AS IT IS IN HEAVEN // Week 1 // April 19, 2020

QUOTE

"The physical world felt less like ultimate reality. I had the strange sensation of living inside a cardboard box that had been painted to look like a castle—the kind a child would build with great relish—while, all the time, my little cardboard box was sitting inside the great hall of a real castle. There was a distinct sense of something larger and permanent peeking through the chinks in the physical world"
C.S. Lewis, Shadowlands and Songs of Light

QUOTE

"I think the most important thing I could say about the kingdom of God that would help people make sense out of all the uses is that the basic meaning of the word kingdom in the Bible is God’s reign — R-E-I-G-N — not realm or people. The kingdom creates a realm, the kingdom creates a people, but the kingdom of God is not synonymous with its realm or its people.
For example, consider Psalms 103:19: “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” You can hear the basic meaning of the word kingdom as rule. It doesn’t mean that his kingdom rules over his realm; it means that God’s reign or rule governs all things."
John Piper, What is the Kingdom of God?

Luke 11:20 ESV

Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.”So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho.On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?”The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Luke 17:21 ESV

Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.”So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho.On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?”The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

QUOTE

“How can the kingdom of God be both not yet present and already present? He says, “Pray for it. It’s coming. It’s not yet here. It’s not going to be immediate, and yet already, it’s present in your midst, upon you, at hand.” How can he say all that?
The answer is, the kingdom of God is God’s reign — his sovereign action in the world to redeem and deliver a people and then at a future time finish it and renew his people and the universe completely.”
Pastor John Piper

1. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE...a man who sowed good seed

Matthew 13:24-30 ESV

Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.”So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho.On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?”The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

2 Corinthians 11:12-15 ESV

Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.”So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho.On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?”The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Acts 17:11 ESV

Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.”So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho.On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?”The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Matthew 13:36-43 ESV

LESSONS FROM THIS PARABLE:

(1) There will always be opposition to the work of God.

(2) If there is deception among God's truth, we must be on guard.

(3) There will be harvest and God will sort it out. It's not our job, our job is to follow after God.

2. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE...a mustard seed and leaven

Matthew 13:31-33 ESV

The mustard seed //
Jesus presents the kingdom of God as a mustard seed—one that will grow exponentially from a very small and insignificant stature.

Leaven //
The kingdom is indeed active though not fully visible to the world, because it begins with the inner transformation of the heart.

QUOTE

“Some interpreters suggest that since leaven is nearly always a symbol of evil in Scripture (see note on Mark 8:15), it must carry that connotation here as well. They make the leaven some evil influence inside the kingdom. But that twists Jesus’ actual words and violates the context, in which Jesus is repeatedly describing that kingdom itself as the pervading influence.”
John MacArthur

3. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE...treasure

Matthew 13:44-46 ESV

Matthew 19:17-21 ESV

John 1:5 NLT

CONCLUSION
Be encouraged to live in the hope promised to us by our ever faithful Savior. He’s given us a foretaste of His coming kingdom—a kingdom where Scripture tells us He will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.(Revelation 21:4)

City on a Hill Community Church - Indian River

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN // Week 1 // April 19, 2020

Locations & Times

THE BIBLE PROJECT // Gospel of the Kindgom

Giving // Offering