Where Is The Kingdom?
Luke 17:20-21
February 23, 2019
The kingdom of God is a huge theme in Scripture.
You hear the phrase over and over and over throughout the gospels,
And even through the preaching of the apostles.
We even know Jesus by the title, “King of the Jews”
• The angel Gabriel announced Jesus as a King before His birth.
• Wise men and shepherds worshiped as a King at and after His birth.
• John the Baptist heralded Him as a King
• Jesus Himself affirmed it as He proclaimed His own kingdom.
So where is it?
Answer: It’s right here, but only its members can see it.
This is the conversation that Jesus is about to have with the Pharisees.
And though it is a brief conversation
It is one that is incredibly important to our understanding of salvation.
So let’s work through our text this morning.
#1 THE QUESTION
Luke 17:20a
“Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming…”
You see here the setting of the sermon.
It was all brought on by this question from the Pharisees.
I actually find this to be a little MORE OF A DARE than really an inquiry.
The Pharisees have been out to disprove Jesus from the beginning
And I really think that is what you have going on here as well.
But to fully understand the conversation
YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHY THEY ASKED THE QUESTION.
It’s important that you have a basic understanding
Of the realities of the Kingdom of God.
When we are talking about the Kingdom,
People can get a little confused because
The Kingdom presently shows up in two distinct realities.
On one hand we have THE PHYSICAL KINGDOM
And this very simply is THE WHOLE OF CREATION.
You have God, who created this world,
And as its Creator and only sovereign,
God sits in total universal authority over all of creation.
Nothing acts outside of His sovereign control.
As John MacArthur put it:
“This is the universal, external sovereignty of God over everything He has made; everything animate and inanimate, everything material, everything spiritual in the universe is under Christ’s rule. Every molecule, every atom, every component of an atom belongs in this kingdom.”
(Sermon: The Invisible Kingdom of God, Part 1; Luke 17:20-21; Code: 42-221)
Psalms 29:10-11 “The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13 “So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. “Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. “Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.”
Matthew 5:34-35 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.”
God is sovereign over all.
He does whatever He wishes.
And by this sovereignty, God has already put Christ as King over all.
We saw that in Psalms 2
Psalms 2:6-9 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”
And because of that David says:
Psalms 2:10-12 “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”
Jesus is already King of the world.
Everything has to do exactly as He commands it.
Everything has to respond to His sovereign prerogative every single time.
And Jesus very clearly put this authority on display during His earthly ministry.
• If He told storms to stop, they had to stop.
• If He told water to become wine, it had to become wine.
• If He told legs to grow or eyes to work, they had to obey.
• If He told demons to leave, or bread to multiply, there was no resistance.
In the physical realm His kingship and authority are unquestioned.
He is in charge, and He does whatever He wants.
That is God’s sovereign prerogative over the kingdom that He created.
Isaiah 43:13 “Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”
He is the unquestioned sovereign and authority.
Now, we also know that this physical world rebelled against His authority.
They didn’t overthrow Him or strip Him of His power, but they did rebel.
We saw it FIRST IN THE GARDEN, but we continue to see it even today.
Romans 1:21 “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Man rebelled against God.
AND AS A RESULT GOD CURSED HIS OWN KINGDOM.
God cursed creation.
It is a form of punishment upon rebellious humanity
Who have rebelled against His authority.
That’s why it’s so laughable when the world wants to blame God or accuse God of not being good when bad things happen like floods or famines or earthquakes.
Some even suppose that such events give evidence that God is not in control.
On the contrary, God is certainly in control and God is certainly good,
But this curse was His design as punishment
On a world that has rebelled against Him.
And that also is proof of God’s sovereign reign over creation.
And incidentally, ACCORDING TO ACTS 3 HE WON’T LIFT THIS CURSE
Until Israel repents and trusts in Christ as their King.
Acts 3:17-21 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”
Now, before say, “That’s too severe, and God’s too mean in doing that.”
Let me remind you again of that great Q&A with R.C. Sproul.
Sproul was asked the question: “Since God is slow to anger and patient then why, when man first sinned was His wrath and punishment so severe and long lasting?”
His answer: “Timeout! Didn’t we just have that question a second ago? God’s punishment for Adam was so severe? This creature from the dirt defied the everlasting holy God. After that God had said “the day that you shall eat of it, you shall surely die” and instead of dying (thanatos) that day, he lived another day and was clothed in his nakedness, by pure grace, and had the consequences of the curse applied for quite some time, but the worse curse would come upon the one who seduced him, whose head would be crushed by the seed of the woman. And the punishment was too severe? What’s wrong with you people? I’m serious! I mean, this is what’s wrong with the Christian church today. We don’t know who God is, and we don’t know who we are.
The question is, why wasn’t it infinitely more severe? If we have any understanding of our sin and any understanding of who God is, that’s the question. Isn’t it?”
The curse that God inflicted upon this world
WAS FAR LESS SEVERE THAN WHAT GOD COULD HAVE DONE.
He could have just balled the whole thing up
And thrown it all into hell right then.
BUT HE DIDN’T.
And so now we are living in a world
• That is absolutely and totally under the sovereign kingship of God.
• It is cursed, and it groans and suffers, but He still sovereign rules it all.
I might also add that He rules it all according to His own good pleasure.
That is to say, He does what He will.
Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
• He doesn’t need a counselor…
• He doesn’t need an advisor…
• His thoughts are higher than our thoughts
• He has total autonomy to do whatever He wants whenever He wants.
That is the physical kingdom of God
Which He rules by reason of the fact that He created it.
If you don’t want to live under His rule…
If you want to call the shots…
THEN CREATE YOUR OWN UNIVERSE.
BUT GOD REIGNS OVER THIS ONE.
That is the Physical Kingdom that God and Christ reign over.
Always has, always will.
But there is a second kingdom that we also speak of.
There is A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM
This is the kingdom that God rules by means of His re-creation.
Think of passages like:
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Ephesians 4:24 “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
God rules everything created.
• That is true of the physical Kingdom which He created.
• And that is true of the spiritual kingdom, which is filled with all those who are saved or who are born again or who are a new creation.
This is the invisible kingdom that we’re going to talk about.
These are those who have yielded their lives to the lordship of Christ.
These are those who have sanctified Christ as Lord in their hearts.
These are those who have submitted their lives to Him and obey Him.
• They have repented of the rebellion that was once theirs…
• They have placed their faith in Christ…
• They have denied themselves and submitted to Him…
• They have been born again…
• They are a new creation…
And they are the subjects and members of His spiritual kingdom.
You can’t see, but it’s real
Now, there is coming a day when
These two kingdoms will merge and both will become evident.
THERE IS COMING A DAY WHEN JESUS WILL RETURN,
He will crush His enemies,
He will reveal all those who are His and He will reign upon the earth.
Every knee will bow…
Every tongue will confess…
Everyone will worship Him…
On that day the invisible spiritual kingdom will be revealed.
Romans 8:19
“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.”
1 John 3:2
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
Colossians 3:1-4
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.”
On that day Christ will reign visibly on the throne over this world
And all those true subjects in His kingdom will dwell with Him.
You will see both the physical kingdom and the spiritual kingdom.
That day is coming. That day is not here yet.
Currently this spiritual kingdom of Christ is still invisible.
BUT HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND
About the Pharisees theology, and all Israel for that matter.
THEY HAD NO CONCEPT OF THIS INVISIBLE KINGDOM.
• They had studied the Old Testament texts and they knew God was king.
• They also knew that God had given this world to His anointed Messiah.
• And they believed, based on O.T. prophecies, that when the Messiah came He
would usher in cataclysmic signs and physically rule upon this earth.
In short, they saw the events surrounding the second coming,
But they didn’t grasp the events surrounding the first.
Let me explain.
They would read, for example the prophet Joel
Joel 2:28-32
“It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”
And did not see two comings, but one.
• They missed the part about “I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind”
• And they were waiting for those massive signs like “wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood.”
They were only looking for those cataclysmic signs.
Or things like:
Isaiah 11:6-9
“And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”
• They were NOT LOOKING for someone coming to preach repentance.
• They were NOT LOOKING for someone coming to offer salvation.
They didn’t think they needed salvation.
They thought they needed someone to come
And restore Israel to the preeminent kingdom of the world.
They were looking for a King to come in powerful signs
Who would deliver the people and restore the glory of Israel.
THAT WAS THEIR EXPECTATION.
AND THEN YOU FACTOR IN THIS JESUS.
Who first publicly arrives on the scene with this wilderness prophet telling everyone to repent because the King is on His way.
And then Jesus echoes that declaration.
Luke 4:43 “But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”
Luke 8:1 “Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him,”
Luke 9:11 “But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.”
And not only that, but He would send out His followers to preach the same thing.
Luke 9:1-2 “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.”
Luke 10:8-11 “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘ The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ “But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’”
Beyond that Jesus has preached
• That they should pray “Your kingdom come…”
• He has told men to “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven…”
• He told the little flock not to worry because God had “chosen gladly to give you the kingdom…”
With Jesus it was kingdom, kingdom, kingdom, kingdom.
He claimed to be the king and He was offering men the kingdom.
The problem was that Jesus didn’t match the Jewish expectation.
Remember Isaiah 53?
Isaiah 53:1-3 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
So you have this preacher declaring Himself to be the King,
But He doesn’t meet the expectation.
And so the common question was:
WHERE’S YOUR SIGNS?
• Where is the moon turning to blood?
• Where are the massive signs in the heavens?
Now, He did put His power and authority on display,
But even that didn’t match their expectation.
Remember this story?
Luke 11:14-20 “And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. “If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
He was telling them the kingdom was there,
But because He didn’t fit the bill or work the signs they wanted,
They didn’t believe Him.
Well maybe that explains the question here.
“Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming…”
They were sort of calling Him out.
• It’s time to put Your money where Your mouth is.
• If You claim to be the King, then it’s about time You show us the kingdom.
And it’s not just the Pharisees, the disciples are just as confused.
Even at the end of this sermon, in verse 37 the disciples are going to ask,
“Where Lord?” (Where will the kingdom be?)
Even after His death:
Acts 1:6 “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
There was just a confusion.
• They knew about a physical kingdom and that’s what they expected.
• They didn’t understand the spiritual kingdom.
So now you understand their question.
#2 THE CORRECTION
Luke 17:20b-21a
“He answered them and said, “The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is! or, ‘There it is!’”
The Pharisees wanted to see the Kingdom.
Jesus said, “You’ve got it all wrong.”
You don’t understand the Kingdom.
• You’re looking for physical signs and wonders and powerful displays, but that is not how the Kingdom is coming.
• It will not be an obvious display. (Not the spiritual one)
It won’t be a place on the map you can travel to and say, “Here it is!”
IT’S A MYSTERY.
You are already more familiar with these mysteries than you may realize.
Matthew devoted an entire chapter to the mysteries of the kingdom.
Remember Matthew 13?
8 parables revealing the mysteries of the Kingdom.
Soils – not everyone who is invited into the kingdom actually enters it. Some are too hard hearted, some are too shallow, some are too idolatrous.
Wheat and Tares – the spiritual kingdom will grow up right beside the wicked kingdom of this world. They will grow together until the end when the Lord comes and destroys the wicked and saves the righteous.
Mustard Seed – the kingdom starts small but gets bigger than any other.
Leaven – the kingdom spreads slowly but surely until it grows and coves the earth.
2 parables on the value of the kingdom, but then
Dragnet – everyone is in the net, and the net is being drug in, but the separation hasn’t occurred yet.
And a follow up parable about being a steward of the kingdom.
All of those mysteries were NOT what the Jews expected.
They weren’t looking for a spiritual kingdom…
They weren’t looking for an invisible kingdom…
But that’s the Kingdom Jesus has been preaching about.
The first time He came was NOT to declare physical war
He DID NOT come at first to kill all nonbelievers
And set up an earthly throne with powerful signs in the heavens.
The first time He came was to conquer men’s hearts
And break men’s wills and subdue men’s lives by faith.
• He came to offer forgiveness and mercy and acceptance through Him into God’s kingdom.
• He came to offer pardon to rebels and renegades who had offended God.
• He came to offer them citizenship in the kingdom before God came and destroyed His enemies.
Do you understand that?
If there had been no first coming, and only a second
Then everyone would have been killed as God’s enemy.
• All had rebelled…
• None righteous, not even one…
Christ came as it were to first offer God’s enemies a chance at surrender
And forgiveness and redemption and reconciliation.
HE OFFERED THEM ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM
(That they falsely assumed they were already a part of.)
That was the invisible spiritual kingdom He came to offer.
So Jesus corrects them here.
You are looking for the wrong thing.
The Question, The Correction
#3 THE REVELATION
Luke 17:21b
“For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
This spiritual kingdom is here.
Now, let’s do a little word clarifying here because there’s a lot of confusion about this phrase and translators go back and forth over it.
• “in your midst” translates ENTOS
Which means “inside”
• He DID NOT USE the word ENMESO which means “in your midst”
Jesus literally said here “the kingdom of God is inside”
Translators have struggled with that because they note
That Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees
And so they think that Jesus could not possibly have been saying
That the Pharisees had the kingdom inside them.
Obviously that is not what He is saying.
There are more people here than just Pharisees who are listening.
But what Jesus is saying is that the kingdom is internal,
Not external; not yet.
The kingdom was actually here.
• But it was an internal kingdom, not an external one.
• It is a spiritual reality that is not physically evident.
Jesus said to Pilate:
John 18:36 “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.”
Paul said:
Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
It’s a spiritual reality.
So you see how Jesus spoke of two kingdoms, or two realms.
• There is a physical kingdom in which He certainly rules all.
• But there is also a spiritual kingdom which is for those who submit to Him.
One day He will return and the two kingdoms
Will unite and become evident.
The first time He came was not to establish His earthly kingdom.
It was to convert enemies of the kingdom into sons of the kingdom
That they might not be destroyed
When He does establish that earthly kingdom.
But He came this time to offer entrance into this spiritual kingdom.
And the only way you enter it
Is by being born again, or re-created.
JUST AS you must be born into the physical kingdom,
SO you must be born into the spiritual kingdom.
John 3:3-5 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Those who remain in their rebellious and wicked state
Are NOT GRANTED ACCESS into the kingdom.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Ephesians 5:5 “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
Men who lives in their sinful rebellious state
Are not granted access into God’s kingdom.
They are certainly in His physical kingdom, but not His spiritual one.
The only way to enter that kingdom is through the offer of Christ.
(He is the way)
• He offers to re-create a person.
• He will atone for their sin on the cross.
• He will impute His righteousness to them, thus granting them access to God’s kingdom.
And THE REQUIREMENT for this gracious transaction is what?
You must trust Him and declare Him King.
Right?
Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”
You must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.
Is that hard?
Yes, very hard.
• It may require you to hate your father & mother, brother & sister, wife & children.
• It may require you to leave your inheritance behind
• It may require you to say good-bye to those at home without looking back
Luke 9:59-62 “And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
It is hard and costly to enter the kingdom.
Acts 14:21-22 “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
It is costly to enter the kingdom.
But it is also worth it to enter the kingdom.
That is why Jesus gave that “parable of treasure in the field” or “the parable of the pearl of great value.”
It is worth everything you have to enter this spiritual kingdom.
Jesus is the most valuable One you’ll ever encounter.
You most certainly should FOLLOW THE ADVICE of the Psalmist.
Psalms 2:10-12 “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”
His physical kingdom is coming.
• And it will mean destruction of His enemies.
But Jesus came first to offer refuge to any and all who would repent of their sin and trust in Him.
• Those would be granted access into His spiritual kingdom.
• They would be re-created and born again and would no longer be enemies of the kingdom, but sons of it.
The Kingdom Jesus preached
Was the most glorious offer the world has ever received.
But the Pharisees and Jews didn’t understand it.
• They didn’t see that they were enemies of God.
• They didn’t see how they had offended God through their rebellion.
• And so they didn’t see how badly they needed Jesus to reconcile them.
If they had seen that…
• If they had become poor in spirit like Jesus said:
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
If they had seen their spiritual poverty and their need for forgiveness
Then they would have run to this gracious King
Who was offering forgiveness and they would have entered His kingdom.
But as it was, they were not interested in His offer.
They thought they only wanted that physical kingdom.
But really, the question is what about you?
I’m here to tell you this morning
• There is a kingdom.
• And it is here.
• But you can’t see it on the outside.
• It is an internal kingdom and it is growing every day.
And one day THE KING OF THAT KINGDOM WILL RETURN
And reveal it to the world.
And on that day, all those who are in that kingdom will be revealed,
And all those who are not will be destroyed.
Obviously then the wise man
• Responds to Christ’s offer and repents of His rebellion against God,
• And runs to the merciful offer of Christ,
• And begs to be made new, to be re-created, to be born again into His spiritual kingdom.
That is what I would tell you today.
You don’t want to be found outside the kingdom of the day Christ returns.
You do not want to be found a tare among the wheat.
• Submit to the King.
• Call on the King.
• Ask Him for forgiveness.
• He will grant you access into His glorious kingdom.
