As Jesus begins His "Sermon on the Mount", His first order of business is to set forth the character of saving faith.
When Jesus the Son of God and God in the flesh came, He came to usher in the Kingdom of God as prophesied in the Scriptures. This is why Matthew 4:17 and 23 show that he began His ministry preaching the Kingdom. The Gospel of Matthew is known as "the Jewish Gospel", because Matthew aims to show Jesus especially as the Jewish Messiah and Christ of Israel. In Matthew, Jesus shines forth as the Christ, the King of the Kingdom, and the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
The opening chapters of Matthew show a series of Scriptures that are fulfilled in Christ and His coming: 1:1-17 show Jesus as a descendent of Abraham and David with his entire genealogy; 1:23 shows His virgin birth as fulfillment of Isaiah9:7; 2:6 shows his Bethlehem birth as fulfillment of Micah5:2; and so on and so forth over chapters 3 and 4 (cf John the Baptizer, Jesus' ministry in Galilee, etc.).
In 5:1, Jesus "sits up on the mountain" to preach, just as Moses had "went up on the mountain" where God would give His Word to be given to Israel (see Exodus 19). Here Jesus is the One bringing God's Word to the people Himself. Throughout Matthew, several very important moments happen on mountains (here with the Sermon on the Mount, the Transfiguration of 17:1, the End-times teaching of chs24-25, and the Great Commission of 28:16).
Jesus' coming was not a result of randomness. It was to fulfill Scripture, as "all of God's promises find their 'yes' in Him" (2Cor1:22). Matthew emphasizes Jesus' mountain-teaching so that his readers know Jesus is bringing God's Word, because "in the past..God spoke to us by the prophets...but in these last days, He's spoken to us by His Son" (Heb1:1).
In 5:3 Jesus gives the first characteristic of saving faith: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven". Greek "makarios" is the word for "blessed", and while it means "happy" (so it could be translated "happy are the..."), it also is intended to communicate something even deeper: "Blessed by God are those who are poor in spirit, for the Kingdom is theirs". It's a divinely-bestowed blessing because Jesus came to call the poor in spirit. It refers to those lacking self-sufficience and who realize they need something. It's not just referring to those with poverty in financial means (though it could include those), but those of poverty in spiritual means.
This is because no one receives the Kingdom unless they receive it like a child (see 18:3-4), which is why Jesus tells Nicodemus of his need to be reborn (see John 3). We're sinners at birth (Ps51:5, 58:3; Gen6:5, 8:21), and as we grow up and venture out on our own, we more and more come under the illusion that we're self-sufficient, and don't need any help. Jesus is here saying that humility and poverty in personal spirit is the first prerequisite for entering the Kingdom he came to bring. This is why being born isn't enough...we need reborn. No one is in this place except by God's grace, which is why they're "blessed".
This is the exact opposite of the way the world thinks. While others would have you be confident and feel good about yourself, Jesus says you're blessed if your in the darkness, because He's come to bring you into the light.
In 5:4 Jesus lists the next characteristic of saving faith as "mourning...for they'll be comforted". Certainly Jesus isn't referring to just any kind of mourning. Mourning over your sports team losing or over not having enough money to pay your drug-dealer isn't what He's talking about. He's talking about mourning over sin; over the brokenness of the world and over longing for fellowship with God. This is God-ward mourning Jesus describes. "Godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret" (2Cor7:10). Pharaoh repented because of his mourning in Exodus9:27, but Moses knew better (v30), and later Pharaoh's heart was still hardened. He only mourned because of the hail plague--the minute it was over, he was back to pride. The kind of mourning Jesus describes is God-ward--that which longs for knowing God, but recognizes its own being prone to falling short.
Have you ever mourned over this? It's my contention that Good News is only good if the bad news is understood and accepted. Here Jesus' first real teaching on the Kingdom is that happiness and contentment are NOT prerequisites for the Kingdom, but that the prerequisite is a lack thereof...because then and only then will Jesus be treasured and adored as He who brings happiness and contentment. The reason Paul was "content in all circumstances" is because his life was one of spiritual endeavors where only Christ could provide the strength and fruit...thus "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil4:10-13; see also Rom15:15, and 1Cor15:10). Scripture also teaches us to "be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you'" (Heb13:5). Acknowledgment of Christ and the Holy Spirit's presence is the only road to contentedness and blessedness. And this only comes from recognition of need of Him.
The low state of Christianity in our country and culture is due to false conversions. People "come forward" or even get baptized simply because they either are caught up in an emotional appeal, or because they fear Hell. But they aren't mourning over sin, longing for God, or acting out of inward poverty, and so they aren't really looking for Christ to be their remedy and Mediator (1Timothy2:4-5). The whole act of "coming to Christ" is just an exercise for their flesh, ignorant that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1Cor15:50). This is why Jesus said it's the Spirit who gives life and the flesh is no help at all (see John6:63). The flesh moves countless to false professions/baptisms and the tragic result is that the person's state is worse than before--because now they think they're saved, and won't be convinced otherwise. This is why Jesus would rather the lukewarm be cold (Rev3:16-17).
So Jesus wants to make no mistake here--if you're not poor in spirit and mourning, you won't receive the Kingdom.
Have you ever been broken?
I remember when I began to be broken. I was a Bible-college student, and I began struggling with a sickening depression. Every day felt black, I worried, and I was almost paralyzed from wanting to do anything. I sought counsel from professors, therapists, pastors, and pills. Nothing worked. But then God began drawing me to His Son. I began seeing that my problems were because I was hungry, and that Jesus was God's Word who came so that I would feast on Him and be satisfied (see Matt4:4 and John6:35, 51, 53). I still struggle with those depressive tendencies some, but the difference is that I have new life in Christ now. It's unfortunate one could grow up in the church and even be in Bible college, and not feast on Christ, when Jesus says that's the whole point of the Kingdom. But that was exactly the case. Praise the Lord for His grace!
Jesus says these first two statements in his sermon to safeguard against prideful false conversions. "You must be poor in spirit, you must mourn, because then and only then will you feast on me".
While the Father draws people to His Son in different ways and the Holy Spirit works like the wind, the character of all standing at the door of the Kingdom is always the same--broken and needy.
One commentator on this verse pointed out that it's interesting the ancient philosophers, while making their "virtues" lists never once listed humility. Here Jesus not only includes it in His list, but puts it first. No humility, no Kingdom. No brokenness, no Kingdom. No sensing your need for Jesus, no Jesus. It's just that simple!
How can I be made humble? First, ask this: do you want to be? Second, ask this: What motivates your inquisition--fear of punishment, or fear of alienation from God and His Christ? Third, do this: Ask the Father for His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). Call out for faith. He'll answer--just be patient, because He's probably going to go to work differently than you think, and with a different time-frame than you think.
Scott Stine - PhD, Pastor of First Baptist, Newton NJ. Follower of Jesus; husband, daddy, too distracted by basketball.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Kingdom, week 1
I haven't written a post in a while because, frankly, it's hard to write one when I have a lot of other teaching/preaching endeavors to focus on. Also, motivation is difficult when I know that not many people will read it! So I thought that perhaps I'd combine the two, and give "recaps" of messages and things I have just preached or taught ("praught" really should be the past-tense form of "preach").
Two weeks ago, I began a series on "the Kingdom", as taught by Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. There are a lot of different understandings of what is meant by "kingdom", and how we should understand it. Some think of it in more economic terms, others in theological or eschatological terms. I just wanted to preach a simple series on what Jesus teaches about the Kingdom, listening as God's Word speaks. So my first message was split up into five sections under five headings: What, Where, When, Who, and Why is the Kingdom.
What is the Kingdom?
The Kingdom is the reign of God's Christ. Jesus began his ministry preaching the Kingdom (see Matt4:17, 23), and it was a proclamation of His reign.
God had promised king David that He would make an eternal "throne" and "kingship" from David's descendents. In 2 Samuel 7, David is jealous for God's glory (seeing that the Ark dwells in a tent), so he wants to build God a house. But God sarcastically asks David, "Would you build me a house to dwell in?" God can't be contained in something man builds...He doesn't need man (Ac17:24-25). God wants people to have hearts that bow before Him in humility. "What house would you build for me?...this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in heart, and trembles at my Word" (Isaiah 66:1-2). So God will establish THIS house: a kingdom of humble subjects who truly know God. He tells David, "I will build you a house". The King will come from David's descent, who will "build a house for my name", not referring to Solomon (because, a) Solomon died and the temple he built fell, and b) God didn't need a literal house, but wanted people who honor Him...thus "WE are his house", Hebrews3:6).
Isaiah 9:6-7 has God promising that the King will be God Himself in the flesh born as a child, who will "sit on David's throne". This is a clear teaching that the King will be the God-man. Finally, Ezekiel 37:24 promises that the Shepherd (Jesus--John10) will "shepherd the flock" and they will "be careful to obey Gods commands". This is clear teaching that the Kingdom is a Kingdom of people who love God and "tremble at His Word", like He said in Isaiah 66.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom" (Matt5:3). He meant that these are the people who receive the Kingdom in humility, and tremble at Gods Word in Christ. They are blessed, for they will receive the Kingship and reign of God's Christ.
Where is the Kingdom?
As Kevin Deyoung has recently said, "Gods Kingdom is not geographic, but 'dynamic and relational'". It's not in this place or that place (ie, calling for a pilgrimage to a location, or only in church buildings), but it is, as Jesus Himself said, "in our very midst now" (Luke 17:21). If the Kingdom is the reign of Gods Christ, where people are trembling at God's Word, the locale of the Kingdom is anywhere this is recognized and acted in light of! It's anywhere Christ is adored, worshiped as King, and God is treasured as the God of glory!
The door into the Kingdom is rebirth, as Jesus clearly told Nicodemus (John 3:3,5,7). No one gets in without Holy Spirit rebirth, which is not of human will, but of God's power and action (John1:12-13). But where this has happened, the Kingdom is there, in their midst. Paul tells the Colossian church that God has "transferred us from the domain of darkness to the Kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col1:13).
One thing that should be said is that felt-needs matter (feeding the poor, clothing the naked, etc.), because Jesus said that was a priority. But it's only a picture of the Kingdom if people are coming to know Jesus. You can do those things without knowledge of Christ (ie, humanitarian work)...the Kingdom is about knowing God and His Christ. We should meet the felt-needs AND lead people to a knowledge of Christ (and unfortunately most stop after the first part and never make it to the second).
When is the Kingdom?
It's already here, but not in its fullness yet.
There's an interesting scenario that takes place one day when Jesus has cast a demon out of a man--you can find it in Matt. 12:27-32. There, the Pharisees accuse him of casting out demons by Satan's power, which Jesus quickly shows as ridiculous logic. He then says, "If it's by God's Spirit that I cast out demons, the Kingdom has come among you." We'd all agree that it was by the Spirit that Jesus did it...so the Kingdom was already here.
But later in the story, Jesus refers to "this age, and the age to come" (v32), telling us that there is both a now and a later. The now is the era in which Christ has already been on earth ushering in the Kingdom...the later is the time of the fulness of God's Kingdom, when Christ comes to take us to Himself (John14), with the eternal blessings of Revelation 21 and 22. Jesus deals with this "era" (the later) in Matthew 24-25, a very important section of Jesus' teaching that must be carefully studied, and not in haste. Jesus died to ransom a Kingdom of priests (Rev5:9-10, cf 1Pet2:5,9), but they will remain "in the world" until He returns (cf John17:15-18), to be "by Gods power, guarded by faith, for salvation to be revealed at the last time" (1Peter1:5). This is the now, that's the later, and both are the Kingdom.
Who is the Kingdom?
Christians, saints, and Kingdom-citizens...and not just those professing, but those who really do belong to Jesus.
Paul said of himself and the Philippian christians, "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body" (Phil3:20-21). The Kingdom is among those who have their citizenship in heaven, whose life is "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians3:3), and are "seated with Christ in the heavenly places" (Ephesians2:6).
We CAN'T be under the illusion that the Kingdom includes everyone--it doesn't. It's those who belong to Jesus, and this calls for a greater urgency to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom so that people will look to Him and belong to Him.
Daniel 7:18--(Daniel 7 being a great prophetic picture of Jesus receiving the heavenly Kingdom from the Father)--says that "the saints will possess the Kingdom". Who are the saints, if not those who belong to Christ? V14 said Jesus will possess the Kingdom, but v18 says the saints? The apparent implication is that the saints are those who are "co-heirs with Christ" (Rom8:17). All that is Christ's is the Saint's. What an incredible truth.
And another thing: the saints AREN'T those who have earned a deeper state of righteousness than others (as some have been led to believe). It's those who have been made poor in spirit to realize that Christ and Christ alone earned a right-standing with God. HE was completely obedient, and no one else has been...and the grace of the Gospel is that Christ GIVES His righteousness to sinners who receive His Word with faith and obedience. He came with grace and truth.
Finally...
Why is the Kingdom?
This might seem a peculiar question, and to some just a matter of course (who, what, where, when, why).
But no one asks this question--WHY does God want His Son to have a Kingdom?
The simplest answer is that God WILL be glorified. "My glory I give to no other" (Isaiah42:8), "I blot out your transgressions for my name's sake" (43:25), "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified" (49:3). "Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength" (45:24). Frankly, God is out for His Name being glorified.
People struggle with this because they think it makes God sound selfish, but can God BE selfish? If He's giving to mankind "life and breath and everything" (Ac17:25), "satisfying our hearts with food and gladness" (Ac14:17), and making the rain fall and sun shine on just, unjust, righteous, and unrighteous (Matt5:44), how could we ever call His motives selfish? If God is constantly giving and giving more and then giving more, how could God be selfish?
Perhaps His passion for His Name being glorified is a result of His Name just being that glorious and that worthy of glory. "I had concern for my holy name...it's not for your sake I'll act, but for the sake of my holy name...I will vindicate the holiness of my great name..it's not for your sake I will act...then they will know that I'm the Lord" (Ezekiel 36:21-23, 32, 38).
This is exactly why Jesus prayed to the Father for unity among His disciples their selves and with Christ and the Father..."that the world may believe you sent me...(and)..loved them as you loved me" (John17:21,23). God's mission is that His Kingdom come so that His Name be glorified and lifted high...because His Name IS that high! "Your Name is exalted above all honor and praise" (Nehemiah9:5). Think about that: if all mankind was to join together to worship God, His Name would still be higher than that. What a pride-humbling and self-righteousness-killing truth.
This is why we will worship and serve God in heaven for all of eternity--because it takes that long to thank and glorify God for who He is and what He's done. It's not coincidence man has a hunger in his heart for "something more"--it's because there IS something more. The only thing to remember is that the "something more" is found in just receiving the Word of truth, "which is able to save your souls" (Jms1:21)--the "something more" isn't far off. It's HERE. And one day, it will be realized in all of its fullness...those who will get to enjoy it in its fullness are those who have received it now. Kingdom citizens then are the Kingdom citizens now. "All who are being led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans8:14, Gk).
Therefore, "turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!" (Isaiah45:22).
Two weeks ago, I began a series on "the Kingdom", as taught by Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. There are a lot of different understandings of what is meant by "kingdom", and how we should understand it. Some think of it in more economic terms, others in theological or eschatological terms. I just wanted to preach a simple series on what Jesus teaches about the Kingdom, listening as God's Word speaks. So my first message was split up into five sections under five headings: What, Where, When, Who, and Why is the Kingdom.
What is the Kingdom?
The Kingdom is the reign of God's Christ. Jesus began his ministry preaching the Kingdom (see Matt4:17, 23), and it was a proclamation of His reign.
God had promised king David that He would make an eternal "throne" and "kingship" from David's descendents. In 2 Samuel 7, David is jealous for God's glory (seeing that the Ark dwells in a tent), so he wants to build God a house. But God sarcastically asks David, "Would you build me a house to dwell in?" God can't be contained in something man builds...He doesn't need man (Ac17:24-25). God wants people to have hearts that bow before Him in humility. "What house would you build for me?...this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in heart, and trembles at my Word" (Isaiah 66:1-2). So God will establish THIS house: a kingdom of humble subjects who truly know God. He tells David, "I will build you a house". The King will come from David's descent, who will "build a house for my name", not referring to Solomon (because, a) Solomon died and the temple he built fell, and b) God didn't need a literal house, but wanted people who honor Him...thus "WE are his house", Hebrews3:6).
Isaiah 9:6-7 has God promising that the King will be God Himself in the flesh born as a child, who will "sit on David's throne". This is a clear teaching that the King will be the God-man. Finally, Ezekiel 37:24 promises that the Shepherd (Jesus--John10) will "shepherd the flock" and they will "be careful to obey Gods commands". This is clear teaching that the Kingdom is a Kingdom of people who love God and "tremble at His Word", like He said in Isaiah 66.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom" (Matt5:3). He meant that these are the people who receive the Kingdom in humility, and tremble at Gods Word in Christ. They are blessed, for they will receive the Kingship and reign of God's Christ.
Where is the Kingdom?
As Kevin Deyoung has recently said, "Gods Kingdom is not geographic, but 'dynamic and relational'". It's not in this place or that place (ie, calling for a pilgrimage to a location, or only in church buildings), but it is, as Jesus Himself said, "in our very midst now" (Luke 17:21). If the Kingdom is the reign of Gods Christ, where people are trembling at God's Word, the locale of the Kingdom is anywhere this is recognized and acted in light of! It's anywhere Christ is adored, worshiped as King, and God is treasured as the God of glory!
The door into the Kingdom is rebirth, as Jesus clearly told Nicodemus (John 3:3,5,7). No one gets in without Holy Spirit rebirth, which is not of human will, but of God's power and action (John1:12-13). But where this has happened, the Kingdom is there, in their midst. Paul tells the Colossian church that God has "transferred us from the domain of darkness to the Kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col1:13).
One thing that should be said is that felt-needs matter (feeding the poor, clothing the naked, etc.), because Jesus said that was a priority. But it's only a picture of the Kingdom if people are coming to know Jesus. You can do those things without knowledge of Christ (ie, humanitarian work)...the Kingdom is about knowing God and His Christ. We should meet the felt-needs AND lead people to a knowledge of Christ (and unfortunately most stop after the first part and never make it to the second).
When is the Kingdom?
It's already here, but not in its fullness yet.
There's an interesting scenario that takes place one day when Jesus has cast a demon out of a man--you can find it in Matt. 12:27-32. There, the Pharisees accuse him of casting out demons by Satan's power, which Jesus quickly shows as ridiculous logic. He then says, "If it's by God's Spirit that I cast out demons, the Kingdom has come among you." We'd all agree that it was by the Spirit that Jesus did it...so the Kingdom was already here.
But later in the story, Jesus refers to "this age, and the age to come" (v32), telling us that there is both a now and a later. The now is the era in which Christ has already been on earth ushering in the Kingdom...the later is the time of the fulness of God's Kingdom, when Christ comes to take us to Himself (John14), with the eternal blessings of Revelation 21 and 22. Jesus deals with this "era" (the later) in Matthew 24-25, a very important section of Jesus' teaching that must be carefully studied, and not in haste. Jesus died to ransom a Kingdom of priests (Rev5:9-10, cf 1Pet2:5,9), but they will remain "in the world" until He returns (cf John17:15-18), to be "by Gods power, guarded by faith, for salvation to be revealed at the last time" (1Peter1:5). This is the now, that's the later, and both are the Kingdom.
Who is the Kingdom?
Christians, saints, and Kingdom-citizens...and not just those professing, but those who really do belong to Jesus.
Paul said of himself and the Philippian christians, "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body" (Phil3:20-21). The Kingdom is among those who have their citizenship in heaven, whose life is "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians3:3), and are "seated with Christ in the heavenly places" (Ephesians2:6).
We CAN'T be under the illusion that the Kingdom includes everyone--it doesn't. It's those who belong to Jesus, and this calls for a greater urgency to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom so that people will look to Him and belong to Him.
Daniel 7:18--(Daniel 7 being a great prophetic picture of Jesus receiving the heavenly Kingdom from the Father)--says that "the saints will possess the Kingdom". Who are the saints, if not those who belong to Christ? V14 said Jesus will possess the Kingdom, but v18 says the saints? The apparent implication is that the saints are those who are "co-heirs with Christ" (Rom8:17). All that is Christ's is the Saint's. What an incredible truth.
And another thing: the saints AREN'T those who have earned a deeper state of righteousness than others (as some have been led to believe). It's those who have been made poor in spirit to realize that Christ and Christ alone earned a right-standing with God. HE was completely obedient, and no one else has been...and the grace of the Gospel is that Christ GIVES His righteousness to sinners who receive His Word with faith and obedience. He came with grace and truth.
Finally...
Why is the Kingdom?
This might seem a peculiar question, and to some just a matter of course (who, what, where, when, why).
But no one asks this question--WHY does God want His Son to have a Kingdom?
The simplest answer is that God WILL be glorified. "My glory I give to no other" (Isaiah42:8), "I blot out your transgressions for my name's sake" (43:25), "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified" (49:3). "Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength" (45:24). Frankly, God is out for His Name being glorified.
People struggle with this because they think it makes God sound selfish, but can God BE selfish? If He's giving to mankind "life and breath and everything" (Ac17:25), "satisfying our hearts with food and gladness" (Ac14:17), and making the rain fall and sun shine on just, unjust, righteous, and unrighteous (Matt5:44), how could we ever call His motives selfish? If God is constantly giving and giving more and then giving more, how could God be selfish?
Perhaps His passion for His Name being glorified is a result of His Name just being that glorious and that worthy of glory. "I had concern for my holy name...it's not for your sake I'll act, but for the sake of my holy name...I will vindicate the holiness of my great name..it's not for your sake I will act...then they will know that I'm the Lord" (Ezekiel 36:21-23, 32, 38).
This is exactly why Jesus prayed to the Father for unity among His disciples their selves and with Christ and the Father..."that the world may believe you sent me...(and)..loved them as you loved me" (John17:21,23). God's mission is that His Kingdom come so that His Name be glorified and lifted high...because His Name IS that high! "Your Name is exalted above all honor and praise" (Nehemiah9:5). Think about that: if all mankind was to join together to worship God, His Name would still be higher than that. What a pride-humbling and self-righteousness-killing truth.
This is why we will worship and serve God in heaven for all of eternity--because it takes that long to thank and glorify God for who He is and what He's done. It's not coincidence man has a hunger in his heart for "something more"--it's because there IS something more. The only thing to remember is that the "something more" is found in just receiving the Word of truth, "which is able to save your souls" (Jms1:21)--the "something more" isn't far off. It's HERE. And one day, it will be realized in all of its fullness...those who will get to enjoy it in its fullness are those who have received it now. Kingdom citizens then are the Kingdom citizens now. "All who are being led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans8:14, Gk).
Therefore, "turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!" (Isaiah45:22).
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