The Kingdom of God
Obadiah talks about a coming kingdom.
Obadiah 1:15-21
Many of the minor prophet's foretell of Jesus coming.
It was into the persecution of Israel by the Romans that Jesus is born.
What's the kingdom Jesus ushered in like?
Totally different. Countercultural
Matthew 5-7, sermon on the mount.
Turns everything on it's head
How we deal with anger, lust, divorce, oaths, getting your own back, loving your enemies, looking after the poor, how we get into heaven.
Jesus talks about a coming kingdom too
He's coming back!
What Jesus said wasn't a new thing. It was there in the scriptures already.
Isaiah 11:1-11
No weeping or pain. Wolf and the lamb together.
Clearly not the kingdom that came with Christ.
Now and not yet of the kog
It says he will come a second time.
Return of Christ
Matt 24
Now and not yet
Rebuild of a demolished temple in 3 days.
This was imminent.
The return was not straight away.
Death and resurrection
Ripping the curtain in 2
There will be wars, and famine and unrest like never before.
Persecution of the church
False prophets
Jesus talks about what Daniel had written about the coming age.
Be ready because of the signs you will see around you.
The key. But no one except the father knows the exact day and time. So be ready.
All of the world needs to hear first. Have they?
Zechariah 14, difficult reading in light of what we see in Israel.
Isa 10:20 a remnant of Israel will return to god
Rom 11 all Israel will be saved, but only after all gentiles have heard
Restoration of Israel needs to happen before the return of Christ.
Can be translated the salvation of Israel.
1 John 2:18
He was seeing the signs he'd heard Jesus talk about, still only a generation after Christ.
Here we are 2000 years on….
People said in 1st century all the prerequisites for Christ's return had been fulfilled.
Then first and second world wars
Re-creation of Israel after 2nd world war
The Israel wars 1967 war, 1973 war.
The antichrist had been named as emporers and roman leaders, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, even putin. USA. And europe
I don't know. But I know I need to be alert
Luke 17:20 NLT
We are changed when the Kingdom comes, as is society around us
Love, Joy, Peace, The effects of the Holy Spirit working amongst us
Some signs will be visible
2 men, 1 taken and 1 left. Rapture
Millennium. No point building your theology around such things. It's a mystery
1 John 2:24
So in times of trouble and persecution….
The only 4 chapters of the bible where there is not sin in the world are genesis 1+2, and revelation 21+22.
In the 1285 in-between God explains people's sin to them, and when they cannot find their way out He sends His son as a way out, a release, an escape.
Garden to a city…..
Revelation 22:20-21
Jesus talked about the kingdom he was ushering in.
We are saved for a different life now, but also saved for a life in heaven.
What will heaven be like?
No more crying. No more pain.
City on a hill.
New heaven and a new earth.
Dare to be excited.
Waiting rooms can be hard classrooms
3 responses to the return of Christ.
It's not imminent. So live life.
It's any day. So no need to buy insurance, but food, etc
It's soon, so tell everyone, so all can be saved. Give all for Christ. This is how we should be living.
Parable 10 virgins Matt 25, only half were ready. The others were not.
Are you ready?
Questions for groups
What does it mean to be ready for the return of Christ?
What do you make of current world events?
Are you ready?