Sermon #126 Luke
Sermons
Title: The Kingdom of God
Text: Luke
17:20-25
Date: Sunday
Evening — June 20, 2004
Tape # Y-27b
Readings: Lindsay Campbell & Ron Wood
Introduction:
I have a very important and
very practical message. I hope you will
listen carefully every word, following the scriptures attentively. I
want to talk to you about The Kingdom of God.
At the outset, let me state
emphatically that almost everything you hear preachers say on radio and
television about the kingdom of God is totally false. All the popular books
about the coming of the Kingdom of God and the end of the world are false.
Almost everything to be found in the notes of reference Bibles and study Bibles
is false. Obviously, I have not read them all; but I have read a few, and I
have not yet read even one that sets forth the teaching of Holy Scripture about
the kingdom of God. I urge you to ignore such religious tomfoolery.[1]
And if what I have to say to
you in this message is not verified by the Word of God, count what I say as
nothing more than religious tomfoolery. I will go further than that. ― If
what I have to say to you in this message is not exactly what God says in his
Word about his kingdom, ignore me and count what I say as nothing more than
religious tomfoolery.
Open your Bible with me to Luke
17:20-25, and see for yourself what the Son of God has to say about the
kingdom of God.
(Luke
17:20-25) “And when he was demanded of
the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: (21) Neither shall they
say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
(22) And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall
desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
(23) And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them,
nor follow them. (24) For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of
the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven;
so shall also the Son of man be in his day. (25) But first must he
suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.”
Let’s look at these six verses line by line, praying that God the Holy
Spirit will be our Teacher.
A Derisive Demand
First, we read that our Lord
Jesus was “demanded
of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come” (v. 20). Everything the
Pharisees asked our Lord was asked with an evil motive. They never asked
anything that they might learn, but only that they might accuse the Lord Jesus
of some evil by twisting his words, or deride our Savior’s doctrine.
But here, they went even
further, they “demanded” him! What arrogance! What presumption! What
hellishness of heart is exposed when sinful men dare to demand anything from
the God of Glory! Yet, those who made this demand pretended to be the only true
worshippers of God!
The word translated
“demanded” means “accosted” or “interrogated.” All the Jews, including the
Pharisees, were looking for the coming of the Kingdom of God. They were looking
for the promised Messiah to come and establish his kingdom on earth, making
them the rulers over all the world.
But this demand has the tone
of derision in it. It is as if they said, “You tell us you are the Messiah, the
Son of God, the King. If that is true, where is the kingdom? Do you really
expect anyone to believe that such a poor, common man, a man known to keep
company with sinners, is the Christ of God? How long do you expect us to wait
for this kingdom of yours to appear?”
The Master’s Answer
Our Lord seized the occasion
given him by their derision to teach his own disciples some blessed gospel
truths. Listen to the answer our Savior gave to the Pharisees’ demand.
First, he says, “The kingdom of God cometh
not with observation” (v. 20). I can almost picture the puzzled look of
utter ignorance upon the faces of those ignorant Pharisees. Our Lord answered
these fools according to their folly, only to make them more ignorant, only to
give them greater confusion.
Yet, he was, at the same
time teaching his own disciples who were in the crowd that day, and teaching
his disciples of all future days. How Peter, James, and John must have perked
up their ears. Mary Magdalene, I am sure, came to a dead silence. ― “The kingdom of God cometh
not with observation.” What does that mean? It means that the kingdom of God
is not at all like any earthly kingdom.
Its coming cannot be observed by the
eye, by observing signs, marking dates, measuring time, or checking off
fulfilled prophecy. Its presence cannot be observed by carnal means, because it
is not carnal, but spiritual.
Illustration: Hafford Overby ― “I want to be Mayor of Detroit
in the Millennium.”
Those who expect to observe anything
of this kind are sure to be disappointed. They wait and watch in vain for a
carnal, material kingdom that will never come, just as the Pharisees did. The
Lord Jesus says, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.” These
three things, at least, are meant by his words.
1.
The
kingdom of God does not come with pomp and pageantry. It does not come with an outward
show of any kind. In fact, the translation given in the margin of your Bible
is, “The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show.”
2.
The
kingdom of God does not come in such a way that men can observe it.
God’s kingdom is a kingdom no one can
see, except he be born again. It is a kingdom none can enter, but by the new
birth (John 3:3, 5). No one can discern anything at all about this kingdom
except those who are taught of God and have the mind of Christ (1 Cor.
2:12-16).
(John
3:1-8) “There was a man of the
Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: (2) The same came to
Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come
from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with
him. (3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4) Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second
time into his mother’s womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born
of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (8) The wind bloweth
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence
it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
(1
Corinthians 2:12-16) “Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. (15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things,
yet he himself is judged of no man. (16) For who hath known the mind of
the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
3.
Our
Lord’s words in verse 20 also mean, perhaps primarily mean that the
kingdom of God does not come by the observation of religious laws, ceremonies,
traditions, and ordinances.
The kingdom of God does not come by
observing holy days and doing holy things: ― Baptism ― Sacraments
― Good Works, etc. The kingdom of God is not a matter of religious dos
and taboos (Rom. 14:17; Col. 2:20-23).
(Romans
14:17) “For the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
(Colossians
2:20-23) “Wherefore if ye be dead with
Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are
ye subject to ordinances, (21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
(22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and
doctrines of men? (23) Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will
worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the
satisfying of the flesh.”
The fact is, if you and I see
something that so greatly impresses our eyes, our natural senses, and/or our
feelings that we are by what we see inclined to think “Surely, the kingdom of
God is here,” we are wrong, dead wrong. Look at the next line of our text and
see if that is not precisely what the Master tells us.
A
Warning
“Neither
shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!” (v. 21). ― What does that
mean? Really, it is just an amplification of what our Lord has just declared.
― “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.” Many in those
days, in the days immediately following our Lord’s earthly ministry, and at
various times throughout the past 2000 years have said that this or the other
false prophet is the Christ. Many have said the kingdom of God will appear here
or there, at this or that time.
Our
Lord warns us to ignore such claims, no matter who makes them, no matter how
convincing their arguments are, and no matter how many follow them.
But
there is more to the warning than that. We live in a day of mega-churches,
super-churches, and crystal cathedrals. Every year at Christmas and Easter,
every major television network broadcasts the idolatrous splendor of Rome and
his unholiness the pope. Televangelists bedazzle millions with their
religious crusades, great works, and miracles. And we are all prone to marvel
at the great whore Babylon and the riches, crowds, and magnificence of
free-will, works religion. We tend to think, “Surely, this must be God’s work
and God’s kingdom. All these people cannot be wrong.” That is exactly what the
Apostle John did when he saw it (Rev. 17:4-8). But such marveling is but
marveling at a gorgeously arrayed harlot whose sole mission is destruction, an
harlot who deserves to be and shall be destroyed. Only those whose names are
not written in the book of life are intoxicated by the wine of her
fornications.
(Revelation
17:4-8) “And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her
fornication: (5) And upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH. (6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with
great admiration. (7) And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst
thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the
beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. (8) The
beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless
pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder,
whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the
world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”
Within
You
Now, watch the Lord’s next words in
the latter part of verse 21. ― “Behold, the kingdom of God is within
you.”
The word “within” might be
translated, as it is in the margin of your Bible, “among.” In that case, our
Lord’s words here mean, that the kingdom of God is already here, in your midst.
He and his disciples were among them. While that is certainly true, the kingdom
of God is already in the earth, God’s church is his kingdom, the word used by
our translators conveys our Lord’s doctrine accurately. ― “Behold, the
kingdom of God is within you.”
It is a spiritual kingdom not a carnal
kingdom, a heavenly kingdom not an earthly kingdom, an inward kingdom not an
outward kingdom. It lies not in outward things, but in righteousness, peace,
and joy in the Holy
· It is the binding and dispossession of
Satan, the strong man armed.
· It is the putting down of the old man,
sin, with its deceitful lusts, from the throne.
· It has its seat in the inward parts,
and is therefore called the inner, and the hidden man.
· It does not lie in words, in an
outward profession of religion.
· It is oil in the vessel of the heart,
and is distinct from the lamp of a visible profession.
· It does not lie in external works and
duties, but it is an inward principle of godliness in the soul, or spirit of
man, produced there by the Spirit of God.
· The kingdom of God is a kingdom
governed by grace. In this kingdom grace reigns through righteousness, unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ the King.
· Christ, as king of saints, dwells and
reigns in his people.
Great
Trouble
In verses 23 and 24 our Lord turns to
his disciples. He is now talking specifically to his own and warns us here of a
time of great trouble. The time he is talking about is not any specific day,
but any day in which the words of these two verses are applicable.
(Luke 17:22) “And he said unto the disciples, The days
will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and
ye shall not see it.”
The “days” to which our Lord
refers are the whole gospel age, the days of God’s church in this world, from
the time of our Savior’s death to the time of his second coming.
How often those disciples who heard
these words must have echoed them! How often they must have pined for the
Christ’s physical presence with them again! How often they must have thought to
themselves, “How I wish I had paid more attention! How wish I had not neglected
the opportunities I had! What sweet hours and days of blessed communion and
instruction they were!”
But, I am confident that our Lord’s
words here were not spoken just for those disciples. They were spoken for us.
They are applicable to us. “The days of the Son of Man” are those
times and seasons when the Son of Man meets with, instructs, comforts, and
blesses his people by making himself known to us, by taking the things of God
and showing them to us. They are our days of public worship in the
house of God under the ministry of the gospel. It is here where the Lord Jesus
promises that he will meet with his people (Matt. 18:20).
(Matthew 18:20) “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
When God’s saints are deprived of
these days, by reason of persecution, or sickness, or providence, then they
learn to value the highly. Once they are gone, they are treasured. Let us “prize, make use of, and
improve such days and opportunities, whilst we have them. We know not how soon
our teachers may be removed into corners, when we shall wish in vain for them;
and seasons of hearing them, as is here suggested. Sad it is to know the worth
of Gospel opportunities, by the want of them!” (John Gill)
Yet, even when such times come, even
when we are placed in circumstances in which we have no place of worship, no
one to preach the gospel to us, no sweet times of fellowship in God’s house
with Zion’s pilgrims, should such ever come to pass, we must not chase after
the bubbles of religious excitement. We must not follow those who follow false
christs (v. 23).
(Luke
17:23) “And they shall say to you, See
here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.”
His
Day
In
verse 24 our Savior speaks of his day and of his coming in his day without
warning, without signs, suddenly and speedily, like a bolt of lightning.
― “For
as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth
unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.”
Certainly, this is applicable to our
Lord’s glorious, second advent. But the opening word of the verse (“for”)
seems to me to give it a direct connection our “desire to see one of the
days of the Son of man” and our Lord’s warning not to follow false christs
in verses 22 and 23. You see, the days of the Son of man are those days in
which our Savior comes to us in mercy, love, and grace, and makes himself known
to us. Whatever that day is, it is his day, the day of the Lord and it always
comes unexpectedly, like a bolt of lightning (Isa. 12:1-6). Oh, what a day that
day is!
(Isaiah
12) “And in that day thou shalt say, O
LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned
away, and thou comfortedst me. (2) Behold, God is my salvation; I
will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my
song; he also is become my salvation. (3) Therefore with joy shall
ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (4) And in that day shall
ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the
people, make mention that his name is exalted. (5) Sing unto the LORD;
for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
(6) Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the
Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”
· The Day of Conversion!
· The Day of Reviving!
· The Day of Death!
· The Day of His Coming!
The
“Must”
But, before our Savior can come to any
sinner in saving mercy, before he could ascend to his throne in Glory as our
Mediator, before he could come again without sin unto salvation, something else
must happen. I want you to look with me at the must of which our Lord so often
spoke while he was on the earth (v. 25).
(Luke
17:25) “But first must he suffer many
things, and be rejected of this generation.”
(Matthew
16:21) “From that time forth began Jesus
to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day.”
(Mark
8:31) “And he began to teach them, that
the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of
the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise
again.”
(Mark
9:12) “And he answered and told them,
Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of
the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.”
(Luke
9:22) “Saying, The Son of man must
suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.”
(Luke
22:7) “Then came the day of unleavened
bread, when the passover must be killed.”
(Luke
24:7) “Saying, The Son of man must be
delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day
rise again.”
(Luke
24:44) “And he said unto them, These are
the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things
must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the
prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”
(John
3:14) “And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”
(John
12:32) “And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
Before he could come to us in grace,
with the blessings of redemption, grace and salvation, the Lord Jesus had to
suffer and die as our Substitute, put away our sins by the sacrifice of
himself, rise from the dead, and ascend to his throne as the King of Glory, as
our Savior King. Thank God, he did!
AMEN.