Heaven & Earth 3- The Kingdom Of Heaven Is At Hand Series

Heaven & Earth 3: The kingdom of Heaven (God) is at hand. Lk 10:9 (1-12)

1 recap

1.1 1- Sermon 1- In the beginning. Adam and Eve given the task of bringing God’s reign on earth

1.2 2- Sermon 2- in the early days: God looking for a Kingdom of priests. They ’lost it’ because they occupied & settled rather than occupied and advanced

1.3 3- now, sermon 3, the call of disciples & 72

2 Thought (past tense)

2.1 Jesus’ cry ’repent for the KOG is at hand’

2.1.1 (’heaven’ in Mt, God in Mk, Lk)

2.1.2 thought it was referring to ’immanent end’, eschatalogical encounter, valley of decision after His death resurrection

2.1.3 i.e. ’future’, mainly

2.2 thought it was the same with disciples, 72 (Lk 9&10)

2.2.1 "it’s coming! Round the corner!"

2.2.2 ’at hand’ = like ’time is at hand’

2.2.3 ’near’= temporal, time

2.3 like "Jesus is near, coming". He’ll show you

2.3.1 the Kingdom

2.3.2 the way to heaven/God

2.3.3 what His reign is like- here, & in lives

2.3.4 the signs & wonders

2.3.5 what God is like

2.4 thought of THEIR miracles

2.4.1 good pr!

2.4.2 looking forward! pointing forward to Jesus

2.4.3 creating expectation, gaining attention

2.4.4 about PR, Jesus, not KOG

2.5 some of this is true

2.5.1 Jesus is the way to heaven + how see God

2.5.2 were His pr agents, to some degree

2.5.3 but not correct... WHOLE story

2.6 completely misses

2.6.1 sense of ’near’

2.6.2 value of their miracles

2.6.3 implication for us... all

2.6.4 BIG picture

3 Think (now)

3.1 repent (Jesus’ words) - not only about sin

3.2 ’near’ is not just ’time’- it’s proximity, geography, & experience

3.3 ’repent’ means- change your mindset... and SEE

3.3.1 ’virtually has come upon you from on high’ (Lk 10:9)

3.3.2 it’s here. At hand. Near.

3.4 It’s not TIME

3.4.1 were always thinking ’it’s just around the corner’. Immanent

3.4.2 if it was ’imanent’- why did they then SHOW its signs?!

3.5 instead- it’s NEAR

3.5.1 within reach!

3.5.2 here!

3.5.3 close to you. Available. Reach out and grap it!

3.5.4 Heaven is close to earth- and here’s what it looks like and soounds like

3.5.5 they ’proclaimed’ and ’proved it’

3.6 And they did not have to wait for Jesus to turn up to show it

3.6.1 it had already started in what He had taught and passed on to 12...72... (others!). The KING was here so His Kingdom had started coming

3.7 ’near’ is geographical, experiential

3.7.1 nothing to do with ’waiting’ or ’only when the experts come on’

3.7.2 Lk 10:11- and even if you reject it then know- it still IS near!

3.8 heaven is near to earth

3.8.1 touching earth through followers of Jesus

3.8.2 breaking in now

3.8.3 an invisible realm/rule of which you can only see its effects

3.8.4 NOW!

3.8.5 "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth...."

3.9 heaven- now or then?

3.9.1 of course both is true

3.9.2 but evangelical emphasis has been ’THEN’- future

3.9.3 focus- ’heaven bound’, missing ’heaven bringing’

3.9.4 (at worst a ’get out of gaol free’ card)

3.10 actually- bible says v little about heaven as our ’destination’

3.10.1 though it is!

3.10.2 depart and be with the Lord!

3.11 speaks more about ’heaven’ being our commission, calling, task

4 Task

4.1 we are not just ’heaven bound’ we are ’heaven bringing’

4.2 bringing heaven, God’s reign on earth in everything we do and touch

4.2.1 beacuase it’s NEAR!

4.3 relevant to today?

4.3.1 yes!

4.3.2 this is your task, calling

4.3.3 you are priests! People with a purpose! Men with a mission! Women with a will to see God’s reign on earth

4.4 and what does God’s reign look like?

4.4.1 it’s shown in the lives and ministries of Jesus and the disciples

4.4.2 the call hasn’t changed

4.4.3 preach- tell them!

4.4.4 show- heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons

4.5 wherever something is not of God it’s our call to bring His will

4.5.1 social justice

4.5.2 ecology

4.5.3 salvation- Alpha etc!

4.5.4 yes- healing, signs & wonders

4.5.5 it’s not just talk but SHOW, power, as well

4.5.6 I don’t believe the spec has changed- we just have a lot to re-learn

(want to say more tonight- Heaven & Earth part 4)

4.6 this is what your are committing to this morning

4.6.1 as priests

4.6.2 yes- to Jesus.. but to the TASK as well