Sermons on Kingdom of God (Page 5)
The Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of this World
When Jesus proclaimed that “the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15), He declared the radical in-breaking of God’s rule and reign. Based on exploration of the nature of the kingdom of God, we now explore how God’s kingdom relates to the kingdoms of this world? We will explore some basic approaches to “Christ and Culture” over the history of the church. We will also consider what it means that Jesus is King in relation to our earthly citizenship.…
The Holy Spirit in Us: Living in the Kingdom of God
The basic declaration of faith for the Christian is “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9). This flies in the face of the declaration that “Caesar is Lord” at the heart of the Roman Empire during the time of the New Testament. What did it mean to live in God’s kingdom then and what does it mean now? We will look at Philippians as a kingdom citizenship guide and also explore guidance from Colossians on seeing the Church as a replacement of…
Jesus is Lord: Tracing the Kingdom of God in the New Testament
Jesus the Messiah and the kingdom of God/heaven. We will explore Jesus’ description of the kingdom, the nature of the gospel, kingdom parables, kingdom ethics, as well as conflict between Jesus and other kingdoms. We will touch on living in the “now” and “not yet” of the kingdom, with attention to the fullness of the kingdom in the New Testament as described in Hebrews and Revelation. Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 5-7; John 18:33-36; Hebrews 11:10, 13, 14; Revelation 7:9-10;…
God is King: Tracing the Kingdom of God through the Old Testament
The fundamental reality of Scripture is that God is king of the world. We will trace the theme of the kingdom of God throughout the Old Testament, with examples from Adam and Eve, Samuel and the judges, King Saul and King David, the prophets and exile, Daniel’s apocalyptic, and Messianic expectations. Genesis 1-2; 1 Samuel 8:1-9; Psalm 24; Daniel 2:29-49; 7:1-28 SERMON OUTLINE “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty.” (Psalm 24:8) God is King over…
Sufficient
Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient once for all, and we are free from the requirements of sacrifices and the law. Hebrews 10:1-18 SERMON OUTLINE “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14) Insufficiency and the Reminder of Sin (vv.1-4) Sacrifices repeated endlessly (v.1) Blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins (v.4) Day of atonement as an annual reminder of sins and insufficiency (v.3) The Sufficiency of Christ’s Bodily Sacrifice (vv.…
New Promise
Jesus’ high priesthood supersedes any other high priesthood, making His new promises greater than any other covenant before. Hebrews 7:26-8:13 SERMON OUTLINE “But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6) Who Is Jesus? (Hebrews 7:26-28) Jesus is the High Priest who meets our needs (7:26a) He is holy, blameless, and…
The Mystery of the Incarnation
Exploring the wonder that Jesus became a little lower than the angels to bring many to glory, while also now having greater glory than both the angels and humanity. Hebrews 2:1-18 SERMON OUTLINE “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18) Pay Attention! (Hebrews 2:1-4) Jesus’ Radiance (Hebrews 1:1-4) Jesus’ Superiority (Hebrews 1:5-15) A Warning Who is this Jesus? Themes on the Incarnation (Hebrews 2:5-18) Death (vv. 9,…
Malachi
Malachi addresses God’s people after the return from exile, calling them to right living, ending of easy divorce, justice in the public square, and a return to the covenant with God. Malachi points to an Elijah-like figure who will announce the day of the Lord, as God comes to bring forth His righteousness and justice upon the earth. Sermon OutlinE “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you…
Zechariah
Prophesying at the same time as Haggai, and during the return from exile recorded in the book of Ezra, Zechariah rebukes the people for breaking the covenant and calls them to repent and turn to God. There is a strong message about justice in the public square in Zechariah. There are also many references to the coming Messiah, one of which directly connects with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Scripture: Zechariah 1-14, with focus on 6:12; 9:9; 11:12; 12:10; 13:7…
Haggai
A contemporary of Zechariah after the exile, Haggai calls the returnees to prioritize rebuilding the Temple of the Lord. The Temple was not only the place of worship but a sign of God’s covenant. As the books closes, the earthly prince Zerubbabel is held up, like David, as a picture of the Messianic Ruler who will come in the future. Sermon OutlinE “Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take…
Zephaniah
A contemporary of Jeremiah, Zephaniah calls the people of the southern kingdom of Judah to humbly seek God as the day of the Lord approaches. The difficulties that Zephaniah speaks about are also accompanied by future hope of our God who rejoices over us with singing. Sermon OutlinE “The Lord your God is with You, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over…
Habakkuk
Habakkuk’s prophecy is framed as a series of dialogues between the prophet and God about the justice of God and the suffering to come. The final chapter is a beautiful psalm of trust to God in the midst of the ruins of a collapsing culture. Sermon OutlinE “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Habakkuk 3:2) Introducing…