The Shed
The Gospel of the Kingdom
- When you think about the teachings of Jesus, what is the first thing that comes to mind?Love?That’s the first thing most people say and you’re not wrong. Jesus commands love as the ultimate identity marker for his disciples and teaches on love over 40 times across the Gospels….What else?Prayer?That’s another good point. Jesus teaches on prayer over 30 times across the gospels.Here’s one: Money and Wealth…Approximately 60 times Jesus teaches about money or wealth…Nearly 1/3 of the parables touch on wealth or money or provision…But there’s another topic Jesus spoke directly to over 100 times across the gospels… it was the central theme of His teaching…That theme is: The Gospel of the Kingdom…
Matthew 4:17 ESV 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”Matthew 4:23 ESV 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.Matthew 9:35 ESV 35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.Matthew 6:10 ESV 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.Matthew 6:33 ESV 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.Matthew 10:7 ESV 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’Matthew 12:28 ESV 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.Time after time after time Jesus is found teaching about the Kingdom…This is contrary to the thought that Jesus was primarily interested in your individual salvation.We live in such an individualistic society that it is difficult for us to even wrap our mind around the idea that Jesus never taught that your salvation was an isolated event meant only for you…In fact, the teachings of Jesus and the NT as a whole give the distinct image of your salvation leading you into direct connection with the community of other believers…This is not meant to be a solo walk.The kingdom is not made up of just you…Jesus was not creating an individualistic, internal mysticism. He was building a tangible, plural body of “called out ones” (ekklesia).This Gospel of the Kingdom is not an invitation to pray a prayer then live like you always have…This Gospel of the Kingdom is not a way to get a pass on how you want to live…This Gospel of the Kingdom inherently requires that you recognize that your salvation is tied to your citizenship…Philippians 3:20 ESV 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,Ephesians 2:19 ESV 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,If you are saved, you have been welcomed into the Kingdom of God!Your citizenship has been changed. You’re no longer of this world, your citizenship is in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, whose borders are never breached, whose wealth never depletes, whose wells never run dry, and whose supply never ends…This is the Gospel of the Kingdom!It is not the Gospel of You.It is not the Gospel of America.It is not the Gospel of republican or democrat…It is not a Gospel of inclusion or acceptance…It is the Gospel of the KINGDOM!Why is this important?Because this understanding of the meaning of the Gospel sets the framework for how you understand your role in the Kingdom…I just wonder if this very misrepresentation of the Gospel today is the reason so many people struggle with their purpose?If you don’t understand the Gospel as being the Gospel of the Kingdom, how are you to realize that you have a role in the kingdom?Many people don’t see themselves as part of a kingdom, and therefore have not thought about the fact that every citizen of the kingdom is expected to have a role in the kingdom…In fact Paul says:2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.How quickly you could answer if someone asked what you do for a living…I’m a teacher… I’m a plumber… I’m a police officer… I’m a stay at home mom… I’m retired…But if someone were to ask you what you did in the Kingdom? What’s your role? What do you do?This framing of the Gospel back to its origins distinctly separates the ability to have a Gospel addon from a Gospel transfer.You can’t just add this onto your life, it’s a change of everything you were and you were translated from a kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:Colossians 1:13 ESV 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,1 Peter 2:9 ESV 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.We must recognize, then, if we are answering the call to another kingdom, we must recognize the most important thing about this kingdom:The Kingdom has a King.I know. Groundbreaking.But how often do you see people who call themselves Christian living like the world, caught up in the culture, not acknowledging they serve a King?The Gospel of the Kingdom is not the story of a democracy. It’s not the rise of a republic.The Gospel of the Kingdom is the revelation of the King of Glory, seated on His throne, reigning forevermore!Psalm 24:1–3 ESV 1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?Psalm 24:7–8 ESV 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!Psalm 24:9–10 ESV 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! SelahPsalm 93:1–2 ESV 1 The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.Psalm 95:3 ESV 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.Psalm 99:1–5 ESV 1 The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 4 The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!But this Kingdom wasn’t just an Old Testament Kingdom.Isaiah prophesied:Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.Then we hear the cry of the blind man:JESUS thou SON OF DAVID!Mark 10:47 ESV 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”That proclamation was the blind man’s declaration that Jesus was the promised King, the one who sits on the throne of David, the one who David Himself calls God…This same King of whom it is said,Revelation 19:16 ESV 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.Yes this Kingdom has a King and His name is Jesus the Christ!And herein lies the problem… There are those who refuse to acknowledge Christ as King…If you refuse the King, you refuse the Kingdom… and if He is King, that means He’s in charge…You can’t vote him out, you can’t impeach Him, and He’s not going to resign…So your choice is to accept the citizenship being offered in the Kingdom of Heaven under the rule of the God King Jesus, or remain in the kingdom of darkness…Unfortunately there are many who would rather stay in darkness than live with Jesus as King.There are many who would twist this gospel into a thing totally removed from the language of scripture in order to make it to where they can get the benefits of citizenship without the Lordship of the King…But you can’t be a part of this Kingdom unless you serve the King and He’s either King of all or not King at all!That’s what Jesus meant when He said…Matthew 28:18–20 ESV 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Go to the nations, tell them about the new Kingdom, then teach them what it’s like to live in the New Kingdom!Theologian John Frame says it this way,So the Great Commission is a program for cultural change. As individuals bow the knee to Christ, they discover that worshiping Jesus must lead to action, bringing Jesus’ teachings to bear on everything. So the kingdom brings individuals to Christ and also brings those individuals to exalt Him in every area of life. It is both individual and social change, until God consummates the kingdom at the return of Jesus to judge the living and the dead. -John FrameTherefore, your role is not just to get to heaven.Your role is to acknowledge Jesus as King and be His kingdom representative everywhere you go.Let the prayer of Jesus also be your guiding cadence in life:Matthew 6:10 ESV 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 4:17KJV1900
Matthew 4:23KJV1900
Matthew 9:35KJV1900
Matthew 6:10KJV1900
Matthew 6:33KJV1900
Matthew 10:7KJV1900
Matthew 12:28KJV1900
Philippians 3:20KJV1900
Ephesians 2:19KJV1900
2 Corinthians 5:20KJV1900
Colossians 1:13KJV1900
1 Peter 2:9KJV1900
Psalm 24:1–3KJV1900
Psalm 24:7–8KJV1900
Psalm 24:9–10KJV1900
Psalm 93:1–2KJV1900
Psalm 95:3KJV1900
Psalm 99:1–5KJV1900
Isaiah 9:6–7KJV1900
Mark 10:47KJV1900
Revelation 19:16KJV1900
Matthew 28:18–20KJV1900
Matthew 6:10KJV1900