Does Jesus have a slogan? Everyone else does. Even if you don’t wear Nike shoes most of us know Nike wants us to Just Do It. Of course, Disneyland is the happiest place on earth.
And Jesus wants to be sure we know, …? What?
To be fair, his slogan hasn’t been on TV and billboards constantly. On the other hand, most of us have been sitting in church 52 times a year for more years than we can remember, listening to sermons about Jesus. If Jesus has a slogan, we should know it. More accurately, if Jesus has a primary message that he told over and over again, we should know it and seek to embrace it.
Jesus’ very first sermon is recorded in Matthew chapter four.
Matthew 4:17 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
His message of the kingdom was consistent and central to his ministry.
Luke 8:1 Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God.
DRAW KINGDOM OF HEAVEN/GOD
The very last thing Jesus told his disciples.
Acts 1:3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles … and he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Then his disciples began to preach it.
Acts 8:12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God
The very last thing we read about the church in the last verse of the last chapter in the book of Acts;
30 Paul lived in Rome … boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
DRAW Kingdom is his FIRST, CENTRAL, and FINAL message.
Let’s go back to Jesus’ first sermon. We can assume the first thing he choose to preach is important. The fact that he then went on to demonstrate what it would look like, the describe it in detail, then preach it over and over again, and have it be the final word he left with them, all suggest that he really wants us to understand this and do it.
Matthew 4:17 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Now we just need to understand what repent means, what the kingdom of heaven means, and what come near means.
1. What is the kingdom of heaven?
A kingdom is a place where things happen the way the king wants them to happen.
The Rio Grande river separates the kingdom of Mexico from the kingdom of the United States. On this side of the river, things happen the way the United States wants them to happen.
We all have a kingdom where things happen the way we want them to happen. Most of our kingdoms are very small. And we have peaceful relations with the kingdoms around us, like those sitting next to you.
The kingdom of heaven is the same as the kingdom of God and it is that place or places where things happen the way God wants them to happen. Does that mean all the time, everywhere? Clearly, not everything around us is happening the way God wants it too.
DRAW KINGDOM OF GOD
I have an illustration that may be helpful. Think of a zoo you have been too or can imagine. The zoo is a kingdom, the kingdom of the zookeeper. Maybe it’s the CEO or president of the zoological association. We will call him or her the zookeeper.
Here is an amazing part of the kingdom message. The king’s resources can be brought to bear on any situation in his or her kingdom. If an employee at the zoo has been tasked to build a new enclosure for an animal, that employee gets all the resources them need to do the job the zookeeper gave them to do. Those resources may include supplies, lumber, other workmen. When someone in God’s kingdom is doing what God has directed them to do, God makes sure they have the resources to do the job. What do God jobs involve? Love, joy, peace. Patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control. Sometimes money and other workmen. All of it God can supply. What happens when a zoo employee decides he doesn’t like the zookeeper’s plans. Maybe they want to build a souvenir building instead of the enclosure. How long do they get to keep using the zookeeper’s resources? Only until the zookeeper finds out.
We have the opportunity to live in our kingdom or God’s kingdom, with just our resources or with God’s. It’s a choice we make every day.
DRAW SMALL KINGDOM OF SELF
This gospel of the kingdom was the most exciting thing I had ever heard about faith and Christianity. I was ready to give up trying to be a good Christian when I discovered faith wasn't about trying.
It is about training. I learned that walking with Jesus didn't mean just when I get to heaven but now, walking with him as he walks with us. I learned I could be set free from anger and bitterness. I could become a better person.
It was as if I was living in a grey world and I saw a smudged window. When I cleaned a spot, I could look through and see a different place. Not, actually different. It was the same place but in vibrant colors. This was a place I wanted to be, a world I wanted to live in and at the same time to tell others, come and see. Like the Old Testament says, come taste and see that the Lord is good.
Today, I'm inviting you to come and see. I can't describe it perfectly but even if I could, knowing about it is not the same as stepping into it. You can know all about the San Diego Zoo and have never been there. I can do show you the direction. You need to take a step.
All of Scripture makes more sense with the kingdom of heaven. You remember Jesus said, I am the light of the world and he said, you are the light of the world. Which is it? Both. Its his kingdom and we are part of it when we choose to live in it.
So, how do we move from our kingdom into Gods?
2. What does “come near” mean?
What it means for the kingdom to be “at hand.” It means “is available” or “is happening” as in, As in, we have arrived at the zoo. Do you want to go in or do you want to sit in the parking lot. In God’s kingdom, I think a lot of people choose to sit in the parking lot and never go in.
Imagine going to the zoo and standing just inside the entrance. Mom wants to see the zebras. Dad wants to see the elephants. Kids want to go get cotton candy. Where does the family go? There are three kingdoms at play. The mom’s, the dad’s, and the kids. Eventually, they work things out and head off in a direction.
DRAW Animals
When we visit the zoo, what are the animals for? Our enjoyment?
DRAW Crowds of visitors
What do crowds of visitors mean to us? They are a nuisance.
Now imagine you see a sign that says, help wanted, apply within. What would it mean to be an employee of the zoo rather than a visitor? We would do what the zookeeper wants, not what we want. What are the animals to us? Animals are a zoo employee’s purpose. What do crowds of visitors mean to us? Crowds mean success!
At the zoo, employees and tourists are in the same place but in different kingdoms. Every day, you and I can be in the very same places we always go yet everything is different because we are no longer in our kingdom. We have stepped into the kingdom of God.
I said earlier, all I can do is show you the direction. You need to take a step. What step does an enemy have to take when they want to stop fighting and even join the other army? They have to surrender. Which leads to our third point.
3. What does “repent” mean?
Our pew Bibles say Repent of your sins and turn to God. That is accurate but it isn’t what Jesus said. Repent means reevaluate your plans or strategy for living.
DRAW REEVALUATE YOUR PLANS
A literal translation of repent is to think again.
Colin Henry loves animals. His ultimate career would be a zoologist.
If Colin and his family were visiting the zoo on the first day of summer and Colin had his entire summer planned, and he read a sign saying summer help wanted, apply within, what would he do? He would run there. He would consider it the chance of a lifetime. If he were so lucky as to get the job, he would cancel all his other summer plans. He would repent for the kingdom of zoo is at hand. That image is exactly the picture we have in Matt 4 of Jesus’ first message and what happens immediately afterward.
Matt 4:17-20
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Those fishermen were just like Colin at the zoo who sees working there as so amazing an opportunity that they drop everything to apply. Something in Jesus’ offer was so wonderful and attractive that these men reevaluated their strategy for living.
A different example. USS Nimitz: Beyond the horizon. So, when an enemy combatant sees the Nimitz barely on the horizon, the Nimitz has had that combatant in its sites for a long time. Its time for him to repent for the kingdom of the United States is at hand. Its time all of us reevaluate our plans, our strategies. Stop fighting. Surrender. You are going to love the kingdom of heaven.
Evening Exercise
Lord, prepare me tonight to seek you in all I do tomorrow.
Then in the morning we can begin practicing this exercise.
Morning Exercise
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in my life, my situation, my relationship,
As it is in heaven.
There is so much more to learn and practice. For now, I want to invite you to get started. Try those two exercises. Next week we will talk about how to stop trying so hard to live this Christian life and how to start training to live it well.
