Message
Luke 17:20-21
“Your Kingdom Comes”
History has such a powerful impact doesn’t it.
In Australia 26th January 1788 is celebrated as Australia Day – the day our nation was born.
But for some people, especially those with an Aboriginal heritage, the day is also known as invasion day.
Whatever the case … it is history which determines how one views these events and the emotions you have in response to those events.
The nation of Israel has a long history, much longer than the history of Australia. And for the Israelites the issue of land was also very important. You see, in many ways, the size of the land owned by Israel spoke volumes about the blessings God was showing to the people. And the centuries before Jesus came to Israel had not been kind.
The last 700 years of Israel’s history had seen the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, then the Persians, then the Greeks and now the Romans basically being in control of the people in the promised land. These nations came with their rules, and cultural practices, and enforced changes.
Injustice and compromise often became a normal way of life as the rules of the heathen nations were forced upon the culture of the Jews.
On some occasions the law of God had to be put aside because it was in conflict with the rules of the nation who was in control.
Regularly the religious freedom of the Jews was compromised. There were times when the temple was defiled and so sacrifices couldn’t be made. There were times when there was no temple at all.
Through it all the Jews kept longing for a day when the land would be theirs. Indeed they prayed this prayer everyday:-
O Lord raise up the son of David that he may reign over Israel and purge Jerusalem from the nations that trample her down to destruction. With a rod of iron he shall break in pieces all their substance. And he shall gather a holy people and neither sojourner nor alien shall live with them any more. And he shall have the heathen nations to serve him under his yoke. And he shall purge Jerusalem making it holy as of old.
In the mind of an Israelite this was known as the coming of God’s kingdom. And it was a topic that consumed may Israelites and especially the Pharisees. It was such an important topic that the Pharisees, despite their hate for Jesus, ask Jesus for His opinion.
Let’s turn to Luke 17:20-37 to read about that conversation.
It is a really interesting conversation. Because it is very clear that the Kingdom of God has many aspects to it. In some ways the coming of the kingdom is like a parade.
We might think about it in terms of a Christmas parade.
It starts with a big band walking along playing, “We wish you a Merry Christmas”.
Behind them comes a series of large moving presents with life-sized toys on them waving to you as they go past.
Further along is a float which is like a huge piece of ice, it has a model of Santa’s village and his workshop.
Near the end of the parade are all these elves giving out lollies to bystanders.
Finally, right at the end, comes the big man himself. Santa sitting on a sleigh being pulled by 12 electronic reindeer … one which has a bright red lightbulb for a nose.
Each moment in the parade is important … but it really all points to the end of the parade.
God’s Kingdom is like that. Even in the Old Testament it was spoken about in that way. In Daniel 2 King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a large statue. Daniel interprets the dream which is about the Babylonian empire, which falls to the Persian empire, which falls to the Greek empire, which falls to the Roman empire. All these kingdoms come and go. Eventually there is another kingdom.
(T)he God of Heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all (other) kingdoms and bring an end to them, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel 2:44
Finally God’s people win. Finally there will be a Kingdom - an outward, earthly, visible kingdom – where:-
… the Jews had a prominent place.
… judgement would be brought against heathen nations.
… the strangle hold of every empire is removed.
… Jerusalem would contain God’s throne.
Finally we win!!
So that is how the Pharisees and Jews thought about the Kingdom of God.
Then Jesus comes along and He teaches us to pray.
Our Father in heaven.
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come …
When we pray this are we saying, God we want to win!!
It would be nice to win wouldn’t it.
We look to a place like China where millions of people are coming to the faith every year. When we see that we think, “Yes. That is where God’s kingdom is coming. God is showing that He is in control and that He has the power to make changes that not even socialist communism can prevent”. Christianity is winning there.
Or we think about Africa. There is an evangelist there who has the unfortunate name of Reinhard Bonnke. He has preached to over 120 million people with more than 70 million making a commitment to Jesus through a prayer of salvation. Millions of lives are being transformed through Christ with whole villages coming to the Saviour. Christianity is winning there.
In the meantime we look at Australia. We see apathy to spiritual issues. We see so much that is wrong because Christianity is side-lined. Those who attend church regularly are a smaller and smaller percentage of the population. Despite many great efforts by so many great people – we have to say that Christianity is losing here in Australia.
When we think about “Your Kingdom come” and it’s application that is how we think don’t we.
God’s kingdom comes whenever there is a growth of Christianity.
Or when Christians successfully have the laws of the land changed to reflect the law of God.
Or when the rights of Christians are enforced against the desires of other non-Christian peoples.
In other words God’s kingdom comes when we win!
And when we are not winning God’s kingdom is going and it is taking a beating.
That is how the Pharisees saw it.
But is that how it works?
Perhaps you have heard the saying, “So near and yet so far”.
It is a saying which could be applied to many Australian explorers who almost reached their goal, only to turn back just before they arrived because they feared they were going to run out of food and water. So near and yet so far.
You see it at big sporting events. In some cases one hundredths of a second can be the difference between being on the team or being a spectator. So near and yet so far.
We can be so close, and so far away when it comes to a total picture.
Well if we only think of the kingdom in terms of visible, outward and victorious events we also will be, “So near and yet so far”.
It is part of the story, but not the whole story.
Let’s reread a couple of verses.
Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is’, or ‘There it is’ because the kingdom of God is within you.
Luke 17:20-21
Can you see what Jesus is saying?
God’s kingdom is not primarily based on what is visible … and touchable … and measurable.
God’s kingdom is much more about what is going on inside you. Paul puts it this way.
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:10-12
The kingdom of God is within you. The struggle is not against flesh and blood.
So make sure you put the battle lines in the right place.
Sometimes in churches, not our church, but some churches differences of view come up. And we feel God’s kingdom is at stake and we need to go against the other person and make sure they know what we think. And we are not always as Godly as we should be. And our attitudes are not like the attitudes of Christ. We might win the argument, but is that what God’s kingdom is all about?
Sometimes – but we make sure we do it for the right reasons – sometimes we do put other Christian groups down or make judgements about them.
Those Presbyterians are ...
The Uniting Church is ...
The Catholics ...
Eventually it goes around the other way – look at those Baptists who used to be Independent. It is hard to imagine but sometimes we don’t act in as Godly manner as we should towards fellow believers.
We look at the government all of us has a favourite. But we all agree they are wrecking the country. There is a good place to put a battle line ... but the political parties they are not the enemy. Not even the Greens.
You could come up with more and more examples. Where it becomes easier and easier to put people into the cross hairs of the battle.
The people in society who make life difficult for others.
Those who stand up for immoral choices.
The power-hungry
We make the battle there. And we might really feel justified in doing that. Because then it feels like we are doing something for the Kingdom if we can win against them. But in reality we are not – because the Kingdom isn’t primarily about who wins and who loses.
God’s Kingdom is very much about what is happening within you.
Are you allowing God to rule ... you?
This is very much a prayer against personal hypocrisy.
We judge ourselves against other Christians.
Feeling we are better than them.
Feeling we are making a great contribution for God.
Are we? Expand.
We judge ourselves against other denominations.
Feeling we have a better ministry.
Feeling that we are more on track.
Are we? Expand.
We judge ourselves against other people outside Christianity.
We see the events of their life and are piously thankful.
Thank you God I am not like them.
Yet aren’t we just as tempted? Expand.
The kingdom is not about seeing Christians in places of influence.
Nor is the kingdom about seeing the church take charge.
The kingdom is not even about religious freedom.
Nor is it about seeing the law of God have a place in our society.
The kingdom is primarily about having the cross of Jesus Christ transforming our lives and the lives of others
When Jesus comes back and the Kingdom of God is complete the big question won’t be, “Did you win?” And it won’t be, “Did the church win?”.
The big question from Jesus will be, “Did you trust me as Saviour and Lord?”.
Jesus came, in the way that He came, to establish a kingdom which is like no other.
The kingdom where Christ rules, not by force, but by grace.
The kingdom where Jesus is not merely enthroned in the heavens, but also in our hearts.
The kingdom where the law of God is not a burden but a delight.
The kingdom where the King has an eternal covenant with His subjects and where He is their dearest, most intimate, most reliable friend.
In other words when we pray – Your kingdom come we are really asking the Lord to use us as individuals to show the world what being a member of God’s family is all about.
When we pray Your kingdom come we are saying, “Lord rule us by Your Spirit”.
We have been reborn; a new life in Christ has been given to us. A life that has been forged in the Kingdom of God.
As such we want to submit ourselves to God, not because we are under law, but because we are under grace.
We also want to hear God’s will for our life and be obedient to it – even in the most difficult of circumstances – for we trust that God’s way is the best way.
And because this is the case for us, we want to see this happen for others.
So we come with the Gospel of Jesus and we use it to bang on the gates of Hades itself, as we break down those gates because they cannot prevail against the truth.
We make people see that there is a spiritual battle raging - a battle which has as its prize human souls.
That is how the kingdom comes. Is that what you really want?
Prayer
