WEBVTT 00:00:01.460 --> 00:00:04.280 Here's another inspiring message from Northside 00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:10.199 Community Church Sydney Yes, whoa the good news 00:00:10.199 --> 00:00:14.500 The good news I'm excited to keep sharing and 00:00:14.500 --> 00:00:17.399 we conclude our series on the good news today 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:19.500 And my name is Jordan if you don't know and I 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:21.160 have the privilege of sharing with you this morning 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:25.000 I'm looking forward to it on the good news, but 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:27.940 I'll tell you what's not good news at the moment. 00:00:28.059 --> 00:00:30.769 It's the Sydney housing market is not good news. 00:00:30.929 --> 00:00:32.469 Anyone else feel that at the moment? The Sydney 00:00:32.469 --> 00:00:34.509 housing market isn't good news at the moment. 00:00:34.990 --> 00:00:36.530 And I don't know whether you've experienced this, 00:00:36.670 --> 00:00:39.369 but for myself and my lovely wife Jess, we've 00:00:39.369 --> 00:00:41.990 experienced this, is that it feels like, especially 00:00:41.990 --> 00:00:44.590 in Sydney, part of the problem is that there's 00:00:44.590 --> 00:00:47.250 way more demand than there is supply at the moment, 00:00:47.509 --> 00:00:49.259 isn't there? There's like way more people looking 00:00:49.259 --> 00:00:52.780 for houses than there are actual houses and places 00:00:52.780 --> 00:00:54.600 available. I feel like that's a big part of the 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:57.259 problem at the moment. And Jess and I experienced 00:00:57.259 --> 00:01:00.399 this firsthand a couple of years ago because 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:02.039 the way they're trying to solve this is that 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:04.000 they're building all these brand new apartment 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:06.920 complexes and they're getting people to move 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:10.319 into them before they're even finished. into 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:12.859 these new apartment complexes, right? And we 00:01:12.859 --> 00:01:15.120 experienced that ourselves. We were looking for 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:17.159 our first place. As you can probably tell from 00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:18.980 my accent, I'm not from Australia originally. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:21.579 We emigrated back a couple of years ago. And 00:01:21.579 --> 00:01:23.140 when we emigrated back, we were looking for a 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:26.379 place to live and we found this beautiful, as 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:28.579 it was advertised anyway, this beautiful apartment 00:01:28.579 --> 00:01:31.129 complex. And we were there, ready to move in, 00:01:31.250 --> 00:01:33.189 and the real estate agents showing us around. 00:01:33.510 --> 00:01:36.150 And we're walking around this apartment complex, 00:01:36.590 --> 00:01:39.010 and we're kind of going in our heads going, yeah, 00:01:39.109 --> 00:01:41.090 I guess, you know, they're saying it's ready 00:01:41.090 --> 00:01:42.590 to move in now. You know, when it says, like, 00:01:42.969 --> 00:01:44.769 move in date, move in now, like, on the thing. 00:01:44.829 --> 00:01:46.569 And we're like, I mean, I guess it is ready to 00:01:46.569 --> 00:01:50.530 move into now, but it doesn't feel quite complete. 00:01:51.250 --> 00:01:53.989 The elevator wasn't working yet in the place. 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:57.719 Our front door wasn't locking properly yet in 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:00.260 our place. The carpets hadn't been installed 00:02:00.260 --> 00:02:02.879 yet. The paint was still kind of a bit wet on 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:05.739 the walls as it was drying the place. And yes, 00:02:05.819 --> 00:02:08.099 there was an apartment. And yes, it was livable. 00:02:08.139 --> 00:02:10.379 And yes, we could move into it. And I guess we 00:02:10.379 --> 00:02:14.460 could move into it now. But it wasn't quite complete 00:02:14.460 --> 00:02:16.939 yet. right? And so, we were kind of left in this 00:02:16.939 --> 00:02:18.520 tension of like, there's a place we can move 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.580 into now, but it's not quite finished yet. And 00:02:21.580 --> 00:02:23.639 maybe we're the only unfortunate ones to experience 00:02:23.639 --> 00:02:26.039 this, but it's a reality going around around 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:27.580 Sydney, and it's not good news at the moment. 00:02:28.020 --> 00:02:30.379 But when I thought about that and thinking about 00:02:30.379 --> 00:02:33.300 that, it kind of reminds me and maybe how you 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:36.479 think about the kingdom of God sometimes, and 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:39.180 maybe how you think about God's kingdom. Because 00:02:39.180 --> 00:02:41.280 to set the context we're concluding a series 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:43.699 on the good news and what we've been sharing 00:02:43.699 --> 00:02:46.259 about is that the fullness of the good news that 00:02:46.259 --> 00:02:48.319 the good news you've maybe heard growing up or 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.360 you maybe heard from your Christian friend is 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:52.219 that Jesus died for your sins so you go to heaven 00:02:52.219 --> 00:02:54.460 when you die and we're not saying that's untrue 00:02:54.460 --> 00:02:56.259 but what we're saying is that there's a fullness 00:02:56.259 --> 00:02:57.819 to the good news and the fullness of the good 00:02:57.819 --> 00:03:00.719 news is that Jesus came as king of a kingdom 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:03.219 that has arrived here and now and what we've 00:03:03.219 --> 00:03:06.379 been asking you to do is to rethink how you might 00:03:06.379 --> 00:03:08.740 live in that kingdom and you're probably going 00:03:08.740 --> 00:03:12.639 to me, well Jordan, I have been rethinking how 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:14.539 I might live in that kingdom if I've been part 00:03:14.539 --> 00:03:16.639 of this series so far, and what I've been rethinking 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:19.539 and thinking about is, if Jesus' good news is 00:03:19.539 --> 00:03:23.520 the kingdom of God has arrived, where is it? 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:27.939 Where is it? And not only are we asking, where 00:03:27.939 --> 00:03:30.060 is it? Then we're going, well if I'm meant to 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:32.740 participate in this kingdom, if I can't see where 00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:38.129 it is, how do I participate in it? It kind of 00:03:38.129 --> 00:03:41.229 feels like the Sydney apartment complex that 00:03:41.229 --> 00:03:45.229 Jess and I moving into that yeah, I Can kind 00:03:45.229 --> 00:03:47.289 of see it. I can kind of see glimpses of it. 00:03:47.289 --> 00:03:49.590 I can kind of see elements of it here and now 00:03:49.590 --> 00:03:53.789 but Like our apartment complex. It kind of feels 00:03:53.789 --> 00:03:56.750 Incomplete it kind of feels like there's something 00:03:56.750 --> 00:03:58.949 missing It kind of feels like something's not 00:03:58.949 --> 00:04:01.909 quite here yet and we're kind of left asking 00:04:01.909 --> 00:04:04.509 the question Well, if this is the good news, 00:04:04.569 --> 00:04:07.819 well, where is it? Where is the good news if 00:04:07.819 --> 00:04:10.719 Jesus came and his good news was that the kingdom 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:13.240 of God this better way for the world to run is 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:17.360 here And it's available now. Well, where is it? 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:19.740 That if the kingdom of God is a better way for 00:04:19.740 --> 00:04:22.959 the world to be here and now Then why when I 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:25.079 turn on my TV is there was going on left right 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.560 and center? Why when I scroll through and do 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.399 my doom scroll as we talked about a few weeks 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:33.000 ago why when I do him scroll is there scandals 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.060 going on left right and center with public figures 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:39.160 and politicians and whoever it may be, why is 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:41.480 there just bad news everywhere around the world 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:44.759 still? And maybe it applies to you personally 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:47.800 as well, is that if the good news is that there's 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:50.079 a better way for the world to run, but also my 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.100 world to be run, and if it's arrived now, then 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:56.860 why is my marriage still falling apart? Why are 00:04:56.860 --> 00:05:01.939 my finances still a mess? Why am I getting mistreated 00:05:01.939 --> 00:05:05.600 and overlooked at work? Why are these things 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.500 still happening if this better way for the world 00:05:08.500 --> 00:05:10.920 to work this? Idea of what we've been talking 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:13.360 about that God's heaven like heaven is coming 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:17.339 to earth here and now I don't see heaven Where 00:05:17.339 --> 00:05:20.660 is it? I can see maybe some glimpses of it But 00:05:20.660 --> 00:05:24.860 if it's fully arrived Where is it and I guess 00:05:24.860 --> 00:05:26.860 what it leaves us going is it begs the question 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:28.579 this applies to everyone whether you're a Christian 00:05:28.579 --> 00:05:31.339 or a non -christian in this place is that really 00:05:31.339 --> 00:05:34.699 what you're asking is if God is this loving God 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:39.600 who's bringing his reign here on earth. Why can't 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:42.920 I see it? Why can't I see his reign here on earth? 00:05:42.980 --> 00:05:47.420 Why does it not feel complete? Is the question 00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:49.600 that we ask, right? And that's the tension we've 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:52.300 got to wrestle with. And because we start going, 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.639 well, how am I meant to participate in a kingdom 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:58.879 that I can't really see? That I can't see the 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.060 fullness of? That doesn't feel complete. And... 00:06:02.509 --> 00:06:04.189 Part of the thing is is that we're not the only 00:06:04.189 --> 00:06:06.629 ones who were asking these questions that Jesus's 00:06:06.629 --> 00:06:08.870 early followers were asking this same question 00:06:08.870 --> 00:06:11.949 2 ,000 years ago when Jesus came onto earth 2 00:06:11.949 --> 00:06:14.069 ,000 years ago and he started talking about this 00:06:14.069 --> 00:06:16.769 good news that his kingdom that this better way 00:06:16.769 --> 00:06:18.670 for the world to run where God is in charge where 00:06:18.670 --> 00:06:22.550 Jesus is in charge is now here His early followers 00:06:22.550 --> 00:06:24.970 were asking the same question Because I don't 00:06:24.970 --> 00:06:27.629 know if you know any kind of history, but I know 00:06:27.629 --> 00:06:29.449 things may look pretty bleak right now But they 00:06:29.449 --> 00:06:32.220 were really bleak 2 ,000 years ago The world 00:06:32.220 --> 00:06:34.959 was pretty, pretty bleak 2 ,000 years ago, and 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:37.040 Jesus' followers were asking those same questions 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:39.779 that we're asking. Well, Jesus, if you're bringing 00:06:39.779 --> 00:06:42.699 this good news, well, where is it? If the kingdom 00:06:42.699 --> 00:06:46.920 of God has arrived, where is it? And Jesus recognized 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:49.899 this. And the good news, no pun intended for 00:06:49.899 --> 00:06:52.860 us today, is that Jesus addressed this, because 00:06:52.860 --> 00:06:56.040 this idea of the kingdom can seem so distant, 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:59.699 it can be so hard to see for us. that Jesus, 00:06:59.939 --> 00:07:03.279 kindly enough, described it for us. He described 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:06.399 what his kingdom looks like, and the way he described 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:08.600 it, as Christian alluded to earlier, is he used 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.170 things called parables. He used stories. He used 00:07:12.170 --> 00:07:14.089 anecdotes. He described it. And there's so many 00:07:14.089 --> 00:07:16.930 different parables that Jesus used to describe 00:07:16.930 --> 00:07:20.050 His kingdom. So, so many. But one that we're 00:07:20.050 --> 00:07:22.329 going to pick on today we'll get into. And part 00:07:22.329 --> 00:07:25.189 of what I wonder is actually if Jesus had skipped 00:07:25.189 --> 00:07:27.529 the 2 ,000 years and had just arrived today and 00:07:27.529 --> 00:07:29.790 was given us a modern -day parable. I think the 00:07:29.790 --> 00:07:31.550 modern -day parable Jesus would have used when 00:07:31.550 --> 00:07:34.370 He describes what His kingdom is like. I think 00:07:34.370 --> 00:07:36.689 He would have said something like this. He said, 00:07:36.970 --> 00:07:39.610 the kingdom of God is like a Sydney apartment 00:07:39.610 --> 00:07:44.420 complex. complex, that you can move into now, 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:48.720 but it's not quite complete yet. That's why I 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:50.759 think he would have described it now, but he 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:53.120 didn't. He described it differently to us 2 ,000 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.220 years ago, and this is how he described it on 00:07:55.220 --> 00:07:58.019 the screen, and it's in Matthew chapter 13, and 00:07:58.019 --> 00:07:59.959 what he says is this, he says, the kingdom of 00:07:59.959 --> 00:08:02.060 heaven, which is the kingdom of God, is like 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:05.680 a mustard seed, which a man took and planted 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:08.850 in his field. Though it is the smallest of all 00:08:08.850 --> 00:08:12.310 seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of 00:08:12.310 --> 00:08:15.470 garden plants and becomes a tree so that the 00:08:15.470 --> 00:08:19.470 birds come and perch in its branches. That's 00:08:19.470 --> 00:08:21.709 how Jesus describes his kingdom and what we're 00:08:21.709 --> 00:08:24.790 gonna see is that what Jesus is describing his 00:08:24.790 --> 00:08:27.990 kingdom as, is he's describing his kingdom is 00:08:27.990 --> 00:08:33.669 here now, but it's also not yet. That Jesus' 00:08:33.870 --> 00:08:39.240 kingdom is now, But it's also, it's not yet. 00:08:40.279 --> 00:08:42.840 It's like a Sydney apartment complex that you 00:08:42.840 --> 00:08:46.539 can move into now. It's not quite complete yet. 00:08:46.940 --> 00:08:49.259 And so we're gonna see why and what that means 00:08:49.259 --> 00:08:51.700 for us today. So first, let's look at what Jesus 00:08:51.700 --> 00:08:56.210 means by His kingdom is here now. His kingdom 00:08:56.210 --> 00:08:59.129 is here now. And in that parable, what is Jesus 00:08:59.129 --> 00:09:01.850 describing that is here now? He's describing 00:09:01.850 --> 00:09:04.350 what is here now, what is present in the moment, 00:09:04.389 --> 00:09:06.830 what his kingdom is now, is the mustard seed. 00:09:07.830 --> 00:09:09.950 It's this tiny little mustard seed. And you may 00:09:09.950 --> 00:09:12.610 be thinking, well, what's significant about the 00:09:12.610 --> 00:09:15.309 mustard seed, Jesus? And I'm sure the people 00:09:15.309 --> 00:09:17.129 who are hearing this are going, come on, tell 00:09:17.129 --> 00:09:19.690 us. What's so grand about this mustard seed? 00:09:21.690 --> 00:09:27.019 Nothing. Nothing is grand or significant about 00:09:27.019 --> 00:09:30.860 a mustard seed. If Jesus was wanting to communicate 00:09:30.860 --> 00:09:33.720 grander about his kingdom, he probably would 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:36.120 have just used a different seed even, for example. 00:09:36.179 --> 00:09:38.019 He would have used something like a cedar tree 00:09:38.019 --> 00:09:40.360 or something along those lines. But he described 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:42.580 a mustard seed, something that even his early 00:09:42.580 --> 00:09:46.059 followers are going, what? Your kingdom is this 00:09:46.059 --> 00:09:48.679 tiny little seed that is here and now, that this 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:50.940 kingdom, this good news that has arrived here 00:09:50.940 --> 00:09:55.159 and now is this tiny... little seed that is small, 00:09:55.460 --> 00:09:58.720 that is humble, that seems insignificant, that 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:02.919 is ultimately counterintuitive. It's kind of 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:05.039 like the apartment complex, Jess and I are moving 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.980 into that. It's there now, but it's very humble. 00:10:08.379 --> 00:10:11.840 It's still small. It's not got the carpets installed 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:15.679 yet. The paint's still not dry yet. The door's 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.480 not locking properly yet. The dishwasher's not 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:20.960 working properly yet. There's something just 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.059 insignificant and also counterintuitive about 00:10:24.059 --> 00:10:28.500 a mustard seed. That actually Jesus is describing 00:10:28.500 --> 00:10:30.340 this kingdom of a better way for the world to 00:10:30.340 --> 00:10:32.360 work and they think that it's going to be described 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:34.220 as this grand thing and we think it's going to 00:10:34.220 --> 00:10:36.580 be described as this grand thing, but he says 00:10:36.580 --> 00:10:42.379 it's a tiny little seed. And I guess it begs 00:10:42.379 --> 00:10:44.399 the question for us this morning that when we're 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:47.700 looking for God's kingdom here now, Guess the 00:10:47.700 --> 00:10:49.759 question we need to ask ourselves and what Jesus 00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:52.320 is asking for us is what kingdom are you looking 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:56.240 for now? What kind of kingdom are you looking 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:59.840 for now? Because maybe when we're looking for 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:01.679 kingdom when we're looking for these grand ways 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:03.299 for the world to be taken over We're thinking 00:11:03.299 --> 00:11:05.919 of power. We're thinking of authority. We're 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:09.279 thinking of these big grand things But what Jesus 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:13.779 says is that his kingdom comes in small? seemingly 00:11:13.779 --> 00:11:18.720 insignificant and counter -intuitive ways. That's 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:22.519 how we see His kingdom here now. And in fact, 00:11:22.580 --> 00:11:24.919 His early followers, when they were bringing 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:27.279 His kingdom into the world, into the Roman world 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:30.080 of 2 ,000 years ago, that's how it seemed probably 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:32.799 to them, but especially to the Romans. They were 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:35.279 probably looking at this kingdom of God and thinking, 00:11:35.700 --> 00:11:43.539 this is a bit weird. That actually... There's 00:11:43.539 --> 00:11:45.799 proof of this. There's evidence, historical evidence 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:48.600 that there's a quote from a historian called 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:50.320 Tom Holland, not the guy who plays Spider -Man. 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:51.679 That would be a pretty pointless quote. There's 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:53.779 also a historian called Tom Holland as well. 00:11:54.659 --> 00:11:56.940 And he writes in a book called Dominion, which 00:11:56.940 --> 00:11:58.960 is about the rise of early Christianity. And 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.080 he writes in the book, he says, to the Romans, 00:12:01.299 --> 00:12:03.779 early Christian doctrines and practices such 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:06.600 as charity and caring for the weak were seen 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:11.980 as bizarre compared to the Roman ethos of power. 00:12:17.320 --> 00:12:23.000 God's kingdom seems bizarre. Even today, when 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.320 we are looking for a kingdom that is of power, 00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:31.200 that actually what Jesus is saying is what you 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:36.019 should be looking for is the small or what seems 00:12:36.019 --> 00:12:38.899 insignificant and what really will be counterintuitive. 00:12:39.490 --> 00:12:42.250 Because why it was bizarre 2 ,000 years ago because 00:12:42.250 --> 00:12:44.570 the Roman world was governed by power And what 00:12:44.570 --> 00:12:46.330 these early Christians were doing is they were 00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:47.649 coming into the world and what they were doing 00:12:47.649 --> 00:12:50.009 is they were treating everyone as equal That's 00:12:50.009 --> 00:12:54.769 crazy They were being over and above generous 00:12:54.769 --> 00:12:58.149 to the extent of their own wealth, that's crazy 00:12:58.149 --> 00:13:02.509 They were creating the first ever orphanages 00:13:02.509 --> 00:13:04.549 that we've ever seen in the known world today 00:13:04.549 --> 00:13:07.450 that Romans if there was any small defects on 00:13:07.450 --> 00:13:10.139 a child They would throw it in the trash. That's 00:13:10.139 --> 00:13:13.500 true. And what Christians would do is they would 00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:16.039 be the ones to lift these babies out of the trash 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:19.820 and care for them. That was bizarre. That was 00:13:19.820 --> 00:13:24.159 counterintuitive. That was strange. And so, what 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:26.019 does it look like today to be counterintuitive? 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:28.039 What does God's kingdom look like that seems 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:31.480 so counterintuitive today? Well, I think the 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:33.480 other reality, what is so significant why Jesus 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:35.399 uses the seed as the analogy is, do you know 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:37.639 what happens with the seed? That before it sprouts, 00:13:38.169 --> 00:13:43.370 It dies. A seed dies before it ever sprouts. 00:13:45.210 --> 00:13:47.590 And I think what Jesus is saying is that in the 00:13:47.590 --> 00:13:49.330 world where the kingdom of this world, the way 00:13:49.330 --> 00:13:53.669 that we think the world is ruled is by growing 00:13:53.669 --> 00:13:55.809 yourself, is by doing everything for yourself, 00:13:55.909 --> 00:14:01.450 is by building yourself. What Jesus says, as 00:14:01.450 --> 00:14:04.210 he says in his gospel, is actually that my kingdom 00:14:04.210 --> 00:14:10.049 is denying yourself. that my kingdom is denying 00:14:10.049 --> 00:14:13.730 yourself, and that's counter -intuitive. People 00:14:13.730 --> 00:14:16.049 are going to see that as bizarre. People are 00:14:16.049 --> 00:14:17.450 going to see that as strange. You might even 00:14:17.450 --> 00:14:22.269 see yourself as strange. But God's kingdom arrives 00:14:22.269 --> 00:14:29.889 here and now in quiet self -sacrifice. When people 00:14:29.889 --> 00:14:31.649 have been violent to you, they're not retaliating 00:14:31.649 --> 00:14:33.350 with the same violence that's been shown to you 00:14:33.350 --> 00:14:35.649 by being overly and abovely generous to other 00:14:35.649 --> 00:14:39.500 people at the extent of your own self. denying 00:14:39.500 --> 00:14:44.120 yourself quiet, humble, small, individual self 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:48.960 -sacrifice. And it might not make sense to the 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:51.159 friends around you, to the people in your workplace, 00:14:51.340 --> 00:14:54.980 to even yourself, but the reason it doesn't make 00:14:54.980 --> 00:14:57.500 sense yet is because it's only a glimpse of what's 00:14:57.500 --> 00:15:01.200 to come. What you're participating in, it's just 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:04.080 a glimpse of what's to come. And that leads on 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:06.899 to the next point is that Jesus' kingdom is not 00:15:06.899 --> 00:15:10.399 just now in this small, humble, insignificant, 00:15:10.700 --> 00:15:13.360 counterintuitive way, but it's here now, and 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.659 it's just a glimpse of what's not yet. The reason 00:15:18.659 --> 00:15:20.840 that Jess and I, after being shown around that 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:24.200 Sydney apartment complex, decided to stay, spoiler 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:27.639 alert, we stayed, even though it hadn't been 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:32.220 completed yet, we stayed because we knew what 00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:34.159 we were experiencing now was just a glimpse of 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:40.110 what was to come. Maybe you've been out when 00:15:40.110 --> 00:15:42.330 you do like a home reno and there's either you 00:15:42.330 --> 00:15:44.009 and a friend or your partner and one of you is 00:15:44.009 --> 00:15:45.809 either the Pessimist and one's the optimist right 00:15:45.809 --> 00:15:48.710 and that was for us with Jess and I is that I 00:15:48.710 --> 00:15:50.230 was looking around it going what are we doing 00:15:50.230 --> 00:15:53.990 here and then Jess is going well, it's got potential 00:15:53.990 --> 00:15:59.190 It's got potential and that's what a mustard 00:15:59.190 --> 00:16:02.309 seed is isn't it a Mustard seed doesn't just 00:16:02.309 --> 00:16:06.409 stay a mustard seed It's the potential of what's 00:16:06.409 --> 00:16:10.309 to come It's just the glimpse of what it will 00:16:10.309 --> 00:16:13.549 be. As Jesus says in his parable, it doesn't 00:16:13.549 --> 00:16:15.629 just stay a mustard seed, one day it will grow 00:16:15.629 --> 00:16:19.769 into the largest of garden plants. And likewise, 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:24.990 what he means is that Jesus' kingdom now is just 00:16:24.990 --> 00:16:29.129 a glimpse of what's to come. And the reason it's 00:16:29.129 --> 00:16:31.110 just a glimpse is because the reality is that 00:16:31.110 --> 00:16:32.629 you may be questioning, well, if his kingdom 00:16:32.629 --> 00:16:36.980 has arrived, why is it just these glimpses? And 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:39.759 the reality of that is that his kingdom's not 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:41.940 gonna fully arrive until everyone acknowledges 00:16:41.940 --> 00:16:46.539 the King. And we all know we live in a world 00:16:46.539 --> 00:16:48.259 where not everyone acknowledges Jesus is the 00:16:48.259 --> 00:16:52.679 King. But what he promises is that one day there 00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:56.559 will be. And how do we know that? How do we know 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:58.360 that the glimpse isn't just all there is? How 00:16:58.360 --> 00:16:59.919 do we know that it is just a glimpse of what's 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:02.340 to come? And again, Jesus' early followers were 00:17:02.340 --> 00:17:05.799 thinking the same thing. that Jesus' followers 00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:10.380 had just seen him come back from the dead. They'd 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:11.579 seen him come back from the dead, and now they're 00:17:11.579 --> 00:17:13.700 thinking, all right, this is the time. You've 00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:15.440 been talking about this kingdom arriving. Yes, 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:17.240 you've been showing your glimpses in your life. 00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:19.259 Your kingdom's gonna come now. And they were 00:17:19.259 --> 00:17:21.059 talking about it with Jesus. They were so excited. 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:23.960 They were like, oh yes, your kingdom's gonna 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:26.160 come now. The world's gonna be perfect. It's 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:28.000 gonna be the best place ever in the world. My 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.220 life's gonna be changed. And they're saying all 00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:32.980 this, and what does Jesus do? He has his Star 00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:36.559 Trek Beam Me Up Scotty moment, and he disappears 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:41.160 off to heaven. And we find this scene where Jesus' 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:48.339 disciples are stood there, gormless, going, looking 00:17:48.339 --> 00:17:55.500 at each other going, what do we do now? What 00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:58.240 now? What do we do now? We find this scene where 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:01.130 they're staring up. at the sky, not knowing what 00:18:01.130 --> 00:18:04.130 to do. They're probably dumbfounded, maybe like 00:18:04.130 --> 00:18:06.029 some of you guys, saying, well, Jesus, you're 00:18:06.029 --> 00:18:08.750 talking about your way being better here and 00:18:08.750 --> 00:18:14.009 now, but you're not here. It's only glimpses. 00:18:15.109 --> 00:18:19.109 And so, we find this scene. And what just happens 00:18:19.109 --> 00:18:22.109 here is that some angels come to his followers, 00:18:22.130 --> 00:18:24.109 and they say this in Acts chapter one, if we 00:18:24.109 --> 00:18:27.710 go to that next slide. They say, men of Galilee, 00:18:27.710 --> 00:18:30.240 they said, Why do you stand here looking into 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:36.319 the sky? Probably dumbfounded. This same Jesus 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:40.319 who has been taken from you into heaven, here's 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:45.960 the key, will come back in the same way you've 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:51.900 seen him go into heaven. He will come back. And 00:18:51.900 --> 00:18:53.720 that was the thing that his early followers, 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:56.980 his disciples, they clung onto when... They were 00:18:56.980 --> 00:18:59.119 so confused that a world around them that still 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:02.640 had so much pain and so much feeling that His 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:04.900 kingdom hadn't fully arrived. But how they knew 00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:06.920 it was just a glimpse of what's to come is because 00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:09.000 they trusted the promise that He's going to come 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:16.299 back. That Jesus, the King, that He started His 00:19:16.299 --> 00:19:19.500 kingdom, He disappeared, but one day the King's 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:21.980 going to come back and He's going to fully realize 00:19:21.980 --> 00:19:28.559 His kingdom. He's going to fully realize his 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:30.960 kingdom and what that means is that actually 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:33.799 the glimpses of his kingdom that we participate 00:19:33.799 --> 00:19:36.440 in now, the things that at the moment seem small, 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:39.500 that seem insignificant, the way that I'm radically 00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:41.599 generous above and beyond but I don't get it 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:44.900 in return, the way that I try and love others 00:19:44.900 --> 00:19:46.900 even though when they don't seem to love me back, 00:19:47.259 --> 00:19:49.059 that there's one day going to be a world where 00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:51.880 Jesus' kingdom is fully realized, where the King 00:19:51.880 --> 00:19:53.920 is going to come back and bring it in his fullness 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:57.980 and those glimpses... will become more than glimpses. 00:19:58.279 --> 00:20:01.740 The glimpses of heaven will be fully realized. 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:05.400 And that was the good news that his followers 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:09.279 clung onto. That they clung onto the fact that 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:12.140 the good news is that his kingdom has not yet 00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:15.259 been fully realized. That these glimpses that 00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:18.119 we sit in now, that one day they won't just be 00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:20.680 glimpses, that the pain that we see around in 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:24.900 the world, it won't stay pain. That was the hope 00:20:24.900 --> 00:20:28.279 that they held and again, it's like our apartment 00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:34.140 complex That we move in now and we moved in Knowing 00:20:34.140 --> 00:20:36.299 that even though we're gonna have our frustrations 00:20:36.299 --> 00:20:38.960 that the dishwasher doesn't quite work yet Even 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:40.279 though we're gonna have our frustrations that 00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:42.119 the front door isn't locking properly yet Even 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:44.039 though we have to use the stairwell instead of 00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:48.980 the elevator from time to time We hold on to 00:20:48.980 --> 00:20:53.690 hope in the frustrations that one day it's going 00:20:53.690 --> 00:21:00.670 to be complete. And likewise for you, we deal 00:21:00.670 --> 00:21:03.569 with the frustrations of a kingdom that is now 00:21:03.569 --> 00:21:07.269 but not yet, that hasn't been fully realized. 00:21:08.950 --> 00:21:12.750 The frustrations of why my personal life is struggling, 00:21:12.869 --> 00:21:14.789 the frustrations why there's war everywhere I 00:21:14.789 --> 00:21:18.589 turn, the frustrations of why... My finances 00:21:18.589 --> 00:21:20.430 are a mess, the frustration why my relationships 00:21:20.430 --> 00:21:25.410 are still breaking down. But the good news is 00:21:25.410 --> 00:21:31.049 that one day that won't be the reality. That 00:21:31.049 --> 00:21:33.049 the glimpses that you participate in will be 00:21:33.049 --> 00:21:35.849 fully realized. And Paul, one of Jesus' followers, 00:21:35.950 --> 00:21:37.910 I think, puts it best like this, he was living 00:21:37.910 --> 00:21:41.490 in the midst of this. He says, therefore we do 00:21:41.490 --> 00:21:44.599 not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:47.380 away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by 00:21:47.380 --> 00:21:51.680 day for our light momentary troubles are achieving 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:56.180 for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them 00:21:56.180 --> 00:22:03.019 all. Now will you participate now knowing that 00:22:03.019 --> 00:22:05.420 what's to come is going to far outweigh the frustrations 00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:09.930 the pains that you experience right now. And 00:22:09.930 --> 00:22:11.650 the thing is, as well, that this isn't just a 00:22:11.650 --> 00:22:13.569 hope, this isn't just a maybe, this isn't just 00:22:13.569 --> 00:22:16.269 a wishful thinking, that this is a guarantee. 00:22:17.430 --> 00:22:19.170 Because there's a third thing that I think Jesus 00:22:19.170 --> 00:22:20.849 says about his kingdom, too, and he says that 00:22:20.849 --> 00:22:26.349 his kingdom, nothing can stop it. And speaking 00:22:26.349 --> 00:22:28.369 of things that you can't stop, for the gardeners 00:22:28.369 --> 00:22:30.630 in the room, one thing that you may all know 00:22:30.630 --> 00:22:34.089 that you can't stop is weeds. Any gardeners in 00:22:34.089 --> 00:22:35.849 the room have to deal with weeds from time to 00:22:35.849 --> 00:22:38.789 time? Yeah, yeah, get a few amens in the room. 00:22:38.670 --> 00:22:41.390 for that. But weeds are so hard to control. You 00:22:41.390 --> 00:22:43.289 get the weed killer and you spray it on the weeds 00:22:43.289 --> 00:22:45.009 and the next minute another weed pops up right 00:22:45.009 --> 00:22:46.609 next to you. It's like playing whack -a -mole 00:22:46.609 --> 00:22:48.829 in your garden. It's like you're trying to like 00:22:48.829 --> 00:22:50.470 spray down these weeds and then another one pops 00:22:50.470 --> 00:22:53.369 up and do you know with weeds it's so hard to 00:22:53.369 --> 00:22:57.210 control it. Once the weeds taken root it's almost 00:22:57.210 --> 00:22:59.930 like you can't stop the weed. Now why I bring 00:22:59.930 --> 00:23:02.910 that up is because do you know I talked about 00:23:02.910 --> 00:23:06.609 how a mustard seed is insignificant. and counterintuitive. 00:23:06.690 --> 00:23:08.670 The reason that it was counterintuitive is because 00:23:08.670 --> 00:23:11.089 it wasn't this grand tree. I think we've always 00:23:11.089 --> 00:23:12.529 had this impression, if you've grown up Christian, 00:23:12.630 --> 00:23:15.009 that this mustard is like this biggest tree ever. 00:23:15.630 --> 00:23:19.230 Did you know it was actually a weed? That mustard 00:23:19.230 --> 00:23:22.210 bush, what the seed turns into, it's a weed. 00:23:24.049 --> 00:23:25.650 That's why his followers would have been like, 00:23:25.650 --> 00:23:30.630 what? Your kingdom's like a weed? But what Jesus 00:23:30.630 --> 00:23:33.950 is trying to show is that actually, It's a weed 00:23:33.950 --> 00:23:37.329 because once it takes root, nothing's going to 00:23:37.329 --> 00:23:41.390 stop it. Nothing's going to contain it, nothing's 00:23:41.390 --> 00:23:43.369 going to restrict it, nothing's going to get 00:23:43.369 --> 00:23:47.390 in the way of it. And how do we know that? Well, 00:23:47.390 --> 00:23:49.750 I think we know that is because, for Christians 00:23:49.750 --> 00:23:52.869 here, is that we believe in the fact and our 00:23:52.869 --> 00:23:55.269 good news is based in the fact of the resurrection. 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:00.079 That we know nothing's going to stop it, this 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:02.440 kingdom from fully arriving, is because Jesus 00:24:02.440 --> 00:24:07.960 rose from the dead. And why that's significant 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:11.460 to me is because if Jesus can rise from the dead, 00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:14.859 because the one thing, whatever you're ruled 00:24:14.859 --> 00:24:17.480 by, the one thing that rules all of us is death. 00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:22.299 We're all going to die at some point. So if Jesus 00:24:22.299 --> 00:24:26.279 can have rule over death itself, Then I'm pretty 00:24:26.279 --> 00:24:28.319 confident he's going to rule this world one day, 00:24:29.660 --> 00:24:33.359 too. That the truth that nothing can stop this 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:36.319 kingdom is in the fact that Jesus conquered death 00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:38.079 itself. So I'm pretty sure he's going to conquer 00:24:38.079 --> 00:24:40.460 and rule and bring this better way of the world 00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:44.460 working itself one day. And nothing can stop 00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:46.819 it. It's not an if, it's not a but, it's not 00:24:46.819 --> 00:24:52.099 a maybe, it's when. No amount of war. is going 00:24:52.099 --> 00:24:54.079 to get in the way of stopping it. No amount of 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:56.640 scandal is going to get in the way of it. No 00:24:56.640 --> 00:24:58.799 amount of the worst of Christianity is going 00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:00.259 to get in the way of it. Let's point out the 00:25:00.259 --> 00:25:06.700 elephant in the room, guys. Is that often sometimes 00:25:06.700 --> 00:25:11.940 the worst of Christianity over the years in the 00:25:11.940 --> 00:25:16.460 name of the kingdom of God has tried to get in 00:25:16.460 --> 00:25:21.680 the way of it? But we have to remember that it 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:25.140 actually doesn't depend on us. It's the king 00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:28.279 who builds the kingdom, and nothing can stop 00:25:28.279 --> 00:25:33.039 that. And even amongst the worst of Christianity, 00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:35.420 even if it's been whatever your view is on it, 00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:37.420 maybe it's been the Spanish Inquisition of the 00:25:37.420 --> 00:25:39.500 1500s, maybe it's been wars that have been done 00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:41.660 in the name of religion, maybe it's been this 00:25:41.660 --> 00:25:43.259 and that, and you can always think of these things 00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:46.140 that just take stock for a moment. If you think 00:25:46.140 --> 00:25:49.710 the world's in a rough place today, Why don't 00:25:49.710 --> 00:25:52.369 we just take stock and perspective for a moment 00:25:52.369 --> 00:25:58.470 and look around us? That actually in our world 00:25:58.470 --> 00:26:00.769 today, yes, there is still a lot of pain, there 00:26:00.769 --> 00:26:02.089 is still a lot of violence, but there are so 00:26:02.089 --> 00:26:03.950 many glimpses of God's kingdom in this world 00:26:03.950 --> 00:26:08.970 today. Do you know the very reason we have hospitals? 00:26:10.250 --> 00:26:13.549 The reason we have charities today? The reason 00:26:13.549 --> 00:26:16.049 we have orphanages? The reason we have education 00:26:16.049 --> 00:26:21.900 to the extent we have it today? the reason we 00:26:21.900 --> 00:26:24.680 have occupational therapy, the reason we have 00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:27.920 all of these things that we have today, it didn't 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:30.039 come, the reason we have our very morality that 00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:33.200 we have today, it didn't come from the enlightenment 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:38.920 200 years ago. It came from the birth of a Christianity 00:26:38.920 --> 00:26:41.680 that was founded in a way that was doing the 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:43.740 small, the insignificant, the counterintuitive 00:26:43.740 --> 00:26:45.539 stuff, the stuff that was bizarre, the stuff 00:26:45.539 --> 00:26:50.069 that didn't make sense, that like a weed, has 00:26:50.069 --> 00:26:53.369 spread around the known world that we know today. 00:26:54.809 --> 00:26:56.450 And perhaps we just need to take stock for a 00:26:56.450 --> 00:26:58.309 moment and realize that we're sitting in a moment 00:26:58.309 --> 00:27:01.670 in history among the weeds of Jesus' kingdom. 00:27:05.650 --> 00:27:09.329 The weeds growing, guys. And nothing can stop 00:27:09.329 --> 00:27:10.910 it because we believe in a King who conquered 00:27:10.910 --> 00:27:15.630 death itself. We're living in the midst of this 00:27:15.630 --> 00:27:19.700 now and not yet kingdom. And so as we close, 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:21.839 I guess, it still begs the question, well, how 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:25.180 do I live in this now and not yet kingdom? Because 00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:27.220 you've been honest and said that we are just 00:27:27.220 --> 00:27:30.259 seeing glimpses of it now, that it might seem 00:27:30.259 --> 00:27:32.279 counterintuitive, it might seem insignificant, 00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:34.779 it might seem small. And also, like you just 00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:36.319 said, well, the king's going to build the kingdom 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:41.940 anyway, so why do I have to do anything? Right? 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.490 Well, I think... The reality is that whether 00:27:46.490 --> 00:27:49.170 we participate, it's a matter of perspective. 00:27:51.569 --> 00:27:54.109 Whether we participate in Jesus' kingdom, it's 00:27:54.109 --> 00:27:57.529 a matter of perspective. Because perspective 00:27:57.529 --> 00:28:01.309 is key. Back to Jess and I, as the real estate 00:28:01.309 --> 00:28:03.349 agent has shown us around the apartment. Like 00:28:03.349 --> 00:28:05.750 I said earlier, the perspective can either be, 00:28:06.289 --> 00:28:11.190 this is bad news. Yes, we can move in now, but 00:28:11.190 --> 00:28:13.640 it's not yet complete. But on the flip side, 00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:18.700 you can see that as good news. Yes, I can move 00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:21.859 in now because I know it's going to be complete. 00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:30.019 And I guess the question is this morning, I think 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:35.039 of Jesus like the real estate agent. And he's 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:36.900 shown you around the apartment complex of his 00:28:36.900 --> 00:28:42.250 kingdom. And he's there saying to you, You can 00:28:42.250 --> 00:28:47.049 move in now. You can experience the amenities, 00:28:47.329 --> 00:28:50.250 the things that, and the glimpses of my kingdom 00:28:50.250 --> 00:28:52.549 that are here now, the bits of heaven that are 00:28:52.549 --> 00:28:55.869 available to you now, knowing one day it's going 00:28:55.869 --> 00:28:58.529 to be complete, knowing that that's going to 00:28:58.529 --> 00:29:02.490 be a guarantee one day. And I think the question 00:29:02.490 --> 00:29:05.009 Jesus leaves with us as that real estate agent 00:29:05.009 --> 00:29:07.289 is this, if you could get a glimpse of heaven 00:29:07.289 --> 00:29:12.559 now, wouldn't you just want that? If you could 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:14.180 receive a glimpse of heaven now, wouldn't you 00:29:14.180 --> 00:29:16.019 want that? And if you could share a glimpse of 00:29:16.019 --> 00:29:18.640 heaven with others, wouldn't you want to do that? 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:23.180 Even if it's just a glimpse. Because a glimpse 00:29:23.180 --> 00:29:25.880 means that there's potential and a guarantee 00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:29.299 of what's to come. And that's a daily choice 00:29:29.299 --> 00:29:31.849 to make that perspective because... Reality is, 00:29:31.950 --> 00:29:33.390 each day we're going to wake up and there's going 00:29:33.390 --> 00:29:34.950 to be more bad news. There's going to be more 00:29:34.950 --> 00:29:37.029 personal troubles. There's going to be more things 00:29:37.029 --> 00:29:39.910 that make the glimpses feel even less of a glimpse, 00:29:40.250 --> 00:29:43.029 that make Jesus' kingdom not feel like it has 00:29:43.029 --> 00:29:45.349 arrived or even start to doubt whether it will 00:29:45.349 --> 00:29:48.789 arrive. And so, how do you help shift that perspective 00:29:48.789 --> 00:29:52.529 consistently day after day? And I think Jesus 00:29:52.529 --> 00:29:56.150 gave us a remedy for that. If you were here the 00:29:56.150 --> 00:29:57.970 last time I spoke, I mentioned the Lord's Prayer. 00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:03.319 It was significant, he put it right at the center 00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:05.519 of his most powerful teachings because it spoke 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:09.279 to the significance of it. And what scholars 00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:11.839 now say is that the Lord's Prayer wasn't just 00:30:11.839 --> 00:30:13.279 a prayer for anything, it was actually a prayer 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:17.660 to shift perspective. It was a prayer to help 00:30:17.660 --> 00:30:21.099 his followers to navigate life in the tension 00:30:21.099 --> 00:30:26.359 of a kingdom that is now but not yet. And he 00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:28.839 said this, that this is how you should pray. 00:30:29.579 --> 00:30:34.279 Our Father in heaven Hallowed be your name Your 00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:39.339 kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it 00:30:39.339 --> 00:30:44.380 is in heaven And what he's trying to show with 00:30:44.380 --> 00:30:48.519 that is it's an invitation To find the perspective 00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:52.500 again that actually his kingdom is here now And 00:30:52.500 --> 00:30:55.519 also to hold on to the promise that it will come 00:30:55.519 --> 00:31:01.079 And when you get that perspective you'll begin 00:31:01.079 --> 00:31:04.180 to participate in it better. I think what it's 00:31:04.180 --> 00:31:07.220 really saying, and in closing, maybe the challenge 00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:09.380 for us today as we conclude this series is maybe 00:31:09.380 --> 00:31:11.180 we need to go into each day, the first thing 00:31:11.180 --> 00:31:13.980 in each morning, praying something like this. 00:31:15.420 --> 00:31:21.539 Lord, what are you up to today? Help me see it 00:31:21.539 --> 00:31:25.900 and be a part of it. And help me to see this 00:31:25.900 --> 00:31:30.680 as just a glimpse of what's to come. And I think 00:31:30.680 --> 00:31:34.660 when we capture that, we capture that the good 00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:39.440 news is, to bookend this series that we've been 00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:44.420 in, the good news is that Jesus' kingdom is now, 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:50.759 but the good news is also it's not yet. It will 00:31:50.759 --> 00:31:53.579 be fully realized. And the good news is nothing 00:31:53.579 --> 00:32:02.200 can stop it. Why don't we pray? Jesus, we thank 00:32:02.200 --> 00:32:07.460 you that your good news is a good news of a kingdom 00:32:07.460 --> 00:32:11.859 that we get to participate in the glimpses of 00:32:11.859 --> 00:32:16.019 here and now. That we get to experience here 00:32:16.019 --> 00:32:17.640 and now, that we get to share with others here 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:21.779 and now. And that the good news is, is that those 00:32:21.779 --> 00:32:23.920 glimpses won't just stay glimpses, but they'll 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:27.940 be fully realized when one day you will fully 00:32:27.940 --> 00:32:33.369 realize this kingdom. that you will put yourself 00:32:33.369 --> 00:32:40.509 finally on the throne of your kingdom. That there 00:32:40.509 --> 00:32:43.109 won't be war, there won't be pain, there won't 00:32:43.109 --> 00:32:46.529 be suffering, there won't be worlds where being 00:32:46.529 --> 00:32:48.809 humble and self -sacrificial in the quiet will 00:32:48.809 --> 00:32:51.950 seem strange, will seem counterintuitive, but 00:32:51.950 --> 00:32:55.970 it will become the normal. Where, like we've 00:32:55.970 --> 00:32:58.349 shared, where we will live in a world where everyone 00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:00.779 is saying, how can I help you? How can I help 00:33:00.779 --> 00:33:04.799 you? How can I help you? Where everyone is radically 00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:07.680 generous to each other, and that you're the king 00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:14.339 of that world. And so as we pray, and for those 00:33:14.339 --> 00:33:18.259 of us who struggle in that kingdom, in the tensions 00:33:18.259 --> 00:33:21.400 that that holds, maybe right now we just need 00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:25.720 to pray that prayer that you taught us to pray. 00:33:30.190 --> 00:33:34.490 that our Father in heaven hallowed be your name. 00:33:36.210 --> 00:33:41.849 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth 00:33:41.849 --> 00:33:47.289 as it is in heaven. We pray that in Jesus' name. 00:33:48.430 --> 00:33:48.769 Amen.