The Lord's Day Bible Message Outlines
April 25, 2010
Pastor Dana Johnson
"...it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom."
-Luke
12:32
"Do not fear, little flock, for it
is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom."
1. Let's review some
details of the kingdom of God:
a. The
kingdom was announced to Israel at Christ's first coming;
will be established at His second coming; and requires
the presence of Christ on the earth ruling as king in
Jerusalem.
Luke
12:35-35; 42-43 - "Let your waist be girded and your
lamps burning; 36and you yourselves be like
men who wait for their master, when he will return from
the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open
to him immediately." 42And the Lord said, "Who
then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master
will make ruler over his household, to give them their
portion of food in due season? 43Blessed is
that servant whom his master will find so doing when he
comes."
b. The interval in
between Christ's first and second coming is experiencing
the "mysteries of the kingdom" (Matthew 13) and the
mystery of the Christ and the church (Ephesians
3).
2. Observe that the
Father gives the kingdom:
a. The
kingdom is not accomplished and produced gradually by
man's effort.
b. The words "give"
and "good pleasure" remind us that the kingdom is an
overwhelming expression of God's sovereign
grace.
3. The sovereign
Father gives the kingdom to His little flock.
a.
At the time
Christ spoke, the little flock consisted of the disciples
(Jews). Since then other sheep have been added-- more
Jews and, in the grace of God, gentile sheep.
John
10:16, 29 - "And other sheep I have which are not of this
fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My
voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
26But you do not believe, because you are not
of My sheep, as I said to you."
Acts 15:14-18 - "Simon has declared how God at the first
visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His
name. 15And with this the words of the
prophets agree, just as it is written:
16'After this I will return and will rebuild
the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will
rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; 17so
that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, even all the
Gentiles who are called by My name, says the LORD who
does all these things.' 18Known to God from
eternity are all His works."
Ephesians 2:11-13 - Therefore remember that you, once
Gentiles in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by
what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by
hands; 12that at that time you were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope
and without God in the world. 13But now in
Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought
near by the blood of Christ.
b. The flock is
little in contrast to the world of unbelievers.
Luke
13:22-27 - And He went through the cities and villages,
teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few
who are saved?" And He said to them, 24"Strive
to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you,
will seek to enter and will not be able.
25When once the Master of the house has risen
up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and
knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and
He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where
you are from,' 26then you will begin to say,
'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our
streets.' 27But He will say, 'I tell you I do
not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you
workers of iniquity.'"
4. Consider our
response to the good pleasure of our sovereign
Father:
a. Do not
covetously live for the things the world seeks.
Luke
12:15, 29-30 - And He said to them, "Take heed and beware
of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the
abundance of the things he possesses."
29"And do not seek what you should eat or what
you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
30For all these things the nations of the
world seek after, and your Father knows that you need
these things."
b. Instead, seek
with real anticipation the kingdom of God.
Luke
12:31 - "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these
things shall be added to you."
c. Do not be in
fear about your daily needs.
Luke
12:22 - Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say
to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat;
nor about the body, what you will put on."
d. Instead, trust
in the loving care of your Father, travel light and begin
to practice now the royal benevolence that will be your
activity in the kingdom.
Luke
12: 28, 33, 42-43 - "If then God so clothes the grass,
which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into
the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of
little faith?"
33"Sell what you have and give alms; provide
yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure
in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief
approaches nor moth destroys."
42And the Lord said, "Who then is that
faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make
ruler over his household, to give them their portion of
food in due season? 43Blessed is that servant
whom his master will find so doing when he
comes."
(All
Scripture quoted is from the New King James
Version)
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