30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 14-17 The cross and the kingdom of God 12 Your kingdom come
📖 Luke 16:14-17
15Apr2020 - *Your kingdom come* - _Luke 16:14-17_ - Bible reading: _Matthew 9:35-38_
_Luke 16:16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it._
It is for the church to be the demonstrative model of life in His kingdom. If the church does not live out His kingdom, then the world has no way to understand the life in God’s kingdom.
As I have been sharing, we are trying to get rid of the symptoms, the disease of man’s rebellion against God is what must be addressed. In rebelling against God, we came out of His kingdom. Man, under the control of satan, is an enemy of God and His kingdom.
God is reconciling man back to Him and to come back into His kingdom, as we appropriate His death on the cross, His burial and His resurrection, by faith in Him. We must realise that for us to rise with Christ, we must first die and be buried with Him. If there is no death and burial there can be no resurrection.
So, Jesus went about proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel of His kingdom and simultaneously He was focussed to go the cross and there die, be buried and to then to rise up. The gospel of the kingdom becomes real in a context. _Matthew 9:35-38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd._ This is the context. Jesus saw people in their real condition and He was filled with compassion for them that they needed to come back to Him and to fullness of His kingdom.
This was His concern for His disciples that they should be one with Him in His mission. _(37) Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. (38) Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."_ He longs for the church to be one with Him in His mission for people, who are today weary and frightened that they should come into the fullness of God’s kingdom, for that is the solution for the crisis.
Jesus therefore commissioned His disciples for the ministry. _Luke 9:1-2 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. (2) He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 10:9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'_ This was the mission of the early church, which was to bring people into the fullness of His kingdom. _Acts 28:30-31 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, (31) preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him._
This was the prayer that the Lord taught us to pray. _Matthew 6:9-10 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven._
*Thought to ponder*
```Are we, the church, in tune with the mission of God?```