It was a busy week, so the final sermon didn't have much time to sit before it was preached! In fact, in the text you can see that one of the illustrations was changed from the chapel to the sanctuary, and it worked much better in the sanctuary. not sure why I didn't think of it when I put the sermon together, but as I was in the sanctuary service looking out it hit me that an OSU football illustration would probably work better than a generic basketball illustration.
I did spend some time this week on the age-old question that scholars have debated about how to understand the kingdom of God -- is it present, future, or something else? It can sometimes be a challenge to go from the research behind the sermon to the sermon that gets preached, and this week was no exception.
I loved the information about Capernaum (that insight was new to me, or at least I don't think I'd preached it before. I did visit that topic a bit last year during a Lenten Bible study). It is a subtle point in the text, and sometimes I think I make too much out of those types of things, but I found it compelling and fascinating.
I tried to remind myself that the point (pun intended) of the sermon was to think about Jesus as the one who points to the kingdom, and I got there somewhat, but didn't get there all the way.
The Wordle visual illustration did not work this week (in the sanctuary; in the chapel we used old-fashioned technology that did not fail us!) for the sermon. I'd be curious if its presence (or lack thereof) makes a difference to those who hear the sermon. If you have an opinion on that, I'd love to get some feedback.
peace.
Richard
“Jesus
Is the One Who Points to the Kingdom”
February 17, 2013; FPC, Troy, Jesus is the one who series
Introduction:
One
of the temptations of our faith is to reduce it to profession of
faith in Jesus Christ or just a personal relationship with Christ.
That
may sound a bit odd, particularly given the importance we rightly
place on having a relationship with Christ and professing our faith
in him.
But
notice what Paul is doing in the passage in Acts we read. He not
only is calling people to believe in Jesus Christ, but he calls them
to believe that the kingdom of God has arrived in their midst.
In
fact, as we discover in the Gospel of Matthew today, Jesus is the one
who points to the kingdom of heaven.
Three
thoughts
on the the kingdom of God.
Move 1: When Jesus
points to the kingdom of God, he announces that the world has
changed.
a.
Admittedly, we are not sure what to make of that change.
1.
WE know the kingdom of God is important.
2.
Jesus mentions it 114 times in the the gospels of Matthew, Mark and
Luke.
3.
But, Jesus refers to it in different ways that confuse us.
4.
In some places he says things like “ the kingdom of God is at
hand,” which suggests that the kingdom is in place now.
5.
That seems a bit confusing when we look around the world and see
things like evil, violence, sinfulness, that we do not expect to see
in the kingdom of God.
6.
At other times, Jesus speaks about the coming of the kingdom, which
suggests that its arrival is a future event.
b.
I believe that those who see the arrival of the kingdom as a
both...and are probably correct.
1.
that when Jesus announced that the kingdom was at hand, he meant
that it had been initiated.
2.
Jesus does bring in the kingdom.
3.
But, the fulfillment of the kingdom is a future event when Christ
comes again.
4.
Illustration
from the chapel service:
think
about it like a sporting event – let's say a basketball game. In
the first half, it's a closely contested game, but in the second half
one of the team pulls ahead of the other team. With about 10 minutes
left in the game, the team that is behind makes a run and the score
tightens, but then there are back-to-back steals by the team that is
ahead and it breaks the will of the team that is behind. All the
players and everyone watching know that the game is over, even though
there is 8 minutes or so left on the clock. The time continues, but
the final outcome has already been determined.
Illustration
from the Sanctuary service: Imagine
an OSU football game. OSU gets ahead early; to start the second half
the other team scores and it looks like the game might tighten up a
bit. But then OSU intercepts that ball and score a touchdown
followed by a fumble on the kick-off and then another touchdown. Now
everyone knows the games is over – you can look into the eyes of
the players on both teams and they know; it's done. There may still
be the fourth quarter to play, but everyone knows the game is over,
even though the scoreboard isn't flashing 0:00.
5.
Christ has come and initiated the kingdom. We know that the final
outcome, the fulfillment of the kingdom, is no longer in question,
but the we are still living out the partially realized kingdom until
Christ comes again.
c.
That's one of the reasons Jesus teaches in parables.
1.
remember that many of the parables begin, “the kingdom of God is
like...”
2.
Jesus is trying to break into our normal routines and help us
re-envision what the world could be like and how we ought to live our
lives (See Anatomy
of the New Testament: A guide to It's Structure and Meaning,
by Robert Spivey and D. Moody Smith, p. 226ff for more discussion of
Jesus' use of the parable to describe the kingdom).
When
Jesus points to the kingdom he announces that the world has changed.
Move
2: When
Jesus points to the kingdom, we recognize that the kingdom looks
different than we might have expected.'
a.
Matthew makes this point very clearly by noting that Jesus announces
the kingdom and begins his ministry in “Capernaum, beside the Sea
of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.”
1.
Some scholars note that this region was hardest hit by Assyrian
occupation.
2.
This meant that generations before many Israelites had been uprooted
from their homes in this area and shipped to other places and
Gentiles came in to occupy the land.
3.
By the time Jesus makes Capernaum his base of operations, it is a
place with Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, and lots of inter-marrying.
4.
Capernaum was also on one of the most important trade routes in the
world.
5.
If you wanted to sends news, you could sent it anywhere in the world
in Capernaum.
6.
It is here where Jesus announces the kingdom of heaven.
b.
Notice the implication – the kingdom is more expansive than anyone
might have imagined.
1.
Te Jews who had been hoping for a Messiah now discover that the
kingdom is not their personal territory.
2.
All the different people of Capernaum will be invited into the
kingdom.
3.
Indeed, as the word spreads along the trade routes, all the world
will be invited into the kingdom.
4.
The coming of Christ and his subsequent death and resurrection will
be for all the world, not just the small sect of Jews who had been
looking for a Messiah.
When
Jesus points to the kingdom, we
discover that the kingdom is different than we had imagined.
Move
3: The
arrival of the kingdom of heaven/God calls for action:
a.
Jesus ties it directly to repentance.
1.
the kingdom has arrived – so change your ways.
2.
Turn back to God.
b.
next passage in Matthew is the calling of disciples.
1,
the kingdom of God has arrived – follow me.
2.
Give your lives over to my ways.
c.
That I think is what is so important about recognizing that Jesus
points to the kingdom.
1.
It means that even though we see a world that is not where God wants
it to be yet, we can dare to act.
2.
WE can see glimpses of the kingdom and work toward the kingdom.
3.
Mission trips – give us a chance to announce to the world through
our actions – the kingdom of God is at hand.
Paul
is proclaiming the resurrection of Christ and the coming of the
kingdom.
Conclusion:
The
movie “The Battle of the Bulge” depicts the WWII battle of the
same name.
German
subterfuge included sending German soldiers dresses in American
uniforms behind the Allied lines to cause disruption.
One
way of causing disruption was to go to crossroad where there were
sign to direct the traffic and change the directions in which the
signs were pointing.
When
Allied troops were being sent as reinforcements, they would be
traveling across unfamiliar road and depend on the signs to direct
them. But, when the signs had been changed, the troops would go the
wrong direction and not get to the place they were desperately
needed.
It
made it clear how important it was not only to have a sign to point
out where you should go, but that the point send you in the right
direction.
Christ
comes into the world and points us in the right direction, into the
kingdom of God.
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