The Gospel of the Kingdom

Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:00

Well visiting us with this morning this morning is this morning's preacher our brother and friend

00:05

Pastor Brian Garcia, so please brother come and bring us the word Well, good morning reformed

00:19

Baptist Church. How are you this morning? Are you guys good? Yeah, what's that no

00:31

It's biblically accurate I like that I was testing you Well church if you would be so gracious in joining me in a word of prayer before the preaching of God's Word father

00:42

We're so thankful for today's arrangement that we get to worship you in your house amongst the Saints We're so thankful Lord that we also get to receive from you this morning a word a word from your word from the

00:55

Bible from the Holy Scriptures Father God may you bless the preaching of your word and bless those who are here to hear it

01:01

We ask God that your power your word would go forth in power and authority and reach hearts and minds and ears

01:08

Give us receptive hearts to receive that which you've laid before us this morning in Jesus name. Amen Well church this morning

01:16

I had the privilege of sharing my testimony with some here at the church I want to begin again by doing likewise as I see some new faces here in the congregation

01:26

First and foremost, my name is Brian Garcia. I'm a pastor in Wisconsin Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Anyone here ever heard of the

01:33

Green Bay Packers? I think a few of you have amen. I think they're a little bit Doing a little bit better last season than your homegrown team.

01:42

What's the team here again? The 49ers? Is that the four that's one of them and so just a friendly reminder that That God loves you, even though you have the 49ers as your team

01:59

Go Packers, I'm actually more of a of a Patriots guy myself, so you may not like me even more after hearing that But I want to share with you guys my testimony this morning and I want to give you a word from God's Word as well

02:13

As some of you have already come to know I grew up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses are a unique American religion that are actually all around the world today.

02:25

You'll find Jehovah's Witnesses in about 235 nations around the world.

02:30

They print more literature than all the Christian churches combined and They are well known for a couple of things.

02:38

One of them being that they show up at your door Knocking Asking if you know anything about God and his kingdom

02:49

Well at the early age of four I remember knocking on doors and giving people pamphlets and preaching about God's Word and kingdom

02:58

Yet God did a remarkable work in my life He brought me from the kingdom hall their place of worship to the kingdom of God God gave me a sinner

03:12

The opportunity to truly know and preach the riches of his glory

03:17

Through Christ and not through a righteousness of my own Jehovah Witnesses you may be wondering.

03:24

What's the big deal? Well, they are distinct in that they deny everything that you hold dear to as a

03:32

Christian So think of any major Christian doctrine whether it be the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

03:38

Whether it be the divinity of Jesus Whether it be heaven or hell whether it even be the the person and work of Christ himself or who

03:46

God is They believe in something totally different Instead of Christianity.

03:52

I like to call them twist -ianity They take everything that you and I believe and they put a little twist on it.

03:58

So they say hey, we're Christians We believe in Jesus But who is their

04:03

Jesus? Well, they'll say we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God But what they truly mean is that Jesus Christ is a created being

04:12

That he was the first thing that God created and that in fact, he's Michael the Archangel You see a

04:18

Christian would hear someone like a Jehovah Witness say hey We believe Jesus is the Son of God and we'd say amen We do too, but we believe in two very different things when we say those things, don't we?

04:29

They also believe that Christ was resurrected not in bodily form as the Bible says But instead that he was raised as a spirit creature

04:38

They also believe that Christ's second coming is real and tangible, but it already happened and you just missed the boat

04:46

It happened in the year 1914 and if you guys alive during that time,

04:51

I don't think so. Not even the pastor, right? You weren't born 1914 not quite but instead what we understand and see is that the

05:00

Jehovah Witnesses teach and believe that the second coming happened over a hundred years ago Have you have you noticed?

05:08

Have things gotten better under Christ's rule? No Everything that you believe and hold dear to as a

05:15

Christian they believe just a little bit differently with a twist Now why is this important why do

05:22

I bring this up? well, God again brought me from the kingdom hall to the kingdom of Christ and My story though.

05:32

It may sound unique on the surface. It's really no different than some of your own I was once lost and Now I'm found.

05:41

I was once blind but now I see You see at the as a teenager.

05:49

I began to study God's Word for myself and I asked God I want to know who exactly is

05:54

Jesus is Jesus Michael the Archangel or is Jesus the living abiding

06:01

Word of God who created all things who brought all things into existence And as I shared earlier in the

06:08

Bible study this morning One day I decided not to put my Bible down until I discovered who this

06:14

Jesus was and I decided I'm going to continue to read the Bible and and and as I was reading the scriptures

06:22

I found Acts chapter 7 where Stephen is about to be martyred and killed for his faith And it says that he entreated and said

06:30

Lord Jesus And at that moment I discovered you know what I could ask

06:35

Jesus Who he is as I said, you know, I'm gonna pray to Jesus, which is against the teachings of the

06:43

Jehovah Witnesses They believe that you can only pray to the Father and you can use you can pray to God in Jesus name but you cannot pray to Jesus and I said

06:53

Lord Jesus and at that moment I knew that I had found the true and living

07:02

Jesus I Knew as I confessed that those words Lord Jesus That I had passed from death to life that God had given me the gift of everlasting life and ever since then

07:18

I've devoted my life to preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ many of you have got to meet my wife and kids and my wife and I have been living as missionaries for the past eight years

07:30

Eight years ago almost we were called to missions in Canada and in Canada we got to work with the homeless population there in Edmonton And we also got to share the gospel and help restore lives of those who were struggling with addictions we also had the privilege of starting two churches in the city of Edmonton and Now I'm pastoring a church in rural,

07:55

Wisconsin in a little town named Sturgeon Bay. So Green Bay Packers Are only about 45 minutes away from where I live

08:03

And so even though I've actually never been to Green Bay Packers game, I'll be honest and make a confession

08:09

I'm not really much of a sports guy. I'm more of a Jesus guy And so if we have

08:14

Jesus in common, we'll have much in common. Amen and so God has called us now to a possibly a new journey and So we're seeking

08:25

God and I covet your prayers I'd love for you guys to be praying for my family and I during this time as to leading us what

08:32

God has in store for us It's at the moment. However That I received

08:39

Jesus. I also received the call to Use my life in service to the one true

08:46

God and his kingdom and that's what I want to speak to you this morning about is

08:52

God's Kingdom if you have a Bible, please turn to Luke chapter 13

09:01

We're gonna be examining Just a few verses in Luke 13 verses 18 to 21.

09:10

May you hear either word of the Lord this morning? Luke 13 18 to 21 says and he said therefore

09:19

What is the kingdom of God like? Into what should I compare it? It's like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden it grew and became a tree and the birds of the air made nests in its branches and Again, he said to what shall

09:38

I compare the kingdom of God? It is like a leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened you see

09:54

This kingdom is The most important kingdom that you can know about You may be an

10:02

American You may be from a different country. You may be from anywhere on the face of the earth

10:08

But if you are in Christ this morning, let me tell you your citizenship isn't solely here in this nation or in another nation your citizenship is indeed in the kingdom of Heaven and that's the kingdom.

10:22

I'd like to talk to you about this morning. You see I'm a servant of this kingdom But what exactly is the kingdom of God and why is it so important?

10:33

Why am I devoting this time this morning to tell you and to talk to you about God's kingdom? Well, first and foremost

10:39

God's kingdom is a real vibrant tangible government of God It is

10:49

God's government of rulership over the nations and over the heavens and over the cosmos we as Christians believe in a firm the sovereignty of Almighty God The God is sovereign and a sovereign implies that there's something there's a border in which he has control over America is sovereign over its nations

11:15

But can I tell you God is sovereign over all that he has made that would include

11:22

Everything you and me are part of the parameter and borders of God's rulership and his right to rule

11:30

She the kingdom of God is again. It's a government. It's his divine order. It's laws precepts economy servants rulers and subjects in Simple terms the kingdom of God is what the world looks like when

11:44

King Jesus gets his way now the kingdom is in the hands of a ruler in the hands of a king and This king has a name.

11:55

His name is Jesus. Do you know him this morning? The kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ is indeed the central theme of the

12:03

Bible It was in fact the central teaching of Jesus's earthly ministry in the meta narrative of the

12:11

Bible We see the outworking of the conflict between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of darkness

12:17

We see this conflict even very early on in the scriptures in Genesis in the first three chapters you see

12:23

God creates a heavens and the earth and Immediately there is there is one who comes to arise in opposition

12:30

Against God's right to rule. This was the serpent the original serpent

12:36

Satan the devil and Satan begins his conflict with Almighty God with his rulership with his kingdom in the

12:45

Garden of Eden We see when the serpent led humanity down to sin and ruin and disobedience to the laws of God We see the begin the first assault on God's right to rule or his kingdom

12:59

Now in Luke chapter 13 verse 18, we see the incarnate one the

13:04

Lord Jesus Christ He asked this simple question. He said therefore in verse 18

13:10

Luke 13 Luke 13 18 it says he said therefore what is the kingdom of God like and To what shall

13:20

I compare it? Here's a phenomenal opportunity for the

13:26

Lord Jesus Christ to Exam to give us a picture of what

13:32

God's kingdom is like The incarnate one the one who existed before time who reigned and ruled in God's sovereign kingdom in heaven

13:40

Is now giving us an insight into what it looks like. What could he compare it to? What can he use what imagery is he going to use the imagery of the might and the power of the

13:50

Roman Empire? Is he going to use the the majesty maybe of the Egyptians and all their architecture and all their grandeur and all their glory?

13:59

To what shall Jesus compare the kingdom of God? Something grand maybe he'll even compare it to the stars and how powerful and brilliant they are

14:09

To what shall he compare the kingdom of God to? verse 19

14:17

It is like a grain of mustard seed That a man took and sowed in his garden and it grew and became a tree and the birds of the air

14:29

May nest in its branches Christ decides to take something small almost incomprehensibly small to compare the kingdom of God to Church this morning.

14:44

I want to give you three Principles about the kingdom of God that Jesus is revealing to us through these words when

14:51

Jesus begins to To share with us what the kingdom of God is like in the imagery of the mustard seed

14:57

You know what Christ is revealing to us that small is

15:04

Formidable in the kingdom of God Small is formidable if you take notes.

15:11

I want you to write that one down small is formidable in the kingdom of God and Verses 18 and 19 we examined that Jesus could describe the kingdom of God in many strong big and even cosmic ways but he chooses instead to describe the kingdom of God as one of the smallest and lowliest things known to his disciples a

15:33

Mustard seed if you've ever seen a mustard seeds almost looks like a little grain of sand. It's very small

15:40

Doesn't seem like it would amount to much of anything But a mustard seed Has great potential

15:48

That in the right hands under the right conditions that little mustard seed when it's put into the ground

15:53

It's tended to can be become something grand and big That even the birds of the of the heavens would lay their nest in Small is indeed formidable in God's kingdom.

16:07

So why would Jesus though describe his kingdom was such a small insignificant seed To demonstrate that smallness has great potential

16:16

That the size does not dictate Significance and that God uses that which is small to be formidable and to be a formidable force in his kingdom

16:27

Jesus is in the business of using the small to make a large and lasting impact.

16:34

Amen Now you may be wondering yourself this morning. Well, hey, well, you know our church here is small

16:41

Could God do something? Incredible through the hands of a few

16:48

The answer is yes Did you know that the Lord Jesus turned the world upside down beginning of only 12 disciples?

16:55

Did you know that Jesus started a movement that has outlasted? kingdoms and kings and governments and rulerships

17:04

We belong to a king and a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Amen We belong to a king who uses that which seems insignificant that which seems small that which seems lowly to do incredible things

17:19

Smallness and weakness and meekness Our spiritual currency is in God's economy

17:26

And so we don't have to look down upon that which is small but instead recognize that in smallness lies great potential

17:35

There's great opportunity for advancement lays great opportunity for growth in God's kingdom and economy.

17:44

I Want you to look at also this next verse of me in Luke chapter

17:52

Luke chapter 13 verse 18 and 19 again. I'm gonna read that what is the kingdom of God like and to what shall

17:57

I compare? It's like a grain of mustard seed that a man now That's the part important part I want to focus on that a man took and sowed in his garden and it grew

18:06

Became a tree and the birds of the air made nests in its branches Here's the second principle.

18:12

I want to share of you this morning from this text in the kingdom of God an uninvested faith is desertion

18:22

As we focus on verse 19, this is the seed that a man took and sowed in his garden

18:28

You see a seed Needs a farmer it needs and requires the labor of another without the farmer that seed has very little potential to grow and to become anything of significance a

18:45

Seed needs a farmer and Jesus did not identify that a The potential of the mustard seed apart from the effort of the laborer.

18:54

You see there's consequences For not tending the seed If you just simply allow a seed to fall into the ground and you don't tend to it

19:02

It could easily be choked up It can fall on the wrong soil If it's not taken care of it will quickly wither away and not leave any lasting impact in the kingdom of God an uninvested faith is desertion that is to say if we're not tending to that which

19:21

God has placed in our Hands if we're not good stewards of that which

19:27

God has given us here in his kingdom here at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church Then an uninvested faith a faith that does not tend to the seed is a desertion and a miss in a misuse and a miss service of God in his kingdom

19:44

You see a good farmer or faith needs constant cultivation and attention in order to reap the reward of fruit

19:53

Without attention without proper cultivation there will be no fruit Therefore a good farmer invests in his crop or his lack of investment becomes desertion and Same is true of our faith in walk with the

20:08

Lord Jesus Christ If we're not investing in our faith by regularly attending church by regularly attending prayer services or Reading the scriptures or praying together of our family

20:21

We are missing an important part of God's kingdom work in our lives

20:27

The principle here is one of stewardship as Christians We're all part of God's kingdom and have a sacred kingdom assignment of obedience.

20:35

Not that we're saved by obedience Not that obedience is the mechanism by which we get into right relationship with God But here is the scriptural teaching of the

20:46

Bible that you and I are born Miserably in a fallen condition

20:51

That apart from Christ. We have our federal head as Adam and in Adam all die and are perishing in Adam we are desperately without hope

21:04

But God has made a way for us to receive life Hope and salvation by sending into the fullness of time one born of a virgin

21:15

Who lived a life that you and I could never live He was holy and as John the Baptist saw him coming to the waters of the

21:22

Jordan He says behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world He says that this

21:28

Jesus would be a sin offering for the people and not just for the people of Israel but for the world and In Jesus, we received this gift of everlasting life that all those who'd called the name of the

21:42

Lord would be saved And that in Jesus we have everlasting life without end

21:51

But this is a free gift the Apostle Paul says and he infusions chapter 2 that though you were dead and your

21:58

Trespasses and sins and the way that used to walk according to the Prince of the power of the air

22:03

God being rich and mercy made us alive in Christ He seated us in heavenly places

22:12

You see you may be sitting here today in this church in these pews

22:17

But you're actually spiritually in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Brothers and sisters remember that an uninvested faith is desertion

22:28

Do not hold with contempt the most holy and glorious faith that Jesus has entrusted to you

22:36

That though we be small though. We be lowly God can do incredible feats by his grace

22:43

Through you and me and you know what's super exciting about that text in Ephesians 2 that Paul talks about He goes on to say that though we're saved by grace through faith.

22:53

You cannot earn it It's not of works not of your own doing so that you may boast but instead it is the gift of God But it goes on to say in verse 10 that you were saved for such a thing

23:03

To walk in good works that he's laid for us beforehand He has laid before you those of you who know the

23:12

Lord Jesus Christ an Incredible task an incredible mission to live for the king and his kingdom

23:21

This is why again an uninvested faith is desertion of the kingdom

23:27

Now forsaking the gathering of the saints and the Lord's day participating in the Great Commission work are all important things for us to be reminded of as Obedient followers of King Jesus But again, this is not a salvation of works, but works are indeed the fruit of our salvation.

23:45

Are they not? Are we not saved on to good works? To share the glories and the majesty of Jesus in his kingdom

23:53

I'll use an analogy of Football as already mentioned. I'm not a huge sports guy, but I know enough to make this analogy if you are

24:03

Attending a 49ers game, maybe they're playing against the Packers Okay, and you've got both sides cheering and booing and you've got people who are wearing the jerseys on either side

24:16

And when one team wins, you know, the guys who are wearing the right jerseys, you know what they say? We won

24:22

Really? What did you do? What did you contribute? Were you on the field? You see

24:29

Christianity is not a game that is played on the sidelines It is a game that is not even a game, but it is that which is played in real life that which is invested in by being obedient to the gospel and to the

24:42

Word of God as kingdom Proclaimers we're not called to be spectators

24:50

But we're called to be participators in God's grand plan of salvation So don't play it safe Don't play on the sidelines

25:00

Invest in your most holy and precious faith as the Lord Jesus as we see the words of the

25:06

Lord Jesus here in Luke 13 where he says that the that it is like a grain of mustard seed that a man verse 19 that a man

25:13

Took and sowed in his garden it grew and became a tree and the birds of the air may nest in its branches

25:19

That's the potential of God's kingdom and a faith that's invested verse 20 and he again said

25:29

To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? He says it is like a leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures a flower until it was all leavened

25:42

The third principle I'd like to share with you this morning is that in the kingdom of God Influence is viral

25:50

Now you guys may know a thing or two about going viral being here in Silicon Valley You work for companies and maybe social media companies that things are accustomed to going viral in this place

26:03

But leaven or yeast during a time of Jesus Looked a little different from what you and I may envision today

26:10

It wasn't a simple ingredient that was kept separate for later use instead It was a dough that already had activated yeast and it was infected dough

26:20

They would later would go on to infect everything that it would come in contact with you see yeast is a funny thing

26:27

It can be it can appear to be virtually Invisible innocuous

26:33

Yet it radically transforms everything it comes into contact with What a perfect way to envision the transformative power of the gospel of the kingdom of God What I'm what a phenomenal way of Showing how viral the kingdom of God can be something that is small

26:57

Innocuous that you don't even know is there until it changes the whole world and that's how the early

27:03

Christians transformed the world and civilization they began as a ragtag group of disciples 12 of them became 70 70 became 120 120 became 3 ,000 3 ,000 became 5 ,000 and the next thing, you know

27:19

Rome is turned upside down by the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom of God You see why was it so radical?

27:29

for these Christians to go into a Roman occupied world and say we have a king and his name is

27:37

Jesus is because that was a statement of Treason to Caesar and Caesar demanded absolute allegiance and Here is where our

27:51

King Jesus comes into the picture We live in a in a culture in a time that the culture demands absolute allegiance to its theology to its philosophies into its way of being and thinking if you're not woke

28:09

Then you're in trouble and I suspect Here in Silicon Valley. That is even more true than where I live in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin you have a opposition of kingdoms that's in display here in Silicon Valley Where is your allegiance?

28:29

It's your allegiance to the kingdom of man or to the kingdom of God is Your allegiance to Christ as King or to wokeness as King is your allegiance to God's people

28:42

Or to the people that hates the church May it be so that we have our allegiance with King Jesus because what is a kingdom without a king?

28:56

every kingdom Needs a king and our king is not up for reelection in four years.

29:03

Amen Our king is not one who goes tossed to and fro by every wind of opinion

29:10

Our king is not one who is in stable our king is not one who needs to be reckoned with but instead our king is the one who lives forever and Ever and the one who holds the keys of death and of Hades.

29:24

This is the king who we worship. Amen Does that get you excited? Knowing that our

29:30

King Jesus has all Authority in heaven and on earth and he has given us such a thing as the

29:37

Great Commission To go ye therefore into all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the

29:43

Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all That he has commanded

29:50

He doesn't just tell us to go But he gives us a promise of that Commission and that promise is this

29:58

Behold and I will be with you even always until the end of the age

30:03

What a hope we have in Jesus Brothers and sisters know this

30:09

That this kingdom is real This kingdom is here and you are a part of that kingdom

30:19

Therefore don't live life on the sidelines Don't live life on the terms of this world

30:25

But instead be radically transformed to be disciples of King Jesus Be faithful in proclaiming his gospel

30:33

Be bold in preaching this good news

30:38

When we say the word gospel understand and recognize this truth that gospel

30:44

Simply means good news And when we talk about the good news of the kingdom, we're talking about the message that Jesus brought forward

30:53

Jesus says in Matthew 24 14 that this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the earth as a witness

30:59

To the nations and then the end will come This is the kingdom message that there's a king.

31:08

His name is Jesus. He offers salvation today Kiss the son lest he be angry but there's a day coming a day of judgment when the

31:19

Lord Jesus Christ will come forth from heaven and He would judge the living and the dead in Church, it is your responsibility to warn others of this coming kingdom

31:31

The same kingdom that the Lord Jesus Christ told us to pray for when he says our father who art in heaven

31:36

Hallowed be thy name thy kingdom Come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

31:46

Are you agents of this kingdom and if so May you be bold in proclaiming the greatest truth that ever existed

31:58

The truth that Jesus Christ reigns and he reigns forever Church, I want to leave you this final word

32:06

We cannot always perceive what God is doing and how he is working in our lives

32:12

Until we look back and see the fruit of transformation Similar to how when Jesus is using these analogies of the of the mustard seed and leaven things that are small insignificant we don't always see what

32:26

God is doing in the midst of that until we take a step back and see all that he Has accomplished and done through that which is small you may be asking yourself and wondering

32:35

What is God doing here at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church? We're small

32:43

Maybe look insignificant in terms of the world or in comparison to other churches but can

32:48

I tell you God is at work in you and He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.

32:56

That is a firm foundation We have also this truth

33:03

Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church that God desires you to be formidable

33:10

That he wants you to be a formidable force for his kingdom though you be small

33:16

He will make you mighty The Lord wants you to invest in your most holy faith that you may be strong for the task ahead

33:26

God is calling you to be a great commission focused Church Will you bring the fragrance of his influence everywhere becoming so viral that it fills this land?

33:40

Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church may the Lord richly bless you as You live for and proclaim

33:49

His eternal kingdom and dominion Until we enter the world without end

33:55

May it so be even come Lord Jesus Thank you for allowing me to preach on to you the