Life With the King: Now and Later (Luke 17:21, 22:16)

Series: Life With the King

Sermon: Now and Later

Scripture: Luke 17:21, 22:16

Date: November 11, 2018

 

Last week's WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Pray about whether following you will lead someone to follow Jesus.  Pray and ask God what actions you can take to help your family become a kingdom family.

Nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!"  For indeed, the kingdom fo God is within you.  (Luke 17:21)

For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.  (Luke 22:16)

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  (John 17:3)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Philippians 3:20)

The kingdom of God is still yet to come.  It is here but it is not fully here.

But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.  (Matthew 26:29)

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  (1 Corinthians 15:50, NIV)

Let's talk about how the Kingdom is now and later.  This will help us live as Kingdom people with our King:

1. Entrance
   • "The time has come," he said.  "The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!"  (Mark 1:15, NIV)
   • It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
2. Experience
   • Our experience with Jesus now is different.
   • This means there can be Christians who have been set free from spiritual bondage, but who will never enjoy the full rights and privileges they could have inherited in this life.
   • Our experience with Jesus now is different.
   • Our experience with Jesus later is different.
   • And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.  And they shall reign forever and ever.  (Revelation 22:3-5)
   • Your experience of and ability to reign with Christ later is determined by how you live here now.
   • Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.  If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.  If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.  (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)
3. Enjoyment
   • Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.  For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.  (Hebrews 4:1-2)