing the father’s will.

What a bunch of stiff-necked idiots!

But Jesus isn’t me.

He responded as he did to everyone, with grace and truth.

Your time is always, but my time is not yet.

Truthful, but gracious.

Calm and kind without flying off or being sarcastic.

He treated them right.

We need to learn to respond to people with grace and truth even when they suck.

When they make fun of us, or mistreat us, we need to treat them right.

Love them by telling them truth with grace

What happened next?

So Jesus told his brothers he was not going up to the festival and stayed behind.

The public group left Galilee for Jerusalem.

But then, something changed

What’s up with that?

Did Jesus lie, the perfect son of God speak dishonestly?

No.

He told them he was not going with them, and he didn’t.

He stayed behind the group.

But God told him he needed to go, so he went.

Have you ever felt confused by God’s timing or plans?

I have.

It’s hard to feel so confident that God has led you to do something, or go somewhere, but then things change.

Was I wrong?

Well, here’s another truth about Kingdom Timing

Kingdom Timing means doing what God wants even when it doesn’t make sense

Look at the wonder of God’s plan.

The people in Jerusalem were talking about Jesus.

His ministry was making waves.

God was working in the minds and hearts of the people.

Some were doubting, many were believing, and all the people were talking about him.

Look what happens

Kingdom Timing means doing what God wants even when it doesn’t make sense

Jesus goes into the temple and starts teaching, WITH AUTHORITY.

He gives the people more of himself, more truth and more grace.

He pours out all that he has.

Just like on the mountainside of John 6, more than anything Jesus wants people to see him for who he really is, so that they can experience a life of fullness and joy. he does not want them to miss out on all that God has planned for them.