6 AUGUST 2006: THE KINGDOM OF GOD: Fighting For the Right Kingdom!

TOPIC: Kingdom of God; Christians, Position, World, Worldliness

TITLE: THE KINGDOM OF GOD - Fighting For the Right Kingdom!

TEXT: John 18:36 (see also 8:23)

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

And He was saying to [the Jews], "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world."

John 8:23

FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: If indeed we are in the world but not of it ... yet the world is going nuts ... in what way does this verse affect you and I?
CONCISE OUTLINE:

I. IF OUR KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD, THEN NEITHER IS OUR WAR, OUR BATTLE, OUR ENEMY, OR OUR PEACE!

II. IF OUR KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD, THEN NEITHER ARE OUR PRIORITIES OR OUR POSSESIONS!

III. IF OUR KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD, THEN NEITHER IS OUR VICTORY OR OUR REWARD!

TRUTH/CONTEXT: Two kinds of kingdoms are acknowledged here ... one of this world, and one of another "realm"! The two then are not the same. As long as the world exists, we will not defeat it.

[BIKE RACE] There's a bicycle race in India; its object is to go the shortest distance within a set time. At the start of the race, everyone cues up at the line; when the gun sounds the contestants try to stay put; racers are disqualified if they tipped over or a foot touches the ground. When time is up, the one closest to the starting line wins.

Imagine not understanding how the race works. When the race starts, you pedal as hard and fast as you possibly can, except you are unquestionably the loser; you misunderstood how the race is run.

God has given us His rule book for the race of life. Many of us have misunderstood how the race is run. The finish line is on the other side of death, right in front of His throne. There we'll be rewarded for our life in this world. [Wood, hay, stubble, gold, silver, and precious stones, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15]

The winning strategy is to care for others, not self. It's letting others go first, not pushing up front. It's giving without the expectation of getting in return. It's to be humble, like Jesus. [Leith Anderson, author and pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota; from sermon "The Height of Humility" (September 12, 1999); cited in Perfect Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion © 2002 by Christianity Today International]

Those of you who are trying to build a Kingdom of God on earth are like the Jews who were looking for a military Messiah. You're fighting for the wrong Kingdom of God which means you are fighting for the wrong king.

Abortion, Israel, GWOT, school prayer, red or blue state elections, SCOTUS appointments, etc.; unless it's a ministry and/or a calling of the Lord, it's pure vanity ... "apart from Me you can do nothing"! [John 15:5]

[BARNES (araphrase)] Jesus was a king, only He wanted dominion over the eternal soul of man, not the land on which he stood; He wanted His subjects to subdue their passions and desires, and follow Him; and He wanted them to bring their hearts to a unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace, but not a peace of or in this world.

He was in the world but not of the world; and since we abide in Him we are likewise not of this world. [Romans 6]

We must, therefore, learn to understand this Kingdom of God, appropriate its reality, and work out our citizenship in the army of the Lord while remaining in but not of this world.

No matter what this world and its kingdoms do in war or in peace ... we are not to spend a great deal of time as a part of it!

FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: If indeed we are in the world but not of it ... yet the world is going nuts ... in what way does this verse affect you and I?
EXPANDED OUTLINE:

I. IF OUR KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD, THEN NEITHER IS OUR WAR, OUR BATTLE, OUR ENEMY, OR OUR PEACE!

Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:34

In the garden ...

Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

John 18:10, 11

Jesus is saying to Peter He wants nothing to interfere with His destiny and besides He wants the apostles to take up "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." [Ephesians 6:17]

So when Paul says in Ephesians 6:12 ...

... our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

He means quite literally, our kingdom is not of this world.

I. IF OUR KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD THEN NEITHER ARE OUR PRIORITIES OR OUR POSSESIONS!

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Matthew 6:33

Christ is teaching us to not fear from where or when the necessities of life will come but rather focus on first things first and let God supply our needs.

Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:16-17

Paul is teaching the Romans they must set aside that which is of self and sustain that which is of others! [Philippians 2]

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Revelation 2:4

What is your first love? "The Lord your God …[with all your being]!"

[FIRST SHAFT] A small company in the early days of gold mining in South Africa sank shaft after shaft in different locations, finding only a small amount of gold in each shaft. Ultimately, the prospectors discovered they only needed to go deeper in the first shaft. When they did, they found abundant gold oar.

Roy Hession writes that he has found this to be true in the spiritual life also: "I testify that although I have tried all sorts of different shafts, hoping for greater results in my life, Christ has now become the end of all my searching.

"Revival for me has meant coming back to the place where I first began, and I intend to stay there. Tell me not of any other way. I need to go deeper at His cross ... much deeper."

III. IF OUR KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD THEN NEITHER IS OUR VICTORY OR OUR REWARD!

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:4-5

"Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets."

Luke 6:23

[REAL SAVINGS] A man gave several thousand dollars to help build a church. Then the Stock Market crash of 1929 came; he lost everything. Someone said, "If you had that money you gave to the church, you’d have enough to set yourself up in business again."

He replied, "I would have lost that money, too, in the crash. As it is, it is the only money I saved. It is now in the bank of heaven, yielding interest which will accumulate until eternity."

Hundreds have come to Christ through the church he helped build. [NOTE: mention the true story of the man's heirs in Michigan, who sued his church to get his tithes back … they lost.]

APPLICATION/CHALLENGE: A theologically confused mega-church pastor (not that one) said something very profound ... I'd like to share it with you ...

"When the church wins the culture wars, it inevitably loses. When it conquers the world, it becomes the world. When you put your trust in the sword, you lose the cross." [NYTimes article: Church Shrinks from Controversial Pastor’s Focus on Things Above]

I would add, when we become Christ, the world may become Him too!

[RADIO] If you would like to see this really lived out, in truth, go see the movie Radio. His genuine selflessness inspired a whole town. Other people’s power, privilege, position, politics, or possessions meant nothing to Radio.

Likewise, when we reach the heavenly shores, the true kingdom of God, our achievements won’t matter. What God cares about is the substance of our lives: whether focused on things above or on things of this world.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

[iMonk: MICHAEL SPENCER] "The point at the end of it all is the expansion of the churches themselves and the ability of individual Christians to live in support of the church as the proper end of the earthly Christian life."

He explains what he means ...

"I am suggesting, therefore, that the increasing interest in the culture war among evangelicals is not an example of a reinvigorated evangelicalism remaking its culture. Instead, I believe the intense focus by evangelicals on political and cultural issues is evidence of a spiritually empty and unformed evangelicalism being led by short-sighted leaders toward a mistaken version of the Kingdom of God on earth."

And so we find today, upon close and honest examination, a church in the West so weakened by its worldliness that the believers who attend to it are powerless and want to know, "Why?"

In the words of Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and he is us!"

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GENERAL TAGS: Homoletics, Preaching, Sermons

SPECIFIC TAGS: Christianity, Culture decay, Culture war,
iMonk, Kingdom of God, Victory, World, Worldlimess