Contrasting Cultures: Kingdom of God vs Today's Culture
Exploring the differences in culture between the Kingdom of God and our modern society, reflecting on the values, leadership, and citizens of God's Kingdom as portrayed in Luke 6:17-26.
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Presentation Transcript
How is the culture of the Kingdom of God different to the culture in our day?
GODS KINGDOM AND OUR DAY GOD S KINGDOM AND OUR DAY Question critical of our day suggestion that things are not how they should be God s people have a responsibility to respond to this Suggestion that our day bad / worse natural response but probably wrong Natural to come to that conclusion it is our day!!! BUT The Kingdom of God runs contrary to the world in every day see the response to Jesus on the earth true in every day
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM? WHAT IS THE KINGDOM? Piece of land? / Somewhere where a king or government reigns eg Garden of Eden invitation to rule with him Tim Keller - 3 elements to a kingdom Pattern, Power and Produce someone rules according to a pattern of values, power to implement and that produces something The Kingdom of God where God rules that Jesus came to establish - And he went throughout all Galilee . proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. (Matthew 4, 23) The kingdom has come in Jesus Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. (Luke 4, 21)
A DIFFERENT KINGDOM A DIFFERENT KINGDOM Question suggests that things should be different in some way God s kingdom is going to be different How different? How? Remember characteristics of a kingdom pattern of values, power to implement and results produced God s kingdom different in 3 ways:- Different Lord King / Leader Different Rules Access and Living Different Citizens Produce
Luke 6, 17-26 17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
IMPORTANT QUESTION IMPORTANT QUESTION WHO IS THE MESSAGE TO? WHO IS THE MESSAGE TO? Message primarily to the disciples wider circle of the crowd watching (Jesus wish) describing the kingdom explanation, description and invitation to disciples and others Staggering list of what is right and what isn t in the kingdom Blessed are / Woe to completely contrary to the world Blessed are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, reviled, spurned!!! Woe to rich, full, laughing speak well of Hold on!! Is this what I signed up for? Is he serious?
A DIFFERENT LORD A DIFFERENT LORD The Lords of this world!! Charactersitics power / status / control / possessions / security / influence Think about one element security the cost of one part - over 750k a year What was Jesus security detail? Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men.And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2, 6-8) The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20, 28)
DIFFERENT RULES DIFFERENT RULES - - ACCESS Access rules in this world birth or 24 question test, 45 minutes! Achieving some standard either in terms of birth or points system Do we have enough points to come into the kingdom of God? Jesus invitation - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11, 28) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God .. You must be born again (John 3, 5 and 7) About a birth but a different birth from above God s work in us, through the Holy Spirit ACCESS
DIFFERENT RULES DIFFERENT RULES - - LIVING Once in the kngdom living differently You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1, 16) cannot live the same way Jesus love compels us (2 Cor 5, 14) to live differently If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col 3, 1) Rules of this world - priorities wealth (power), enough to eat (comfort), laughter (boasting), praise of men Rules of the kingdom of God new priorities - seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6, 33) LIVING
DIFFERENT CITIZENS (1) DIFFERENT CITIZENS (1) Citizens of this world - Results to be seen in the citizens How to weigh up a society look at the way citizens live What values do we see in society? Living for themselves or for others? The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members (Gandhi) What does Jesus teach? - In the life of God s people will be seen, first of all, a remarkable reversal of values. The people of God will prize what the world calls pitiable and suspect what the world thinks desirable. (Michael Wilcock) Suspect what the world treasures / see value in what the word despises not seeking difficult things but understanding that God can draw blessing in them
DIFFERENT CITIZENS(2) DIFFERENT CITIZENS(2) A challenge to those who are disciples Are we living as those who are in God s kingdom or the world s kingdom? Not asking what kingdom we belong to although that is an important question Even if we are in God s kingdom, we are influenced to act to live like the kingdom of the world The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Rom 13, 12) No cause for despair not only an example A power to live in that way - Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us (Eph 3, 20)
SUMMARY SUMMARY Question - How is the culture of the Kingdom of God different to the culture in our day? Things should be different in different ways:- Different Lord A Lord who is completely different to this world not status but service / not power but sacrifice / not wealth but yielding Different rules Access an invitation to the weak, those who know they have failed / Rules for living different priorities Different citizens People who turn the world upside down, doing so in his power What an opportunity / What a privilege
