THE
KINGDOM OF GOD/HEAVEN
MIKE
CUNNINGHAM
APRIL 22,
2007
Last week I shared some of the grave concerns
I have about powerful Christians who believe they have an infallible understanding
of what the Bible teaches concerning biblical prophecy and the so called “end-times.”
For instance, in her excellent little book, “Forcing God’s Hand: Why Millions
Pray for a Quick Rapture…And Destruction of Planet Earth,” I quoted Grace
Halsell as saying:
“Jesus was no sissy!” I
heard Jerry Falwell shout. He and other Armageddon theologians portray Christ
as a five star general, astride a horse, leading all the armies of the
world-and, armed with nuclear warheads, slaying billions of unbelievers.”[i] I asked you folks: “Can
you imagine a Christian with those kinds of end time beliefs ascending to the
presidency and having his or her finger close to “the button”? “I can because there are a number of such
Christians in our government already.”[ii] However,
unlike today’s self proclaimed prophecy experts, politicians are extremely
cautious about how they speak in public about such matters.
Towards the end of the sermon I quoted a
number of bible passages concerning the phrase “The kingdom of God/Heaven. Those of you who were here last Sunday
may remember me asking you this question. “If you were to read the Bible for
the very first time and you came across those verses we just read concerning the
“At that time, “the nation cherished in its
innermost heart the hope of a coming deliverer, a scion of the royal house of
David, who would be the theocratic king, the liberator of Israel from Gentile
domination, whose reign was to be so happy and glorious that it might deserve
to be called ‘the
kingdom of heaven.’[iii] I closed by saying:
“This is the kind of kingdom those first century Jews longed for. And it is the
same kind of kingdom some Jews and Christians today are still awaiting.
However, according to Jesus, this view is not factual.”
It’s the absolute certainty that their understanding
of Scripture prophecy is the correct one that fuels such a zealous passion for
the state of
Speaking of Gershon Solomon the controversial
figurehead and a founder of an organization called the
This morning I want to encourage each of you
folks to give serious thought to some of the comments this zealot made at the
conference. “The mission of the present generation is to liberate the
In an interview in the Times, Solomon is
quoted as saying: “The Israeli Government must do it. We must have a war. There
will be many nations against us but God will be our general. I am sure this is
a test, that God is expecting us to move the Dome with no fear from other
nations. The Messiah will not come by Himself; we should bring Him by
fighting.”[vi]
It’s political saber-rattling Christian
Zionist’s such as Pat Robinson, Jerry Falwell and John Hagee who are among the most
zealous no questions asked lobbyists for
These very powerful men are convinced of the
infallibility of their interpretation of Biblical prophecy and they don’t
hesitate to let everyone know it. Consider these Falwell quotes:
“Theologically, any Christian has to support
These men and their followers exert enormous political
influence on our elected leaders. Before I vote in the next national election I
want to know the candidates view on the prophecy issue, especially as it
pertains to our day. Regardless of whatever his or her religious persuasion or
lack of one may be; I want to know. I owe it to my children and grandchildren,
not to mention the rest of humanity.
Those first century Jews were so certain their
promised Deliverer would establish an earthly-political kingdom that they murdered the King of the Kingdom
who insisted to Pilate: “My
kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).” Nevertheless, millions of
Jews and Christians today believe the creation of just such an
earthly-political kingdom is imminent. I have to say I strongly, and by the
grace of God, will respectfully disagree in this morning’s message. Allow me to
explain why.
Mark 1:14-15 (AMP) 14 Now after John was arrested and put in prison, Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The
[appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have
a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct
for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news
(the Gospel).
Luke
11:14-20 (AMP) 14 now Jesus was
driving out a demon that was dumb; and it occurred that when the demon had gone
out, the dumb man spoke. And the crowds marveled. 15 But some of them said, He drives out
demons [because He is in league with and] by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, 16 While others, to
try and test and tempt Him, demanded a sign of Him from heaven. 17 But He, [well]
aware of their intent and purpose, said to them, Every kingdom split up
against itself is doomed and brought to desolation, and so house falls
upon house. [The disunited household will collapse.] 18 And if Satan also
is divided against himself, how will his kingdom last? For you say that I expel
demons with the help of and by Beelzebub. 19 Now if I expel demons with the help
of and by Beelzebub, with whose help and by whom do your sons
drive them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 20 But if I drive
out the demons by the finger of God, then the
I can hear Jesus saying
something like this: Look guys, we all know about how King Solomon with his incredible
wisdom was able to mix up a batch of herbs and about how he devised special
incantations to drive out demons in such a way that they never came back. But
you and I also know that that many of your own people are using that same
method today.[viii]
If you want to condemn me you will have to condemn yourselves. Then you will
have a civil war on your hands. However, if I drive out the demons by the
finger of God, then the
Luke 17:20-21 (AMP) 20 Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would
come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be
observed or with visible display, 21 Nor will people say, Look! Here [it
is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the
It’s as though Jesus
is saying: Stop wasting your time looking for a theocratic earthly-political
kingdom. I know that’s what you have been expecting and hoping and praying for,
but you are mistaken. God never promised that kind of a Deliverer or kingdom.
On the contrary, the
Jesus often taught those
first century people about His kingdom. The ones who learned profited greatly
just as you and I will if we too learn. For instance, unless I’m mistaken, one
of the greatest challenges you and I are sometimes faced with is overcoming the
temptation to worry, to be anxious. The possibility of losing a job because of a
corporate downsizing or outsourcing, or of the results of medical tests coming
back positive confirming the presence of a dreaded disease are experiences we
would do anything to avoid. And yet, our loving Father allows them. And Jesus
taught how we are to deal with such disturbing events.
Matthew
6:25-34 (AMP) 25 Therefore I tell
you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what
you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you
shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far
above and more excellent] than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they
neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps
feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27 And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add
one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? 28 And why should
you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn
thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. 29 Yet I tell you,
even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not
arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today
is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not
much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What
are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What
are we going to have to wear? 32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and
diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you
need them all. 33 But
seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being
right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. 34 So do not worry or
be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties
of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
Alistair MacLean quotes a story from Tauler, the German
mystic. One day Tauler met a beggar. "God give you a good day, my
friend," he said. The beggar answered, "I thank God I never had a bad
one." Then Tauler said, "God give you a happy life, my friend."
"I thank God," said the beggar, "I am never unhappy."
Tauler in amazement said, "What do you mean?" "Well," said
the beggar, "when it is fine, I thank God; when it rains, I thank God;
when I have plenty, I thank God; when I am hungry, I thank God; and since God's will is my will, and
whatever pleases him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?"
Tauler looked at the man in astonishment. "Who are you?" he asked.
"I am a king," said the beggar. "Where then is your
kingdom?" asked Tauler. And the beggar answered quietly: "In my heart."[ix]
Jesus taught and that
beggar learned that the
Matthew
13:44 (AMP) 44 The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man
found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that
field.
Although this parable sounds strange to us
today, it would have sounded perfectly natural to people in Palestine in the
days of Jesus, and even to this day it paints a picture which people living in
the East would know well. In the ancient world there were banks, but not banks
such as ordinary people like you and I could use. Back then ordinary people
used the ground as the safest place to keep their most cherished belongings.
There was a rabbinic saying that there was only one safe repository for
money--the earth.
This was still more the case in a land
where a man's garden might at any time become a battlefield. Palestine was
probably the most fought over country in the world; and, when the tide of war
threatened to flow over them, it was common practice for people to hide their
valuables in the ground, before they took to flight, in the hope that the day
would come when they could return and regain them. Josephus [the Jewish
historian living at the time] speaks of "the gold and the silver and the
rest of that most precious possessions which the Jews had, and which the owners
treasured up [and hid] underground against the uncertain fortunes of war."[x]
We must never
forget to remember that “to be in the Kingdom is to obey the will of God. We can immediately see
that the Kingdom is
not something which primarily has to do with nations and peoples and countries.
It is something which has to do with each one of us. The Kingdom is in fact the
most personal thing in the world. [and] ”the Kingdom demands the submission of
our will, our heart, and our life. It is only when each one of us makes his or
her personal decision and
submission that the Kingdom comes.”[xi]
“When Jesus told this story, he told the kind
of story that anyone in Palestine as well as those living in the east would
recognize. In this parable the main point is the joy of the discovery that made
the man willing to give up everything to make the treasure without a doubt his very
own. Nothing else in the parable really matters. It would be a sad thing, if it
were only in churches, in so-called holy places, and on so-called religious
occasions that we found God, and felt close to him.” [xii] There is so much
more that Jesus taught about His kingdom. Lord willing, we will be able to
consider them soon. This morning I just want to remind us that every Christian
is already an inhabitant of the kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God has been advancing for the past two thousand
years. Sometimes it has been rapid and other times it’s been quite slow. In
places it has even died only to rise again. But it is pressing forward and will continue to do so
until the literal bodily return of Jesus Christ the King of all Kings.
Our growth in Christ’s kingdom starts small just
like a mustard seed. For instance, although Jesus reigns over His kingdom, He still does not completely
reign in the minds and hearts of His subjects. We are stubborn rebellious
creatures and it takes time to change into becoming beautiful Christ-like creatures.
The extent to which He does reign will have either a positive or negative impact
upon the society in which His people reside. Concerning the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict, I hope all Christians living today will grow to the level that they
will echo the chorus of Garth Hewitt’s song “Ten Measures of Beauty,” which I
believe expresses the sentiment of a certain Palestinian Jew, known to His followers as “The Prince of Peace.”
May the justice of God fall down
like fire
And bring a home for the Palestinian.
May the mercy of God pour down like
rain
And protect the Jewish people.
And may the beautiful eyes of a Holy
God
Who weeps for His children
Bring His healing hope for His
wounded ones
For the Jew and the Palestinian.[xiii]
[i] [i] Grace Halsell, Forcing God’s Hand, Why
Millions Pray for a Quick Rapture…And Destruction of Planet Earth, Amana
Publications, Beltsville, Md. Revised and enlarged edition 2003, page. 115.
[ii] My sermon:
“Truth Exists and Knowing It Really Does Matter.” Available on the web: http://s128601634.onlinehome.us/sermons/truth_exists.htm
[iv]
Zhava Glaser, ‘Today’s Rituals: Reminders or Replacements’, Issues .3, cited in
Christian Zionism: Road-map to Armageddon? ©Stephen Sizer 2004, Inter-Varsity
Press, Leicester LE1 7GP, England, page 235.
[v]
Ibid, p. 235.
[vi]
Ibid, p.235.
[vii]
When Time Shall Be No More, Paul Boyer © 1992 by the President and Fellows of
Harvard College, The Belknap Press of Harvard University, Cambridge, Ma. P.
203.
[viii]
Josephus,
Antiquities of the Jews: 8: 5: 2.
[ix] —Barclay's
Daily Study Bible (NT)
[x]
Ibid.
[xi]
Ibid, p. 84
[xii]
Ibid, p. 85