Thank you for listening to this message from Life House Church.
Turn to somebody give them a high five tell them it is good to be in the house of the
Lord this morning.
Tell them they're looking okay today.
Give them some kind of word of encouragement.
If you can't tell them the truth about how they look tell them they got a nice shirt.
How's that?
Alright come on.
God bless you.
Thank you.
You may be seated after you give somebody some good news this morning.
Good news.
Amen.
Listen we are in a sermon series called good news and we should be spreading good news.
Here's what I believe.
I believe this.
I don't think I'm not sure about this completely but I don't think we can get too much good
news right.
I haven't studied this out.
I haven't researched it any but I'm pretty sure there's no adverse effects to getting
too much good news.
If anybody has that study anybody has that please fill me in right.
In my very humble unprofessional psycho analogy of good news I don't think we can get too
much good news.
As a matter of fact if you can I'm willing to give it a shot anyway even if there's an
adverse effect anybody with me on that.
How many of you like perpetual nonstop good news in your life?
Amen.
Anybody with me?
It's true.
We're all down with getting some good news.
We're all about it.
Bring it on.
Give it to us.
Hit us with it right every chance you get.
If you can save a lot on your car insurance by switching to whatever.
Ah yeah I see how many of you are watching TV right.
Bring it on.
That's something like yeah right out there.
Alright if you can retire to her two years early from your job and get an enormous bonus
doing it.
That's what I'm saying like bring it on.
Amen.
Alright school or work is canceled because the weather is just too nice.
Amen.
Come on bring it on.
You just received a large inheritance from a long lost uncle that you didn't even know
you had.
How many are like sign me up.
Sign me up right.
Can we really get too much good news?
I don't think so.
I don't think it's possible.
I think I think we want good news.
We crave good news.
I crave good news.
We want to hear the good news.
And I believe that's true in scripture too.
I believe it's true in the Bible.
We really can't get too much of the good news of God.
So if you got your Bibles I want you just to go ahead and head to the book of Matthew.
I said that twice in a row.
Alright head to the book of Matthew.
We're going to go into chapter 24 this morning and while you're turning there if you're listening
online we'll give you just a moment to get there as well.
I'm going to pray over God's word of my prayer over this morning and the word that's coming
forth and I want to pray over you receiving the word.
Sometimes I got to pray for my tongue and your ears.
Amen.
Alright sometimes my heart and your heart.
We got to pray along those lines that we hear God's word we receive it and here's what I
know and believe is the Holy Spirit will accomplish whatever He needs to in your own life.
He will.
So let's pray.
Father we come today just grateful thankful for your word.
God I pray.
God that as the word goes forth Lord that it would be a light unto somebody's path.
God Lord it would shine forth God that it would Lord really just illuminate in front
of them and God I pray that the Holy Spirit goes in amongst all these people and those
who are listening online and God it just speaks to them personally and Lord God it gives them
a word that they need now and now word a ramal word and God Lord that it will change their
hearts it will change their minds it will change their direction and God will give them perspective
in all that they see and do.
We give you glory in Jesus name and amen and amen.
All right Matthew chapter 24 Jesus is talking to his disciples in his passage of scripture
and he's talking about future things.
He's talking about things that are out ahead of them.
He's talking about things that aren't taking place currently but are going to happen one
day in the future and he's filling them in and he's talking and discussing with them
about how he's going to return to this earth one day.
How many are glad that Jesus is going to return right.
If you didn't know that I'm here to tell you this morning he's coming back.
He's going to return so he's talking about his return to this earth from heaven and he's
talking about the end of the age.
He's talking about when things begin to shift and when things come to a close as life as
we know it and God sets up his kingdom on this earth.
So it's stuff we like to talk about.
How many of you know we like to talk about the future right.
Anybody like to talk about the future.
You all do.
We want to we all want to know what's happening out the line.
We all want to know what's going to take place tomorrow.
It'd be awesome if we could figure out what's going to happen tomorrow.
The day after three days after that a month a year 12 years from now.
We want to know what it's going to look like.
We want to know what it looks like in the near future.
We want to know what it looks like in the distant future.
We want to know if the end is near and then we do.
They make movies about that stuff right.
How many of you see there's like 5000 movies about the end of the age you know about the
end of the world.
They do it over.
We want to know this stuff.
We want to know what's coming and Jesus the disciples had the same ideas we did.
They want to know.
So Jesus gives them some clues about what will happen at the end of the age.
What's going to lead up to the return of Christ.
What's going to lead up to the end.
And the good news is that that Jesus is going to return.
That's the awesome news.
But the bad news in this portion of scripture is just some evil things are going to happen
at the end of the age.
The evil is going to bound towards the end.
So Jesus kind of unfolding this and as he's doing that at the end of this passage he hits
into some truth about some good news.
So while I'm reading this it's not going to sound like it's good news but at the end of
this passage we're going to pull out some things that really are good news.
Matthew 24 verse 3 that says this.
Now as he sat on the mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately saying tell us when
will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the
age.
And Jesus answered and said to them take heed that no one deceives you for many will come
in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many and you will hear of wars and
rumors of wars.
See that you're not troubled for all these things must come to pass but the end is not
yet for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be
famines and pestilence and earthquakes and various places and all these things are the
beginning of sorrows.
How many know this doesn't sound like very good news.
All right and then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be
hated by all nations for my name's sake and then many will be offended will betray one
another.
You see some of that these days right will betray one another and hate one another and
many false prophets will rise up and deceive many because lawlessness will abound the love
of many will grow cold but he who endures to the end shall be saved.
No great news at this point matter of fact I was thinking about disciples you know they're
asking Jesus about the end of the age and they're probably thinking sometimes you ask
a question and you wish you really didn't ask.
They're probably thinking you know maybe ignorance was bliss maybe we maybe we shouldn't ask
the question what the signs are up until the end of the age maybe we should have just kept
quiet about that whole thing.
That might have been racing through their mind as they're listening to Jesus unfold
this and talking about how evil is going to rise and how it's going to get ugly for a
while before he returns and puts an end to all that right.
But 14 says this and this gospel here's the good news and this gospel of the kingdom will
be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.
Verse 14 is both prophetic it is a prophetic revelation and it also gives us some of the
good news of the Bible the good news of scripture the good news of Jesus.
The prophetic portion of this scripture is that the gospel will be preached in all the
world the gospel of the kingdom of God will be preached in all the world and many scholars
believe that's going to take place before Jesus returns before he comes back before
the second coming.
The church is going to accomplish this task of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ into
all the world.
It's estimated right now that there are 7.83 billion people alive today 3.37 billion of
them are unreached people groups with little or no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
According to the Joshua project there are approximately 17,428 unique people groups in the world with
7,400 plus of them considered completely unreached over 40 42 percent of the world's population
the vast majority 85 percent of these least reached groups exist in the 1040 window and
less than 10 percent of the missionary work is done in these nations.
The 1040 window is a rectangular area on the map you look at a world map of North Africa
the Middle East and Asia it's between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude this area
is often called the resistant belt and includes some of the majority of the world's major
religions of Muslim Hindu and Buddhist Bible scholars believe that before Jesus will return
we don't know for certain but this is what scholars believe that that area right that
unreached people group is going to come to Christ they're going to hear the gospel and
what was once thought was going to take maybe even up to hundreds of years is now all changed
because of digital media because of the ability to communicate worldwide very quickly when
the door opens up in these areas I believe it's going to be like a floodgate and the
gospel is going to go forth so it can happen very quickly this is good news right the gospel
going into all the world but the other part of that good news and that last part of that
verse is that God has a kingdom amen my watch is talking to me even all right I just got
an amen from my watch almost all right how many know God has a kingdom amen he's got
a kingdom the good news of the kingdom of God is that we will become citizens of the
kingdom of God what Jesus came preaching about it begins with the gospel it begins with the
good news last week was Easter we were preaching Jesus Christ risen from the grave right come
back from the dead and because he was alive and because he came to life and because he
conquered death hell in the grave we now conquer death hell in the grave through him we now
have life everlasting and part of that good news is that we become citizens of a different
kingdom the kingdom of God Jesus came to preach salvation and reconciliation but he also came
preaching the kingdom of God Mark 1 14 says this now after John was put in prison Jesus
came to Galilee preaching the kingdom right the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying
that time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel
the good news is if we follow Jesus if we repent if we believe if we follow him we become
citizens of another kingdom a different kingdom if you're following Jesus if he's your Lord
and he's your Savior if you've repented of sin and you've confessed him as Lord your
citizenship is not just in the United States of America any longer you belong to the kingdom
of God and that's good news the gospel the gospel of Jesus Christ is not just fire insurance
do you know that a lot of people think the gospel of Jesus Christ is just fire insurance
right a lot of people believe that the reason I get saved is just to keep me out of hell
right just so I don't go to hell you know when I was a kid they preached on hell a lot
now I know you don't hear that so much anymore but when I was a kid they preached on hell
like it was their job I knew preachers and pastors that preached on hell so much I thought
they went and visited and came back to tell me personally about it I mean they would preach
and I don't know if you ever heard the terminology scared straight anybody ever hear that that
terminology when I was a kid you got scared straight right they would preach on hell and
we were down at the altar all getting saved we got saved the week before but we were back
again just in case right just in case we didn't get it right the first time but the gospel
of Christ is so much more than just fire insurance it's more than just keeping us from hell it
really is the good news of Jesus Christ it is about salvation it's about new life and
it is really about a new kingdom that we come into a new citizenship it's important listen
who we belong to is important what we experience is important and where you belong is a big
deal it's important to know where you belong it will affect your present it will affect
your future it will affect your mindset if you know where you belong where you live matters
where you call home what you call home matters where you're a citizen of it matters and if
you don't believe me just pull up your citizenship in the United States of America and move to
a little country called North Korea you just slide up into North Korea and park yourself
for a little while my son and I my son's in from Philadelphia yesterday him and I were
talking about a podcast that we both listened to he's actually reading a book on North Korea
and if you don't I don't know if you know this or not but you want to talk about violation
of human rights in North Korea there is such oppression there is such fear there is such
a push down on the citizens of that country do you know that they don't even have a word
that they use for love it is so oppressive there they don't even talk about love if you
listen to somebody that maybe has escaped from North Korea and I listen to a testimony
of that there is so much oppression by the government there that they believe that the
government can almost read their mind I listened to a young lady's testimony who escaped from
North Korea she said when I was growing up I thought that the government could read my
mind I didn't even think a bad thought about the government even though they were starving
us to death even though they oppressed our family even though we knew people who spoke
up one time and disappeared from the face of the earth it matters where you live amen
it matters where you have citizenship it matters whether you live in freedom or you live in
complete bondage it matters and it matters if you understand if you are part of the kingdom
of God if you have got citizenship in the kingdom of God it will change how you think
it will change your future it will change how you function amen it will Jesus said you
are part of another kingdom a different kingdom when you come to Christ your citizenship changes
right and we need to think that way we need to pray that way do you know what is talked
about in the Lord's prayer I am going to read you the first part of the Lord's prayer Matthew
6 says therefore do not be like them for your father knows the things you have need of before
you ask him in this manner Jesus was talking to disciples therefore pray our Father in
heaven hallowed be your name your kingdom come your kingdom come we should be longing
for a kingdom that we have really never stepped foot in yet the kingdom of God now we know
what is in our hearts and I don't mean to go back and reminisce a little bit but I did
this week I went back a little bit growing up in church they used to talk a lot about
being a citizen of the kingdom of God they really did I remember when I was growing up
in church the preachers and the teachers and those who were around they would call us pilgrims
they would say we are pilgrims in a foreign land listen I still lived in the United States
I was just in Western Pennsylvania but they knew the kingdom of God and they used to talk
about being pilgrims in this land they used to talk about listen we are citizens of heaven
we are only here they would say we are only here for just a little while this is just
all temporary I remember my grandparents saying this isn't our home man this is just this
house I live in this is just a temporary dwelling till I get to heaven one day till I am a citizen
of the kingdom of God we are foreigners they call themselves foreigners you don't hear
that much anymore do you?
And they would say we are traveling to a different place and they started getting into our minds
and our hearts we don't really belong here we are just here for a little while it is
just temporary our real citizenship is with God it is the kingdom of heaven you start
thinking different I remember as a kid like hey this is just all how different is your
approach to everything if you are just like this is all temporary my house is temporary
my car is temporary everything I got is just kind of temporary it is just a place for now
and one day I am going to step into where I really belong one day I am going to step
into a kingdom that God is going to reign and rule in and all this is just going to
fade away into the background amen?
That's how we thought that's how we lived right we should get there again we should
practice talking all things kingdom of God we should practice that practice that if the
kingdom is so much better the kingdom of God is so much better than the kingdom that is
here right now shouldn't we be talking that way?
Can I be honest for a second?
I don't think I really do that I am just going to be flat honest I think as I look back at
this sometimes I preach it myself and sometimes I convict my own self when I am preaching
right I am looking at this and I am thinking you know I don't really talk about God's kingdom
near as much as I talk about this kingdom I don't talk about God's kingdom when I am
in everyday life as much as I talk about the United States of America or what is going
on around the country what is happening in the news right if we are supposed to be newscasters
for the kingdom of God what should we be casting?
News about the kingdom right God's kingdom and I know some of you are thinking well I
can't do that where I work right I get in trouble I get fired from my job some of you
are thinking well you know if I start doing that out I start talking about the kingdom
of God out in society where I am at in school or work or you know at play wherever I am
they are going to think I am a religious nut job right we think those things right well
pastor you don't understand this conversation doesn't fit that context I know it is good
preaching on Sunday but I don't know I can't really talk kingdom out there it is not practical
it is not reasonable right it is not normal we will think those things not sure you know
I just can't do it right but I don't buy into that logic when I look into God's word have
you ever noticed that when Jesus spoke out in public it was this natural way of bringing
in the kingdom right he just did it if someone was talking about water Jesus would start
talking about living water right he started talking about water that you could drink and
you will never get thirsty about again he was talking kingdom if somebody was talking
about money he would say well you know what the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden
in a field right and everybody leaned in he is talking about kingdom right if somebody
was talking about gardening and or farming he says you know gardening is a little bit
like a mustard seed you know the kingdom of heaven is just a little bit like a mustard
seed you take that mustard seed and you throw that thing into the ground and it begins to
grow and the branches spread out and the birds of the earth he starts talking the kingdom
and you know if he was talking fish and he would say you know what if you are fishing
the kingdom of God is like casting a big old net out into the ocean and when you pull it
in there is fish in there that you begin to separate Jesus spoke that way all the time
how many know that supernatural speaking completely natural amen right it isn't weird right you
don't come off like a religious flake anybody ever meet a religious flake all right don't
point at me all right anybody ever meet me what come on Jeremy somebody was weird that
wasn't Jesus he spoke the kingdom all the time he was talking kingdom with people and
he is pointed into conversation be naturally supernatural do you know that you ever hear
that terminology I totally ripped that off from somebody else but I liked it all right
be naturally supernatural I think the apostle Paul he gets his writing Colossians he starts
writing in Colossians and he is asking some people to pray for him about him presenting
the gospel and I love this in Colossians 4 2 it says this I think they are going to put
it up on the screen for you continue earnestly in prayer being vigilant in it with thanksgiving
meanwhile praying also for us that God would open to us a door for the word to speak the
mystery of Christ for which I am also in chains that I make it manifest as I ought to speak
walk in wisdom towards those who are outside redeeming the time let your speech always
be with grace season with salt that you may know how you ought to answer each one he is
telling them the apostle Paul the person who can write who wrote two-thirds of the New
Testament the man who can put more information in one paragraph that will just blow your
mind if you start reading the writings of Paul in scripture he packs so much in one
paragraph sometimes I can't hardly get my head around it Paul the wordsmith Paul the
communicator he is telling them listen pray for me because when we cast out into the society
when we start preaching the kingdom when we start preaching the good news I need some
things to happen that is what he was telling them he says ask God to open the door for
the kingdom of God today that is one of the things we pray for pray for the right opportunity
to share the kingdom of God he said help me to speak the mystery of Jesus Christ I love
that right help me to unfold the mystery of Jesus Christ help me to speak the right message
that is what he was saying help me speak as I ought to speak today he literally uses that
term help me to speak in context right help me make it fit help my speech be graceful
and at the same time season with salt help me speak graciously but so effectively it's
just like throwing salt on someone it makes their taste buds savor right how many of us
all can do a bunch of things it really can't it makes food taste really good but you ever
dumped just straight salt on your tongue what's that do right it's potent it's strong help
me to be gracious and salty all together Paul's telling them pray this way our prayers should
be God give me opportunity in the kingdom our prayers should be give me the right message
our prayers should be help me to incorporate Jesus and the kingdom and everything that
I speak help me to do this in the right context right that's where the weird part comes by
the way right if you just come with some cookie cutter thing and you get in the wrong context
you just start saying some random religious things people looking at you like you got
three heads no they put it in context help me have grace help me to have salt you know
just let me do good news tell somebody about the kingdom of God it's what Jesus did it's
what Paul did it's what the Holy Spirit helps us to do if we ask them I thought about this
morning and I like process and I like systems and I like giving people a one two three on
how to do something right but you can't do this for this yeah I can't give you a one
two three I can tell you you know why because your conversations are going to be so wide
they're going to be so vast you're going to be in conversation with somebody some of you
going to be talking about fish some of you going to be talking about water some of you
going to be talking about something else some of you going to be talking about the news
and I can't give you a one two three on how to bring the kingdom into that conversation
but I can tell you if you pray the Holy Spirit will guide you in speaking kingdom do you
know that that's why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit when he went back to be with the father he
sent the Holy Spirit and he said I'm going to help you to speak kingdom it can't be cookie
cutter I can't give you just that now listen learn a little bunch of scripture will really
help you by the way you'll pull it into the conversation but I can't give you just say
this say this and say this I can't give you that you got to walk in the spirit you got
to follow the leading of the spirit you got to be willing to jump into conversation I
love talking to people that have done this and sometimes it blows their mind the first
time it happens they'll get in this conversation like pastor I got to talk to somebody about
Jesus you know they kind of rub their hands I got it I got to talk about the kingdom a
little bit and it was so awesome you know no leaning a little bit and I'm talking I
started talking and I don't even know where the words came from I don't I don't even know
how I said all that you know I don't even know where it came from and it's like it just
came and I began to stop and I was beginning to speak and they're talking about the game
and you know what that was that was the Holy Spirit feeding it in right and they're just
projecting it out and they're just blown away they're like I didn't think about it was just
there and they're speaking the kingdom of God as we get opportunity because it's the
greatest kingdom to be a part of we all live in this lousy kingdom down here give them
up the kingdom amen John 15 26 says this but when the helper comes say the helper whom
I shall send to you from the father of truth who proceeds from the father he will testify
of me that's why when you start speaking to somebody about Jesus and about the kingdom
of God that's why the words begin to come because if the Holy Spirit is working in you
and through you he testifies to Jesus so he just helps you out he partners right up with
you and you start talking right John 14 26 says this but the helper the Holy Spirit
whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to remembrance
all the things that I said to you how many have a bad memory come on yeah me too okay
he said he'll bring you all things to your remembrance he says he will teach you all
things he will teach you all things I don't got time to park there I could tell you story
after story after story of individuals they tell me they get in situations they should
have no knowledge of and they get there and they're not sure how what to do and they begin
to pray and all of a sudden the Holy Spirit comes and he teaches them things that somebody
else can't teach them and they know because the Holy Spirit knows all things right he'll
bring it to your remembrance in the instantaneous and in the long term John 15 5 says I am the
brand vine you are the branches he who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit for without
me you can do nothing some of you are going I can't do this I know you don't have to you
can't do this on your own but in him you can do anything just jump into the conversation
about the kingdom just start talking about it a little bit and you're gonna be a man
you just turn it over to the Holy Spirit and all of a sudden it's gonna happen you're gonna
come tell me the story you're gonna say pastor I'm telling you it's so weird all right I
got in her and I just started talking it just started happen John 14 6 says I will pray
the Father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever the Holy
Spirit will not leave you in a conversation he doesn't say peace out all right he's with
you in the conversation he's with you and you're bringing the kingdom you're speaking
his language when you start talking kingdom he wants to work you we are carriers we are
newscasters we are carriers of the good news we are the redeemed we are the ones who what
better spokespeople to talk about the kingdom of God than the people who have been adopted
into the kingdom of God he sent us forward what we know about the kingdom we need to
talk about the kingdom say this with me I'm gonna ask you to blindly say something then
I'll explain it say we are preachers some of you did some of you're like I say that
we are preachers some of you're thinking no I'm not right that's your job so you're right
that's what you get paid to do you're the pastor you're the evangelist you're the prophet
you're the you know you're the teacher you're the one that's supposed to be expelled well
let me tell you something not so quick on that conclusion let me reread some verses
to you here and I'm getting ready to close pretty soon get ready to come Matthew 24 14
says this and the gospel I read this already and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached
in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come I want you to take
notice what you don't see in that scripture it does not say the gospel of the kingdom
will be preached by the pastors in all the world as a witness doesn't say that anywhere
doesn't say doesn't name exclusively pastors evangelists prophets doesn't name anybody
a teacher doesn't say that it says the gospel will be preached in all the world okay that's
first thing and in fact if you start looking at the pastor the evangelist the prophet the
apostle right the teacher the fivefold ministry actually the Bible says the opposite it really
does in Ephesians 4 11 says this and he himself is talking about Jesus gave some to be apostles
some prophets some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints
for the work of the ministry for the edifying the body of Christ my job is to train you
to go out and speak to a world that's lost and dying my job is to equip you to go out
and to share the gospel to go out and tell people about the kingdom of God that's my
job now that doesn't absolve me from doing it myself I have to do that as well but my
job is to train the pastor the prophet the apostle the teacher all of them right there
were to train we couldn't do it all if we wanted to we got to get the whole world there's
several billion people that haven't heard the gospel yet there's people in your neighborhood
that haven't heard about the kingdom of God in this new citizenship that's so amazing
they think this is it they think this is all there is I'm going to live in the United States
so I die and this is it this is all that get all you can get right grab everything you grab
now and we need to tell them there is so much more this is nothing all this right here this
is nothing compared to what's coming in Christ nothing it's it's it's it's one second with
the Lord and all this will fade so far behind you you won't even you can't even get your
head around it it'll fade in a heartbeat for what you're going to experience what you're
going to see what you're going to be part of in the kingdom of God that's true I'm going
to ask me to stand
Thank you for tuning in to this message from LifeHouse Church.
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