Where is the Good News? - Jordan Westfield

Here's another inspiring message from Northside

Community Church Sydney Yes, whoa the good news

The good news I'm excited to keep sharing and

we conclude our series on the good news today

And my name is Jordan if you don't know and I

have the privilege of sharing with you this morning

I'm looking forward to it on the good news, but

I'll tell you what's not good news at the moment.

It's the Sydney housing market is not good news.

Anyone else feel that at the moment? The Sydney

housing market isn't good news at the moment.

And I don't know whether you've experienced this,

but for myself and my lovely wife Jess, we've

experienced this, is that it feels like, especially

in Sydney, part of the problem is that there's

way more demand than there is supply at the moment,

isn't there? There's like way more people looking

for houses than there are actual houses and places

available. I feel like that's a big part of the

problem at the moment. And Jess and I experienced

this firsthand a couple of years ago because

the way they're trying to solve this is that

they're building all these brand new apartment

complexes and they're getting people to move

into them before they're even finished. into

these new apartment complexes, right? And we

experienced that ourselves. We were looking for

our first place. As you can probably tell from

my accent, I'm not from Australia originally.

We emigrated back a couple of years ago. And

when we emigrated back, we were looking for a

place to live and we found this beautiful, as

it was advertised anyway, this beautiful apartment

complex. And we were there, ready to move in,

and the real estate agents showing us around.

And we're walking around this apartment complex,

and we're kind of going in our heads going, yeah,

I guess, you know, they're saying it's ready

to move in now. You know, when it says, like,

move in date, move in now, like, on the thing.

And we're like, I mean, I guess it is ready to

move into now, but it doesn't feel quite complete.

The elevator wasn't working yet in the place.

Our front door wasn't locking properly yet in

our place. The carpets hadn't been installed

yet. The paint was still kind of a bit wet on

the walls as it was drying the place. And yes,

there was an apartment. And yes, it was livable.

And yes, we could move into it. And I guess we

could move into it now. But it wasn't quite complete

yet. right? And so, we were kind of left in this

tension of like, there's a place we can move

into now, but it's not quite finished yet. And

maybe we're the only unfortunate ones to experience

this, but it's a reality going around around

Sydney, and it's not good news at the moment.

But when I thought about that and thinking about

that, it kind of reminds me and maybe how you

think about the kingdom of God sometimes, and

maybe how you think about God's kingdom. Because

to set the context we're concluding a series

on the good news and what we've been sharing

about is that the fullness of the good news that

the good news you've maybe heard growing up or

you maybe heard from your Christian friend is

that Jesus died for your sins so you go to heaven

when you die and we're not saying that's untrue

but what we're saying is that there's a fullness

to the good news and the fullness of the good

news is that Jesus came as king of a kingdom

that has arrived here and now and what we've

been asking you to do is to rethink how you might

live in that kingdom and you're probably going

to me, well Jordan, I have been rethinking how

I might live in that kingdom if I've been part

of this series so far, and what I've been rethinking

and thinking about is, if Jesus' good news is

the kingdom of God has arrived, where is it?

Where is it? And not only are we asking, where

is it? Then we're going, well if I'm meant to

participate in this kingdom, if I can't see where

it is, how do I participate in it? It kind of

feels like the Sydney apartment complex that

Jess and I moving into that yeah, I Can kind

of see it. I can kind of see glimpses of it.

I can kind of see elements of it here and now

but Like our apartment complex. It kind of feels

Incomplete it kind of feels like there's something

missing It kind of feels like something's not

quite here yet and we're kind of left asking

the question Well, if this is the good news,

well, where is it? Where is the good news if

Jesus came and his good news was that the kingdom

of God this better way for the world to run is

here And it's available now. Well, where is it?

That if the kingdom of God is a better way for

the world to be here and now Then why when I

turn on my TV is there was going on left right

and center? Why when I scroll through and do

my doom scroll as we talked about a few weeks

ago why when I do him scroll is there scandals

going on left right and center with public figures

and politicians and whoever it may be, why is

there just bad news everywhere around the world

still? And maybe it applies to you personally

as well, is that if the good news is that there's

a better way for the world to run, but also my

world to be run, and if it's arrived now, then

why is my marriage still falling apart? Why are

my finances still a mess? Why am I getting mistreated

and overlooked at work? Why are these things

still happening if this better way for the world

to work this? Idea of what we've been talking

about that God's heaven like heaven is coming

to earth here and now I don't see heaven Where

is it? I can see maybe some glimpses of it But

if it's fully arrived Where is it and I guess

what it leaves us going is it begs the question

this applies to everyone whether you're a Christian

or a non -christian in this place is that really

what you're asking is if God is this loving God

who's bringing his reign here on earth. Why can't

I see it? Why can't I see his reign here on earth?

Why does it not feel complete? Is the question

that we ask, right? And that's the tension we've

got to wrestle with. And because we start going,

well, how am I meant to participate in a kingdom

that I can't really see? That I can't see the

fullness of? That doesn't feel complete. And...

Part of the thing is is that we're not the only

ones who were asking these questions that Jesus's

early followers were asking this same question

2 ,000 years ago when Jesus came onto earth 2

,000 years ago and he started talking about this

good news that his kingdom that this better way

for the world to run where God is in charge where

Jesus is in charge is now here His early followers

were asking the same question Because I don't

know if you know any kind of history, but I know

things may look pretty bleak right now But they

were really bleak 2 ,000 years ago The world

was pretty, pretty bleak 2 ,000 years ago, and

Jesus' followers were asking those same questions

that we're asking. Well, Jesus, if you're bringing

this good news, well, where is it? If the kingdom

of God has arrived, where is it? And Jesus recognized

this. And the good news, no pun intended for

us today, is that Jesus addressed this, because

this idea of the kingdom can seem so distant,

it can be so hard to see for us. that Jesus,

kindly enough, described it for us. He described

what his kingdom looks like, and the way he described

it, as Christian alluded to earlier, is he used

things called parables. He used stories. He used

anecdotes. He described it. And there's so many

different parables that Jesus used to describe

His kingdom. So, so many. But one that we're

going to pick on today we'll get into. And part

of what I wonder is actually if Jesus had skipped

the 2 ,000 years and had just arrived today and

was given us a modern -day parable. I think the

modern -day parable Jesus would have used when

He describes what His kingdom is like. I think

He would have said something like this. He said,

the kingdom of God is like a Sydney apartment

complex. complex, that you can move into now,

but it's not quite complete yet. That's why I

think he would have described it now, but he

didn't. He described it differently to us 2 ,000

years ago, and this is how he described it on

the screen, and it's in Matthew chapter 13, and

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

what he says is this, he says, the kingdom of

heaven, which is the kingdom of God, is like

a mustard seed, which a man took and planted

in his field. Though it is the smallest of all

seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of

garden plants and becomes a tree so that the

birds come and perch in its branches. That's

how Jesus describes his kingdom and what we're

gonna see is that what Jesus is describing his

kingdom as, is he's describing his kingdom is

here now, but it's also not yet. That Jesus'

kingdom is now, But it's also, it's not yet.

It's like a Sydney apartment complex that you

can move into now. It's not quite complete yet.

And so we're gonna see why and what that means

for us today. So first, let's look at what Jesus

means by His kingdom is here now. His kingdom

is here now. And in that parable, what is Jesus

describing that is here now? He's describing

what is here now, what is present in the moment,

what his kingdom is now, is the mustard seed.

It's this tiny little mustard seed. And you may

be thinking, well, what's significant about the

mustard seed, Jesus? And I'm sure the people

who are hearing this are going, come on, tell

us. What's so grand about this mustard seed?

Nothing. Nothing is grand or significant about

a mustard seed. If Jesus was wanting to communicate

grander about his kingdom, he probably would

have just used a different seed even, for example.

He would have used something like a cedar tree

or something along those lines. But he described

a mustard seed, something that even his early

followers are going, what? Your kingdom is this

tiny little seed that is here and now, that this

kingdom, this good news that has arrived here

and now is this tiny... little seed that is small,

that is humble, that seems insignificant, that

is ultimately counterintuitive. It's kind of

like the apartment complex, Jess and I are moving

into that. It's there now, but it's very humble.

It's still small. It's not got the carpets installed

yet. The paint's still not dry yet. The door's

not locking properly yet. The dishwasher's not

working properly yet. There's something just

insignificant and also counterintuitive about

a mustard seed. That actually Jesus is describing

this kingdom of a better way for the world to

work and they think that it's going to be described

as this grand thing and we think it's going to

be described as this grand thing, but he says

it's a tiny little seed. And I guess it begs

the question for us this morning that when we're

looking for God's kingdom here now, Guess the

question we need to ask ourselves and what Jesus

is asking for us is what kingdom are you looking

for now? What kind of kingdom are you looking

for now? Because maybe when we're looking for

kingdom when we're looking for these grand ways

for the world to be taken over We're thinking

of power. We're thinking of authority. We're

thinking of these big grand things But what Jesus

says is that his kingdom comes in small? seemingly

insignificant and counter -intuitive ways. That's

how we see His kingdom here now. And in fact,

His early followers, when they were bringing

His kingdom into the world, into the Roman world

of 2 ,000 years ago, that's how it seemed probably

to them, but especially to the Romans. They were

probably looking at this kingdom of God and thinking,

this is a bit weird. That actually... There's

proof of this. There's evidence, historical evidence

that there's a quote from a historian called

Tom Holland, not the guy who plays Spider -Man.

That would be a pretty pointless quote. There's

also a historian called Tom Holland as well.

And he writes in a book called Dominion, which

is about the rise of early Christianity. And

he writes in the book, he says, to the Romans,

early Christian doctrines and practices such

as charity and caring for the weak were seen

as bizarre compared to the Roman ethos of power.

God's kingdom seems bizarre. Even today, when

we are looking for a kingdom that is of power,

that actually what Jesus is saying is what you

should be looking for is the small or what seems

insignificant and what really will be counterintuitive.

Because why it was bizarre 2 ,000 years ago because

the Roman world was governed by power And what

these early Christians were doing is they were

coming into the world and what they were doing

is they were treating everyone as equal That's

crazy They were being over and above generous

to the extent of their own wealth, that's crazy

They were creating the first ever orphanages

that we've ever seen in the known world today

that Romans if there was any small defects on

a child They would throw it in the trash. That's

true. And what Christians would do is they would

be the ones to lift these babies out of the trash

and care for them. That was bizarre. That was

counterintuitive. That was strange. And so, what

does it look like today to be counterintuitive?

What does God's kingdom look like that seems

so counterintuitive today? Well, I think the

other reality, what is so significant why Jesus

uses the seed as the analogy is, do you know

what happens with the seed? That before it sprouts,

It dies. A seed dies before it ever sprouts.

And I think what Jesus is saying is that in the

world where the kingdom of this world, the way

that we think the world is ruled is by growing

yourself, is by doing everything for yourself,

is by building yourself. What Jesus says, as

he says in his gospel, is actually that my kingdom

is denying yourself. that my kingdom is denying

yourself, and that's counter -intuitive. People

are going to see that as bizarre. People are

going to see that as strange. You might even

see yourself as strange. But God's kingdom arrives

here and now in quiet self -sacrifice. When people

have been violent to you, they're not retaliating

with the same violence that's been shown to you

by being overly and abovely generous to other

people at the extent of your own self. denying

yourself quiet, humble, small, individual self

-sacrifice. And it might not make sense to the

friends around you, to the people in your workplace,

to even yourself, but the reason it doesn't make

sense yet is because it's only a glimpse of what's

to come. What you're participating in, it's just

a glimpse of what's to come. And that leads on

to the next point is that Jesus' kingdom is not

just now in this small, humble, insignificant,

counterintuitive way, but it's here now, and

it's just a glimpse of what's not yet. The reason

that Jess and I, after being shown around that

Sydney apartment complex, decided to stay, spoiler

alert, we stayed, even though it hadn't been

completed yet, we stayed because we knew what

we were experiencing now was just a glimpse of

what was to come. Maybe you've been out when

you do like a home reno and there's either you

and a friend or your partner and one of you is

either the Pessimist and one's the optimist right

and that was for us with Jess and I is that I

was looking around it going what are we doing

here and then Jess is going well, it's got potential

It's got potential and that's what a mustard

seed is isn't it a Mustard seed doesn't just

stay a mustard seed It's the potential of what's

to come It's just the glimpse of what it will

be. As Jesus says in his parable, it doesn't

just stay a mustard seed, one day it will grow

into the largest of garden plants. And likewise,

what he means is that Jesus' kingdom now is just

a glimpse of what's to come. And the reason it's

just a glimpse is because the reality is that

you may be questioning, well, if his kingdom

has arrived, why is it just these glimpses? And

the reality of that is that his kingdom's not

gonna fully arrive until everyone acknowledges

the King. And we all know we live in a world

where not everyone acknowledges Jesus is the

King. But what he promises is that one day there

will be. And how do we know that? How do we know

that the glimpse isn't just all there is? How

do we know that it is just a glimpse of what's

to come? And again, Jesus' early followers were

thinking the same thing. that Jesus' followers

had just seen him come back from the dead. They'd

seen him come back from the dead, and now they're

thinking, all right, this is the time. You've

been talking about this kingdom arriving. Yes,

you've been showing your glimpses in your life.

Your kingdom's gonna come now. And they were

talking about it with Jesus. They were so excited.

They were like, oh yes, your kingdom's gonna

come now. The world's gonna be perfect. It's

gonna be the best place ever in the world. My

life's gonna be changed. And they're saying all

this, and what does Jesus do? He has his Star

Trek Beam Me Up Scotty moment, and he disappears

off to heaven. And we find this scene where Jesus'

disciples are stood there, gormless, going, looking

at each other going, what do we do now? What

now? What do we do now? We find this scene where

they're staring up. at the sky, not knowing what

to do. They're probably dumbfounded, maybe like

some of you guys, saying, well, Jesus, you're

talking about your way being better here and

now, but you're not here. It's only glimpses.

And so, we find this scene. And what just happens

here is that some angels come to his followers,

and they say this in Acts chapter one, if we

go to that next slide. They say, men of Galilee,

they said, Why do you stand here looking into

the sky? Probably dumbfounded. This same Jesus

who has been taken from you into heaven, here's

the key, will come back in the same way you've

seen him go into heaven. He will come back. And

that was the thing that his early followers,

his disciples, they clung onto when... They were

so confused that a world around them that still

had so much pain and so much feeling that His

kingdom hadn't fully arrived. But how they knew

it was just a glimpse of what's to come is because

they trusted the promise that He's going to come

back. That Jesus, the King, that He started His

kingdom, He disappeared, but one day the King's

going to come back and He's going to fully realize

His kingdom. He's going to fully realize his

kingdom and what that means is that actually

the glimpses of his kingdom that we participate

in now, the things that at the moment seem small,

that seem insignificant, the way that I'm radically

generous above and beyond but I don't get it

in return, the way that I try and love others

even though when they don't seem to love me back,

that there's one day going to be a world where

Jesus' kingdom is fully realized, where the King

is going to come back and bring it in his fullness

and those glimpses... will become more than glimpses.

The glimpses of heaven will be fully realized.

And that was the good news that his followers

clung onto. That they clung onto the fact that

the good news is that his kingdom has not yet

been fully realized. That these glimpses that

we sit in now, that one day they won't just be

glimpses, that the pain that we see around in

the world, it won't stay pain. That was the hope

that they held and again, it's like our apartment

complex That we move in now and we moved in Knowing

that even though we're gonna have our frustrations

that the dishwasher doesn't quite work yet Even

though we're gonna have our frustrations that

the front door isn't locking properly yet Even

though we have to use the stairwell instead of

the elevator from time to time We hold on to

hope in the frustrations that one day it's going

to be complete. And likewise for you, we deal

with the frustrations of a kingdom that is now

but not yet, that hasn't been fully realized.

The frustrations of why my personal life is struggling,

the frustrations why there's war everywhere I

turn, the frustrations of why... My finances

are a mess, the frustration why my relationships

are still breaking down. But the good news is

that one day that won't be the reality. That

the glimpses that you participate in will be

fully realized. And Paul, one of Jesus' followers,

I think, puts it best like this, he was living

in the midst of this. He says, therefore we do

not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting

away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by

day for our light momentary troubles are achieving

for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them

all. Now will you participate now knowing that

what's to come is going to far outweigh the frustrations

the pains that you experience right now. And

the thing is, as well, that this isn't just a

hope, this isn't just a maybe, this isn't just

a wishful thinking, that this is a guarantee.

Because there's a third thing that I think Jesus

says about his kingdom, too, and he says that

his kingdom, nothing can stop it. And speaking

of things that you can't stop, for the gardeners

in the room, one thing that you may all know

that you can't stop is weeds. Any gardeners in

the room have to deal with weeds from time to

time? Yeah, yeah, get a few amens in the room.

for that. But weeds are so hard to control. You

get the weed killer and you spray it on the weeds

and the next minute another weed pops up right

next to you. It's like playing whack -a -mole

in your garden. It's like you're trying to like

spray down these weeds and then another one pops

up and do you know with weeds it's so hard to

control it. Once the weeds taken root it's almost

like you can't stop the weed. Now why I bring

that up is because do you know I talked about

how a mustard seed is insignificant. and counterintuitive.

The reason that it was counterintuitive is because

it wasn't this grand tree. I think we've always

had this impression, if you've grown up Christian,

that this mustard is like this biggest tree ever.

Did you know it was actually a weed? That mustard

bush, what the seed turns into, it's a weed.

That's why his followers would have been like,

what? Your kingdom's like a weed? But what Jesus

is trying to show is that actually, It's a weed

because once it takes root, nothing's going to

stop it. Nothing's going to contain it, nothing's

going to restrict it, nothing's going to get

in the way of it. And how do we know that? Well,

I think we know that is because, for Christians

here, is that we believe in the fact and our

good news is based in the fact of the resurrection.

That we know nothing's going to stop it, this

kingdom from fully arriving, is because Jesus

rose from the dead. And why that's significant

to me is because if Jesus can rise from the dead,

because the one thing, whatever you're ruled

by, the one thing that rules all of us is death.

We're all going to die at some point. So if Jesus

can have rule over death itself, Then I'm pretty

confident he's going to rule this world one day,

too. That the truth that nothing can stop this

kingdom is in the fact that Jesus conquered death

itself. So I'm pretty sure he's going to conquer

and rule and bring this better way of the world

working itself one day. And nothing can stop

it. It's not an if, it's not a but, it's not

a maybe, it's when. No amount of war. is going

to get in the way of stopping it. No amount of

scandal is going to get in the way of it. No

amount of the worst of Christianity is going

to get in the way of it. Let's point out the

elephant in the room, guys. Is that often sometimes

the worst of Christianity over the years in the

name of the kingdom of God has tried to get in

the way of it? But we have to remember that it

actually doesn't depend on us. It's the king

who builds the kingdom, and nothing can stop

that. And even amongst the worst of Christianity,

even if it's been whatever your view is on it,

maybe it's been the Spanish Inquisition of the

1500s, maybe it's been wars that have been done

in the name of religion, maybe it's been this

and that, and you can always think of these things

that just take stock for a moment. If you think

the world's in a rough place today, Why don't

we just take stock and perspective for a moment

and look around us? That actually in our world

today, yes, there is still a lot of pain, there

is still a lot of violence, but there are so

many glimpses of God's kingdom in this world

today. Do you know the very reason we have hospitals?

The reason we have charities today? The reason

we have orphanages? The reason we have education

to the extent we have it today? the reason we

have occupational therapy, the reason we have

all of these things that we have today, it didn't

come, the reason we have our very morality that

we have today, it didn't come from the enlightenment

200 years ago. It came from the birth of a Christianity

that was founded in a way that was doing the

small, the insignificant, the counterintuitive

stuff, the stuff that was bizarre, the stuff

that didn't make sense, that like a weed, has

spread around the known world that we know today.

And perhaps we just need to take stock for a

moment and realize that we're sitting in a moment

in history among the weeds of Jesus' kingdom.

The weeds growing, guys. And nothing can stop

it because we believe in a King who conquered

death itself. We're living in the midst of this

now and not yet kingdom. And so as we close,

I guess, it still begs the question, well, how

do I live in this now and not yet kingdom? Because

you've been honest and said that we are just

seeing glimpses of it now, that it might seem

counterintuitive, it might seem insignificant,

it might seem small. And also, like you just

said, well, the king's going to build the kingdom

anyway, so why do I have to do anything? Right?

Well, I think... The reality is that whether

we participate, it's a matter of perspective.

Whether we participate in Jesus' kingdom, it's

a matter of perspective. Because perspective

is key. Back to Jess and I, as the real estate

agent has shown us around the apartment. Like

I said earlier, the perspective can either be,

this is bad news. Yes, we can move in now, but

it's not yet complete. But on the flip side,

you can see that as good news. Yes, I can move

in now because I know it's going to be complete.

And I guess the question is this morning, I think

of Jesus like the real estate agent. And he's

shown you around the apartment complex of his

kingdom. And he's there saying to you, You can

move in now. You can experience the amenities,

the things that, and the glimpses of my kingdom

that are here now, the bits of heaven that are

available to you now, knowing one day it's going

to be complete, knowing that that's going to

be a guarantee one day. And I think the question

Jesus leaves with us as that real estate agent

is this, if you could get a glimpse of heaven

now, wouldn't you just want that? If you could

receive a glimpse of heaven now, wouldn't you

want that? And if you could share a glimpse of

heaven with others, wouldn't you want to do that?

Even if it's just a glimpse. Because a glimpse

means that there's potential and a guarantee

of what's to come. And that's a daily choice

to make that perspective because... Reality is,

each day we're going to wake up and there's going

to be more bad news. There's going to be more

personal troubles. There's going to be more things

that make the glimpses feel even less of a glimpse,

that make Jesus' kingdom not feel like it has

arrived or even start to doubt whether it will

arrive. And so, how do you help shift that perspective

consistently day after day? And I think Jesus

gave us a remedy for that. If you were here the

last time I spoke, I mentioned the Lord's Prayer.

It was significant, he put it right at the center

of his most powerful teachings because it spoke

to the significance of it. And what scholars

now say is that the Lord's Prayer wasn't just

a prayer for anything, it was actually a prayer

to shift perspective. It was a prayer to help

his followers to navigate life in the tension

of a kingdom that is now but not yet. And he

said this, that this is how you should pray.

Our Father in heaven Hallowed be your name Your

kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it

is in heaven And what he's trying to show with

that is it's an invitation To find the perspective

again that actually his kingdom is here now And

also to hold on to the promise that it will come

And when you get that perspective you'll begin

to participate in it better. I think what it's

really saying, and in closing, maybe the challenge

for us today as we conclude this series is maybe

we need to go into each day, the first thing

in each morning, praying something like this.

Lord, what are you up to today? Help me see it

and be a part of it. And help me to see this

as just a glimpse of what's to come. And I think

when we capture that, we capture that the good

news is, to bookend this series that we've been

in, the good news is that Jesus' kingdom is now,

but the good news is also it's not yet. It will

be fully realized. And the good news is nothing

can stop it. Why don't we pray? Jesus, we thank

you that your good news is a good news of a kingdom

that we get to participate in the glimpses of

here and now. That we get to experience here

and now, that we get to share with others here

and now. And that the good news is, is that those

glimpses won't just stay glimpses, but they'll

be fully realized when one day you will fully

realize this kingdom. that you will put yourself

finally on the throne of your kingdom. That there

won't be war, there won't be pain, there won't

be suffering, there won't be worlds where being

humble and self -sacrificial in the quiet will

seem strange, will seem counterintuitive, but

it will become the normal. Where, like we've

shared, where we will live in a world where everyone

is saying, how can I help you? How can I help

you? How can I help you? Where everyone is radically

generous to each other, and that you're the king

of that world. And so as we pray, and for those

of us who struggle in that kingdom, in the tensions

that that holds, maybe right now we just need

to pray that prayer that you taught us to pray.

that our Father in heaven hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth

as it is in heaven. We pray that in Jesus' name.

Amen.