The Gospel of the Kingdom and the Coming End — Andrew Strom

All right, let's just pray and we'll we'll really get into the Word of God tonight Father we do pray again Father God your holy presence father. We know that Man by himself cannot speak the word of the Lord father We want to hear from you tonight and father.

We want to just declare that how much I and we Need you father God that this cannot be Just a meeting where we go through and have some scriptures and go home father. We want to So hear from you father.

We want to be affected by the word You want your word to go deep in our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit God? Please meet with us tonight. We pray and pour out your spirit upon this gathering together father unto you in Jesus name Amen.

The Gospel of the Kingdom in the Last Days

Okay, please turn with me to Matthew chapter 24. I'm from New Zealand. So for those of you that Cannot understand my strange accent. I'm sure we'll get through it Matthew 24 Verse 14. I think this is a fascinating verse that like many verses we just Pass by in the flash of an eye and we don't Really notice it so Matthew 24 verse 14 and this gospel of the kingdom Shall be preached in all the world For a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come.

That makes whatever he's speaking about this gospel of the kingdom Extremely important we we better in the last days We actually had better find out what that is and if it's if it's something that we're not preaching or if it's an emphasis of the gospel or an aspect of the gospel that Somehow we've lost man, we better find it again because The gospel of the kingdom this gospel of the kingdom obviously Because he uses the word this this is Jesus speaking.

So because he uses the word this he's already talking about it in these passages right here you know years ago I Became aware of course as anybody does of how many times Jesus was using the word kingdom Kingdom of heaven kingdom of God and I would do these studies.

I never quite got the absolute grasp on it. You know, there's lots of teachings on the kingdom this and the kingdom that many of them have wonderful insights and you know people talk about the church and the life of the church Establishing God's kingdom and wherever God's God is reigning.

That's his kingdom. So God reigns in us therefore his kingdom is in us and so on lots of people have all kinds of great little teachings Kingdom oriented, but I never was happy that I'd come to Understand what this meant and I would see Jesus talking about the kingdom all the time.

And I'd say I wonder if kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God are the same and I'd do a big study on that. You know, I just never quite it didn't quite click. I came to quite a few conclusions so I was in Wales and we were holding a Conference at Mariah Chapel where the revival began in Wales a hundred years ago and at the last minute.

One of my preacher friends from Denmark had to pull out of it right at the last minute. We're just with days to go and he was supposed to be one of the main speakers. And I called another guy in that I've never heard speak, but I just felt that I needed to call on this guy and He was from England.

His name was Alex Tinson. So he came in and he started preaching there. He is literally standing in the pulpit. Where where the revival is the Mariah Chapel where the revival began and he's standing there.

You know, this is where even Roberts used to preach. This is the the home fellowship. You know, it's down to 18 people now. They're all old people when those people die. I don't know what's going to happen to that Chapel you've got Evan Roberts the great revivalist his grave is right there sitting in the graveyard and I guess that's a good kind of symbol of where a lot of Western Christianity has gone in the last hundred years.

But very sadly Wales is no longer a revival country and hasn't been for decades and decades. It's gone from in a hundred years the most revival country to being one of the most secular countries in the whole of Europe.

7 church attendance and If that's not a declaration of where our culture and where Western society has gone. I don't know what is. So anyway, there was Alex and he was preaching on the gospel of the kingdom.

And I and just as he was speaking just those few gears that I needed to just click over suddenly went click in my brain and I thought that's. That's what I didn't see. That's what I didn't see. Alex was preaching about all the times where Jesus tells a parable.

About the kingdom, you know where Jesus will open a parable you say the kingdom of God is like such-and-such. Or the kingdom of God is as a man that traveled to a far country and blah blah blah. You know those he said these are the kingdom parables.

We understand the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus was preaching. We need to focus on those and get the message that's in those parables and Comprehend what it was that are the key points out of this gospel of the kingdom and obviously in this passage and round about.

It's Matthew 24 the beginning times passage interestingly enough. There Jesus is already talking about it because he sees this gospel of the kingdom. So it's in these passages. Some of these keys I want to go into it.

I Think it's powerful and I found it powerful when I was hearing about and I thought yes. This fits in exactly with where I believe the gospel needs to go in the last days. Because we've lost so much especially the convicting power of the Holy Spirit in our preaching so.

That's my little intro there if you can turn with me, please to Matthew chapter 22. You notice we're only going back a couple of chapters. We're really still in the same passages. Jesus is actually in Jerusalem talking to his disciples and so on.

The Kingdom Parable of the Wedding Feast

Through much of this entire thing Matthew 22 all the way through to 2025. This is a scary passage and I want to Apply it in a sense, but let's have a look at it first and Jesus answered that we're in verse 1.

Jesus answered and spoke unto them again by parables and said. The kingdom of heaven is like a certain King Which made a marriage for his son. Now what we need to realize is wherever we see an opening like that.

We're talking gospel of the kingdom if we can go through Matthew and Luke and all of those. And start seeing things that way and start actually opening our eyes. Jesus is talking about not just the kingdom.

He's talking about the gospel of the kingdom what these parables are how he would open that subject up to people. Yeah, this is so typical of how he would do it. The kingdom of heaven is like a certain King Which made a marriage for his son.

He sent forth servants to call it call those who were bitten to the wedding and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants saying tell them which are bitten. Behold, I've prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come to the marriage.

And they made light of it and went their way. One to his farm another to his merchandise and the remnant took his servants treated them spitefully and killed them and When the king heard about it He was angry and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city.

What city is he speaking of? You know, he's speaking right there probably in the presence of scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees who literally gritting their teeth listening to him. Because he's talking about their city.

You know Jesus is about to go on to say when there's this to his disciples. You see these beautiful stones talking about the temple buildings and everything. He says there will not be one of these stones left upon another.

In other words He's saying this entire place will be raised to the ground. Nothing will survive. That's what is that's what all these passages are about. Nothing is going to survive this. Who's behind it?

He's saying the king was angry and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. Do you know what in fact happened? 40 years less than 40 years after he spoke these words the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem.

Exactly as he said it would happen it happened. The Roman army surrounded Jerusalem. Josephus recorded the historian records it. There was one they say 1 .1 million Jews slaughtered by the Roman armies.

The Josephus says the blood was flowing in the streets so high that the that it was putting out fires. That's how bad it was. That's how bad the slaughter was. Because because why they had Not just persecuted but killed the king they had ignored and mistreated his servants.

They had done everything Jesus said that they were going to do. Everything he told them in a parable. So the king was angry and sent forth his armies, you know. We're not dealing here with a pansy of a king.

In fact at no time in this period would anybody in their right mind have thought of king. The way often God has thought of today. God wasn't a Santa Claus and the king wasn't a Santa Claus to these people.

They knew what a king stood for. A king stands for great authority. He has the power of life and death over you and if he says life. You're fine. If he says death it is done and nothing will stop it. They knew that Kings had that power.

They knew what Kings were like and nobody messed with a king. Amen. We on the other hand have got so used to grace and usually very greasy and easy grace in the modern age and We've conformed God to our image and we've turned God into a giant teddy bear Who only wants to bless us and there's no judgment.

There's no conviction of sin. There's no fear of the Lord. There's no actual treating of God like a king and we don't treat him as he deserves. There's not real respect. There's not real reverence for God.

You notice that it's all disappeared out of our culture and we've replaced it with this sort of easygoing. Casual, you know, oh well, you know God's my buddy kind of attitude and and we're fine with that.

And I say well we don't understand What Jesus said and we don't understand what the Bible presents God like we just have no idea God is holy God is three times. Holy God is so different from what we imagine, you know, and and one day he will be judging every one of us.

So we better learn a bit more about what he's really like rather than making up our own version. Amen. So here he is sending his armies in Verse 8 then he said to his servants the wedding is ready, but that those that were bitten were not worthy.

Go therefore into the highways and as many as you can find bid to the marriage. So the servants went out to the highways and gathered together all as many as they found both bad and good in the wedding was furnished with guests and When the king came in to see the guests he saw there a man that had no wedding garments.

Speaking of the clothing of the righteousness of Christ. That white garment was missing off this person. He said to him friend How can how did you come in here not having a wedding garment and he was speechless.

Then said the king to the servants bind him hand and foot. Take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called but few are chosen. My goodness.

Aren't we dealing with the king? Amen. Are we going to be dealing with the king? Isn't there a no-nonsense approach to that? Look at look at the way God and this is the king. Of course. Look at the way God is dealing with these people.

We think he's just full of fluffiness. Like a big old marshmallow in the modern church. I tell you the truth is radically different. None of the parables present him as a marshmallow. Amen. What have we seen about the gospel of the kingdom that we are going to be seeing again and again.

Many of these kingdom parables are about a similar kind of thing where the king Goes away for a journey or the king sends his servants to people and tells them. You know. They've got a mission to do and the servants ignore it or the servants Won't know sorry the the people that they are sent to they won't obey.

They're not interested in the message and. So there are consequences and there are there is a judgment and there is a reckoning. This is the pattern of the gospel of the kingdom and Also at the heart of it is the concept of who we are dealing with.

The king is who we're dealing with. Remember Christ in his first coming came as a lamb unto the slaughter. He deliberately did not take up the authority. He could have had to just wipe everybody out and say I'm sorry.

You cannot treat me that way. He said I'll come as a lamb. I lay my own life down willingly. Remember they were speaking to him. I believe it was Pilate might have been speaking to him. Jesus says to him.

Do you not realize sir? I have 12 legions of angels that could be at my beck and call any second. You know what 12 legions of angels can do. It only took two to wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah. Amen. Imagine what 12 legions can do.

No, it takes two to wipe out small cities of 30 ,000 or so. That's what we're dealing with. That's the God of all glory, that's the Lord of hosts. What does the Lord of hosts mean. The Lord of armies is what the Lord of hosts means?

It's one of the titles of God the Lord of hosts. We're not dealing with pansy Christianity here and until we get our heart around the fact that in the last days a gospel has to be presented of The return of the king not as a lamb, but as a conquering Returning king who owns the place and is coming back to rightfully.

Take it back into his ownership fully and his good servants will be rewarded. Those that were poor servants and did not do what they were supposed to do will be will receive a different kind of reward.

That's what kings do. They go away. They leave their stuff with others to to steward it for them. Okay, we're going to see all of that. So we're already getting a sense of it there. Remember that Jesus did not want to Destroy Jerusalem.

Judgment on Jerusalem and the King’s Return

He would have loved for Jerusalem to come and repent and come into What he desired for them just turn with me to Matthew 23 Verse 34. So this is the heart of God so in 70 ad Jesus prophesied all this 70 ad what happens the Roman armies Surround Jerusalem.

Jesus had said when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies. Do not stop don't even you know. Pray it will not be on the Sabbath day pray that you are not with child. Because I want you to flee the city you get out of there as fast as you can.

Don't even stop to eat breakfast. Basically. Amen. You remember that prophecy. Jesus spoke it to his people. 70 ad comes the Roman armies surround Jerusalem. And meanwhile on the inside of Jerusalem There's a civil war taking place and they're actually destroying one another's food supplies within the city.

Which is the most ridiculous thing you can imagine but people under judgment do stupid things. Amen. So the city's under the judgment of God the Christians remembering the prophecies of Jesus Escaped the city into safe places up into the mountains and hills where they are safe from the attacking Roman armies the Romans into Jerusalem.

Raised the city to the ground the temple is utterly destroyed. Not one stone is left upon another 1 .1 million people are slaughtered. The rest are taken away as slaves. That's what happened. Exactly as the prophecies foretold exactly Matthew 23 Jesus crying out.

And here we are in verse 34 he says Behold I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes and some of them you will kill and crucify. And some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city.

That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barakas whom you slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you all these things shall come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem you that kill the prophets and stone them which are sent to you. How often would I have gathered your children together even as a hen Gathers her chickens under her wings and you would not behold your house is left unto you desolate and For I say unto you you shall not see me again.

Till you say blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Wow sobering words. Sobering words. So now we're into Matthew 24 and Jesus in the middle of all this in time stuff talking about and you know a whole lot Of terrible disasters and the Sun will turn black and the you know, all this kind of stuff earthquakes and so on.

There in the middle of it he's saying this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations and Then the end shall come. There's a lot of double and triple fulfillments in most of these prophecies.

There's progress. Fulfillments that took place in 70 ad there's fulfillments that take place in the last days. There's the abomination of desolation which already has happened twice in history. You know happened under the Romans happened with When the Maccabees cleared it out.

Etc. Etc. We've got you know, I don't want to get into in times theories here. But what I'm trying to say is a lot of stuff that happened in 70 ad to Israel I believe happens in the last days to the whole world a Lot of what was going on because Jesus was mainly reaching Israel.

I believe in the last days also happens to the Gentiles because God has been reaching the whole world. Amen. So we're heading into our version of Jacob's trouble and it's going to probably be a horror story and certainly.

All the signs are there and all the prophecies are there. Amen. But the gospel of the kingdom, why would we need to preach about the king returning? About the judgments coming and about the king. Wanting to judge the earth and wanting to judge People in their life.

What why would that be for the end days? And I tell you it's because he's about to return and when he's about to return he always sends a warning first. When Jesus came as a lamb when it when Jesus came as the Israel, you know Israel's Messiah.

He sent John the Baptist Beforehand to cry out and make the path smooth and and warn everybody. This is what's about to happen. Everybody. Keep it. Keep a lookout. I tell you I'm not even worthy to unloose the sandals on this this one that is coming.

I want you to watch out for him. So God sins John the Baptist what what's God going to do at the end of time? He's going to see a bunch of people preaching the gospel of the kingdom. What is the gospel of the kingdom?

The king is returning. He's returning in judgment. He's not to be trifled with if you think God is the big pansy in the sky that you've made him out to be. You need to think again. These are part of the gospel of the kingdom.

We're already seeing it. You're not saying it in these passages. We've been reading you haven't been paying attention. God is very serious. The end times are a time of you know darkness in many ways and judgment.

Readiness for the Coming King

Okay another parable and The parables get pretty serious here the teen the teen virgins. So look with me in Matthew chapter 25. Notice we're still in the same passages. We're still in the same area of the Bible.

Matthew 25 verse 1. Listen to these opening words then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins. Now you could say the kingdom of heaven here's what that really is saying. The king that rules heaven.

We're now talking about his kingdom coming to the earth. That's what we're really saying. When God's kingdom finally comes to the earth when he is in total rulership over everything that happens here.

Some people say yeah, but isn't God in rulership over everything that happens here right now. I say no, otherwise nobody would be sick and dying of cancer would they. When God was fully in charge of the earth, what was the earth like the earth was an Eden a literal paradise.

Because God was totally in charge sin and sickness death and disease. Even cry, you know, there should be no more crying or tears says Amen. That's what happens when God's kingdom comes back but. That's not the situation now.

So then shall the kingdom of heaven be like unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise. Five of them were foolish. Those that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil.

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom waited they all slumbered and slept. So we know the story. So here's ten. Here's Ten virgins waiting for the marriage. It's delayed and the bridegroom is delayed.

How many of these? Virgins are lost. Half of them are lost. Are they all believers? I put it to you. Yes, they're all believers. Do all of them expect the king? Yes, every one of them does. What's the difference between the wise and the foolish.

There's five of each. What's the difference. Only that they don't have enough oil in their lamps. They're not really prepared. They're not really ready so. These are not. You know, a lot of people might just say oh, yeah.

Well, those are just you know nominal Christians not real believers or Not real, you know true faithful Followers of Jesus. I say I think they are. I just don't think they're ready for that wedding. Something has made them unready.

They don't have enough oil in their lamps. So we lose half of the expectant Believers half of them bang. They're gone. Because they go away to find the oil they come back. They knock on the door. Jesus says not only does he say you can't come in.

He says I don't know you. I Don't know you. You can't come in here depart from me and There is wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Why wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Because they were ones who were supposed to be in there and they know it.

They were ones who were called. They were ones who had the chance out of all the Humanity all of the people on this planet. These were people who should be in that wedding feast and they know they should be there and they know but for the lack of Whatever it was that preparation that oil that Holy Spirit Empowering and filling, you know, whatever reason they're not prepared.

They haven't been filled and filled again, they didn't let that happen properly they they're just not ready. We lose half of these half of these expectant believers. Half of these Christians we lose them bang and they're gone and they never seen again.

There's no reference to them ever again. Again I say to you that we're dealing with a period of judgment and we're not dealing with a king. That is a marshmallow or a Santa Claus. We're dealing with the king.

He demonstrated in his dealings with Israel that he has massive patience such mercy such kindness, but at a point it stops and Then judgment begins. Amen. That's what he demonstrated over and over again at the end of time.

He demonstrates it more completely than he ever has before. That's why the warning has to go out before he comes back that hey. Get serious with God. The king is returning and returning in judgment. He's returning in judgment.

The Parable of the Talents and the Day of Reckoning

Okay, verse 14. We're still in Matthew chapter 25. Now a lot of people will say this doesn't sound like the gospel. You know, this doesn't sound like the gospel. I mean the gospel of the kingdom. Why?

Does it have this different emphasis to it? Of course, it will still contain all the things that Jesus was teaching. Of course, it will still contain his words about you know. If you would follow me take up your cross and follow me and all of those kind of things.

Of course, it will contain the facts of Jesus death and resurrection and all of that. But why is this a new emphasis for the last days? And I say again, it's because we're so close to the actual king coming back.

And if nobody gets warned I put it to you that the event itself cannot occur because there is never a time of judgment where God doesn't first see the warnings and The gospel of the kingdom is a warning and almost a last trumpet call.

Come in come in the wedding feast doors are still open but they're about to close because the end of time is near the king will return and He's not going to be the sugar daddy that you think He's returning in judgment.

Judgment is Not a topic that's popular in the modern church. And so we almost never hear sermons about it anymore. Do you realize that? Do you know what that's like it's like the teacher at the start of the year, you know, I used to be a schoolteacher.

I Taught school for a couple of years. But it would be like the schoolteacher. Who doesn't actually let on that at the end of the year there's an exam and if you don't pass that exam. You've had it and the whole course is a failure.

Every teacher in their right mind would say to his students. Listen the exams at the end. We're going to prepare you well for it. We're going to do this this this and this and you'll be fine. You'll pass it if you really apply yourself.

That's what a good teacher even average teacher would do. Amen. But what the modern church is doing is basically saying we're going to pretend, you know La la la la la la la la la la la la la we're going to pretend that there is no exam.

We're not going to talk about it at all. Because it's too frightening to behold and especially if God is a holy God. We know that everybody's in trouble. In fact much of the church is in trouble because nobody bothers to be holy anymore.

Because we don't preach it so that's what's going on and and sadly nobody's ready for the King's return and So the trumpet blast had better go out loudly and somebody had better take up this clarion cry and say I'm going to preach this gospel of the kingdom because the king is Returning and he needs this word to go forth before he can come back.

Remember it says and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the earth For a witness unto all nations and then the end will come. Amen. So it has to go forth. Matthew 25 verse 14 for the kingdom of heaven Is as a man traveling to a far country who called his servants and delivered to them his goods.

To one he gave five talents to another two and to another one to everyone according to his ability and Then he took his journey. Then he that received the five talents went and traded with the same and made another five talents.

These are talents of gold. A lot of people say talents. Is he talking about my talents? No, he's talking about talents of gold and Likewise he that received two he also gained another two. But he that received one went and dug in the ground and hid his Lord's money.

After a long time the Lord of those servants came back and reckoned with them. So the day of reckoning comes. He that received five talents came and bought another five talents saying Lord you delivered five unto me behold I've gained another five.

The Lord said to him well done good and faithful servant you've been faithful over a few things. I'll make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord. He that received two talents came with two more and he was rewarded as a faithful servant.

Then look what happens with the tip the guy that got one and he dug it in the ground. Verse 24 he that had received the one talent came and said Lord I knew that you were a hard man reaping where you have not sown.

Gathering where you have not strawed and I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here is your talent back. As Lord answered and said to him you wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I do not sow and gather where I have not strawed.

You ought to therefore have put the money in the exchanges and Then at my coming I would have received it with interest. Take therefore the talent from him and give it to him that has ten talents. For everyone that has shall be given and he that he will have abundance.

But from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has and listen to this verse 30 cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. I Put it to you that that guy no longer believes as that's happening to him and once saved always saved.

Amen, you know, I think once I'd always say just Sank yeah now. Who are we dealing with in these last days. Why do we never ever preach This kind of God anymore. It doesn't fit with our marketing culture.

That's why. Do you realize that in the last 50 years? We've done a huge experiment on ourselves in the Western world. We've said if we put ourselves in front of televisions and every other device we can imagine and pump ourselves with advertisements and every Television thing in every form of media that you can imagine pumping us with the concept that our self-esteem needs Boosting and we need to be made happier and I deserve that new thing and that car.

Yeah, I deserve that and you know, my lifestyle is not quite adequate. So I better trade up to this that and the other you know, the the typical consumerist thing has been so Pumped at us for 50 years now.

Right into our living rooms right into our own virtually if they could that pump it straight into our brains wouldn't they? We live in an advertising culture. I believe we live in the first Marketing culture that has ever existed and And what has happened to the church during that time is more and more given away given way to using marketing to sell Jesus and Everybody knows that you never ever sell things on negatives.

Do you sell things on positive? So we stop talking about sin and we start talking like this God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life come to Jesus. He will solve your problems. He will make you happy.

He will give you Self-esteem, you know, and I always think it sounds like a toothpaste commercial in essence, isn't it? So we're selling Jesus just as though he was a product. Why are we doing that because marketing?

Dominates our culture and our entire way of thinking. Does Jesus the returning judge fit into Marketing culture. I tell you not at all. Not at all. There's no place. Remember that 300 years ago The most powerful revival sermon ever preached was called sinners in the hands of an angry God.

Now think about that title for a minute. Jonathan Edwards is the most powerful and most renowned sermon in Revival history sinners in the hands of an angry God firstly, we don't call anybody sinners anymore.

We certainly don't talk about it very much and an angry God. Are you joking? We can't sell that. We can sell flashing lights smoke machines loud music, you know Casual as anything we can sell that that goes down well, but we cannot sell Sinners in the hands of an angry God.

Are you out of your mind Andrew? We can't sell that. Do you know what happens because we can't any longer talk about these things the Gospels not being preached at all. Do you know what the gospel requires in order for me to really understand it?

I have to Understand the terrible predicament that sin puts me in and I have to start fleeing away from it in order to Flee into Christ and truly be utterly converted. Do you realize that? Do you know what happens if I never get convicted enough of sin and so on that?

I never feel very convicted about that. You know what happens? I don't flee. I Never really flee from sin into the kingdom of God. And what did John the Baptist say he said to the to the people who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.

Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? That's what the real gospel does. It actually gets people so Convicted of their sins and so knowing. Oh my goodness. I'm so I'm wrong with God on every level.

I've offended this Holy God and his judgments are upon me. That's what they're supposed to realize and they're supposed to start running away from it towards Jesus Christ. The only place they can find Cleansing and white robes to wear.

Amen. That's what's supposed to happen. That's the real gospel all the old revivalists that I've studied, you know studied revivals and so on for years it boils down to that. We don't any longer care that nobody flees Sin we don't preach a gospel that would even make them think of doing such a thing.

They can sit placidly and and when it comes to trying out what we're selling they go well, I might as well give it a try and That's the motivation for a lot of people. Oh, well, it sounds good. You know, it sounds like a nice life and everything.