Embracing the Kingdom: Righteousness, Peace, and Joy

Devotional

Day 1: The Essence of the Kingdom

The kingdom of God is not about external observances but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. This profound truth calls us to rise above the minutiae that often divide us and focus on the essence of our faith. Historically, the church has faced divisions due to an imbalance in perspective, where minor details overshadow the core spiritual truths. The Pharisees, for instance, were so focused on dietary laws and holy days that they missed the essence of the kingdom and rejected Christ. We are reminded that parts of the truth only hold significance in relation to the whole, and isolating doctrines or practices leads to error and division. By maintaining a sense of balance and perspective, we align ourselves with the true essence of the kingdom. [01:21]

Romans 14:17 (ESV): "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Reflection: What minor details in your spiritual life have been distracting you from the essence of your faith? How can you refocus on righteousness, peace, and joy today?

Day 2: Unity in Diversity

The church is a body with many parts, each significant in relation to the whole. This diversity is a strength, not a weakness, and should be appreciated while maintaining unity in the core truths of the faith. Isolating doctrines or practices can lead to division, as seen throughout church history. Instead, we are called to embrace the diversity within the body of Christ, recognizing that each part contributes to the whole. By doing so, we reflect the unity and diversity of the kingdom of God, where different gifts and perspectives come together to serve a common purpose. [07:32]

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV): "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many."

Reflection: How can you actively appreciate and contribute to the diversity within your church community today?

Day 3: Holistic Engagement

Our engagement with the truth must involve our mind, heart, and will. A purely intellectual or emotional approach is insufficient for the kingdom of God, which demands our full participation, integrating all aspects of our lives. This holistic engagement prevents the pitfalls of legalism and superficiality, allowing us to experience the fullness of the kingdom. By engaging with the truth in a holistic manner, we align our entire being with God's purposes, allowing His kingdom to transform every aspect of our lives. [19:03]

James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

Reflection: In what ways can you engage your mind, heart, and will in your spiritual practices today to experience a more holistic relationship with God?

Day 4: Centrality of the Kingdom

The kingdom of God is the central theme of the Bible and the focus of Christ's teaching. We are called to prioritize the kingdom in our lives, allowing it to shape our priorities and actions. By keeping the kingdom central, we avoid the distractions of lesser concerns and align ourselves with God's eternal purposes. This focus on the kingdom helps us to live with purpose and direction, ensuring that our lives reflect the values and priorities of the kingdom. [24:47]

Matthew 6:33 (ESV): "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to realign your priorities to reflect the centrality of God's kingdom?

Day 5: Present Reality and Future Hope

The kingdom of God is both a present reality within us and a future hope of glory. We are called to live in light of this kingdom, allowing it to transform our lives and guide our interactions with others. This dual aspect of the kingdom—present and future—provides us with hope and motivation to live according to God's purposes. By embracing the kingdom as a present reality, we experience its transformative power in our daily lives, while the future hope of glory inspires us to persevere in faith. [33:58]

Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV): "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Reflection: How can you live today in a way that reflects the present reality and future hope of God's kingdom?

Sermon Summary

In our exploration of Romans 14:17, we delve into the profound truth that the kingdom of God transcends mere external observances like eating and drinking. Instead, it embodies righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. This passage challenges us to rise above the minutiae that often divide us and to focus on the essence of our faith. The Apostle Paul, in his characteristic manner, elevates the discussion from the specifics of dietary laws and holy days to the ultimate spiritual truths that define the Christian life.

The core issue addressed is the lack of balance and perspective that has historically caused division within the church. The Pharisees, despite their interest in the kingdom, missed its essence due to their focus on minor details, leading to their rejection of Christ. This imbalance is a recurring problem, causing divisions and misunderstandings in the church. We must recognize that parts of the truth only hold significance in relation to the whole. Isolating doctrines or practices leads to error and division.

Furthermore, we must ensure that our engagement with the truth involves our entire being—mind, heart, and will. A purely intellectual or emotional approach is insufficient. The kingdom of God demands our full participation, integrating all aspects of our lives. This holistic engagement prevents the pitfalls of legalism and superficiality.

Ultimately, the kingdom of God is about the reign of Christ in our hearts and lives. It is a present reality within us and a future hope of glory. We are called to live in light of this kingdom, allowing it to shape our priorities and actions. By keeping the kingdom central, we avoid the distractions of lesser concerns and align ourselves with God's eternal purposes.

Key Takeaways

1. Balance and Perspective: The kingdom of God is not about external observances but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We must maintain a sense of balance and perspective, recognizing that divisions often arise from focusing on minor details rather than the essence of our faith. [01:21]
2. Unity in Diversity: The church is a body with many parts, each significant in relation to the whole. Isolating doctrines or practices leads to division. We must appreciate the diversity within the body of Christ while maintaining unity in the core truths of the faith. [07:32]
3. Holistic Engagement: Our engagement with the truth must involve our mind, heart, and will. A purely intellectual or emotional approach is insufficient. The kingdom of God demands our full participation, integrating all aspects of our lives. [19:03]
4. Centrality of the Kingdom: The kingdom of God is the central theme of the Bible and the focus of Christ's teaching. We must prioritize the kingdom in our lives, allowing it to shape our priorities and actions. This prevents the distractions of lesser concerns. [24:47]
5. Present Reality and Future Hope: The kingdom of God is both a present reality within us and a future hope of glory. We are called to live in light of this kingdom, allowing it to transform our lives and guide our interactions with others. [33:58]
** [33:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:11] - Introduction to Romans 14:17
[00:30] - Elevating the Discussion
[01:21] - Importance of Balance
[02:43] - Division in the Church
[03:59] - Examples of Imbalance
[05:06] - Teaching Scripture
[06:17] - Contextual Understanding
[07:32] - Unity in Diversity
[09:11] - Comparing Scripture with Scripture
[11:05] - Misguided Zeal
[13:41] - Family Responsibilities
[16:59] - Emphasizing the Whole
[19:03] - Holistic Engagement
[24:47] - Centrality of the Kingdom
[33:58] - Present Reality and Future Hope

Sermon Clips

The Apostle Paul, in his characteristic manner, elevates the discussion from the specifics of dietary laws and holy days to the ultimate spiritual truths that define the Christian life. He asserts a great principle here which we must never forget, and that is the vital importance of balance and a sense of proportion and a true perspective in the Christian Life. [00:01:21]

Most of the troubles in the Church always arise through our failure to preserve a sense of balance. I reminded you how our Lord put it in those words that we read together just now in the case of the Pharisees. That was the whole trouble with the Pharisees. These were men who were greatly interested in the kingdom of God. [00:01:39]

The church is to be one, and she's to be visibly one. That's the meaning of our Lord's Prayer as recorded in John 17. Divisions have come owing to the failure of people to realize that there are things which have relative importance, and because they failed to remember this and take things in their right context, they've gone astray. [00:02:52]

Parts and portions of Truth only have importance in their relationship to the whole, not in and of themselves. A great illustration of this point is, of course, to be found in one Corinthians 12. That's the whole object of that chapter where Paul reminds us that the church is the body of Christ, and we are members in particular of that body. [00:06:46]

We must always be careful to compare scripture with scripture. This is one of the first rules of exposition. Heresies have come into being because people have fixed on a particular statement and have elaborated a Doctrine on that without taking the trouble to see that it contradicts other statements in the scripture. [00:09:08]

We must never allow only parts of ourselves to be involved in the truth and in these matters. Let me show you what I mean. As it is wrong for me to concentrate over much on particular parts or portions or aspects of the truth, so it is wrong for the truth to be engaged with only parts or portions of me. [00:18:39]

The kingdom of God doesn't only take up a part of the man; it takes up the whole man. That's the glory of it. That's where you see its greatness, so that this partial interest from our side or this partial engagement is equally reprehensible and, as I say, is equally dangerous. [00:22:18]

The kingdom of God is the central theme of the Bible. The Bible ultimately is concerned about the kingdom of God. God made the world and made men set him minut it. Men was meant to live a life of communion with God, yes, and of obedience with God, and all our troubles have come out of the fact that men rebelled against God. [00:26:32]

The kingdom of God is now to be seen in this visible form in the Christian church, but the teaching is equally clear and explicit that the kingdom of God is again to be seen in a visible form in a still more marvelous and glorious manner, and that will happen when our Lord comes back again into this world. [00:31:38]

The kingdom of God is also within every one of us who is a Christian. It is the rule of God; it is the reign of God, the reign of Christ. He is the mediator, and he's the king of the Kingdom for the time being. It's the mediatorial kingdom now, and wherever he reigns in a human heart, the kingdom of God is there. [00:33:58]

The kingdom of God is in you because Christ is in you, but a great day is coming when you and I will have a very great and exalted place in this Kingdom. It's when you begin to think of things like this that you can understand the Apostle's sarcasm when he talks about meat and drink. [00:35:16]

Start with the kingdom of God. All this is about the kingdom of God. You are in it, and it's in you. That's going to be the end of it. Very well, we start there, and we'll work it out together. [00:39:07]

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