The Kingdom of God is “already” and “not yet”

If you listened to last week’s episode, you’d know that we’re talking about the kingdom of God.  Last week we determined that God’s kingdom is wherever God is king.  His kingdom is where his will is done and where his name is always honored and glorified.  You may be asking yourself the question though, “but isn’t God sovereign over everything, always.  Isn’t God in control.  Doesn’t he have dominion now?”  Well, that’s ultimately true.  There is not even a little bit of the Cosmos that is not under the ultimate authority of God.  But, God has for a time, allowed Satan and his demonic minions to run amok on the earth.  He has allowed the powers of darkness to rule for a limited time only and in a limited way.  We see this in passages like 1 John 5:19, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”  And John 12:31, “Now is the time for judgement on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.”  So, there is a prince of this world.  He is evil.  And he does have a limited, time-constrained dominion.  So, God has given control of the world, in a limited way, to Satanic forces, which creates this situation where God is not always honored or glorified.  He ultimately will be!  But in the day-to-day, the evil powers that be and the people over whom they hold sway, commit terrible crimes against the glory of God and against others who bear God’s image.  I don’t think it's hard for any of us to see that our world is a broken, sin-defiled place.  But, God’s kingdom is breaking in.  As we discussed last week, Christ, the Son of David has come and he is leading a people out of the kingdom of darkness into his kingdom of light and God’s kingdom is breaking in, but it hasn’t come in full.  We haven’t seen that Revelation 21 fulfillment yet.  So, today we’re going to spend a few minutes addressing this already/not yet nature of the kingdom of God and what it means for us.  Let’s get started.

Mark 1:14-15 says, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus is clearly telling us that the kingdom of God is already breaking in.  It is “at hand.”  And yet, he tells people to repent.  He’s calling for a response, which means that there is a “not yet,” future component to his kingdom. 

Jesus also mentions in the Lord’s prayer, “May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  There’s a prayer for a future fulfillment.  We desire God’s kingdom, and we pray for it more and more to break into our world.  We desire for more ground to be taken from the dominion of Satan. 

Luke 17:20-21, “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Jesus explains that the kingdom of God doesn’t come in a way that would be obvious to everyone.  It isn’t so visible or overt as that.  Rather, if they could accept it, the kingdom of God is Jesus and his disciples.  Jesus is saying, “Look, you think the kingdom is going to come viscerally, with battle, and politics, and noise, but that’s not the way it comes.  The kingdom is at hand, it is already among you.”  The kingdom doesn’t slam into the world, rather it’s like a seed that is planted. 

Jesus mentions this, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”  Or, he said, “it’s like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 

Rather than a violent collision, the kingdom breaks in quietly as disciples of Jesus make disciples.  That’s how it grows and spreads. 

Now, one day, there will be a collision, trust me.  Actually, don’t trust me, trust God’s word.  There will be a day of judgement and violence and the forces of darkness will be ripped out of the fabric of this world, and the Lord will roll out new fabric.  We haven’t seen that yet.  But it’s coming. 

How should all this affect us?  What can the already/not yet nature of God’s kingdom teach us? 

I believe it teaches us to have reasonable expectations of what life in this world will be like.  There are teachers out there who teach an “already kingdom,” who will tell you that “your best life is now!”  The kingdom is already, and you just have to ask for it and have enough faith that you will receive it.  Well, they’re all in for a rude awakening when their hair turns grey, their strength fails, their eyesight isn’t what is used to be.  You get what I’m saying?  Praise God that the kingdom is not already, because if this is it, I’m going to Margaritaville, because it sounds like a much more interesting place.  But they’re wrong.  The kingdom has not yet arrived in full.  So, we walk in obedience to Jesus’ word, we wait patiently, and we pray for it, as Jesus instructed us to pray, “May your kingdom come (in full).  May your will be done (always) on earth as it is in heaven.”  Come, O Lord!  Bring the kingdom in full.  We want that! 

The already/not yet nature of God’s kingdom can also teach us how important our mission is.  As disciples, making disciples, we are tasked with spreading this kingdom and the message of this kingdom all over the world.  We are permeating the world with the kingdom of God.  We are planting churches that plant churches, setting up consulates of God’s kingdom and preparing citizens of that kingdom for the day when Christ will return, our great King, and God’s kingdom will come in full.  I hope that’s both a blessing and an encouragement to you.  And I hope it stirs you up to love and good works.  

What more of a role does the church play in the kingdom of God?  Well, if we get too far into that, we wouldn’t have a subject for next week, would we?  Next week we’re going to talk about who is part of the kingdom of God?  We’ll talk about what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom.  So, be sure to join us next week.  Bless y’all!