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Debbie Scott

Figuring Out The “Kingdom Of Heaven” - Jacob Stanley

Have you ever gotten something completely wrong?


I Played ice hockey a couple of years ago for a season. It was an adult beginners grade.

I was getting pretty good, and there was a moment where I somehow broke through straight to the goalie with little opposition.

I scored an epic goal. but the problem was I recognised the goalie’s voice. It was our goalie.

another time I thought I was being really helpful by filling up the youth van with diesel… But it was a petrol van.


There are quite a few times in airports Ariel and I have had our names called out, but One time We went to the domestic terminal of the airport for an international flight, we had to move pretty quickly once we realised our mistake.


In this series we are talking about the kingdom of heaven. It’s something Jesus talked about a lot, because the people that Jesus was with were earnestly awaiting a messiah - a person prophesied to come and bring relief and salvation to the people of God.


Jesus’ followers and most of the Jewish people of the day completely misunderstood what the messiah had come for.

The people at large were anticipating a political messiah. A war hero,

with national independence at the forefront of his campaign. They wanted Jesus to free them from the romans and be a king like David.


God had a far greater plan


Everybody say greater


For us the domestic terminal wasn’t going to help us. We had to reposition.

For Jesus‘ followers, they had to reposition their thinking.

they were thinking too small.

They were expecting God to do one, narrow thing: to make their nation great.

But God had a far greater plan in mind.


They thought it was only about them and their direct issues. But it was bigger and wider and further reaching than just their current situation.


We - all of us - are often very small minded.

GOD has big plans.

Abraham and sarah just wanted one son - God had so much more.


Unfortunately sometimes we make it all about ourselves don’t we.

God will you make me great

Fulfill my dreams

Make me feel good about myself

Make me significant



God had a bigger plan


It wasn’t about current political issues that Jesus came, it was for a far reaching eternal purpose


God sees things with an ETERNAL perspective.


You are currently in eternity. Everything happening around us is a part of the eternal unfolding story of God and humanity.


God had a bigger, far reaching eternal plan for the Jewish people but many of the people at the time missed it.


They thought it was all about their generation, for their situation in their nation.

but God wanted to redeem all people, in all nations, for all time.


Don’t miss it.

Don’t miss the thing that God is doing around you

because you can’t see past the thing right in front of you.


I’ll start soon, but Think of David and Goliath - the people were obsessed with Goliath - he was all they could see.


David saw the situation completely different. He saw the God of heavens armies, and Goliath was just a little man in the shadow of almighty God.


They missed it then - and they missed it with Jesus. Don’t miss it.


Turn to your neighbor and say ‘don’t miss it’


DON’T GET OBSESSED WITH THE GOLIATH OF 2020


there are things in the world right now that are Goliaths - LOOK PAST THE GOLIATH


GOD what are you doing????


ALL Israel could hear was Goliaths taunts and they were PARALIZED with fear


Maybe it’s time to turn off those voices in your life.


God what are you doing in the earth?


See at the time, The Kingdom of God was not what people expected.

They were waiting for a king to come and rescue Jerusalem, God had a much bigger plan through Jesus to reach all nations.


NKJV

Luke 17:20 - Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;

Luk 17:21 - “nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’[fn] For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”


We often imagine the kingdom of God as like a physical thing - but Jesus is actually saying that kingdom of God is seen in and through his followers.


In you, through you


The kingdom of God starts within you. It’s a work of God in your heart. Out of that work in your heart - the kingdom is shown from you in the way you live.




Romans 14:17 (NIV)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,


The Kingdom is ALL about your relationship with God


God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit.


good news GNT

For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives.



Malchut -is the Hebrew term for kingdom

Jewish Rabbi Shimon Leiberman says this

The model we have in mind is of a king who has a picture of good and bad, an ideology of right and wrong, and teaches the society around him those ideas and values. That society is then awakened to what is really right and structures itself and its institutions accordingly. When society has finished this process, it thereby amplifies and proclaims those values that the king had in his heart and mind.

That society is thereby not only expressing the king's norms and values, but showing that these norms and values are really the inner norms and values of the people in the country.

The real teacher is the one who inspires.

This is malchut (kingdom) in the true sense. It is God's actions and attributes – not as expressed by God, but rather as human beings express them. It is as if God's actions have struck a resonant chord in us, and we thereby act in a similar manner.

The kingdom is within you


Jesus told us to pray ”may your kingdom come, and your will be done, here as it is in heaven”


Gods kingdom coming is about his heart for humanity being displayed, his ways in our culture.


For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,


Kingdom of Heaven is Righteousness


Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.


Righteousness and justice come from the same idea in the Hebrew tzedek.


“justice meant observing the rules of the covenant between God and his people, only some of which could be enforced in a court of law. There was more to the covenant than doing the bare minimum.

When prophets express God’s anger at the people for doing injustice, the failure to uphold these laws concerning the poor and the vulnerable is often at the core of their critique.


Remember the story Jesus tells of the judgement when he says to people “where were you when I was hungry? When I was in prison?”


God really cares about certain issues, especially those that are victims


righteousness and justice are about aligning our hearts with what concerns him.


Societal justice comes from a heart of righteousness


Righteousness and justice at work in the society are signs of the kingdom of God coming.


Jesus teaches justice and righteousness when he says to treat others the way you would like to be treated.

To love your neighbor as your self.

To love your enemies.

To give someone your coat and walk another mile.


Righteousness and justice are the culture of Gods kingdom manifesting in our society


Martin Luther King, Jr., life-long fight for justice and righteousness


famously quoted AMOS 5:24 “Let justice well up like water, and righteousness like a flowing stream”


Faith without deeds is dead


Justice in society is a result of righteousness reigning in our hearts and minds.


Jame 5:15-16

15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.


To be effective, we have to be clean, righteous. That’s why James says to confess our sins to one another.


-God is wanting righteousness to reign in us, so it can flow through us


-RIGHTEOUSNESS is Gods heart for humanity, it’s a work of the Holy Spirit in us.


-You can see the kingdom of God at work in the world, by righteousness and justice reigning.


Father, May your kingdom come, and as rightousness reigns in me, may righteousness reign in my community, my city, my nation.


Let righteousness reign


When righteousness reigns, peace comes.


Righteousness leads to peace



the voice translation puts Romans 14:7 like this:

.... When God reigns, the order of the day is redeeming justice, true peace, and joy made possible by the Holy Spirit.


Peace was broken between God and man because of Adam

Jesus, son of man, second Adam, restored that peace when he gave his body on the cross and rose from the dead 3 days later.


He restored peace with us and God


when find peace with God, we have the ultimate inner peace,

And the Holy Spirit works in us a complete work of healing and restoration.


Now We find ourselves in representing him, working to restore peace in relationships and the world around us


Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.


Representing Jesus, representing his kingdom


when we are at peace with God, then his kingdom and kingship is manifested in us, and through us, his kingdom purpose is achieved in us.



Peace for us

Peace in us

Peace through us


Righteousness leads to peace, peace leads to Joy


Yesterday, 75 years ago, our nation celebrated the end of wwii with victory over Japan in the pacific.


Can you imagine the feeling. Peace is declared. Joy springs forth.


BAND UP ///////////////////////////////////////////

The Kingdom of Heaven is Joy in the Holy Spirit

Righteousness leads to peace, peace leads to Joy


Psalm 126 - NKJV

When the Lord brought back [a]the captivity of Zion, ( thats restoration - shalom)We were like those who dream.

2

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,And our tongue with singing.Then they said among the [b]nations,“The Lord has done great things for them.”

3

The Lord has done great things for us,And we are glad.



For the kingdom of Heaven is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,


Kingdom of heaven on earth starts with our hearts


PLEASE STAND


If your heart is far from God this morning, I want to give you an oppertunity to give him your heart. give your life to Jesus

Let him become your king.


Let his righteousness rush in like a river

Let his peace restore you

Let his Joy overwhelm you



PRAY FOR THE NATION





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