Uncharted
The Book of Acts: The Voyage Begins
Acts 1:3-6
The Kingdom of God
I’ve spent four weeks introducing the Book of Acts
Accuracy of what we’ll be reading, the reliability of the historical facts
History of the early church
The author – who he was, how he gathered the material
Last week we finally covered the resurrection of Jesus
Now – Acts 1
Jesus had spent three years traveling across Galilee and Judea
During those three years, he taught over and over about the Kingdom of God
The first thing that Jesus began to teach was
His first message was: Repent for the KG is here
Many of his stories: The KG is like …
Parables - illustrating the KG: In the KG
After three years with him, in various settings - They still didn’t get the KG
During the forty days after His crucifixion, He appeared to the apostles from time to time, and He proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, "Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" (Acts 1:3-6 NLT)
There are some revealing words in Luke’s quote of the disciple’s question
“Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore OUR kingdom.”
They somehow still thought that Jesus’ mission was really about empire building.
They were still under the impression or the illusion that the impediment to the KG was the Roman Empire
They were still under the delusion that what kept the KG from coming was money and power
It is as if they were thinking:
“OK, our Messiah has come back from the dead,
He’s appeared to each of us,
He’s appeared to small and large crowds,
This is it ---- Jesus is going to restore OUR kingdom.”
This wasn’t ONE conversation – Notice what Luke writes …
So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, "Lord, has the time come …" (Acts 1:6 NLT)
Like the kid on a road trip who asks: “Are we there yet?!” – 5 minutes later, 5 miles down the road
- Is this when it’s going to happen?
- Now?
- Is it now?
- How about now?
“During the forty days after His crucifixion … He talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Understanding the KG is crucial/mandatory to be able to grasp what was doing and what this thing called the “church” was going to be about
Just before Jesus began traveling the countryside teaching and healing
His cousin JB was traveling, preaching and baptizing people in the Jordan River
In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."(Matthew 3:1-2 NLT)
Sometime after JB began traveling around Jesus too left his Galilean home and began to preach
“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17 NLT)
Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed every kind of disease and illness. (Matthew 4:23 NLT)
The prayer that Jesus taught the disciples, what we call the “Lord’s Prayer”
“Thy Kingdom come.” Matthew 6:10
Sermon on the Mount – Jesus longest recorded sermon and most famous
“Seek first the KG.” Matthew 6:33
On the night, Jesus was arrested, Pilate questioned Jesus about being king of the Jews
Jesus answered: “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, My followers would fight to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But My Kingdom is not of this world.”
The thief who was executed at the same time as Jesus, hanging next to Jesus pled with him
“Jesus, remember me when you come in Your kingdom.” Luke 23:42
Kingdom, Kingdom, Kingdom
What’s he talking about?
The KG is not about power
The KG is not about majority rule
The KG is not about money
In Jesus day, much like our day, “Might made right.”
If you had the “might” then you had the “right” or you were in the “right”
If you had power, if you had money, if you had popularity – You were in the right and had all the rights
Money, power, and popularity ruled
Sound familiar?
That is the way of the kingdoms of this world work.
One day Jesus was approached by the mother of two of the disciples – James and John, the sons of Zebedee
“She knelt down respectfully to ask a favor.” --- Like you would if you were approaching a KING
When you come in your kingdom … Please make my boys part of your cabinet?
When the other ten disciples heard, what was going on – they were furious
How could he make James and John part of his cabinet, his inner circle, his “National Security Council Principals?”
But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. (Matthew 20:25-27 NLT)
Can we be part of the inner circle of Your kingdom?
When will you restore OUR kingdom?
Will you restore it HERE?
Will you restore it NOW?
The Kingdom of God has never been about time and place and position.
So, what is the KG?
“God’s Kingdom is not a place, but rather a relationship. It exists wherever people enthrone Jesus as lord of their lives.” J. I. Packer, Growing in Christ
“The kingdom of God is any time and any place when the rule of God is on display.” Bill Giovannetti
“The Kingdom of God is the living, breathing presence and purpose and reign of God on our planet.” Rick McKinley
The KG is present when God is given the authority to rule – when God is put in control
When I was in school – BB
Early on I complained to my Dad about my BB coach.
“He yells at you because he sees your potential and he develop you. So, when your coach says jump: You ask: ‘How high?’”
The KG is present when God says “Jump” – and a person asks the question: “How high!”
The KG is present when God
Reigns over a person’s life
Reigns over a family
Reigns over a church
Anytime God is reigning – the KG present
Anytime a person makes their life the “Royal Thrown Room”for Jesus --- then the KG is present
Whenever a person yields their life to the reign of God, then their life begins to change.
They begin to be instructed and disciplined regarding how to live life with God reigning – KG.
“God take control of my life.”
“I’ve spent too long controlling my own life.”
Ultimately,whenever anyone controls their own life --- they are left empty inside
They may have control – and they work their way to success: house, car, husband, vacations, degrees, amazing kids – what Jesus called “the whole world”
When they are laying their head on the pillow at night
When they get to the end of life and consider their life – “Life passes before their eyes.”
Life is empty
That’s the message of A Christmas Carol – Scrooge was in control but his life was empty
That’s the message from Solomon – the wealthiest and wisest man in his generation
Meaningless, emptiness, hopelessness – what’s the point?
Did you notice when Jesus said – “the rulers of this world lord it over”
Or in JI Packer’s definition of the KG – “Whenever people enthrone Jesus as Lord of their lives.”
When a person gives Jesus control of their lives the Bible uses the word LORD
I haven’t used that word much over the last few years because it is not word that is common to Americans.
We don’t use the word in everyday life
When was the last time you used the word “lord” outside of maybe a church setting?
LORD
Hebrew: one possessed of absolute control
Greek: Supreme master: "a master, lord, one who possesses supreme authority”
Lord is the title used in the NT more frequently than any other title.
“Lord, Jesus Christ”
In the Book of Acts, Luke used the title Savior for Jesus only 2 times.
He used the title Lord – 92 times
35 years ago --- If Jesus is not Lord of all, then he is not Lord at all!
The early followers of Jesus would often declare: Jesus is Lord!
This confession of "Jesus is Lord" became a direct insult to the Roman practice of emperor worship.
Many Roman cities built templesfor Caesar-worship.
In the city of Smyrna people were commanded to honor the emperor by confessing "Caesar is Lord".
Citizens of the empire were required to burn a pinch of incense to the reigning Caesar and utter the words Kyrios Kaisar (Caesar is Lord!).
The followers of Jesus would not utter the words – “Caesar is Lord!”
Instead they would declare “Jesus is Lord!”
Eventually, to declare "Jesus is Lord" became a crime punishable by death
Because of their refusal to proclaim their allegiance to Ceasar and many were thrown to the wild lions or crucified.
The followers of Jesus in the first century believers "Lordship" in a way modern believers find difficult to comprehend!
Romans were tolerant of the worship of gods.
The Christians were not forbidden to worship God.
Christians, like every other subject of the Roman Empire were free to worship any god they chose so long as they also acknowledged “Caesar as Lord.”
The Christian’s in the Roman Empire were referred to as “Atheist” because they refused to acknowledge any of the Roman gods or participate in Emperor worship.
The Christians would not declare allegiance Caesar
They believed belonged to the true God only
Instead they would declare: Jesus is LORD!
Since: Jesus is LORD! We live under His rule
They continually and consciously submitted their wills to Him.
We become bondservants, we become subjects.
Any time someone pledges and confesses: Jesus is Lord!
There the Kingdom of God can be found
When Jesus is Lord: The supreme loyalty of a person’s life and the supreme worship of his heart are given to Jesus.
They are living under the rule and reign of the King – there is the KG.
It is at that point that a person’s --- Life begins to change
“The Bible teaches that it is possible for us to have in our soul the same structures of thought and feeling and instinct and belief that Jesus had in his soul. You cannot be like Jesus from the outside in. You have to be like Jesus from the inside out.” Bill Giovannetti
The impediment to the Kingdom of God has never been political
The impediment to the Kingdom of God has never been monetary
Or military
Or popularity
Or power
Or stock
Or real estate
Or persecution
Or terrorism
The impediment to the KG is not that the church has lost influence
The impediment to the KG is not that the world is becoming secular and people don’t care about the church
The impediment to the KG is the human heart
My heart and your heart is what keeps the God from changing the world
It is my desire to be in control, to rule, to reign
I’m the king of my mountain
The impediment to the KG is the question of WHO WILL BE LORD?
- I want to be LORD!
- I will be LORD!
When a person can’t be LORD, they throw a temper tantrum – at least in their heart!
Temper tantrum just like a child
You’ve seen this … you have your older child “watch” the other kids while you run to the store
Inevitably someone starts yelling: “You’re not the boss of me!”
It’s the human heart that keeps God from ruling and reigning
For forty days – from the time he first appeared until his last appearance
Every time he was with them he talked to them about the KG
Not the overthrowing of the Romans
But about his Lordship over the human heart
His continual question was: “Will you let me rule?”
When things aren’t going well at work – “Will you let me rule?”
When things aren’t going well with your mother or father-in-law – “Will you let me rule?”
When your enemy comes after you – Will you let me rule?
When you are upside down with your finances
When your health is failing
When you can’t conquer that habit
When you’ve been, disappointed and hurt
When you cry yourself to sleep and wake up stressed?
Will you let me rule?
When you pray that the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven, envision conflict being resolved, marriages and families healed, truth told and people faithful to one another, initiatives that break through the vicious cycles of retaliation, and love that creates new community among people through forgiveness, reconciliation, and peacemaking. --Glen H. Stassen, Living the Sermon on the Mount
Jesus, I bow my knee to you.
You are my supreme master.
Take authority over my life and when I try to take authority back wrestle with me.
Jesus is Lord!