Rev. David Holwick    ZD
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
September 22, 1996
                                                        Matthew 24:22-33

                         THE COMING KINGDOM  
                         ===================

  I. It piques your interest.
      A. Best seller of 70's - Late Great Planet Earth.
          1) Instrumental in my own conversion.
          2) Interest in rapture, prophecy films.
              a) First special music by me: "I Wish We'd All Been Ready"
              b) Taken or left behind?
          3) Shirley's Sunday School class.

      B. Major emphasis of Jesus.
          1) In most important creeds, believed by each major branch.
          2) Repeated every Sunday in Lord's Prayer.
          3) Does God really have a plan for the world?
              a) If he does, are you trying to figure it out?

 II. The lunatic fringe.
      A. Prophecy gets a bad name from its abuse.
          1) Emphasized by cults - JW's, corner kooks.
          2) False predictions of date of Second Coming.
          3) Difficult Bible books are focus of study.
              a) Bizarreness of Daniel, Revelation.

      B. But not just for the crazies.
          1) Every Christian should study the theme.
          2) Are we too rich and complacent to care about future hope?

III. The nature of the Kingdom.
      A. A style more than a place.
          1) Not so much "up" in heaven as wherever God is in charge.
          2) The kingdom is where God's name is hallowed.

      B. Two aspects.
          1) The kingdom is present where there are believers.
              a) "near" could mean "here".                    Matt 3:2
              b) Present in miracles of Jesus.                Matt 12:28
              c) Kingdom is within believers.                 Luke 17:21

          2) The kingdom's ultimate fulfillment is still future.
              a) Jesus referred to many events as far away.
              b) Kingdom is not just limited to human hearts.

 IV. Major prophetic themes being fulfilled today.
      A. Resurrection of Israel.
      B. World evangelization.              (Matt 24:14)
      C. Increasing turmoil in world.       (Matt 24:6-7)
          1) Nature.
          2) Humanity: Terrorism?
      D. Consolidating empire in Europe.    (Daniel, Revelation 17)
          1) European Economic Community is much more unified now.
          2) Future leader to be the antichrist.

  V. Still to come:
      A. Tribulation, persecution of believers (666).
      B. Battle of Armageddon.
      C. Arrival of Jesus on clouds.
      D. Millennium kingdom.
      E. Judgment Day.
      F. Renewal of earth.

 VI. What kind of people should we be?
      A. Move to Idaho, build big shelter underground and get guns.
          1) Better yet, move into AT&T underground bunker on Mooney Mtn.

      B. Do positive work for God as long as we can.

           During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often
              closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport,
                 the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
           One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously.
           Some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared
              the end was at hand.

           Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose
              and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or
                 it is not.
           If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment.
              If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.
           Therefore, I ask that candles be brought so we can continue
              to work."

           Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful
              till Christ returns.
           Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch
              and wait.
                                                                    #1864
      C. Watch how you live.                              2 Peter 3:11-14
          1) Many parables of Jesus say our morality reveals our
                spirituality.
          2) Do you want to be cast into outer darkness?

      D. Pray for God's Kingdom to come.
          1) God has something better for us.
          2) A unified world, free from pain and decay, should motivate us.
          3) When Jesus returns, will he find faith on the earth?  Yours?


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  I. Carson.
      A. Not a request for universal sovereignty because it is already
            here.  Refers to God's saving reign.
          1) Present in a sense, but awaiting fulfillment.
          2) Petition is to extend saving reign now, and fulfill it
                completely soon.  (Second Coming)
      B. Early Christians longed for Parousia.  Maranatha!  1 Cor 16:22
          1) Meaningful for persecuted Christians.
          2) Comfortable Christians ignore it.               <<<<<<<<
              a) Do we really want the surpassing righteousness of
                    God's kingdom?
 II. Stott.
      A. The kingdom is his royal rule.
          1) He is already holy, and already king.
          2) He is absolutely sovereign over nature and history.
      B. Jesus announced a special break-in of the kingly rule of God.
          1) Blessings of salvation.
          2) Demands of submission.
      C. "Come."
          1) Pray that it will grow, through our witness.
          2) Pray that it will be consummated at Second Coming.
III. Jordan.
      A. We should be passionate citizens of the kingdom of God.
      B. The kingdom should be taken out of the realm of theory and
            translated into the earthly relationships of life.
          1) We ourselves should be diligent workers.
 IV. Guelich
      A. God acts to hallow his name by establishing his sovereign
            rule in history.
          1) No conjunction, so grows out of previous petition.
      B. The aorist imperative connotes a once-for-all action, a point
            in time.
  V. Stein.
      A. Should not be interpreted as the reign of God in the human heart.
      B. Coming of kingdom often associated with Last Judgment.
      C. It is a future reality.


[for documentation of illustrations, download database at
       http://illust.holwick.com]