Forever King: Expectation and Obedience

Devotional

Day 1: When small obedience feels invisible, it still matters

You’ve tried to do good in Jesus’ name and wondered if it did anything at all. Christmas reminds you that the world’s rescue started small—a baby in a manger—yet this King’s rule keeps growing without end. God’s plans often look hidden while they unfold, but his zeal guarantees their completion. Your quiet “yes” today is gathered into a kingdom that will one day fill everything. Nothing done in allegiance to Jesus is wasted, even when you can’t see the results yet. Keep offering your brick. [01:08]

Isaiah 9:2, 6–7
People sitting in deep shadow see a blazing light. A child is given, and the weight of ruling rests on his shoulders. His authority and peace keep expanding, with no finish line, as he upholds his throne with justice and what is right. The Lord of hosts, burning with resolve, will make it happen.

Reflection: What is one small act you did recently that felt pointless—how could you consciously place it into Jesus’ hands today and trust him with its unseen impact?

Day 2: Proactive patience—neither passive nor pressured

Some shrug, assuming “Jesus will fix it later,” while others strain as if it all depends on them. There is another way: proactive patience—active faith that works while it waits. Jesus is reigning now and will keep reigning until every enemy is under his feet, and then he will hand the kingdom to the Father. Until that day, you build for the kingdom, offering the faithful work he assigns—even when it feels like shaping a curved stone you don’t yet understand. Your role is obedience; the outcome is his. [07:32]

1 Corinthians 15:24–27
After the appointed work is complete, the Son hands the kingdom to the Father, having dismantled every rival power. He must continue to reign until every enemy lies beneath his feet. Death itself will be last to fall. All things are brought under his authority.

Reflection: Where are you currently drifting into passivity or pushing into pressure—what is one practical, faithful step you can take this week to practice proactive patience with Jesus?

Day 3: Hand over your little kingdoms

Every life holds small domains—family voice, money, time, reputation, privacy, comfort. The invitation is simple and freeing: “Yes, Lord”—offering each sphere to Jesus instead of managing it for self. This is what it means to pray, “Your kingdom come; your will be done,” here and now. As you seek first his kingdom, you trust him to order the rest. He knows what to do with what you place in his hands. Take one corner of your life and let his reign be seen there. [26:49]

Matthew 6:9–10, 33
Father in heaven, set your name apart as holy. Let your kingdom arrive and your will be carried out here on earth just as it is in your presence. Seek his kingdom and his way of right living before everything else, and what you truly need will be provided.

Reflection: Which specific “little kingdom” (time, money, space, approval, schedule) will you hand to Jesus this week, and what concrete action will show that it now belongs to him?

Day 4: Holy, hopeful, active while we wait

Waiting is not idleness; it is love in motion. The Lord is not slow—he is patient, wanting people to be rescued, and he invites you to join his rescue. Live set-apart and engaged, the kind of life that both looks forward to and even hastens the day of the Lord. Multiply disciples, serve unseen, and trust the Spirit’s power rather than your own. Hope steadies your pace; holiness guides your steps. [29:35]

2 Peter 3:9, 12–14
The Lord isn’t dragging his feet; he’s patient, not wanting anyone to be lost but for all to turn back to him. As you look toward the day when heaven and earth are remade, live in a way that presses that day closer. Therefore, be diligent to be found by him at peace, clean, and steady in your faith.

Reflection: Who is one person in your everyday world Jesus might be inviting you to pursue with patient, hopeful love—and what is your next gentle step toward them?

Day 5: Steadfast and immovable—because resurrection is certain

Because Jesus rose, new creation has already begun, and he will finish what he started. One day death will be swallowed up, crowns laid down, and Jesus will present the gathered fruit of our lives to the Father. Until then, anchor your heart and abound in his work, especially the hidden and ordinary offerings done in his name. Your labor in the Lord is never empty; it is seed for a harvest you will one day see. Keep saying, “Yes, today, Jesus,” and keep placing your brick in his hands. [31:36]

1 Corinthians 15:52–58
In a moment, at the final trumpet, the dead will be raised beyond decay, and we will be changed. Then the taunt will ring true: death has lost. Thanks be to God—through our Lord Jesus, he gives us the victory. So stand your ground, let nothing move you, and overflow in the Lord’s work, knowing none of it is wasted.

Reflection: What is one hidden act of obedience you will do this week purely for Jesus—without announcement or credit—because you trust it will not be in vain?

Sermon Summary

Many wonder whether attempts to honor Jesus—especially in messy relationships and ordinary responsibilities—really matter. The birth of the child‑King in Bethlehem answers that ache with a promise: of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. He is building the kingdom the Father deserves with a rescued, humble people—the meek, the hungry for righteousness, the once-broken who now look to him. Yet life sits in the tension of “already and not yet”: Christ reigns, but war, injustice, and apathy persist. Two ditches beckon—passive resignation (“Jesus will fix it later”) and frantic control (“it’s up to us”). The alternative is proactive patience: actively aligning with Jesus while trusting his timing and authority to place every enemy under his feet.

This posture reframes daily obedience. Small, hidden acts are not discarded. Like a mason shaping a curved stone for a cathedral he cannot yet see, believers “build for” the kingdom by offering faithful work to the Master Builder. Scripture anchors this hope in the resurrection: Jesus is the firstfruits, the tangible beginning of new creation. Because he is bodily raised, the future is not wishful thinking. Every rival power will be subdued; the Son will present the kingdom to the Father; and labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Practically, this means handing over “little kingdoms”—the domains of comfort, influence, finances, family, work, and reputation—and saying, “Yes, Lord,” today. Surrender turns control into stewardship and anxiety into prayer. It also moves mission from addition to multiplication: praying “Your kingdom come” is daily alignment that becomes action—holy, hopeful, active lives that seek the lost because God is patient, not wanting any to perish. Forgiveness (without enabling abuse), quiet generosity, unseen service, and restful trust are real kingdom work when done in allegiance to Jesus. The Spirit supplies the energy; believers are pitchers, not power plants. Ordinary faithfulness offered to the reigning King becomes part of the gift he will one day present to the Father when God is all in all. Until that day, keep saying, “Yes, today, Jesus.” Nothing done in allegiance to the King is wasted.

Key Takeaways

1. Practice proactive patience, not extremes. Resist the twin errors of passivity and messianic control. Proactive patience keeps you acting in love today while trusting Christ to bring history to its appointed end. It marries obedience to hope and zeal to humility. This path keeps your heart soft and your hands busy without pretending you run the world. [08:18]
2. Small acts of obedience endure. Because Jesus’ reign will fill everything, hidden faithfulness becomes real material within his lasting kingdom. Like a curved stone that only makes sense in the finished cathedral, unseen sacrifices will be set by the Master’s hand. 1 Corinthians 15 assures that labor “in the Lord” is never wasted. This frees you from cynicism and the need to be noticed. [11:32]
3. Hand over your little kingdoms. Influence and resources easily harden into private fiefdoms. Surrendering them to Jesus transforms control into stewardship and worry into worship. Saying “Yes, Lord” today is how crowns are laid down before the final day. Over time, surrendered domains bear more fruit than self-managed empires. [13:22]
4. Resurrection firstfruits guarantees the future. Jesus’ bodily resurrection is the down payment of new creation and the end of death. Hope becomes concrete, not a mood; it empowers costly love now. Every rival power will bow, and the Son will hand the kingdom to the Father. Present obedience is calibrated to that finished future. [22:34]
5. Pray and live, ‘Your kingdom come.’ This is daily alignment, not a private wish. Heaven’s ready obedience becomes the pattern for earthly choices—holy, hopeful, active lives that seek the lost because God is patient. Formation and mission belong together; praying this way moves your feet. Such alignment participates in God’s rescuing patience. [26:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - Does any of this matter?
[01:36] - Child‑King and Isaiah’s promise
[03:49] - Kingdom built with the broken
[07:32] - Between passivity and pressure
[08:18] - Build for, not build, the kingdom
[10:40] - Spirit-given gifts for the church
[11:32] - Your small obedience counts
[16:24] - Of his government, no end
[19:17] - Firstfruits: resurrection begins new creation
[23:21] - Every enemy under Jesus’ feet
[26:16] - Pray: Your kingdom come here
[31:36] - Steadfast: labor not in vain
[36:50] - Surrender your little kingdoms
[44:10] - Ordinary, unshakable kingdom living

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
- 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 58
- Matthew 6:9-10, 33

Observation questions

In Isaiah 9:6-7, what words show that the Messiah’s rule won’t shrink but will keep growing? What does Isaiah say will make it happen?
In 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, what is the clear order Paul gives: who comes first, what happens “then,” and what happens “at the end”?
In Matthew 6:9-10, what are we actually asking God to do when we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”? How does verse 33 connect to that?
Two extremes were named about how we respond to the brokenness of the world. What are they, and what alternative way was named? [07:32]

Interpretation questions

“Build for the kingdom,” not “build the kingdom.” Why does that distinction matter? How might the cathedral-stone picture help someone keep going when results are hidden? [08:18]
If Jesus is the “firstfruits,” how does his bodily resurrection make the future concrete rather than wishful thinking? How could that change the risks someone is willing to take in love today? (See 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; [22:34])
When praying “Your kingdom come” moves from a private wish to daily alignment, what decisions start to change (time, money, relationships, priorities)? [26:49]
If the Spirit supplies the power and we are “pitchers, not power plants,” how should that reshape someone’s expectations about their limits, energy, and what faithfulness looks like? [34:33]

Application questions

Pick one “little kingdom” (comfort, money, family, work, reputation, schedule). What is one clear, practical way you can hand that to Jesus this week and say, “Yes, Lord, today”? Be specific about the step and when you’ll take it. [36:50]
When life is hard, do you tend to slide toward passive resignation (“Jesus will fix it later”) or frantic control (“it’s up to me”)? Name one practice you’ll try this week to live “proactive patience” instead (e.g., a daily prayer, one act of love, a boundary around hurry). [07:32]
What is one small, unseen act of obedience you can offer this week—your “curved stone” for the cathedral (an apology, a quiet gift, a note of encouragement, a hidden fast)? How will you offer it “in the Lord”? [09:28]
Try praying the Lord’s Prayer slowly each morning this week. If heaven’s quick obedience is the pattern, what is one decision you already know needs to change tomorrow to align with the Father’s will? [26:49]
If God is patient, not wanting any to perish, who is one person in your circle you will gently pursue this week? What’s your next step—pray with them, share a meal, invite them to read a Gospel with you, or serve a need? [28:21]
Where are you running on your own power and feeling empty? What is one daily moment (commute, lunch, walk) when you will ask the Holy Spirit to pour through you like a pitcher? What would you expect to see if he does? [34:33]
Is there a relationship where forgiveness (without enabling abuse) is needed? What boundary would wisdom require, and what is one next step you can take this week toward forgiveness or reconciliation? [38:29]

Sermon Clips

In the meantime, every time we bow the knee to the king of kings, every time we lay down on our crown, every time we just offer our areas, spheres of influence to Jesus, we get to be part of this building, this thing that's happening. So I typically don't say we build the kingdom, I adopt a language to just say we build for the kingdom. [00:08:18] (29 seconds) #BuildForTheKingdom

Because Jesus's reign will one day fill everything. Your small acts of obedience today are never wasted. It just, it matters what you do. If you don't show up, something switches. If you don't, if you don't just say, man, I'm a part of this today, Jesus, whatever it is, I want to be a part of it. Then your, your day just kind of goes offline as it were. [00:11:24] (26 seconds) #SmallActsMatter

And he said, actually, listen to my words. It'll cut just about like that. So we expected him to come and do the thing and defeat and throw off Rome and do all these things. And now he's going to be on the throne of David in Jerusalem. And it's like actually bigger than that. Like, oh, we got to, you know, Israel, we got to get the land mass of Israel. He's like, no, actually, you're looking too small. It actually goes around the globe. This is his rule and reign is going to expand until there's no boundary to it. [00:16:02] (32 seconds) #KingdomWithoutBorders

And the zeal of the Lord will accomplish this. This is, this is good because your enthusiasm has limits as well. Your excitement and potential and passion and energy toward things is like, it goes like this. Mine sometimes goes like this and then it drops and then it, you know, kind of does it. It does its own thing, but this is God's passionate commitment to make sure his rule and reign is going to continue and he's going to do it through his Lord, through, through the Christ. And we have that as a solid promise. [00:18:27] (34 seconds) #GodsZealEndures

``The day of the Lord will come, but while we wait, Peter says, we're supposed to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. You look forward to the day of God, and we speed its coming. He's not willing that any should perish, so we move forward. We're not passive, and we're not panicked. We're simply holy, we're hopeful, and we're active while we wait. [00:29:05] (31 seconds) #HolyHopefulActive

So if we're thinking through this idea that proactive patience means Jesus is going to finish what he started, and so we're good with that. The practice frees us from cynicism. Ah, this is the way it's always going to be. Nothing really matters. And it's going to move us from the Messiah complex that says it all depends on me. It means I'm just, what I'm going to do is I'm going to walk with Jesus. I'm going to stay aligned with the Father and ask for this day, this moment, this thing, whatever I'm doing right now, would you make this count and align my heart with yours so that it does. [00:29:35] (32 seconds) #AlignAndAct

So I want to encourage you today that what you're doing for him, and as we look forward to, like, if you look at Revelation chapter 21 and you see the new Jerusalem coming out of heaven, a spotless bride, a city on a hill, new heaven, new earth, God dwelling with his people, the tears wiped away from our eyes, death is defeated, all things are made new. We see that every, I think, I believe, that every act of faith, every hidden but quiet sacrifice, everything you do that bows the knee to Jesus now is going to count in eternity. [00:32:00] (47 seconds) #EveryActCounts

And one day, and I don't want you to wait till that day, but one day we will cast our crowns at his feet. So don't, why wait for that day? When every knee was going to have to confess that Jesus the Christ is Lord, why not just confess him as Lord now and just hand him your crown and just say, you know what to do with this. You're so much better at this than I am. [00:41:36] (22 seconds) #CastYourCrown

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