I have entitled our message this morning “Already, But Not Yet.” This sermon title may sound a bit strange; however, it will soon make sense. I am going to have us focus on the topic of the kingdom, and see if we can identify its location. Many of us will probably say, “Well, that’s easy! The kingdom is ‘in’ heaven. That’s why it’s called the kingdom of heaven! We will see it either when we die or when Jesus returns to take us home!” This is how many of us feel about the kingdom; however, I believe some of us are going to be surprised when we see what both the New Testament and Jesus have to say. I’m also sure that some of us will be surprised how “knowing the location of the kingdom” is important for living a victorious Christian life.
So, what is the kingdom and where is it located? These are two questions for which we will seek an answer this morning. We are going to cover many verses; and so, I want to encourage you to write them down for future reference and study. We are going to begin with Matthew chapter 4, verse 23, as we look at the central theme of Jesus’ preaching and teaching; or rather, the heart of His message.
The Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
What we discover from this verse is that Jesus’ preaching revolved around the kingdom. Here, it is called “the gospel of the kingdom.” So, what was the content of this message? In Matthew 10:7-8, we read where Jesus commanded His disciples, “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” The gospel of the kingdom consisted of a message declaring that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and this message was to be accompanied by a demonstration of kingdom power. Allow me to explain further.
The phrase “at hand,” used to describe the kingdom, means that the kingdom is “near” – it is “within reach.” It’s as though a person can reach out and touch the kingdom, because it’s so close. In fact, the kingdom was and is a present reality, and it was demonstrated through miraculous signs and wonders, showing that a new authority and reign had now arrived on the scene. Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven had presently invaded this world, and that God’s light had finally pierced the darkness.
In Luke 9:2, we read that “He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Now, the phrase “the kingdom of God” appears to be interchangeable with “the kingdom of heaven.” This particular message about the kingdom of God was supposed to be a part of the disciples’ preaching. This is also a message that we too must declare – the message that the kingdom of our Savior and Lord is present in great power. So, let’s no back up and take a look at Matthew 4:17, as we begin examining Jesus’ message in greater depth.
The Kingdom is Already Present (Matthew 4:17)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Here, we once again see Jesus’ message about the kingdom of heaven being at hand; or rather, being present among us in power. In the title of this sermon, where I said that the kingdom is “already, but not yet,” the word “already” refers to the “here and now” or the “present.” The first part of Jesus’ message is that the kingdom is already present; however, as we’ll see in just a moment, He also teaches that the kingdom is “not yet.” But for now, we are going to focus on the present tense aspect of the kingdom.
Listen, as I share a quote from The New Bible Dictionary: Jesus “announced the kingdom not just as a reality which . . . would appear in the immediate future, but as a reality which was already present, manifested in His own person and ministry. Although the places where Jesus speaks explicitly of the kingdom as being present are not numerous, His whole preaching and ministry are marked by this dominant reality. In Him the great future has already become present time.”(1)
Commentators Vickie and Jim Egli tell us that this verse reveals the dramatic declaration by which Jesus launched His ministry. They also say that “through His words and His actions Jesus announced that God’s kingdom was crashing into the present;”(2) and that He not only “announced” the kingdom, but He “demonstrated it.” In Matthew 12:28, Jesus stated, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” In The New Bible Dictionary we are also told, “The whole of Jesus’ miraculous activity is the proof of the coming of the kingdom.”(3)
In the gospels of Mark and Luke, we again hear Jesus preaching that the kingdom is at hand. Listen as I share some verses. Mark 1:14 shares with us that “after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’,” and in Luke 10:9-11, we read about where Jesus commanded His disciples “heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you’.”
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus came right out and declared that the kingdom is already in this world. He said in Luke 16:16, “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” Jesus said that “everyone,” meaning those who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord; they are “already” entering into the kingdom, and that is because the kingdom is already present. In Luke 17:20-21, we read, “Now when He [or Jesus] 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; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you’.” The kingdom must be pretty close if it can be found within us! And that is the point Jesus was making.
Finally, in Mark 9:1, we read, “And He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power’.” If we hold to the common view that the kingdom will only come in the “end of the age” whenever Jesus returns, then this verse is very confusing; but when we realize that Jesus preached that the kingdom was already present, it makes a lot of sense. Jesus told His disciples that before they died a natural death, the kingdom would be in full force within both the believers and the apostles as they were operating in the power of the Spirit. As we just read in Luke 17:21, “the kingdom of God is within you,” meaning that the kingdom of God will be fulfilled through each of us as we open ourselves to be used by the Lord. Now, let us look at Matthew 6:9-10, as we discover another aspect about the message of the kingdom – the aspect of the “not yet.”
Already Here and Still Not Yet (Matthew 6:9-10)
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
As I stated earlier, the first part of Jesus’ message is how the kingdom is “already present.” But Jesus also taught that the kingdom is “not yet.” We read here, “Your kingdom come. Your will [the will of the kingdom] be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Christ’s kingdom, and the will of His kingdom, is both on earth and in heaven simultaneously. Part of the kingdom is here and part of it is not here. Part of the kingdom has invaded our present reality, and part of it is still trailing behind as it gradually moves our way until it one day fully arrives. The kingdom is “already, but not yet,” meaning that it’s both “here and elsewhere” all at the same time. The New Bible Dictionary says that, in addition to the present aspect of the kingdom, “there is a future aspect as well. Although it is clearly stated that the kingdom is manifested here and now in the gospel, so also is it shown that, as yet, it is manifested in this world only in a provisional manner.”(4)
Commentators Vickie and Jim Egli tell us, “In Jesus’ time, the Jews were expecting God to break into their world and usher in a new age.”(5) We see this particular perspective of the kingdom in Mark 15:43. We read in this verse, “Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” The Jews felt that they were living in one age (the age before the kingdom), and they thought that when the Messiah appeared, that a brand new age (the age of the kingdom) would then commence. The old age would be abruptly cut off, and the new age of the kingdom would begin.
“Jesus, however, taught and demonstrated a different perspective.”(6) At Jesus’ first coming, the new age of the kingdom had arrived; however, it would not be completely fulfilled until His second coming. In other words, the old age and the new age began to overlap, and in a sense they co-exist. There is an overlapping of the present age and the age to come. The old age would not be cut off immediately as the Jews thought, but it would gradually fade away as the new age faded in and became more and more prominent until the time of our Lord’s second coming. You see, “we live in-between; in the time of the already, but not yet.”(7)
This perspective of the kingdom as “already, but not yet” is kind of like “Now and Later Candy.” “Kids went wild when, in 1962, the Phoenix Candy Company came out with the Now and Later bar. Each Now and Later bar consisted of several individually wrapped taffy squares, and the bars were available in close to fourteen flavors. The name was selected to suggest to customers that they eat some of the taffy squares . . . right away, and save the rest for another occasion.”(8) Just like the Now and Later bar, we have pieces and flavors of the kingdom available to us right now! We can have a taste of the good stuff now; however, God is saving the best pieces for last! So, let’s take a look at some of the good stuff that we can have both now and later, as we read Matthew 16:19.
Implications for the Christian (Matthew 16:19)
19 “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
So, what are the implications of this kingdom theology for the Christian? In 1 Corinthians 4:20, we read, “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” One implication is that believers are granted power – the power of binding and losing. This refers to authority in spiritual warfare.
In The New Bible Dictionary we read, “The ‘present’ aspect of the kingdom manifests itself in all sorts of ways in the person and deeds of Christ. It appears palpably and visibly in the casting out of demons, and generally in Jesus’ miraculous power. In the healing of those who are demon-possessed it becomes evident that Jesus has invaded the house of ‘the strong man,’ has bound him fast and so is in a position to plunder his goods (Matthew 12:29). The kingdom of heaven breaks into the domain of the evil one. The power of Satan is broken. Jesus sees him fall like lightning from heaven. He possesses and bestows power to trample on the dominion of the enemy. Nothing can be impossible for those who go forth into the world, invested with Jesus’ power, as witnesses of the kingdom.”(9)
Since the kingdom is present, the power of the kingdom is present as well, as we see manifested in Jesus’ miracles; and since the kingdom is present, the power of the kingdom is available to all believers. In Luke 10:19, Jesus stated, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” In John 14:12, He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” The knowledge that we have kingdom power can help us live a victorious Christian life! Too many times we say, “Oh, everything will be okay when we enter the kingdom,” but the kingdom is already here! It is now! God’s power is already present in our lives!
Another implication of this kingdom theology is that it helps us to explain why we sometimes suffer hardships and why people are not always healed of diseases when we pray for them. The overlapping of the present age (which is the age of Satan, the ruler of this world), and the age to come (or the kingdom and rule of God) is similar to two air masses colliding. Whenever a huge mass of cold air, which is called a cold front, overtakes a huge mass of warm air, the resulting reaction is what we call a storm. When Jesus came into this world, the kingdom of God met with the kingdom of Satan, and war began.
We now live in a tumultuous time of spiritual warfare. Some battles are won, and other battles are lost. Since the kingdom of God is not fully present, we live in an imperfect world. God’s power sometimes pervades our situations, and at other times it is hindered by sin. We read in The New Bible Dictionary that when Jesus performed miracles, “the miracles are still tokens of another order of reality than the present one; it is not yet the time when the demons will be delivered to eternal darkness (Matthew 8:29). The gospel of the kingdom is still revealed only as a seed which is being sown.”(10)
In Matthew 11:12, Jesus declared, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” We will sometimes suffer in the heat of the battle; however, we can also gain ground for Jesus whenever we become determined to fight forcefully for the kingdom with the authority and power granted to us by the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Time of Reflection
What we have learned this morning is that the kingdom of heaven is “already, but not yet.” It is both “now and later,” kind of like the candy. Since the kingdom is present, we can have a victorious Christian life as we are able to walk in the power and authority of Jesus right now. And when trials arise, we should not allow ourselves to have feelings of condemnation, for it is not always our fault if we are not seeing God move. Sometimes, in the heat of the battle, Satan will gain ground in certain areas, because we still live in an age of imperfection.
1 Corinthians 13:10 says, “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.” One day perfection will be fully here. In Revelation chapter 21, we read that there will be a new heaven and earth (v. 1); that there will be no more crying or pain “for the former things have passed away” (v. 4), and that God Himself will declare, “Behold, I make all things new” (v. 5). The good news today is that right now we can enter into God’s kingdom. We can have a brand new relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ right now. We don’t have to wait for it. Also, we can presently experience the age to come, and know God’s power right now, in the midst of the challenges of this current age,(11) all by having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
So, how do we obtain this relationship? Romans 10:9-10 and verse 13 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation . . . Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
NOTES
(1) “Kingdom,” The New Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1962).
(2) Vicki and Jim Egli, Breakthrough: Discovering the Compassion and Power of Jesus (Norcross, Georgia: Ampelon Publishing, 2005), p. 7.
(3) “Kingdom,” The New Bible Dictionary.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Egli, Breakthrough, p. 7.
(6) Ibid., p. 8.
(7) Ibid., p. 8.
(8) Taken from the Internet in December of 2005 at http://www.oldtimecandy.com/now-later.htm.
(9) “Kingdom,” The New Bible Dictionary.
(10) Ibid.
(11) Egli, Breakthrough, p. 8.
