WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:01.679 Good morning, everybody. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:03.120 How y'all doing? 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:05.839 Good good 4th of July weekend, I hope. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:10.800 This uh recently I got to see uh a new movie that's out. 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:11.759 I don't know if you all have seen it. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.199 It's called Inside Out 2. 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:17.440 Um it's uh it's the sequel of a of a great Pixar movie. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:19.359 I'm a huge Pixar fan. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:21.280 Um we're a Pixar family. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:32.320 I just love animation in general, but um so the first Pixar movie came out maybe five or six years ago, and it's about this 11-year-old girl learning to deal with her more complicated emotions. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:34.880 And so you we begin with kind of these five basic ones. 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:41.520 Joy is in the middle, there's fear to the left, then anger, um disgust, and and sadness. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:47.520 And it's it's a beautiful movie, actually has a lot to say about learning about our own emotions, emotional intelligence. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:48.000 It's great. 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:49.840 Well, the second movie came out. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.560 Now, Riley, the main character, this well, the you know, she's kind of in the movie, but really it's about her emotions. 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:57.759 And now she's 13. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:00.000 New emotions are being introduced. 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:05.680 Uh, and the big one is anxiety on the left, but then there's envy on we. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:08.560 I don't really know what it is, but if you watch the movie, you'll get it. 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:10.400 And then uh embarrassment. 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:17.280 I mean, can you imagine what are what better emotions to encapsulate our teenage years, especially a 13-year-old girl? 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:18.159 Amen. 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:20.799 All you guys out there, 13-year-old girl. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:24.159 Anyway, all of us know what it's like to be 13. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:29.599 Um this movie focuses on anxiety, that that character on the left. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:31.920 And it gets, it's a great message. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:36.000 It talks about how anxiety really, our anxiety tries to help us, right? 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:44.799 We think if we can think about all the pitfalls, everything that might go wrong or could go wrong, and we make a plan to get around those things, life will be great. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:53.280 But in reality, when anxiety rules our lives, uh, we can become frozen with fear and we make terrible decisions. 00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:03.840 Now, as I was preparing uh today's sermon and working on this series that we're going through in July, I thought, this is such a timely movie because we're living in a time of anxiety. 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:04.719 Amen? 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:07.359 You guys feeling some anxiety, right? 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.479 All I have to say is it's an election year, right? 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:15.840 There's a presidential election going on, but there's also big wars going on in the world, right? 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:18.319 Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:22.159 You want to get people riled up, just ask them how they feel about those wars. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:24.639 Ask people how they feel about the election coming up. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:29.919 I thought about putting up a picture of our two current presidential candidates. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:37.599 And then asking, what emotions are immediately evoked by this picture? 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:41.840 But I didn't want to, you know, have anyone have a panic attack in church. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:45.280 So we decided I would just reference it. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:47.919 But here's my guess, here's my wager. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.759 I'd probably put a lot of money on this if I was a betting person. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:03:00.719 Uh if I put that picture up there of our two current presidential candidates, the emotion that is not evoked is peace. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:01.919 Yes? 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:03.360 Okay. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:11.039 Well, as I look at the landscape of the world around us, and especially in the church, as a pastor, that's my concern. 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:16.719 What is happening in the church today, both our local church and the church at large? 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:31.680 Uh, it struck me that we are in need of being reminded of one of the most important realities that the scriptures teach us, that Jesus was jealous to teach his people about, and that is the reality of the kingdom of God. 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:46.319 And so today and through the month of July, we're gonna be looking at the subject of the kingdom of God and the fruit that is available to us as we live consciously and intentionally as kingdom citizens. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:52.240 That's our number one identity as Christians above any other earthly allegiance. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:56.000 So, today we're gonna take a high-level view. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:05.680 We're gonna skim the surface of what is the kingdom of God, and then we're gonna look briefly at this first fruit offered to us from the kingdom, which is peace. 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:17.920 So, point number one Jesus came, the reason Jesus came as Messiah was to establish the kingdom on the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:20.319 Two quick passages. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:22.160 First from Matthew 3. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:26.480 In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:30.240 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:33.839 Second passage from the very next chapter, Matthew 4. 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:41.600 From that time, Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:50.560 What's significant about these two passages is that they mark the beginning of both of these men's ministries. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:05:02.079 Both John the Baptist and Jesus announced their ministries with this repent for the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God, used interchangeably, is at hand. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:05.120 It's here, it's arriving, it's coming. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:09.199 So it's true, absolutely true, what we preach here every week. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:18.000 Jesus came to live a perfectly obedient life, to die upon the cross for the sins of the world, and to be raised on the third day. 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:28.000 But that was all in service of this one goal: the the bringing or the establishing or the re-establishing of the kingdom of God. 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:29.519 Now, why is that? 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:30.959 Well, that brings us to point two. 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:37.199 The kingdom of God is God's sovereign rule or sovereign reign, rightly restored. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:42.800 In many ways, this story is very much akin to uh the story of Robin Hood. 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:43.920 You guys know Robin Hood? 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.240 Again, I'm going for the animated angle. 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:51.600 Robin Hood is the story of a kingdom where the good king is away. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.279 Good king Richard, the lionhearted, he is, he is away. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:06.480 And as he's away, his evil brother, Prince John, has risen to power, and now he is mistreating and oppressing the people, especially the poor. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:10.560 Now, Robin Hood, he's kind of fighting a bat back against Prince John. 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.839 He's stealing from the rich to uh give to the poor. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:18.399 But but really the hope of the story is the return of the rightful king. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:26.480 When King Richard comes back, he will put everything back the way it was supposed to be, and the way it was before. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:30.399 This is an echo of the story we're talking about in the scriptures. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:32.800 And this story goes back to the very beginning. 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:37.839 In Genesis 1, we see God create the heavens and the earth, all of creation. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:39.920 But the way it's described is fascinating. 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:47.120 God creates these realms or these kingdoms, and then he fills those realms with many rulers or little kings, right? 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:51.759 So God creates light and dark, and he names it day and night. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:56.639 And then he fills it with the sun and the moon to rule over the day and the night. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:05.199 Well, he also separates the waters from the sky, and then later he fills the water with the fish of the sea, and the air with the birds of the air. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:14.000 Later he has the waters recede and the dry land appears, and he fills the land with the creeping things and the animals and the creatures. 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:17.759 And then finally, his crowning achievement in creation. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:26.000 He creates man, Adam and Eve, to reign and to rule, to have dominion over all of his creation. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:29.519 Theologians call this uh a vice-gerency. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:34.560 He these are this is a king and a queen who rule in place of another. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:40.560 And Adam and Eve were to reflect God's heart and character to his good creation. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:43.759 This was what God was doing in creation. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:51.120 But as we know, the evil one comes, he tempts and persuades our first parents to rebel against their rightful king. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.120 Everything is turned upside down. 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:56.959 Sin and death enter into God's good creation for the first time. 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:08.480 And along with those come pain and toil, frustration, sickness, envy, discord, and ultimately murder, we see in Cain and in Abel. 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:16.160 This good creation where God and mankind were meant to dwell together in harmony was ruptured. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:22.160 Adam and Eve are expelled, exiled, if you will, from the garden. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:27.600 And these two realms, these two kingdoms, are separated. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:38.639 The kingdom of heaven, where God dwells, the kingdom of this world where humanity dwells, but also, right, Satan and all of his minions. 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:43.759 And now the power of sin and evil is allowed to run rampant. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:50.480 And in this context, Jesus' ministry begins to make sense to us. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:52.960 Because Jesus was confusing, right? 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:58.399 He can be confusing to us still to this day, but Jesus was confusing to those around him in his day. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:01.919 Not only the Pharisees and the religious leaders, but his own disciples. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:06.879 And John the Baptist himself, the forerunner of the kingdom, right? 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:16.399 John is in prison at one point, and he sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him this question: Are you the one that we've been waiting for? 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:18.159 Or should we be looking for another? 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:18.399 Right? 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:21.360 John himself is beginning to doubt. 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:23.120 How does Jesus respond? 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:28.159 He says to his disciples, Tell John this, what you see and hear. 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:40.320 The demons are cast out, the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the good news preached to them. 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:46.240 So we can broadly break this up into three different categories of what Jesus is doing in his ministry. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:50.559 And these are all signs that God's kingdom is being restored on the earth. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:52.399 First, the healing of the sick. 00:09:53.039 --> 00:10:04.159 Like we said, sin and death, death and sickness, the toil of this world is part of the curse that was placed upon the earth because of Adam and Eve's sin. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:16.720 And so as Jesus goes around and he heals the sick and he raises the dead, he's communicating through his miracles that he is healing this earth from that curse. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:19.200 He is undoing that initial curse. 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:21.200 And then he casts out demons, right? 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:25.919 The demons are the spiritual powers of darkness that are in rebellion against God. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:30.240 And the scriptures in the New Testament speak about them openly. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:36.799 But as Jesus goes about his business and he speaks with authority to these demons, then they must obey. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:37.279 Why? 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:40.240 Because Jesus represents the rightful king. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:42.960 He is God in the flesh. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.440 And so they have no choice but to obey. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:56.320 But as he is casting out demons, he is communicating to his people, I am restoring God's kingdom, his rightful rule here on earth, as it is in heaven. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:59.519 Finally, he says he's preaching the good news to the poor. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:02.799 Now, why is that a sign of the kingdom of God? 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:04.559 Well, it's because of this. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:15.519 Isaiah foretold that when the Messiah came, it would mean the end of oppression, for which the poor were often the most afflicted. 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:15.919 Right? 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:27.519 In God's kingdom, and you see this in the Old Testament, Old Testament law that we've been looking at some, that in God's kingdom all people are equal and are treated with equity and justice. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:46.559 And so that's what Jesus is preaching to the poor, that you, who society views as less than, perhaps less than human or can just be shoved aside because you have no value, he says, no, in God's kingdom you have just as much value as the most wealthy or holy person out there. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:12:01.360 You see, though they did not recognize him, Jesus is the returning king, Richard, the lion-hearted, who's come to kick out the oppressive rulers and to restore things to rights. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:03.519 Let's move on to point three. 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:11.200 Through his work of obedience on the cross, Jesus was declared king over all things and seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:16.480 And the point here is that Jesus didn't just come to do this, he did it. 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:19.039 It's a fine distinction. 00:12:19.360 --> 00:12:22.480 Jesus accomplished what he came to do. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:28.720 Listen to the way the Apostle Paul describes what happened to Jesus after his death on the cross. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:31.120 Paul writes this in Ephesians chapter 1. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:43.759 The Father raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, above every name that is named, not only in this age, but in the one to come. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:47.279 And he put all things under his feet. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:48.799 What's happened? 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:52.080 Jesus has succeeded where Adam failed. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:13:05.600 Adam was meant to succeed in the trial of the garden and to be seated at God's own right hand and to rule as his, you know, kind of king of creation. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:08.960 But where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:14.080 And so he is seated, Paul tells us, above all things, all dominion, all rulers. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:22.559 He's saying there is not anything on this earth or in all of creation that exceeds King Jesus' authority. 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:25.759 And this is where Jesus is this very moment. 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.519 Have you ever wondered where is Jesus right now? 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:34.080 Is he some kind of disembodied spirit or does he just exist in the Trinity? 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:39.039 Jesus exists embodied, seated at God's right hand. 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:40.320 Seated. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:49.039 A king's authority was sort of pictured at this time in his session, his seatedness. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.000 A king rules seated upon his throne. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:56.559 And so Paul is jealous to communicate this is exactly where Jesus is. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:03.919 There is nothing that happens in this earth anywhere that happens outside of his power and authority. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:10.720 Now, this does not answer every question, right, that arises in our mind if this idea of the kingdom of God is new to you. 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:16.480 It doesn't answer every question like why do terrible things still continue to happen if Jesus is seated on the throne. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:29.679 But the one thing I want us to see today is this that Jesus came to restore the rightful reign of God, to restore the reign that Adam was meant to have on this earth. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:37.519 So that, as Revelation 21, verse 3 says, the dwelling place of God is with man. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.240 This is God's ultimate end. 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:47.919 This is Jesus' ultimate purpose, to restore this relationship that was meant to be from the beginning. 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:48.879 Amen? 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:50.879 Are you with me? 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:51.519 Alright. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:53.919 A little bit heavy on the teaching today, I understand. 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:55.279 Alright, final point. 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:56.960 How are we doing on time? 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:07.200 To live as kingdom citizens allows us to live with a peace that passes all understanding, even in the midst of this chaotic world. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:15.039 Now, we've only skimmed this concept of the kingdom, and I said over the next three weeks we'll continue to dig into it. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:25.840 But I want us to see that this idea, the idea of the kingdom, is where Jesus goes when he lovingly attends to the fears and anxieties of his people. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:32.480 When he sees the fears and anxieties of his people, he says, I want to teach you about the kingdom of God. 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:35.679 Earlier, Keel read to us from Matthew chapter 6. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:42.080 This is from the Sermon on the Mount, one of Jesus' most famous teachings and sermons. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:48.879 And he says there, this is my favorite passage in the Bible, so I've read it hundreds and hundreds of times. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:58.159 Jesus tells his hearers not to be anxious, not to be anxious about their lives, without what they'll eat, what they'll drink, what they'll wear, right? 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:10.639 And this would, these were real anxieties for the people he was speaking to, but but we can easily extrapolate these things to all the things that we worry about in our lives. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.960 As he addresses them, he he points to very natural things, right? 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.200 The birds of the air, the flowers of the field. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:18.320 What does he say? 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:20.960 Your father in heaven, he feeds them. 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:22.799 He clothes them. 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.039 Guess who doesn't worry about these things? 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:26.799 Birds and flowers. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:31.200 And he says, this is an option for you. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:39.679 Just as a bird doesn't worry about his food and yet gets, receives plenty, you don't have to worry. 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:55.679 Just as the flowers of the fields don't worry about what they'll wear, but they are beautifully adorned, so too can you be free of anxiety and yet receive all that you need. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:57.919 How can this be? 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:04.960 Well, he tells us in verse 33, he says, Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat, what shall we drink, what shall we wear? 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:08.480 For the Gentiles seek after these things. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:12.799 And, or but, I would say, your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:18.400 So the Gentiles, right, at this time, Gentiles were anyone who is non-Jewish, not Israel, right? 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:22.000 There were just two types of people for the Israelites. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:24.799 You were either Jewish or not, and that's a Gentile. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:25.759 Well, what's the distinction? 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:27.759 Well, the Israel was God's people. 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.799 They knew God, God knew them, and they had his promises. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:35.920 And so what Jesus is saying is, well, the Gentiles, of course, they have to seek after these things. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:37.599 They live as orphans. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:39.279 They don't know God. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:40.400 God doesn't know them. 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:43.039 They don't have his promises as you do. 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:45.119 But how does he, and then how does he close? 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:49.039 He says, Your heavenly father knows that you need these things. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:54.240 So again, he's placing God's people, saying, if you are in the people of God, you are children of God. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:58.880 And this is how God sees you as a loving father does his own children. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.559 Jesus speaks about this in some of his other teachings and parables. 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:06.880 God loves you. 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:18.559 And if you, as an earthly father or mother, want to provide for your children, then you have a glimpse into the heart of God for you. 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:23.759 You don't need to worry because someone else is worrying about these things for you. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:39.119 But then he says this he says, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these other things, what you will wear, what you will eat, what you will drink, these will be added to you, given to you. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:49.519 You see, rather than being like the Gentiles who seek after these things, these material things, they seek after security, they seek after provision, they want to feel safe. 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:53.200 Rather than seeking after that, Jesus says we ought to seek after something. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:54.400 What do we seek after? 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:56.640 We seek after the kingdom of God. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:01.440 And we seek after his righteousness. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:03.680 Well, what does that mean? 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:20.880 To seek after the kingdom of God, it means to pursue, actively pursue the reality that the scriptures tell us about, which is that God, the God who loves us and knows us in Christ, is seated as the rightful king over all things. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:23.599 And so he watches over us. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:26.160 Not only does he provide, but he protects. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.920 Not only does he provide and protect, but he loves. 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:34.079 He's our king, he's our father, he's our God. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:43.839 So rather than seek after these material things that never ultimately sustain us, we are to seek after this reality that's already true. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:46.559 That's true of us, that's true of the world. 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:55.200 That our God reigns, and that he is currently establishing his kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:58.640 And not only to his kingdom, but we pursue his righteousness. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:00.079 What is God's righteousness? 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.759 It is Jesus that has been given to us by faith. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:11.279 Not because we've earned it, not because we've worked harder than others, not because we've figured out the secret, but because by faith it is a gift. 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:14.240 So what is Jesus pointing us to? 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:20.319 To live within the reality that Jesus has said, This is what I've created, this is what I'm doing. 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:23.200 I'm seated at the right hand of the Father and I'm reigning. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:30.640 Nothing happens in your life or anywhere in this world apart from my sovereign oversight. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:34.559 And then he adds that all of these things will be added to you. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:48.000 You need these things, and I will provide them. 00:20:48.799 --> 00:21:13.599 So beloved, during this time of anxiety, during this year, this time that we are in our world, when we, like Adam and Eve, our first parents, are tempted to rebel, to seek our own control and security, our Lord Jesus is inviting us to go a different direction, to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:14.240 Guess what? 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:15.680 That we already have. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:20.720 These are the things we preach week in and week out here at Redeemer. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.480 Now, this doesn't mean that we stand aloof from the things of the world. 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:25.440 Far from it. 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:30.000 We have a vital role to play in God's world. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:56.160 But it does mean that rather than being ruled by either sadness or anxiety or any other emotion, that all of our emotions, our whole person, can exist in a peaceful submission to the God of the universe and King Jesus who reigns even now, so that we can be at peace and we can be a force for God's kingdom peace in this world. 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:57.440 Let's pray. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:03.920 Our Father and our God, Lord, thank you for this truth. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:13.839 Thank you that apart from anything that we have done or can do or will do, you are seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:29.039 And Lord, though it is often difficult for us to see and to understand, just as in uh for Jesus' own disciples and John the Baptist, Lord, we say by faith that you reign, that we can have peace. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:36.319 Even as the mountains tumble into the raging sea, that you are our refuge and strength. 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:37.519 We give you thanks. 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:43.440 We ask by your spirit that we would walk more and more in your peace this week through the rest of our lives. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:44.400 Amen.