The Kingdom You Cannot See (Part 2)

A Spiritual Kingdom

God’s kingdom is a reality in His creation and in His people. Concerning the creation, He controls it … by Himself … with no outside consultation. And with us personally, He has come to live in us, hands-on (John 14:23). This is the kingdom Jesus referred to in Luke’s gospel. The kingdom is in your midst. It is very personal and powerful. It changes you from the inside out. Jesus came not to establish a physical kingdom on earth. It’s never been about that. He came… to establish the kingdom in our heart.

1. What the Jews Expected in a King

   1. They looked for cataclysmic signs — the earth would shake the sky would fall, etc.

      1. Joel 2:10–11: The earth quakes before them; the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining.

      2. The Pharisees made themselves out to be the experts in this.

         1. Luke 19:11: They thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.

         2. What they were looking for didn’t come.

2. What They Couldn’t See

   1. Luke 17:20: The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable;…

   2. The Jews forgot about these words:

      1. Joel 2:13: Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.

      2. They wanted the Messiah … but their hearts were far from Him.

   3. They weren’t looking for a Savior — because they didn’t think they needed to be saved.

      1. John 3:3, 5: Jesus exposes the problem the Jews had:

         1. Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

         2. Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

   4. Jesus’ Soul Saving Mission

      1. John 3:36: The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

      2. How is that salvation accomplished? John 3:15: everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

      3. Belief is dependence on Christ crucified for salvation and accepting His atonement for sin.

         1. John 3:16: For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

         2. With this spiritual kingdom, … God intended to save the world through Jesus. John 3:17: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

   5. And the sad thing is …John 1:11: He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

3. What Do We Expect in Our King?

   1. Many want Jesus as Savior … But… salvation is not a fire escape or transaction, for bringing justice and peace to earth, or for solving human conflicts.

   2. The King Wants Your Heart

      1. Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

      2. Jesus is Lord and Messiah. Acts 2:36: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.

4. As We Close…

   1. Will you…Surrender Your Heart to the King?

   2. Will you…Embrace the Invisible Kingdom?

   3. Will you…Look to Jesus for Spiritual Healing?