Any
careful reader of the Gospels would know the answer. But I had forgotten it. And you would never know the answer by
looking at my sermon index. Over 25 years
of preaching, I have directly gone after this topic by name a whopping 18 times. If you take it’s corollary themes, my numbers
go up to 130 or so (of 1600 teachings indexed). Jesus mentioned the subject, by name, that many times in just 3 years!
Here are
a few hints. It is not sex, but it is
what sex point to. Nor is it love, but
it is filled with love. It has to do
with money, but you can’t buy it. It has
to do with why Starbucks is such a success (it’s not just the coffee). It has to do with the environmental
movement. It has to do with common
themes in American culture. Like who is
going to run my life. Like control,
choice, sphere of influence, power, and authority.
Did you
guess it yet? Probably not, if you are
like me. Jesus taught most about the Kingdom of God.
Again and again he told parables of the Kingdom and did Kingdom deeds. Slowly they understood that the King above every king stood among them and invited them into his Kingdom, “Follow me.”
Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come…”, the apostles expected to see the Kingdom restored because of Jesus’ teaching (Acts 1.8), and Luke summarized Paul’s missionary teaching with the phrase...
"Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."
The
Kingdom – let’s try a definition for a moment – is the reality of God’s healing
rule, made present in Jesus' life and ministry, made possible in his death and resurrection, made available to all - that will soon extend over
every thought and attitude and inch of the cosmos, from subatomic particles to
the galaxies in their majestic orbits, to the thoughts and motives of human
hearts, to every deed begun or completed. It is already here, and it’s coming. Our God reigns.
That is what
Jesus announced and accomplished. And that
is why he started his Kingdom ministry with these words…
“Change
your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
Matt 4:17 (The Message)
This theme is at the heart of Dallas Willard's teaching on spirituality and discipleship. It was at the heart (surprising) of Rick Warren's teaching at the Saddleback Conference. It will be at the heart of my own studies this summer.