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The gospel of the kingdom Matt 4:17Introduction Who was the greatest king that ever lived? When most of us want to find answers to questions like this we go to Google. So I typed in “greatest king to ever live” and several lists appeared. This question is difficult to answer because it is so incredibly subjective. How do we measure the greatest king/ruler to ever live? Do we look at wealth, influence on the world, size of one’s kingdom, longevity of one’s reign, etc…? Nonetheless several names showed up on most of the lists- Alexander the Great (b. 356 BC)Qin Shi Huang first leader to unify China (3rd Century BC)Caesar Augustus of Rome Cyrus the Great of Persia Asoka of IndiaCatherine the Great Constantine the Great Xerxes of Persia Queen Elizabeth I of England King SolomonGenghis Khan Charlemagne Napoleon of France Peter the Great of Russia Etc… All the lists were impressive but most of them overlooked the right answer. King Jesus was the greatest. And I would say this even if I were not a Christian. Here is why- He never wrote a book, but more books have been written about him than about anyone else in history. The nearest thing we have to his biography- the part of the Bible called the New Testament- has been translated in whole or in part into over 2000 languages. He never painted a picture or composed any poetry or music, but nobody’s life and teaching has been the subject of a greater output of songs, plays, poetry, pictures, films, videos, and other art forms. He never raised and army, but millions of people have laid down their lives in his cause. He never spoke to more than a few thousand people at any one time, but today his followers constitute the largest religious grouping the world has ever seen.Historian Kenneth Scott Latourette said that ‘Jesus, the seeming failure, has had more effect upon the history of mankind than any other of its race who ever existed.’ These facts and many others lead me to the conclusion that Jesus was the greatest king to ever live. This brings us to Matthew 4:17 this morning and the topic of the kingdom of God. We have already talked a little about this topic in the Matthew series but we thought it would be good to pause and spend significant time developing this topic this morning. Typically we preach expository sermons where the burden of the text is the message of the sermon. But this morning is a topical sermon with the topic coming from Matthew 4. We think this will greatly aid us in our study of Matthew in the months to come. We will look at four things this morning- The importance of the kingdom The arrival of the kingdom The meaning of the kingdom The citizens of the kingdom The importance of the kingdom Why is this topic so important? This was the primary topic of Jesus preaching. Matthew 4:17 (ESV) — 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:23 (ESV) — 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Many other examples in the gospels (Matt 6:33, Mar 9:47, Luk 9:60, etc…) Acts 1:3 (ESV) — 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Kingdom of God mentioned directly over 148 times in the New testament alone The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom of God was the primary message of the most influential person to ever live. The importance of the kingdom The arrival of the kingdom In the OT the kingdom had not arrived The Bible clearly teaches that the Sovereign God who is the great king has always and will always rule the universe. Psalm 24:10 (ESV) — 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah Psalm 29:10 (ESV) — 10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. Psalm 145:11–13 (ESV) — 11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, 12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. God is the Great king of the universe. In fact, theologian John Frame argues that the king motif is by far the most common motif used to describe God in the Bible. Although God ruled as the great king in the OT he did not rule in the flesh. The OT anticipated this day with great expectation. Have you ever really, really, really looked forward to something? I woke up over a little more than 21 years ago a little nervous but very excited. I had studied, I had trained, and I was finally ready. I had been dreaming of this day for as long as I could remember. Every little boy loves to play with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. To prove this all I have to do is watch my son for a few minutes while he sits on the floor making car noises. Someday he will realize that he will actually get to drive the cars he plays with. Driving is power, freedom, and control. Therefore we eagerly wait and wait for sixteen years to drive. If you were like me you counted the years, months, weeks, and days until you could actually take your drivers test and get that little plastic card symbolizing power and freedom. Well they day I had been dreaming of finally arrived and I went with my mom to the DMV. They called my number I took the tests and received a passing score. I can still remember driving home from the DMV with a huge smile on my face…. There are many things in life that we eagerly anticipate- Christmas, birthdays, weddings, graduations, the birth of a child, etc… but if you were a Jew living before the time of Christ there was one thing you wanted more than anything and that was for God to send you a king who would deliver you from all your problems. In the OT the kingdom had not arrived. In the NT the kingdom finally arrives The kingdom arrives because the king arrives. Matthew 3:1–2 (ESV) — 1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (ESV) — 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:23–24 (ESV) — 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. Matthew 12:25–28 (ESV) — 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. We could look at many other texts to prove the present reality of the kingdom but this is enough for now. In the OT the kingdom had not arrived In the NT the kingdom finally arrivesIn the NT the kingdom has not fully arrived In other words the kingdom of God has been inaugurated but not fully consummated. Matthew 6:9–10 (ESV) — 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 7:21–23 (ESV) — 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Many of the parables in Matthew teach a future aspect of the kingdom. Mark 14:24–25 (ESV) — 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 (ESV) — 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. In the OT the kingdom had not arrivedIn the NT the kingdom finally arrivesIn the NT the kingdom has not fully arrived. D day and VE day illustration- The date was June 6th, 1944. After crossing the choppy English Channel under overcast skies the first wave of infantry jumped out of their boats and waded to the French shore on a fifty-mile front. They ran up on the beaches of Normandy and opened fire on the German’s. Thousands of men died that die. As a result of the victory on D-Day the allied forces won many other significant battles all across Europe making this a decisive day in WWII. Although this was one of the main turning points in the war, the war was not yet over but the final outcome became more and more clear. The Germans finally signed an unconditional surrender to the allied forces on May 8th. The free world celebrated this day as VE day (Victory in Europe day). After five years, eight months, and 7 days the European phase of WWII was over. What is the point? VE day was a result of the decisive battle won on D-Day, but there was still some mopping up to do. Little skirmishes erupted in Europe between these two days but the victory was in the hands of Allied forces and soon would be consummated on VE-Day. Our victory was won by Christ on D-day (Calvary) and we live in between D-day and V-E day. VE day will happen when he returns… ApplicationWe live in between D-Day and VE day. Christ is the king. His kingdom is here and we can enter into by Faith. It may not seem like it sometimes but our king will come back It may not seem like it sometimes but the victory of King Jesus over the cosmic forces of evil was secured at Calvary. Etc… Now that we have looked at The importance of the kingdom The arrival of the kingdom The meaning of the Kingdom What does the phrase the kingdom of God mean? Short definition-The kingdom of God is the rule of God through King Jesus. Christ the king has all authorityChrist the king provides for his subjectsChrist the king protects his subjects Christ the king expects absolute loyalty from his subjects Christ’s kingdom exists wherever believers submit to the king Long definition- “The kingdom of God, therefore, is to be understood as the reign of God dynamically active in human history through Jesus Christ, the purpose of which is the redemption of his people from sin and from demonic powers, and the final establishment of the new heavens and the new earth. It means that the great drama of the history of salvation has been inaugurated, and that the new age has been ushered in. (Hoekema, 45)Illustration- It is hard for us to understand the role of a king in our culture because we don’t have kings.We have presidents but they are not kings because they don’t posses all power and authority. Maybe the closest thing we have to a king is a football coach! Or maybe a Navy Seal instructorWatching documentary on what it takes to become a Navy Seal Called “Navy Seals Buds class 234” When the instructor tells you to do 500 sit-ups and 500 pushups (this happened often) after ten hours of intense workouts you do it. When the instructor tells you to go run four miles in the sand at 3am even though you have not slept in three days you go run. When the instructor tells you to go lie in the 58-degree San Diego surf with all your clothes on until your body is on the verge of hypothermia you go and get in the surf. When the instructor tells you to go get wet and sandy that is what you do. He has all authority, you don’t talk back, you don’t ask questions, and you obey quickly and enthusiastically. Now obviously this illustration breaks down at many points but this illustration hopefully illustrates the idea of authority and submission. The kingdom of God is the rule of God through king Jesus. The importance of the kingdom The timing of the kingdom The meaning of the kingdom The citizens of the kingdom We become citizens of the kingdom through repentance and faithMat 3:1-3 ESV In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (2) "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (3) For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"When this happensWe have our sins forgivenWe know the great kingEtc… Citizens of the kingdom don’t worry about life’s necessities. Matthew 6:31–33 (ESV) — 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. What do we worry about? Our children Our health Paying the mortgageRetirementEtc… Citizens of the kingdom will experience hardships Act 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (See also 2 Thes 1:3-5) Your best life now and the beginning of the four spiritual laws… Yes the kingdom has come but we await its consummation… the tension of the already not yet is very healthy and helpful. Citizens of the kingdom seek to bring God’s rule to every area of their life. Abraham Kuyper said, “there is not one square inch of the universe in which Christ does not say mine.” Bringing God’s rule to our homesOur jobs Our hobbiesOur driving Our texting Our facebook habitsOur eating.Our entertainment choices Etc… Citizens of the kingdom should pray for physical healing. Matthew 10:5–8 (ESV) — 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Citizens of the kingdom are motivated by Joy! Matthew 13:44–46 (ESV) — 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Romans 14:17 (ESV) — 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Conclusion: Who is the greatest king to ever live? Not alexander the greatNot Caesar Augusts Not Charlemagne… King Jesus is the greatest king because he dies for his subjects. Expound!!! Do you know the king? You can know him this morning? Lets pray… ................
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