But what should we say? How should we say it? As everyday evangelists, we often get caught up in what we should say. We want it to matter. We want it to work. We want it to save them. In this final sermon, we hear Jesus’ counsel to the man out of whom he had just cast a legion of demons: “Go home! And tell how much God has done for you!” He tells us where to go. He tells us what to say. This is our simple strategy and our straightforward message. God will do the rest.
The Kingdom of God and... #3 - Food
Jesus was accused of many things while he walked this earth. Among the many things that brought him the “stink eye” of those around him was those with whom he ate. They said all kinds of things about Jesus because of the people he ate with. But that was part of Jesus’ loving strategy. This was an act of love. He joined these sorts of people while he ate with them. This was an act of mission. He used this dinner time and the opportunities it provided to talk about the kingdom and God’s work in the world.
The Kingdom of God and... - #2 - Our Time
There are 24 hours in a day. We can’t make more of them. It is zero sum.
There are seven days in a week. We can’t extend the week. People have tried to create a ten day week to try to make more time. It didn’t work. We can’t make more or less time, we can only use the time that we have in as wise a way as possible.
Each moment, each hour, each week, even each month and year is a gift from our Sovereign Lord who has wisely and mightily ordered all things. He has given us this time so that we might know him and so that we might share him. Yes, the Triune God holds all people and times in his hand. He is the Lord of time and eternity. He is the Lord of our lives and our time. He has given each us a certain amount of time during which we might serve him. We want to use that time wisely and well. And so, we’ll make the most of every opportunity, seizing every appointment that the Lord sets for us. This Sunday, as we continue to meditate on the mission of God of which we are a part we will see how the Lord uses our time for the sake of the people whom God places in our path. A sermon on Ephesians 5:15-17.
The Kingdom of God and... - #1 - Forward Momentum
The kingdom of God keeps pressing forward. It is not static or still. The Day of Pentecost is evidence of this. People from all over, from all walks of life, from multiple languages, cultures and ethnicities heard and went home with the gospel and so the kingdom went forward into all the world. This is still the case today. We have our own little “Pentecost” today and then we go out into our world with the Spirit empowering us to testify about our God and Lord. John 15:26-27