The Kingdom Has Come | Ps Glenn Bleakney

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to the Numa Church podcast. Wherever you are in the world, we are so glad that you've joined us. Our prayer is that this message will reveal more of who our heavenly Father is as we grow deeper in intimacy with Jesus. Enjoy the message. [00:00:15] Speaker B: Great to see everyone. Merry Christmas to you. Please be seated. And yeah, so good to see you here. Let me try to open this with one hand. A little bit. A challenge. Here we go. So, yes, thank you. And it's Christmas Eve. Can you believe it? Almost end of 2023. Hard to believe. I remember last year at this time. Well, not in December and January. We were actually here in Melbourne going through basically the onboarding process to be part of the team here, and that was an amazing time. But here we are now, almost a year later with a visa, living here and part of Australia again. Greatest nation in the world. Come on now. Right? Okay. Definitely safer than America and even Canada has got some issues right now, but it's so good to be here in Australia. But yeah, let's just look at Luke chapter eight. Luke, chapter eight. I'm going to read three verses here, an amazing passage of scripture that speaks about the ministry of Jesus. Luke, chapter eight, verses one through three. Soon afterward, he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing notice that proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him. And also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Kuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna and many others who provided for them out of their means. Now we are commemorating the coming of Jesus into the world. Obviously born of the Virgin Mary and as a child he grew up and eventually became a man. And at the age of 30, he was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist and he immediately commenced his ministry. Well, he was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tested, to be tempted by the devil, and he came out of that successfully and he began his ministry. Return to Galilee in the power of the spirit is what it says. And I want us to focus on the real purpose for Jesus coming. And we know there are several scriptures that talk about that. One of the things that he says, actually in one John, chapter three, verse number eight, it says, for this purpose. Okay, we're talking about the purpose of his coming for this purpose. The son of man was, or the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. That's what it says. So his purpose for coming was to destroy the works of the devil. But we see here clearly that when Jesus was on the earth, when he began his ministry, really the first thing he said was, repent for the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven is in hand. So he came preaching about the kingdom, the kingdom of his father. And we saw last, two weeks ago in Matthew 20 414, Jesus actually said, when the gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed throughout the whole world to all the nations, then the end will come. So we have to take this very seriously, because he says, the end will come when the gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed throughout the whole world to all of the nations. Very, very sobering when we think about that. And the reality is, the early church lived with a sense of urgency. They understood that Jesus would come back one day, but that they had been entrusted with a mission. We call it the Great commission, a mission to make sure that everyone, everywhere on the earth, heard about Jesus and what he did on the cross, how he rose again, and how he is king of kings and lord of lords. And there is no other way to the father, no other way of salvation, except through the ministry of Jesus Christ. The gospel that he proclaimed, that he confirmed and ratified with his shed blood on the cross at Calvary. Now, I want you to notice, please, here in verse number one, it says that he, Jesus, went on through cities and villages proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. He was proclaiming, but he was also bringing, in other words, he was declaring the kingdom. We spoke about that a couple of weeks ago when an herald would actually proclaim a word of victory. Basically, the word evangelist means a herald who would proclaim that the king's armies had won against their enemy, and they were victorious. And that word speaks of being obviously in Christ, that he was victorious. He prevailed against the enemy, against Satan and his hordes, against death and hell. But when Jesus was on the earth, he not only proclaimed the kingdom, he not only declared it, but he also demonstrated the kingdom. And this is very important that we understand this. He demonstrated the kingdom. And even in the next two verses, look what it says here. It says that there were twelve were with him and some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out. And Joanna, the wife of Kuzah's household manager, someone very significant, and Susannah and many others who provided for them out of their means. So here we see that Jesus was demonstrating the power of the kingdom. He was healing the sick. He was casting out demons. And he was proclaiming that the kingdom had come. And the reality is, Jesus didn't say, the kingdom will come one day. He said, the kingdom is here. The kingdom is at hand. Repent, for the kingdom is at hand. Literally meaning the kingdom is here. You remember when Jesus said, the one who betrays me, he is at hand? When he was sitting at the table, speaking of Judas, that word at hand, that phrase actually means to be there, to be present right now. So he's saying the kingdom is present. In Matthew 1228, he said that he cast out demons by the finger of God or the spirit of God. Another gospel says that means that the kingdom is present, the kingdom is in our midst. So it's a very powerful truth that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. So salvation actually is a byproduct of living in the kingdom. I want to say that again, guys. There's only one time, interestingly, in the New Testament, where we read the phrase gospel of salvation only one time. It's in Ephesians 113. Curious minds. But we read repeatedly, Gospel of the kingdom. Gospel of the kingdom repeatedly. Why? Because the Jews understood that salvation would come as a result of being part of God's kingdom, his covenant. And so we look at scriptures. There's one in particular that I just want to point out. It's found in Luke, chapter one, verses 71, 74 through 75. This is actually a prophetic word that was spoken by the father of John the Baptist when the Holy Spirit came upon him. And he was prophesying of the coming of Messiah, meaning Jesus. And this is what he says, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. Now watch this, guys. Okay, what is he saying? He's saying that Jesus came into the world to deliver us, to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, so that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear. Without fear. Look at this. In holiness and righteousness before him, how often? All the days of our life. That's the gospel. That's the gospel. And the word that is translated, salvation. In the New Testament, it's Soteria. And Soteria literally means to rescue, to deliver. It speaks of being preserved, but it can also mean this. If you study it at a deeper level, it means this freedom from the harassment of an enemy salvation. I want to say it again. I think one person got that already. I know it's Christmas, but let's not get religious. Let's still love Jesus, get excited about the gospel more than ever we should on Christmas day. Actually, the Bible says this, that salvation is freedom from the harassment of an enemy. And the root word is Sozo. Have you ever heard that word? Okay, I want to look at four specific applications of the word sozo. Are you ready? Sozo speaks of forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness of sin. In Matthew, chapter one, verse 21, it says, you shall name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. That word save is so. Okay. He will save his people from their sins. Not save them in their sins, but from their sins. Not that we continue living in sin, but that we be delivered from sin. The Bible is very clear about that. So that we can live, as he says here, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. He came to deliver us from the power of sin, not only the punishment of sin, but actually the power of sin as well. It says in Romans, chapter six, verse 14, sin shall have no dominion over you. Sin shall have no dominion over you. For you're not under law, but you're under grace. You see, the grace of God isn't a cover up. It's not saying it's okay to sin. You're under grace. No. The grace of God actually delivers us from the power of sin. There's another example in the Bible. In Titus, chapter two, verse eleven and twelve, it actually says, the grace of God that brings salvation. Grace brings salvation. Salvation is what? Freedom from the harassment of our enemies. So the grace of God brings salvation. It has appeared to all men, and it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly loss. Another translation says, it teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly loss. The grace of God empowers us to live victoriously. It's not by human effort. It's not by works of our own righteousness, but it's his power in us. Jesus said, when you repent and you're baptized, what ends up happening is he says he will give you the gift of the Holy Spirit. He'll give you the gift of the Holy Spirit. And what does the Holy Spirit do? He empowers us. The Bible says to be witnesses. And that's not just by preaching. It's not just by teaching, but it's by our lifestyle. In fact, the word witness literally means this. Are you ready? You may not want to be a witness after you understand what it means. The word witness means this a martyr. A martyr. And a martyr is someone who believes in something so strongly that they're willing to die. And the idea is this, that when we really believe in Jesus and we have received the power of the Holy Spirit, it's to make us martyrs so that we'll die to ourself. Paul said in Galatians 220, it's no longer I that live, but it's Christ that lives in me. This is the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of the king's dominion, that we can be free from sin. Secondly, Sozo, which is derived from Soteria, can also refer to healing of sickness and disease. In James five, verse 15, it says, the prayer of faith shall heal the sick, or some translations shall save the sick. It's the word sozo. Jesus came to heal us. Jesus came to deliver us. Look how much time is devoted in the gospels with him healing the sick and setting people free. I don't know about you guys, but I thank God for the times that I have seen healing, not only in my personal life, but in my family and also in the lives of many people. As I've traveled around the world, I've seen ridiculous things, but yet I know there's still so much more that he wants to do. And I believe that the gospel of the kingdom also includes salvation from sickness and disease. Thirdly, the word sozo is used in reference to being delivered from oppression and demonic harassment. Oppression and demonic harassment. Some people would say demonized. In Luke 836, there was this man who had a legion of demons. Do you know how many a legion is at 6000? There's a legion. And you know what it actually says here? That when Jesus came and he spoke the word and commanded the spirits to come out of him, it says those who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon possessed or demonized was sozoed, was healed. It speaks of deliverance that can speak of anything we're going through. Guys, there are so many people today that have come under attack, have come under oppression. And the gospels are devoted to seeing people set free from the power of Satan. It is a reality. And if you've not yet seen it, you will come with me to Africa and I'll show you. Come with me to Indonesia or even the Philippines. You don't have to go far. It's here in Australia, in your neighborhood as well. There are people that desperately need set free from the power of the demonic. Lastly, salvation of your psyche, of your mind, your will, your emotions, your affections. Look at this verse. James 121, he says, receive with meekness, the implanted word which is able to save your souls. Sozo your souls. Now he's writing to believers. Go back to the very beginning of the book of James, and you'll see that he's writing to believers, and he's saying to them, you need to receive with meekness, with humility, with teachability, the word of God that's implanted in you. The word is in you. The word of God is not in those who don't know Jesus. They may have heard it, but the Bible says, when the word is in you, you are born again of the incorruptible seed of the word of God. So the word was in them. Now he says, let that word do its work in your life to the point that it actually sanctifies, delivers, and makes you whole, mentally, emotionally, in terms of your affections and your desires. That Jesus came to heal us, even in our psyche, in our mind, will, and emotions. So regardless of how addicted a person may be, of how strongly someone wants to do wrong things, the power of the gospel is able to heal. And regardless of what you've been through and experienced in life, he can heal your mind, he can heal your emotions, and he can set you free. And he wants to do that if you're here today. He wants to make you whole in every way. The Bible says this, and I'm going to close in one. Thessalonians 523. It says this, may the God of peace himself. Peace is a covenant term. The God of peace himself sanctify you. Holy. W h o w l y. Holy or completely says, may your entire spirit, soul and body be preserved. Blameless at his coming. Your entire spirit, soul and body be preserved. John G. Lake called this triune salvation. Jesus became the propitiation for our sins. He came ultimately to die on the cross. But everything, all of the benefits of our salvation, came as a result of his death and resurrection, so that we could be healed, that we could be made whole, that we could be set free, that we could overcome. This is the gospel of the kingdom. It's a powerful truth. He was broken so you could become whole. He became empty so you could be filled. He was despised so that you could be accepted. He became sin, a sin offering, so that you and I could be made righteous. He took our place in death so that we could experience his place in life. Wow. What a powerful truth. Let's just bow our heads, please. I'm going to pray, and then we're going to partake of communion. Guys, Lord, we thank you this morning for the truth of the gospel. That Jesus, you went to the cross and you died and you rose again. That we could be delivered and set free, Lord, that we could be reconciled to the Father, that we could be made whole in every way. Lord, we thank you for that revelation. We thank you for that truth today, Jesus, that you came. The Bible says in Romans 116 the apostle Paul declared, he said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes. Maybe you're here this morning and perhaps you've never really believed or you've turned away from the Lord. Your heart has become cold. I just want to invite you back into that place, that relationship where you will know the power of the gospel in your life if you're here. And maybe you've never really understood the gospel in the way that I've tried to articulate it this morning. I want you to please understand that Jesus came to make you whole, to restore you to your heavenly Father, your creator. He came to give you peace even in the midst of the storm and difficulty. He came so that you would be accepted in the beloved, that you would be made righteous and that you would be free from the power of the wicked one, the power of the enemy. He came to make you whole. This gospel is not just pie in the sky. This gospel is for here and now. Guys, if you're here this morning and you need healing in your body, this gospel is for you. This gospel is for you. If emotionally or mentally you need God to bring healing in your life, to bring you peace, stability. If that's you, I just want to pray with you just regardless of what it is that you need. We're going to pray in a moment, but we're going to partake of communion. You know, the Bible tells us this in Leviticus, chapter 17, Leviticus, 1711. It says, for the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it. God says for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Later on he speaks about how the life is in the blood. Want you to think about that, please. The life is in the blood. When Jesus was on the earth, says in John 663 the words he spoke, they were spirit and they were life. Life. Life for you, life for me to give us life. He said, I've come that you might have of life and life more abundantly. That means all around, through, all over that you might experience life not just in a measure of fullness, but it literally means in super abundance that you might know life beyond measure is what it means. He's come to give you his life. It's not just a better life. It's not just an upgrade of our natural human life. That word life in the natural just speaks of biological life. But the word that is used in the New Testament is the greek word Zoe. And Zoe speaks of life that comes from God, his life. It's eternal life. It's life that changes everything. The moment you believe in the gospel, the moment you begin to continue to believe, even in the midst of what you're going through, you're going to experience that life. The life is in the blood. This morning, as we've come to remember what Jesus did when he came into the world, we've come to remember his blood that was spilled for us, his body that was beaten, that we might have life. Life, the enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus has come to give you life. Come to give us life. His body was broken for us. He was bruised, he was beaten, that we would be healed, that we would be forgiven. And his blood was spilled for our atonement. Let's partake of the bread together this morning. Thank you. Lord Paul said in the same manner Jesus took the cup. He said, this cup is the new covenant in my blood given for salvation, redemption, forgiveness of many. As often as you drink this, you proclaim the Lord's. [00:25:58] Speaker C: Thank you for joining us. We hope that you enjoyed today's podcast. Now we realize that not everyone has had the opportunity to respond to the good news of the gospel. And for this reason, in all of our services and platforms, we want to extend to you the opportunity to follow Jesus. The Bible teaches us that we have been created for a relationship with God. However, sin, which is essentially disobedience, independence and disbelief, or are simply missing the mark, entered the world and separated us from God. Romans chapter six, verse 23 says that the wages of sin is death and a debt was owed. And the Bible tells us that he, Jesus, demonstrated his love for us, that while we were still sinners, he died for us. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. John 316 says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus, that whoever believes in him will be saved. All that is required of anyone is that they believe in Jesus, the son of God who came, lived, died and rose again so that we could be forgiven, made right and given the right to become children of God and to have life forevermore with him. Today you can begin a relationship with Jesus. To believe in him is to simply to respond with faith in our hearts and confess with our mouths that he is Lord. And we do that through a simple prayer. Follow along with me dear Jesus, I believe that you are the son of God. I thank you that you love me and came to forgive me of my sin. I repent from my old way of life and I turn to follow you. I receive the free gift of eternal life and I ask that you fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can live a life of following after you. I thank you that I am born again as a child of God and that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. Amen. If you prayed this prayer for the first time, we would love to connect with you and connect you to your next step and the local church in your area. You can contact us on our website at. Thanks for listening.