Luke 17:20-21 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
The Pharisees asked when God’s kingdom would come, not realizing that it had already arrived. The Kingdom of God is not like an earthly kingdom with geographical boundaries. The term translated “kingdom” is the Greek word basileia, which means “the realm in which a sovereign king rules.” Throughout the New Testament, the word kingdom consistently refers to the rule of Christ in the hearts of believers. When Jesus began His three-year earthly ministry, He preached that “the kingdom of God is near”: Luke 10:9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Mark 1:15“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” These passages give us a concise description of Jesus’ primary focus during His time on earth: The kingdom of God has come near so believe the good news.
This Sunday’s sermon will look at the Good news of the Kingdom and how that should affect how Christians live today. Our Sunday morning Bible Study will focus on Isaiah 56:9-12 and Isaiah’s God-inspired rebuke of Israel’s watchmen who had failed miserably in leading the people. There are a lot of similarities between Isaiah’s time and our own.
Praying everyone has a blessed week!
In Christ,
Gary T.