Hope and Deliverance: The Gospel of the Kingdom

Devotional

Day 1: God's Kingdom: A Beacon of Hope and Deliverance

The Gospel of the Kingdom offers a message of hope and deliverance, emphasizing God's action in history to establish His kingdom. This kingdom is distinct from earthly kingdoms and provides a way of escape from the world's doomed fate. It is not about reforming the world but about God's intervention to create a new reality for those who respond to His call. The Kingdom of Heaven is characterized by God's reign in the hearts and lives of its citizens, offering them a new identity and a new history. This eternal and unshakeable kingdom will ultimately materialize upon the Earth, where God will reign supreme in a new heavens and a new Earth, free from sin, sorrow, and suffering. [06:20]

Isaiah 65:17-18 (ESV): "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness."

Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in God's Kingdom today, living as a citizen of this new reality amidst the world's instability?

Day 2: God's Sovereignty in History

God's control over history is evident in His permission of evil to teach humanity about its limitations and the necessity of divine intervention. Despite the chaos and calamity brought about by human sin, God has not abandoned the world. Instead, He is actively creating a people for Himself, a kingdom within history that runs parallel to the history of the world. This kingdom is composed of individuals who respond to the call of the Gospel, separating themselves from the doomed world and becoming part of God's eternal kingdom. God's relationship with history is one of control and action, demonstrating His sovereignty and purpose in all things. [29:24]

Daniel 4:35 (ESV): "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'"

Reflection: How can you trust in God's sovereignty and control over your personal history, especially in times of uncertainty and chaos?

Day 3: The Gospel: A Proclamation of Good News

The Gospel is not a call to protest or adhere to moral teachings but a proclamation of good news about God's intervention. It is a message of salvation and deliverance, offering a new identity and history to those who respond to its call. This message is heralded to all nations as a witness, emphasizing God's action in history to establish His kingdom. The Gospel of the Kingdom is a call to repentance and faith, offering salvation and deliverance from impending judgment. It is a call to flee from the wrath to come and find refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been sent into the world to deliver us. [12:35]

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (ESV): "For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to share the good news of the Gospel with someone who needs to hear it?

Day 4: The Kingdom of Heaven: A New Identity and History

The Kingdom of Heaven is characterized by God's reign in the hearts and lives of its citizens, offering them a new identity and a new history. This kingdom is eternal, unshakeable, and will ultimately materialize upon the Earth. It is distinct from earthly kingdoms and provides a way of escape from the world's doomed fate. God's intervention in human history is not about reforming the world but about establishing a new kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven, which is distinct from the earthly kingdoms we know. This kingdom is composed of individuals who respond to the call of the Gospel, separating themselves from the doomed world and becoming part of God's eternal kingdom. [25:36]

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 does your identity as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven influence your daily decisions and interactions with others?

Day 5: A Call to Repentance and Faith

The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom is a call to repentance and faith, offering salvation and deliverance from impending judgment. It is a call to flee from the wrath to come and find refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. This kingdom is eternal, unshakeable, and will ultimately materialize upon the Earth, where God will reign supreme in a new heavens and a new Earth, free from sin, sorrow, and suffering. The Gospel of the Kingdom is a proclamation of good news, heralded to all nations as a witness, emphasizing God's action in history to establish His kingdom. [50:09]

Acts 3:19-21 (ESV): "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to repent and turn back to God today? How can you seek His presence for times of refreshing?

Sermon Summary

In the midst of a world characterized by instability, insecurity, and uncertainty, the message of hope and deliverance shines through the Gospel of the Kingdom. This message, as articulated in Matthew 24:14, is not about reforming or improving the world, which is under the wrath of God and destined for final destruction. Instead, it is about the good news of God's action in history, offering a way of escape and deliverance for individuals from the doomed fate of this sinful world.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is a proclamation of good news, heralded to all nations as a witness. It is not a call to protest against societal ills or to merely adhere to moral teachings, but rather an announcement of God's intervention in human history. This intervention is not about reforming the world but about establishing a new kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven, which is distinct from the earthly kingdoms we know. This kingdom is characterized by God's reign in the hearts and lives of its citizens, offering them a new identity and a new history.

God's relationship with history is one of control and action. He permits evil to teach humanity about its own limitations and the necessity of divine intervention. Despite the chaos and calamity brought about by human sin, God has not abandoned the world. Instead, He is actively creating a people for Himself, a kingdom within history that runs parallel to the history of the world. This kingdom is composed of individuals who respond to the call of the Gospel, separating themselves from the doomed world and becoming part of God's eternal kingdom.

The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom is a call to repentance and faith, offering salvation and deliverance from the impending judgment. It is a call to flee from the wrath to come and to find refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been sent into the world to deliver us. This kingdom is eternal, unshakeable, and will ultimately materialize upon the Earth, where God will reign supreme in a new heavens and a new Earth, free from sin, sorrow, and suffering.

Key Takeaways

1. The Gospel of the Kingdom is a message of hope and deliverance, not about reforming the world but about God's action in history to establish His kingdom. This kingdom is distinct from earthly kingdoms and offers a way of escape from the world's doomed fate. [06:20]
2. God's control over history is evident in His permission of evil to teach humanity about its limitations and the necessity of divine intervention. Despite the chaos, God is actively creating a people for Himself, a kingdom within history. [29:24]
3. The Gospel is not a call to protest or adhere to moral teachings but a proclamation of good news about God's intervention. It is a message of salvation and deliverance, offering a new identity and history to those who respond to its call. [12:35]
4. The Kingdom of Heaven is characterized by God's reign in the hearts and lives of its citizens, offering them a new identity and a new history. This kingdom is eternal, unshakeable, and will ultimately materialize upon the Earth. [25:36]
5. The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom is a call to repentance and faith, offering salvation and deliverance from impending judgment. It is a call to flee from the wrath to come and find refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. [50:09]
** [50:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:11] - Introduction to Matthew 24:14
[01:09] - The Age of Instability
[02:19] - The End of the World
[03:05] - The Relevance of the Gospel
[04:35] - The Illusion of World Reform
[06:01] - The Way of Escape
[07:40] - The True Christian Message
[09:12] - The Good News of the Gospel
[10:32] - Proclaiming the Gospel
[12:35] - Misrepresentations of the Gospel
[15:23] - The Light in the Darkness
[17:36] - God's Action in History
[25:36] - The Kingdom of God
[39:28] - The Separation of God's People
[50:09] - The Call to Salvation

Sermon Clips

"The Gospel of the Kingdom is a proclamation of good news, heralded to all nations as a witness. It is not a call to protest against societal ills or to merely adhere to moral teachings, but rather an announcement of God's intervention in human history." [00:09:12]

"The world cannot be improved; the world cannot be reformed. There is no more fatal illusion than to imagine that it can. It's been the hope of mankind from the beginning that something can be done or will be done, but it's never been done, and according to our Lord here, it never will be done." [00:04:35]

"There is a way of escape and a way of Deliverance that our Eternal Destiny need not be retria bound up with that of this sinful evil World in which we live, which is under the wrath of God. And therefore, the question confronting us at this moment is this: how can that be done?" [00:06:01]

"This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be heralded and proclaimed. What does he mean? Well, he's saying this: here he is, you see, painting his dark picture of the future, telling these people not to expect peace and comfort and plenty and that everybody listen to their message and come crowding into the kingdom of God." [00:15:23]

"God is in control of human history. What you said, you mean to say that God is in control of the world and human history tonight in spite of all that you've been saying about it yourself? My answer is he is." [00:29:24]

"God permits evil in order to teach men the truth about himself. Man never thinks, you see, that he can manage his world and make a perfect world out of it and that he doesn't need God. He thinks he has the capacity and the capability of running the world and keeping it perfectly ordered." [00:30:09]

"God is creating a people, a kingdom, a history which consists of people whom he's saving out of and from the Doom that is coming upon the world. That's what the kingdom of God means. God is gathering and collecting a people for himself." [00:39:28]

"The Kingdom of Heaven is characterized by God's reign in the hearts and lives of its citizens, offering them a new identity and a new history. This kingdom is eternal, unshakeable, and will ultimately materialize upon the Earth." [00:25:36]

"The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom is a call to repentance and faith, offering salvation and deliverance from impending judgment. It is a call to flee from the wrath to come and find refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ." [00:50:09]

"God's relationship with history is one of control and action. He permits evil to teach humanity about its own limitations and the necessity of divine intervention. Despite the chaos and calamity brought about by human sin, God has not abandoned the world." [00:29:24]

"This kingdom is composed of individuals who respond to the call of the Gospel, separating themselves from the doomed world and becoming part of God's eternal kingdom." [00:39:28]

"The Gospel is not a call to protest or adhere to moral teachings but a proclamation of good news about God's intervention. It is a message of salvation and deliverance, offering a new identity and history to those who respond to its call." [00:12:35]

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