Following After God’s Heart
As we launched “Unlocking the Kingdom” last Sunday, through a handful of conversations, I became more and more aware of how unfamiliar the language surrounding “Kingdom” is for us in our day and age…
Watch Last Sunday’s “Unlocking The Kingdom” Intro Here
However the phrase “Kingdom of God” lands on our modern ears, when Jesus came on the scene, the Israelites did have a context for a “Kingdom of God.” For they once were “God’s Kingdom” with King David at the helm and a whole country and military and people and lands, all “under God’s rule.” And at the height of their kingdom, God spoke to David about another coming King like David, “a man after God’s heart” who would arrive to bring God’s promises to Israel and lift them to their ultimate zenith in history.
This prophesied King would bring a Kingdom that would never end where his followers would rule with Him as a kingdom of priests (see Daniel 2:44, 7:13-14 and Exodus 19:6).
And, actually, even under Roman oppression, much of Israel’s thought and prayer life was in anticipation of this Kingdom-bringer, the Anointed One, the One who they called the promised Messiah.
Funny thing is, when Jesus introduces the Kingdom of God, He isn’t exactly the package deal Israelite King. He’s an itinerant preacher, a traveling rabbi with an unusual healing ministry, and a ragtag band of unqualified followers. Not only was He leading Israel’s rejects (fishermen, tax collectors, religious extremists, etc) but His “subjects” (the people of Israel) either wanted to make His Kingdom like their own ideas or just plain wanted to kill Him.
Then and now there is a messiness around the idea of Kingdom. However, Jesus never abandons this revelation but leans into it. And the experience of the Kingdom still carries a deep draw for all who would come closer to God.
His ministry introduces the Kingdom and His ways bend ideas until they break into reality. When Jesus wanted to reveal the Kingdom He follows His Father’s heart. He heals the lame, restores sight to the blind, exorcises the demonized, rebukes the Pharisees, and thoroughly uproots the opposing kingdom of darkness with His ineffable Light.
Jesus began His ministry saying, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed me to…” and it is this anointing, the presence of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus as the Son of God enfleshed, that enabled His Kingdom power to flow through His life and ministry (Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18).
And this Sunday, we’ll be studying and praying-into this revelation as our Unlocking the Kingdom series continues.
May the Lord bring a harvest of hearts as we let Him lead His Kingdom His way!
Pastor Dave