Why Church?: Kingdom First

July 3rd, 2022/Casey Middle School

Story: Colorado Avalanche defeat Tampa Bay Lightning to take home the Stanley Cup.

Can you imagine if the Avalanche, in game 5, all of a sudden started playing against the crowd?

We have been placed on earth for a specific purpose and for a mission and yet we can find ourselves getting distracted by what culture is telling us to do, our next work goal, what media is blasting at us, our next PR…. That we lose focus and perspective on the bigger story.

For the Avalanche when they were playing their one focus was to win and beat the other team….

Today I want to…

I want to elevate our thinking and take us to the supernatural realm. I want us to focus on the Kingdom of God. I want to give an awareness of the Kingdom of God and how we can be active contributors of the kingdom .

Two kingdoms exist, the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God. And we see the kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven mentioned about 100 times in the New Testament, and the book of Acts opens and closes with it (Acts 1:3; 28:31).

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world” - CS Lewis

Passages: The Lord’s Prayer & The Lord’s Command

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” - Matthew 6:10

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” - Matthew 6:33

Pray:

Context: The King misunderstood

The Kingdom of God didn’t fit into anyone's paradigm

Approaches people took to a new kingdom:

The Pharisees - religious/holy approach

The Essenes - separatists/get out and be a faithful remnant

The Sadducees - compromisers/realists

The Zealots - revolutionaries/guerrilla warfare

All desperately searching for a king to show up, rule, and reign over the land. They were looking for a demonstration of power, Jesus came in divine humility.

John the Baptist shook all of this up

A different kind of Kingdom

“After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”” - Mark 1:14-15

Jesus begins His ministry with… teaching on the Kingdom of God.

We serve a King that is victorious over today, yesterday, and forever. The story has been written and He reigns forever.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29 (HCSB)

When we seek first the Kingdom of God we are trading our plans for His purpose. We are laying down our lives so that we can truly live on mission for King Jesus.

Title: Kingdom First

Working Definitions:

“The Kingdom of God is God’s sovereign activity in the world, resulting in people being in right relationship with Himself.” - Vance Pitman

“The Kingdom of God is what the world looks like when King Jesus gets His way.” - Jeff Christopherson

God’s will, done God’s way, in God’s time.

“And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.” - Revelation 5:9-10

God established His Kingdom and His Kingdom is where we’re headed!

Main Points:

1. Local Church & The Kingdom
   1. “After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” - Acts 1:3
   2. “Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house. And he welcomed all who visited him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” - Acts 28:30-31

   3. What is the book of Acts all about?

      1. I would have said “the birth, the growth, and the expansion of the local church”. That wouldn’t be entirely false, but it’s not the whole picture!

      2. In the 40 days following Jesus' resurrection from the dead, out of all of the things He could have taught on, what did he lean into? The Kingdom of God!

         4. Local Church & The Kingdom
         5. Illust: working on the tools

      3. When we focus all of our attention on the integrity of the process or system, then we lose focus on the bigger picture and could be tempted to take credit for the fruit.

      4. But, when we focus on the Kingdom and hearing the voice of God, resting in His presence, experiencing His power, we not only can’t take credit for it, but it wouldn’t even cross our minds.

         6. The goal is the Kingdom of God!

      5. Local churches are temporary, the Kingdom of God is eternal. It existed before time began and will carry on to eternity.

      6. All churches have a life cycle. How do we know? Look at history! The churches Paul planted, can you still attend that service today?

      7. Two Kingdoms

         1. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” - Ephesians 6:12
         2. “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” - Ephesians 6:18
         3. The Kingdom of Darkness & The Kingdom of God

      8. “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” - Colossians 1:11-14

         4. Full Armor of God

      9. Suit up with the appropriate gear for the task at hand!

      10. Belt of Truth.
      11. Breastplate of Righteousness.
      12. Gospel of Peace.
      13. Shield of Faith.
      14. Helmet of Salvation.
      15. Sword of the Spirit.

      16. Prayer

          5. As the church we are called to be His warriors.

      17. We are not simply civilians enjoying the benefits of the Kingdom, but we are contributors of His grace in a world that desperately needs the hope of the Gospel.

      18. We are not members of a club we call church, but coworkers in the army of the Lord.

          6. It’s through the Spirit that we boldly proclaim the Gospel.

      19. All authority is in His name! He draws (John 6:44), He calls (2 Peter 1:3), He equips (Acts 1:8), and He saves (Ephesians 2:8-9)!

      20. Our work is to continually empty ourselves so that He can fill us with His Spirit for the advancement of His Kingdom.

          7. A lack of awareness of the battle that we are in will result in a life of apathy towards the greater cause of Christ.

      21. “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8 NLT

      22. The Mustard Seed

          1. “He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.” - Matthew 13:31-33
          2. The process of a seed:

      23. It starts small

      24. It demands risk
      25. It takes time
      26. God produces the growth
      27. God gets the glory
          3. “As with the farmer, so with the Kingdom citizen, playing it safe is the most dangerous game of all” - Jeff Christopherson
          4. Jesus demonstrated this for us with His life.

Closing: How to enter the Kingdom of God?

“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” - John 3:3

Story: Nicodemus

The Kingdom of God is Good News!

We often say “In Boulder as it is in Heaven”

What does that mean for us today?

How to be a Kingdom Builder?

We are not just citizens of Heaven, we are contributors in the Kingdom! We are Kingdom builders.

1. Point people to the life of Christ
2. Grow together in fellowship
3. Push back the darkness

The greatest weapons we have are prayer and worship.

Starts in the heart

Affects every aspect of your life