Isaiah 61 - The Kingdom and the Spirit

We have started a new series today. Hopefully it will go for a few weeks. There is plenty

there. It′s Isaiah 61. How do we see the kingdom and the Holy Spirit both operating

in Isaiah 61? That′s what we will be looking at. Usually we just do the first four verses

and then we leave the rest alone. This time around, we′ll take Isaiah 61 and see how

the kingdom and how the Spirit are both involved in Isaiah 61 and how critical it is for us.

That′s what we look at. When it comes to Isaiah 61, it′s actually a disclosure of

kingdom and king and what the king intends to do. When you read Isaiah 61,

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for he has anointed me to preach the good news

to the poor, to open the eyes of the blind, to open prison doors, to set the captives

free, to exchange us. Instead of mourning, I′ll give you joy. Instead of heaviness,

I′ll give you praise. Instead of ruins, I′ll give you streets that are restored.

It′s basically a disclosure of kingdom and king and what the king intends. It was this

idea of Jesus saying′ because there′s a verse in Isaiah 61 which says, the year

of favor, another word used for that is jubilee, where he says, hey, I′ve come to do a few

things and it′s all encapsulated in Isaiah 61. Some of the things he wanted to do was

proclamation of release to people and then acts of release to people. That′s the beautiful

thing about Jesus. He doesn′t stop at proclamation. He doesn′t stop at announcements. I think

one of the greatest struggles that we have as believers is we can tell them what Jesus

did but we aren′t necessarily able to show them what Jesus did and that gap has to get

smaller and smaller in our lives and in your life.

These are the things being announced in Isaiah 61, that it′s the year of the Lord′s favor,

as in I′m bringing jubilee. What was jubilee? We talked about it in detail six months ago.

It was a time when things would be restored. It was a time when there would be a proclamation

of release from all forms of debt, of bondage, of any kind of oppression. Not only does he

proclaim it, he then goes ahead and hacks it out, which is why in Luke 4, Luke 4, 14

to 21, Jesus turns up at the synagogue and he′s got the entire Old Testament to choose

from because he′s inaugurating his messiahship. He′s inaugurating himself as the one who

has come to start a new kingdom. Of all the scriptures in the Old Testament, guess which

one he picks? Isaiah 61. He opens it and he begins to read from the scroll.

In the process of going through Isaiah 61 over the next few weeks, we′ll find out

2 things. One, what was Jesus expecting to happen when he said I have come to usher

in a new, not a new, a kingdom? You will find that out and you will also find out how the

involved. These are two things that Isaiah 61 will give us a good idea of.

And so the indispensable work of the Spirit, the indispensable work of the

Spirit is something we'll see. And it's so within our reach, because it's the

same scripture that we now repeat, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, the

Spirit of the Lord is upon Aaron, the Spirit of the Lord is upon Sen, the

Spirit of the Lord is upon Matt. It's crazy. It's everybody's gift to do the

things that Jesus did. The very same things. I'm hoping that we get a little

closer to the idea of, ah, so this is what the kingdom involves and this is the

Spirit of God who brings the kingdom to pass. Through who? Through you. Through us.

I hope we get a little closer to it because it's our constant desire, right?

It's the one thing we are pressing towards saying, oh God, let it happen, let

it happen through us. And man cannot build a kingdom. This is a, this, Jesus

said it this way, this kingdom is not of this world, so man cannot build it. Man

cannot build it because it's not from this part of the, this part of town. But

strangely enough, God entrusts us to share, show, tell about this kingdom. We

can't do this but he expects us to be the ones who go around sharing, showing,

and telling about this kingdom. And so what does he do? He says, hey guys, you

would think Jesus doesn't speak like that but I suggest he would. Hey guys, I

just anointed Chava Chava. I just anointed Chava Chava with the Holy Spirit so that

he can go about announcing and sowing seeds and showing what the kingdom looks

like.

Hey guys, I just anointed Chava Chava to go to different parts of the world. Oh,

you're there, you were there. Okay, oh a different part of the world now? Okay.

Okay, so I just anointed Chava Chava with the Holy Spirit so that he can go

around announcing, sowing seed, and showing what the kingdom looks like. All

three. But before we even go and look at what that looks like, let's again go back

to that simple question. So what in the world is this kingdom? What in the world

is the kingdom? Because we keep talking about kingdom, kingdom, kingdom. What in

the world is the kingdom? You know what most people do? They take kingdoms of the

world and they try to draw out a parallel by looking at kingdoms of the world. Like

I lived in a kingdom. People from UK have lived in a kingdom. If you lived in the

Middle East, you lived in a kingdom. Kez lived in a kingdom. But we can't take the

kingdom that exists in the world and then say this is what it means because these

words are very clearly said that's not how it works. So what do we mean when we

say kingdom and we start there? Because it's quite confusing and I mean I want

to I wanted to title this teaching Kingdom Confusion. Then I thought that's

not a very good title for a message. So when you look at the kingdom, the Bible

says the word of God says that the kingdom of God is a present reality. It

says so in Romans 14 17. That is a present reality. But then if you go to

Matthew 25 34, it says the kingdom is an inheritance bestowed when Christ comes.

So which is it? You go to Colossians 1 13 and it says that the kingdom is a realm

that followers of Christ enter into. Enter. That they are transferred into the

kingdom of the Son. But then if you go to 2nd Peter 1 11, it says

that the kingdom of God is a future realm which we will enter when Christ

returns.

So what do you do then? On one hand the parables tell you like in Luke chapter

Luke 13 · chapter mention

13, the parables tell you in Luke 13 that the kingdom is present. But then if you

look at John 18 36 when Jesus is before Pilate, he says my kingdom is not of the

world. What do you do with this man? This is why it could be aptly titled

kingdom confusion. It seems to contradict one another. So Romans 14 17, it's a

present reality. Matthew 25 34, it'll be bestowed when Christ comes. Colossians 1

13, it's a realm that followers of Christ enter into as soon as they are

born again. 2nd Peter 1 11, the kingdom is a future realm which we will enter when

Christ returns. Parables Luke 13, kingdom is a present reality. John 18 36, Jesus's

words, my kingdom is not of this world. How can all this be? And so it's

important that if we are going to say that we want to study the kingdom and

the spirit of God, how in the world will we know if we don't have a very clear

grasp of what the kingdom is so that that doesn't shake? Because remember guys,

this is the only thing he talked about after he rose from the dead. So let's

assume Easter Sunday was what two weeks ago? And he was on the earth for 40 days.

So he would have finished 14 days now if it is happening right now. 14 days over

he's got 26 days left. And in the book of Acts and in the book of Luke it just

keeps saying that after he rose again he went around talking about one singular

thing, the kingdom of God. And so it's important that I have a concrete

unflinting grasp of the basic of what a kingdom is. After that you can build on

it. But you got to have that first bit. So that's what we'll attempt today. Any

questions before we go on? Any questions? No? Okay. Okay so there are two words

that are used for kingdom in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old

Testament Hebrew word is M-A-L-K-U-T-H and the New Testament Greek word is B-A-S-I-L-E-I-A.

Basilia and Malchut. So these are the two words and they always mean rank,

authority, sovereignty, as in one who can do whatever he wants, I am who I am kind

of a thing. These are words that are always associated with the word kingdom.

Strangely enough, it's exercised by a king, whenever this word is used, it's

rank, authority, sovereignty exercised by a king. But strangely enough it doesn't

talk about a realm and it doesn't talk about people. That is derived later on.

That's not the actual meaning. It doesn't talk about a realm or a people. You know,

long ago when I went to Indonesia I met two different people. One was an elected governor

of a province. So imagine BC and its premier. So one was an elected governor of a province.

And for whatever reason in Indonesia when you become a governor you have to choose to wear the

uniform of either a general in the army or the general in the navy or a general in the Air Force,

even if you've never served. So when you drive into that town you'll see huge posters of these

governors dressed in like army regalia or navy regalia with cap, with braids and all this stuff,

but they've never served in the army, never served in the navy, but that's what they wear.

And I remember meeting the guy. Both these guys I'm talking about were not believers,

nothing like that. It just so happened that I met both of them. So one was the governor of

this province and he had police and he had cars and he had this beautiful governor's bungalow

and all that stuff. And the other guy was a man who before Indonesia became democratic came from

a family that was hailed and even today is looked at as having come from a divine line of kings.

So you've got a guy who comes from a divine line of kings and you've got an elected governor. And

the elected governor had people and all this stuff, but this guy had no people under him,

no realm, no citizens under him, but you should have seen the rank, the authority, the respect,

and the sovereignty he carried. When I went to the city he lived in people would come and treat

him like he was God because they see him as one who's descended from a divine line of kings.

The politicians who get elected will come to him and borrow his jewelry because they thought it

was a good luck charm. But the guy didn't have cops under him, the guy didn't have citizens under

him, he was a king. He had rank, he had authority, he had power, but he did not have a people,

he did not have cops, but he was still king. And guess who was getting more respect? Him. Why?

Because people recognize his rank, his authority, his sovereignty, the power he carries, the majesty.

When you go to his palace everything is tradition and ritual. You enter his presence, you don't turn

his back, you're back on him and walk away. There was protocol. With elected officials it was much easier.

Why tell you this? Because we need to understand that the kingdom is not people or a realm. First,

the kingdom is a king who has absolute sovereignty, complete rank, total authority, and is majestic.

So whenever God says that the kingdom is in your midst, he's first referring to who he is before

he is referring to what he's going to do. Unless you be born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of

God. As in, unless you receive, recognize, submit to the fact that I am sovereign, I am majesty,

I am rank, I am authority, and nothing exists before that. Unless that is recognized, there is

no entering the kingdom of God. When that is recognized, people become citizens.

Any questions on that before we go on? I wish I could say something like Jesus has all authority,

because he said it in Matthew 28. But the fact is, there is nothing called authority beside him.

The reason anything or anyone has any authority is because he, in his brilliance, has allowed it.

In his long game, seeing miles ahead, 20 years ahead, 40 years ahead, he has initiated a program

that will be highly successful, and all the chess pieces are arranged, not because he begins to

control your moves, but because he has a foresight to see every move every earthworm and bird and man

will attempt before it even happens. It's just nuts. That's the I am-ness of your God. And then

we wonder why we are so scared when things go wrong, because we can't see tomorrow, but he's

seeing about 20 years down the line. So many of us wouldn't be here today if it was not for prayers

that were not answered and things that did not happen. Man, if God had answered my prayers,

I'd be operating on your heart. I'd be a heart surgeon, and God help you. I'd fall into your

cavity because I can't stand the sight of blood. Aren't you glad you escaped that one? Any questions?

At 60, you're usually limited to 40 years. Yeah. But God is older than that, yes. On his mother's

side, he was 33. On his father's side, he was the ancient of days. Yep. He can see Don and Kezia's

great-great-great-great-great-grandchild. Crazy, eh? And they're doing just a gender reveal right

now, and he can see down the line. Say that again. Why doesn't he care? Yeah, I think I do answer

on. You know, the Old Testament, gosh, it's amazing how parents react to a child's cry. Sorry. In the

Old Testament, if you read Daniel 2, verse 37, it said, and there was a stone that came rolling

Daniel 2:37

down, and it hit the statue that was made of iron and clay, burst into pieces, and then the stone

became a mountain, and the kingdom of God was the only kingdom that existed, and all the other

kingdoms were done. So from the Old Testament perspective, the prophets were looking forward

to this one singular event or this day when everything will change. In a day, the kingdom

of God will come. All other kingdoms will be undone. That's what they were looking forward to,

and it must have been staggering when Jesus turns up, and he's talking about the kingdom,

but he's not replacing nothing, and that's the mystery of the kingdom. Jesus puts it this way.

Imagine taking some leaven and putting it into a bowl of dough, a big bowl of dough. Imagine putting

some leaven. It's unobservable. It just gets lost as you put it in there, and then it takes time. I

think it's brilliant of God not to bring the kingdom in one day. You know why? It's again a

matter of love. Instead of bringing the kingdom in, in a singular event that would have judged the

world into sheep and goat, what does he do? He says, I'll do something better. I'll bring the kingdom

in advance so that people recognize the king and have time to submit to him so that when that singular

day comes, when everything will end, there will be more that know him than don't. So from the Old

Testament perspective, it's just nuts. From the New Testament perspective, Jesus is approaching

it differently. He's saying, hey, I want to give you the choice to reject king and kingdom. I want

to do it unobtrusively, secretly, quietly. It is impossible to stop this leaven from fermenting,

and I'm going to do it through a man who hangs naked on a cross and is meek and lowly and has

leaven disciples left. That's leaven, and now I mean leaven, not eleven. That's a great title

for the sermon. Is it leaven or is it leaven? Yeah, sorry. Sorry. Go ahead.

So how it works is this, guys. This is too small. How it works is this.

So God has the ability to look down the tunnel of time. He looks down the tunnel of time,

and he has his ability. He knows what Dilna is going to do here, here, here, here, here,

and here. Why? Because he's all-knowing. Nobody on earth has this ability, but God knows every

step that Dilna will take tomorrow, 20 years from now, 40 years from now, 80 years from now,

and he's 143. So he knows everything Dilna will do, but in his foresight, having known what Dilna

does, here's what God does. Every time Dilna is going to make a wrong decision, God will do

everything in his power to help him choose right, but he will never force Dilna's hand to choose

right, because the moment he forces Dilna's hand to choose right, Dilna no longer has free moral

will. So he won't do that. And in the same way, every time he's going to make a right decision,

God will orchestrate circumstances so that the right decision will bear great fruit. His foreknowledge

allows him to help you do well and help you choose right, but his foreknowledge is not something that

is used to control. He doesn't predestine your actions, but he knows because of foreknowledge.

It's like mothers with their kids. You put the kid down and you know the kid is going to go towards

the electric socket, and you watch. Occasionally the kid strays here and they show a toy, hoping

the kid will go for the toy. No, but the kid gravitates towards the socket. Why? Because

putting your hand in the socket is a wonderful experience. And so at some point, God intervenes

and picks and puts it back, but a child keeps doing it, keeps doing it, and they try to change

track. God looks down the tunnel of time and he knows everything I'm going to do. He knows

the next sentence I'm going to speak even though I don't know it. He knows.

Okay, we'll get to that. Yeah, so the first thing we, her question is, why are you saying it's not a

realm when some of the scriptures say it's a realm? I'm saying in its essence, the word kingdom can

exist without a realm because the word kingdom exists because there is a king, and that king existed

from everlasting to everlasting, and he had a kingdom when there were no people, no angels,

no nothing. It says his kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting, and yet he created everything.

There were no people then, yet he had a kingdom. Why? Because when it comes to the word kingdom,

we've got to understand this, that it means his rank, his authority, his majesty, his power,

his sovereignty, and in his sovereignty he decides to make dawn. In his sovereignty,

he decides to make sin. In his sovereignty, he creates a universe out of nothing.

Imagine someone speaking an entire universe into being. What kind of God is this, man? What kind of

king is this? And now he's standing 2000 years ago in the midst of people somewhere in Israel,

and he's saying to them, hey, I just want you to know that the kingdom is in your midst right now.

And if you receive me, you can be ones who begin to participate in the benefits, the activity,

the disclosure, the spirit of this kingdom.

And now that he's come and shown himself as this is what the kingdom is, now realm will happen.

Now people will happen. And remember, we are not born again into the church,

we are not born again into heaven, we are born again into a kingdom.

Okay.

So the Old Testament anticipated a day where God's reign would sweep away everything.

All authority, all rule, all opposing kingdoms, single event. Wickedness ends, righteousness comes

in. And yet, all along, the kingdom that Jesus said would happen would happen secretly, oblivious

to the crowd. It just keeps happening. The Old Testament would say, who can withstand the coming

of the kingdom? Who can resist it? And Jesus instead says, hey, the kingdom is like leaven,

and it'll keep happening. There's nothing that can stop it from happening. Guys, imagine this,

hey, how did you get born again into the kingdom? So Jesus's way of doing it is, I could bring

angels, legions of them.

I could bring an end to wickedness with a word.

I could annihilate

everyone who rebels.

I could

divide the sheep and the goats now.

I could do all this,

but I'm choosing not to, because right now, I want to use, this is so cool, I want to use

persuasion instead of power.

And who does he use to persuade others? Me, you.

I want to use persuasion to convince people. I don't want to use power. A day will come

when power will be used, but not yet. A day will come when people will be judged, but not yet.

Right now, I just want them to taste the kingdom, see the kingdom, and turn to the kingdom, turn

to the king and say, I want in. It's a generous, loving God that's doing this, man. But he needs,

he doesn't need our help, but he wants us to be part of this. He wants us to be part of this.

And if we, yeah, any questions before we go on? So you have a man, meek, lowly,

lowly, crucified,

meek, lowly, crucified, few disciples,

and he starts the process. And then, like Thuney Song said, he lives in us,

and the process goes on. One of the things about leaven, when Jesus was around, it didn't come in little,

does it come in little tins? I've never seen leaven.

Does it come in little things? Okay, in those days, it didn't come in little things.

I've never baked bread, yeah, so don't look at me like I should know. So here's how leaven used to

work in the Old Testament. They would take dough and they would leave it aside. It would begin to

ferment. And then once it begins to ferment, they would use it, but they wouldn't use all of it.

They would take a tiny bit and keep it because they got to bake bread next week too. But here's

the thing, you take that bit of leaven and keep it, guess what happens? It ferments more.

It gets so potent that you need a tiny bit of it when you bake bread next week. You keep it

longer, you just need tiny bits of it because as it ferments, it gets more potent.

This is why during Passover, they would ask that the entire house be swept clean of leaven because

there would be leaven left over from the past which they were supposed to completely remove

during Passover. Jesus is the original leaven, but please understand that the Spirit of God

now dwells not in one man, but dwells in thousands and thousands and thousands of people

more potent than ever before because he says, I'm going to the Father and you will do greater

works than I have done. What are these greater works? The greater works are when he opens the

scroll in Luke chapter 4 and says, this is why the Spirit of God has anointed me. And he begins to

Luke 4 · chapter mention

tell them what he's going to do. And he's saying to you, greater works will be done, partly because

now it's not one man who is finite and in one place at one time. He wasn't in Canada, he was just

in Nazareth. He wasn't known as Jesus of Vancouver. He was Jesus of Nazareth and he could only be there.

But now he's got thousands and thousands and thousands of people all over the place.

So when a John needs his creatine levels to go up and his kidney is repaired, there are people that can do the same thing that Jesus does so that the boy's kidneys begin to repair.

But where does it all start? What is the kingdom? Keep repeating this to yourself. What is the kingdom? The kingdom

is the exercise of rank, authority, majesty, power, sovereignty by a king. He's unlike other kings in the world.

But he has it. That's where it starts.

So when we say the kingdom is in our midst, it's not that suddenly signs are breaking out or suddenly there's this, oh, can you feel the glory?

Nothing like that. It is, oh my God, there's an invisible but real person in this room and he's absolutely majestic.

He's got all authority, all rank, all power.

And he's here right now. And just think of this. We are talking about him and he is here in this room.

He's listening to this. It's by his spirit that I'm able to say this and it is by his spirit that you begin to hear and understand.

My preaching can be absolute words if it was not for the spirit of God who's present here. There are angels listening in that we can't see because the scriptures say angels stoop to listen to the preaching of the gospel and the good news and the things about God because they don't know it wasn't revealed to them.

That the father and the son and the spirit are here and they're listening to us talk about them.

Books of remembrance are being opened because it says that in the book of Haggai. As they began to talk about me, I opened books of remembrance and I wrote down what they said about me.

It's all happening right now. There's a cloud of witnesses or people that have gone before us, some of the patriarchs who are listening in too. They prophesied this but they did not see it.

This is more real than you sitting on the chairs you're sitting on and me standing here.

And when we begin to think like this, when this is how we continuously think, we begin to expect things of him because he is here.

We begin to expect things of him because we are so used to thinking of him like this that it is impossible at any moment to think that I am the one doing anything. I realized suddenly he's here and therefore I can.

But because we suffer from amnesia every six minutes we forget.

At moments like this, what is impossible? At moments like this, in a room like this, there'll be at least two or three people with faith that have the ability to do and the courage to step up and say,

let me pray for this or let me say this or this happened in the Bible, why can't it happen again?

When people become aware like this of the presence of God in our midst,

then Jesus loudly says in an inaudible voice that the kingdom is in your midst.

And when that happens, sometimes people begin to weep, sometimes people begin to worship,

sometimes people begin to bow down, sometimes people are in awe, sometimes bodies get healed, sometimes people ask for prayer, but it begins to break out. Why? Because now we become a people who are highly aware of the presence of someone in our midst who is absolute king in rank, authority, majesty, power, sovereignty.

And we begin to trust him.

This is how it works guys.

And because of that he says, now that you see me like this, perhaps

joy is a little easier

because I'm in your midst. Perhaps peace is easily accessed because I'm right here.

Perhaps righteousness is something you begin to like because as you see me, you become like me. Whatever you behold, you become.

Whatever you behold, you become.

Whatever you behold, you become. Either to your ruin or to your restoration.

Which is why idolatry turns people dumb.

Idolatry turns people into dullards. Why? Because whatever you behold, you become.

You behold him in his just being here. We can't see him, but you know it.

As you behold him, you become like him.

Now righteousness becomes a little easier because you see him. You want to be like him. It's like your kid.

You stand like this and he stands like this. You do this and he becomes a sane bolt.

Why? Because he loves imitating you. It becomes easy. His legs are like six inches, but he begins to run like a champ.

Something gets you man.

Something gets you man.

That's how this works.

The crazy thing is he's always here in our midst.

What cannot happen?

This is why when a people begin to think like this, Jesus said this about the, about, about Babel.

Jesus said this about Babel as in, in Babylon when they raised an idol called the Tower of Babylon.

That stretched into the heaven. Jesus said when a people begin to think like this, when they gather around something so singular,

there is nothing that they cannot achieve or accomplish.

Shift it now to Acts chapter two. Babel is undone. People begin to speak in the same language.

The languages that were broken out in Babylon come together that day. What do you hear?

You don't, there wasn't some kind of wind that blew through the house. It was the sound of a rushing wind from heaven.

It was the sound. People gathered because they heard the sound.

You can imagine a hurricane sound and yet it's not like the candles were being blown out or Peter lost his cap.

It is the sound and as they hear the sound, they know that Babel is being restored.

That people are now speaking one language. Now nothing is impossible for them.

When we begin to act like this, guys, nothing will be impossible and no one will say this is mine or that is mine

or I need to do this or I need to do that because we become, we become aware of he who is in our midst.

That's how this works.

Any questions guys?

Yeah, go ahead, sorry.

Yeah.

Yeah, she's asking, God at present is not using power, he's using persuasion

and didn't that start even in the Garden of Eden? Yeah, he persuades them.

His approach is, can I persuade you to see it this way? It is not, I mean he could have,

remember one thing guys and God threatened this with Noah, sorry not with Noah, with Moses.

He says to Moses, Moses, I want to wipe out everybody I've made, let me start again with you.

With Noah, he could have done the same thing, wipe out everyone, start again. Start with Adam and Eve 2.0.

He doesn't, he doesn't. A day will come and power will be displayed but that day hasn't come

and this is why in 2 Corinthians 5 it says, can you be my emissaries, can you be my ambassadors,

can I use you to appeal to others, can I use you to appeal to others and tell them that I am here,

that I died for you and that I rose again and that I want to live in you and I want you to come

into this kingdom that has been hidden all along but 2000 years ago was revealed and now thousands

upon thousands every day enter this kingdom. They're not aware of its benefits but they are

entering and can you bring them in and once you bring them in, can you teach them to observe

everything that I have taught you so that here on earth they already begin to taste the life of an

age that is to come. What are we trying to display to the world? What are we trying to demonstrate

to the world? That yes, there is an age to come and I want you to know that there is an age to come

that yes, there is an age to come and in that age there is no crying, there is no pain, there

is no fear, there is no tear, there is no shame, there is no guilt that awaits us but come, come

taste it now. Let me take away the pain of your sickness, let me take away the shame of your

rejection, let me take away the tears that you have cried, come now taste it because it's already

real and we experience it but it must be displayed. I'm sure we displayed but I want us to sometimes

when we know why it makes things so much easier. There's one thing my dad would always try, I need

you to understand why two plus two makes four and not five. I still don't know why he tried but the

point is that God wants us to understand and when we understand we are free. Where does it say so?

The knowledge of the truth sets you free, free to follow, free to experiment, free to try out

new things. Once you know you have wings you can jump off a building but you got to know you've got

wings. Iron man, this is why I need AI.

The kingdom is offering two men the blessings of God. It is offered through you

to deliver them from the power of Satan, from sin, from oppression. What the Old Testament was

expecting was destroy human rule, abolish sin from earth. Jesus says not yet, I will abolish sinfulness

from anyone who turns to me but a day is coming when I'll abolish sin too. Now you understand the

parables right? A man went to sleep and he sowed some seed. When he woke up he found that there was

wheat and there were tares. It'll grow together, day is coming when it'll be separated but give the

tares some more time. A man went fishing, he threw a net, it was like a dragnet, it collected fish.

There were good fish and there were bad fish. Bad fish can become good fish, you are a bad fish that

became a good fish. Now it all makes sense.

So let's stop here for now. When you look at Jesus, this is what he went around doing.

What is his central mission? Repent for the kingdom of God is here. What did he teach?

Let me show you how to enter this kingdom. What did he show? His mighty works were approved

that the kingdom is really here because you can see signs of the kingdom. The poor are being

preached to, blind eyes are being opened, deaf ears are hearing and I'm saying to you that it still

happens. I'm saying to you that it happens through you. Hear this, God is done with superstars.

He is after something called the common priesthood of man and woman.

Ordinary people through the extraordinary Holy Spirit attempting to do the supernatural

and never holding back or stepping back. He is not doing that. He is not doing that.

And never holding back or stepping back because they, you and I recognize that he is faithful and

he is sovereign and that he is benevolent and he is kind. Keep these four things in mind

and you can go through success and failure easily. He is faithful,

he is sovereign,

he is kind

and he is a father. Keep these four things in mind.

You keep those four things in mind.

Your neck is hurting and you pray for it and it doesn't change and you still have a pain in your

neck and you realize but God is faithful and he is sovereign and he is kind and he is my father.

When that becomes inviolable, you will pray again and again and again and you will see a hundred

necks healed. His parables were about the same thing. Hey, let me tell you a few parables so that

I can illustrate truths from the kingdom. What did he teach us? Follow us to pray. Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done. Before his death, what did he say to his disciples? Hey, I'll be coming back

and I will make sure that you have a share in my kingdom. So here's how we conclude.

How do you define kingdom, Pawan?

You can say it from there. How do you define kingdom?

This is going to be hard. I'm deliberately picking on him. I could have picked on any of us

and we will find it hard to be able to say it easily but as we go through the process,

say it easily but as we practice it becomes easier. Dilna, how do you define kingdom?

Exercised by a king. That's how you need to define it.

Dr. Anilay, how would you define it? Tuni, you're not a doctor yet. Go ahead, Anilay.

The rule and reign of God but the moment we say the rule and reign of God, we are not saying that

he has to have a realm or he has to have people. He reigns regardless. Always remember this. If the

kingdom existed before the earth was formed and the universe was created and it says that his

kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting, then he was before anything was. That is important.

And so receive that. So here are the steps that we can kind of try and remember. You receive him,

you seek him, you submit to him.

That's the first bit.

The Bible talks about it. Matthew 6.33, seek him unless you receive the kingdom.

Submitting to the kingdom. That's the first thing. What are we doing this for?

What are we submitting to? His rank,

his divine rule,

his sovereignty,

his power, his majesty.

He.

What does he want to do? If I do this and this, he wants to manifest or display or make known

this through you. Crazy, eh?

That's his intent. He's saying,

he's saying, hey, Mr. Butler, if you are willing to receive, seek and submit to

who I am in terms of my sovereignty, in terms of absolute rank, in terms of absolute authority

and majesty, if you can seek and submit and receive it every minute, every hour, it might be hard.

Let's start with every week, every day. If you begin to do that, then Mr. Butler, through you,

I have every intent of manifesting, displaying, making known through you, my rank, my rule,

my sovereignty, my power, my majesty, because that is how people recognize the king and say,

I want in, I want in.

And every encounter tomorrow will sometimes be an opportunity, sometimes not,

because he also gives people the ability to reject it.

He has given them the ability to reject it. Don't feel bad.

We feel so bad when after we've told someone, they don't respond.

Don't feel bad. He has given them the ability to reject.

He will, he desires to manifest, display, make known through you, these things.

And he desires that, hey, Jacob, can these things become real in your life?

Righteousness, peace, joy, power.

Next week, we'll discover how, because all this is in the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 61, it's a kingdom and it's the Spirit.

Isaiah 61, it's a kingdom and it's the Spirit.

I want you to manifest who I am, display, make known.

How? In your marriage, in your home, in the decision making that you do at work.

Please, can you try and carry me as a king above all?

Can you do that? And then, can I display myself?

I'll do it. You don't have to worry about it.

You be your clumsy self. Let me be my brilliant, majestic self.

Why? Jars of clay with ridiculous treasure.

Just continuously think like this, continuously think like this.

I remember meeting a CEO, not a CEO, some big shot.

There used to be a photocopying company called Xerox.

I don't know if they still exist. They do?

Okay, so this guy, it doesn't matter whether he was sweeping the floor,

going in an aircraft for a meeting, turning up for dinner.

This guy would always dress so ridiculously well.

Why? Because everybody knew that he was really high up in the company.

And he wanted to make sure that wherever he goes,

that part of who he is doesn't bring shame to the...

company. So he'd always be a certain way.

He'd gotten so used to it that he would come for dinner, he'd eat with his hands,

but he'd still be wearing this amazing suit.

Because he had begun to think like that.

And he would say, wherever I go, I represent a company.

I'm way high now to be anything else. It became a habit.

When these things become a habit, it becomes brilliant, guys.

We begin to show him very easily.

Aaron begins to show him in his policies, in his company.

Nick begins to show it with his kids.

Tuni begins to show it when he teaches people about marketplace.

Anilay begins to show it when she discusses women issues with people.

Anna begins to show it when she fixes someone a medical cocktail.

That's what it's called. I'm not trying to diss it.

I begin to show it in the way I behave.

And then people begin to behave like this. It's just brilliant.

Yeah. Cool.

We can close.

We don't have this song called Our Father Who Art in Heaven, do we?

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Nope.

If you don't have that song, praise God, you can leave earlier.

But if you have that song, you're stuck for another seven minutes.

Such is life.

Heidi is leaving for Germany for a month.

So if you want to hug her before she goes, feel free.

Betty, not right now.

No, no, I said I thought you were going to hug Heidi.

I guess we don't.

No, not this one.

Okay, let's pray.

Come, Derek, come up and pray.

You know, I had a strange thing that encouraged me.

Someone who came here in October.

I wasn't here because I was with my mom at that time.

And they kept coming back because they thought Derek was a pastor

because he was the one preaching.

And they said he was pretty good.

When I heard that, I didn't know whether to feel bad or good.

But eventually I felt good.

And it goes back to what Jeremy was saying, that one of the things we should try and do

in this church is to make sure that everybody is replaced by someone younger.

And so, go ahead.

Abba, we heard a lot of truths today.

And I invite you, Holy Spirit, to do with us everything that you want to do.

One or two things that stand out for me, and I pray that even as we pray,

everyone sitting here will begin to think about things that stood out to them.

But this one thing, Father, that we are here to represent you on earth.

And that everything that Jesus, you did, you said,

greater works you will do in my name.

And you also said, this is not for three or four people.

This is for all of you.

So, Father, my prayer tonight is that just like a little girl or a little boy

wants all of his or her father's heart, that we desire to grab a hold of everything that you,

our Father, has for us.

And that you said, my inheritance for you is that you will walk as I walked on earth.

So that's our desire, Jesus, that we will walk as you walked on earth, which is such

a possible thing to do.

We will never become perfect until we meet you there.

But it is such a possible thing for us to do here on earth.

So that is my prayer for us individually and collectively, that more and more we become like

Jesus.

Religion outside, vague words outside, but the purity of Christ.

Father, just one last thing I pray about is that we will have in us the ability to receive from you

pure things and then guard it with everything we have.

So that the fire that you light in us will be able to light it in other people's lives.

I pray that for Acts 29, Father, that everyone sitting here will say, Lord, give me something new

that is so pure, so holy, so from you.

And I don't want anything else to affect it.

I'll guard it with my being.

I'll guard it with the way I talk.

I'll guard it with the way I speak.

And then, Lord, light me up so that I can light others for your name.

Bless us as we go.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Father, I just feel like one or two others should pray.

So Derek, if you can give it to Michelle.

And Michelle, if you can just pray based on what you heard and what your sense God's saying.

Dear Lord, we come before you, God, as your children.

You are our Father, Lord in heaven.

In heaven, your kingdom is already here, God.

And thank you so much that we can be a part of it, God.

Thank you for the precious gift of this sonship and daughtership that we have in you, God.

We love you, God.

Help us open our spiritual eyes that we may see your rank, your reign, your authority,

your sovereignty as our King, God, and we as your children.

Yeah.

Father, we'll just ask Dilna to pray too.

And while Michelle was praying, the verse that comes to mind is what Jesus said.

Do not be troubled, little flock.

It is your Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Abba Father, we thank you that you delight in us and that we delight in you, Lord.

Lord, help us to just, we thank you that you established your kingdom with Jesus' ministry, Lord.

And Lord, we thank you that we get to be part of your kingdom, that we get to battle

in the kingdom for you, Lord.

Lord, we thank you that you make all things new, Lord, and that you want to restore things

in us, Lord.

Through you, Lord, through us, Lord.

Lord, let us be a light, Lord, to others, to the lost, Lord.

And Lord, we look forward to the full restoration and we look forward to your coming

again in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

If you need prayer, there'll be people here to pray with you.

Otherwise, say hello again to the guys who are here for the first time.